Read Camp Confidential 03 - Grace's Twist Online

Authors: Melissa J Morgan

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BOOK: Camp Confidential 03 - Grace's Twist
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“Oh, is that what
Adam
says?” Grace joked.
Natalie laughed, but Alyssa didn’t even blush. She could be pretty impressive sometimes. When Grace had first met her, she’d thought Alyssa was shy because she was so quiet. But in the past month, she’d discovered that Alyssa wasn’t shy—she just didn’t see the need to talk unless she had something to say.
“It must be nice to have a twin,” Natalie commented. “It’s like having your own built-in best friend for life.”
“Yeah, must be nice,” Grace agreed. She turned back around to walk forward. Suddenly Grace realized that her whole bunk was lined up in pairs. Jenna walked along chatting with Julie, whom she’d known for years because her whole family had been coming to Lakeview since forever. Then Brynn and Alex, Sarah and Valerie, Candace and Jessie, Alyssa and Nat . . . even Chelsea had a buddy. She was walking with Karen, one of the most timid girls in the bunk. That was sort of a weird combination, but the rest of the pairs were totally normal. They were all best friends. Everyone had a partner… except for Grace.
Grace felt a pang of homesickness. Well, maybe not
home
sickness, exactly. More like
friend
sickness. She missed Emily. They’d been best friends since kindergarten, and Emily knew everything about Grace’s life and her family and all her issues . . .
Why don’t I have a best friend at camp?
Grace suddenly wondered.
Everyone else does.
The thought had never occurred to her before, and it was so shocking that she stopped in her tracks. How had she managed to spend a whole summer here last year without making a best friend? And she’d been here for half the summer this year without one, too.
“Whoa, Grace, did you fall asleep standing up?” Natalie laughed, pushing her gently in the back. “I almost walked right into you!”
“Oh. Sorry,” Grace mumbled. Nat and Alyssa stepped in front of her, and Grace trailed after them.
“It was nice to meet your mom on Visiting Day,” Alyssa told Natalie. “She’s more my speed than your father. No offense.”
“Don’t worry. Even I can’t keep up with my dad’s crazy life,” Natalie replied. “But I always have fun with my mother. And she really liked your parents—she told me so.”
“Yeah, maybe over the winter we can all hang out,” Alyssa said. “Our parents can keep one another busy, and then we can get away with doing whatever we want!”
Natalie grinned and gave her a high five.
Grace sighed. If only her parents were the kind of people she could have fun with. But they never even seemed to understand the idea of fun. Lately the only thing they did was give her lectures or “talks” or “suggestions.” Even at Visiting Day, they hadn’t wanted to talk about camp. They’d wanted to give her another lecture.
Snap out of it,
Grace ordered herself.
Mom and Dad aren’t here now. So I don’t have to think about it.
She was here at Lakeview, her favorite place in the world, and she was going to enjoy every minute of it. Or at least she was going to try. It would be easier, though, if she could talk to someone about what was going on . . .
Grace quickened her pace, catching up to Natalie and Alyssa. They were still talking about Visiting Day, but Grace’s mind wasn’t on their conversation. She just watched the two of them, walking along close together, teasing and laughing with each other . . . they’d only known each other for a month, and yet they acted like old friends. Best friends.
I can’t believe I didn’t finish that letter to Emily,
Grace thought, horrified. What if her best friend really was mad at her for not writing all summer? Grace had promised and promised that this year would be different. That this summer she’d actually keep in touch. The whole time, she’d known that Emily didn’t believe her. Emily assumed that she wouldn’t get a single letter from Grace, and so far, she was right.
Grace took a deep breath. Of course Emily wouldn’t be mad. Emily understood how hard it was for Grace to write . . . that it took too long and kept her from relaxing and having fun at camp. Emily would just shake her head and laugh, because that’s what best friends did.
A burst of laughter erupted from Natalie and Alyssa in front of her, and Grace felt a little flicker of jealousy. If she had a best friend at camp, she wouldn’t have to keep this all to herself. She’d be able to talk about her parents’ annoying behavior at Visiting Day. She’d be able to talk about . . .
