Love and Pollywogs from Camp Calamity (14 page)

I rolled over and tried to get my covers back.

She kept poking at me, so I looked at my watch. Uh-oh. I only had twenty-five minutes to take my shower, get dressed, and sweep the whole cabin before she got here!

Nit came back from the biffy. She tossed me her shower bucket, which we shared.
“Go!”
she said. “I tried to get you up but you wouldn’t!”

I rammed my feet into my flip-flops and raced outside to the shower. I thought camp was supposed to be vacation! This was way harder than being at home.

It was a big deal that Ms. Marshall was doing our inspection. The day before, she’d done the boys’ cabins, and Ms. Hawkins had done ours. Ms. Hawkins was pretty easy, but I bet Ms. Marshall was very tough. If she picked your bunk as Cabin of the Day, everyone got free drinks and snacks at Totem Village, and they put a special banner outside your cabin for the day. I scrubbed myself especially good, even the bottoms of my feet, which were black. In case she even checked there. I knew from the handbook
that showers were very important. I had to make sure I put on clean underwear and socks too.

I wet down my hair but didn’t wash it. No time! I skipped drying myself off and just threw on my shorts and new camp tank top. I put my hair up in two pigtails, wet and snarly, brushed a few of my teeth in case she checked, and dashed back to my bunk. Nit and Aurora were both in their new shirts, and they were making my bed. God, I loved them!

Cricket watched all this from her bunk, where she was putting on her sparkly eye shadow, but she didn’t say anything. Counselors probably didn’t like it when you didn’t make your own bed. I made a mental note to make Aurora’s and Nit’s beds the next day, so she could see we were being a good team.

“Thanks, you two!” I said, and began sweeping like mad. I didn’t want Ms. Marshall to find one single dust bunny or any dirt on my sweeping day.

“Hey, you’re getting dirt all over my shoes!” Kimber complained when I speed-swept by her area.

“Sorry!” I said, and tried to slow down a bit. I looked over at Aurora, who was standing at my dresser. I kept an eye on her to see if she was putting a secret message in my flashlight, but she was just straightening things for me. When I finally got to the end of the cabin, I grabbed the dustpan and as careful as I could, swept it all up. I emptied that in the outside trash and then hung up the broom where it was supposed to go. I wiped my hands off on the back of my shorts.

“Heads up, girls!” Cricket called. “It’s seven-twenty-seven! Everyone ready?”

I hurried back to my bunk and did a final tidy-up of my area, putting everything extra in my drawers. Maxey had told me that they didn’t usually look inside your dresser, unless they smelled something bad.

“Good morning, Coyote cabin!” Ms. Marshall announced as she came in.

“Good morning, Ms. Marshall! Welcome to Coyote Cabin,” we said in unison, like we’d practiced.

Ms. Marshall was not alone. The girl from the kitchen with the pointy chest was with her, and so was my sister! Maxey held a clipboard. What was she doing? I darted a look at Phil and she darted it back to me. I could tell we were both thinking the same thing: was this how Maxey was going to get Phil back for defending me yesterday? What did that girl have up her sleeve?

“I’ve brought two of our marvelous kitchen helpers with me—this is Cayenne and this is Maxey.”

They each gave us a friendly wave. “Hi, girls!” they said.

“Welcome to Coyote Cabin!” we sang out again.

“Well!” Ms. Marshall said, walking between the two rows of us. “You all smell so much better than the boys did!” She flashed us a smile with her snowy white snappers. “And you all look perfectly lovely and well scrubbed!”

She started making her rounds on the other side of the cabin first. It was the same at each bunk. She checked the bed and under the bed, and she would open the locker
and look inside. Maxey took notes. Then Ms. Marshall would ask a question or two, so she could get to know us better, she said.

What seemed like three hours later, the inspection squad reached our side. So far the biggest problem had been that Kimber had left a pot of open lip gloss on her dresser, and some ants were having dessert in it. Ms. Marshall made her throw it out. And then she found a dust bunny the size of a jackrabbit under Drew’s bed, and Maxey wrote that down on her clipboard. Dang it! I had tried to be so careful. Maybe it had just grown since I swept. But I decided it was better not to point out that possibility.

