Friends Forever?

by Tina Wells

* * *

  SPARKLEGRRL: I miss u 2!!!! I thought I was getting in the way & u didn’t want me around anymore. I kinda freaked out about the cabins. I know u r dying 2 c paris & I wanted 2 make it 4 u. when u picked c’s idea over mine, I was kinda embarrassed. u have so many new people in ur life now. I got worried that maybe it wasn’t just c’s idea u were picking. I thought u were choosing her over me. I figured u didn’t want 2 tell me u had a new BFF.

  * * *

  This time Zee really did log off. Then she rushed over to Ally, who jumped out of her seat. The girls hugged.

  14

  Cabin One’s Revenge

  “I’m so sorry!” Ally said. “You must think I’m completely horrible.”

  “No way!” Zee said. “I wanted you to feel like you were still part of the group. And I wanted my new friends to know that they were really important to me, too. I thought it was my job to keep everyone happy.”

  “Well, that is what makes you Zee,” Ally reminded her.

  “Instead I ended up miserable without you,” Zee added.

  “Yeah, that part of the plan didn’t work out so well,” Ally said. Which made Zee crack up. Which made Ally crack up. Just like they used to laugh together.

  As the girls stood there, Chloe entered the lodge with the Mountain Man crutch.

  “Don’t remind me,” Zee said. “I can’t believe we fell for the boys’ stupid prank.”

  Chloe rolled her eyes. “We should have listened to Ally,” Chloe said. “She never believed he was real.”

  “Are you kidding?” Ally said. “Maybe I didn’t believe it at first, but by the end, I was totally with you guys.”

  “Unfortunately, the Mountain Man wasn’t the only monster the boys created,” Chloe went on.

  “He wasn’t?” Zee asked.

  “No, they also made a new version of Jasper. He won’t stop talking about how ‘brilliant’ the plan was,” Chloe said, impersonating Jasper’s accent.

  “Too bad we can’t get them back,” Zee said.

  “That’s it!” Ally said.

  “What?” Chloe and Zee asked at once.

  “We can get them back,” Ally told them.

  “How?” Zee asked. “We’re going home this evening.”

  “That gives us the rest of the day to plan,” Ally said. “Plus, you’re forgetting about the fact that your families are coming here.”

  Zee looked at her friend suspiciously. “What do they have to do with it?”

  “Not them—just Adam.”

  Chloe perked up. “Tell us!”

  The three girls huddled together to talk about Ally’s plan. Then they sent Adam an email to tell him what he needed to do to help them.

  The Brookdale Academy families arrived to join the campers for dinner before the talent show. Zee, Ally, and Chloe rushed over to Adam while Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael talked to Chloe’s parents.

  “Did you bring the supplies?” Zee asked her brother.

  Adam unzipped his backpack and showed the girls his stash.

  “Okay,” Ally said. “While we’re eating, you need to arrange everything in cabin two.”

  “Won’t Mom and Dad notice I’m missing?” Adam asked.

  “Don’t worry,” Zee assured him. “I’ll take care of them.”

  As Adam went off to set the trap, Zee, Chloe, and Ally went over to the Carmichaels and Lawrence-Johnsons.

  “Where’s Adam off to?” Zee’s mother asked.

  “There’s something I want to tell you, Mom.” Zee took her mother’s arm and began to lead her away. “You guys go ahead and start eating,” Zee told the rest of the group.

  “Oh…uh…okay, honey,” Mrs. Carmichael said. The way Zee was dragging her away, however, made it clear she didn’t have much choice. Ally and Chloe led Mr. Carmichael and the Lawrence-Johnsons toward the serving line.

  “What is it, Zee?” Mrs. Carmichael asked when they were safely out of earshot of the other campers.

  “Guess what I got this week?” Zee teased.

  “Poison ivy?” her mother asked. “Oh, I was worried about that. I hope the nurse—”

  “No, Mom,” Zee interrupted. “It’s not poison ivy.”

  “What is it, then?”

  Zee leaned closer. “My period,” she whispered.

