The Dysfunctionals

When it was suggested that we go camping during the long weekend in May, just the five of us, I didn’t think the group would actually follow through. Because it was Nathan who originally proposed the idea, and no one ever takes Nathan seriously.

Underneath the inky sky, we perched around the fire pit in Beth’s backyard, drinking the beers we’d rooted out of her parent’s fridge. Then, it had sounded like a fantastic idea. But everything sounds better in the dark, especially when you’re not sober.

After taking a gulp of his beverage, Nathan had slammed the bottle against the surface of the plastic table beside him in a dramatic fashion. His pale blue eyes shone with the reflection of the inferno and his pale cheeks were flushed. “You know what guys?” He only slurred a little bit. “We should go camping. Actual camping.”

Abruptly, all side conversations halted. Elliot stopped arguing with Beth about the benefits of genetically modified foods and Finn ceased prodding at one of the half burnt logs with the poker. I removed my eyes from his elongated arm and locked them with Nathan’s, my brow creasing. “Are you serious?”

“One hundred and fifty percent.”

The two other boys stared at him like he’d suddenly transformed into a beautiful, naked woman. Thrilled. Inspired. Elliot even made a point of heaving himself up and strutting over to where Nathan had positioned his lawn chair. In one swift motion, he locked an arm around Nathan’s neck and jokingly kissed the crown of his head. “Well what d’ya know? Our Nathan had a good idea.”

Nathan swatted at Elliot’s freckle dusted face until he released his grip, “Elliot’s got an old camper sitting in his yard and Pig’s probably got enough power to pull it.” He raised his beer into the air before taking another swig.

After Elliot suggested we all pitch in twenty or so bucks for food and Nathan emphasized that there’d be nothing better to do during the long weekend, the group went eerily silent in consideration.

Finn broke the silence, “I’m in,” he said, smiling in that crooked, cool way that he does.

Beth glanced at me over the fire, pushing a wavy strand of black hair from her face and shrugged. “It could be fun,” it sounded like a question, the pitch of her voice raising for the last syllables. It’s not like she ever contemplating not going, especially after Nathan’s display of enthusiasm.

It was one of those things that sounded good, but you know that the plans will never really fall together. At least, that is what I had thought at the time. What were the chances that Elliot and Finn’s dad would let us use their camper? And under what circumstances would Beth’s parents actually allow her to leave for the weekend? And if Beth couldn’t go, Nathan wouldn’t go. It would only take one of us being restricted to prevent the entire thing. There was five of us, so the percentage of that happening were pretty high.

Nudging my knee with his own, Finn grabbed my attention during one of the rare times that he didn’t already have it. “How ‘bout it, Ollie?”

I don’t know why I hadn’t been completely sold on the idea. Camping just seemed pointless when you already had a house. But despite that, I conceded. “Why not?”

If only I had known then that there are plenty of ways to reasonably answer that question.