WHAP! SPLOOSH! WHAP! SPLOOSH!
“They’re throwing water balloons at us!” Gaby shrieked. “How is that possible?”
“Don’t worry about it!” Chelsea yelled. “Just get them back!”
Sarah, Gaby, and Chelsea all flung the balloons they were holding into the cabin. A couple broke, but Sarah was stunned to see David catch one in midair and hurl it back at Chelsea’s feet, where it landed with a sploosh.
“The unbroken ones!” Sarah cried. “They must have collected the unbroken ones last time to throw at us this time!”
“But how is that possible?” Gaby demanded, digging deep into the garbage bag and flinging three balloons at once. “How did they know we were coming back?”
“Simple!” Adam yelled, catching one of the balloons and bombing Chelsea with it. “David and I followed you back into the woods! We heard about your perfect plan—the prank to end all pranks!” He laughed loudly.
Gaby moaned as another balloon hit her shoulder and exploded in her face. “This is horrible!” she cried. “Let’s get out of here!” She flung the last two balloons in her garbage bag and ran out. Chelsea threw the last balloon in her bag, then quickly followed her. Sarah dashed after them.
But the door didn’t shut behind them. It whacked against the door frame several times as it opened to let out a horde of wet, angry boys. “Get them!” Adam yelled. “We can’t let them get away with this!”
Sarah, Gaby, and Chelsea were all running as fast as they could. Sarah’s lungs were burning.
“Split up!” cried Chelsea. “We’ll meet up back at the cabins. We’ll have better luck on our own!”
Chelsea took off to the left, Gaby took off to the right, and Sarah ran straight. She darted between trees, changed direction, and tried to fake the boys out. But no matter what she did, she couldn’t shake the sound of footsteps behind her. Somebody was still following her. At least she had a good lead.
She ran by the lake, past the boathouse, toward the swamp. Then she darted back into the woods, ran past the infirmary, and back into the trees. The footsteps were getting farther in the distance. Sarah started to slow down—and then suddenly her foot caught on something, and she was sailing forward.
She reached out to catch herself just before her face hit the tree stump, but she still got the wind knocked out of her lungs. She’d scraped her knee and her ankle hurt again. For a few seconds, she just lay there, trying to catch her breath. And then . . . the footsteps came back. They were approaching her, slower now. Oh no! thought Sarah. I’m caught! They’ll tell my parents! I’ll be in so much trouble! For a minute, Sarah recalled very clearly why she never got involved in crazy schemes at home. She twisted her body and tried to get up, but her ankle ached and she couldn’t move fast enough. Before she knew it, a dark shape was standing over her.
“Caught,” came David’s voice.
“You!” Sarah turned around and sat on the ground facing him. “Please, David, we’re friends, right? Let me go. You know I wasn’t out to hurt anybody. It was just in good fun. You know?”
“Fun?” David asked. “You guys nailed me in the face with a water balloon! How was that fun for me?”
Sarah shrugged. “I dunno. But you got me, too! It’s a prank war! These things happen.”
David raised an eyebrow. “Yeah? What do you think I should do with you?”
Sarah didn’t hesitate. “Let me go. We’ll both pretend this never happened.”
David grinned. “Really. Because, you know, Doug, our CIT, is probably back by now. I think I should bring you to our cabin and let him figure it out.”
“No!” Sarah cried. “Please, David! No counselors! You know they’d call our parents.”
“Maybe they should call your parents,” David said, crossing his arms. “That was pretty messed-up behavior. Breaking curfew. Breaking and entering. Destroying camp property.”
“Destroying?” Sarah gave him a doubtful look.
“Well, getting it wet.” David shrugged. “Either way, it’s bad news. You’re bad news, Sarah Peyton.”
Sarah shook her head furiously. “But I’m not! Really, I am so not. I’m the nicest, most normal person. Quiet. A total teacher’s pet.”
“Really?” David asked. “Then why are you acting crazy here?”
Sarah took a deep breath. She shrugged. “I dunno,” she admitted. “Maybe I like having the freedom to be different at camp.” She gestured back to the cabin. “To act crazy, like tonight.”
