CHAPTER 8

Word War

On Friday, a flurry of chatter filled the campground. Everyone was excited about the campfire festivities. There was talk of sing-alongs, games like Telephone and I Spy, and s’mores on a stick.

But Ellie only heard:

“Sit on my raft!”

“Be my teammate!”

“Ride bikes with me!”

“Go hiking with me!”

Mona and Leona fought over Ellie all afternoon. They pulled her in opposite directions, each trying to stop her from playing with the other. Ellie went this way for hopscotch with Mona. She went that way to build sandcastles with Leona. They pulled her around so much that her head started to spin. By nightfall it was moving at warp speed.

Ellie sat dizzily in the arts and crafts hall. It was time for Make-A-Cape, the final activity before the campfire started. On either side of her, the twins decorated plain capes that Wendy had placed on the table.

Mona picked up the tube of silver glitter glue in front of Ellie. “Are you using this, Ellie?” she asked. “I’m going to draw a sparkly snowflake in the center.”

“No, go ahead,” Ellie replied. She wasn’t up to participating. Besides, she didn’t need to make a new cape. Hers worked fine already.

“How do you like my drawing, Ellie?” Leona asked. Her cape had a picture of an arctic fox with a purple scarf. “The scarf is the same color as the lightning bolt on your shirt. That bolt is the coolest—just like you!”

Ellie smiled. “Thanks, Leona,” she replied. “You know, you’re a super friend.”

Overhearing that, Mona turned in her seat. She looked troubled. “Wait,” she said to Ellie. “I thought I was your super friend.”

“Oh sure,” Ellie added quickly. She worried she had said something wrong. “You are too, Mona.”

“Of course, I’m more super,” Leona said. She scooted her chair closer to Ellie’s. “I hung out with Ellie this week while someone tagged along like a sidekick. I won’t say the person’s name. But it starts with an M and ends with an ona.”

“A sidekick?” Mona bristled at her sister. “If you look up that word in the dictionary, you’ll see your freckle-faced picture.” She held her chin high. “I’m Ellie’s real friend. Not you.”

“Nuh-uh!”

“Yuh-huh!”

The girls went back and forth. Ellie listened to their voices clash until her stomach turned. She couldn’t take their arguing anymore.

“I’m not feeling very well,” she said, interrupting. “I’d better go back to the cabin.”

Leaving Mona and Leona behind, Ellie flew into the night. What was I thinking using the Ultra Hypno Change-O on them? she scolded herself.

Sure it had made the twins treat Ellie better. But it had also had the opposite effect on the way they treated each other. It had turned them into archenemies instead of best friends.

Mom was right, Ellie thought. Sometimes power can do more harm than good.

Hopefully being back in the cabin alone would give her time to clear her mind. The girls’ friendship needed to be fixed, and only she had the power to do that. Just then an envelope on her bed caught her eye. It was pink with a picture of a dancing ballerina.

Ellie’s heart leaped. “Hannah wrote back!” She raced to the envelope and pulled out the letter. It read:

Hi Ellie!

I miss YOU! This week has been B-O-R-I-N-G. Being on little-sister patrol stinks! Thanks to Cece, I’ve had to watch every episode of “Boogie-Woogie Woodchuck.” (Yesterday I started singing the theme song. It’s taking over my brain!)

I’m sorry your cabinmates are being mean. They shouldn’t treat a fellow hero like that. Maybe you can ask them why? If you knew the reason, it might help you get to know them better. Good luck!

YSB,

Hannah

P.S. Save me from the “Boogie-Woogie Woodchuck.” PLEASE.

As Ellie put the letter away, she thought hard about Hannah’s advice. It made sense to ask the girls why they disliked her. She might not like their answer, but it was part of getting to know them. If they still didn’t want to be friends after that, at least she’d have tried.

First I have to make them friends again. But that should be simple, Ellie figured. All she had to do was have them look at the Hypno Change-O again. Then she could reverse the invention’s effects.

Ellie ran to her bag and took out the gadget. She was ready to go when the door opened. Mona and Leona skated inside, snow flurries whirling around them.

“Ellie, we’ve come to a conclusion,” Mona said.

“We’re done fighting,” Leona added.

Ellie’s mouth fell open. “Really? What a relief!” she replied. “It’s no fun when you aren’t getting along.”

“I agree,” Mona continued as her sister nodded. “So we decided to have you settle our argument. Tell us, who is your more super friend? Me—”

“—or me?” Leona said.