Holly's Heart Collection Two (46 page)

It was already one-thirty. Time for craft class for some of us. Archery class for the rest.

“We’d better get going,” I suggested. “Rhonna probably won’t be back here before we are. I’ve heard how long-winded those counselors meetings can be.”

“How can we secure our cabin?” asked Andie.

“Yes, we have some very expensive make-up and clothes and things,” Paula spoke up.

Kayla suggested pushing a chair under the doorknob so no one could just waltz in and rip off our stuff while we were gone. “But, then, how will we get out of here?” she asked.

Andie spied the back window and went to check out the situation. “Looks like this one’s close enough to the ground,” she said. “We can jump out over here.”

Which is exactly what we did. We stuffed a chair under the doorknob and exited through the back window.

Just as I was swinging my left leg over the windowsill, I heard someone jiggle the doorknob. I froze—sat right there on the ledge like a stunned pigeon.

“C’mon, Holly,” Paula said from outside, reaching up to assist me. “Are you scared to jump?”

“It’s not that,” I said, lowering my voice. “Someone’s at our front door!”

I heard knocking. “Anyone home?” a voice called.

I whispered out the window to the girls, “It’s Rhonna!”

The Sisters of Silence freaked out.

“Quick! Everyone back inside!” Then to Rhonna I called, “Uh, just a minute. I’ll be right there.”

It was the only logical solution. If we were caught leaving through the window and barring the door like this, well, I wasn’t sure what might follow.

My heart pounded as Andie and Shauna pulled Joy back through the window and into the cabin.

“Not a word about anything,” I whispered, thinking of the pact we’d made against the guys. Quickly, I removed the chair from under the doorknob.

Rhonna came inside, smiling big as you please. I’d expected a tongue-lashing for blocking the door like that. But she was as cool as you can get—still wearing her red cap. Only now it sat sideways on her jet black hair. “Having a private meeting, girls?”

We nodded, grinning like crazy.

She glanced at her watch. “So, who’s doing crafts today?” she asked, looking around.

Andie, Paula, and I raised our hands.

“Anyone for archery?”

That took care of Kayla, Amy-Liz, Shauna, and Joy.

“Okay, let’s go,” Rhonna said, still smiling. It was like she actually remembered being a teen at camp. Without another word, we split up and headed in different directions.

During basket-weaving class, my hair came loose three times. I had to keep winding it into a bun because it was too thick and heavy to stay put. Mrs. Campbell, an expert basket weaver and our instructor, finally gave me a long pencil to stick in it. The pencil worked much better. Probably looked better, too.

More important than my hair, though, was Andie’s music. She was worried sick. And I
had
to do something. After all, Stan was my brousin. If I couldn’t outsmart him, no one could.

Finally I excused myself, using the rest room as my reason to leave.

I left the great hall via the same exit as Stan had at lunch almost two hours ago.
Which way did he go?
I wondered, following the dirt path to the front of the building.

I needed something to go on. Just one minuscule shred of evidence…

Hiding behind the trunk of a dripping wet poplar tree, I spied out the land. Peering down, I scanned the path carefully and the wild grass on either side of it, hoping to find a clue.

To my far right were the guys’ cabins; to my left, the girls’. In front of me, the commons area stretched across a flat, wide meadow bordered by tall pine trees that rose like pointed arrows straight to the sky. A flagpole stood in the center of the area. Behind that lay the sports area and pool.

I decided to scout things out in Stan’s cabin. Surely, that’s where he’d hidden the music folder. But I’d have to go around to the back of the great hall so I wouldn’t be seen by the kids in the craft class. Mrs. Campbell would know I hadn’t gone to the rest room if she spied me sneaking across the commons area to the boys’ side of the camp. A definite no-no.

I backtracked, heading around to the rear of the dining hall. Down the steep slope behind it was the amphitheater, and even farther down, a rugged, wild area of rocks and cliffs leading to the valley floor. I sneaked down low so I wouldn’t be seen by the cooks in the back windows.

Crouching, I noticed the blond cowboy carrying his raincoat and hurrying to the boys’ cabin. Curious, I followed close behind.

He hurried inside the cabin. Probably to drop off his raincoat, I thought. One look at the sky and I knew the thundershower had passed. I stood outside the cabin, wondering what to do now that I was here. I certainly couldn’t barge right in with him inside!

That’s when he came out, looking mighty surprised to see me. Surprised…and, I must say, definitely pleased.

“Hey,” I managed.

His eyes searched mine.

“Have you seen a music folder with ‘Andie Martinez’ written on the top?” I described the size and color.

“Oh, that.” He disappeared into the cabin and emerged carrying the folder under his arm. “Stan Patterson found this somewhere,” he said.

“No, he didn’t find it,” I insisted. “Stan stole it!”

He frowned. “Are you sure?”

“Positive. Danny Myers saw everything,” I said. “Stan must be mad at Andie. That’s why he’d do something like this.”

His face lit up, bright with amusement. “Looks like you’re mad, too.” Suddenly I remembered the pact.
No extended conversation.

“Uh, thanks for the music folder,” I said, turning to leave. “You saved Andie’s life.”

But he called after me. “Wait!”

I turned around.

“I hope I’ll see you again, Holly.”

He knows my name!

The afternoon sun enhanced the blondness of his hair. And the blue in his T-shirt brought out the blue in his eyes. “My name’s Todd Stillson.” He paused. “What’re you doin’ later?” he asked. “Maybe we could take a walk…or something.”

