They both ran toward the center of camp. As they reached the flagpole, they saw Mitchie and Caitlyn running toward them.
“Hey!” Mitchie called, waving her hand. “What number are you guys on?”
“We’re heading for number four,” Peggy said, a big smile on her face.
“Us, too! We just got our third and are heading for four,” Caitlyn said with a grin. “This year is tough. Dee stepped up the game, big-time. The clues are really hard to figure out.”
“I know,” Lola said. “But we’re rocking, right, Peggy?”
Peggy winked at her partner. “Oh, yeah!” she cheered. Mitchie and Caitlyn turned to go as Peggy and Lola raced to the base of the flagpole.
Just as they reached the pole, Doreen’s voice echoed from the camp loudspeakers.
“Lola Scott, please come to the office. Lola Scott, please come to the office. Thank you.” Doreen’s voice was clear and concise. Hearing Doreen say her name made Lola’s heart stop. She wasn’t supposed to hear from her mom until tonight. Something must be wrong.
CHAPTER
EIGHT
Over the loudspeaker, Lola’s name was called yet again. Mitchie and Caitlyn had heard the first announcement and stopped in their tracks. Looking at each other, they had silently agreed—they were turning around. Quickly, they made their way back to Lola and Peggy.
Standing there, even though surrounded by her friends, Lola felt alone and worried.
Peggy saw the look on her friend’s face and put an arm around her shoulder.
Lola appreciated Peggy’s support, but she felt bad, anyway. She knew this contest was a big deal to Peggy and that she was jeopardizing their chance of winning. Then again, how could she not go see what that call was about?
“What do you think is going on?” Mitchie asked, still panting from their sprint back to the flagpole.
“I’m not sure,” Lola said. She hoped with all her heart it wasn’t terrible news.
Peggy stepped forward. “Come on, we’ll all walk you over to the office and wait for you while you take the call.”
Lola looked up at her friends, her brown eyes wide with surprise. “But the musical mystery! What about the prize? You’ve got to keep moving, people!”
Mitchie smiled. “We’re here for you, Lola. Don’t worry about the clues. The most important thing right now is finding out what is going on. The game is far from over. So, let’s get a move on and go check out that phone call.”
Feeling better, Lola followed her friends to the office door. They stood outside, holding their clues while she went in to take her call.
“Listen, you need to keep going,” Lola said one more time before she went inside the office. “I’ll meet up with you after. I promise.”
Her friends didn’t move.
“I mean it,” she said. “Now scoot! If Tess Tyler goes and wins this contest and not one of us, I’m going to hold you all personally responsible!”
Mitchie, Caitlyn, and Peggy all laughed.
“Are you sure you’ll be okay alone?” Peggy asked.
Lola nodded her head. “Yes,” she said. “I promise. Now get!” As she turned to open the door, she looked back at her three friends one more time. “And thanks,” she said. What she didn’t say was that if the news was bad, she would want to be alone. She hated crying in front of people—even friends.
Inside, Doreen was sitting at her desk.
“Hi, sweetie,” she greeted her. “Your call is on line three.”
Slowly, Lola walked over. She wasn’t sure what to expect. . . . Who would be on the phone—Giselle or her mother? Lola took a deep breath. Then she picked up the receiver and pressed the button next to the blinking light. “Hello?” she said tentatively.
“Great, you’re there!” Giselle’s voice boomed. “Hold for your mom.”
“Mom?” she cried.
“She’ll be right there, Lola,” Giselle said. “I’m patching her through now.”
Taking a seat on the old wooden swivel chair, Lola waited to hear her mother’s voice. Through the window, she could see pairs of campers running to the flagpole, getting their designated clue, and then heading off to the next location. She wondered how Peggy was doing. If she really did have to leave camp early, maybe she could at least leave a winner. Lola sunk down lower in the chair. But she really didn’t want to leave camp at all. She bit her nails as she waited, hoping that her worst fears wouldn’t come true.
