by Mere Joyce
He waits quietly while a girl named Audrey and a boy named Ollie join us. Audrey is pretty. She twirls her shining brown hair around her finger as she walks toward us. At least Ollie wasn’t one of the boys hanging out with Austin last night. He’s wearing silver sunglasses that stand out against his dark hair. He holds out his hand for me to shake when we are introduced.
“So what are we going to do for our project?” Audrey asks. She loops her thumbs into the pockets of her jeans.
“Time to start planning,” Ollie says. “But we should get some paper and pencils so we can write everything down before we forget.”
I smile at Ollie. He would have made a good partner for Meera.
“No need. I already have an idea,” Austin says.
Ollie looks at him, but it’s hard to read his expression through his sunglasses.
“We could each present an idea and then all vote on the best one,” I offer. I try to sound like I’m not worried how Austin will react. But when he turns his gaze on me, I can’t help flinching. His blue eyes are narrowed, and his mouth twitches.
“No point,” Austin says. He talks slowly, making sure I catch every word. “I can already say that no one will like your idea. Who would pay to watch a one-person pie-eating contest?”
My cheeks burn, and I bite my lip to try to keep the tears from forming. Rule number one. No crying allowed. Audrey acts like her flip-flops have suddenly become extremely interesting. “That…is not…” I stammer. But then I look down at my shoes too. “Never mind.” There is no point in arguing. I know how this goes.
“So what is your big idea then, Austin?” Ollie asks. It may be hard to read his face, but the annoyed tone of Ollie’s voice is easy enough to understand. He crosses his arms over his chest and stares at Austin. I like the way Austin squirms under the attention.
“We’ll set up a game,” Austin says. The first words out of his mouth are quiet, but as he talks, his confidence returns. “You know, like an apple-bobbing game or something.”
“I love bobbing for apples,” Audrey says with a big smile.
Her words sound fake. I can’t believe it. She’s flirting with Austin! Gross.
“How is that in keeping with our theme?” Ollie asks. He sounds unimpressed by Austin’s idea. I’m unimpressed by it too.
“I don’t know—we’ll use local apples,” Austin says with a roll of his eyes.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Ollie says. “I don’t think anyone is going to pay to bob for apples at a farmers’ market.”
“Well, I think it’s the best idea anyone is going to come up with, and I vote we do it,” Austin says. He crosses his arms over his chest to match Ollie’s stance. It makes him look every bit as menacing.
“I vote for it too,” Audrey says. I gape at her. She gives me an uncertain look before smiling sweetly at Austin.
“Well, I vote against it,” Ollie says. “And I would like to hear some other ideas.”
Austin glares at him, but then he looks at me instead. “Two to one,” he says, the mocking smirk I know so well creeping onto his lips. “Looks like you have the deciding vote, J.R. So what will it be? Are you voting for my idea? Or are you voting against it?”
The way he says it makes everything clear. If I vote against his idea now, I’ll pay for it later.
I look at Ollie, and he looks at me. He is probably waiting for me to be sensible and vote down this terrible idea. I want to. But Ollie doesn’t understand. Our week here just began. And even after March break is over, I will still have to deal with Austin’s cruelty at school.
I give Ollie my best apologetic shrug. Then I look down at the ground.
“I vote for your idea, Austin,” I say.
Ollie curses under his breath. He throws his hands in the air and storms away from us.
“That’s what I thought,” Austin says. He pats me on the head like I’m a dog. “Good choice, J.R.”
He turns his back on me and whispers something to Audrey. They both laugh.
Chapter Eight
“Jenny, can I talk to you outside for a minute?”
I look up from my book to see Ollie standing beside me. I can tell from his voice that he is worried about something. It’s not hard to guess what.
“Sure,” I say.
Everyone is in the activities hall tonight. There is a table-tennis table and a whole closet full of board games to play. After this morning’s disastrous team meeting, I decided to spend my night reading by the fire.
