The Pretty Committee Strikes Back (16 page)

She leaned against the trunk of the tree and then lowered herself until she was seated on the cold ground beneath it. Her sudden need to write was overwhelming. Massie peeled a layer of white, papery bark off the tree, pulled a purple glitter pen out of her coat pocket, and poured her heart out.

MASSIE BLOCK'S CURRENT STATE OF THE UNION

When she was done, Massie folded the bark and stuffed it in the back pocket of her jeans.

“Psssst,” someone called to her from behind a nearby bush.

“Hullo?” Massie heard her own voice tremble. Were the MUCK girls spying on her? Did they have weapons? “Who's there?”

“It's me,” a girl's voice answered.

“Me who?”

Massie heard a familiar phlegmy laugh. Was the trauma making her hallucinate?

“Kristen?”
she whispered into the dark, cold night.

Kristen stepped out from behind the bush and giggled. She was wearing her green-and-white OCD soccer uniform.

“What are you
doing
here?” Massie hugged her friend as hard as she could.

“I used the money you gave me from MUCK to buy a ticket on Adirondack Trailways,” Kristen said.

“What about all of those Presidents' Day sales?” Massie couldn't resist a lighthearted tease.

“We already have all that stuff—it's
so
last season.”

“How did you know where to find us?”

“My memory skills are incredible now,” Kristen said. “I looked at your itinerary last week and the Forever Wild campgrounds address was at the top. And I remembered it.”

Massie smiled and hugged Kristen again to hide her tears. It was nice to be in the company of someone who didn't know what had just happened.

“I can't believe your mom let you come here,” Massie said. “She thinks
my
house is far.”

“Well …” Kristen stuck her finger through the green Puma sweatband around her wrist. “She kinda thinks I'm away with the soccer team. So no one can know I'm here.”

“I know how you feel.” Massie looked over her shoulder to make sure the MUCK girls weren't spying on them.

“You do?” Kristen sounded pleasantly surprised.

Massie nodded. Kristen smiled. She could have told her friend what had happened, but why ruin the moment with more talking? Especially when they both seemed so satisfied just being together.

Massie opened her arms and threw them around Kristen.

Claire had been right: sometimes there was no need for words.

LAKE PLACID, NEW YORK FOREVER WILD CAMPSITE THE GIRLS' BUNK

Monday, February 23rd 9:29
P.M.

Mr. Myner looked up from his novel, took a dramatic pause, then continued reading from
Hatchet.
“’What did they do in movies when they got stranded like this? Oh yes, the hero usually found some kind of plant that he knew was good to eat and that took care of it. Just ate the plant until he was full or used some kind of cute trap to catch an animal and cook it over a slick little fire, and pretty soon he had a full eight-course meal. The trouble, Brian thought, looking around, was that all he could see was grass and brush.'“ Mr. Myner closed the book and sighed. “Powerful stuff, isn't it?”

No one said a word. They were too busy either makings' mores or blowing out the orange flames that engulfed their burning marshmallows.

“This book is full of clever ways to survive in the wild, so pay close attention,” Mr. Myner said. “And you'll hear more of them tomorrow night when we check back in with poor Brian.”

“I think someone left Mr. Myner in the woods when he was a kid,” Layne whispered into Claire's ear.

“He wishes.” Claire giggled. Their teacher was still basking in the afterglow of that last sentence, as if he were remembering the time forest nymphs sang it to him while washing his hair with spring water.

“Mr. Myner.” Strawberry raised her hand. “Do we have time to make a few more s'mores?”

Her question forced his attention back to the group.

“Ten more minutes.”

Everyone moaned.

“You have a long day of orienteering ahead of you tomorrow. Believe me, you'll need your sleep.”

Claire stuffed two Hershey bars and a pack of graham crackers in the pocket of her light blue puffy ski jacket.

“What are you doing?” Layne asked. “I have a ton of Go-Gurt hidden under the cabin if you're hungry.”

“It's not for me,” Claire whispered. “It's for Massie.”

“I thought she had a stomachache.” Layne ran her fingers through the knots in her long brown ponytail. A clump of tangled hair came out in her hands and she tossed it in the fire.

