Petra grabs her stuffed tiger, which is lying next to her pillow, and holds it up by the tail. “Sir, ma’am,” she says in a low, serious, imitation-forest-ranger voice, “I do believe you’ve been pranked.”
CHAPTER 13
Bailey gets to wear the FOXY shirt the next day. She’s closer to Val’s size than I am, so it fits her a lot better, and the orange is nice against the tan of her skin. I try not to feel jealous, but it’s pretty difficult when people keep telling her how good she looks. I know she did most of the work on the mountain lion, and she did an amazing job. But it’s still a little hard to see someone else getting all the credit.
I wait till Val stands up to get more juice, and then I announce, “Willows, we need to celebrate properly tonight when Val’s at her counselor meeting. A late-night dance party isn’t going to cut it this time.” I’m gratified when everyone looks up at me, like they’re waiting for me to lead them.
I pause for a few seconds to build suspense, and then I say, “My aunt sent me a Ouija board!” I hate to break camp rules behind Val’s back, but if we’re careful, she’ll never find out. And if she does, I don’t think she’d bother getting her favorite camper in trouble for something this silly.
“Oh my god, yes!” Lexi breathes. “There have to be ghosts at this camp, right?”
Roo nods and serves herself another pancake. “Definitely. There are probably tons hanging out in the woods.”
“Plus, there’s the Sea Witch,” Petra says.
“The Sea Witch isn’t a ghost,” Ava scoffs. “She’s a Sea Witch.”
“There’s an old cemetery on the other side of the lake,” Mei says. “It’s not technically on camp property, but maybe the ghosts will hear us anyway.”
“No offense, but we’re not supposed to have Ouija boards,” Summer says. “Won’t we get in trouble?”
Roo rolls her eyes. “Summer, lighten up. It’s a toy. Nobody’s getting in trouble.”
“Unless you’re planning to cut off our hair,” Petra says. “Then you’ll definitely get in trouble.” Near the end of the table, I see Hannah shudder. I hope she doesn’t ruin what’s supposed to be a fun game by freaking out.
“What should we ask the ghosts besides how they died?” Lexi asks, but Val’s almost back to the table now, and Ava shushes her and says, “We’ll figure it out later.”
The Maple table is already empty by the time we’ve cleared our trays. It’s weird that Mackenzie hasn’t waited for me to hear details about the prank, but I guess I can just tell her everything when I get to Archery. I relive the glory of last night inside my head as I walk to the range, and I’m so consumed by the memory that I nearly jump out of my skin when Josh appears right next to me.
“You look like an evil clown when you smile like that,” he says.
“That’s not my evil clown smile,” I say. “That’s my ‘I’m winning the prank war’ smile.”
He gives me a creepy smile of his own. “Yeah, right. Wait till you see what we’ve got planned for you next.”
He looks like he’s hiding something, but I don’t buy it. “You’re totally bluffing. It took you guys weeks to get your act together enough to prank us last time. At this rate, camp’s going to be over by the time you come up with a second prank.”
He raises one eyebrow. “Is it? Or is that what we want you to think?”
“Whatever,” I say. “You’re not going to freak me out.”
“If you don’t want to watch your back, that’s your call.”
“Whatever it is, it can’t possibly be as good as the mountain lion. You should’ve seen Stuart’s face. Even Doobie thought it was real. Even the rangers did.”
He shrugs. “I’m sure we could’ve fooled the rangers too if one of us had a big brother to make us a fake mountain lion.”
“My brother didn’t make that,” I snap. “We did.”
“Whatever you say.” We’re at the range now, and Josh strides off toward the arrow bin. “See you later, cheater.”
“I’m not—” I say, but he’s already stopped paying attention to me. Ugh, he makes me so mad.
Mackenzie comes up with two bows and hands me one, and I’m so excited to finally tell her every detail of last night that I’m able to put stupid Josh out of my mind. She doesn’t seem quite as enthusiastic as I expected, so I keep making the story bigger and more ridiculous, and she finally laughs when I tell her about how the tail fell right off the body. “It was epic,” I finish. “I can’t wait to see what Tomás will come up with next. Do you think maybe he’ll write to us again soon? Like Monday, maybe?”