David shook his head. “I don’t know, that sounds dangerous,” he said. “How do I know you won’t act crazy again? Besides, I’d be betraying my whole bunk if I let you go. I’d better turn you in.”
Sarah looked up at him, right into his eyes. She sighed. He had a point, and she couldn’t say for sure that she wouldn’t do the same thing if the roles were reversed. Still, it just . . . stunk. She reluctantly got to her feet. My parents are going to be so mad.
“Let’s go,” said David. He took a few steps toward the boys’ cabins, and she followed him. I don’t believe this, she was thinking. I almost got away. I was so close.
She almost didn’t notice that David had stopped again and was smiling at her. She almost walked into him, then looked up, confused. “What’s up?” she asked. “Why are we stopping?”
David shrugged and looked away from her, out over the lake. “Tell you what,” he said. “Let’s say I let you go this one time. But you owe me.”
Sarah felt a smile creep across her whole face. “Of course, David! Just let me go, and I’ll be soooo grateful!”
David looked at her carefully, smiling faintly, and nodded. “All right,” he agreed. “You owe me. Be careful walking back, Sarah. And stay out of trouble.”
The whole way back to the cabin, Sarah planned in her head how she would describe what happened to Gaby and Chelsea. And then . . . he just let me go. And he had this funny smile. And then . . .
As she came out of the woods, she spotted the two of them sitting on the oak tree. She ran over to them with a big smile. “Hey!”
They looked up at her curiously. “Hey yourself,” Chelsea replied. “I guess the prank to end all pranks didn’t quite go as planned. It was close for me, getting back, but I think I lost Adam when I ran underneath a low branch.”
“Yeah,” Gaby agreed. “I had trouble, too. But I just finally got enough distance between us, whoever was following me gave up.”
“Yeah,” Chelsea agreed.
“Yeah,” said Sarah.
There was silence for a minute. Gaby and Chelsea both looked at Sarah expectantly. “How about you?” Chelsea asked finally. “Sarah, did you have any trouble?”
Sarah looked into Chelsea’s face, trying to compose the words. She didn’t know why she was having so much trouble figuring out what to tell her friends. David followed me. And he caught me. But then . . . he let me go . . . I don’t know why . . .
“No,” she said after a moment.
“Good,” said Chelsea. She stood up from the tree and brushed herself off. “Well, ladies, it’s been a long night, and I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty wet.”
“Me too,” agreed Gaby.
“Me too,” added Sarah.
“I think it’s time to get some dry pajamas on and slip into bed.” Chelsea stretched and let out a sigh.
“Sounds good to me,” agreed Sarah.
“Me too,” said Gaby.
“Thanks for your help, guys,” Chelsea said with a wry smile. “I’m sorry it didn’t go as planned. But you guys were great.”
“So were you, Chelsea,” Sarah assured her, patting her back.
“Oh well,” said Chelsea. “We’ll got ’em pretty good the first time. Good night.”
“Good night.”
“Good night.”
Sarah walked slowly back to her bunk, savoring the cool night air and the smell of the lake and the trees. In her cabin, she quietly pulled out her pajamas and went into the bathroom to change. She sto
wed her black clothes in her cubby and got into her sleeping bag with a big yawn.
Sarah didn’t know why, but she couldn’t get this big smile off her face.
chapter TEN
In sports the next day, Sarah continued playing like the great athlete she thought she was. She hit a triple and made a game-saving catch. Her team members were starting to take notice of her talents, and it felt great.
“Nice job!” Kelly told her after her triple sent in a run.
Abby, who was standing right behind Kelly, had to either say something or risk looking rude. “Yeah,” she echoed under her breath. “Nice job, Sars.”
Sarah didn’t understand why her finally playing well didn’t have Abby jumping up and down for joy, but she wasn’t going to question it. Maybe she’s jealous, she thought. I know what that feels like. Besides, I have enough people telling me how great I am—what’s one who doesn’t?
