Friends Forever?

by Tina Wells

  “Your parents have the most interesting jobs,” Ally said. Zee felt a twinge of jealousy. Mr. Carmichael was the editor of Gala magazine and got to meet lots of celebrities. Until now Ally had always said he had the most interesting job.

  Zee opened the lodge’s utility closet. “Ms. Merriweather told us we should sweep up the floor and wipe off all of the surfaces,” she reminded the girls. “We can divide up the work.”

  “I’ll sweep,” Chloe volunteered.

  “Umm…okay,” Zee said. “But there are just two brooms.” Would she sweep with Chloe or dust with Ally?

  Ally answered her question. “Missy and I can wipe everything off,” she said, stepping into the closet to grab a pile of rags. She handed one to Missy, then held one out for Kathi.

  “No thanks,” Kathi said. “I’m not going to need that.”

  “Did you want to sweep instead of dust?” Zee asked.

  Kathi and Jen rolled their eyes and giggled. “None of the above. We brought our magazines.”

  “But Ms. Merriweather said we could have free time if we finish quickly,” Chloe reminded them.

  “Then you better hurry,” Kathi told her as she and Jen headed to a table in the middle of the room.

  Chloe and Zee began sweeping the floor near the utility closet as Ally and Missy wiped off the large wooden chairs in the front of the room.

  “I talked to the girls in cabin four, and second-period science has only about half of the stuff for the scavenger hunt,” Chloe told Zee.

  “We’ve got to beat them,” Zee said. “I don’t want the Mountain Man to keep us from winning.”

  “I hope Conrad isn’t too scared to go back in the woods to look for stuff,” Chloe said.

  “We need all the help we can get,” Zee agreed.

  Chloe motioned toward Kathi and Jen. “I don’t know who is scarier—the Mountain Man or them.”

  Zee swept a pile of dirt and small bits of paper into the dustpan. “Guess what?” she excitedly whispered to Chloe.

  “What?”

  “I got my period!”

  “Get out of here!” Chloe said.

  Zee nodded.

  “When?”

  “This morning,” Zee said. “I’ve been dying to tell you, but there’s always someone around.”

  “What’s it like?” Chloe asked in a low voice.

  “Actually, it doesn’t really feel that different,” Zee said. “I don’t really notice it—except the pad is kind of weird.”

  “That must be why your stomach hurt,” Chloe said. “You had cramps.”

  “I think so,” Zee told her, “but they’re gone now.”

  Chloe studied Zee. “This is so awesome!” She jumped up and down and squealed.

  Ally looked up from her dusting. “Watch out!” she called. “You’re going to spill all the dirt, and it’ll take us longer to clean up.”

  “Oh, gosh! You’re right,” Chloe said. “I guess I got carried away by Zee’s big news. I’m sure she told you right away.”

  “What big news?” Ally asked.

  “About Zee’s period,” Chloe explained.

  “Oh yeah, she told me this morning. I’m so psyched.” Ally gave Zee a hug.

  * * *

  Hi, Diary,

  You can never have too many best friends. Like Chloe and Ally! And Jasper. I feel kind of weird telling Jasper about my period. That’s the problem with having a boy for a best friend. I guess since I can tell him everything else, it’s no big deal.

  Except I can’t tell him about Landon, either. Not that there’s anything to tell. Is there?

  The coolest part is that Ally is friends with Chloe and Jasper, too. We’re just one big happy group!

  Zee

  * * *

  8

  Practice Makes Problems

  Later that day, fifth-period science gathered on the camp’s wooden outdoor stage to practice for the talent show. After the lodge cleanup, Zee had changed into a skirt with leggings underneath and a long-sleeve gray T-shirt. She had gotten enough bug bites to understand that even when she wasn’t scavenging deep in the woods, she needed to cover her arms and legs.

  Zee, Chloe, Ally, and Jasper were all sitting cross-legged on the platform around Mr. P. “Have you guys decided on a song?” he asked.

  “I was hoping we could sing ‘Forever Fabulous’—since everyone knows it from music class,” Zee said. “I have my guitar, Jasper has his bass, and Ally brought her flute, so she can play with us.”

