by Jen Calonita
“I know.” I am barely audible. It’s embarrassing to hear someone talk about the mess you’ve made.
“What were you doing with a candle?” Hitch complains. “You know they’re forbidden. Your counselor should have confiscated that on day one.” He gives Courtney a look.
“I did,” she jumps in. “At least I thought I got them all. She brought aromatherapy candles as gifts for everyone, but I wouldn’t let her give them out. Even though they smelled amazing,” she adds under her breath.
“I hid one,” I admit. Courtney looks even more disappointed. “I never planned on using it. I just liked how the lavender made my trunk smell.” Hitch’s eyebrows go up. “But then the last of my flashlight batteries died, and I needed a light to get down to the lake to see where everyone was last night, so I lit up the candle.” I look down at my lap. “I only put it down on the porch for a second, but I guess the wind knocked it over.”
“It was really windy,” Sam says on my behalf. She looks at me curiously. “Be honest: You weren’t trying to destroy the camp’s chances at getting London Blue, were you?”
“No!” I protest. “Why would I do that?” I glance sheepishly at Lina. “That contest meant a lot to people close to me. I know how hard they worked on that board. I wanted them to win. I was mad last night,” I tell everyone, “but I did not try to destroy the spirit board.”
“What were you doing up at the theater then?” Hitch wants to know.
“I was on my way to the bonfire at the lake, but then I stopped myself.” I blush. “I knew I wasn’t wanted there.”
“That’s not true,” Ethan says, but I ignore him.
“There was a bonfire going on at the lake?” Hitch asks. “I didn’t approve that.”
“They go every week after All-Camp Night,” Sam tells him. “The counselors know about the get-togethers. The campers are back in their bunk by curfew. Well, except for last night.”
“We’ll talk about that part later,” he tells Sam sternly and then looks at me again. “First I want to hear how that candle accidentally tipped over.”
“I put it down to think for a moment,” I say, getting upset just thinking about it again. “I didn’t know what to do. Go back to the cabin? Head to the lake? A wise person told me to just let it go and not give anyone there the satisfaction.” I look at Lina, but she doesn’t make eye contact. “I was so mad that I started kicking a door, and someone heard me.”
“You were kicking the theater door? Now I need to add property destruction to your list.” Hitch sighs. “Ethan, you were the one she ran into?”
He nods. “Yeah. But she wasn’t starting a fire or anything. She was just standing there.” He clears his throat. “Arguing with me.” I begin biting my nails.
“Did you notice the candle?” Hitch asks.
“No,” Ethan says. “We were fighting, and then I smelled something burning and we saw the fire. That’s when she mentioned the candle.” He plays with a duct-tape bracelet on his right wrist. “Sir, I really don’t think Harper meant for this to happen. It was an accident.”
“Is that what you think, too, Lina?” Hitch asks. “I know you two are close.”
“I don’t think Harper meant to start that fire, either. I just wish she would have listened to me when I warned her not to go down to the lake.” Lina looks at me. “Friends trust each other.”
“You’re right.” My voice warbles. “I was wrong. I’ve screwed up everything I’ve done since I got here. It’s obvious to everyone, myself included, that I don’t belong at camp. I don’t fit in no matter how hard I try. If it’s okay with you, I just want to go home. Call my dad and have me picked up,” I beg Hitch. “I’ll be out of your hair by dinner.”
“Harper,” Lina whispers. “I’m upset, but I don’t hate you. Stay.” I shake my head.
Hitch sighs heavily. “I wanted to make sure this wasn’t done deliberately because I must tell you, the campers are very disappointed. I’m very disappointed. Pam is devastated. She thought having London here would put Whispering Pines on the map.”
I twist the friendship bracelet Lina gave me around and around my wrist. “I understand that, sir.”
“But I haven’t called your father.” I look up, surprised. “You still have almost two weeks left and you’re going to finish them, like you promised. I usually say the punishment should fit the crime.” He scratches the goatee he’s started to grow. “So in this case, you’ll have to help rebuild the porch.”
