Witch Twins at Camp Bliss

by Adele Griffin

  “Tuff Buff!” screamed Tammy.

  “True Blue!” screamed Pam.

  “Tuggers, take your places!” Pam’s breath could barely fill the whistle as she blew into it. Everyone was splattered, battered, muddied, bruised, and beyond exhausted. Some of the Cabin One campers had quit the day long ago and were taking naps in the hammock.

  Claire jumped to the head of line. She picked up the rope and gripped it firmly. A red handkerchief was tied around the middle of the rope to mark its dividing point. “Come on,” she whispered to the handkerchief. “A victory for Buff is a victory for me!”

  Across the black goo of a lumpy mud puddle created by the counselors just for the tug, Claire stared into the eyes of a very sweaty Ella. Only faint smears of blue streaked her face now, and she had lost one of her pom-poms, which made her look lopsided. Claire knew that she herself was looking pretty messy, too. The yellow glowpaint down her leg had smudged into a bruisey color, and her lower lip was swollen from biting it too hard during the rope climb.

  “Forget about winning, Lice Monger Queen of All Cooties,” Claire growled with what energy was left in her. “The Buff Team flag will fly.”

  “In your dreams, Puny Pitiful Fleabite,” puffed Ella. “The Blue Team flag flies high and alone!”

  Pam blew her whistle, and the tugging began.

  Claire pulled. Her arms strained so hard she thought she could feel her joints popping out of her sockets, but she didn’t care. All that mattered was winning. She tugged as hard as she could. Ella tugged hard, too. She stomped her zesty feet so that mud kicked up everywhere, spattering Claire’s face. Claire stomped her own feet and spattered back.

  The handkerchief I n c h e d over the mud puddle.

  And I n c h e d its way back.

  That’s when it happened. Maybe because of Ella’s lopsided pom-pom hair. Maybe because of her puffing, blue-smudged face. Maybe because of her giant, mud-spattered, zesty feet that were stuck like two scuba flippers in the mud. Maybe it was a combination of all three things. But suddenly, Ella Edsel looked very, very funny to Claire.

  So funny that Claire felt something like a giant hiccup rising from her stomach. She tried to stop it by gritting her teeth. She pulled with all her might.

  The handkerchief I n c h e d closer to the Blue Team side.

  “Pull, Blue, pull!” she heard Pam yell.

  “Pull, Buff, pull!” yelled Tammy.

  Ella was glaring at Claire. Her face was fierce, but she seemed to be holding back an uncomfortable, hiccup-y expression as well. Did Claire look as fierce to Ella as Ella did to Claire?

  “Mmm-mmm-mmm!” Ella started to make a noise in the back of her throat.

  “Mmm-mmm -mmm!” Claire could not push the hiccup down.

  It was impossible, later, for the counselors to decide who let go of the rope first. But as soon as Ella and Claire both lost their grip, everyone else did, too. In a confused instant, the line slammed sideways, skidding into the mud. Girls tumbled and slid into one another before being sucked down into sloppy, gooey mud.

  Ella and Claire, who landed plop in the middle of the mud puddle, were holding their stomachs from laughing so hard.

  “True Blue!” wheeled Claire.

  “Tuff Enough!” Ella gasped.

  Blue-and-Buff Day was officially over.

  Mr. and Mrs. Carol, the camp directors, who had come to watch the last hour of Blue-and-Buff Day, ruled that the tug-of-war would not be counted in the official tally.

  “And so the winner is—the Blue Team!” announced Pam at the pizza and root-beer-float celebration afterward. “The Blue Flag will fly another year! Hip, hip, hooray!”

  As the counselors saluted the flag, all of the blue-shirted girls cheered and clapped. The buff shirted girls clapped, too, but more quietly.

  Claire gave Ella a nudge and raised up her root-beer mug in a toast.

  “You played really great today,” she admitted.

  “You, too. You’re a terrific athlete,” confessed Ella.

  “Takes one to know one!” shouted Claire, and they clinked mugs on it.

  9

  The End of Bliss

  “BOO!” THE VOICE AT the lodge door was low and rumbly. At first, Luna did not recognize it. She jumped, startled, and dropped her Ping-Pong paddle.

  “Justin!” She hardly recognized her brother. He had become so tall. And dark. And handsome.

