Summer Camp Queen

by Marci Peschke

  I nod. “Let’s both try to get in at the same time,” I suggest.

  “Okay,” Lucy agrees.

  That way, everything goes as smooth as lemon cream pie! Then we paddle around the lake after a few quick paddling lessons. If we paddle together, we can go fast enough to make ripples in the water that look like little waves.

  On our little canoe trip, we see birds on the shore, fish in the water, and a little island.

  We paddle back to shore. Then we walk the narrow trail back to our cabin. We are tired from our busy day in the water.

  Dear Ugly Brother,

  Today was water sports day! You would have loved it. I know how much you like to dog paddle. You know what? I learned how to paddle a canoe today. It’s not as easy as it looks.

  You would have a hard time, because canoes wobble a lot. Also, it is hard to get in and out of them without falling into the water. Lucy fell in today! Don't worry, though. Okay? She is just fine.

  I miss you to the moon and back times a zillion.

  Love and doggie treats,

  Kylie Jean

  The next day is nature day. After breakfast, all of the campers head over to the edge of the woods. Our camp leader, Missy, is in charge.

  “I’m going to love nature day,” I say.

  “How do you know?” Belle asks.

  I shrug. “I’m a country girl,” I tell her, “and country girls love being outside in nature!”

  Lucy giggles. “Me too, then!” she says.

  Missy calls each cabin and gives us our first activity. The American Ladies will be doing the nature walk first. “And tomorrow,” she says, “is our camp jamboree. We will award our Spirit Stick to the cabin that’s shown the most spirit here at Mariposa Ranch.”

  Missy waves the Spirit Stick in the air. It is a sparkly silver tube filled with little bells that make noise when you move it. On the end of the stick are ribbons with little beads on the ends. We American Ladies want that Spirit Stick bad!

  We walk over to the start of the nature trail. Counselor Amanda gives us a backpack with a first aid kit, map, and whistle. She says, “If you follow the trail you should be back in an hour and ready to move on to tree planting.”

  Charlotte suggests, “Let’s pair up with a buddy.”

  Right away Lucy and I pair up. Then we’re off!

  The dirt path is marked with little wooden arrows pointing the way. Even though the day is warm the woods are cool under the green, lacy trees. Ella knows a lot about nature. She points out the different plants and trees along the way. There are a LOT of pine trees in the woods.

  We stay on the path and try not to get lost. Sometimes I stop to pick up a pretty little rock, a leaf, or smell a flower.

  There are some flowers with delicate little petals. I wonder what kind they are. They’re so pretty and sweet.

  Before we know it we are back where we started.

  Amanda says, “You made it in forty-five minutes. That’s a record! Great job!” We all cheer. Amanda adds, “You’ve earned five points.”

  Next, we head to the tree-planting spot. Tree planting is dirty work. First we have to dig a hole. I am good at digging. Sometimes I help Ugly Brother when he needs to bury something.

  We wedge the shovel into the sandy dirt and scoop it away. It takes a long time to dig a hole that’s big enough to plant a tree in. Then we knock the extra dirt off our tree’s roots.

  I bet you can guess what kind of tree it is. A pine tree!

  When we’re done, that’s another five points, and it’s time for lunch.

  After lunch, it’s time for nature crafts. We can choose the craft we want to do. Our choices are leaf stamp cards, picture frames with pecan shells glued on them, and wall hangings made of twigs and string.

  I can’t decide. I ask Lucy, “What are you going to do?”

  Lucy replies, “I think a frame would be nice. Then I could put my camp picture in it.”

  “I think I’ll make cards,” I say. “I’ve been sendin’ letters home, and a card would be nice instead.”

  I choose lots of different colors of green paint to make my leaf prints with. The leaves are all lovely shapes. Some are long and narrow. Some are fat and round. The prints will look just like the leaves do in nature. They’ll remind me of summer camp.

