Ida.”
“Sheesh, Brooke,” Randi says. “Some things are more important than your stupid plan.”
Brooke glares at Randi. “My plan is not stup—”
The cabin door opens. Brooke quickly pulls her sleeping bag over the candy.
“Hi!” Alex says, stepping into the room. “I’m ba—”
She stops short, taking in the scene. Stacey holding Elizabeth. Jenna holding me. Both of us crying.
Alex rushes up to us. “What happened?”
“It’s the funniest thing.” Brooke hops down from her bunk and picks up Elizabeth’s glasses. “Ida fell off her bunk.
Thunk!
She landed right on top of poor Liz.”
Brooke hands the glasses back to Elizabeth. “No harm done, though. Her lenses didn’t even get scratched.”
Alex checks us up and down. “Does anything hurt?”
“No,” Elizabeth says, straightening her glasses and glancing at me. “Nothing hurts.”
I rub my eyes, sniffling. “Same here.”
Stacey gives me a squint. “Don’t you want to tell Liz you’re sorry for
falling
on her?”
“Why should she?” Jenna cuts in. “Like Brooke said, it was an accident.”
Brooke pins on a cheerful smile. “All’s well that ends well!” She looks at Alex again. “Ida was just saying how much she wants to do crafts this morning.”
Brooke turns to me. “Isn’t that right, Ida?”
I pin on a smile too.
“Great, if you feel up to it,” Alex says to me, still looking concerned. “We can walk over together.”
“And Liz is just
dying
to do the trust fall,” Brooke continues. “Aren’t you, Liz
dear
?”
“Can’t wait,” Elizabeth mumbles.
Alex gives her a smile. “We’ll go after lunch.”
Brooke grins.
I hurry to the bathroom and splash cold water on my face while the other girls change into sneakers and rub on sunscreen and head out to play kickball and watch birds and go on a fake hike through nature. I pat my face dry and take my time smoothing down my damp bangs. I’m in no hurry to see that look on Stacey’s face again. The one she had when I didn’t apologize. Like I let
her
down.
I wait until I hear the screen door snap shutfor the last time. Then I peek out. And hurry to my bunk.
I reach around under my sleeping bag, searching for my notepaper and a pen, but I find a monkey first.
George grunts and comes up for air.
“Did you hear what happened?” I ask him.
George gives me a
Duh
look. Sock monkeys have excellent hearing.
“The girls think I’m a monster,” I continue. “Stacey, mostly, because I didn’t apologize. But what about Elizabeth? You heard her, George. She didn’t say
sorry
once for never sending those letters.”
George studies me as I search around for my notepaper. “I need to write one more note. Then things will be right again.”
The cabin door creaks open. Jenna steps in. “Are you coming?”
I tuck George back inside my sleeping bag and turn around. “I thought you were going to kickball,” I say to Jenna.
Jenna shrugs. “Change of plan. I’m sticking with you.”
I walk over to her. “You’re not mad?”
Jenna’s forehead crinkles. “For what? Liz pushed you first. She got what she deserved.” Jenna lifts her chin and flicks back a braid. “Time for Liz
butt
Evans to
move on
.”
I do a half smile. I’m happy Jenna is on my side. But I know Stacey isn’t. And she won’t be, until I write that note.
“Just give me
one
second,” I say.
Jenna sighs and checks her watch. “Okay, but hurry. I’ll tell Alex you’re on your way.”
Jenna marches out.
I grab my notepaper and write as fast as I can.
I’m sorry for what happened. Please don’t stay mad at me.
Ida
Then I walk over to Stacey’s bunk.
And leave the note on her pillow.
Chapter
14
“Looks like Pete dropped off our mail while we were at lunch,” Alex says, later, when we get back to Chickadee for Quiet Time. A stack of letters is sitting on her desk. She passes them around. Two for Meeka…three for Randi…one for Jenna…one for me. Everyone gets
“Sheesh, Brooke,” Randi says. “Some things are more important than your stupid plan.”
Brooke glares at Randi. “My plan is not stup—”
The cabin door opens. Brooke quickly pulls her sleeping bag over the candy.
“Hi!” Alex says, stepping into the room. “I’m ba—”
She stops short, taking in the scene. Stacey holding Elizabeth. Jenna holding me. Both of us crying.
Alex rushes up to us. “What happened?”
“It’s the funniest thing.” Brooke hops down from her bunk and picks up Elizabeth’s glasses. “Ida fell off her bunk.
Thunk!
She landed right on top of poor Liz.”
Brooke hands the glasses back to Elizabeth. “No harm done, though. Her lenses didn’t even get scratched.”
Alex checks us up and down. “Does anything hurt?”
“No,” Elizabeth says, straightening her glasses and glancing at me. “Nothing hurts.”
I rub my eyes, sniffling. “Same here.”
Stacey gives me a squint. “Don’t you want to tell Liz you’re sorry for
falling
on her?”
“Why should she?” Jenna cuts in. “Like Brooke said, it was an accident.”
Brooke pins on a cheerful smile. “All’s well that ends well!” She looks at Alex again. “Ida was just saying how much she wants to do crafts this morning.”
Brooke turns to me. “Isn’t that right, Ida?”
I pin on a smile too.
“Great, if you feel up to it,” Alex says to me, still looking concerned. “We can walk over together.”
“And Liz is just
dying
to do the trust fall,” Brooke continues. “Aren’t you, Liz
dear
?”
“Can’t wait,” Elizabeth mumbles.
Alex gives her a smile. “We’ll go after lunch.”
Brooke grins.
I hurry to the bathroom and splash cold water on my face while the other girls change into sneakers and rub on sunscreen and head out to play kickball and watch birds and go on a fake hike through nature. I pat my face dry and take my time smoothing down my damp bangs. I’m in no hurry to see that look on Stacey’s face again. The one she had when I didn’t apologize. Like I let
her
down.
I wait until I hear the screen door snap shutfor the last time. Then I peek out. And hurry to my bunk.
I reach around under my sleeping bag, searching for my notepaper and a pen, but I find a monkey first.
George grunts and comes up for air.
“Did you hear what happened?” I ask him.
George gives me a
Duh
look. Sock monkeys have excellent hearing.
“The girls think I’m a monster,” I continue. “Stacey, mostly, because I didn’t apologize. But what about Elizabeth? You heard her, George. She didn’t say
sorry
once for never sending those letters.”
George studies me as I search around for my notepaper. “I need to write one more note. Then things will be right again.”
The cabin door creaks open. Jenna steps in. “Are you coming?”
I tuck George back inside my sleeping bag and turn around. “I thought you were going to kickball,” I say to Jenna.
Jenna shrugs. “Change of plan. I’m sticking with you.”
I walk over to her. “You’re not mad?”
Jenna’s forehead crinkles. “For what? Liz pushed you first. She got what she deserved.” Jenna lifts her chin and flicks back a braid. “Time for Liz
butt
Evans to
move on
.”
I do a half smile. I’m happy Jenna is on my side. But I know Stacey isn’t. And she won’t be, until I write that note.
“Just give me
one
second,” I say.
Jenna sighs and checks her watch. “Okay, but hurry. I’ll tell Alex you’re on your way.”
Jenna marches out.
I grab my notepaper and write as fast as I can.
I’m sorry for what happened. Please don’t stay mad at me.
Ida
Then I walk over to Stacey’s bunk.
And leave the note on her pillow.
Chapter
14
“Looks like Pete dropped off our mail while we were at lunch,” Alex says, later, when we get back to Chickadee for Quiet Time. A stack of letters is sitting on her desk. She passes them around. Two for Meeka…three for Randi…one for Jenna…one for me. Everyone gets
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