  Mrs. Carmichael instantly squeezed Zee in a hug. “That’s so wonderful!” Then she stepped back. “Are you okay? I mean, you didn’t have any supplies with you.”

  “I’m fine,” Zee assured her. “Kathi helped me out.”

  “That was nice of her,” Mrs. Carmichael said. “We’ll have to make sure you have your own now that you’re all grown up.” She wiped at a tear in the corner of her eye.

  “Mom,” Zee said. “It’s not that big a deal.” She wanted to tell her mother about the really big deal—the kiss with Landon—but she figured that she’d told her enough big news for the moment. Plus, she needed to stop the water-works before her mother completely embarrassed her.

  Then out of the corner of her eye, Zee watched her brother come through the lodge doors. When she glanced his way, he gave her a thumbs-up. Zee could see that his backpack was no longer full.

  “I’m hungry,” Zee said to her mother. “We should eat.”

  “Good idea,” Mrs. Carmichael said, turning around. “Oh, there’s Adam. He must have gone to the bathroom.”

  At the end of the meal, Mr. P stood up. “Attention, campers and seventh-grade families,” he shouted so everyone could hear him. “It’s time for the students to get ready for the talent show. Our guests can find their seats at the outdoor stage area while the performers prepare in their cabins.”

  Zee hopped out of her seat. “Bye, Mom and Dad,” she said. “Gotta go!”

  “Yeah, see you later,” Ally added.

  “Where are you girls going in such a rush?” Mr. Carmichael asked.

  “We have to change into our costumes,” Chloe explained as she followed the other two. But the three girls didn’t head to the cabin right away. Instead they found Missy, Kathi, and Jen.

  “Hurry!” Zee told the other three girls. “We’ve got a surprise for you.”

  “What?” Kathi asked suspiciously.

  “Trust me,” Zee said. “You will not want to miss this.”

  “Excellent!” Missy said, moving faster.

  That was all Kathi needed. She wasn’t going to let Missy be part of the surprise without her.

  The girls rushed to their cabin, but Zee stopped them at the door. “Don’t go in yet,” she explained. “The surprise is out here.”

  They waited anxiously for the cabin-two boys to come.

  Finally, the boys arrived—with Adam.

  “What are you guys waiting for?” Conrad asked when he saw them standing outside. “The Mountain Man?”

  “Ha ha!” Chloe said.

  “We were just thanking Adam for giving us the idea in the first place,” Marcus said as the group continued to walk by.

  Zee laughed and Ally whispered to Chloe, “They won’t be thanking Adam in a minute.”

  Suddenly, one by one, Marcus, Conrad, Landon, and Jasper shot out of cabin two.

  “Aaaaaaa!” they screamed in unison.

  “They’re all over the place!” Conrad yelled.

  “I think one is still on me!” Marcus added.

  “Crikey!” Jasper held on to his arm as he ran. “I think one bit me!”

  The boys scrambled in all directions, screaming louder than Zee had ever heard anyone scream.

  Eventually Adam appeared at the door to cabin two. The girls rushed to him.

  “What did you do?” Missy shouted excitedly.

  “What a bunch of immature babies!” Kathi said.

  Jen followed behind. “I have got to see this.”

  “Just don’t freak out,” Adam said as they entered the cabin. “It’s all fake.”

  Like a carpet over the wooden floor, snakes were everywhere.

  Zee scooped down to pick one up. “Rubber,” s
he said, holding it out to show everyone.

  “That actually went much better than I’d planned,” Ally said.

  “That’s because I made it better,” Adam told them. “I rigged a sheet up to the ceiling. When the boys opened the door, it pulled the sheet over, and the snakes came tumbling down on top of them.”

  “That’s awesome!” Chloe cheered.

  “I have to admit, it is cool beans,” Zee said. “But don’t let it go to your head.”

  “I know,” Adam said, patting her on the shoulder. “I know.”

  Zee rolled her eyes. “Stop doing that before I take back the compliment.”

  “You can’t. I have witnesses.” Adam began collecting his snakes and putting them in his backpack. “Now excuse me while I clean up. I think I might need these again this week.” He smiled deviously at Zee and Ally.

