Maddie's Camp Crush (3 page)

“Which is the tall one?” asked Emily.

“Um . . . the really tall one,” said Samantha.

Maddie's ears perked up. Did she mean the British boy?

Just then Patty and Jim Lewis, the camp directors, were
standing up and wildly trying to get everyone's attention. “Campers!” called Jim. “It's time for announcements!”

“Welcome, campers, to Camp Wimoway!” said Patty, a short, athletic-looking woman with a neat haircut. “This is going to be a great season!”

Maddie joined in as the campers clapped and cheered. Liza put two fingers between her lips and let out a long, loud whistle.

“Now let's meet this year's fantastic counselors!” announced Jim, a trim man with a crew cut and glasses.

The counselors, young men and women in their twenties, like Tara, lined up next to the camp directors. Jim and Patty called out names and the campers cheered for each one.

Amelia leaned over to Maddie. “So what's with these two?” she asked, nodding her head toward Patty and Jim.

“Patty's family started the camp back in the fifties or something,” Maddie explained. “Jim's her husband. They run the camp together.”

Amelia rolled her eyes, like somehow that was a dumb job to have.

“They met at camp,” said Maddie, watching Amelia.

Amelia stopped twirling her hair. “Really?” she said. She turned back around to take another look at the boys behind them. Maddie wondered if she was thinking she would marry one of them. Just as long as it wasn't her British boy.

Maddie didn't want to make her mind up about Amelia just yet—new campers always needed time to adjust—but something told her that Amelia might be trouble.

After the counselors were introduced, they handed out camp schedules. Maddie had been coming to camp so long that she knew the basic schedule by heart. Every year, though, the Lewises added some new activity choices to keep things interesting.

Camp Wimoway Schedule

7:30: wake-up

8:00: flag

8:15: breakfast

9:00: clean-up time

9:30: all-camp activity

10:30: activity 1

11:30: activity 2

12:30: lunch

1:15: siesta time

2:15: activity 3

3:15: instructional swimming

4:15: free time/snack time

5:15: activity 4

6:30: supper

7:30: evening program

8:30: downtime

9:00: curfew

9:30 lights out

“Seven thirty wake-up? Are they serious?” Amelia asked, her eyes wide.

“You get used to it,” Maddie told her, but Amelia didn't look convinced.

Shy Samantha spoke up. “I don't get some of these things. What is siesta time?”

“They let us chill after lunch,” Liza explained. “And that's when the little kids take a nap.”

Maddie walked over to her and pointed to the schedule. “Flag is when we raise the camp flag outside the main office and get morning announcements. All-camp activity is something the whole camp does together, like a hike.”

“You mean the boys and girls are together then?” Samantha asked.

Maddie nodded. “Right, and also during meals and flag and the evening program and free time,” she explained. “The evening program is like a camp sing-along or something, and at free time and downtime you can do whatever you want.”

“Thanks,” Samantha said with a grateful smile.

“See? I told you guys there was instructional swim every day,” Libby said with a groan. “I hate getting my hair wet!”

“Me too,” Amelia agreed.

“Campers, today's schedule is a little different,” Patty announced. “After lunch you'll have free time to choose your activities. Then at three o'clock we'll all meet at the new pool for swim tests, so we can place you in the proper instructional swim class.”

“Fun,” Libby said with another groan.

“It looks like there's other fun stuff in the schedule,” Maddie pointed out.

“Let's go back to the cabin after this and pick what we want to do, so we can all do it together,” Liza suggested.

A short while later the girls sat cross-legged on the
colorful rag rug on the cabin floor. Amelia flopped down on her bed, keeping her distance.

“Activity one: tennis or volleyball,” Maddie read out loud.

“Tennis!” shouted Libby.

“Volleyball!” shouted Liza at the same time.

Emily sighed. “No crafts? I wish I could do crafts all day.”

“I'll do whatever you guys do,” Samantha said.

Emily shrugged. “I guess I will too, then, since I don't care.”

Liza and Libby looked expectantly at Maddie. Normally she would have done whatever Liza wanted, but she had been hoping to take tennis this summer. Her mom had loved to play with her dad, and Maddie hoped to get good enough to play with her.