Ms. Marshall stood in front of Aurora and asked her how she liked the food here. Aurora had a big wad of watermelon bubble gum in her mouth, which Ms. Marshall suggested was better after lunch and not before breakfast. But she didn’t seem mad or anything. Maxey started to write that on the clipboard, but Ms. Marshall waved it away.

Ms. Marshall got to my bunk and then looked down at the floor around me. It looked like I had sprung a leak! There were water drops all around me.

“Oh, my! You’re Effie, right?” She gave one of my pigtails a squeeze, and more water came out.

“Yes, ma’am. It’s short for Effeline.”

“Do we need to get you a towel?” she asked. But it was in a nice way, not a mean way. Still, I blushed. Then
she reached a hand out and peeled the price tag off my tank top.

Maxey tried to fight the smirk on her face. I would have loved to help her by slapping it right off.

“It’s brand-new,” I said lamely.

“It’s a good color for you, with that beautiful hair. Are you enjoying camp, Effie?”

I wasn’t expecting that question, and she asked me in such a kind way that I totally choked for a minute. “Uh … wull … I mean … I guess, well, of course, ma’am!” I said.

Maxey gave me a long look.

Ms. Marshall talked to Nit about how impressed Ms. Hawkins had been with her knowledge of falcons. And what a good job Nit had done helping take care of Gypsy yesterday for lunch and even dinner. Nit looked like she wished the ground would swallow her up. She’s only stopped hiding how smart she is since we’ve been friends, but she’s still pretty shy about all that.

“All right, girls! Nicely done! Enjoy your breakfast, and have the best day ever!”

Just then, a phone started ringing. Loud.

Ms. Marshall stopped in her tracks and looked around. “Cricket? Do you have a cell phone?”

“Yes, but I only use it if I take a group out somewhere by myself. I don’t leave it on. It’s right here,” she said, tapping the leg of her cargo pants.

The phone kept ringing. Ms. Marshall followed its
trail. It was on the other side of the cabin. Down by the door. Down by—

Oh, no. Phil!

Ms. Marshall walked toward her bunk. “Miss Finch? Do you have a cell phone in your locker?”

“No, ma’am,” Phil said, her face purple.

“Do you mind if I look?”

“Of course not, ma’am.”

Ms. Marshall swung the door open and the ringing got louder. She turned and looked at Phil again. “Are you quite certain?”

“I don’t have a phone, ma’am!” Phil turned and shot Maxey a murderous look.

Ms. Marshall reached into the jacket hanging in Phil’s locker and pulled something out. She handed it to Phil. “You expecting a call?”

Phil shook her head back and forth. “Absolutely not!” she said. “It’s against the rules.”

“I’m going to confiscate this, Miss Finch.” Ms. Marshall turned to look at the rest of us. “Does everyone understand why cell phones aren’t allowed at Camp Wickitawa?”

“Because we’re here to enjoy the beauty of the natural world without distraction. Therefore, no electronic games, laptops, or cell phones are allowed at camp. Staff may carry cell phones for emergency use only. Section Four, Rule Twelve,” Georgia recited.

“Yes, thank you,” Ms. Marshall said, turning back toward Phil.

Maxey wrote something on her clipboard, and Georgia smiled like she’d just won the Outstanding Camper of the Week bonus round.

“Miss Finch, can you tell me what all that means?”

Phil nodded. “We want to keep things as natural and simple as they can be. We’ll learn more that way.”

“That’s right. And I’ll see you and Sister in my office during science class.”

“Yes, Ms. Marshall,” Phil said in the tiniest voice I’d ever heard come out of her.

Ms. Marshall looked over at Cricket, who nodded.

“Thank you, Ms. Marshall!” we chorused as she left. But there was none of the enthusiasm in our voices that had been there when she first arrived.

The wooden screen door banged behind them.

Phil shut her locker door and didn’t say a word. She didn’t have to. Even from this far away, I could feel her fear. The fear that her dream of being a CIT was about to go up in flames!