I’m stunned. “Okay.” I’ve never wielded a hammer before, but I’m not about to argue with someone who is not going to press charges against me.
“You’re sure there’s no way we can get an entry in on time?” Courtney asks.
“No.” Hitch sounds disappointed. “That board took weeks to finish, not hours. We’ve got the Harlem Wizards coming this weekend and the overnighter in Boston. We’d never get another spirit board together in time.”
My wheels start spinning. We may not be able to do another board, but maybe I can. I need to fix the damage I caused.
“I’m afraid, in addition to rebuilding the porch, your punishment will also include skipping the overnighter tomorrow,” Hitch says. “It wouldn’t seem fair to send you after what happened.”
“I understand,” I say. Secretly I’m relieved. After what I’ve done, the other campers would probably try to find a way to leave me in Boston. And if I’m here and no one is speaking to me, that gives me time to put a plan in motion.
“Well, that’s it,” Hitch says and stands. “I’ll see the rest of you on the bus early tomorrow morning for the away trip.”
I bolt from the room before anyone can stop me. I have a lot of work to do.
“Harper!” Courtney rushes to catch up with me. “Where’s the fire?” I groan. “Okay, that was a bad choice of words.”
I give her a half smile. “You’re forgiven.”
Courtney puts an arm around my shoulders as we walk out of a patch of trees and into the bright sunlight. “If it makes you feel better, you’re not the first person to screw up at the Pines.” She grins. “One year Sam caused a campwide food fight in the mess hall and got banished to a cabin with Hitch’s daughter for several days.”
My eyes widen. “Are you serious?”
Courtney nods. “Yep. Not only did they manage to not kill each other, they created this cool video for our talent show that was a peace treaty of sorts for our whole bunk.” She pats my back. “You’ll figure out a way to win them back, too. You’ve got more spirit in you than most of the girls in this place.”
“You think?” I stare at my sneakers, which were once so shiny and now, after weeks of trudging though the dirt at camp, have lost some of their shine. Just like me. “I was just so angry last night at everyone.” My voice cracks. “I fought off liking this place for so long and now that I like it here, I get knocked on my butt again and cause a fire.” I gulp. “It’s not the way I thought this week would go.”
If you had asked me what would have happened last night at the lake, I could have pictured Ethan and me taking a long walk in the moonlight or talking on the dock. Not me yelling awful things at him and accusing him of siding with Jeanie.
The truth is, I don’t think he knew what Jeanie was up to, but I’m still mad he wasn’t smart enough to sniff out her plan.
Just then, I see Ethan cut across the lawn in front of us. He doesn’t look my way.
“What’s the story there?” Courtney asks, nodding in his direction.
“Ethan?” I stammer. “I thought we were friends. Now I’m not sure what we are.”
“Boys are great at saying one thing and doing another,” says Courtney with a sigh. “If I know Ethan—and I’ve known a lot of Ethans—he knows he let you down last night. My advice: Give him a chance to explain himself. Same goes for Lina. Talk to her. That’s what real friends do.”
“Thanks,” I say without much enthusiasm. I feel so beat down. “I’ll try.”
Courtn
ey looks at me hard. “You found something you like about the Pines. Don’t give up on it now just because you hit a rough patch. I wouldn’t have believed it two weeks ago, but I really think you belong here.”
You belong here. I hesitate. “When you were a camper here, did you act a lot different at camp than you did at home?”
Courtney laughs. “Of course! It’s easier to be yourself when you’re not pigeonholed into what everybody thinks you are. When you’re out of your comfort zone, you act more like the person you want to be. Being that person all the time takes work.”
Focusing on me has never been the problem. What I need to do is figure out who the real me is. Am I the girl I was before McDaddy struck it big or after? Is it okay to be a little of both?
“Are you still friends with people from home?” I’m afraid to hear her answer.