“I think tennis,” Maddie said cautiously. “I'm trying to learn so I can play with my mom, but I'm really terrible at it.”

Liza looked a little disappointed, but she seemed to understand.

“Ooh, it will be fun!” Libby promised. “I can help you, Maddie.”

“Thanks,” Maddie replied warmly.

“I guess tennis works,” said Amelia. The girls turned
around and looked at her; they had completely forgotten about her sitting on the bed behind them.

Then they worked out the rest of the activity periods: drama, archery, and arts and crafts.

“Amelia, what are you doing?” Maddie asked as Amelia wandered over to the window.

“Plotting my escape out of here,” Amelia replied darkly.

Then Tara came in. “All right, girls, time to slather on the sunscreen and suit up.”

Thirty minutes later they were gathered around the pool with the rest of the campers. The afternoon sun was warm, and Maddie was itching to dive into the water. She loved any sports that took place in the water—kayaking, rowing, and especially swimming. So did Liza, which is one of the reasons they became friends in the first place.

The swim test was pretty simple. Four lanes had been set up across the pool, marked off by blue ropes held afloat by bright orange buoys. A counselor monitored each lane, and one by one the campers who knew how to swim were asked to jump or dive in the water, swim with a freestyle stroke to the other side of the pool, and swim back.

“Okay, Hannahs, you're up!” Tara told them.

Confident, Liza got to the front of the line. “Let's do this!” she said.

Tara blew a whistle, and Liza dove into the pool. As soon as she hit the water, she started to flounder, splashing her arms.

“It's s-s-so cold!” she complained.

“Come on, Liza, swim!” Maddie cheered.

Liza recovered and flawlessly swam across the pool and back. Then it was Maddie's turn. She braced herself now that she knew the water was cold. When she dove in, she told herself to just keep going, and then she swam to the other side and swiftly returned.

“Nice job!” Tara complimented her.

After Maddie's swim test, Samantha and Libby doggy-paddled their way across the pool. Amelia had a pretty good freestyle, but she got tired halfway back and finished with a lazy backstroke. Then, like Maddie, Emily had a nice strong swim.

“Good job, Hannahs,” Tara said when they were done. “Samantha and Libby, you're in beginners. Amelia and Liza, you're in intermediate. Maddie and Emily are in advanced.”

“Intermediate?” Liza asked, incredulous. “That is so not fair! I just got shocked by the cold water, that's all. Ask the swim counselor from last year, she'll tell you that I know what I'm doing.”

“I have to base my placement on this test,” Tara said evenly. “If you show improvement in the intermediate class, you can move up next week.”

Liza frowned and looked away, and Maddie felt bad. That meant she and Liza wouldn't be in class together. That was another disappointment for her friend, Maddie knew—first the volleyball, now this, and then there was the fact that Liza wasn't staying the whole summer.

“Sorry, Liza,” Maddie said, but her friend didn't say anything in response.

That night before lights out, Liza, Libby, and Emily sat cross-legged on Maddie's bed. Samantha was quietly reading a book, and Amelia had her head under the covers. The friends could see a soft glow shining through the blanket.

“I bet she's texting,” Liza whispered, and Maddie put a finger to her lips.

“Shh,” she said. “I think she's having a hard time adjusting.”

“I am having a hard time adjusting to instructional
swim,” Libby complained, and everyone laughed just as Tara walked in.

“Lights out, campers,” she said, and then she noticed the four girls huddled together. “I see I've got the Four Musketeers in this cabin.”

Everyone laughed but Liza.

“It won't be for long,” she said sullenly. “I'll be leaving in the middle of the summer.”

“But you'll be our fourth musketeer in spirit,” Maddie promised.

“Yeah,” Liza said, but she didn't sound convinced. She went over to her bed and pulled the covers over her.

“See you bright and early, Hannahs,” Tara said when all the girls were settled, and then she turned out the light.

Maddie glanced over at Liza, eager to catch up, but Liza had already turned over to go to sleep. It looked like the night of whispering would have to wait. She drifted off to sleep, hoping that her friend was okay.

