I’VE NEVER HEARD THE MESS hall so quiet before.
It’s as if I’m the only one in here, but I’m not. Right now over two hundred pairs of eyes are on me, and I can hear them whispering, too.
“That’s the girl who set fire to the theater porch.”
“I heard she torched the theater because she hates London Blue and didn’t want us to win the contest.”
“I heard she had a breakdown because she has no friends here.”
“She should be expelled. Can you be expelled from camp?”
I give my Cheerios a milk bath and watch them get soggier. I can’t eat. I don’t want any of Beaver’s chocolate chip pancakes, which he made the camp special this morning as a pick-me-up. I tried sneaking into the kitchen through the back—Court said I’m not allowed on kitchen duty right now. I only saw Beaver for a second. He didn’t directly come out and say it when I stopped by the kitchen this morning, but I know he’s disappointed in me. I put my spoon down. Who could eat when she’s responsible for destroying a camp’s dream in minutes?
I sit at the edge of our bunk’s dining table while the rest of my bunkmates huddle at the other end like I have the plague. Even Lina has joined them. I don’t blame her. I tried talking to her when I got back to the bunk last night (I didn’t want to leave the scene till the fire was completely out), but she pretended to be asleep. Courtney told me to try to get some myself since today would be a long day. The two of us are supposed to go right from breakfast to Hitch’s office to hear my punishment. I have a suspicion my parents are on their way to pick me up right now. I discreetly glance around the room, hoping to catch Ethan’s eye, but he’s nowhere to be seen. I don’t see Kyle, either. I wonder what he thinks about what I did.
It was an accident. But accident or not, I’ve ruined everything this camp has worked for this summer.
Feedback from the microphone stand draws my attention. The campers around me groan and wince. “Sorry about that.” Hitch’s voice is mellower than usual. Pam is standing beside him, looking mournful as well. “Good morning, Pines.”
I hear a few halfhearted good mornings.
“By this point, most of you know what happened at the theater after All-Camp Night,” Hitch says. “For those of you who don’t, an accidental fire caused our theater porch to go up in flames, along with our entry for the London Blue video contest.”
Hitch doesn’t mention my name, but the word accident doesn’t seem to make people any less upset.
“Unfortunately, the entries are due a week from today, and there is just no way to put such an elaborate project together again in time.”
A pez starts to cry. Complaints rise up around the room, making my cheeks burn.
“We know who’s to blame for that, don’t we?” Camilla glares at me, and Jeanie tries not to grin. I spin my Cheerios around some more. Lina looks at me and away again.
“But I don’t want you guys to be upset because we have a lot of great things coming up this summer,” Hitch says optimistically. “Our first session of Color War is less than a week away. There is another overnight trip tomorrow for the marshmallows and a campers versus basketball players game with the famous Harlem Wizards later on in the week.” Pam tries to get the usual applause started. A few halfheartedly join in. “We don’t need London Blue to have fun!” he adds, getting caught up in the moment.
“It still would have been nice to be in a music video,” Melody mutters.
Addison leans in so the entire table can hear her. “Did you hear Hitch was going to let the first session campers come back the day London shot the video if we won? And we so would have. Our spirit board was ah-mazing!”
It was beautiful. It was a great collage. But ah-mazing is taking it a bit too far. There were probably hundreds of camp entries for this contest, and that board was not going to stand out from the pack. It was too vanilla to do that. The only spark was Lina’s drawing. I don’t have the nerve to say any of that now.
I should have said it when it mattered, but I didn’t do that, either.
“So please eat up because Beaver made those chocolate chip pancakes special for today,” Hitch says. “He was really upset about our contest entry being destroyed, so he’s been cooking for hours. Wait till you see what he’s cooking up for dinner!” He lowers his megaphone and immediately his smile vanishes. He looks as beat up as I probably do.
“Harper?” Courtney comes up behind me. “Hitch would like to see you in his office in fifteen minutes. I have a few things to deal with beforehand, so I’ll meet you there.”