Oh, never mind,
Grace thought.
I have lots of friends here. And that’s better than just one. Isn’t it?
chapter TWO
“Whoo-hoo!” Grace yelled the next day on the path from bunk 3C. “Time for drama!” She pumped her arm in the air like a demented football fan.
Alex giggled, but Brynn rolled her eyes. “It’s time for drama, Grace, not time to be
over
dramatic.”
Grace stopped pumping her arm and instead draped it over Brynn’s shoulders. “Okay, I’m just playing around,” she admitted. “But I
am
psyched for drama. It’s my favorite free choice.”
Alex pushed back a branch that stuck out into the path, then held it so it wouldn’t hit Grace and Brynn. “Then why didn’t you take drama last session?” she asked Grace.
Grace shrugged. “Everybody likes drama. I figured I’d give some of the other kids a chance. And besides, I did put it as my number three choice last session. Julie just didn’t give it to me.”
“She always gives me drama for my free choice,” Brynn said. “She knows there’s no way I’d be cooped up with the smelly animals in the nature shack when I could be honing my craft.”
“Phoning your what?” Grace teased.
Brynn laughed. “That’s what my mother calls it. ‘Honing my craft.’ I think it means rehearsing.”
“Wow. All that practicing
and
big, new words. I’m impressed,” Grace said.
“What’s your other free choice, Grace?” Alex asked.
“Arts and crafts.”
Alex wrinkled her nose. “Yuck, I hate arts and crafts. The clay smells so bad.”
“Maybe I’ll do an improv scene about that in drama,” Grace joked. “I’ll pretend to be throwing a pot on the wheel, and then I’ll act as if I’m overcome by fumes.” She staggered backward, pretending to gasp for air.
“Very convincing.” Alex giggled. “You’ll definitely get a role in the camp play.”
A little thrill of excitement ran down Grace’s body. It was true, she wasn’t as consumed by drama as Brynn. But that didn’t keep her from being psyched by the idea of the play. “Now
that
would be fun,” she said. “I wonder what play they’re doing this year.”
“Peter Pan,”
Brynn said. “I’m so excited!” She nudged Grace in the side. “And remember, we have unfinished business from last summer.”
“Oh. That’s right. I forgot.” Grace tried to sound casual, but inside she felt a rush of humiliation. She’d been hoping Brynn wouldn’t remember their deal.
“What unfinished business?” Alex asked.
“Grace and I made a pact at the end of last summer,” Brynn explained. “She was so mad at herself for not auditioning for the camp play last year that we promised we’d audition together this year—and that we’d both get parts!”
Grace kept a smile plastered on her face. Now was not the time to tell Brynn that she might not be able to keep up her end of the bargain.
Maybe I can audition,
Grace thought.
Maybe.
“I can’t believe you made a pact and you didn’t tell me,” Alex teased Brynn.
“I don’t have to tell you everything,” Brynn said.
“Yes you do. That’s what best friends do.” Alex playfully rolled her eyes. “Tell her, Grace.”
“It’s true. Best friends tell each other everything,” Grace confirmed. She thought about Emily. Emily was the only one who knew what was going on in Grace’s life right now. If only she were here . . .
“Okay, I broke the best-friend rule,” Brynn said. “Can you ever forgive me?”
“Sure. That’s also what best friends do. But don’t let it happen again!” Alex joked. “Here we are.”
They stopped in front of the dilapidated cabin that housed the drama department. Grace knew from last summer that the place was bigger inside than it looked from outside. The whole cabin was one big, open room, painted black, and the only furniture were black wooden boxes that acted as chairs, tables, couches, and whatever else was needed. All it took was a little imagination to make the place feel like a palace or a diner or a store in the Wild West. That’s what made drama class so much fun.
“Uh-oh,” Alex murmured, stepping closer to Brynn and Grace. “Looks like you’re in for trouble.” She pointed with her chin toward a tall, skinny girl just entering the drama shack.
“Oh, no,” Brynn said. “A spy from bunk 3A!”
