Fearless by Katy Grant Page A

kissing.”
    â€œBut let’s all be in the skit this time,” said Erin, looking right at Melissa and me. “Nobody can say, ‘I don’t want a part.’ There’ll be three Side A campers having to listen to Rachel sing and three Side B campers watching Tis kiss her racket.”
    Melissa and I exchanged quick looks. “Okay,” I agreed.
    I really did want to be in the skit, even though I knew I’d be nervous. But I’d made up my mind. No more wimping out. Time to be fearless.
    I came up with some funny lines for all of us campers to deliver, and after that, we rehearsed everything a couple of times to be sure we had it all down.
    Then it was time for us all to meet back in the lodge. All the Middlers were crowding inside and finding seats on the wooden benches or the floor. Our cabin sattogether as a group.
    â€œWe’ll go first!” Reb announced loudly when the counselors all came in.
    Tis saw that Reb was holding her tennis racket. “You better be careful with that! If I see one scratch on it . . .”
    â€œI’ll treat it with tender loving care,” Reb said, as we all stood up and made our way to the front of the crowd.
    At least we weren’t on an actual stage—just some empty floor space at the front of the lodge where no one was sitting. It seemed less intimidating this way.
    Even so, I broke out into a cold sweat the second I turned around and was facing all the other Middlers. Luckily, Brittany, Erin, and I were supposed to be sitting on the floor playing cards for our part in the scene, so I felt much better when we sat down. This way I could be sure that my knees wouldn’t buckle underneath me.
    Brittany dealt the cards, and I clutched mine with my sweaty hands. Could everyone in the front rows see that my cards were shaking? I tried to hold my hands still. The skit had started, and everyone was delivering their lines, but I could hardly concentrate on what anyone was saying.
    All I could think of was the fact that I’d have to deliver my one and only line soon. What if when I saidmy line, it came out all croaky sounding? Or what if I messed up the words? Or didn’t say it loud enough? Why did I even give myself a line in the first place?
    Molly was getting a lot of laughs every time she sang in her sleep. But Reb was about to bring the lodge down with her racket kissing. So far everything was going great. But I still didn’t dare take my eyes off my cards. Was anyone looking at me? Did my face look as tense as it felt? Hopefully, they were all focused on Reb and Molly.
    My line was about to come up. Should I clear my throat now? Or would that make too much noise?
    â€œI’m really worried about her,” said Erin, which was the cue for my line.
    I glanced at Reb and opened my mouth, hoping my voice would come out sounding normal. “It could be worse. At least she’s not an archery counselor.”
    â€œYou’re right,” said Brittany. “She’d get pierced lips from kissing the arrows.” That line got a big laugh, just like I hoped it would.
    Whew! I was done, done, done! I’d said my one line, and I hadn’t choked! And Brittany had gotten a good laugh. My shoulders relaxed a little, and I could feel my heartbeat slowly returning to normal.
    I could’ve given myself the funny line, but I figuredBrittany would do a better job of it. And she had. It had been great.
    After the skit was over, everyone applauded, and Reb stepped forward to take a bow. That made the rest of us line up and do the same thing.
    â€œWay to go, Cabin One!” JD Duckworth yelled.
    â€œThat was a good one,” I heard Boo Bauer say.
    We sat down in the crowd, and I felt weak from being so tense through the whole thing. But I was also so, so relieved.
    And happy! I’d done it! I didn’t back out! I’d actually gotten up and taken at least a small role in our skit.
    We watched the rest of the