You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
—Dr. Seuss

Friday, June 12, 8:47 p.m.
In the tub
Wearing Gaga’s ski cap

Most people don’t take a bubble bath wearing a wool ski cap. But they should. It makes for a decent shower cap when your dog ate your real one. Plus, it’s extra warm and cozy, which makes for a very nice last bath before camp.

All I wanted to do tonight was soak in bubbles and think happy thoughts, which was exactly what I was doing when I was interrupted.

“Hey April, I need you.” It was May knocking on the door. “I found a pile of T-shirts we forgot to iron name labels into. Can you help me?”

“I’m in the tub. Get Mom, Dad, or June to help.”

“Please,” said May. “Mom and Dad are busy and June is bad at ironing.”

“No, I’m not,” I heard June say.

Then there was a second knock on the door. “April, Mom says you have to get out NOW!” June overemphasized the word now. “It’s my turn and she wants you to help May iron name labels into her shirts.”

“Can’t a girl take a bath in peace?” I yelled through the door at both of my sisters. I sank deeper into the water and pulled my ski cap down over my ears. It didn’t totally block out the noise of my sisters continuing to bang on the door and telling me to get out, but it helped. Then my phone rang.

It was Brynn. I used a dry finger to answer it on speakerphone. “Can you help me decide which bathing suits to bring to camp?” she asked. I listened as she described the contents of her top dresser drawer.

“April, get out!” screamed May and June in unison.

“Just a minute!” I screamed back.

“What?” asked Brynn.

“Sorry,” I said. “I was talking to May and June.” I refocused my attention on the question she’d asked me. “I’d go with the red bikini, the yellow one with the flowers, and the purple one-piece.”

“Good choices,” said Brynn.

As soon as we hung up, my phone rang again and it was Billy. “Be at the bus stop by 6:15 a.m. so we get good seats,” he said when I answered.

“I’ll be there,” I said. I was just about to tell him what snacks I was bringing for the ride to camp, when the lock on the door started to jiggle. I told Billy I’d have to call him back. “What’s going on?” I screamed.

“I just read online how to pick a lock and I’m doing it,” said June. As the door rattled and shook, it was pretty obvious she meant business.

“OK! I’m getting out,” I said as I let the water out of the tub and grabbed a towel. Even though I’d wanted nothing more tonight than to relax in the tub, I was surprisingly cool with all the interruptions and door-banging.

In a way, all the chaos made me realize how excited I am about the summer.

I’m actually looking forward to having my sisters at camp. We’ve spent the last few days getting ready, and it’s been fun being the expert talking with them about what’s in store for the summer.

I’m excited to be going back with Billy and Brynn too. After the way things ended last summer, I never thought I’d be saying that. But tonight when Brynn and Billy called, it almost seemed like there never was a time when the three of us weren’t friends. And that made me happy.

I know Gaga would be thrilled to hear me say that. She was all about happiness.

In a way, going to camp feels like yet another ending to add to this year. It’s weird to know it’s the end of my summers there.

But it’s also a beginning—hopefully a new start to being friends with Billy and Brynn. And when we come back, I, April Elizabeth Sinclair, will be a sophomore in high school. It’s kind of hard to believe.

But I’ll deal with that when it happens. First: in T minus nine hours, I’ll be on a bus on my way to camp with my sisters, with some of my best friends next to me and my favorite ski cap on my head.

What else could a girl need?