Now I get up from my cozy chair and follow Ollie outside. The dark sky is clear, but it is cold. I shiver as soon as we are out of the hall. I can see the fireplace through the window near where we stand. I wish I’d invited Ollie to sit next to me instead of coming out here.
“It’s about our project,” Ollie says once we are alone. As if I didn’t already know.
“Austin’s idea isn’t great,” I say.
Ollie sighs. “The idea sucks,” he says. “But I wouldn’t even care about that if we were actually working on it. We had three hours to plan out the project today, and we have nothing to show for it.”
He is right. After we all agreed to his apple-bobbing idea, Austin spent the rest of our team session playing on his phone. After we were given our budget, Ollie tried to get some work done without him, but Austin would not allow it. He was quick to shoot down all of Ollie’s ideas. And he gave me a warning look not to offer any suggestions of my own. It is now Sunday night, and we need show the counselors a solid plan by Tuesday.
“I know,” I mumble. I peer through the window. I spot Austin playing table tennis with Audrey and her friends. From out here, he looks normal. Almost friendly. It’s amazing how deceiving appearances can be.
“We have to do something,” Ollie says. “I’m not here to play games. Next year I want to do an exchange program at school. I’m hoping to get a leadership reference from one of the counselors. But that won’t happen if it’s obvious we didn’t put any effort into our stall.”
Inside, Austin looks up from his game. I am startled when he looks right at me. His expression is blank. It makes me uneasy.
I look away from Austin’s creepy stare. “Why don’t you talk to Audrey?” I ask.
Ollie shakes his head. “She likes Austin. She won’t go against him. I need your help, Jenny. Please.”
It is the second time he’s used my real name. It makes me want to help.
“Well, what can I do?” I ask.
Ollie smiles. His hopeful expression makes me instantly regret saying anything.
“We can make the best of a bad idea. We can expand on it, create a supply list and plan out how it all might work,” he says. “If we do it quietly, Austin won’t know until it’s too late.”
“I’m not sure.” If Austin finds out I was involved, it won’t matter that I ever agreed with his idea. He will consider me a traitor. He will make my life more miserable than it already is.
“Please, Jenny,” Ollie says. He steps close to me. In the glow of the window I can see his eyes. They are blue, like Austin’s. But they are much softer. And much more kind. I want to help him. But I’m not sure it is worth suffering Austin’s wrath to help a boy I don’t even know.
When I don’t respond, Ollie sighs again. “Just think about it, okay? Let’s talk some more tomorrow after our meeting.” He gives me one last look, then walks off into the night.
I watch him go, thinking about what he has suggested. If we are careful to keep it secret, his plan could work.
“Either you’ve found yourself a boyfriend, or you’re plotting against me.”
I whip my head around so fast my neck hurts. Austin is standing next to me. I didn’t even hear him come outside.
“And since there is no way anyone would want to go out with you,” he continues, “my bet is on the latter. So what was that conversation with Ollie all about, Jelly Roll?”
The nickname hits hard, even though I’ve heard it at least a hundred times bef
ore.
“We were just talking,” I say. I cross my arms over my chest.
“About our project, right?” Austin asks.
I consider lying, but there is no point. Austin already knows the truth. There is nothing I could say to convince him he is wrong.
“Ollie wants us to succeed,” I tell him. “He doesn’t want to change your idea. He just wants to make sure everything goes as well as it can.”
“Well, I don’t,” Austin says.
His response is so unexpected that I forget about being nervous. “What do you mean? You don’t want the project to go well?” I ask.
“No, I don’t,” Austin says. I stare at him in confusion. After a few silent seconds, he shrugs. “My dad’s new girlfriend thinks I’m not living up to my full potential. It wasn’t my choice to come here. It was hers. I want them both to know they wasted their money sending me to this stupid retreat.”
I’m surprised by his honesty. And by my desire to ask him more. But his hard stare is so icy, it makes me shiver from a different kind of cold. I don’t say anything.
