Lake Rescue

by Annie Bryant

  Joline giggled. “Yeah, it’s not pretty.”

  “Then why don’t you go take a nap outside,” Katani replied, rolling over to get more comfortable.

  Maeve burrowed into her sleeping bag with her headphones to drown out the Queens of Mean.

  After free time, Jody waved them together for yet another trust exercise…uugh. The BSG groaned.

  “I trust all of you, you trust me,” Isabel said. “I don’t think we need to prove it.”

  “While you were sleeping we created this work of art,” Mia explained, pointing to a huge spider-web wall of ropes. “Here’s the plan. We’re all on the same team. The goal is to get every team member to the other side. We’re going to break up into threes for this exercise. Two of you take your third person and literally weave that person up and over the web, passing in and out of the ropes. I’m going to give you pieces of colored string so I can check that you’ve not taken any shortcuts.”

  “I saw this on TV,” Avery said. “It’s not easy. Better find two lightweight partners.”

  Chelsea was standing right behind Avery when she said that. Chelsea stepped away immediately.

  Here we go again, Chelsea thought. And just a few minutes earlier, she had been feeling better than she’d felt in a long time.

  “Jody, this is going to be good. But I left my best close-up camera in my bunk. I’m going to get it.”

  Jody, hands on her hips, looked long and hard at Chelsea. Then she shrugged. “Okay, hurry back.”

  Chelsea wanted to run, but she walked as fast as she could. Instead of going inside her cabin, she walked behind it and leaned against the wall. She was just never going to win, was she? Tears began to well as she slid down to a sitting position. And suddenly she was so hungry that even a handful of baby carrots seemed like chocolate-chip cookies.

  “Chelsea?”

  Chelsea hadn’t realized that she wasn’t the only one seeking refuge behind the cabin. “Katani?” Chelsea’s eyes were blurry, but there was no mistaking the girl in shorts who, sitting like a grasshopper, seemed all arms and legs.

  “What are you doing here?” Katani asked, as if it wasn’t obvious.

  “Avoiding the spider web,” Chelsea dared her to say something.

  “Sounds good to me.”

  “But you could do that rope, spider-web thing.”

  “Check it out, Chelsea. I’m all arms and legs. I’d be so tangled in a couple of minutes, it would take an army of people with giant scissors to get me out. So, I left…I didn’t want to mess it up for the whole team.”

  Chelsea started to giggle at the picture Katani painted. “I wonder who dreamed up all these torture exercises.”

  Katani grinned. “It was probably a group effort. One mind couldn’t possibly be so devilishly evil. But you would have gotten some great photos.”

  They sat quietly for a minute, then started giggling again.

  “You really like taking pictures?” Katani asked out of the blue.

  “I love it. I’ve started a picture-taking business in my neighborhood.”

  “Your own business?” Katani was impressed. “What’s it like?” she asked.

  “It’s no big deal. I take pictures at kids’ parties. I’m going to think of other possibilities.”

  “How about Bar or Bat Mitzvahs? Dog and cat photos? People are so goofy about their pets.”

  “Yeah, that’s a good idea. I don’t want this to get too big to handle, though. And I’ve really only just started.”

  “It won’t if you plan your time right. I plan to have my own design business someday. I could help you if you need help with organization,” Katani said shyly. “No charge. Or maybe we could trade. You could take some photos of us, you know, the Beacon Street Girls. And Marty. We have this crazy little dog that loves to do tricks. He kind of belongs to all of us.”

  Chelsea and Katani swapped ideas back and forth for a few minutes until they saw Mia walking toward them.

  “Girls,” she said, frowning, “you’re not allowed to wander away from the group. There’re a lot of you to keep track of. I know you two are responsible, but the rules are the same for everyone.”

  “Sorry, Mia,” Chelsea responded.

  “Yeah, we’re sorry,” Katani added.

  Mia nodded and said, “All right, let’s head back to the group.”

  Suddenly, a thought occurred to Chelsea. For once, she’d made it through the rest of the afternoon without feeling as if she was going to starve to death. It was as if her connection to another person had just filled her up, and also made her appreciate who she was…a pretty cool person with a lot to offer. Chelsea smiled to herself. That was pretty amazing. Must be the New Hampshire mountain air, she reasoned.

