Authors: Nancy Krulik

Camp Rules! (11 page)

BOOK: Camp Rules!

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Katie looked over at Alicia. She looked as if she was going to cry. And the saddest part was that it wasn’t even Alicia’s fault. It was Katie’s fault.
She
was the one who had chickened out of swimming.

Now, because of Katie, the rest of the bunk hated Alicia even more than before.

“We’re going to have to win the big sing tomorrow,” Rainbow said.

“Our team song is really good,” Chelsea said.

“But we don’t have a cheer yet,” Gianna reminded her. “It’s got to be the best ever if we want to win the sing.”

That gave Katie an idea. “Our cheer will be awesome,” Katie said. “Because Alicia’s going to write it. She’s a great writer.”

Alicia looked at her curiously. “I am?”

“You write poems in your diary, don’t you?” Katie said.

“How did you know that?” Alicia asked angrily. “Were you snooping in my cubby?”

Oops.
“I . . . um . . . I just figured that was what you were writing in there. Because, uh . . . well . . . you’re too smart and cool to just write sentences like other people,” Katie said quickly.

Alicia stared at her in surprise. The other girls looked pretty shocked, too. No one ever complimented Alicia.

“Why should we let
her
write our cheer?” Gianna asked Katie. “She’s the reason we’re in this mess, anyway. She’s the one who ran out on us before the race. But you did a great job, too, Chelsea,” she added, making sure her friend’s feelings weren’t hurt.

“Thanks,” Chelsea replied. “But even I know Alicia could have won it. She just didn’t want to.”

“No, that’s not it,” Alicia insisted. “I didn’t feel . . . well . . . actually, I’m not sure what happened.”

“Come on, haven’t any of you guys ever gotten really nervous about something?” Katie added, covering for Alicia. “She just freaked out.”

“I did?” Alicia looked totally puzzled.

“Anyway, Alicia can make it up to us by writing the cheer,” Katie said.

“I guess we could give her a chance,” Rainbow said.

“But don’t mess it up,” Chelsea added.

“I won’t,” Alicia vowed. “I promise.”

Chapter 21

“Blue rules! The rest are fools! Gooo, Blue!”

While the Blue team finished their cheer at the sing, the Green team took the stage.

Katie, Alicia, Rainbow, Gianna, and Chelsea all had green paint in their hair. They’d used face paint to draw green stripes on their faces. Some of the older girls were practically painted from head to toe in green.

“They look like big pickles,” Alicia said.

The Bumblebees all giggled. They knew it was a joke. Alicia wasn’t being mean at all.

“Thanks for coming up with a way for me to be part of Color War,” Alicia whispered to Katie. For the first time she sounded really nice.

“The Green team needs you,” Katie replied. “You’re going to lead us to victory!”

Suddenly Shannon came running over to them. “Okay, girls, it’s time for the Green team to do their cheer.”

Katie looked over at Alicia. “Ready?”

Alicia nodded. “You bet!”

“Then let’s go!”

With Alicia leading the way, the members of the Green team began their cheer.

“Mighty Greens,

We’re the Color War queens.

Toughest girls you’ve ever seen,

Other teams shake,

Their boots quake,

When we take the lead

With killer speed.

It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen,

The mean Green fighting machine!”

A few minutes later, after all the teams had sung their songs and shouted their cheers, the judges announced the winner.

“And in first place, the Green team!”

All at once everyone on the Green team began screaming, shouting, and hugging one another.

Some of the bigger girls picked up Alicia and began carrying her around on their shoulders.

Alicia was a hero. She had led the Green team to victory.

Well, actually, she and Katie had done that—since it had been Katie’s idea. But Katie was fine with letting Alicia take the credit. It was the first time she had seen her friend smile all summer.

Friend.
Wow. That was a word Katie never thought she would use to describe Alicia. But Alicia
was
her friend now.

And, as if to prove it, Alicia whispered something in one of the older girls’ ears. A moment later three big girls raced over and lifted Katie off the ground, too.

“Yeah, Alicia! Yeah, Katie!” they shouted loudly.

“Yeah, Green team!” Katie and Alicia cheered back.

Chapter 22

As Katie stepped onto the yellow school bus, she turned and took one last look around. She couldn’t believe camp was over. But Katie wasn’t sad. She knew she would be back next summer. And so would Alicia, Rainbow, Gianna, and Chelsea. They had all promised to return to Camp Cedar Hill.

Suddenly a song began running through Katie’s head. “Friends, friends, friends. We will always be . . .” she hummed to herself as she found a seat in the middle of the bus.

A few minutes later, the bus driver turned on the engine and started driving home toward Cherrydale.

Katie reached into her backpack and pulled out a white pillowcase. The other Bumblebees had all signed and written their addresses and phone numbers on it. Katie found the address she was looking for and pulled out one last postcard.

She was making sure her friend Alicia got at least
one
letter this summer.

Dear Alicia,

I hope the rest of your summer is a lot of fun. I am going to spend this whole month practicing my swimming at our town pool. Next year I will take the deepwater swim test so we can swim together. I hope you can visit me in Cherrydale this winter.

Your pal,

Katie

P.S. Go, Green team!

You GOTTA Have It!

Overnight camps usually send out a list of items they think you need to pack in your trunk. You’ve probably seen the kinds of things they put on their lists: 14 pairs of underwear, 10 pairs of shorts, 10 camp T-shirts, 18 pairs of socks . . .

Sure, you need that stuff, but doesn’t it sound so
boring
?

Of course, there are plenty of items camps forget to tell you to stash in your luggage. Those are the kinds of things any camper will need to
really
survive the summer. That’s why Katie and her friends have designed this Gotta Have It Checklist. Pack the items on the list, and your summer can’t miss!

Aren’t you lucky to have pals like the Bumblebees of Camp Cedar Hill?