“MAIL CALL!” TARA ANNOUNCED, BURSTING INTO
the girls' bunk.

Amelia groaned. “Come on. I'm trying to siesta!” she complained, pulling a pillow over her head.

It was the fourth day of camp, and Amelia hadn't been adjusting to the early wake-up too well. Every day after lunch she headed right for the cabin and crashed. Today Libby was out getting some extra tennis practice, Samantha was reading, Emily was knitting a canteen cozy, and Liza and Maddie were playing a board game.

“Sorry, Amelia,” Tara said, but she didn't lower the naturally loud volume of her voice. “Maddie, there are three letters for you.”

“Three?” Maddie asked, looking up from the game board. She didn't usually get a lot of mail at camp.

“I guess everyone's looking out for you,” Tara said,
and Maddie suddenly felt uncomfortable.

Here we go
, she thought.

“Maddie, how are you doing? Okay?” Tara asked in that concerned voice that Maddie had heard so much over the past year.

“Fine,” Maddie said quickly. “Thanks for the letters.”

“Looks like there's a package, too,” Tara said with a grin. She handed over the mail and then left the cabin.

“What'd you get? What'd you get?” Liza asked, excited.

“Let me see,” Maddie said. “Looks like a letter from Uncle Jay and Aunt Marie. And one from Aunt Ellen. And the package is from Grandma and Grandpa.”

“Open it!” Liza urged.

Maddie obeyed. “Strawberry licorice, yay!” she said. She looked around the bunk. They weren't supposed to get any candy but most counselors didn't say anything about it. Maddie handed out pieces to everyone and stashed the package under her bed.

Amelia took the pillow off her head, suddenly interested. “Wow, that's a lot of mail.”

“Yeah,” Maddie said, but she didn't say much else. She knew her mom must have asked every relative to
send her tons of mail to make her feel loved and all that stuff. But she didn't feel like explaining it to Amelia, or even talking about it with Liza.

“Yum, thanks!” Amelia said pleasantly as she bit into the licorice.

Libby walked in, dressed in a white shirt and shorts and carrying her tennis racket.

“Almost time for tennis,” she said.

“Aren't you sick of tennis yet?” Liza asked.

“I will never be sick of tennis,” Libby promised.

Emily put down her knitting needles. “Rats! I was almost finished,” she said. “When I get older I'm going to run a summer camp for kids who just want to do crafts all day.”

“That's actually a pretty good idea,” Samantha said, looking up from her book.

“Thanks,” Emily said. “Seth said he'll run it with me.”

“Seth?” Maddie asked.

“You know, my height, glasses,” Emily said. “He's in the Charles bunk, with that tall kid from England or whatever.”

Maddie almost shouted,
I know him! He's totally the cutest boy ever!
but she stopped herself. She'd
been keeping a lookout for BB (British Boy, her secret name for him), but she hadn't mentioned anything to Liza or any of her friends about him yet. Every time the girls started talking about boys they got distracted. They started talking about which girls' hair was longer or shorter and which counselors were the nicest (Tara was nice but strict; Wendy, who led the archery class, was strict but not supernice.) When they started talking about boys, even if they got distracted, they always ended up talking about boys again. It was hard to miss them this summer. It seemed like they were everywhere.

But today they dropped the “boys” conversation and just got ready to go to tennis.

And that felt pretty good to Maddie. Despite Tara constantly asking her if she was okay, and a lot more boy stuff this summer, she felt pretty normal so far. At school, all of her friends had been acting a little weird, but at camp it was like she was the same old Maddie.

Then something changed a few days later, when the second week of camp began. Maddie woke up to a humming sound, and as the fog of sleep lifted, she realized that someone was blow-drying their hair.

Maddie yawned and stretched. “What's going on?”
she asked Liza, who was standing in the middle of the cabin, impatiently tapping her foot.

“It's Amelia,” Liza said. “She actually took a shower this morning.”

“Really?” Maddie asked. Most campers took showers at night to wash off the day's dirt, and then jumped out of bed in the morning five minutes before flag. It was just how they did things. It didn't make sense to shower in the morning and then go do a sweaty activity an hour later.