  CHAPTER 13

  The Clock Struck Twelve

  Nobody mentioned that Chelsea and Katani had missed the team spiderweb weaving exercise, even though the Beacon Street Girls knew that Katani had disappeared. Katani was aware that they shouldn’t have separated from the group, but she couldn’t help but think that Chelsea seemed a lot happier after their talk.

  “That was too cool, Katani.” Avery grinned. “Billy just lifted me up and Charlotte held the ropes open for me to go in and out of. It was pretty easy.”

  “I was scared,” Charlotte admitted. “First Dillon lifted Maeve, then he lifted me. Avery pulled the ropes apart, but I got dizzy before it was finished. At least we weren’t racing.” Charlotte looked at Avery and dared her to say she’d woven through the fastest.

  “Nick helped me the entire way through,” Isabel said. “I definitely trusted him not to drop me.”

  Charlotte had noticed that Nick seemed to be helping Isabel a lot lately. First on the wall and now this. She felt a twinge. Did Isabel like Nick? Charlotte would never let a boy come between her and another BSG, but she would be totally disappointed if Nick liked another girl. And if he and Isabel started going out, it would be even harder to take. After all, the BSG just assumed that eventually Nick and Charlotte would be an item even if it took them until twelfth grade.

  But who knew if Nick really liked her, or if he was just the nicest boy ever? Although it wasn’t as if Charlotte was chasing after him. And in front of everyone, Nick had made a big deal that he wanted to sit with Charlotte on the bus. So confusing. Charlotte rubbed her head.

  She decided not to like Nick too much. Her life was finally in a smooth phase. Predictable. Comfortable. Like the stars were in the same place every night, or so close to the same place you could count on them being there. “Charlotte.” Isabel elbowed her. “Aren’t you hungry? I’m starving. Let’s go see what’s to eat.”

  “Wow, sloppy joes,” Dillon announced as he got closer. “I feel like I haven’t eaten in weeks.”

  “Can we get in line in front of him?” Maeve asked Jody, who was watching them inch up to be served.

  “I think there’s plenty. And the cooks only give out two at a time.” Jody grinned.

  “How come you’re serving instead of eating?” Kiki whispered snidely to Chelsea. “You on a diet now?”

  Chelsea glared at Kiki. She just couldn’t believe the nerve of the girl. Everyone knew Jody had spoken to Kiki, and still she kept at it. Kiki seemed to be one of those people who never let up once they realized that they could needle you. Chelsea would just have to show Kiki how insignificant her comments were.

  “Next in line, please. Hi there, you want one or two?” Chelsea politely asked the boy behind Kiki.

  “Hey, you’re holding up the line.” The boy raised his voice to Kiki, who was staring at Chelsea. Kiki couldn’t believe it. Chelsea Briggs, of all people, was ignoring her, and now some annoying boy was rushing her through the food line. How dare he!

  “You’re not the only one who wants something to eat you know,” he said loudly to Kiki. His friends behind him began to chant, “We want food. We want food.”

  “Kiki, could you move along, please? We’ve got people to feed.” Chelsea smiled ever so sweetly.


  Jody was looking over at the holdup, so Kiki had no other alternative but to move or risk causing a bigger scene. There would be no sloppy joes for Kiki Underwood tonight. She went and made herself a turkey sandwich and sat down with Anna and Joline. “That Chelsea Briggs is really getting on my nerves.”

  “Why, Kiki?” Anna asked innocently.

  Kiki looked at her sharply and took a big sip of milk. “Anna,” Kiki said in her best sticky sweet voice. “You look like you’ve gained a few pounds up here.”

  “These sloppy joes are really good, Kiki,” said Joline slyly. “You should try some.”

  “Whatever!” Kiki jumped up and went to sit at another table. She had a huge milk moustache, which sent Anna and Joline into gales of satisfied laughter.

  Chelsea happily dished out sloppy joes until there were no more left. Then she grabbed a plate for herself, filled it with salad, turkey, and veggies, snatched a piece of bread, and walked over to where the BSG were sitting. She asked if she could join them. “Sure, no problem,” said Katani. “Avery, move over and let Chelsea sit down.” And they kept on talking like it was no big deal that Chelsea Briggs was sharing their table.