“Okay.” A feeling of dread washes over me as Courtney walks away. That’s when I see Kyle. He’s wearing a baseball cap, but that doesn’t hide the grim look on his face. He calls me over to the side of the mess hall.
“How are you holding up?” he asks. I can see my bunkmates watching us.
“Not good,” I whisper.
“I’m sure.” He nods. I can’t read his expression. “What were you thinking carrying a candle?”
“I wasn’t thinking!” I say. “All I was thinking about was how you guys were celebrating at the lake while Lina and I were miserable in our bunk.”
He looks down. “I should have realized why you two weren’t there. I feel awful. Lina won’t even speak to me now.” He looks up, his eyes a mirror image of my own. “But you can fix this, you know. Call Dad. Tell him what happened. You can get him to extend the contest deadline.”
I shake my head. “You know we can’t do that. Everyone will find out what McDaddy does and how we know London.”
Kyle gives me a look. “So? Ethan knows Dad works with London. He goes to school with us, and he doesn’t treat us any differently. What are you afraid of?”
I am startled. Ethan does know our connection to London, and he’s never even mentioned it to me. The only one who ever really talks about it is Kate. My best friend Kate who couldn’t even text me back last night. She had nothing to gain from our conversation. Margo, on the other hand, immediately called Courtney’s phone when she got my text, because that’s what real friends do. Like Lina, who tried to stop me from making this stupid mistake in the first place.
“No.” I shake my head. All I’ve done since we moved to Brookville is spend McDaddy’s money and use his name. I am not going to let that happen here, too. “That’s cheating. I am not calling in favors.”
“Why not?” Kyle clearly thinks I am nuts. “It would fix everything!”
“No.” I am resolute. “I either fix this on my own, or I don’t fix it at all.”
“Fine.” Kyle pulls his baseball cap lower. “Have a good trip home.”
“Don’t be like that. Kyle!” It’s no use. He’s already walking away, and now I’m standing here by myself while my bunkmates continue to glare. I have to get out of here.
I leave the mess hall and take the long path to the office so I can think. But fifteen minutes comes quickly, and I soon find myself at Hitch’s office. It’s the first time I’ve been there. When I walk inside, the cold air blasts me in the face.
Ah, air-conditioning. How I’ve missed you, old friend.
The hum of the air conditioner has a soothing sound, making me feel at ease as I walk up to the secretary to ask if I can see Hitch. Her phone is ringing off the hook.
“Whispering Pines. Hold, please. Whispering Pines. No, no one is in danger. The fire was put out immediately and no campers were inside the building. Please hold. Whispering Pines. Alan Hitchens is in a meeting right now and will have to call you back. Yes, we did have a fire, but everything is fine. Please hold.”
I clear my throat, and the older woman looks up.
“Harper McAllister, I presume?” She is less than thrilled to see me, but I can’t blame her. I’ve made her morning more hectic than usual. “He’s already in there with the others. Go on in.”
Others?
When I push open Hitch’s door, I see Courtney and Sam, but I’m surprised to find Ethan and Lina sitting there as well.
“What are they doing here?” I ask.
“I thought it would be best if I asked everyone involved to be here,” Hitch says wearily. I see the red lights on his phone blinking wildly. “Please have a seat, Harper.”
I pull out the available chair next to Ethan. I am too hurt to look at him.
“I’ve called all of you here to find out exactly what happened last night.” Hitch runs a hand through his bright white hair. “Needless to say, I am not happy. The fire made the local news. My phone board has been lit up like a Christmas tree all morning by concerned parents.” His cool blue eyes look from one person to the next. “What I need right now is answers. All I know is that we have a burned porch, no shot at getting London Blue, and only one person to blame for this mess.” He looks directly at me. “This is not what I thought would happen when I agreed to let you come here this summer, Harper.”