“She does. But she may get her appetite back. And it's not like there's any food in the cabin.” Claire knew better than to tell Layne the truth, that Massie was too ashamed to face her public.

“Dude, who beefed?” Plovert shouted. He fanned the air and pinched his nose shut.

“Ew, it smells like burning hair.” Alicia backed away from the fire and sat on the stump beside Josh. Olivia followed her.

Smooth move,
Claire thought, wishing she could just pick up and sit beside Cam. Not that he would have even noticed. He was too busy cracking up with Strawberry, who was trying to blow out the blue flames that were scorching her marshmallow.

“Claire, stop torturing yourself,” Layne insisted. “There's no way Cam would ever leave you for
that.
Trust me, there's nothing going on with them.”

Strawberry yelped as the fiery-hot marshmallow flew off the stick and landed on the side of her neck. Cam flicked the gooey clump to the ground with his index finger.

“Oh my God, he touched her,” Claire gasped. “Did you see that? He totally touched her neck.”

“He was just trying to help.” Layne rolled her eyes.

“I have to get out of here.” Claire stood up and zipped her coat pockets. She felt like she was going to faint or puke or both.

“I'll go with you.” Layne scrambled to get up. “I have cramps anyway.”

Claire stood up and brushed the pine needles and dead leaves off her blue flannel pajama bottoms. She quickly peered at Alicia and Josh from the corner of her eye, silently urging Josh to drop the stick he had been banging against his Timberlands so he could pay attention to Alicia. At least
that
problem would be solved. All of a sudden, Josh dropped his stick and plucked a wildflower from the ground.

Yes!
Claire thought as she turned her head to give them some privacy. She was finally off the hook.

“Ready?” Claire asked Layne.

“Ready.” Layne nodded once.

They turned their backs on Strawberry and Cam, who were still laughing about the stupid marshmallow, and began their short trek back to the girls' cabin.

“Hey, Claire,” a guy's voice shouted. Her hands got clammy and her heart started pounding. So what if the voice didn't sound like Cam's? That didn't necessarily mean it
wasn't
him, right? Just in case, Claire made sure a big smile was on her face when she turned around. A smile that said, “I am doing just fine without you, thank you very much.” Massie would have been proud.

“Wait up,” the voice called again. It was Josh, holding up his roomy plaid pajama bottoms to keep them from falling down.

“Oh, this is going to be good.” Layne sucked in her breath. She licked her lips and grinned, as if a big vat of Go-Gurt had just been handed to her by Chad Michael Murray.

“Maybe he's coming to tell me how much he loves Alicia.”

“Doubt it,” Layne said, her eyes fixed on the bluish-purple flower that was pinched between his finger and thumb.

“How cool is this?” Josh held the flower out for Claire. “It's, like, the only flower in the whole campsite.”

Claire looked past his shoulder at Alicia. She was staring at them, dumbfounded, and whispering to Olivia.

“It's cute.” Claire pulled Layne's arm. “Well, g'night.” She turned her back to him, hoping Alicia could tell how uninterested she was.

“I got it for
you
.” Josh held it out. “So you could take a picture of it or something. You know, ’cause you like taking pictures and stuff.”

“Thanks, but I'm not that into photography anymore,” Claire lied. “Besides, Mr. Myner took my camera so—”

“I'll take it.” Layne plucked the flower from his fingers and stuck it through the elastic on her ponytail. “Thanks, Josh.” She pulled Claire's arm and they were off.

“I feel so bad,” Claire whispered, even though she couldn't help laughing at their abrupt exit. “I can't believe you just took the flower from him.” She wiped the tears from her eyes. They felt warm against her cold cheeks. Suddenly her teeth started chattering.

“Are you really that cold?” Layne asked.

“Yeah.” Claire didn't want to explain that her teeth chattered when she felt overly emotional. How was she ever going to shake the image of Cam and Strawberry laughing by the campfire?

“Claire!”

“Yeah.” Claire looked at Layne as they climbed the steps to their cabin.

“What?” Layne asked.

“You just called my name,” Claire said.

“Why would I call your name?” Layne said. “You're right beside me.”

“Kuh-laire!”

“KUH-LAIRE!”

“Yeah,” Claire whisper-yelled, trying to point her voice to the side of the cabin, where Massie was obviously hiding out.