  “What happened to you?” she exclaimed.

  Justin looked shy. Then, catching sight of Lakshmi at the other end of the Ping-Pong table, he recovered by pulling up his shirt-sleeve and flexing a muscle. Two hard bumps appeared. “I made a wad of money, too,” he said in his low and rumbling new voice.

  “That’s great, Justin.”

  “Dad let me drive part of the way here. On the back roads.” Now his voice was extra loud, too.

  “That’s cool, Justin.”

  “I’m Justin,” said Justin, turning to Lakshmi.

  “I’m Lakshmi,” said Lakshmi in her own loud voice, stepping forward. “I’m from Los Angeles.”

  “Yeah, I’ve been there,” said Justin. Luna was about to remind him that he had been to Los Angeles when he was six months old and probably couldn’t remember a single thing about it, but the look on his face made her stop.

  “Dad and I are staying at the Mossy Minute Motel,” Justin continued loudly. He was looking at Luna, but his sneakers were pointed in Lakshmi’s direction. “We did a road trip. It was so great. We had fish gumbo at this place in Baltimore. We toured around Roanoke, and we visited a cowboy museum. I drove part of the way on the back roads.”

  “You told us that already,” Luna reminded him.

  “Driving is cool,” said Lakshmi. “I can’t wait to get my license. Are you in high school?”

  “Ymm-hmm,” said Justin, giving Luna another look that made her decide not to remind him that he was actually starting eighth grade in September, and last she checked, eighth grade was not high school.

  Loudly, Justin continued, speaking more to Lakshmi than Luna. “We’ll be at the cook-out and your awards ceremony tonight, and I call the front passenger seat for tomorrow. I’m gonna go find Claire and say hi to her, too. See ya.”

  He ducked out of the lodge, red-faced from so much talking.

  “Your brother’s cool,” Lakshmi commented. “Does he have a girlfriend?”

  “I don’t think so,” said Luna. She had a feeling that underneath her new, brawny, loud-talking, muscled-up brother was the same shy, girlfriendless Justin. “I’m going to go look for my dad.”

  She did not have to go far. Mr. Bundkin was striding up the field in search of her.

  At the sight of her father’s friendly, familiar face, a tide of happiness and homesickness and car sickness and top-bunk sickness surged through her. Luna felt tears prickle in her eyes. She pretended that she had to sneeze so that she could cover her face with her hands.

  “Thanks for posting those ‘Luna’s News’ updates,” Mr. Bundkin said, swooping up Luna for a hug and a kiss. “You make a great scout reporter!”

  “I’m happy to see you,” said Luna, sagging into her father’s shoulder. Five weeks had been a long time, she realized. She was ready to go. Camp Bliss had been kind of fun, but she’d had to work really hard at it. Now she wanted to be home in her own room in her own bed with her own kitten purring on the end of it.

  Mr. Bundkin wasn’t the only one to thank Luna for her news updates. All afternoon and later that evening at the Farewell Picnic, parents came up to shake her hand. “Luna Bundkin? Nice bulletin! We really appreciated the reports from the front lines!”

  The attention from grown-ups was all a little bit embarrassing, especially when Talita introduced Luna to her boyfriend, Curtis, as “my best friend at camp.”

  Which was sort of true, thought Luna as she watched Talita and Curtis sitting together under a tree, sharing a plate of picnic dinner and whispering secrets. She and Talita had even exchanged e-mail address
es. But Curtis was Talita’s all-weather friend. They were traveling across Europe together next year. Talita had told her all about it.

  Sitting next to her father, Luna nibbled at her dinner and surveyed the rolling green fields. Everywhere she looked, she saw a pair of friends.

  Glad and Penelope were sitting together.

  Min Suh and Haley were sitting together.

  Pam and Tammy were sitting together.

  Even Lakshmi and Justin were sitting together.

  “I can’t believe camp’s over,” said Luna quietly, “and I never made an all-weather friend.”

  “You’re my all-weather friend,” said her father. “Right, sunshine?”

  Luna nodded and put her hand on his knee. She didn’t want her dad to feel bad, but a parent wasn’t quite the same thing. Besides, she really was happy to see her dad after five weeks away from him.

