Revenge of the Happy Campers

by Jennifer Ziegler

  I could see Delaney in front of me. She was trying to teach Mo how to juggle apples while Darby did handstands on his back. I kept yelling at them to be careful but they couldn’t hear me. I tried to get closer to them, but couldn’t move for some reason. Looking down I saw I was standing in quicksand! I shouted for my sisters to come save me, but they just kept on doing their stunts. Meanwhile I could feel myself getting sucked down … down … down. So I hollered even louder. Then Mo looked over at me and said …

  “Is she okay?”

  I sat up with a yelp. Three shapes were outlined against the sun. As I blinked my eyes into focus, I saw that it wasn’t Darby, Delaney, and Mo peering back at me, but Jay, Robbie, and Nelson.

  “Nelson thought you were dead,” Robbie said.

  “Nuh-uh!” Nelson elbowed Robbie. “I said I thought she was dying. She was making funny sounds.”

  “What are you doing?” Jay asked me.

  “I was resting, not that it’s any of your business.” I was feeling annoyed and embarrassed. Why did they turn up whenever I was in some sorry state?

  I looked around and finally spotted the rest of my group out on the water. Their canoes were pointed toward the middle of the lake, so they probably hadn’t noticed that the boys had joined me.

  “We’re on our expedition,” Nelson said. “Which means we’re exploring and —”

  “I know what an expedition is!” I snapped. I could feel the heat rising inside me again. “You make it sound so important. Like you’re on some sort of mission.”

  “Yeah, well, you wouldn’t understand. We’re just out cherishing the natural wonders, like Theodore Roosevelt said to do,” Jay said.

  “He was our twenty-sixth president of the United States,” Nelson said.

  I made a sound that was similar to a roar and jumped to my feet. “No. Oh no. You did not just tell me who Teddy Roosevelt was!”

  Nelson took a step back, his eyes as big as tennis balls.

  “I’m so tired of you guys acting like you know everything. Guess what? We know all kinds of stuff. Tons of it. We can name all fifty states and their capitals in alphabetical order. We can name all of the U.S. presidents and vice presidents in chronological order. We can recite all the Constitutional amendments and the Gettysburg Address by heart. We even have meetings and make decisions using a democratic process. So don’t keep saying ‘you wouldn’t understand’ because know what? We do!”

  The heat was taking over. In the back of my mind I started to wonder if I might burst into flames. Then I really would have to go jump in the lake — no matter how many toothy creatures might be in there.

  For a moment, no one spoke. Then Robbie said, “Really? You guys hold meetings, too?”

  “That’s what I said. And I should know because I call them to order and preside over them!” I was proud to finally reveal my role as leader.

  “Jay heads up our meetings,” Robbie said. He and Nelson kept looking from Jay to me and back again.

  “Oh yeah?” I said, putting my hands on my hips. “Well, we’ve probably been doing it longer than you guys. We probably do it better than you guys.”

  “Prove it!” Nelson said.

  “I will!” I said, lifting my chin. Then I paused. “I just don’t know how yet.”

  That’s when Jay stepped forward. “I have an idea,” he said.

  The canoes weren’t as much fun as we’d hoped.

  After we put on the bright yellow life vests that were lying in the canoes, it cost some effort to shove off from the beach. Delaney and I took one, with her sitting in front and me in the back, and Aunt Jane took another. Once we got them out on the water, we carefully climbed in, picked up the paddles, and headed out onto the lake.

  It wasn’t easy figuring out how to steer. At first Delaney and I couldn’t get into a good rhythm, so we mainly went in circles. Eventually, we ended up in the middle of the cove and stopped paddling.

  Aunt Jane said “Ahh” and just sat there, staring out at the scenery. I did the same and for a while, all I could hear was the slap of the water against our canoe and the calls of nearby birds. It was peaceful-lazy. Only Delaney must have gotten bored. She peered over the side, trying to see fish. This made the boat rock in an alarming way.

  “Don’t do that, Delaney!” I hollered. “You’re going to tump us.”

  Delaney sat up straight and then slowly slid down onto the floor of the boat. “I just need to stretch out my legs.”

  “Fine. As long as you stay still,” I said.

