Mark woke up the following morning, alerted by the smell of freshly-made pancakes wafting into his room. He rubbed his eyes as he sat himself upright, stifling a yawn in the youthful voice that he had now grown accustomed to. The lingering thought that something was out of place, that he used to be someone entirely else just yesterday, were flushed away in Mark's mind; anticipation for camping and rejoining his friends obscured the memories of his former self.
Having hopped out of the bed, the boy walked to the living room to sight of his breakfast - a plateful of pancakes that had Mark salivating. His mother stepped out of the kitchen, a sincere smile drawn at her face as she saw her boy, pulling him into a hug and giving the blond locks of his bed-hair a few ruffles. "Good morning, sweetie," she spoke, "Did you get enough sleep?"
The boy nodded in response. "Mhm!"
The two sat opposite each other as they enjoyed their hearty breakfast. Mark, in his usual manner, went off his random tangents as his mother nodded along with feigned astonishment, finding her son's enthusiasm charming: from bug facts he read about, to his favorite cartoons, and the more relevant scouting trip; Mark was practically brimming with excitement.
"Hmm," his mother interjected, "Are you also excited to put on all these new badges the man from the store gave you yesterday?"
The boy shock his head. "They're not for me, actually. It's a secret!"
"Oh, is that so?" she chuckled.
Before long, his mother had helped him out of his pajamas and into his Tiger Scout's uniform. Mark glanced upon his fully-outfitted reflection, prompting him to strike a superman's pose, much to his mother's amusement. She couldn't help but smile, seeing how her son now looked like the perfect poster boy for the Boy Scouts. With dressing up out of the way, and with Mark's father in their company, the MacGiullans headed off to the Den's drop-off location, where many of Mark's friends and Scout Den Leaders were gathered. Mark's parents gave the boy a parting hug before waving their goodbyes as they gradually drove out of sight.
Mark couldn't lie - he felt a bit sad to see his parents, but with his friends, whom he remembered by name: Ricky, Gabe, and Ian, the scout felt a whole lot better - overjoyed, as a matter of fact, for their company. Mark, along with the rest of his Den, were guided into their bus, which drove further and further into the scenic forest, where their campsite awaits.
The bus stopped. The doors opened, heralding the marching of tens of young boys, with Mark and his group following closely behind. "Whoa, this is so cool!" Ian exclaimed. "A whole lot prettier than last year's for sure." Ricky commented.
Mark analyzed the picturesque campground around him; the wildlife perfectly contrasting with the log cabins, the gentle touch of sunlight, filtered through the brim of his cap, added a wonderful atmosphere to the place.
"Alright, boys, gather around." a Scout Leader called out, which the scouts hurriedly answered. The Den Leader went over today's activities as well as routine instructions.
"Ugh, it's Mr. Brann..." Gabe sighed, "He's so mean to everyone and constantly complains, just like Mr Harell -- hard to believe they used to be kids like us."
Gabe's comment reminded Mark of something. He searched his left pocket, pulling out a handful of identical merit badges. Bringing them closer for inspection, Jim's words rang in Mark's mind: "Sometimes, Marky, you run into some mean adults who are not as nice as you are, so if you see one, just hand one of these over to ‘em."