“Some,” Courtney says. “My closest friends are the girls from my bunk.” She smiles. “Sam, you know. My friend Grace is on a traveling college soccer team so she couldn’t be a counselor this year, and my friend Emily Kate is a real brain so she’s in Europe this summer taking some college classes, but we’re all still close. We try to see each other a few times a year. Usually we get together to do something fun, like do a road trip or karaoke, like you guys did last night. We still like to shoot videos of us together. The videos remind us of what our lives were when we were at the Pines.” She grins. “They were some of the best times of my life.”
The videos remind us of what our lives were when we were at the Pines.
That is what my video needs to show—the best of the Pines. Not photos or scraps of T-shirts. Snippets of our lives that show real people—like Beaver, who slaves over his recipes to make the meals more fun. Friendships like the one I have with Lina—someone who listens to me, tells me when I’m being an idiot, and knows how to cheer me up with a drawing when I’m down. Something that shows how everyone comes together during activities like karaoke night and how this camp breeds fierce loyalty. Jeanie may not be my favorite person, but I admire how much she cares about the Pines. I need to be McDaddy for a day and shoot a video that shows London a camp she’ll never forget.
“Listen, I have an idea that just might save the London Blue contest and prove to everyone once and for all that I’m more than just Camping Barbie,” I tell Courtney excitedly. “But to do it, I’ll need full access to your cell phone.”
Courtney looks at me strangely, but I can tell her interest is piqued. “Go on.”
I outline my plan. Courtney doesn’t interrupt me—which is very un-Courtney-like. By the time I’m talking about my ideas for the video finale, she looks as pumped as I feel. “You really think you can do this on your own? And in just a few days?”
I don’t hesitate. “Yes. I might need to get on a laptop to do some editing, but it can be done. I’ve seen my dad do videos in a day when he has to.”
“I have a laptop back at the cabin,” Courtney says. “The bigger issue is explaining why a camper on probation for setting a fire is running around campus with an iPhone, shooting a video.” She grimaces. “I’ll have to come up with something to tell Hitch. Maybe I’ll say part of your punishment with me is to shoot a video that shows how great the Pines is. To make you see what you’ve been missing.”
“That could work!” I exclaim excitedly.
“I’ll have to give the same speech to all the counselors and staff so you have access to them,” she adds. “I’ll say you’re using the footage for the camp video yearbook.” She gives me a stern look. “No one can know we still have a chance at the London video. What if you don’t get this done? It will kill some of these kids if we break their hearts a second time. Shoot as much as you can today and tomorrow when the rest of the marshmallows are on the overnighter. If they see you with an iPhone, they’ll be suspicious.”
“Gotcha.” I grin. “But, Court? I know I can do this.”
Courtney grins. “If you’re anything like me, Harper, which I think you are, then I believe you.” She surprisingly hugs me, and I feel her slip something into my pocket. “Here’s my phone,” she whispers. “Do not let anyone see you doing anything other than videoing or we’re both busted. I’ll tell the bunk you’re punished and not coming with us. Good luck, Camping Barbie.”
“Thanks!” I head to the bathroom by the mess hall since we’re in between dining periods and it will probably be empty. I check that the coast is clear and then make a call.
“McDaddy Productions,” a voice says.
“Sydney? It’s Harper McAllister,” I say to my father’s personal assistant. I crouch down on a toilet seat so no one can see my feet in the bottom of the stall.
“Harper! Hey, honey. How is camp? Why are you calling my line?” she asks. “Do you want me to get your dad?”
“No!” I say quickly. “Don’t tell him I called.” I am doing this without McDaddy’s help. There’s only one thing I need from Sydney. “I was wondering if you could find out where I can e-mail an entry for the London Blue Camp Video contest.” I cross my fingers. “There is an entry coming in that will blow the rest away.”
Harper McAllister @HarperMc
Summer may be short, but the memories you make will last forever. #nevergiveup #neverquit
17
SMILE FOR THE CAMERA!