  Delaney leaned back against her bench and let her arms dangle over the sides of the canoe. “You’re right that this is fun, Aunt Jane,” she said. “I mean, it was hard to get it in the water and get going, but I like it.”

  “They used to dock the boats,” Aunt Jane explained. “But I guess they can’t do that anymore.” She nodded toward the wooden dock that, because the lake had partially dried up, was now almost completely on land.

  “Why don’t they build a new dock?” I asked.

  Aunt Jane shrugged. “My guess is that they don’t have the funds. Not as many people come here to camp, so there isn’t as much money for upkeep and improvements.”

  “But wouldn’t more campers come if there were fun things to do?” Delaney asked. “Like horse rides and boating?”

  “I suppose so. It’s a real catch-22.”

  “What’s a catch-22?” I asked. I imagined it had to do with fishing. Maybe if you catch twenty-two fish it was bad luck?

  “It means a can’t-win situation. Mrs. Kimbro can’t make improvements unless the campground earns more money, but the campground is losing money because she can’t make improvements. It’s like a trap she can’t get out of.” Aunt Jane stared off into the distance and looked mournful. It made me want to swim over to her boat and give her a hug. She really loved this place, and I was convinced more than ever that seeing it grow shabby was giving her the blues.

  “Well, if I had lots of money, I’d give it to Mrs. Kimbro to help her fix up the campground and build a new dock,” I said.

  “Me too!” Delaney said. “Then she could get more horses. Maybe even a paint horse. Oh! And another dog for Mo.”

  “That’s very kindhearted of you gals,” Aunt Jane said.

  “I bet Dawn would give some money, too,” Delaney said.

  “Oh yeah?” Aunt Jane raised her eyebrows. “I wonder what specific improvements she’d want.”

  Delaney and I both stared up at the sky, thinking.

  “I know!” I said. “They could put in zip lines in the trees! That way people could get around off the ground and avoid fire ants.”

  Aunt Jane laughed. “Now there’s an interesting idea. I know Dawn would like steering clear of ants, but I’m not sure she’d go for the zip lines. That sounds more like a Darby fantasy.”

  “As long as we’re talking fantasy fix-ups,” Delaney said, “I wouldn’t mind building a whole zoo in addition to horse rides.”

  “With unicorns and winged horses!” I said.

  “And whangdoodles!” Aunt Jane added.

  We really cracked up at that one. Delaney did her wiggly laugh and, again, almost capsized the canoe. It was around then that I realized my feet were wet.

  “We’re leaking!” I called out. “There’s water coming in at the bottom.” It wasn’t even covering my feet yet, but it was way more water than the accidental splashes from paddles could bring in. I patted around with my fingers, and found water seeping in at one of the seams.

  “Hey! My rear end is all wet!” Delaney cried out, leaping to her feet.

  The movement made the boat rock wildly. I heard Aunt Jane say, “Delaney don’t —!” and then SPLASH! I was suddenly in the lake.

  Even though the life jacket was keeping me afloat, I still got a little water up my nose. I could hear Delaney sputtering on the other side of the upside-down canoe.

  “Sorry,” she called out.

  “That’s okay,” I reassured her. “With that
leak, we might have ended up this way no matter what.”

  “You girls all right?” Aunt Jane asked, paddling up closer.

  We nodded.

  “No sense trying to flip it over,” she said. “We’re not far from the beach, so let’s just push it back.”

  We retrieved our paddles and put them in Aunt Jane’s boat. After quite a bit of effort, we eventually pointed our canoe in the direction of the beach. Delaney and I dogpaddled beside it, giving it little pushes. Aunt Jane paddled close behind, also pushing with her hands and oar.

  As we came closer to shore, I could see Dawn standing on the banks of the lake talking with Jay, Robbie, and Nelson. She had her hands on her hips and her chin was raised up so high the boys could probably stare up her nostrils.

  I had a sinking feeling — and not just because our boat had been sinking.

  Eventually, we reached shallower part and my feet hit bottom. Aunt Jane got her boat onto shore and then, with her help, we turned our canoe sideways and slowly dragged it onto the bank.