P
hil helped herd us all over to Mess, and once we got settled, she whispered something to Cricket, who nodded. She left, and I had a feeling she was going to go back to the cabin and either start packing or dust her locker for fingerprints, like the detectives on television do.

Nit watched her leave and then asked Cricket if she could be excused too. I could tell she was worried about her sister.

“Nit,” Cricket said, “let’s give Phil some time to herself, okay?”

“It’s not her phone,” Nit said. “I’m sure of it! Someone set her up.”

I stirred the lumps in my oatmeal. I had a feeling I knew just who that might be, but I couldn’t figure out
where Maxey would have gotten a phone out here. Even at home, neither one of us had one.

Nit went on. “She’s talked about being a CIT for so long. She’s an airhead, but she isn’t stupid enough to try to keep a cell phone here.”

“Man, I feel bad for her,” Aurora said. “What do you think Ms. Marshall is going to do? Send her home? That would bite!”

Once Cricket made sure that all of us had our breakfasts, she hurried over to where Sister was in the back, talking to Frank. She probably was telling Sister what had just happened. And letting her know that she had a meeting in Ms. Marshall’s office.

“Dang it,” Nit said, wiping her mouth. “I gotta run and get Gypsy’s food ready before class starts. And I’m feeding the snakes, too, this morning. If either of you see Phil before class, tell her I said—” She stopped. “Well, just tell her that I’m sorry it happened. And if she gets sent home, I’m going with her.”

“Nit! You can’t go home!” I said.

“You don’t even like your sister,” Aurora said. “Why would you do that?”

“Just tell her, will you?” She hurried off.

“We can’t let Nit do that,” Aurora said. “It wouldn’t be as fun here without her.”

“I know, but maybe Ms. Marshall won’t send Phil home. Maybe she’ll get grounded or just get a warning,” I said.

Aurora took a last gulp of milk. “I have to go too. Swat is out back on the hoop, and said if I got done with breakfast early I could shoot some with him. Sister gave me permission. Save us seats in class, okay, Effie?”

I nodded and pushed my breakfast away. I sat there a minute and tried to figure everything out. If Maxey hadn’t put the phone in Phil’s locker, then who would have? Kayla was the biggest snake in the bunch, but she’d be more likely to try to get me or Aurora in trouble. It just had to be Maxey! But where had she gotten the phone? The only other person who had one that I knew about was Sister. Or Frank.

I drew in my breath. I knew where Sister kept her phone, because I’d borrowed it the other day. It sat on her dresser. Maxey had just been in Elk cabin for the morning inspection! She could have slipped it in her pocket, and then when they did the inspection of Phil’s locker, she could have stuck it in Phil’s jacket. But how had she made it ring? That was a mystery. I’d figure that out later. I knew enough now to do what I had to do.

Frank, Cricket, and Sister were still huddled by the back door and had their heads together. If I was lucky, I could get out before they saw me. I grabbed my cup like I was going for more juice. When I was sure no one was paying any attention to me, I ducked behind the chow line, then snuck through the kitchen door.

It was hot, steamy, and noisy inside from all the dishwashers. Perfect for murdering your sister.

I found Maxey near the back at a big cutting board. Her eyes were swollen, and she had tears running down her face.

“You should be crying!” I hollered. “I can’t believe what a rotten thing you just did to your best friend.”

“You’re not supposed to be back here, miss!” she said, and sniffed. “It’s not safe for campers.”

“You stole that phone from Sister! Are you out of your mind?”

“If you don’t leave,
miss,”
she said, wiping her eyes, “I’m going to have to get Coco.”

“Maxey!
What if Phil gets sent home? How could you do this to her? This is so low. You know how much she loves being a CIT!”

Maxey wiped her nose. The tears were nearly spraying out of her eyes. “Okay, you’re still not listening. I’m going to have to go get him.”

“Look, Maxey, I’m
glad
you’re feeling so terrible about this! But you can fix it. Go tell Ms. Marshall what you did. She’ll give you a break for confessing right off.”

Maxey looked me straight in the eye then. Sister to sister.
“Scram!”