Hidden Tracks

by Helen Perelman

  “I remember!” Peggy said, grinning. “You really wanted that tour of the recording studio. Too bad that Liz Randell got that lyric seconds before you!”

  “Liz got to go to the recording studio?” Mitchie asked. She looked over at the brown-haired girl sitting with a bunch of people on the lawn. “That’s awesome.”

  “But she didn’t get to record a track that would be on a best-selling CD like this year,” Lola said, already starting to feel a bit better. “You’re right. I have to wait to talk to my mom tonight. In the meantime, I’m all about winning this prize.”

  Tess noticed the girls chatting and strolled up to them, just as Lola was talking about the hunt. “I wouldn’t count on winning that prize,” she said, flipping her blond hair. If there was a prize to win, Tess wanted it.

  “Tess, who are you teaming up with?” Mitchie asked, trying to be friendly.

  Tess stood with her hands on her hips. “We just got permission to be a threesome,” Tess said. As if on cue, Ella and Lorraine appeared at her side wearing matching bright pink lip gloss. “We’re a tight group, you know.” She flashed Peggy a stone-cold look and then waltzed over to grab a veggie burger.

  “I doubt those three heads are going to be better than any of our two,” Caitlyn mumbled.

  Mitchie shrugged. “You never know. Tess always has her eye on the prize, and she is a fierce competitor. We’re going to have to be at the top of our game.”

  “Oh, for sure,” Peggy said. “Singing on a CD? I think it’s the best prize ever for a musical mystery. It’s golden.”

  “Maybe even platinum!” Caitlyn said with a wink.

  The line started to move, and all the campers eventually got their burgers, chips, and juice. They sat in the shade, eating. Then Dee got up and explained some ground rules for the musical mystery.

  “We have color-coded all the clues so that each team will look for their color CD case,” Dee explained. “Even though there are a few teams with the same color, each team of two will be judged separately.” She looked around at all the campers. “At each location, you will find a clue that will lead to the next one. The clues are in a different order, so please do not share any information with other campers as you work your way through to the end.”

  “Wow,” Mitchie whispered to Caitlyn. “This is going to be a lot of fun. Dee and the staff put a ton of work into this.”

  “Oh, Dee takes a lot of pride in this hunt,” Caitlyn responded. “She works really hard on all the clues. You’ll see—it’s not easy! We’re going to have to work together to get them all.”

  “You are allowed to use any musical instruments in camp to help you figure out any clue,” Dee went on. “Except your own personal ones. All bunks are off-limits for the afternoon.”

  There was a groan from the crowd. Dee put her hand up for quiet, and then continued her instructions. “Every clue is about music—all parts of music, from lyrics to tempo and style. The clues will all lead you to a place on camp where you’ll find your next clue until the mystery is solved.”

  Brown stood up next to Dee. “Some clues are not as obvious as others,” he advised. “So stay focused.”

  “Let’s start!” someone yelled from the crowd.

  “All right!” Dee said. “Please stand with your partner, and the staff will hand out the first clues. Use the stickers inside the case to put on your shirt so the counselors at each spot know your team color.”

  Mitchie jumped up. She was so excited. Clasping her hands together, she noticed Shane walking with Brown toward Dee to help give out the clues.

  “There are five clues in total,” Dee added. “Have fun and play fair! Enjoy the musical mystery!”

  Everyone cheered, ready for the event to begin. Dee, Brown, Shane, and the other counselors handed out the clues. Mitchie put on her blue sticker and handed the other to Caitlyn. The two girls moved a bit away from the others before Mitchie opened the first clue. She stared at the musical notes on the sheet. “It’s sheet music,” she said to Caitlyn, confused.

  Caitlyn laughed. “Yes, and the trick is to find out quickly what the song is so we can figure out where the next clue is.” She grabbed the sheet and started humming the notes on the page. The tune didn’t sound familiar to her, and she started to panic. When she looked over at Mitchie, she was humming the tune as well. “Do you know this song?” she asked, full of hope.

  Mitchie knew she had heard the tune before. But where? She racked her brain, trying to remember when. Caitlyn hummed it again. When Caitlyn was finished, she looked up at Mitchie. All the teams were huddled together, trying to figure out their clues. They had to hurry!