  “What happened to you guys?” Dawn asked, running up to us. The boys, I noticed, were already gone.

  “Our boat had a hole and started taking on water,” Delaney explained as she unhooked her life vest. “Then we fell in. But it was kind of exciting.”

  “You gals stay here while I go tell Tammy about the leaky canoe,” Aunt Jane said. “And if you get tired or want to dry off, just go on back to the trailer.”

  “Aye-aye, Captain Aunt Jane.” Dawn was grinning. She seemed awfully cheerful. For some reason, this made me nervous.

  As soon as Aunt Jane jogged off toward HQ, Dawn clapped her hands together and said, “So I guess y’all should know, I entered us in a competition.”

  “What kind of competition?” Delaney asked.

  “We’re going to see who is best at running a camping team — the three of us or those braggart boys.” Dawn started pacing the beach.

  I was confused — and still feeling uneasy. “I don’t get it. A competition over … what?”

  “Our respective governmental systems,” Dawn said. “Who does things best — them or us? Of course it’s us.”

  “O-kay …” I still wasn’t clear. “But how does that work? Are we supposed to just have meetings and see who has the best ones?”

  “That doesn’t sound like fun,” Delaney said.

  “Don’t be silly,” Dawn said with a wave of her hand. “We agreed to do camping challenges. After three, whichever group is ahead wins!”

  She sure seemed different. Just a few hours ago Dawn was a pitiful sight — all pink-faced and screeching about going home. Now she was calm and smiling a catlike smile. I wasn’t sure which Dawn made me more anxious.

  “What kind of challenges?” I asked.

  “Well, first off, each team needs to come up with their own flag. That was my brilliant idea. The other two contests will be decided on later. We didn’t have a lot of time to plan it, so we’re going to meet up tomorrow in the Neutral Zone — and we’ll bring our new flags.” She clapped three times and gestured toward the trail. “So come on. Let’s head back to the camper.”

  “Fine,” I said with a shrug. “I guess our fun here is done for the time being. And I wouldn’t mind changing into dry clothes.”

  “Yeah, and maybe we’ll find Mo on the way!” Delaney said excitedly.

  * * *

  As we headed back to our campsite, Dawn told us about running into the boys, how they’d made her mad, and how Jay had suggested the camping challenge. I still wasn’t entirely sure what we’d be doing, but I figured it couldn’t be too bad. Besides, I love playing games.

  We reached the trailer without seeing Mo, but Delaney found a ladybug that helped take her mind off of it. We made her release it before we went inside.

  Delaney and I quickly changed into dry clothes while Dawn tapped her foot and told us to hurry. Whatever Aunt Jane had been doing that morning while we cooked breakfast was still on the table — a pen and a small notepad with lots of numbers on it. I placed both things on top of her bag and sat down on the padded bench.

  In front of me stood the empty soda bottle holding the flowers Aunt Jane picked. They were all drooped over, their petals looking saggy and puny.

  I always feel bad for picked flowers. I imagine they miss being outside where they belong. Today I could really relate.

  “Just think. Our own flag!” Delaney hopped up and down on the bench beside me, making my view of the sad flowers bounce. “And we already have a motto. I bet those boys don’t have a motto.”

  There was a drawer in the camper that held maps and tools and other important stuff. Dawn opened it and began rummaging around.

  “Here,” she said, setting a stack of blank paper and a box of pens, pencils, and markers on the tabletop between us. “Let’s sketch out some ideas. Once we have a good design, we can copy it onto this.” She held up an old extra pillowcase. “I’m sure Aunt Jane won’t mind.”

  I glanced longingly out the window. “Do we have to do it now? It’s so nice outside.”

  “Yeah. And Mo is somewhere out there, all lonely,” Delaney said.

  “We can romp around any old time, but this is real and important business,” Dawn said. She sat down at the table and handed us each a piece of paper. “No one leaves until we have ourselves a perfect Brewster Team flag.”

  I let out a long sigh. It was good to see that Dawn got her moxie back. I just wish she’d returned to normal moxie instead of extreme moxie.

  “Our flag shouldn’t be too crazy,” Dawn went on as she took her place on the padded bench. “Mainly it needs a symbol. Some sort of object or plant or animal.”