“I know.” I am barely audible. It’s embarrassing to hear someone talk about the mess you’ve made.
“What were you doing with a candle?” Hitch complains. “You know they’re forbidden. Your counselor should have confiscated that on day one.” He gives Courtney a look.
“I did,” she jumps in. “At least I thought I got them all. She brought aromatherapy candles as gifts for everyone, but I wouldn’t let her give them out. Even though they smelled amazing,” she adds under her breath.
“I hid one,” I admit. Courtney looks even more disappointed. “I never planned on using it. I just liked how the lavender made my trunk smell.” Hitch’s eyebrows go up. “But then the last of my flashlight batteries died, and I needed a light to get down to the lake to see where everyone was last night, so I lit up the candle.” I look down at my lap. “I only put it down on the porch for a second, but I guess the wind knocked it over.”
“It was really windy,” Sam says on my behalf. She looks at me curiously. “Be honest: You weren’t trying to destroy the camp’s chances at getting London Blue, were you?”
“No!” I protest. “Why would I do that?” I glance sheepishly at Lina. “That contest meant a lot to people close to me. I know how hard they worked on that board. I wanted them to win. I was mad last night,” I tell everyone, “but I did not try to destroy the spirit board.”
“What were you doing up at the theater then?” Hitch wants to know.
“I was on my way to the bonfire at the lake, but then I stopped myself.” I blush. “I knew I wasn’t wanted there.”
“That’s not true,” Ethan says, but I ignore him.
“There was a bonfire going on at the lake?” Hitch asks. “I didn’t approve that.”
“They go every week after All-Camp Night,” Sam tells him. “The counselors know about the get-togethers. The campers are back in their bunk by curfew. Well, except for last night.”
“We’ll talk about that part later,” he tells Sam sternly and then looks at me again. “First I want to hear how that candle accidentally tipped over.”
“I put it down to think for a moment,” I say, getting upset just thinking about it again. “I didn’t know what to do. Go back to the cabin? Head to the lake? A wise person told me to just let it go and not give anyone there the satisfaction.” I look at Lina, but she doesn’t make eye contact. “I was so mad that I started kicking a door, and someone heard me.”
“You were kicking the theater door? Now I need to add property destruction to your list.” Hitch sighs. “Ethan, you were the one she ran into?”
He nods. “Yeah. But she wasn’t starting a fire or anything. She was just standing there.” He clears his throat. “Arguing with me.” I begin biting my nails.
“Did you notice the candle?” Hitch asks.
“No,” Ethan says. “We were fighting, and then I smelled something burning and we saw the fire. That’s when she mentioned the candle.” He plays with a duct-tape bracelet on his right wrist. “Sir, I really don’t think Harper meant for this to happen. It was an accident.”
“Is that what you think, too, Lina?” Hitch asks. “I know you two are close.”
“I don’t think Harper meant to start that fire, either. I just wish she would have listened to me when I warned her not to go down to the lake.” Lina looks at me. “Friends trust each other.”
“You’re right.” My voice warbles. “I was wrong. I’ve screwed up everything I’ve done since I got here. It’s obvious to everyone, myself included, that I don’t belong at camp. I don’t fit in no matter how hard I try. If it’s okay with you, I just want to go home. Call my dad and have me picked up,” I beg Hitch. “I’ll be out of your hair by dinner.”
“Harper,” Lina whispers. “I’m upset, but I don’t hate you. Stay.” I shake my head.
Hitch sighs heavily. “I wanted to make sure this wasn’t done deliberately because I must tell you, the campers are very disappointed. I’m very disappointed. Pam is devastated. She thought having London here would put Whispering Pines on the map.”
I twist the friendship bracelet Lina gave me around and around my wrist. “I understand that, sir.”
“But I haven’t called your father.” I look up, surprised. “You still have almost two weeks left and you’re going to finish them, like you promised. I usually say the punishment should fit the crime.” He scratches the goatee he’s started to grow. “So in this case, you’ll have to help rebuild the porch.”