  When all my cards are finished, I leave them to dry and go wash my hands. Now I have fifteen points for the day.

  Our last stop is bird watching. That’s something you do by yourself, alone. Otherwise you are tempted to chat and scare the birds off.

  Counselor Caroline gives me a sketch pad and binoculars. “Find five birds, sketch them, and try to name them,” she tells me.

  I choose a path that’s a little overgrown and head down it.

  First, I see a tiny hummingbird no bigger than a blossom near a buttercup. Its wings flutter so fast it looks like it is floating in the air.

  When I walk a little farther, I hear a woodpecker tapping on a dead tree. Walking and watching has drawn me deep into the woods.

  Then I gasp. Right before me is a tiny shimmering waterfall that trickles into a stream tucked between moss-covered rocks.

  The sun shines like a lantern, straight through a gap in the canopy of the trees.

  Beside me is a stump surrounded by little pink flowers.

  This is a peaceful, magical spot. The waterfall babbles happily. I sigh. Right now I wish I could build a little cottage and live here forever.

  In the distance, I hear a mockingbird. They can sing out like almost any other bird. While I’m sketching the mockingbird, I see a little brown wren. She will be my last bird sighting for today.

  When I am finished, I wander back to camp.

  I feel happy. I liked my bird-watching walk. But everyone looks worried when I walk out of the woods. Lucy runs over to me. She sputters out, “They think you stole it! The Spirit Stick. One of the counselors saw you do it.”

  I am shocked. At first, all my words are stuck in my mouth.

  “I know you wouldn’t do that,” Lucy says. “Right?”

  I look across the clearing and see Miley. She’s wearing tan shorts and a green Camp Mariposa t-shirt, just like I am.

  Missy comes over looking mad as a hornet. She asks, “Kylie Jean, did you steal the Spirit Stick? Tell me the truth.”

  I shake my head. “No ma’am!” I say, looking up at her. “It wasn’t me. I was bird watchin’ in the woods.”

  Missy frowns. She asks, “Was Lucy with you?”

  “No, ma’am,” I say quietly. “I went alone.”

  Missy wants to look in my cabin. That’s fine by me since I know I’m not hiding a Spirit Stick.

  The other American Ladies and I wait outside the cabin. They know I’d never do something so terrible.

  “It’s going to be fine,” Ella says.

  Pearl nods. “That Spirit Stick isn’t in our cabin, so when Missy doesn’t find it, she’ll know you didn’t take it,” she says.

  Then we hear bells.

  Missy comes out of the cabin, holding the Sprit Stick. “This was under your pillow,” she says. “Kylie Jean, I’m taking away all of your points.”

  A tear slips from my eye. “I didn’t take it, ma’am,” I say. “I really didn’t.”

  “Stealing is wrong,” Missy says. “I hope you will think twice before taking something that is not yours in the future!”

  The tears sting my eyes as Missy walks away. Lucy pats my back. “Now I won’t get to be queen,” I say. “And everyone thinks I’m a thief.”

  “No way,” Lucy says. “We’re not going to let this happen, are we, girls?”

  “No way,” the other girls say.

  But I’m not so sure. I think this really might be the worst summer ever.

  Dear Momma,


  A terrible, awful thing happened today. I wish you could come and take me home. Miley, my look-alike, did something bad and everyone thinks it was me.

  I lost all my points, but the worst part is that people won't trust me unless I can prove that I didn't do it.

  I'm as sad as an owl without a tree. Tomorrow I have to find a way to get Miley to tell the truth.

  Maybe when I write my next letter everything will be worked out. I hope you believe I'd never do something so terrible.

  Love,

  Kylie Jean

  The next morning, I wake up before everyone else. Then I slip quietly down to the lake. Sitting on the dock, I tuck my legs under me. I need to do some powerful thinking.

  Suddenly, I hear something behind me. It’s Miley!

  “What are you doing out here?” she asks.

  I shrug. “Thinkin’ about what to do next,” I say.

