Maddie's Camp Crush (11 page)

Flustered, Maddie pulled her arm back. Gabriel looked over and smiled at her, but that only made her feel more awkward. She put her hands in her lap, but that got uncomfortable after a while. She shifted and sat cross-legged, planting her palms at her sides, but then Gabriel shifted and his left hand brushed against her right hand, so she quickly moved it.

Maddie pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. That worked—for a while. Even though it was a chilly night, she couldn't seem to stop sweating. She tried leaning back with her arms planted in the ground behind her, and that worked pretty well. Just when she thought she needed a new position, the movie, thankfully, ended.

They stood up and stretched, and Gabriel looked at his watch. “We've still got twenty minutes before curfew. Want to go for a walk?”

Maddie panicked, her mind racing. This was it. This meant he definitely liked her. Maybe he was going to ask her to be his girlfriend.

Yikes!
She had been dreaming about a moment like this for days, and now that it was right in front of her, something in her gut didn't feel ready.

“Um, I have . . . a stomachache,” she said awkwardly, backing away from him. “I should go back to the bunk.”

Gabriel looked concerned. “Let me walk you back.”

“No thanks,” Maddie said quickly, and then she turned and practically ran off, leaving a very confused Gabriel standing there, holding his poncho.

What just happened?
Maddie asked herself as she quickly slipped into her pajamas in the bunk.
I mean, I wanted him to like me. I think I even wanted to be his girlfriend. And then he did just what I wanted, and it felt good . . . and scary at the same time.

Maddie got under the covers and pretended to be asleep. She knew her friends would have a lot of questions when they got back, and she didn't feel like answering them. So she closed her eyes, feeling bad about the way she ran off on Gabriel, but cozy and safe at the same time.

I'm sure it's okay,
she told herself.
I bet everything will still be the same tomorrow.

BUT MADDIE SOON FOUND OUT THAT THINGS
weren't the same. The next night the counselors put together a fun game show for the evening program. It was a camp tradition. They set up the mess hall to look like a game show stage, with a glittery paper sign strung across the salad bar that read
CAMP WIMOWAY TRIVIA BLOWOUT!

Alyssa, the counselor who taught the drama class, was the emcee.

“It's bunk against bunk in the most intense trivia challenge in Camp Wimoway history!” she announced. “Who will win?”

The campers let out a wild cheer, and Maddie scanned the crowd to see if she could find Gabriel. He was usually pretty easy to spot because he was so tall. She finally found him leaning against a table, staring straight ahead. He didn't look for her and give her a wave like he usually did.

“All right, let's get this game rolling!” Alyssa announced. “Hannah bunk and Betty bunk, come on down!”

Maddie forgot about Gabriel and ran up to the stage area with the other Hannahs. She loved trivia night, and she was usually pretty good at it. The Hannahs and the Bettys faced off against one another, with Alyssa in between them.

“First question goes to the Bettys,” Alyssa asked. “How many dapple gray horses are in the stable?”

The girls whispered to each other and then one answered, “Two.”

“Correct!” Alyssa cheered. “Hannahs, it's your turn. What color flip-flops does your counselor, Tara, wear?”

The girls huddled together.

“I think they're blue,” Maddie said.

“That sounds right,” Ashley agreed.

“Are you sure they're not green?” Libby asked.

“Definitely blue,” Emily offered.

Maddie turned to Alyssa. “Blue,” she said.

Alyssa grinned. “Correct!”

The game went back and forth until the Bettys got a question wrong. Then the next bunks were called up from the boys' camp.

The Hannahs kept winning. Finally, it was down to the Hannahs and the Rickys, the bunk that Brandon and Jared were in.

“They're going to be tough to beat,” Maddie whispered to her teammates. “Brandon and Jared have been going to this camp since they could walk.”

The mess hall got crazy as the girls cheered, “Hannahs! Hannahs! Hannahs!” and the boys cheered “Rickys! Rickys! Rickys!”

Alyssa had a question for the Rickys. “How many yellow kayaks are at the lake?”

The boys whispered to each other as the other campers chanted. Finally Brandon answered. “Three?”