  “Wait, I do know it!” Mitchie exclaimed. It was at the tip of her tongue. “I’m pretty sure that my dad has it on his iPod. Hum it one more time.”

  Humming the tune again, Caitlyn hoped that Mitchie’s brain would retrieve the information quickly. Some of the other campers had obviously figured out their clues. They were already racing to their next spot. Reading the notes carefully, she finished humming and looked at her friend expectantly. “Well?”

  “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay!” Mitchie exclaimed. “It’s an Otis Redding song.”

  “Perfect!” Caitlyn cried, giving Mitchie a hug. Then she lowered her voice so she wouldn’t give away the clue. “So, our next clue should be at the dock. Great work, Mitchie!” They traded high fives and the two ran toward the boat dock.

  Mitchie felt bad for all the times she’d complained about her dad plugging in his iPod in the car. His musical taste had solved the first clue. She was hopeful that there would be more songs she would recognize to help put her and Caitlyn in first place.

  Peggy and Lola and Sander and Barron had run off to the kitchen with their song clue. And Tess was already stomping around, annoyed that her clue proved to be a song that was not familiar to her, Ella, or Lorraine. Everyone at Camp Rock was on a quest to solve the musical mystery—and get the grand prize.

  CHAPTER

  Six

  When Mitchie and Caitlyn arrived at the dock, they found a counselor sitting with his feet dangling in the water. He was there to watch the large stack of CD cases and make sure everyone played fair and took their own color.

  “Hey, there,” Caitlyn said, slightly out of breath. She pointed to the blue sticker on her shirt. “Team blue, here,” she said to him.

  The tall, blond counselor handed Caitlyn the blue CD case and smiled. “Good luck,” he said and then turned his face back to the sun. He definitely had one of the best spots in the hunt to work on his tan.

  “Thanks,” Caitlyn said. She quickly opened the case and took out the envelope hidden inside.

  “Is it another piece of sheet music?” Mitchie asked eagerly. She followed Caitlyn over to the shade of an old tree to examine their clue.

  Caitlyn made a face as she studied the paper. “Yes, but I need a piano,” she said. “I can’t make this melody out without an instrument. It’s a bit more complicated.”

  “Here, let me try,” Mitchie said, taking the paper. She tried to hum the first few bars, but it was a harder piece of music to hum than their first clue. She glanced up at Caitlyn. “You’re right. Where’s the closest piano?” she asked, looking around. Luckily, there were plenty of pianos at camp. They just had to find the nearest one—and fast.

  “Keynote,” Caitlyn said with confidence. “Let’s go!”

  Both girls took off, racing up the hill to Keynote. A few hours ago the cabin had been the headquarters for the musical mystery. Now it was part of the game.

  When they ran through the door, Mitchie and Caitlyn looked around. Two pianos and a fan guitar were set up so that the campers could use them to figure out clues. A counselor was sitting in the corner of the room to keep an eye on things. A few teams were already there trying to sound out their clues.

  Caitlyn slipped into the seat in front of one of the pianos just as Barron, Sander, and Tess and her entourage entered the room. Barely sparing them a gla
nce, Caitlyn placed the sheet music on the piano. Then, using the soft pedal to muffle the sound, she lightly tapped the keys. She didn’t want anyone in the cabin with the same clue to hear the melody and figure it out first.

  “Could you please hurry it up?” Tess said, directing her glare at Caitlyn. “We don’t have all day here.”

  “Yeah,” Ella added. “Hurry up.”

  Lorraine flipped her hair, which got stuck on her glossy lips, and tried to maintain the same sour expression that Tess had on her face. Mitchie tried not to giggle. She knew Lorraine was a really sweet girl. The sour act was being displayed just to try and fit in with Tess.

  “Don’t pay attention to them,” Caitlyn told Mitchie. “Remember, the clues are spaced so that no one has the same one at the same time. They probably don’t have ours. But we should still keep our discovery quiet, so lean in close.”