  “And since I didn’t bring my ginormous cello, I’ll sing, too,” Chloe said.

  “Jasper is going to be the lead singer, though,” Ally said.

  “Sounds like you guys have it figured out,” Mr. P said. “Now I think I need to go help Kathi and Missy.”

  Zee glanced over to the corner where the girls were practicing their violin duet. Kathi breathed fast, as if she might hyperventilate, while she watched Missy. Missy’s bow smoothly danced across the strings, and her left hand quickly glided up and down her violin’s neck. But if Missy noticed Kathi’s panic, she didn’t show it and stayed focused on getting the notes right.

  When Mr. P walked away, Ally put her hand on Jasper’s shoulder. “You are going to look so good,” she told him. “We can do something really cool with your hair. Don’t you think he’s going to look hot, Zee?”

  Zee could feel her face warm and wondered if it was as red as Jasper’s. She could understand why Jasper was embarrassed, but why was she? Was it because of the way Ally was acting—or something else?

  “Too bad your boyfriend, Jacques, can’t come to see you perform, Ally,” Zee said, sliding between her friends.

  Ally stood to stretch her legs. “Oh, I don’t think Jacques would be very interested in a school talent show.” Then she sat down again—next to Jasper.

  “Really? Has your boyfriend ever heard you perform before?” Zee asked.

  Ally giggled and wrinkled her nose. “Zee, you’re so funny. You keep saying ‘boyfriend’ like it’s a bad word.”

  “Oh, I don’t think it’s bad at all,” Zee defended herself. “I think it’s great you have a boyfriend. Back in France. Named Jacques.”

  “Me too,” Ally agreed.

  “Ahem.” Landon seemed to appear out of nowhere and was standing at the stage.

  Without even thinking, Zee slid away from Jasper. “What’s up?”

  “Our group was wondering if you have a pipe cleaner, a Hula-hoop, and a skateboard,” Landon said.

  “For what?” Jasper asked.

  “For our comedy sketch,” Landon answered Jasper, even though he looked straight at Zee. She started to get an uncomfortable feeling and looked away.

  “Are those things supposed to be humorous?” Jasper asked.

  Landon finally turned his eyes away from Zee to Jasper, giving him an exasperated look. “Dude, the things aren’t funny, but what we do with them will be.”

  This time Zee put herself between the two boys. “I don’t have any of that stuff. Sorry.”

  “Yeah, I didn’t bring anything like that for the camping trip,” Chloe said.

  “Neither did I,” Jasper said. “I neglected to pack my Hula-hoop.”

  Ally laughed harder than Zee had ever heard her laugh the entire time they’d known each other.

  “Thanks anyway,” Landon said, and smiled at Zee. “Later.” He walked back to his group.

  Zee watched Landon leave, then sat down. She could barely concentrate on the talent show. Why didn’t Landon and Jasper get along? And why were Jasper and Ally getting along too well? Was everyone going crazy?

  “How many of these do we have to put together anyway?” Kathi asked.

  “Ms. Merriweather said we could stop after we’ve done one hundred,” Zee said.

  Kathi and Zee were making s’mores packets with Landon and Jasper for the campfire later. They sat around a square table, working together. Zee grabbed two graham crackers,

  Jasper dropped in the chocolate, Land
on added a couple of marshmallows, and Kathi sealed them in a bag.

  “It feels like we’ve already done a hundred,” Kathi said.

  “Actually, we’ve done ten,” Zee pointed out.

  Landon popped a piece of chocolate into his mouth. “It could be worse,” he said. “We could have to clean the bathrooms.”

  “That’s not even funny,” Kathi said. “I would be so out of here if I had to clean bathrooms.”

  “At least it’s for a good cause,” Zee said. “The campfire’s going to be great.”

  “I’ve never been to a marshmallow roast before,” Jasper said as he took a bite of graham cracker.

  “Never?” Zee said. Jasper shook his head. “Cool beans! It’s so much fun—especially when you roast the perfect marshmallow. It’s brown and gooey but not burnt. But mostly it’s just fun hanging out with friends.”