“Wrong!' Alyssa said. “Hannahs, if you girls get this you will be the Camp Wimoway Trivia Champions!”

Libby frowned. “I almost never go near the lake. I don't know.”

Maddie closed her eyes. “I think I've got it,” she said, picturing the lakeshore in her mind. There were the kayaks, lined up as always. One green one, one yellow one, one blue one, another green one, another yellow one . . . ”

Her eyes flew open. “Two!”

“Is that your final answer?” Alyssa asked.

Maddie nodded. “Yes. Definitely two.”

“Correct! The Hannahs win!”

The mess hall erupted in applause and cheers (and a few boos from some of the boys). Maddie jumped up and down and Libby and Emily, and Ashley, Alexis, and Abigail high-fived everyone.

When the excitement died down, Maddie scanned the crowd for Gabriel, but she didn't spot him. She checked the cookie line, but he wasn't there. Then she headed out to their usual rock, but Gabriel wasn't there, either.

That's weird,
she thought. She waited by the rock for a few minutes, but then started to feel awkward, so she headed back to the bunk. Tara was on the porch steps.

“Good job tonight,” she said. “You're back early!”

Maddie just nodded and walked inside. She didn't mean to be rude, but an awful feeling was welling up inside her. What if Gabriel didn't like her anymore?

She got ready for bed and tried to sleep, but her mind was racing. She hadn't noticed Amelia during downtime, either. Were Amelia and Gabriel together? The thought left a lump in her throat.

The next day, she was sure something was up with Gabriel. They never spent much time together during the
day, but he had stopped his friendly waving. And that night, he did another disappearing act at downtime. The evening program was a glow-stick party outside, where the campers listened to music and made swirly light patterns in the air. Gabriel stayed with the boys the whole time, and afterward, when Maddie went to look for him, he was nowhere to be found.
This is bad
, thought Maddie.
Really bad.
Camp was ending in just a couple of days. And unlike for Liza, it didn't look like it was going to end on a high note for Maddie.

Once again, Maddie headed back to the bunk early. Tara was there as usual, and this time she patted a spot on the step next to her. Maddie sat down and leaned against her shoulder.

“Boy stuff?” Tara asked.

“Maybe,” Maddie replied cautiously. “I'm not sure.” She felt silly talking about it, but Tara was so nice, like a big sister. “It's just that, Gabriel and I are friends, and we sat next to each other during the movie, and I think he likes me and stuff, but then he asked me to go for a walk and I freaked out a little and just left him standing there.”

She let out a deep breath. It felt good to get all that
out. She glanced at Tara, worried that Tara might think she was silly, but Tara looked thoughtful.

“Well, do you like Gabriel maybe as a boyfriend?” Tara asked.

“Yes!” Maddie replied without hesitating. It was the first time she felt sure. “But, well . . . I don't know. I like thinking about him. I like the idea of him. But the idea of actually having him as a boyfriend is kind of, well, kind of scary.”

Tara let out an understanding laugh. “It's okay,” she said. “Sometimes boys are a lot better from a distance. You can like a boy and not do anything about it.”

“You can?” Maddie asked. She had never considered this before.

Tara nodded. “Sure! That's what a crush is all about. You don't even have to let the boy know about it if you don't want to.”

Maddie thought about this. “You know what's weird? The whole time I was worried if he liked me or not. I wonder if he was worrying if I liked him. I never did say anything.”

“And you don't have to say anything until you're ready,” Tara said. “But it's not good to hurt someone's
feelings. Gabriel is probably wondering what he did to make you run off like that. He might be avoiding you because he's embarrassed. It would be really nice if you could talk to him.”

Maddie stomach lurched. “What would I say?” she asked. She couldn't imagine having that conversation with him.
I was afraid to be your girlfriend so I ran.
Awkward!

Tara thought for a bit. “You'll figure it out,” she said. “Just treat him the way you would want him to treat you.”

Then she stood up. “Now go on in and make your bed before you get in it,” she said. “I didn't dock you today on the chores list, and I won't as long as it's done by bedtime!”