CHAPTER
NINE
“How’s it going, songbirds?” Shane called to Mitchie and the others as they walked by. He was still lounging in a chair near the center of camp.
Mitchie jogged over to him. “We’re doing okay,” she said when she reached Shane. She nodded toward Caitlyn and Peggy who were walking ahead. “We’re all off to find our fourth clue. But we had to leave Lola back at the office. She got another phone call, and we’re hoping that it’s not bad news.”
Shane nodded. “Yeah, I heard Doreen call her. I hope she’s okay.” He lifted his dark sunglasses up onto his forehead. “But if you want to stay in the competition, you need to bust a move, Torres.”
“I hear you,” Mitchie said. “Believe me, Caitlyn and I want to win. But Lola is our friend.”
“And you are definitely a really good one,” Shane said, giving her a hug.
Mitchie glowed. She still wasn’t used to being friends with a pop star. He was so nice and so cute that sometimes she got frazzled. Trying to act cool, Mitchie smiled. “Okay, off to the lifeguard chair,” she said. “Nice addition of the Beach Boys song, by the way. My mother didn’t have anything to do with that one, huh?”
Shane laughed. “Well, she was singing a Beach Boys tune early this morning when we were desperate for clues. She was incredibly helpful!”
“I knew it,” Mitchie said, grinning. “But it’s all good. All those times in the car with her and my dad listening to their music has served me well for this competition!” Waving good-bye, she turned and raced off to catch up with Caitlyn and Peggy.
“I hope Lola’s okay,” Peggy was saying to Caitlyn when Mitchie caught up to them. Peggy’s clue was down by the docks, too, so she continued walking with Caitlyn and Mitchie to the lakefront. “She’ll be crushed if she has to leave early. Lola loves it here!”
“We all love it here,” Caitlyn said, looking around at their surroundings. The sun was glistening on the lake, and the trees were swaying in the gentle breeze. She couldn’t begin to imagine what it would feel like if she got a call telling her she had to leave camp early. After all, this is what she lived for all year!
Mitchie, Caitlyn, and Peggy were silent, each one lost in her own thoughts about leaving and about why they loved camp. Reaching the waterfront, they parted ways, their expressions glum.
“We’ll check back with you before we head to the next clue,” Mitchie told Peggy before she left for the dock.
“Okay,” Peggy said. “Hopefully, Lola will be back by then.”
Caitlyn and Mitchie quickly found their clue under the lifeguard chair—just as Caitlyn had suspected. They both studied the sheet music carefully. In this case, the piece was elaborate, and Mitchie looked up at Caitlyn, stumped.
“What are we supposed to do with this?” she asked, totally bewildered.
Caitlyn stared at the paper. “Wait a minute . . . this is classical music,” Caitlyn said. Suddenly she understood what she was looking at.
“Yikes,” Mitchie said, still unsure of what the clue meant.
Meanwhile, Caitlyn continued to eye the music. “Dee said that the clue could be in the music, so maybe it’s something to do with the notes.” She examined the music—it looked as if it could be some kind of sonnet. Then she saw something that made her grin. “I think I got it!” she exclaimed.
“Really?” Mitchie asked. She scanned the music again, wondering what had triggered the clue for Caitlyn. To her, it looked like any other complex composition. “What?”
Caitlyn pointed to the
upper left-hand corner. “The whole piece is written in B flat. And the first note is a B note. As in the B-Note canteen!”
“Wow,” Mitchie said, impressed that Caitlyn had been able to make that association so quickly.
“Come on,” Caitlyn said, already running. “Let’s go!”
“And the B-Note is right next to the office so we can check on Lola,” Mitchie said.
They both ran quickly, hoping that they’d figure out the next clue as quickly. And maybe hear some good news from Lola regarding the “urgent” call.
CHAPTER
TEN
“Hey, sweetie!”
Lola almost burst into tears when she heard her mother’s familiar voice. She sounded completely normal! How could she sound normal when Lola’s heart was racing out of control!
“Mom! Are you okay?” Lola asked anxiously. She twisted the old-fashioned phone cord around her finger. “What’s going on? Why did Giselle call?”