  Shortly, Billy, Nick, and Dillon joined the table. Dillon looked a little sheepish as he stood across from Chelsea. Chelsea was feeling magnanimous so she decided to let him off the hook.

  “Hey, Dillon,” she said coolly.

  “Hey Chels, how’s it going?” he asked as he sat down next to Maeve, who beamed up at him.

  “Pretty good,” Chelsea answered.

  It’s going just great, Chelsea thought to herself. Just great. Standing up to Kiki had just about made her night. No fuss, no muss. No name-calling, a simple refusal to engage with the likes of Kiki Underwood. Yes, thought Chelsea. Things were just about perfect. Chelsea Briggs was on the move. She could just feel it.

  “So what’s going on for tonight?” asked Billy.

  “Midnight hike, or something like that I think. Maybe we will hear the real ghost,” Avery said with bravado.

  “There’s no ghost,” Nick said as if he were correcting a group of foolish five-year-olds. “Whoever started that ghost tale probably didn’t know about loons. And besides, loons are mostly noisy at dawn and at dusk.” He finished his last bite of sloppy joe and then continued. “Sometimes they’re claiming territory. The calls change if you listen really carefully.”

  “Whoa, Montoya,” said the Yurtmeister, who had just joined them. “How do you know so much about loons, Mr. Looney Tunes?”

  Crunching on a handful of corn chips, Nick responded, “I found a book in the camp library, Yurtster.” Then he threw a corn chip at the class president’s head.

  “There’s a library here?” Maeve asked. “I thought we were supposed to get away from school.”

  “Well, it’s really just a few bookcases in the counselors’ lounge,” Nick explained.

  “Did you bring your laptop, Maeve?” Charlotte was curious.

  “I did. I had to have a note from my mother, though, in order to bring it.”

  “Really?” Dillon said.

  “I guess the camp counselors thought anyone with a computer would spend the entire time here writing e-mails back home to friends. But I get to write my journal on it…you know…the dyslexic gig,” she shrugged.

  “All your friends are here.” Avery laughed. “Although…You could write the brainiac.”

  “I already sent an e-mail to Sam. They let me plug into the dial up at the office.” Maeve shook her head. “As annoying as he is, he would be so bummed if I didn’t write him. I told him about the haunting sound—he doesn’t know about the loons yet. He’s all excited that there might be a ghost here.”

  “I wish we could write to Marty,” Avery said. She was almost serious.

  “Send a postcard to a dog?” Billy Trentini said. “I can see it now. Dear Marty, wish you were here. There are lots of sticks and skunks to play with.”

  “If there are really skunks, don’t let me near them. I didn’t think I could top my last disaster, but walking into a skunk on a midnight hike would go to the top of the list.” Charlotte hadn’t done anything clumsy that could qualify as a calamity for some time now. That is, if you didn’t count the time she dropped all of her books in front of Nick after the movie. She hoped she wasn’t overdue for a catastrophe.

  “Okay, listen up, blues and greenies.” Jody appeared at their table. “The rumors are true. We really are going on a midnight hike. We could go right after dinner, but I think there’s something magic about midnight. Head back to your bunks, catch some down time, and I’ll sneak in and find you at the witching hour. Questions?”

  “Do we–”

  “Yes, you all have to go. This is part of the camp experience. You don’t want to miss anything, do you?”

  Katani, who had started to ask the question, rushed to correct the impression that she didn’t want to go. “I really don’t want to miss anything. But if I fall asleep, it’s hard to wake me up. Midnight is late.”

  “There will be ice left in the drink tub. A refreshing wake-up call for Ms. Katani Summers, don’t you think, men?”

  Yurt addressed Dillon, Billy, and Nick when he said men. They looked like eight-year-old boys when they all grinned and nodded.

  “You do not want to go there,” Katani said, laughing. The idea of being awakened by a bucket of ice made her shiver.

  The BSG all gathered in Charlotte’s bunk for a visit. “It’s almost like a sleepover in the Tower,” said Maeve excitedly.

  “You need to talk softer,” said Tanya. “I want to read.”