“C'mere,” Massie whisper-yelled back. “Ah-lone.”

“I better go.” Claire wished she didn't have to leave Layne so soon. She was the only one who could take her mind off Cam, at least for a few seconds.

“Sounds like someone's stomachache is better.” Layne opened the door of the cabin and went inside.

“Where are you?” Claire asked at full volume.

“Shhhhh,” Massie hissed.

Claire knew she should have whispered. But she was scared to go behind the cabin alone at night and figured the sound of her voice might scare off any lurking beasts or escaped convicts.

“By the white tree.”

Claire ran her fingers along the splintered wood of the cabin walls as she made her way toward Massie's hideout. Without a flashlight, it was her only hope of not getting her leg caught in a bear trap.

Finally Claire spotted Massie. The full moon reflected off her shiny lip gloss and helped guide Claire toward her. Massie was sitting on the ground. Her arms were wrapped around her knees and the Indian blankets from her bed were draped over her narrow shoulders.

“Why aren't you inside?” Claire lowered herself onto the frosty ground.

“I knew everyone would be back soon and I needed more time.” Massie was trying to tie a pine needle into a knot. “How was the bonfire?”

“Boring,” Claire lied, knowing full well that wasn't what Massie was really asking about. “Don't worry, Derrington didn't say anything about what happened earlier.”

Massie threw the pine needle over her shoulder and looked at Claire with her sad amber eyes. There was a brief moment of silence while the girls let their thoughts wander.

“The only thing you missed was Cam flirting with Strawberry.” Claire flicked a stuck pebble out of the rubber grooves on the bottom of her boot. “It was pathetic.”

“There's no way Cam would ever like that girl. For starters, she's, like, ten feet tall, and wide.”

Claire forced herself to chuckle. “Will you please tell me your plan?” She knew she was whining but didn't care. She was desperate.

“What plan?”

“You told me you'd help me come up with a plan to get Cam back if I taught you how to kiss.” Claire searched Massie's blank expression for a hint of recognition. “Remember?”

“Kind of,” Massie said.

Claire's heart started to race. Was Massie trying to back out on her promise?

“Well, you have to help me first,” Massie insisted. “I can't have everyone thinking I'm a lying lip virgin. I'm declaring a state of emergency.”

“No way.” Claire jumped to her feet. “It's my turn.” She stuffed her hands in her pockets and felt the snacks she'd stolen for Massie. The sudden urge to cry overwhelmed her. She felt stupid and taken advantage of. Again.

Claire dug what was left of her thumbnail into a piece of chocolate, pretending it was Massie's neck. It made her feel a little better, but not much.

“Okay, okay, relax,” Massie relented. “Sit down.”

Claire turned away. Let Massie think she was angry, not disappointed.

“Come on.” Massie looked up at her with sincerity. “I'm sorry, I'm not thinking straight. I have your plan.”

“You do?” Claire knew Massie was only being nice to her because she couldn't afford to make any more enemies, but she didn't care. She'd take the help any way she could get it.

“Yeah.” Massie patted the cold ground until Claire sat down again. Once they were huddled under the blankets, Massie revealed her scheme.

“You need to show Cam you're serious about him,” Massie said.

“But I—”

Massie held her hand in front of Claire's face and continued. “You haven't put yourself on the line yet. You haven't shown him how much you're willing to risk to get him back. You know, the way they do in the movies.”

“The movies?”

“Yeah. You know, when the guy has acted like a jerk and the girl won't take him back? He always has to do something crazy to show her how serious he is. Then she forgives him. Usually he sings something stupid under her window and wakes her parents. But it always works.”

“True.” Claire was already trying to decide what song to sing.

“So all you need to do is sneak into the boys' cabin tonight, look Cam in the eye—either the blue or the green one, it doesn't matter—and tell him, straight up, how sorry you are.” Massie looked at Claire with an expectant smile, like she was waiting for a thank-you hug or a dozen roses for her brilliance.

Claire didn't know what to say. There were so many things wrong with this plan, she didn't know where to begin.
Sneak into the boys' cabin? What if I get caught? I'd get suspended for sure. And what if Cam laughs in my face? Or ignores me, like he's been doing all week?