  “Speaking of which,” Kathi began, “it must be so fantastic to have Ally back in Brookdale.”

  “Definitely,” Zee said. “Sometimes it feels like she never left.”

  Then Kathi turned to Jasper. “But I’m sure it’s weird for you,” she said to him.

  “Wumpt?” Jasper asked. He’d just put another graham cracker in his mouth.

  “You know, Zee’s best friend having a crush on you,” Kathi said.

  A spray of graham cracker crumbs flew across the table. “Gross!” Kathi screamed, jumping up and frantically wiping her shirt.

  Landon started laughing. “Go for it!” he said to Jasper. “Ally’s cute.”

  Jasper’s face turned as red as Zee’s bob. Zee wasn’t sure it would ever return to its normal pale shade.

  After sputtering a few noises, Jasper managed to say, “Maybe you should ‘go for it’ if you think she’s so cute.”

  “I don’t think Ally is Landon’s type at all,” Kathi put in.

  “Ally has a boyfriend,” Zee said.

  “Yes, that’s right,” Jasper said. “Jacques. From France.”

  “That doesn’t mean she can’t like Jasper, too,” Landon explained.

  “Actually, it does,” Zee said. “Well, I think it does.”

  “I agree with Zee,” Jasper quickly added. “I certainly wouldn’t want my girlfriend to have a crush on someone else.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t, either,” Landon defended himself. “I just thought—”

  “I’m done!” Kathi suddenly interrupted.

  “But we still have a ton of packages to put together,” Zee pointed out.

  “Sorry, but I’m just not feeling well,” Kathi said. She swooned a little so her hair swung back and forth across her shoulders. “All of this work is making me sick.”

  “It’s okay,” Landon said. “I can seal the bag after I put the marshmallows in.”

  “See ya!” Kathi waved as she walked away.

  Now Zee was left with Landon and Jasper. Awkward! Zee thought.

  Landon and Jasper did their jobs without looking up. Zee desperately wanted to fill the silence with words. But she couldn’t think of a single thing to say. Instead she sat quietly, hoping a bear would come swallow her whole.

  Later, as Zee approached cabin one, she heard murmuring. “You have a boyfriend?” Kathi said.

  “His name is Jacques,” Ally told Kathi.

  “Isn’t having a boyfriend so cool?” Kathi asked. “The presents. And flowers.”

  “Well, Jacques doesn’t really buy me a lot of stuff, but we do talk and text all the time.”

  “That’s almost as much fun!” Kathi said. “Is he older?”

  “No, he’s twelve, too—or should I say, ‘douze.’” Both girls giggled.

  Zee opened the cabin door. “What were you guys talking about?” she asked.

  Ally and Kathi looked at each other. Ally was about to say something, but at that moment, Jen, Missy, and Chloe arrived.

  “Man, I’m tired,” Chloe said, landing on her bunk.

  “Well, at least we’ll never have to collect firewood again,” Missy said.

  “Thank goodness!” Jen added. “That job is the worst.”

  Ally closed her mouth as the other girls went on. Zee couldn’t believe that Ally was confiding in Kathi. Ally always said she didn’t trust Kathi. Had Kathi invited Zee’s BFF to be in a secret club, too? This time a club that Zee couldn’t join?

  The Boyfriend Club? The Boobs Club? Zee wondered. Why would Ally talk about her boyfriend to Kathi instead of me?

  * * *

  Hi, Diary,

  What’s up with Ally and Kathi? Ally is always telling me not to trust Kathi, but they were laughing like they were BFFs.

  And why can’t Landon and Jasper get along?

  Still, that’s not my biggest Jasper problem. What if Jasper ends up liking Ally back? She already has a boyfriend. Would she choose Jasper or Jacques? What if Ally breaks Jasper’s ? Will he want to be my friend anymore if I’m friends with her?

  I’m so confused. Here’s what my head looks like:

  Me

  Jasper Ally

  Zee

  * * *

  9

  Offbeat

  At the campfire that evening, Zee listened to the activity around her.

  “Cabin six is the best! We have more spirit than all the rest!” a group of girls cheered.

  “No, you’re not!” another group responded. “Cabin eight is totally hot!”