She didn’t get much chance to talk to David during the game, since she was concentrating so hard on her playing. But after the game ended, he came up to her and slapped her five. “Awesome job, Peyton,” he told her. “I knew you had it in you.”
“You did, huh?” Sarah grinned.
“Sure I did.” David glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “Really, Sarah. You’re really talented.”
Sarah looked over in surprise, but David wasn’t looking at her. He was staring at the ground, like he’d found some really fascinating rock.
“Thanks, David,” she said. “That’s a really nice thing to say. And thanks again for—” She looked around to see if anyone was listening. She didn’t see anyone, but she lowered her voice anyway. “—for letting me go last night.”
David shrugged. “It’s no biggie.” He paused and looked around him. They’d walked away from most of the crowd and were on a quiet path back to the mess hall. “Um, Sarah,” he said quietly, making Sarah turn back.
“What?” she asked.
He looked up at her, and suddenly Sarah noticed that his eyes were a really pretty shade of green. Like the moss they found in the forest, with a little yellow thrown in. Suddenly, he looked all serious. Sarah opened her mouth to say something, not sure whether she wanted to hear what he had to say.
But he beat her anyway. “I was thinking about something.”
Sarah frowned at him, skeptical. She wasn’t sure she’d ever seen him be serious before. “Um, okay. What’s that?”
All trace of a smile left his face and suddenly David looked a little scared. “Maybe you could go to the social with me.”
Sarah was so stunned, she didn’t respond right away. She felt her mouth drop open and just left her lower lip hanging there while she thought this over. He wants to go to the stupid social with me? Why? Since when? Does that mean he—could it mean he—
“I really like you, Sarah.”
Omigod. Omigod. Omigod. Punch him.
Sarah was so confused, she halfheartedly raised her right hand to punch but quickly dropped it.
I don’t think I want to.
“And I hear the social’s going to be pretty cool. They’re bringing in a DJ and decorating all in purple or something. Anyway, I thought it would be really fun if we could just hang out together. We don’t have to, like, dance or anything. We could just hang out by the punch bowl and drink punch.”
“I don’t like punch,” Sarah said. It was true, but it was not something she planned to say, and she wasn’t sure what she meant by it.
“Soda, then.” David looked at her, looking more small and nervous every minute. “Say something, Sarah. I said I like you, and you haven’t said anything.”
“I like you, too.”
As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she realized it was true. She didn’t like David the way that Natalie liked Simon, or Brynn liked Darren, or whoever. She didn’t get all googly-eyed at the mention of his name or feel like writing their names together on her notebooks with lots of hearts and flowers and doves all around them. (Actually, that thought made her fairly sick.) But she liked talking to him, and she liked being around him more than she’d ever liked being around any boy before. When she was with David, he made her laugh so hard the rest of the world seemed to fade into the background. Was that what it was like to like-like someone? Was it possible that you could just be yourself and have fun with someone?
David’s face had broken into a huge smile. “Awesome,” he said. “It’s going to be great, Sars. I can’t wait.” They had reached the mess hall, and he reached out and patted her arm before he walked off to join his table. “See you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow,” Sarah echoed. She wasn’t sure what had just happened there, but just like the night before, she couldn’t stop smiling.
A couple of days later, Sarah was back in left field. Maybe she was beginning to lose it a little, because she was actually starting to like this position now. It was quiet, sure, but she had good company, and she’d more than proven that she was capable of holding her own out here. What had started out as a terrible position had turned out to be for the best.
Too bad Abby still looked like she’d sucked on a lemon every time Sarah did something that wasn’t totally incompetent. In fact, Sarah was beginning to get the feeling that her playing well was making Abby meaner to her, not nicer. But why would that be? Was Abby really jealous? If so, she needs to get over it, Sarah thought. She gave me enough attitude for messing up. How can she give me attitude for succeeding, too?
Meanwhile, David had come to the game that morning with eyes and mouths drawn on his hands with ballpoint pen. Between plays, he was putting on a puppet show for Sarah about two girls named Sue and Annie who seemed to keep fighting over their softball game.