  Since it was such a warm, clear evening, the Camp Bliss awards ceremony would be held outdoors. On a flat stretch of meadow, folding chairs were arranged in rows. Up front, a table covered with badges, medals, and certificates was positioned next to a podium. After dinner, people began to amble over from the barbecue area to sit on the chairs. Luna waited for her dad to finish his third helping of potato salad, then held his hand as they joined the others.

  “Justin and I will be back here, a stone’s throw away,” said Mr. Bundkin, detaching his hand from hers. “You go sit with the other kids, Luna.”

  Claire and Ella had saved her a seat up front. Luna felt her stomach clench with jealousy. Even Claire had made an all-weather friend! Ever since Blue-and-Buff Day, Claire and Ella had become inseparable.

  Luna managed to put on a smile as she trotted down the aisle to slide into the empty seat next to her sister.

  Ella leaned forward and waved. Claire hooked her pinkie into Luna’s. Then Talita spied Luna, and she and Curtis moved seats so that they could sit next to her.

  “Look at that loving cup,” Claire said, pointing. “If Ella and I both win it, then we decided we each will hold one of its handles. I think there’s a reason it has two handles. It’s kismet.”

  “What’s kismet?” Luna asked.

  “Destiny!” said Claire and Ella together. Then they started laughing. Ever since Claire and Ella had become friends, it seemed all they did was laugh.

  Soon Pam and the other counselors gathered at the front. As she stepped into place behind the podium, Pam blew on her whistle. But it was a mournful tweet, as if she knew it would be a whole year before she would use a whistle so much and so happily again.

  “There are lots of prizes to give out,” Pam announced to the audience. “Your patience is appreciated! We’re going to start with the junior campers crafts awards and tadpole badges. Okay?”

  “Dandy!” shouted a few campers.

  Pam grinned.

  There were prizes for everything. There were ribbons and badges and medallions for good swimming, for good sailing, for good artwork, for good hiking and biking and Frisbee and horseshoe tossing. Everyone won something, and any girl who didn’t win a prize was named for an honorable mention. Even Luna’s name was called (for passing the first aid test). Of course, most of the time Ella and Claire were the ones who jumped up to sprint down the aisle. Soon their laps were filled with paper, cloth, and metal honors.

  Luna’s hands hurt from clapping. Her sister was amazing!

  How would that trophy be split between Claire and Ella? Luna stared at the big silver cup and pondered. Would Claire get it for half the year and Ella for half the year? Would they flip a coin? Would another cup have to be made?

  Eventually, the table lay bare, except for the trophy. A hush fell over the crowd.

  Claire leaned forward. Ella leaned forward. The audience shifted forward.

  Then Pam sat down. Mr. and Mrs. Carol, who had been sitting in the front row of the audience, now stood up and took Pam’s place at the podium. Mrs. Carol then began to read in a clear, slow voice.

  “The loving cup is given to the camper who represents those qualities most important to Camp Bliss,” she began. “They are loyalty, sportsmanship, enterprise, and bravery. This year, the counselors told me they had a tough job. There were so many outstanding competitors. So many winners!”

  Someone shouted out Claire’s name. Someone else shouted Ella’s. Then someone shouted Julianna Becker’s, who won it last year but who was not even at camp this year. Then everyone was yelling out any name.

  Pam blew on her whistle. Mr. Carol raised his hand for quiet. The noise settled.

  “This year, we decided to give the award to a camper who made an unusual contribution,” Mr. Carol continued. “This camper got to know everyone through her hard work both indoors and out. Whether she was taking out splinters or paddling a canoe, she was always testing her bravery. Her interest in other campers resulted in an enterprising newsletter available online to all Bliss parents. She participated with steady and enthusiastic sportsmanship in every sport, and she loyally befriended both counselors and campers alike.”

  Now Mr. and Mrs. Carol spoke together. “That is why this year’s Camp Bliss Girl award goes to Luna Bundkin.”

  A hush of surprise fell over the audience, followed by a murmuring. It was instantly replaced by quiet, then steady clapping.

  “Lizards and love handles!” whispered Claire. “Loon?”

  “Oh, no!” Luna whispered. She scrunched down in her seat. “I can’t!”

  The applause was gaining strength. A few girls began to shout Luna’s name. From somewhere in the back, Luna heard Justin give a wolf howl.