  She sits down beside me and plays with the laces on her shoes. Neither one of us says anything for a while, but soon I can’t take it anymore.

  “Miley, why did you put that stick under my pillow?” I ask.

  She is quiet at first, but then she starts to talk and talk and talk.

  She tells me that her parents aren’t married anymore and it makes her feel like a ping-pong ball. She goes to her mom’s house, then she goes to her dad’s apartment, and after that she does it again.

  Her mom and dad don’t even notice her, because they are too worried thinking about themselves. The only time they say anything to her is when she gets in trouble.

  “That explains why you like trouble so much,” I say.

  “I thought I could get sent home if I lost too many points,” she admits. “But they just keep giving me another chance.”

  I nod my head, but one thing has me puzzled. I ask, “Why did you make it look like I stole the Spirit Stick when YOU wanted to get in trouble?”

  Miley lets out a big sigh. “At first, I thought if I stole the stick they’d send me home for sure,” she says. “But then, after I took it, I got nervous. I got so nervous I decided I better get rid of it. I was going to hide it in the woods. Then one of the counselors saw me with the spirit stick. I had to think of something fast.”

  “You thought of me!” I say.

  Miley nods.

  “You decided that if you put it in my cabin they would think I did it,” I go on. “We had on the same outfit yesterday and no one was close enough to see your brown eyes.”

  She nods again and whispers, “That’s right.”

  I look right at Miley. “I know you like trouble,” I tell her, “but I don’t. The only way to fix this is for you to tell the truth.”

  She gasps and says, “Confess?”

  “It’s only fair,” I say. “You’re the one who did it. And two wrongs don’t make a right. That’s what my momma always says.”

  “That’s what my momma says, too,” Miley says. “Or at least she used to.”

  She lets out a big sigh and shrugs. “I guess if they send me home that’s what I wanted anyway,” she says. “I guess my momma and daddy will notice that.”

  That gives me an idea.

  I ask, “Have you ever tried to be so good that your parents notice you?”

  Miley frowns. “No,” she says. “I don’t think it would work.”

  “You should try it,” I say. “Besides, it makes you feel good inside when you do good things, even if no one on the outside cares.”

  I reach over and give Miley a little hug. “I guess what I’m tryin’ to say,” I tell her, “is that you can notice yourself.”

  “I never thought about it like that,” Miley says. She stands up to leave. “Thanks, Kylie Jean.”

  “Are you going to tell them you did it?” I ask.

  She shrugs and gives me a little wink. “Maybe I will,” she says, “and maybe I won’t.”

  * * *

  At breakfast, Missy tells us campers she has a special announcement. I cross my fingers and hold my breath.

  “Someone has admitted to taking the Spirit Stick and putting it in another cabin,” Missy says.

  I look at Miley. She smiles a little. Then I give her a thumbs up. Even though Missy doesn’t say who did it, everyone knows. If it wasn’t me, it had to be my look-alike twin.

  “Kylie Jean,” Missy says, “you can have your points back.”

  Yay! I still have a chance to rule the camp for a day. That means I might get to be a camp queen after all.

  * * *

  That evening at the camp jamboree, we make foil packet suppers to cook on the hot coals of the fire. I put potatoes, carrots, and chicken in mine.

  While the packets cook, we have entertainment. Some of the counselors play the guitar and we sing songs. The other American Ladies and I put our arms around each other’s shoulders while we sing.

  Then we eat our steaming packets of food. Eating outside makes food taste delicious!

  Once we clean up the supper mess, each cabin takes a turn on the stage. We are going to sing the song that Ella wrote, but we’re going last.

  The first girls do a cheerleading routine. They jump, toss, and flip around on stage. Wow! We cheer and clap extra loud!

  Next, Miley’s cabin does a skit. They say it’s called “Butterfly Girl and the Three Counselors.” It’s like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but they change it to a camp story. It is very clever.