  Mitchie moved in closer to the piano, listening carefully to the melody Caitlyn was playing. It was vaguely familiar. Mitchie started to jump up and down. “I know it!” she said, clapping her hands excitedly. “I totally know it!”

  “Well, then give up the piano,” Tess ordered from the corner.

  Ella reapplied her lip gloss and handed it to Tess. “You want some?”

  Tess pushed the pot of gloss away. “What I want is to know what our song is so Caitlyn better get a move on,” she snapped.

  Caitlyn ignored Tess and looked up at Mitchie. “Are you sure?” she asked.

  “Totally,” Mitchie said. “I’m loving this game! Let’s get out of here, and I’ll tell you.”

  Tess waltzed over to their piano. “Um, yeah, moving sometime today would be nice,” she said, forcing an insincere smile.

  “Hold your horses,” Caitlyn said as she stood up. She collected her sheet-music clue and her CD case. “Everyone gets a turn.” Then she made a royal sweeping motion toward the piano with her arm as she passed. “The piano is all yours, Your Majesty.”

  “Whatever,” Tess said as she sat down. “Ella, give me the song!” she barked.

  Mitchie and Caitlyn ran out of the cabin, leaving Tess to throw one of her fits. When they were safely away from the other campers, Mitchie turned to Caitlyn. “That’s a Rod Rock song!” she exclaimed. “It was a little hard to figure out, but I am totally sure. I just can’t remember the words.”

  Now that Mitchie mentioned it, Caitlyn recognized the melody. How could she not have? The song was hugely popular last year—especially around July Fourth. “You’re really good at this game, Mitchie!” Caitlyn gave her another high five. Then her expression changed. Figuring out the song was only half the answer. They had to know where to find the next clue and that meant knowing the words or at least the title. “So, where is the song telling us to go?”

  Mitchie started to remember some of the words, and they began to piece the song together. When they got to the lyric that had the word flagpole, they had it.

  “That’s it!” Caitlyn shouted. There most definitely was a flagpole at Camp Rock, and she was sure it was where their next clue would be waiting. “We’ve got to hurry!”

  Once again, the two girls ran across camp. As they hurried, they spotted their friends all scurrying around as well. This was turning out to be a fierce competition.

  Reaching the clearing near the flagpole, Mitchie looked over and saw a circle of chairs set up in the center of camp. Shane was lounging in one of them, next to Brown.

  “Shane is loving this, don’t you think?” Mitchie asked Caitlyn. “He just gets to sit back and see who wins.”

  “Well, hopefully, it will be us!” Caitlyn said, giving her partner a wink.

  Mitchie reached the flagpole first and took the blue CD case. Inside was another clue—a sheet of lyrics without music!

  “Oh, great,” Caitlyn moaned. “What are we supposed to do without this?”

  Before Mitchie could answer, Colby and Andy came over to them.

  “Hey, how are you guys doing?” Colby asked.

  “Good,” Mitchie said, trying not to look too deflated. They had been doing well— until now. But no way was she giving up hope, yet. And she didn’t want to give away any indication that they had just gotten a clue that stumped them. “We’re on number three. What about you?” she said with a smile on her face.

  Andy grinned. “Number four! Better step up your game, Torres!”

  Colby pumped his fist in the air. “We are the champions, my friends!” he cried out confidently.

  “Oh, I wouldn’t start gloating now,” Caitlyn scolded. “It’s not over till it’s over.”

  The boys laughed. “See you later, gators,” they called as they ran off.

  Mitchie and Caitlyn looked at each other in a panic. How had Colby and Andy gotten to the fourth clue so quickly?

  “All right,” Caitlyn said calmly when the boys were gone. “We can figure this out.”

  Mitchie wasn’t so sure. “Maybe if we say the words out loud, it will help.”

  Willing to try, Caitlyn started reading the lyrics. When she got to the chorus, Mitchie raised her eyes. “Oh, I don’t believe it.”

  “What?” Caitlyn said, leaning forward. “Who wrote this? Is it like ancient music or what?”

  “It’s the Beach Boys!” Mitchie exclaimed. “I should have known that if my dad’s music was part of this, my mom would have to be in on the action as well.” She shook her head. “My mom loves the Beach Boys. It’s, like, old surfer music.”