“We need to fail,” he adds. “Which means you need to stop working so hard. Or maybe I will have to make a trip to the grocery store to stock up on snack foods. There’s a sale on chocolate jelly rolls. I think everyone here would be happy to share them. Know what I mean?”
I get the idea. I nod. “Yeah.”
Austin gives me a charming smile. It is somehow worse than his sneer.
“Good.” He wipes his hands together as if brushing off invisible dirt. “Nice talking with you, Jelly Roll.”
I don’t watch as Austin walks away. I stare at my feet instead, thinking about the two conversations I just had. Ollie’s concern makes sense, and I would like to help him out. And of course Austin is capable of making my life unbearable. But there is a part of me that is curious about what he said about his family. Did his dad’s girlfriend really make him come here? Being forced to attend camp must suck. It almost makes me feel sorry for him.
Almost.
I go back inside the hall to get my book, and then I head back to the cabin for the night. I’m not in the mood for reading by the fire anymore. I want to curl up in my bunk and try to pretend it’s almost time to go home.
Chapter Nine
“Your whole team is wasting time,” Sarah says the next morning. I didn’t tell anyone what happened last night. But Sarah saw Ollie and Austin talking to me. After she got back to the cabin, she spent the rest of the night bugging me about it. I haven’t given her the details. But she has guessed that Austin’s visit wasn’t friendly.
“Austin doesn’t want our help,” I say. “He wants to control the whole project.” I watch as Sarah paces the room. She’s been annoyed since she woke up and heard the rain pattering outside. She was hoping it would be warm enough for a volleyball game this afternoon. But there is a storm on the way, and the temperature has dropped.
“That loser doesn’t want to do anything more than he has to,” she says. She scowls as she paces. She may be small, but she can be intimidating. “He will probably just throw some apples in a bucket.”
If he does that much, I’ll be impressed. Sarah doesn’t know Austin is planning to make sure our project is a complete failure. It is kind of weird. I’ve seen Austin put a lot of effort into projects at school. Last year he got the highest mark of all the eighth graders on a history project about the Civil War. I’m used to him being mean. But I’ve never seen him intentionally fail before. I can’t stop thinking about what he said about his dad and his dad’s girlfriend. It must suck to be sent away like this.
“You should plan a backup,” Meera suggests. She’s sitting on her bunk and playing on her phone. Katrina is not here. She left the cabin early this morning. She didn’t even come back after breakfast.
“That’s right, you should,” Sarah agrees. “That way, when he fails to plan anything, you can pull something together at the last minute. Besides, at least then the rest of you will have a project to work on.”
“That’s what Ollie wants to do,” I admit. “But Austin would be furious if he found out we were working behind his back.”
“So what?” Sarah asks. She stops and gives me a pointed stare. “Why are you so afraid of him?”
I pick up my book and focus on one of the pages. It’s not just that my nickname makes me uncomfortable. Austin is capable of more than name calling. Last year someone painted Jelly Roll on my locker and shoved a whole bag of cake crumbs in through the slats. I never got proof of who did it, but I know it was him.
A lot of kids at school tease me. But Austin is the only one who has ever gone beyond simply calling me names. He is a total jerk. I can’t believe I was actually feeling bad for him last night.
“Leave her alone, Sarah,” Meera says.
I don’t like the pity in her voice. I don’t want the others to feel sorry for me. I just want them to ignore Austin and stop worrying about my team.
Sarah sighs. “Sorry, Jenny,” she says. “I’m being a brat. I hate thunderstorms, and I’m starving. Breakfast was awful this morning.”
“We can sneak back to the kitchen tonight,” I say. I didn’t feel like cooking last night. I don’t really want to cook today either. But I already saw what is on the menu for dinner this evening. Sandwiches. Again.
“Really? That would be amazing,” Sarah says. Her eyes light up. “Do you think they have any pasta? I would love a giant bowl of something cheesy.”