LONDON BLUE VIDEO MUST-HAVES:
1. Needed: a perky narrator to guide London through the ins and outs of Whispering Pines and why it’s the perfect place for her next video.
2. Load up the video with London facts and details that show what big fans Pines campers really are. Research London’s favorite foods (Beaver can make her fave dish on camera!), her loves, her hates, and work them into camp segments. London needs to know the Pines has her back!
3. Important Pines places to highlight: lake dock (great view from a canoe), zip line (if she’s not afraid of heights like I am). What if we have the narrator taped as she zips across the zip line? (Obviously this will not be me.) Should also include the cleanest bunk, the mess hall, and possibly the rock wall. (Could someone climb up to the top and sing a London song? Again, can’t be me.)
4. Must find enthusiastic campers to talk about London! Problem: Campers can’t know I’m making a video, so how do I do this?
I throw down my pen in disgust. Looking over my list of must-haves for the London video, I have a sinking feeling I will not be able to get all this done in the next twenty-four hours, and certainly not on my own. How can I get people to talk about London when no one knows I’m doing a London video? I can’t narrate it myself. Seeing me and hearing my last name on video might make the judges not pick us on purpose, or sway London’s decision. I want to win this because we have the best camp for the job.
Even with Courtney’s laptop and permission from Hitch and the counselors to talk to campers and tape them, I think I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. One day. Today. That’s all I have to make a kick-butt London video, edit it, and e-mail it in to London’s label in the morning. Sure, I can take a few extra days, but Courtney’s warning rings in my ears: I can’t let the other marshmallows see what I’m up to. It must get finished today. The only thing I’ve done right so far is get the correct e-mail address to send the entry to from McDaddy’s assistant, Sydney.
I throw myself back on my pillow and stare up at the sheer pink canopy above my bed. I had to wash it after the cabin raid, but it’s clean now and as good as new. The raid feels so long ago, and the cabin feels empty now that everyone has left on the overnighter. They were supposed to leave in the morning, but the weather is supposed to be bad so they left today instead. Good for me and the video. Bad because now I have no marshmallows to get on tape. I can’t just have peeps and pez in this thing. What am I going to do?
What’s that buzzing sound? I look around for a bumblebee or a horse fly, but there are none. I can hear the slow drip, drip, drip of a leaky faucet in the bathroom and the creak of the ceiling fan on low above my head, but this sound is neither of tho
se things. It’s a constant vibration. It’s Courtney’s cell phone! Oh my God! Not having access to a phone for a few weeks has completely made me forget what vibrate mode sounds like. I recognize Margo’s number and pick up immediately.
“Hey!” I’m elated. “You called me back!”
“Harper?” Margo says. It feels good to hear her voice. “When I saw the area code, I figured it had to be you calling. Is everything okay? How are you able to call me in the middle of the day?”
“Long story,” I say, “but I don’t have a lot of time. I need your help with something.”
“Anything!” she says.
“You’re a huge London Blue fan. Tell me everything there is to know about her,” I say, “and don’t stop till I tell you to.”
“Okay,” she says cheerily. “Here it goes.”
Ten minutes later, I have more than enough London stuff to go on, and I feel a little less stressed about this video. A little. “Thanks, Margo. I have to run, but I will explain everything later.”
“Wait!” Margo yells. “Tell me one thing—are you okay? Your Tweets have me worried. Kate didn’t seem that concerned, but I am. Is everything all right up there?”
I smile. Margo is a true friend. No matter what happens, she and I will be okay. I could tell Margo how Ethan is here, how I thought we were friends, how I want to be more than friends but that’s not going to happen, plus who Jeanie is, and what Lina is like. I could mention how into cooking I’ve gotten, how I conquered my fear of sleeping outdoors and how I rocked it at karaoke, but I don’t say any of that, either. Nor do I mention the fact that I am now considered a pyro.
