Page 14 of Pioneer Summer

“What is there to worry about? Both the phys ed instructor and the other troop leader are right there,” Ksyusha drawled lazily. “No, he’s gone all mean somehow. Just you wait, that Pcholkin’s gonna get it—”

“No, that’s not what I’m talking about!” interrupted Ulyana. “Maybe he has a girlfriend? That second leader there, Lena, for example. Why not? They sleep in rooms right next to each other, so maybe they ... well, you know. And then they had a fight?”

Polina even sat up. “You might just be right!”

“That’s impossible!” said Ksyusha confidently.

“Why’s that?”

“Because Volodya wasn’t at the dance yesterday, but Lena was, and she danced with Zhenya!”

“That’s right!” Polya said, excited. “Everybody goes to the dance, even the leaders of the youngest troops. It’s the best part!”

“Whoa there, Pol! Instead of getting all worked up, what about getting Volodya to show up today?” Ksyusha suggested. “Then we can see who he dances with.”

“Why does it have to be me?! What’s the—”

Polya didn’t even have a chance to get good and outraged. Ksyusha interrupted her: “Hey, Konev!” she snapped. “What are you doing standing there? Eavesdropping?”

Yurka was nonplussed at that. Like he really needed to eavesdrop on their stupid blabbering when they were shouting for the whole beach to hear! He could have ignored the outburst, but, to keep up appearances, he grumbled, “I’m standing here because I want to. It’s not your private beach.”

“Well, it’s not yours, either. Beat it!” retorted Ksyusha.

“Whoa, what’s gotten into you?” said Yurka, flabbergasted. He’d never heard girls talk like that.

“You’re making us look stupid in front of Volodya, that’s what’s gotten into me! We all heard you put Pronin up to it!”

“Oh? And who drew a picture of me as an idiot in the wall newspaper?” Yurka folded his arms across his chest angrily.

“It’s your own fault, you’re the one who pulled down those lights. So go on, get out of here! You’re blocking our UV rays!”

“Well—no amount of UV rays are gonna help you, you jerk. When you’re that stupid, nothing can help you. Any of you!”

He snatched up the shorts he’d tossed on the sand and walked away. He was angry and offended, of course, but he was more perplexed than anything else.If the three of them got what they wanted from Volodya, what then? Would they divide him in thirds or something? Although they already were dividing him up ... or rather, not Volodya himself, but the work of ... of doing what? Seducing him? Conducting an investigation into his personal life?

This was all incredibly dumb to Yurka. After all, he knew the real reason Volodya was so worried. First they’d scared him with drowning victims, now the kids were having water fights. No wonder he was worried to death!

And at that exact moment, a panicked “Heeeelp!” came from the water and the phys ed instructor blew his whistle.

Volodya flinched visibly and jerked forward, about to leap into the water fully dressed. But the thin, girlish voice rang out again, and this time it was tearful, not frightened: “He’s shoving me again!”

“Damn these kids!” Yurka read Volodya’s lips.

It was a false alarm: nobody was drowning, the kids were just goofing around. The senior campers relaxed. All of them, that is, except Volodya, who swallowed nervously and clenched his fists. At that exact moment, the kids got completely out of hand and an honest-to-goodness fight broke out, with furious poking, shoving, and shouting.

Yurka had no intention of calmly watching Volodya and discussing the situation, like the Pukes. His expression went cold and stern; he swiveled his awesome foreign-import cap so it was on backward and, to be even more imposing, he glared angrily at the little kids. He stomped through the water to Volodya to break up the fight and call the hooligans to order.

After a brief but fierce battle with Pcholkin, who tried to swim away, the two of them managed to drag him by his swim briefs back to dry land. Yurka stood him on the sand and leaned down to him. “Pcholkin, do you want to become a Pioneer?”

“Yes!”

“Did you know that the Pioneers don’t take little boys who hit little girls?”

“No! I mean ... but she started it!”

“Doesn’t matter who started it. You can’t hurt girls!”

While Yurka lectured the hooligan, Volodya heaved a sigh of palpable relief and headed back into the water to monitor the other children. Yurka left the touchingly chagrined Pcholkin to serve his time onshore and went to help Volodya count his troop’s flip-flops, clothing, and heads.

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