I just spent, like, five minutes telling her how incredibly well her prank went, but she still looks kind of annoyed. “Maybe. I bet Tomás wishes he could actually be there to take credit for some of this stuff.”
“I thought Tomás said he didn’t care,” I remind her.
“I guess he did,” she says. The counselor calls her to the shooting line, and she doesn’t bring it up again when she comes back, so I guess that conversation is over. But when it’s time to switch activities, she barely says good-bye to me before taking off.
I try to put Mackenzie out of my mind; sure, she’s a little annoyed right now, but I’m sure this will work itself out. And I’ve got other things to worry about, like the fact that it’s the last day of round two activities, which also means my last Popsicle run with Val. As I help fold sails and coil ropes at the end of class, I glance over at her to see if she looks downcast, too, but she’s acting pretty normal. What if these walks don’t mean as much to her as they do to me? What if Val has special end-of-week-two stuff to take care of today, and she didn’t think to tell me? What if we’ve already had our last Popsicle run and I didn’t know?
But when everything’s done, Val slings her towel around her neck and asks if I’m ready to go, just like always. I nod, relieved that I still have fifteen whole minutes left with her.
Unfortunately, it turns out it’s impossible to enjoy something great when you know it’s the last time you’ll ever get to do it. Val talks about how well we pulled off the mountain lion prank and how angry Stuart was and how she wonders what Tomás’s next idea will be, and I know her enthusiasm should make me happy and proud. But all I can think is, This is the last time Val and I will ever pass that tree, and, The Popsicle I’m about to get is probably the last one I’ll have at camp. It makes me miss half of what she’s saying, and I’m furious at myself for ruining this before it’s even over. There are still so many things I want to ask her and tell her, and every step we take decreases the time I have left to do it, and all the words get caught in my throat so that I can’t say anything at all.
Val bumps my arm with her freckly elbow. “You’re quiet today. Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” I say, but it doesn’t sound very convincing.
I guess it’s obvious to her, too, because she says, “What’s going on, Iz?”
I don’t want to tell her how much I’ll miss our walks. It’ll make me sound clingy and needy, and I don’t want her to give me special attention because she thinks I’m weak and need to be coddled, like Hannah does. So instead I say, “It’s no big deal. I’m just sad camp is half over already, and I don’t really like my week three activities. I have to do fishing. I wish I could do sailing with you again instead.”
She puts her arm around my shoulders and pulls me in for a squeeze. Our hips bump, and I kind of step on the edge of her foot, but she doesn’t seem to mind. “I’ll miss having an activity with you, too,” she says. “But I run Sailing during Free Time some days, so you can always come by then.”
“Maybe,” I say. “But Mackenzie usually wants me to spend Free Time with her, and she doesn’t like sailing. She gets seasick.” I have this sudden flare of resentment—why do I always have to worry about what Mackenzie likes? I should be able to do whatever I want during Free Time, whether it’s the ropes course or sailing or dumb karaoke rehearsals. If I’m having fun, she should be happy for me
instead of acting weird and sulky and holding me back.
But as soon as I think that, I start feeling guilty. Mackenzie’s my best friend. Her feelings should be more important to me than any camp activity, and it’s not her fault she’s not brave and adventurous like I am. I’ve never minded making sacrifices for her before. What’s wrong with me?
“Well, I’m sorry you don’t like your activities for next week, but there’s still lots of stuff to look forward to,” Val says. “Our overnight’s in a week and a half. Have the other girls told you about Sandpiper Village? It’s so cool. We’ll swim in the river and grill hot dogs and make s’mores, and there’s a rope swing and a hammock and a big hill that’s perfect for stargazing.”
I picture myself lying on top of a hill between Lexi and Roo, staring up into the night sky as Val teaches us the constellations. “That sounds like so much fun,” I say. “I can’t wait.”