I’m stunned. “Okay.” I’ve never wielded a hammer before, but I’m not about to argue with someone who is not going to press charges against me.
“You’re sure there’s no way we can get an entry in on time?” Courtney asks.
“No.” Hitch sounds disappointed. “That board took weeks to finish, not hours. We’ve got the Harlem Wizards coming this weekend and the overnighter in Boston. We’d never get another spirit board together in time.”
My wheels start spinning. We may not be able to do another board, but maybe I can. I need to fix the damage I caused.
“I’m afraid, in addition to rebuilding the porch, your punishment will also include skipping the overnighter tomorrow,” Hitch says. “It wouldn’t seem fair to send you after what happened.”
“I understand,” I say. Secretly I’m relieved. After what I’ve done, the other campers would probably try to find a way to leave me in Boston. And if I’m here and no one is speaking to me, that gives me time to put a plan in motion.
“Well, that’s it,” Hitch says and stands. “I’ll see the rest of you on the bus early tomorrow morning for the away trip.”
I bolt from the room before anyone can stop me. I have a lot of work to do.
“Harper!” Courtney rushes to catch up with me. “Where’s the fire?” I groan. “Okay, that was a bad choice of words.”
I give her a half smile. “You’re forgiven.”
Courtney puts an arm around my shoulders as we walk out of a patch of trees and into the bright sunlight. “If it makes you feel better, you’re not the first person to screw up at the Pines.” She grins. “One year Sam caused a campwide food fight in the mess hall and got banished to a cabin with Hitch’s daughter for several days.”
My eyes widen. “Are you serious?”
Courtney nods. “Yep. Not only did they manage to not kill each other, they created this cool video for our talent show that was a peace treaty of sorts for our whole bunk.” She pats my back. “You’ll figure out a way to win them back, too. You’ve got more spirit in you than most of the girls in this place.”
“You think?” I stare at my sneakers, which were once so shiny and now, after weeks of trudging though the dirt at camp, have lost some of their shine. Just like me. “I was just so angry last night at everyone.” My voice cracks. “I fought off liking this place for so long and now that I like it here, I get knocked on my butt again and cause a fire.” I gulp. “It’s not the way I thought this week would go.”
If you had asked me what would have happened last night at the lake, I could have pictured Ethan and me taking a long walk in the moonlight or talking on the dock. Not me yelling awful things at him and accusing him of siding with Jeanie.
The truth is, I don’t think he knew what Jeanie was up to, but I’m still mad he wasn’t smart enough to sniff out her plan.
Just then, I see Ethan cut across the lawn in front of us. He doesn’t look my way.
“What’s the story there?” Courtney asks, nodding in his direction.
“Ethan?” I stammer. “I thought we were friends. Now I’m not sure what we are.”
“Boys are great at saying one thing and doing another,” says Courtney with a sigh. “If I know Ethan—and I’ve known a lot of Ethans—he knows he let you down last night. My advice: Give him a chance to explain himself. Same goes for Lina. Talk to her. That’s what real friends do.”
“Thanks,” I say without much enthusiasm. I feel so beat down. “I’ll try.”
Courtney looks at me hard. “You found something you like about the Pines. Don’t give up on it now just because you hit a rough patch. I wouldn’t have believed it two weeks ago, but I really think you belong here.”
You belong here. I hesitate. “When you were a camper here, did you act a lot different at camp than you did at home?”
Courtney laughs. “Of course! It’s easier to be yourself when you’re not pigeonholed into what everybody thinks you are. When you’re out of your comfort zone, you act more like the person you want to be. Being that person all the time takes work.”
Focusing on me has never been the problem. What I need to do is figure out who the real me is. Am I the girl I was before McDaddy struck it big or after? Is it okay to be a little of both?
“Are you still friends with people from home?” I’m afraid to hear her answer.