  “Ohmylanta!” Zee groaned. “Now I’ve created a monster.”

  15

  Show Time

  T he talent show was amazing. All the seventh graders showed off their skills. Gymnasts tumbled and flipped. A juggler caught balls while balancing a plate on a stick. And a baton twirler threw her baton so high, it looked like it might never come back down. There were ballet and hip-hop dancers, synchronized Hula-hoops, and rappers.

  Kathi’s practice paid off. She and Missy both played incredibly well and sounded like a team. Marcus, Landon, Conrad, and Jen’s comedy routine had Zee laughing so hard, she was afraid her sides might hurt too much to do her own act.

  When Zee, Chloe, Jasper, and of course, Ally, did perform, they stole the show. Each girl took a turn singing a solo, and Zee and Ally played a duet while Chloe danced across the stage. Everyone had a chance to shine.

  Thanks to the fact that Zee had packed so many extra clothes, she was able to put together coordinated outfits—T-shirts with sequins and capri pants. Each girl also had a different colored scarf twisted around her hair.

  “Forever fabulous. That’s what you’ll be,” the trio belted out the lyrics. “Forever fabulous. Try it and see.”

  Zee had even changed the words just a little for the occasion. And that was the part they sang the loudest. “We’re four best friends—there for each other. Four best friends—in it together.”

  But it was Jasper’s new style that really wowed the audience. He snarled his lip and jerked his head back while the girls circled and swooned.

  By the end, Ally wasn’t the only one who had a crush on him. Most of the seventh-grade girls were finding any excuse to talk to him. Zee thought he might die from all of the attention. He awkwardly looked at the ground and shuffled his feet in the dirt.

  Zee couldn’t believe it when two guys pulled up to the camp on motorcycles. Guitars were strapped to their bodies. As soon as they took off their helmets, Zee recognized them—the other members of Mr. P’s band, the Crew. When all the kids were finished performing, they got onstage and played a song called “Campers’ Complaints” that Mr. P had written just for the occasion.

  “No text. What next?” the men sang as Zee and her friends smiled sheepishly. “Kitchen crew? I’ve got the flu.”

  As the seventh graders listened and laughed, Ally whispered in Zee’s ear. “The Beans should all play a song together.”

  “That’s a great idea!” Zee agreed. “Which one?”

  “How about another one you wrote?” Ally suggested.

  “Only if you’ll perform with us,” Zee told her.

  “Me?”

  “You have your flute and know all the words to my songs,” Zee reminded her. “And you’re practically a member of the band anyway.”

  Ally smiled. “Deal!”

  “Cool beans!” Zee said.

  “Very cool Beans!” Ally agreed.

  The girls whispered the idea to the other band members. Everyone thought it was a great idea.

  As soon as the Crew finished playing, the Beans hurried onstage.

  Mr. P didn’t have to ask what was going on. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he announced over the applause for his performance. “The Beans!”

  “This song is called ‘Two of a Kind,’” Zee said. Then she turned to Ally and nodded.

  “One, two, three, four,” Ally counted off. And the Beans began to play. Ally sounded as though she had been practicing with the band since the beginning of the school year. The violins traded off the melody with her flute. Jasper played bass and Zee played her guitar while Marcus took keyboards. Jen and Landon played along on the percussion instruments they’d used for the drum circle. And Conrad’s saxophone rang out across the campgrounds.

  Without her cello, Chloe sang lead. She’d never sounded better than she did that day. No one did. When Chloe got to the last line of the song, instead of singing, “We’re two of a kind,” she changed the words to “We’re eight of a kind.” All of the Beans sang along, repeating the line over and over.

  After the clapping died down and the Beans cleared the stage, Ms. Merriweather took her place on it. “Before we say good-bye, I want to announce the winner of the scavenger hunt,” she said in a loud voice.

  The Beans nervously waited. Zee crossed her fingers.

  “The class that found the most items is”—the science teacher paused dramatically—“first period.” A cheer went up from the left side of the stage and a small group of parents in the audience.

  Even though they’d lost, the Beans clapped along, too. Except for one member of the band. “No fair!” Kathi said loudly.