  The two groups cheerfully shouted back and forth. One of the boys’ cabins threw a Frisbee around while another played a loud game of cards.

  The Beans were lined up on the log benches around the fire. Ally was between Zee and Missy, but she talked more to Missy than to Zee. So Zee talked to Chloe and Jasper. Jasper seemed happy to avoid Landon, who was in a quiet huddle with Conrad and Marcus.

  Ohmylanta! Zee said to herself. The Beans were supposed to be working together. The camp trip had united other science classes, but it had broken up theirs.

  “All right, dudes!” Conrad suddenly shouted to the other Beans. “Marcus and I have a story for you.”

  Cool beans! Zee said to herself. Maybe there was nothing to worry about after all.

  “It’s a true story,” Marcus put in.

  “Yeah?” Kathi asked. “How do you know?”

  “It happened to a friend of a friend. His name was Michael.” Everyone quieted down to listen and then Marcus went on. “One day Michael was at the mall with his mom. They had been shopping for about five hours and were really, really tired. So they went back to their car and discovered an old lady sitting in the front seat.”

  Chloe leaned forward. “How did she get in there?” she asked.

  “They left the door unlocked,” Marcus said. “‘I was so tired,’ the lady told them. ‘I couldn’t find my car, and I needed a place to rest.’ Michael’s mom offered the woman a ride home. ‘That would be so nice of you,’ the woman said. But when Michael and his mom got in the car, the old woman pulled off her wig!” Marcus’s voice got more excited.

  “Why?” Chloe asked.

  “Because it wasn’t an old lady at all—it was a man pretending to be a woman. And he was sitting on a hatchet!”

  “Aaaaaa!” Jen and Chloe screamed.

  “Oh, please,” Ally said. “I’ve heard that one before.”

  “Really?” Chloe asked. “Do you know Marcus’s friend’s friend?”

  “No, but it didn’t really happen to his friend’s friend—or anybody—because it’s not true.”

  “Why would Marcus lie?” Chloe defended him.

  “It’s not lying,” Ally said. “It’s—”

  “Okay, gang!” Mr. P shouted above the noise. “The other teachers and I are going to divide you up into groups for a drum circle.”

  “Awesome!” Landon, who was the Beans’s drummer, said. “For once, the drums get to be the star.”

  “Everyone will get a percussion instrument and the group will play together,” Mr. P continued.

  “Who’s the leader?” Kathi asked.

&
nbsp; “There’s no leader,” Mr. P explained. “It’s about creating a sound together—not following someone else’s sound.”

  “That seems kind of stupid,” Kathi complained as Mr. P handed out small drums, castanets, and rhythm sticks. “I think I did this in preschool music class.”

  “Totally babyish,” Jen agreed.

  “But that’s what the Beans are all about,” Zee reminded them. “Creating a sound together.”

  “I thought it was about being stars,” Kathi said.

  Conrad adjusted an imaginary collar on his navy-blue T-shirt. “I thought it was about getting girls’ attention,” he said. He high-fived Marcus and Landon.

  Landon looked over at Zee and Zee tried not to let the panicked feeling in her stomach creep up to her face. She still had no idea what to do when he looked her way.

  “I guess the Beans are about those things—sort of,” Landon said. “But tonight we’re not the Beans. We’re a drum circle. You know, we’re still us, but we have a different purpose.”

  “And that is…?” Kathi said.

  “We’re not going to play songs like we usually do,” Landon said. “Instead we’ll come together by creating a group rhythm.”

  Relief washed over Zee. She was glad someone else understood that the group had to bond together.

  But two minutes after the group started clicking, clacking, and banging out rhythms, Zee started to worry again.

  Missy and Ally kept whispering to each other. Marcus and Conrad were acting goofy, trying to crack Landon up. Jasper shot Landon dirty looks as if he was the problem. Of course, Kathi and Jen were acting too cool to participate.

  Only Chloe was making an effort. She clicked along with her castanets, coaxing Zee with nods. Zee tried to get in sync, but her mind kept returning to the fact that the Beans were falling apart. And she had no idea how to fix them.