“So, you’re stuck with me, huh?” Elchanan drawled, when they’d collected a stack of papers and were following the rest of the boys outside.

“Not for lack of trying,” Avi snapped back. His feet were hurting already, probably from the new sneakers, and the hike hadn’t even begun. Weren’t sneakers supposed to be comfortable?

“We’ll have to make it fast,” Elchanan said, over his shoulder.

“If we can.” Avi smirked in the direction of Elchanan’s bag. It looked like an undersized duffel, packed so full that threads around the zipper were straining apart. “Sure that suitcase isn’t gonna slow things down?”

Elchanan spun around and looked Avi up and down, suddenly angry. “I can’t imagine I’ll be the one slowing us down,” he retorted, talking to Avi’s shoes.

They were milling around outside the school building now, a large bus parked haphazardly in the center of the parking lot. Mr. Kreiser was standing off to one side with Rabbi Glazer and the bus driver. They looked like they were arguing about something.

“What’s going on?” Elchanan shaded his eyes with one hand.

“What do you care?” Avi asked irritably. As far as he was concerned, the adults could argue all day. Then they wouldn’t have time for that stupid wilderness challenge part of the trip and they’d just skip straight to the barbecue part.

And to think his biggest problem that morning had been the thought of camping out overnight…!

“Why are you such a grouch?” Elchanan snickered. “Chill out, it’s a trip, okay?”

“Talk about—” Avi began, but a familiar voice interrupted him.

“Avi! Looks like I’m just in time!”

Avi’s head whipped to the left, heart sinking to his uncomfortable shoes. Ta – of course. His father strode across the parking lot, car keys in hand, but Avi wasn’t fooled. Ta had come out to see him off, not to go anywhere.

“Hey, Ta.” He forced a smile, turning deliberately away from Elchanan. “Yeah, we should be going soon. I think,” he clarified, with a frown, as Mr. Greenstein, the admin guy from the office, stepped out into the sunlight to join the huddled discussions.

“Mr. Greenstein!” Rabbi Glazer hurried over. “Thanks for coming out. We have a bit of a problem here….”

There was a clamor of questions and complaints from the boys nearby.

“Something’s wrong?”

“What’s happening? What’s taking so long?”

“Rebbi, are we going soon or can I call my mother to bring me something?” Shmuli Deutsch asked, looking anxious.

“Boys, boys, let Rabbi Glazer and Mr. Greenstein talk,” Mr. Kreiser called, clapping his hands together like a cheerleader. “Let’s have you all lined up with your partners over here, ready for instructions.”

Avi almost smiled; Mr. Kreiser took this so seriously. Then he remembered who his partner was, and the smile disappeared before it even formed.

The class straggled over to Mr. Kreiser, some still trying to eavesdrop on the conversation between Rabbi Glazer and Mr. Greenstein.

“I’d better go, Ta…” Avi jerked his head toward the crowd of boys standing near the bus.

“Of course. Go ahead.” Ta patted his shoulder and looked around. “Who’s your partner, by the way?”

Avi’s face went hot. “Elchanan Stark,” he said.

Elchanan came over just then, casting a strange look at Avi’s father. Ugh, so embarrassing that Ta kept checking up on him. Elchanan was for sure going to spend half the trip laughing about it.

“You coming?” Elchanan asked, his tone carefully neutral. “I think we’re leaving now.”

As it turned out, they weren’t. The bus driver was shouting again, but to Avi’s relief, his father nodded goodbye and walked away, heading over to Rabbi Glazer.

“Is there a problem over here? What’s going on?”

Avi strained to hear Mr. Greenstein’s reply. “Seems there was some kind of misunderstanding…. There are too many kids, not enough room on the bus. We have to arrange for some boys to go separately….”

“Mr. Greenstein here has kindly agreed to drive a minibus with a few boys,” Rabbi Glazer added. “We’re just trying to figure out the last two spaces….”

He’d been speaking quietly, but somehow, everyone managed to catch the last part.

“Two boys are being left behind?”

“Why can’t we just squish on the bus?”

“I knew I should’ve called my mother to bring the stuff, we’re gonna be here forever!” That was Shmuli Deutsch, of course.

Then, to Avi’s horror, his father’s booming voice rose above the clamor. “Two spaces, that’s all you’re missing?” Ta waved a hand in his direction and Avi felt hot, cold, and mortified all at once. He knew, he just knew, what was about to happen.

No. No way.

“That’s no problem at all,” his father continued, nodding happily at Rabbi Glazer and the others. “I have my car parked right here. I don’t mind driving. Avi and Elchanan can come with me.”

to be continued…

(Originally featured in Mishpacha Jr., Issue 868)