Maddie smiled. “Yes, chief!” she said, saluting.

Maddie went inside and neatly pulled up her sheets. She lifted up her pillow to fluff it, and her dad's note slid out from under the pillowcase. Maddie sat on the bed, turning it over in her fingers.

Nobody else was back yet, the bunk was quiet, and camp was almost over. Maybe now was the time. She unfolded it and began to read.

Dear Madeline,

I hope you are having a great time at camp. Are you still boating a lot? I'll bet you are such a great boater this summer. Be sure to get out on the lake as much as possible.

The world will change and go by plenty fast outside of camp, but inside all I want you to do this summer is have fun and enjoy it. Paddle slowly. Listen to the water. Look up at the sky. Feel the sun on your back. Be still, and when the current changes and when you feel the wind on you, you'll be ready and know which way to point your boat.

You have great instincts, Mads, on the water and on land. I know that whatever you do will be the right thing when you trust your gut. I'll be thinking of you always, Mads. I love you forever and a day . . . keep rowing your boat merrily along . . .

Love,

Dad

Maddie's throat was tight. She folded up the letter and carefully slipped it back underneath her pillowcase. It was
just like Dad to tell her exactly what she needed to hear at the exact right time.

I like Gabriel,
Maddie thought.
I really do. But I haven't felt the wind or the current yet, and I'm not sure, just yet, which way I want to row.

“WE ARE THE CAMPERS OF CAMP WIMOWAY,

You can't catch us 'cause we will swim away,

We run and craft and play games every day,

We are the campers of Camp Wimoway!”

The campers' voices rose together as they sang the camp theme song. Around them, the smell of sizzling hot dogs and burgers filled the early evening air as the campers and counselors gathered outside to celebrate the last night of camp. Jim Lewis helped Mrs. Hancock grill burgers on a giant outdoor grill, while some campers roasted their hot dogs on sticks over the fire pits.

“I will never get tired of that song,” Emily said as she, Libby, and Maddie carried their food to the nearest empty picnic table.

“It's ridiculous, but it's catchy,” Libby admitted.

Maddie nodded. “Sometimes at home, I sing it in the shower,” she confessed, and her friends burst out laughing.

They sat down, and Emily bit into her burger. Maddie raised an eyebrow.

“Emily, is that a veggie burger?” she asked.

Emily nodded. “Number thirty-one. I have to admit, I kind of missed them.”

“I can't believe this is our last night,” Maddie said, looking out at the velvet blue sky, where the first stars of the night were starting to appear. “It went so fast. I don't want to go back!”

“I don't know,” Libby said. “I mean, this was my first year coming for the whole summer. I kind of miss home.”

Emily nodded. “Me too. My mom said she recorded all fourteen episodes of
Ultimate Craft Challenge
for me. I miss TV!”

“But I don't get to see you guys for a whole year,” Maddie pointed out.

“But we have technology at home,” Emily pointed out. “We can text and do a video chat.”

“Oh my gosh, what a good idea!” Libby squealed. “We have to tell Liza. Then the four of us could get together whenever we want. Sort of. You know what I mean!”

Maddie grinned. “Yeah, that would be nice.”

Emily stood up. “I need another veggie burger!” she
announced, and then marched off to get one.

“What about you, Maddie?” Libby asked. “Another hot dog?”

“I'm full,” Maddie replied. She was actually more nervous than full. Tara had given her good advice, but every time she started to approach Gabriel since then, she had chickened out. Tonight was her last chance. But first she had something to say to Libby.

“Thanks for the tennis lessons,” she said. “That was really nice of you. I know you could have played with someone a lot better than me. But I really appreciate the help.”

“It was fun,” Libby replied. “Plus, you're sooo much better than you were at the beginning of the summer. Your mom's going to love it.”

Maddie got a little pang at the mention of her mom. Maybe she did want to go home after all.

Then she spotted Gabriel a few tables away, sitting with Brandon, Jared, and Scott. She had been waiting to feel the current, as her dad would say, to know which way to go, and now she finally felt it. She took a deep breath. “I'll be back. There's something I've got to do.”