“Oh, sweetie,” Lola’s mom cooed, apparently oblivious to her daughter’s stressed tone. “It’s so great to hear your voice! How’s camp? How are you?”
Lola was confused. Her mother sounded fine. She didn’t sound like there was some horrible emergency. What was going on? Lola cut to the chase. “Mom, what was Giselle talking about today? Do I have to come home early? Is everything okay?” She couldn’t take any more waiting. There was a long pause on the other end, and Lola held her breath. Suddenly it sounded as if her mom was choking—or hiccuping. Her heart beat faster—until she realized her mother was laughing!
“Oh, no!” her mother said. “Sweetie, you got it all wrong! The message was that I was coming home early. We decided to cut the summer production short. I’ll be home by the end of the week. Since I missed visitor’s day, I was hoping that I could come see you. Maybe I could catch one of your stellar performances I’ve been hearing so much about.”
Lola’s mouth dropped open. How could the message have gotten so messed up? She was so relieved that she didn’t even know whether to laugh or cry or yell at her mother. “Oh, I’m so happy!” Lola finally managed to say. “I thought something was really wrong and that I was going to have to come home.”
“Oh, don’t be silly,” her mother said. “I know what Camp Rock means to you.”
Hearing her mother’s assurances made Lola feel so much better. But she wasn’t about to drop the topic. “You never should have had Giselle call me like that,” she said, relief turning to anger. “Mom, I was really worried that something awful had happened to you.”
There was a pause, and Lola could hear her mother exhale. “I’m so, so sorry, love,” she said softly. “It’s just when I heard the news, I wanted you to know. Giselle did say that it was a bad connection, but I didn’t realize how bad. I had no idea that you only got part of the message . . . and the wrong message at that!”
Lola couldn’t stay mad. Everything was okay. Her mom would get to come up to camp and she didn’t have to go anywhere! It was the best news ever.
When she hung up the phone, she went over and gave Doreen a huge bear hug. “I’m staying!” she told her happily.
Doreen looked a little surprised by the affection, but gave Lola a smile. “I’m glad to hear that, dear,” she said.
Lola practically skipped out the door. At that moment, she felt like the luckiest person at Camp Rock.
Then she saw a few teams race past her, and she remembered the musical mystery. She would have to do her celebrating later. Right now she had to catch up with Peggy. The only thing that could make this day even more perfect would be winning the grand prize and singing a track on the next Connect Three album!
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
Mitchie and Caitlyn were jogging to the B-Note when they saw Lola walking out of the office. Changing direction, they took a detour and ran over to her. This was the moment of truth: would their friend have good news—or bad?
They didn’t have to wait long to hear it. “I’m staying!” Lola shouted when she saw her friends running toward her. She did a little dance and turned in a circle. “It’s my mother who’s coming home early! Her summer tour was cut short. I can’t believe how badly that message got messed up. This whole thing could have been a commercial for a competitor’s cell phone. Bad reception is so not a good thing.”
Mitchie and Caitlyn were hugging Lola and screeching when Peggy came running up to them. “These all sound like happy sounds,” she said, smiling. She looked over at Lola.
“Totally happy sounds!” Lola said, flashing Peggy a huge grin. “I’m sorry that I left you in the middle of the mystery, Peggy. Did you do okay with the clue?”
“Yes,” Peggy said, “I totally got it! We’re still in the game, partner. Next stop is the B-Note.”
“Hey, that’s where we’re headed,” Mitchie said, glad that they could all go together. She was all for winning, but some things—like her friends’ happiness—were more important.
Lola smiled, and there was a glint in her eye. “Well, then, you better get moving, because Peggy and I are going to beat you there!” She took off running, her friends hot on her heels.
The good news had inspired the girls, and they all happily raced off to the canteen. But they stopped short when they got to the door and found Tess, Ella, and Lorraine standing outside.
“Don’t bother,” Tess said. “There is no B-Note clue.” She shifted her weight and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Don’t waste your time.”
