Camp Confidential 01 - Natalie's Secret by Melissa J. Morgan Page B
Authors: Melissa J. Morgan
Ads: Link
I’m told it builds character.”
Her father laughed heartily. “Kid, I think you’ve got more than enough character already.”
“Tell that to Mom,” Natalie groaned, giggling.
“Seriously, Natalie—how are you liking camp? Because I’ve spoken with your mother, and we both agree that if you’re really miserable, you can come home. She says your letters—the few that she’s gotten—are written with your typical sarcasm, and she can’t make out how bad it really is. So you have to fess up.”
“You spoke to Mom?” Natalie asked softly. Accepting as she was of her parents’ love lives, a part of her still couldn’t quite believe that their marriage was over. They had divorced when she was four, so she’d had some time to get used to it, and she and her mother were happy and doing well. But the fact that the separation had been so . . . amicable almost made it harder to accept. If they were screaming and yelling about things like child support all the time, she might be more willing to let go of the fantasy that they’d someday get back together.
“She called last week,” Josie chirped, breaking into Natalie’s little imaginary tour of the alternate reality where her nuclear family was still intact. “Because she knew we were coming to surprise you.”
“Yes, we’re all in on it, sweetie. If you’re unhappy, we’ll take you right home. Well, technically, you’d have to come out to LA, because your mother won’t be back from Europe for a few more weeks. But I have about a month before I head off on location again, so the timing would be perfect.”
Natalie frowned. She wasn’t sure how she felt about it. A week ago, being offered the chance to go home would have been a dream come true. Could it be that so much had changed in such a short period of time? There were things about camp that she could definitely do without—spiders in the bathroom, for example. Or that horrible food three times a day. Or having to put up with Chelsea’s snipes. But then she thought of smart, sensitive Alyssa, and outgoing Grace. Boisterous Jenna, and energetic Alex. Assuming those girls still planned on talking to her, she couldn’t just bail on them. What would Val do in nature without her? Or Simon? That is, if he doesn’t hate me, Natalie thought.
But if her friends did hate her, she knew she had to stay and smooth things over. Going home wasn’t the answer. Hannah wasn’t in New York City, and Maggie and Ellen were away, too, so what was the fun in that? And as for visiting her father in Los Angeles . . . well, she loved being out in California (she especially loved his huge house and heated swimming pool), but she had already planned a trip to see him at the end of the summer, just before school started. Now was camp time. And to Natalie’s surprise, she found that she was determined to stick it out.
“You know what, Dad?” Natalie found herself saying. “It’s okay. I’ve kind of gotten used to camp. I can’t walk away now.”
Her father grinned, his bright blue eyes twinkling. “What did I tell you? More than enough character! That’s what I like to hear, honey. I’m proud of you.”
“Me too,” Josie echoed, pushing her plate aside and flagging down the waitress. “Do you think they have fat-free frozen yogurt in this place?”
“I’m just disappointed that you didn’t find anything today that you wanted,” Tad said to Natalie. They had finished their lunch and driven back to camp, stopping only at a farm stand on the side of the road. Now his limo was parked just outside the front entrance to camp. Natalie didn’t want to risk generating attention by bringing her father back onto the campgrounds. She’d had enough time in the spotlight already that day—and somehow, she had a feeling that she hadn’t seen the last of it.
“Not true,” Natalie pointed out. “Everyone in my bunk is going to be really into the peanut butter and chocolate fudge we got at
Her father laughed heartily. “Kid, I think you’ve got more than enough character already.”
“Tell that to Mom,” Natalie groaned, giggling.
“Seriously, Natalie—how are you liking camp? Because I’ve spoken with your mother, and we both agree that if you’re really miserable, you can come home. She says your letters—the few that she’s gotten—are written with your typical sarcasm, and she can’t make out how bad it really is. So you have to fess up.”
“You spoke to Mom?” Natalie asked softly. Accepting as she was of her parents’ love lives, a part of her still couldn’t quite believe that their marriage was over. They had divorced when she was four, so she’d had some time to get used to it, and she and her mother were happy and doing well. But the fact that the separation had been so . . . amicable almost made it harder to accept. If they were screaming and yelling about things like child support all the time, she might be more willing to let go of the fantasy that they’d someday get back together.
“She called last week,” Josie chirped, breaking into Natalie’s little imaginary tour of the alternate reality where her nuclear family was still intact. “Because she knew we were coming to surprise you.”
“Yes, we’re all in on it, sweetie. If you’re unhappy, we’ll take you right home. Well, technically, you’d have to come out to LA, because your mother won’t be back from Europe for a few more weeks. But I have about a month before I head off on location again, so the timing would be perfect.”
Natalie frowned. She wasn’t sure how she felt about it. A week ago, being offered the chance to go home would have been a dream come true. Could it be that so much had changed in such a short period of time? There were things about camp that she could definitely do without—spiders in the bathroom, for example. Or that horrible food three times a day. Or having to put up with Chelsea’s snipes. But then she thought of smart, sensitive Alyssa, and outgoing Grace. Boisterous Jenna, and energetic Alex. Assuming those girls still planned on talking to her, she couldn’t just bail on them. What would Val do in nature without her? Or Simon? That is, if he doesn’t hate me, Natalie thought.
But if her friends did hate her, she knew she had to stay and smooth things over. Going home wasn’t the answer. Hannah wasn’t in New York City, and Maggie and Ellen were away, too, so what was the fun in that? And as for visiting her father in Los Angeles . . . well, she loved being out in California (she especially loved his huge house and heated swimming pool), but she had already planned a trip to see him at the end of the summer, just before school started. Now was camp time. And to Natalie’s surprise, she found that she was determined to stick it out.
“You know what, Dad?” Natalie found herself saying. “It’s okay. I’ve kind of gotten used to camp. I can’t walk away now.”
Her father grinned, his bright blue eyes twinkling. “What did I tell you? More than enough character! That’s what I like to hear, honey. I’m proud of you.”
“Me too,” Josie echoed, pushing her plate aside and flagging down the waitress. “Do you think they have fat-free frozen yogurt in this place?”
“I’m just disappointed that you didn’t find anything today that you wanted,” Tad said to Natalie. They had finished their lunch and driven back to camp, stopping only at a farm stand on the side of the road. Now his limo was parked just outside the front entrance to camp. Natalie didn’t want to risk generating attention by bringing her father back onto the campgrounds. She’d had enough time in the spotlight already that day—and somehow, she had a feeling that she hadn’t seen the last of it.
“Not true,” Natalie pointed out. “Everyone in my bunk is going to be really into the peanut butter and chocolate fudge we got at
Similar Books