“We will not walk anywhere with a boy alone.”

“Look, I’m sorry…I’ve gotta go.” I forced my gaze away from his face and started down the path toward the dining hall, proud of myself for sticking by the rules of the SOS pact.

“Holly?” he called after me.

But I just kept walking.

NO GUYS PACT

Chapter 12

Andie leaped out of her chair when I returned with her music folder. She hugged me. And…
whoosh!
My hair came tumbling down. Again.

“Oops, sorry,” she said, giggling.

“No problem.” I redid my bun.

Andie held the music folder close. “Where’d you find this?” she whispered.

“It’s a long story.”

Mrs. Campbell glanced up, nodding. “Everything okay?” she asked, coming over to our table. I had been gone quite a while.

“I’m fine, thanks.”

She scrutinized my half-woven basket, then looked at me a little too sympathetically. “If you hurry, hon, I think you might be able to finish your project today.”

“I’ll try,” I said, smiling. The smile was really for Andie. I’d retrieved her music. A triumph!

When the teacher left to help someone else, Andie whispered in my ear, “Tell me everything.” I should’ve known she wouldn’t give up easily.

“Todd Stillson found it in his cabin,” I said, enjoying the sound of Todd’s name on my lips.

I couldn’t help but notice Andie’s bewildered frown.

After crafts class, we waited for Mr. Keller to arrive for choir. Jared, Danny, Stan, and a bunch of kids from Buena Vista started showing up. Todd came, too.

All of us in Cabin B sat on one side of the stage area, which also doubled as the platform for chapel services. We women were sticking together, all right. Making a statement.

My hair kept coming loose, and it was really starting to bug me. And how awful that it had to happen in front of Todd.

Andie offered an idea. “As a favor from one friend to another, I’m gonna chop your hair off tonight…while you’re asleep.”

“You wouldn’t!”

“Maybe, maybe not,” she teased.

Recapturing something as ordinary as a music folder had completely rejuvenated my friend. As for my stolen hair tie, well, I didn’t dare think about it, or I’d come uncorked.

The side door opened, and Mr. Keller burst into the room. He motioned for Andie to move to the piano. I watched her take her seat and arrange her music. I was certain that she’d never follow through with her threat. Besides, she was such a heavy sleeper.

Reaching up, I touched my hair. Maybe I could braid it later, do something to make the ends hard, to keep it from unraveling.
Elmer’s glue might be a possibility,
I thought.
Glue washes out.

Mr. Boyce showed up, and while he spoke with Mr. Keller about our Sunday chapel performance, I wondered if he might have some extra rubber bands floating around in his office. Surely he wouldn’t mind offering assistance to a damsel in distress. The more I thought about it, the more I knew it was something worth pursuing. I would pay the camp director an impromptu visit right after choir.

Mr. Keller and Mr. Boyce stepped outside, and Jared took advantage of the moment.

“Psst, Holly!”

I turned around without thinking.

A pink flash!

Jared waved my hair tie in midair. Then, in a split second, it disappeared back into his pocket.

“How immature,” Paula scolded.

“We really shouldn’t have looked at him,” I whispered to her.

“In keeping with the pact we made, you’re right,” Paula said. “
Ignore
is the key word.”

By now Kayla and Amy-Liz were leaning forward in their seats, trying to hear what Paula and I were saying.

“We’ll discuss this later,” I assured them. The six of us—Andie was sitting prim and proper at the piano—leaned back in our chairs. Almost on cue. That synchronized motion surely had Jared and Danny wondering by now. In fact, the guys were beginning to lose it. Todd, however, looked more confused than amused.

Jared whispered that my hair looked like something out of
Little Women.

I didn’t flinch or move a muscle. A little respect would’ve been in order about now. After all, we were in the area where chapel services were held. Where worship and praise were given to God.

“Hey, Holly!” Jared called to me again.

I kept ignoring him.

“We’ve been talking about you. And we were wondering…” He paused dramatically to get everyone’s attention. “Did you happen to notice that a flying saucer has landed on your head—complete with antenna?” He meant the bun and the pencil poked in it.

There was rousing group laughter now. And out of the jeering crowd I heard, quite distinctly, my stepbrother’s voice.

That Stan,
I thought sadly.
He’s just as rotten as the rest of them.
Humiliated, I wanted to melt into the floor. But I kept my cool and refused to look at Jared. Or at any of the rest of them. I didn’t even look at Todd, who hadn’t joined in the laughter at all.

Paula reached over and touched my arm. “Don’t pay attention to them, Holly-Heart,” she said. “Your hair’s beautiful no matter how you fix it.”

I smiled. Leave it to Paula to comfort me. What a good friend she’d turned out to be. I felt more confident than ever about the pact. SOS was working! My sisters and I were in agreement—a unified front.

When Mr. Keller returned, he allowed us to stay seated for the first song. “It’s good to see so many of you here,” he said without cracking a smile. “Mr. Boyce tells me that we should have two choir numbers prepared for Sunday morning.”

He went on to remind us not to chew gum, talk when he was talking, or sing like a soloist. “Blending is everything.” He adjusted his wild purple tie. “I don’t need thirty show-offs. If you want to make a statement, sign up for horseback riding, please.” His face broke into a wide grin. “Any takers?”

No one.

The question was designed to weed out smart alecks on the first day of practice.

“Good! Now, sing as though your life depends on it,” he shouted. “Because it might.”