“Some,” Courtney says. “My closest friends are the girls from my bunk.” She smiles. “Sam, you know. My friend Grace is on a traveling college soccer team so she couldn’t be a counselor this year, and my friend Emily Kate is a real brain so she’s in Europe this summer taking some college classes, but we’re all still close. We try to see each other a few times a year. Usually we get together to do something fun, like do a road trip or karaoke, like you guys did last night. We still like to shoot videos of us together. The videos remind us of what our lives were when we were at the Pines.” She grins. “They were some of the best times of my life.”
The videos remind us of what our lives were when we were at the Pines.
That is what my video needs to show—the best of the Pines. Not photos or scraps of T-shirts. Snippets of our lives that show real people—like Beaver, who slaves over his recipes to make the meals more fun. Friendships like the one I have with Lina—someone who listens to me, tells me when I’m being an idiot, and knows how to cheer me up with a drawing when I’m down. Something that shows how everyone comes together during activities like karaoke night and how this camp breeds fierce loyalty. Jeanie may not be my favorite person, but I admire how much she cares about the Pines. I need to be McDaddy for a day and shoot a video that shows London a camp she’ll never forget.
“Listen, I have an idea that just might save the London Blue contest and prove to everyone once and for all that I’m more than just Camping Barbie,” I tell Courtney excitedly. “But to do it, I’ll need full access to your cell phone.”
Courtney looks at me strangely, but I can tell her interest is piqued. “Go on.”
I outline my plan. Courtney doesn’t interrupt me—which is very un-Courtney-like. By the time I’m talking about my ideas for the video finale, she looks as pumped as I feel. “You really think you can do this on your own? And in just a few days?”
I don’t hesitate. “Yes. I might need to get on a laptop to do some editing, but it can be done. I’ve seen my dad do videos in a day when he has to.”
“I have a laptop back at the cabin,” Courtney says. “The bigger issue is explaining why a camper on probation for setting a fire is running around campus with an iPhone, shooting a video.” She grimaces. “I’ll have to come up with something to tell Hitch. Maybe I’ll say part of your punishment with me is to shoot a video that shows how great the Pines is. To make you see what you’ve been missing.”
“That could work!” I exclaim excitedly.
“I’ll have to give the same speech to all the counselors and staff so you have access to them,” she adds. “I’ll say you’re using the footage for the camp video yearbook.” She gives me a stern look. “No one can know we still have a chance at the London video. What if you don’t get this done? It will kill some of these kids if we break their hearts a second time. Shoot as much as you can today and tomorrow when the rest of the marshmallows are on the overnighter. If they see you with an iPhone, they’ll be suspicious.”
“Gotcha.” I grin. “But, Court? I know I can do this.”
Courtney grins. “If you’re anything like me, Harper, which I think you are, then I believe you.” She surprisingly hugs me, and I feel her slip something into my pocket. “Here’s my phone,” she whispers. “Do not let anyone see you doing anything other than videoing or we’re both busted. I’ll tell the bunk you’re punished and not coming with us. Good luck, Camping Barbie.”
“Thanks!” I head to the bathroom by the mess hall since we’re in between dining periods and it will probably be empty. I check that the coast is clear and then make a call.
“McDaddy Productions,” a voice says.
“Sydney? It’s Harper McAllister,” I say to my father’s personal assistant. I crouch down on a toilet seat so no one can see my feet in the bottom of the stall.
“Harper! Hey, honey. How is camp? Why are you calling my line?” she asks. “Do you want me to get your dad?”
“No!” I say quickly. “Don’t tell him I called.” I am doing this without McDaddy’s help. There’s only one thing I need from Sydney. “I was wondering if you could find out where I can e-mail an entry for the London Blue Camp Video contest.” I cross my fingers. “There is an entry coming in that will blow the rest away.”
Harper McAllister @HarperMc
Summer may be short, but the memories you make will last forever. #nevergiveup #neverquit