As the last inning wound up, David pulled up some grass and dandelions and piled it on top of his left hand. “Oh, Annie,” he said in a ridiculously high voice (Sarah figured that was what all boys thought girls sounded like), “are you sure you’re jealous of my batting skills, and not my long, lustrous hair?”
Sarah cracked up as Abby struck out the final Panther, and the game ended with their win, 8-4. David walked over to her and continued with “Sue’s” monologue: “It’s not easy being this beautiful, Annie. Every morning I have to wake up super-early to apply a fertilizer and wash all the ants and caterpillars out…”
“Caterpillars!” Sarah shrieked, laughing. “That’s terrible. Can you imagine having a caterpillar in your hair?”
“No.” David smiled. “But if you’d like to try it, I’m sure it can be arranged…”
“Don’t you dare!” Sarah cried. “Remember, I know where you live. And we still have plenty of balloons we can fill up if we need to get you back for any reason.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“I would.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“I have, and I would do it again. And get all my friends in on it.”
“Well, there’s no way I’d let you go a second time. Just keep that in mind.”
“Oh, you and your empty threats.”
“Hey.” Sarah looked up, startled, at the new voice. Jenna was standing before them, stone-faced and angry-looking. Sarah felt a sudden panic—she and David hadn’t really waited for Jenna after the last couple of games. Could she be mad? She sure looked mad.
“Hey,” Sarah replied hesitantly.
Jenna looked over at David. “Sarah, can I speak to you alone, for a minute?”
Sarah felt a chill of panic as she followed Jenna’s gaze back to David’s confused face. “Uh . . . sure.” Why? Jenna had never spoken to Sarah that formally before. Her serious expression, combined with this sudden Miss Manners business, made Sarah think that something was definitely up.
Jenna didn’t reply, she just led the way away from David and a little ways into the woods. She walked for a few minutes and then stopped in a small clearing, turning to face Sarah. Again, Sarah was stunned by how serious and upset she looked. What did I do? she thought, panicking.
/> Jenna looked past Sarah, at a branch beyond her head. She seemed to be on autopilot as she began. “I heard about you and David.”
Sarah frowned. “What about me and David?”
Jenna pulled her gaze to Sarah’s eyes and made an annoyed face. “What do you think, about you and David? I heard that you’re a couple now. I heard that you’re going to the social together.”
“Yeah?” Sarah asked. “Well, yeah, I guess so. We’re not a couple. But he asked me to go to the social with him, and I said yes.”
Jenna nodded slowly, then narrowed her eyes. “I can’t believe you would do that to me.”
“Do what to you?” Sarah blurted in surprise. What is she talking about? What does David have to do with her?
“What to me?” Jenna rolled her eyes. “Sarah, everybody knows I have a huge crush on David. Why do you think I was hanging out with him at the beginning of sports? Why do you think I introduced you to him?”
Sarah couldn’t believe her ears. Not only did staunchly antiboy Jenna have a crush, but it was on . . . David? “You said he was your brother’s friend!” Sarah cried. “I figured he knows Adam and of course Adam knows you. So that made you guys friends. Just friends,” she added hastily. “I had no idea that you liked him!”
Jenna shook her head, her braid fwapping against her shoulder. “No, Sarah. I was hanging out with him because I like him. And I was going to ask him to the social tomorrow . . . before you screwed it up.”
Sarah couldn’t believe Jenna was talking to her like this. Boys! It seemed like they were destroying all of her friendships in one way or another. A week ago she would have laughed it off and told Jenna she was welcome to David. But now . . . now she knew she really liked him. What were the chances of two friends liking the same guy at the same time? I hope this never happens to me again, Sarah thought sadly.
“What do you want me to do?” she asked. “He asked me. And I’m really sorry you didn’t get a chance to ask him.”
Jenna wouldn’t look at her. She stared at the ground. “Too little, too late, Sars,” she said quietly. “He’s the only boy I’ve ever liked. And as long as you guys are going to the social . . . I can’t just pretend it’s okay with me. I’m sorry.” She turned suddenly and stalked off down the path. Sarah was left in stunned silence.
Wish You Weren't Page 9