  “Well, let’s hear it for your mom!” Caitlyn cheered. “I guess we’re heading back to the lake. If I had to bet, I’d say there’s a clue at the lifeguard chair.”

  Together, they broke into a sprint. If they were going to start gaining on the competition, they would need to stay on track and move faster.

  CHAPTER

  SEVEN

  Mitchie and Caitlyn weren’t the only ones hot on the trail. Lola and Peggy had gotten to the dock and were tearing open their clue just as Tess, Ella, and Lorraine appeared.

  “We’re on our third clue, what about you?” Tess asked, using her envelope to fan her face.

  “Yeah, our third,” Ella repeated. The scavenger hunt hadn’t stopped Ella from dressing to impress. She wore pink flip-flops that matched her pink tank top and pink lip gloss. And in her dark hair she had a simple pink headband. She looked more ready for a day on a yacht than a scavenger hunt in the woods.

  “Oh, we have every intention of beating you and everyone else,” Peggy responded. She hugged the next clue close to her chest. “You are not going to win this one, Tess.”

  Tess gave Peggy and Lola a long look that went from head to toe. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” she said. Then she waved her hand as if she were shooing Lola away. “Shouldn’t you be off crying somewhere about going home?” she taunted. “I hear you’re leaving us shortly.”

  Peggy couldn’t believe it. How had Tess found out? And how was it any of her business? She was about to say something to that effect, but she didn’t have to. Lola was perfectly capable of handling the situation.

  Staring Tess right in the eye, Lola kept her voice calm and level. “I wouldn’t bank on that, Tess. And if you think you are going to psych me out of winning today, you have another thing coming.”

  Tess shrugged her shoulders and picked up her orange CD. With no more disses to deliver, she took off; Ella and Lorraine were close behind her.

  “I guess bad news travels fast, huh?” Peggy said, when the other girls were out of earshot.

  “It sure does,” Lola said. Even though she had shown a brave face to Tess, Lola was not that confident. The phone call was still weighing heavily on her, making it hard to keep her head in the game.

  “Look at it this way,” Peggy said, noticing Lola’s gloomy expression. “Clearly, Tess sees your leaving as good news. She’d love to have one less person to compete against. Which means she is legitimately nervous that we could win.” Peggy smiled encouragingly. “Come on, you don’t know for sure that you have anyth
ing to be sad about.”

  “You’re right,” Lola said, sighing. “I’m not going to let Tess Tyler ruin this hunt. Or our very good chance of winning the grand prize. Come on, Peggy.”

  Peggy nodded, glad to have her partner back. They opened their next clue and tried to read the notes on the sheet of music. With each step, the clues were getting more challenging. They needed another piano to figure this one out.

  “The small rehearsal cabin is a bit farther away than Keynote,” Lola said. “But it might be less crowded. And there are pianos there.”

  That made sense to Peggy, and they quickly headed in that direction. But apparently, they weren’t the only ones with that idea. There were two other teams ahead of them when they got there.

  “We should probably wait,” Peggy said. “By the time we run back to Keynote, it might be our turn here.”

  “Plus, there’s probably a line at those pianos, too,” Lola added.

  Having played before, they both knew that half the game was strategy and the other half was getting access to instruments. Last year there had been a big uproar when some of the campers had used electric pianos and other instruments from the bunks. Ultimately, Brown and Dee had decided to ban all access to campers’ residences. There were a bunch of counselors making sure that no one tried to cheat. Most campers followed the rules. But that meant the approved instruments were always in high demand.

  Peggy and Lola waited anxiously. Finally, one of the teams jumped up and raced out of the small cabin. The counselor keeping order waved at Peggy and Lola to come and begin their turn. Within seconds, Peggy figured out the clue.

  “I got it!” she shouted.

  A few campers looked over at her, and she lowered her voice. “Let’s go,” she said to Lola a little more quietly. When they were both outside, Lola turned to her. “Flagpole, right?”

  “YES!” Peggy cried. “I thought it was that Rod Rock song, but I wasn’t sure till I heard the melody. The flagpole is totally where our next clue is!”