For this one: You must convince a young camper to help you play an aggressive prank.
BEHIND THE TREES (any gender, mid teens through early twenties)
You are SO awesome for doing this, Johnny. Just don't tell any of the other campers, right? Dining hall? Free time? Cleanup time? Not a word, okay? Nothing until the campfire is over.
Okay, so: review... When the counselors are speaking... I go first.... Shane goes next and Iris goes last. It's when Iris is giving her speech:
I'm going to toss the powder onto the fire. The fire turns color for a second and gives a big WOOSH. Just for a second though, right? So, Johnny: you've got maybe five seconds to book it across the meadow and behind the trees. Everybody's going to be screaming and laughing... except Iris... but anyway... you won't be noticed with all that noise and fluttering about. Go behind the trees. Your costume is under the treehouse.
I send Iris to search for you and when you hear the footsteps, jump right out and make that goat sound!
She's going to scream her head off. But, like, don't worry. That's going to be good for her.
It'll actually make her laugh. I promise... I... okay, you've got to promise not to tell anyone I told you this because this is like, adult kinda stuff but Iris... she's really good at what she does, okay? She's really cool. I like her. I do. But she's kinda... she's uptight. Never raises her voice, always has that mellow smile. I know that to you and the rest of the campers, that seems like she's just calm and happy... but trust me, when you get older, you see through that really easy. It's kind of a wall she's got around herself.
You're going to break that wall. That'll be how you can be a supportive member of the community... and all that. Right?
Awesome.
Copyright 2016 by Matt Haynes. If you would like to use this piece, please credit: "Courtesy of Matt Haynes and The Pulp Stage"