“And Color Wars is coming up too. I’m running the Blue Team. I really hope you’ll be on it with me.”
“Blue’s my favorite color,” I say. My favorite color is actually red, but when I picture Val trying to pull strings to get me on her team, it temporarily switches. “Maybe I could be one of your captains, even. Roo said it’s always the people who are the best leaders, right? I’ve basically been leading the prank war.”
“And you’re doing an amazing job,” Val says, which makes everything start feeling brighter again. “We take all kinds of things into account when we’re choosing captains, but leadership is definitely part of it. Some of the girls who have been here longer might have a better shot at it, but you never know. We’ll just have to see what happens next week.” She shoots me a secretive smile, and it feels like a promise that she’ll put in a good word for me. She’s obviously not ready for our quality time together to end either.
We get to the kitchen, and Danny reaches into the freezer and pulls out the giant box of Popsicles as soon as he sees us coming. “Hey, ladies,” he calls. “What color do you want today? Red again?”
I smile at Val to show her I understand the wordless message she was trying to send me. “Actually,” I say, “I think I’m in the mood for one of those blue ones.”
CHAPTER 14
Mackenzie finds me at the end of Cabin Group and asks if I want to go to the lake during Free Time. I feel guilty about spending so much time away from her lately, so I head toward the dock, even though there’s a trail ride I wanted to go on with Mei. But she acts superweird the whole time we’re swimming. I try to start a conversation about what we should do for our next prank, but she doesn’t seem to want to talk about it, and she doesn’t want to help think up questions for the Ouija board, either. She keeps staring at me like she’s waiting for me to do or say something specific, but I have no idea what. I’m pretty sure she’s still annoyed about how much time I spent on karaoke rehearsals and the latest prank, but it’s not like I can do anything about that now. I offered to let her help us make the mountain lion, and she didn’t want to. But I decide to be a good friend and not confront her about how strange she’s acting. She probably needs more time to cool down, and then things can go back to normal.
That evening as we’re walking back from our all-camp activity—building a contraption that will keep an egg unbroken if it’s thrown off the roof of the Social Lodge—Roo says, “So, Val, what time is your counselor meeting tonight?” Lexi starts giggling like crazy, and Ava has to elbow her to shut her up.
“It’s from nine thirty to ten fifteen,” Val says. “I’ll be back for Cabin Chat, but you guys should have plenty of time with your Ouija board before that.”
“Oh maaaaan,” Petra whines.
“How did you know about that?” asks Summer. She sounds terrified that we’re going to be punished.
Val raises one eyebrow. “I know about everything. Nothing gets by these eagle eyes.”
“You’re not going to take it away, are you?” I ask. “My aunt Estella gave it to me.” I was certain she wouldn’t get me in trouble, but all of a sudden I’m not totally sure. What if she thinks I’ve betrayed her trust and it makes her like me less?
“Of course I’m not going to take it away,” she says. “You guys are old enough to play with a toy. Ouija boards are great. Actually, if you wait till I get back, I’ll do it with you.”
“OMG, seriously?” Lexi says.
“Seriously. I’m only twenty-one, you know. I’m not exactly an old fogey yet.” She smiles at me, and I smile back. I should never have doubted her.
While we’re waiting for Val to come back from her meeting, Roo and Lexi and Ava and I squeeze onto Roo’s bunk and look at her pictures from the day. She has one of Josh at the climbing wall, and even though he’s probably adjusting his harness, it really looks like he’s scratching his butt, and we spend, like, five minutes laughing at it.
“That guy is so annoying,” I say after we’ve finally calmed down. “He’s constantly acting like he’s better than me and accusing us of cheating in the prank war.”
“Maybe our next prank should target him,” Ava says. “We could help you take him down a notch.”
“We could ask Tomás for suggestions,” Lexi says.
“Nah,” I say. “I can handle him myself. Thanks, though.”
Roo looks at me long and hard, head tilted like she’s figuring something out. Finally she says, “I’m glad you came here this summer instead of your old camp.”