  “I know!” Delaney sat up ramrod straight. “How about a donkey?”

  “Delaney, that’s taken — remember? They’ll think we stole it from the Democratic Party.” Dawn tapped the side of her chin with a purple pencil. “Our symbol should be something that is meaningful to us in particular.”

  “A bobcat!”

  “Except we haven’t actually seen one of those here,” Dawn said. “Same with horses.”

  “Probably not ants either — right?” Delaney asked.

  Dawn’s expression was about equal to a long angry rant, but much quicker.

  “Let’s all draw up some ideas. Remember that it should represent us and our family. And keep in mind” — she looked at Delaney — “it doesn’t have to be an animal.”

  For a while it was quiet. No one spoke and I could only hear the scratching sounds of pen against paper.

  I sat twirling a green marker in my hand, trying to think. What sort of thing would be associated with us? A crooked camper? A leaky boat? Wilted flowers?

  I gazed out the window again at the grass and trees and flying insects. And just then, I got an idea. I reached forward, grabbed a handful of markers, and started drawing,

  Just as I was putting on the finishing touches, Dawn said, “All right. Let’s check on everyone’s progress. Who wants to share their flag design?”

  “I’ve got a good one!” Delaney held up her drawing. It was basically a brown mound with lines emanating off of it — as if it were shiny, like the sun.

  Dawn squinted at it. “Um … I’m kind of afraid to ask but … what is it?”

  Delaney looked confused. “Chocolate?”

  “Ohhh. I thought it was … something else,” Dawn said.

  “It’s our Daily Chocolate! That has to do with us, right?”

  “I like that you kept it original, Delaney, but … uh … I don’t think people are going to look at it and see chocolate.”

  Delaney frowned down at her drawing. Then her eyebrows rose up. “Oh,” she said. “Never mind.” She set her drawing facedown on the table. “What about you, Dawn? What symbol did you come up with?”

  Dawn looked sheepish. “I actually didn’t get a good idea.” We glanced at her paper and saw it was just a bunch of crossed-out shapes.

  “How about you, Darby?” Delaney a
sked. They both gazed at me, their faces full of hope.

  “Well …” I grinned and held up my sketch. “It’s a branch. See? It starts off big at the bottom and then splits off into three twigs with leaves. Three twigs for the three of us. Also, it represents the three branches of government — executive, judiciary, and legislative.”

  I set it down in the middle of the table so they could see it better. This way they could also see where I put our motto “United in Fun” in colorful letters across the top. In the lower left-hand corner I’d put “Lake Lewis,” and in the lower right-hand corner I’d written “Campsite 19.”

  I bit my lip and waited for their reactions.

  For a while all they did was squint down at it, and I worried maybe they didn’t like it.

  “Darby Brewster, that is the most beautiful flag design I’ve ever seen,” Dawn said. “Second only to the stars and stripes. We have ourselves a winner!”

  They said they’d meet us here at daybreak,” Dawn said. “If day broke anymore it would be lunchtime.”

  We were standing in the Neutral Zone — the area between the two campsites where we’d first seen Jay, Robbie, and Nelson. Dawn told us the boys had agreed to meet us at sunrise so we could present our flags and review the rules of the competition. Only we were here, and they weren’t.

  “Maybe they changed their mind about the contest?” Darby said.

  I sort of hoped that was the case, and sort of didn’t. On the one hand, it would be great to go back to regular camping and relaxing. On the other hand, if the boys backed out, Dawn would probably insist on calling it quits at the campground. Then I might never see Mo again.

  “You guys, I feel bad that Aunt Jane is going to wake up and find us gone,” Darby said.

  “We left a note explaining,” Dawn said.

  She was sort of right. We’d written that we went to a club meeting with some other campers. That wasn’t a complete lie, but it wasn’t the truth, either.

  “We trust Aunt Jane,” I said. “So why do we have to keep our challenge with the boys a secret?”

  Dawn let out a loud sigh. “I know. But why add to her worries when we want to cheer her up? Besides, she might not understand the competition. To her, it might seem like asking for trouble — like poking a wasp nest with a stick.”