Applewhites at Wit's End by Stephanie S. Tolan Page B

look!” he shouted at the top of his lungs. While everybody was looking up to where a turkey vulture was circling over the pond, its wings in a steady V, Destiny pushed past Hal and Cordelia and the campers, grabbed Ginger by the arm, and launched himself off the end of the dock, dragging her, shrieking, with him. Jake rushed after him and reached the end of the dock as Ginger and Destiny came up through the cannonball splash, water streaming down their faces. “Paddle and kick!” Destiny hollered as Ginger sputtered and began to tread water. “Paddle and kick! Like me. You can do it!”
    And so, of course, she could. While Destiny bobbed cheerfully up and down in his life jacket, smacking the water with both hands and repeating “paddle and kick, paddle and kick,” she swam to the platform, touched it, and swam back to the dock.
    â€œI’ll get you for this,” she said to Destiny as she grabbed hold of the ladder. Then she saw Jake and broke into a smile. She reached up for his hand, so he pulled her up. “Thanks,” she said, her face radiant with stalker passion.
    Jake groaned.
    From the diving platform, Archie’s whistle shrilled again. “Free swim!” he called. “When I call ‘Buddy check,’ grab hands with your buddy and raise them so I can see!” The campers cheered and flung themselves back into the pond.
    â€œI guess we’re buddies,” Jake called to Destiny. He held his nose and jumped. The water was wonderfully cool and surprisingly clear. As he came back up, he could see Destiny’s feet kicking sporadically beneath the red cylinder of his life jacket. The moment Jake’s head broke the surface of the water, Ginger Boniface did a cannonball off the dock that swamped him and Destiny both.

Chapter Seventeen
    I t was a few minutes after noon on Eureka! Day Three, and everyone except Hal (and Randolph, who probably wasn’t up yet) had gathered in the dining tent for announcements. E.D. had chosen to sit with Aunt Lucille, Uncle Archie, and her grandfather. As usual the boys and Ginger were at one table and the girls and Destiny, who sat next to Cinnamon, were at another. Watching Q and David, E.D. couldn’t help but think of all the nature documentaries where lion cubs or wolf pups or young hyenas were constantly wrestling and chewing on each other. The two of them were at each other every minute.
    Obviously, David—however powerful his aura—was not an angel. But knowing that did nothing to change the effect he had on her. It was possible it made that effect even stronger. As good as David was at everything, even E.D. was beginning to see that Q was better. She thought about David’s application, and how full it was of obvious successes. He was used to being the best. Suddenly, he wasn’t. He must feel the way she did last fall when Jake had found the great spangled fritillary—the very last butterfly for her Butterfly Project—the one she’d been looking for for weeks. She’d been furious at him. Hurt and furious!
    Jake, as a staff member, ought to at least try to stop the roughhousing, she thought now. But he didn’t. In fact, he tended to participate. If somebody punched him, he invariably punched back. What had the family been thinking of to make their resident juvenile delinquent a member of the staff?
    Sybil rang the temple gong Lucille had donated for the purpose of getting everyone’s attention. She had to do it twice more before it got quiet. “You may be glad to know that from now on all meals will be served buffet style.” After several food insurrections, she and Lucille had given up trying to invent menus that would please everybody. “There will be a variety of foods laid out in the kitchen, and you can choose whatever you like—”
    â€œOr whatever you don’t hate,” David said. David, exercising what leadership he could, had started most of