  Claire turned and hugged her. “I guess you do deserve it, Luna,” she whispered in her sister’s ear. “I never thought about it that way before, but you really do have all those loving-cup qualities!”

  “But I can’t walk up in front of all those people,” Luna whispered back. “My legs are shaking from nerves. Will you do it for me? Please? It was your zest for adventure that made me come to Camp Bliss in the first place. You’re the whole reason I’m here!”

  Claire looked at Luna.

  Luna looked at Claire.

  “Are you sure?” Claire whispered.

  Luna nodded. She was sure.

  While most of the campers half-knew that it was Claire, not Luna, Bundkin who stood up and walked down the aisle and up to the podium to shake hands with the Carols and the counselors and accept the big two-handled silver trophy, it did not matter. Everyone knew that Luna and Claire, though they were as different as chalk and cheese, could count on each other in a pinch. That was why they were the purest kind of identical twins.

  “See? Kismet,” said Claire later, after Justin and their dad had left for the motel, and they took one final tour around the campgrounds. “I even cleared a space for the loving cup on our bookshelf. So we both can admire it.”

  Luna looked at the cup. Camp Bliss Girl—her! She could hardly believe it. “You’re sure you’re not sad you didn’t win it?” she asked her sister.

  “I’m a little sad,” admitted Claire. “But, then again, Ella and I had a lot of fun together. Even though you won the trophy, camp is still a more perfect place for kids like Ella and me. Funwise, that is.”

  “I agree,” Luna said.

  “And it might have been kind of bad if just I or Ella won. Do you know that she invited us to spend a week with her in Colorado? There’s a horse farm nearby, and well be able to ride horses all day. Isn’t that cool?”

  “Yes,” said Luna with a smile. “You know what, Claire? Even though it was you who made an all-weather friend, and I who won the loving cup, it doesn’t make a difference in the end. We both lucked out, a double victory.”

  “And we split the profits down the middle,” said Claire, planting a big smooch on the loving cup and leaving greasy lip-marks, which Luna carefully wiped away.

  The next morning, there were many good-byes and hugs and e-mails and numbers exchanged. Clothing trunks were packed into car trunks, and the t
wins fastened into their seat belts. The empty vial of Marigold Zest clanked inside the trophy cup between them.

  “It’s still five bucks a pop for me to carry those trunks up to your rooms,” Justin reminded them, speaking in a braggy way for Lakshmi’s benefit.

  Lakshmi smiled. “Hey, Justin,” she said so quietly that the twins had to strain their ears to listen in. “Send me an e-mail as soon as you get home. But remember, you’re three hours ahead of California.”

  “Sure thing.” Justin smiled shyly.

  Claire put her hands around her throat and made a gagging noise, and as soon as Justin hopped in the car, he reached behind to smack her.

  It was back to old times again.

  As Mr. Bundkin pulled out of the parking lot, Ella galloped alongside the car, pretending that she was riding a horse.

  “Good-bye! So long!” she shouted to Claire. “Promise you won’t forget me! Remember to write!”

  “I promise! I’ll remember!” Claire shouted back.

  The twins looked out the back window, waving, and watched as Ella’s red hair and the peaked fir trees of Camp Bliss shrank to nothing. Eventually all they could see was the speck of the flapping blue flag.

  “Next year, I’ll change that flag color,” Claire resolved. “When we come back to Bliss. Right, Luna?”

  Luna nodded. Right.

  Turn the page to continue reading from the Witch Twins Series

  1

  Double Delight

  “GRANDY’S BRING-YOUR-OWN-CREATIVE-DISH LABOR Day Picnic Blowout is so crowded this year,” said Luna Bundkin to her identical twin sister, Claire.

  “That’s because our family is growing,” Claire responded. She and Luna were each balancing a paper cup of spicy peppermint iced tea in one hand and a paper plate heavy with fried catfish, curried rice, mango salad, and a strawberry-frosted cupcake in the other as they looked for somewhere to sit.

  A free spot was hard to find. There must have been more than one hundred people milling around their grandparents’ lawn or walking through the garden or relaxing on the sagging wraparound porch. Everybody was eating and talking and enjoying the fresh Bramblewine country air.