It’s so unexpected that for a second I have no idea what to say. Roo doesn’t exactly dole out compliments right and left. “Thank you,” I finally manage. “I’m glad too.” And I realize I’m not lying. I love Camp Sweetwater, but this is exactly the right place for me now.
“You should be bunking over here with us,” Roo says.
I almost laugh, but I stop myself in time when I see that all three of them look serious. “My bunk is fine,” I say. “It’s like twenty feet away.”
“These are the best bunks, though,” Lexi says. “The breeze is better over here. Plus, you could talk to us late at night if you can’t sleep.”
“You should swap with Petra,” Roo says.
I really like bunking with Mei, and I’m about to say so, but then I remember the day Roo and Lexi and Ava told me I should sing karaoke with them, how they said they were “offering me an opportunity.” It seems like maybe this is the same kind of thing. If I don’t switch beds, will they stop letting me lead the prank war?
“That doesn’t really seem fair to Petra,” I say carefully.
“She won’t care.” Ava turns around and calls, “Petra, do you mind switching bunks with Izzy?”
Petra looks up from playing cards with Summer and shrugs. “Not really.”
“I don’t want to steal your bunk,” I say.
“It doesn’t matter. It’s not like I care where I am when I’m sleeping.”
“Oh,” I say. “Um, I guess it’s okay, then.”
Lexi squeals and claps. “Yaaaay, we’re gonna be bunkmates! I wish you had a purple sleeping bag with stars to match ours. It would look so cool if all four of our bunks were the same.”
I actually prefer my yellow one, but I nod anyway. “When should I move my stuff?”
“Right now,” Roo says. “We still have time before Val comes back.” I can totally picture her running a huge company and ordering a billion employees around when she grows up. She’ll probably plaster her office with those posters that have people climbing mountains and inspirational quotes about perseverance.
I hop off Roo’s bunk and go over to my own, where Mei is sprawled on her bed with a book. I almost ask what she’s reading, but when she looks up, I start feeling ridiculously awkward. “Um, did you hear that?” I ask.
“Yeah,” she says. “So you’re moving?”
“Do you mind?”
“You should do whatever you want.” Mei’s voice doesn’t sound cold, exactly, but it certainly doesn’t sound as friendly as usual. She’s so nice that she’s probably not capa
ble of sounding meaner than this.
“Okay,” I say. “I’m sorry. I really liked bunking with you.”
“It’s fine.” Mei looks back down at her book, and I’m pretty sure it’s a signal that the conversation is over. I wish there were a way to make everyone happy at the same time, but really, I’m doing this for the good of the cabin. We’ll never win the prank war if someone else is in charge.
I move my stuff over to the other side of the room. I know my new bunk should feel like a victory, but it doesn’t. Everything just looks weird and different from over here.
I’m transferring my last load of clothes to Petra’s dresser drawers when Val comes back from her meeting. “Who’s ready to summon some spirits?” she calls.
Lexi bounces on the bed. “Yay, it’s time! Get the board, Izzy!”
I reach for the box and start tearing off the plastic. “Ooh, it’s a brand-new one,” Val says. “You know Ouija boards are especially potent the first time they’re used, right?”
“That’s not true,” Roo says. “I have an old one at home, and it works fine.”
“Oh, it’s definitely true. You can hear the spirits way more clearly when it’s brand-new,” Val says. “Go ahead and take it out of the box, Iz.”
I set the board in the middle of the floor, and all the girls squeeze into a tight circle around it. There’s barely room for everyone, even when Hannah decides to sit out. (What a surprise.) I end up shoulder to shoulder with Lexi on one side and Petra on the other, near the word NO and the drawing of the moon. The word YES and a sun are on the opposite side, near where Val’s sitting, and the alphabet and numbers one through nine are printed across the center. At the bottom of the board, where Roo’s crouched on her knees, is the word GOODBYE, which seems kind of ominous. I set the little plastic piece in the center, near the letter G, like my cousin Rosa did the only other time I’ve used a Ouija board.
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