  Did you guess that Miley is the Butterfly Girl? It is the perfect role for her since she used to love trouble so much.

  When they’re done, we whistle and shout extra loud.

  The next cabin tells a ghost story. Lucy thinks it is almost as good as mine was. We yell and stomp extra loud.

  When it’s our turn, we pass out papers with the words to our song. Then we sing it out loud and proud. Everyone loves it. Even the counselors and Missy sing along.

  At the end of our Jamboree Celebration, Missy goes onstage to make the announcement I’ve been waiting for. She says, “The cabin with the most spirit is the American Ladies!”

  We scream, jump up, and run to the stage. Charlotte is a speedy runner, so she gets there first. We pass the Spirit Stick around and each Lady gives it a shake. The bells rattle and ring.

  Then Missy says, “This year’s contest winner and camp ruler for the day is Kylie Jean Carter! Tomorrow, she’ll rule Camp Mariposa!”

  Everyone cheers.

  I give the campers my best beauty queen wave, nice and slow, side to side. I’m so happy to be a queen!

  Dear Family,

  My look-alike told the truth! I'm not in trouble anymore, and y'all will be so proud of me. Tonight at the jamboree,all my hard work paid off. I won the contest!

  That means I am camp ruler tomorrow.

  In my next letter, I will tell you all about it. I am a little sad that tomorrow is our last day at camp, but I'm going to try not to think about it for now.

  Love you bunches,

  Kylie Jean - Camp Queen

  The next morning, I get up early. I’m so excited I hardly slept a wink!

  I dress in my favorite pink t-shirt and pull my tiara out of my bag. It’s been waiting there all week, just in case I needed it.

  I like to take it everywhere. Good thing! I can’t be a queen without it!

  The first thing I do is ask the cook to make her famous cinnamon sugar donuts for all the other girls.

  When everyone arrives for breakfast, I greet them at the door to the dining hall with my best beauty queen wave.

  After everyone sits down, I get to make a little speech. Lucy gives me a thumbs up. Jane Ellen winks at me as I go to the front of the room.

  “The first thing I want to do as ruler is let y’all know I prefer to be called Camp Queen, your highness, or her majesty,” I say. I look ar
ound. Everyone looks nervous. I can tell they think I’m going to be the bossiest queen ever.

  “I have wanted to be a queen since I was an itty bitty baby,” I go on.

  Lucy claps for me, and I smile at her.

  “The next thing I wanted to tell you is very important,” I say. All the girls and counselors are looking at me now. I take a deep breath and say, “I’m going to make each of you a queen, too! We can rule this camp together!”

  Everyone cheers. They are so excited!

  “My orders for the day are to make this the best day at camp,” I say. “Don’t forget to include your counselor.”

  I sit down with the American Ladies. “What should we do today?” I ask.

  Maggie Mae says, “How about swimming, your majesty?”

  “I love that idea, your highness!” I reply.

  Then we all get the giggles. The day might get a little confusing with so much royalty around.

  “It is very exciting to be queen,” Lola says. “Now I know why you like it so much.”

  Pearl nods. “Being a queen makes me feel so special,” she says.

  “Let’s go to the lake and have a picnic,” Lucy suggests. “We could have brownies this time.”

  Charlotte wants to take another canoe trip, and Belle wants a bonfire.

  Our day is going to be fantastic!

  Ella asks, “Are you going to wear your crown in the water, too?”

  “Yup!” I reply.

  The Ladies laugh when I get in an inner tube wearing my pink striped bathing suit and a tiara. “A well-dressed queen always has a tiara,” I explain, “but because I’m wearin’ it, I won’t go swimmin’, just floatin’.”

  Next we have our picnic on the shore. We shake out a red checked cloth and sit around the edges with our food in the middle.

  Then we enjoy fried chicken legs and potato salad, plus rich chocolatey brownies for dessert. Pearl wants to eat all of the brownies by herself, but we convince her to share them.