Mitchie eyed Tess. She didn’t believe her for one second. And she didn’t want to waste any more time talking to her. She moved past her. “Come on, Tess,” she said. “We’re not going to fall for that move. It’s perfectly clear what you are trying to do.”
“That is pretty low,” Peggy added as she walked past Tess.
Tess pouted her lips and walked off with her entourage. “Whatever,” she said. “I tried to be nice.”
When the four girls walked inside the B-Note, they were surprised to find Connie sitting at a table lined with cookies shaped like musical notes. “Hey, girls,” she called out. “How about some snacks? Freshly baked butter cookies!”
The four girls looked at each other and then back at Connie.
“Wow,” Peggy said. “You mean to tell me that Tess was actually telling the truth? I seriously don’t believe it.”
Caitlyn shook her head. “I was so sure that the B-Note was the right answer. You mean this was a fake-out clue?”
Connie smiled and held up a tray of cookies. “Well, yes, but at least you get a cookie for stopping by.”
“Thanks,” Lola said as she grabbed one. “Sorry we can’t stay, though!”
On their way out the door, the girls bumped into Shane and Brown, who were just walking in.
“How’s it going?” Shane asked, smirking. “Visiting B-Note, huh?”
“Ah, I love this game!” Brown said, pleased with himself. “All the hard work really pays off.”
“You are all just cruel,” Caitlyn said to Brown, even though she had to admit the course—and the B-Note treats—had hit the spot.
Shane laughed. “Oh, come on,” he said innocently. “At least this year’s fake-out clue had a snack!”
“Gee, thanks,” Peggy said as she passed him.
“Chin up, ladies,” Brown said encouragingly.
The four girls went back outside and sat down on the grass. They took out the sheet music, and together they once again tried to decipher the clue.
“Yum, these cookies are good,” Lola said, taking a bite. Peggy shot her a disbelieving look. “I know, we’ve got to concentrate,” Lola said, shrugging. “But I’m just saying, they are good cookies!”
Caitlyn spread the music out on the ground. “If it’s not the B-Note, what other clues can we find in the music?”
“There are no words in the clue,” Mitchie said, thinking out loud. “So, we can’t think about lyrics.”
Peggy knelt down closer to the paper. “Wait! We have th
e same one! This must be leading us to the final clue! So there has to be something we’re missing. How about . . . ?” She looked up and smiled at her friends. She had the answer! How could she not have seen it before?
“That’s it!” Lola said, as if she were reading Peggy’s mind. She bent down and pointed to the upper left-hand corner. “It’s not the note—it’s the tempo! It says here, presto!”
“The rehearsal cabin up on the hill!” Mitchie and Caitlyn said at the same time. While it didn’t have an official name, Brown taught one of his classes there.
“I think you’ve got something,” Caitlyn said, her eyes wide.
“But that’s clear across camp,” Peggy added.
“I think it will be worth the trek,” Lola said.
Lola’s confidence won over the others, and in a united front, the four of them raced up the hill. When they reached the small rehearsal cabin, they were exhausted and winded. And to make matters worse, when all four arrived, they found Tess, Ella, and Lorraine already there.
“Nice to see you all,” Tess said in a voice heavy with sarcasm. “Too bad you didn’t listen to me before. I could have saved you the sprint. But now you’ll never catch up with us.” She waved her orange clue in front of their faces and headed out the door. “See you from the winner’s circle!” she said as she strolled off, her entourage close behind as always.
“No way,” Lola muttered. “If Tess wins this competition, I’m going to be so mad!”
Caitlyn put her hand out the way a traffic cop would. “Hold on,” she said. “Tess hasn’t won anything yet. We just need to keep focused and stay on our game.”
They each took their color clue and went off to a different part of the cabin to figure out where they were supposed to go next. This time there were actual CDs in their CD cases, not just sheet music. There was also a small slip of paper.
“The final clue!” Caitlyn exclaimed.
“Us, too!” Lola said, holding up the silver CD.
Hidden Tracks Page 4