  “Sorry, Tanya, we’ll be more quiet,” Charlotte assured her bunk mate.

  The BSG chatted for awhile about the day’s events until they all dozed off. When Jody came by at midnight it seemed like just a minute had gone by.

  As Jody shook Charlotte’s arm, Charlotte sat up quickly, knocked heads with Jody, and then fell back onto her pillow. “Oh, sorry, I’m so sorry.”

  “Hey, hardest part of my body. Time to get up, everybody. The forest awaits.” Jody walked over and shook Chelsea, who had quickly put a pillow over her head.

  “Five-minute pit stop, then gathering and counting heads at the campfire. No slackers,” said Jody.

  “That woman should have her own reality show.” Maeve’s voice sounded really tired as she stretched.

  “Moonlight, darkness, Dillon.” Charlotte said the magic words. Maeve grabbed her fleece coat, hugged it tight around her, and smiled to herself.

  “I brought along some star charts for us to follow.” Jody handed out cardboard wheels and paperback books. “But, you’ll have to share.”

  “We really don’t need star charts.” Avery took one anyway. “We have Charlotte.”

  “We have a star master in our midst?” Jody asked. “Charlotte?”

  “Not really. But my dad and I have always studied the sky wherever we lived.”

  “She’s lived in Australia and Africa, and a bunch more places,” Isabel said, falling in line with the group.

  “And is a world class bragger,” Kiki added when Jody was out of hearing range.

  “Kiki,” Maeve stood in front of her. “You need a serious attitude adjustment.”

  Kiki just flounced away. Nothing seemed to affect that girl.

  “You want to be partners, Charlotte?” Chelsea asked, walking up beside Charlotte.

  Charlotte hesitated for the slightest of seconds. She really wanted to be with one of the BSG, but she didn’t want to be rude to Chelsea. So she said, “Sure, Chelsea. If you don’t mind a…” She hesitated for a brief moment and then said, “know-it-all.”

  “It’s cool to know things.” Chelsea dropped back so they were nowhere near Kiki. “And Kiki is just probably jealous because you’ve traveled so many places.”

  “Maybe Kiki is mean to you because you are so good at photography.” Chelsea wondered if that could possibly be true.

  “My goal is to go to every
continent before I’m twenty-five!” added Charlotte. “Have you ever been out of the United States, Chelsea?” Charlotte asked.

  “No. My mother keeps talking about going somewhere once she sells a couple more houses. She’s a real estate agent. Her latest idea was one of those health spas.”

  “Where they soak you in mud and then wrap you in seaweed? Sounds…” Charlotte scrunched up her face.

  “That’s what I thought. Plus they starve you to death. I’d rather go on a cruise.”

  Chelsea found herself giggling with a classmate for the second time in a day. Over a day, remembering that it was now past midnight.

  “Look, Chelsea.” Charlotte stopped them a short distance behind Jody and the rest of the hikers. “I’ve never seen so many stars in the city without a telescope. There’s my favorite. Orion. See those three stars? That’s his belt. As the story goes, he’s up there because Apollo didn’t like him and tricked the goddess Artemis into killing him. She loved him and was brokenhearted, so she placed Orion in the sky as a constellation.”

  “Kind of like the Cree warrior trying to get into heaven,” Chelsea added, “but no one helped him.”

  As if on cue, the tremolo voice of the loon floated into the clearing where they stood stargazing. This time, the loon sent a little magic into the mix of silence, stars, and the smell of spruce and fir trees. The group hushed, hardly breathing.

  After a reverent pause, John took over talking and pointing to the sky. Charlotte and Chelsea moved up to listen to the star lecture.

  Charlotte wanted to freeze the moment—to place it into her best of all experiences.

  As they headed back to camp, Nick took Charlotte’s arm and stopped her. He pointed upward. “Isn’t that another of your favorites?”

  How did Nick know she liked the Seven Sisters almost as much as Orion? She didn’t remember telling him.

  A solitary cloud drifted by, like a curtain pulling aside to reveal the beginning of a long-anticipated Broadway show. The constellation of the Seven Sisters marched across the sky.

  “I read that Zeus changed the sisters into stars to help them escape the attention of Orion.”