My Extra Best Friend by Julie Bowe Page A

does Stacey.
    “Meeka and I signed up for bird watching,” Jolene says.
    “So did I,” Elizabeth puts in. “Tom too.”
    “I’m going on a nature hike with Nat andEmillie,” Brooke says. Then she barks a laugh. “
Not!
Actually, we’re going to hide in Hawk and text their friends!”
    She throws me a look. “That means you have to get the paint, Ida. Thank you for volunteering.”
    “But I didn’t—”
    “It’s next to the glitter,” Brooke cuts in. “You can’t miss it.”
    “But I don’t want to—”
    “Wear something with big pockets so you can get a lot.”
    I narrow my eyes. “I don’t think the trees want to get painted, Brooke. And I don’t want to steal for you.”
    Someone clucks like a chicken. I whip a look at Elizabeth.
    Brooke does an impatient sigh. “It’s not stealing if we don’t take it away from camp. And since when do trees care about how they look? They have branches, not brains. Besides, you’re not doing it for
me
. You’re doing it for all of us. Your
friends
. Remember?”
    “Friends don’t make each other do things they don’t want to do,” Stacey puts in.
    I blink, surprised she’s defending me.
    Elizabeth nods and steps in next to Stacey. “You’re not the boss of us, Brooke. Not even Ida.”
    I frown. What does she mean,
not
even
Ida? I’m more a part of the group than she is.
    Brooke snorts. “I’m not
making
Ida get the paint. I’m
asking
her to get it.
Friends
help each other.”
    Elizabeth links arms with Stacey. “That’s what we’re doing. Helping Ida.”
    My stomach burns like I put hot sauce on my pancakes this morning instead of maple syrup. “Brooke isn’t bossing me. And I don’t need
your
help.” I step toward Elizabeth and punch my fists into my hips. “So
butt out,
Liz
butt
.”
    A gasp circles the room. It’s the only time I’ve ever called anyone a name outside of my own head. I swallow hard and turn my face to agate.
    Elizabeth steps toward me and narrows her eyes. “If you want me to butt out, then I’ll butt out…I
-duh.
” She gives my shoulder a jab.
    More gasps.
    My knees turn into springs.
    I pounce.
    Elizabeth hits the floor.
    Her glasses fly.
    I fall on top of her.
    “Stop it, Ida!” Stacey shouts. “You’re acting crazy!” She pulls me off of Elizabeth.
    I scramble to my feet and push Stacey away, tears brimming in my eyes. “She’s the one who’s crazy!” I shout. I glare at Elizabeth. She’s still sprawled on the floor, her eyes bright with tears too and her face as red as her cowboy boots. “You can’t come back here and act like everything is fine. Stuff
isn’t
fine. You moved away and never wrote to me. Do you know how sad that made me? It felt like my heart broke. I wish you never came back!”
    Tears flood my eyes. All the girls’ faces swim around me. Wide-eyed. Mouths open. Like they’re looking at a monster.
    Elizabeth gets up and stands boot to sneaker with me.
    “Do you know how sad it made
me
to move? It felt like my
stomach
broke. It hurt so bad I had to go see a
doctor
. She made me write about the hurtand mail it all away. I even had to send letters to my
dog,
Champ. Stupid, huh? But when I tried to send letters to you, my stomach hurt more than ever. Because it reminded me that I missed
you
more than anyone.”
    Tears stream down her cheeks, but she doesn’t wipe them away. “I wrote lots of letters to you.
Tons.
They’re all inside my valentine volcano. I stuffed them in until the lava cork wouldn’t stay stuck. Then I stopped writing. Because I figured you had new friends by then and didn’t need an old friend like me. I was hoping I was wrong, but now I know it’s true.”
    Elizabeth turns away, crying harder. Stacey puts an arm around her.
    Jenna hops down from her bunk and puts an arm around me.
    Brooke does a big sigh. “Look, I hate to interrupt the dramarama, but Alex will be back any second. And I. Need.
Paint.
” She looks at me. “Pull yourself together,