They all laughed. Their bunk had an old rivalry with bunk 3A. Grace wasn’t sure how it had started—when she arrived at camp last summer, one of the first things she learned was that 3A was the enemy. It didn’t really matter why. The play rivalry was just for fun, anyway. Last week the girls from 3A had jokingly sprinkled food coloring on 3C’s fried chicken at lunch. They hadn’t noticed it on the food, but by the time they finished eating, Grace and her entire bunk had bright orange coloring on their fingers and lips. Not even swimming in the lake had gotten the color off their hands. So the 3A girls probably figured that 3C was planning some kind of prank as payback.
Alex and Brynn sneered at the 3A girl as she walked inside, then cracked up.
“We’ll just have to
act
like we don’t mind her,” Grace joked.
“Have fun!” Alex gave her friends a little wave and headed off toward the newspaper shack for her own free choice.
Grace followed Brynn into the cool darkness of the drama shack, her heart beating fast with anticipation. “I can’t wait to hear about the play,” she told Brynn as they sat on the floor with the kids who were already there. “I mean, being on the stage crew was a lot of fun last summer, but I’d rather at least be one of the background actors.”
“Yeah, that was pretty cool,” Brynn replied. In last year’s play, she had been one of the youngest kids onstage, even though she didn’t get to say any lines. “If you don’t goof around this year, you can get a part, too,” she added.
Grace didn’t answer. Brynn was right—she’d been so busy clowning around during drama last summer that she hadn’t even managed to memorize the lines for her audition scene. But she’d learned her lesson. That was the reason she’d made the pact with Brynn—so that she’d be serious about auditioning this year.
Suddenly she felt a head next to her own. “Geez, she sounds like a teacher or something, lecturing you like that,” a voice whispered in her ear.
Grace turned in surprise to see who was talking to her. It was the tall girl from bunk 3A. Up close, Grace could see that every inch of the girl’s face, neck, and arms was covered in freckles.
Wow, she’s even more freckly than me!
Grace thought.
“If you don’t goof around, you’ll get a part,” the girl said in a fake high-pitched voice, making fun of Brynn.
Brynn shot her a nasty look and scooched farther away, but Grace couldn’t help smiling. Brynn
did
sound like a nag sometimes. She always wanted Grace to be more serious about acting. Grace knew it was because Brynn thought she was talented. But still, sometimes her friend got a little too intense.
“You’re in 3C, right?” the tall girl asked.
Grace nodded. “I’m Grace.”
“I’m Gaby.” She pulled her long brown hair back and tied it in a careless knot. “I’ll forgive you for being in a lame bunk.”
“Oh.” Grace wasn’t sure what to say. It was hard to tell if Gaby was kidding or not. “Thanks.”
“Okay, everyone, let’s get started!” Bethany, the drama instructor, strode into the room and stood in front of the group. She was tiny, with the wiry body of a dancer and wispy dark hair. But Grace knew from last summer that Bethany was a powerhouse when it came to acting. As soon as she got into a character, her whole appearance seemed to change. “I know what you’re all wondering, so I’m just going to get it out of the way right now,” Bethany went on. “The play this year will be
Peter Pan
.”
Brynn turned to Grace excitedly. “I’m totally trying out for Wendy,” she whispered.
“But that’s a big part,” Grace whispered back. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. How else am I going to get experience?” Brynn replied.
Gaby let out a loud snort. “You don’t stand a chance,” she said loudly. “Our CIT said that nobody from the third division ever gets a lead role. You’re too young.”
“Well then,
you’re
too young to get a good part, too,” Brynn shot back. “You’re in the third division just like us.”
“Girls!” Bethany interrupted. “I need everyone to pay attention. Now, for the record, any camper from any division is eligible for any role in the play. Since the beginning of the summer, all the kids who have taken drama have been given audition pieces to work on, so auditions aren’t limited to just this class. You don’t have to try out, but you can if you want to.” She looked right at Brynn and Gaby. “No one is kept out because they’re too young.”
BOOK: Camp Confidential 03 - Grace's Twist
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