  Zee, Chloe, and Ally looked at one another and rolled their eyes.

  But Zee knew Kathi wasn’t the real reason they’d lost. She was certain that they would have won if they had worked as a team sooner. Still, in the end, they’d gotten more than a science lesson that week. They’d learned about friendship, too.

  As Zee, Chloe, and Ally walked back to cabin one to get their luggage, Zee suddenly stopped in her tracks. “I can’t believe it!”

  “What?” Chloe asked, turning around.

  Ally stopped, too. “Are you upset about losing the scavenger hunt?”

  “That’s not it,” Zee said. “I forgot to tell you the big news.”

  Chloe and Ally looked at each other. “Four-one-one please,” Ally said.

  “Yeah, spill,” Chloe commanded.

  Zee looked around to make sure no one else was listening. “Guess who kissed me yesterday!”

  Ally’s mouth dropped open. “No. Way.”

  “Landon?” Chloe asked. Zee nodded as the girls started moving down the path again. “And you kept it from us the whole day?”

  “I’ve been dying to tell you,” Zee assured them.

  “Are you going to write your initials together on the cabin wall?” Ally asked.

  “Did you write yours and Jacques’s?” Zee replied

  “But of course,” Ally said with a fake French accent.

  Chloe bit her lip. “So are you going to tell Jasper?” she asked.

  “Umm…no,” Zee said, wrinkling her nose. “Should I? It feels kind of weird.”

  By now the girls had almost reached their cabin. “I wouldn’t worry about it,” Chloe said. She pointed to the crowd outside of cabin two. Adoring seventh-grade girls had surrounded Jasper as he looked at the ground and nervously shoved his hands in his pockets.

  “Think we should save him?” Ally asked.

  Zee watched as a huge smile spread across Jasper’s face. “I don’t really think he wants us to.”

  16

  BFFs

  * * *

  Hi, Diary,

  Camp was the best week of my life. But I admit that I’m happy to be back in my comfy bed with real food and my mom and dad spoiling me.

  How lucky can you get? Even though we lost the scavenger hunt, I feel like a winner. All the Beans do. Mr. P says we might be ready to play outside of school events soon. Which would be totally awesome.

  I hope Ally—and Chloe and Jasper—knows that no matter what, we will always be friends.

  Zee<
br />
  * * *

  On Saturday, Zee and Ally invited Chloe and Jasper to hang out at Zee’s house. Missy came, too, since Ally had gotten to be such good friends with her at camp.

  Mrs. Carmichael put out a tray of pita chips and dips, fruit, and tiny sandwiches. Zee and her friends devoured the snacks while they played Wii and talked about their week.

  “Oh my gosh!” Missy scrunched up her face. “Do you remember Wednesday’s lunch? What was that?”

  “I don’t know,” Ally said, “but they paid a guy in second period to put it in his milk glass and drink it.”

  “Ewww,” Chloe and Zee groaned.

  “Jasper, would you ever do anything that gross?” Zee asked him.

  “Pffft tmnt glp,” Jasper responded. Nobody liked Mrs. Carmichael’s snack trays more than he did. His mouth wasn’t empty until the tray was empty.

  “Oh, I’m going to miss you guys so much when I have to go back to France,” Ally told them.

  “You still have another week in Brookdale, though,” Missy reminded her.

  “I never thought I’d actually want to go to school on my vacation, but since that’s the only way I’ll get to hang out with you guys, I’m going to do it.”

  “And after that, we’ll just email and IM you constantly,” Missy said.

  “Except French time is nine hours ahead of L.A. time. Sometimes I’m asleep when you’re awake.”

  Jasper swallowed his mouthful of food. “I have the same problem with my friends in England.”

  “What do you do?” Zee asked.

  “I’m working on a solution now,” Jasper said. “I’ll let you know if I figure it out.”

  “Well, I think we should definitely do this again soon,” Chloe said.

  Ally nodded. “In France!”

  “What’s it like to kiss Landon?” Ally asked Zee when they were getting ready for bed that night.

  “I really don’t know,” Zee said.