“I’m sure we can find something for you,” I say with a laugh. I like cooking for Sarah and the others. I am already thinking of three different dishes I could throw together.
I look out the cabin’s small window. The rain is steady, but the storm hasn’t reached the cabins yet. I slide off my bunk and grab my coat.
“What are you doing?” Sarah asks as I head for the door.
“I’m going to take a quick peek at the storeroom in the hall,” I say. When I open the cabin door, I realize just how hard it is raining. But I still want to go out. “Breakfast is done, so no one will be around. I want to get an idea of what I can make tonight.”
“Look for the noodles,” Sarah says. Meera smiles at Sarah’s remark and then looks back down at her phone.
“Got it,” I say. I give them a wave before I step through the door.
It’s pretty miserable outside. I pull up my hood and start jogging toward the dining hall. On the way I think about our project. I want to help Ollie, but I don’t think I can go against Austin. I would rather feel guilty about getting Ollie’s hopes up than live in constant fear, wondering how Austin might pay me back for undermining him. I wish I had been put in a group with someone like Sarah. She would refuse to let Austin bully anyone like this.
I cross the lawn and duck under the shelter of the dining hall’s awning. I use the inside of my coat sleeve to wipe the rain from my face as I catch my breath. My stomach growls at the thought of going to the kitchen. Maybe while I’m inside I can sneak a few oranges or something to bring back to the cabin.
“What, you didn’t get your fill at breakfast, fatty?”
My shoulders tense, and I spin around to face Austin. I recognize his voice. But no one is there. I turn in a circle, confused. Then I hear someone around the corner speak.
“I thought—I thought we were going to meet alone,” a girl says. I recognize her voice too. Katrina.
I’m glad the rain is loud enough to cover the sound of my footsteps. When I look around the corner, I see Katrina leaning against the main door of the hall. Her head is lowered, and her arms are wrapped protectively across her stomach. Two boys stand across from her. One hangs awkwardly back, while the other one—Austin—presses in close.
“Wait, is that why you didn’t want me to come with you?” Austin looks at his friend. I recognize the blond-haired boy Katrina was staring at during our first dinner here. Liam.
Liam looks at Katrina sheepishly. Austin starts to laugh.
“Going on a l
ittle date?” he asks.
Katrina looks up at him, mortified. The other boy stares down at the ground.
“We were just going to hang out,” Katrina says. Her voice trembles when she says it. She glances at the other boy, but he keeps his eyes lowered.
“Yeah, right,” Austin jeers. “Be careful when you kiss her, Liam. She might mistake you for a snack and try to eat you up.”
The other boy’s lips settle into an ugly sneer.
“Gross,” he mutters.
Katrina’s face falls even further. She looks like she is about to cry.
“Here’s a tip,” Austin says. He steps even closer to Katrina. “No one likes fat girls.”
“Let’s go,” Liam says. He grabs Austin’s shoulder and pulls him back. Austin’s eyes linger on Katrina for a few long seconds before he walks off. Liam pauses for a moment like he is going to say something to Katrina. But he doesn’t.
The boys walk off together, and Katrina collapses against the door. I watch her curl into a ball. But instead of running to comfort her, I turn and run around to the back of the dining hall.
The kitchen door is unlocked. I push my way inside and pull the door shut behind me. I burst into tears.
Chapter Ten
For once Austin is making fun of someone other than me. But I’m crying almost as hard as I did the day I had to spend two hours after school cleaning crumbs from my locker.
I stand next to the kitchen door as I sob. I’m shaking so hard even my teeth are chattering.
I have always been the one being teased. I have never watched it happen to someone else. Is that what other people see when Austin calls me names?
I understand now why Sarah gets so angry when she hears I’ve given in to Austin’s demands. I didn’t think she understood what it’s like to be made fun of. But maybe I was wrong. Maybe she gets so angry because she does know what it is like.
Because right now I’m angry. I’m sad and scared and worried about Katrina. But more than anything else, I’m angry.
