Holly's Heart Collection Two

by Beverly Lewis

  I felt strange. Guilty, I guess. We sure weren’t treating the guys the way Jesus had commanded us to. But they treated us pretty lousy in the first place, I thought, justifying our actions in my mind.

  Rhonna continued. “All of us are unique in God’s eyes. We’re made in His image. Just because certain people are different doesn’t mean we should decide that they’re inferior.”

  I wondered how much Rhonna had been listening to our conversations.

  Andie blurted, “But what do you do when guys act like…” She stopped, looking at me. I could tell she was struggling with how much to share.

  Rhonna finished Andie’s sentence. “When certain guys act like jerks?” She smiled knowingly. “All guys aren’t jerks, Andie, if that’s what you mean.”

  It was exactly what Andie meant.

  “Certain guys, is right.” Andie groaned.

  Rhonna grinned. “Let me tell you a story—a true story—about when I was your age.”

  You could almost hear a collective sigh. An interested sigh, that is. We leaned back on our pillows, our hands supporting our heads as we listened to Rhonna tell about her past.

  “There was a boy,” she began. “A very fine boy.”

  We giggled. Rhonna was so cool.

  “His name was Mel, and he was far and away the best-looking guy in the youth group.” She stopped, like she was thinking ahead to the good part. “Only thing, Mel was biased in a big way. Prejudiced against slanted-eyed girls like me. He even had a nickname for me. Honestly, I’ve forgotten it now. Maybe I blocked it out of my memory because it was so painful.”

  I was beginning to feel sorry for Rhonna.

  She continued, “One night after church, I tried to introduce myself, to let him know I actually had a name. He turned away from me and started talking to some other girl…like I barely existed. Well, later my older sister found out through the grapevine that he refused to have anything to do with Asians.”

  “Why?” Amy-Liz asked, wide-eyed.

  Rhonna shrugged. “Some people can’t accept others who look different from them. It’s sad but true. But just because Mel was a jerk didn’t mean that all the guys in my youth group were in the same category.”

  Andie smiled. “So you’re saying that just because certain guys bug us doesn’t mean we should shut ’em all out?”

  Yeah, Andie, I thought. My mind was on Todd. Again.

  Rhonna nodded. “Some boys take a longer time to grow up, I guess you could say. But by ignoring the obnoxious ones—which you all did very well”—she grinned knowingly—“you are showing them you can’t be hurt by their antics.”

  “So,” I piped up, “you think we did the right thing?”

  There was a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. “Just don’t turn it into some organized society or something. In other words, don’t carry things too far.”

  I gasped. It sounded like she knew about SOS!

  I glanced around at my sisters. For once, we were really earning our name. The sisters were solemn—and silent.

  The next morning at breakfast, I noticed several Buena Vista girls casting snooty glances from the next table. A short redhead was one of them.

  I decided to ignore them—something I was getting better and better at all the time.

  Most of the guys had cleared out when Miss Carrot Top strutted up to our table. It seemed she had planned her strategy well, since she waited for Rhonna to excuse herself before showing up.

  “You don’t know me.” She smiled, a mixture of braces and lip gloss. “I’m Laina Springer, Cabin E.”

  I forced a smile, trying to be cordial.

  Laina leaned down, whispering, “The guys from your church are scheming something lowdown and dirty.”

  “Like what?” I asked.

  “I…uh, we heard it’s something about getting someone’s attention.” Springer’s braces twinkled momentarily.

  “Who said?” I asked.

  She fidgeted, looking around at her friends still sitting at the table behind ours. “Well, according to Billy Hill,”—and with the mention of his name her face burst into a wide grin—“your church guys are ticked off. So they’ve got some big surprise planned.”

  Andie shot up out of her seat. “What sorta surprise?”

  “Beats me,” Laina said, turning to leave. “Just thought you’d wanna know.”

  Yeah, right! I wasn’t going to let her scare me.

  “Listen, Laina.” I reached out to touch her arm. “We really appreciate the tip. Thanks a lot.” I forced the biggest, most sincere smile I could conjure up. “Oh, and if you happen to hear anything else, could you let us know?”

  Her shiny lips twisted over her braces into a weird little pained expression. “Sure,” she peeped out and returned to her table.

  What was the guys’ motive in giving us this advance warning? Maybe they planned to get us all freaked out, on the edge of our seats, anticipating something drastic. And then absolutely nothing would happen.

  I pondered these thoughts for a moment. Then quickly, before Rhonna returned, I shared my theory with the rest of the SOS.

  Andie frowned. “Surely the guys aren’t that stupid. I mean, just look at the trouble they could get into just from taking our sports bags and stuff.”

  Paula eyeballed Laina Springer and the girls at the other table. “I can’t believe Billy would tell her anything.”

  “Well, I can,” Amy-Liz interrupted.

  And so could I.

  Kayla looked a little foggy, like she wasn’t so sure about any of this.

  Amy-Liz set down her lemonade glass. “You know, Holly might be on to something. Maybe we oughta keep watch.”

  “I’m still trying to figure out what makes guys tick,” Andie said.

  Paula flipped her hair. “If Holly’s right, this would be one way for the guys to ruin our week without doing a single thing.”

  Kayla nodded, like the light had finally dawned. “Sounds feasible.

  I grinned. “It’s the coward’s way to get us guarding our cabin door.”

  Shauna sat up. “To tell the truth, I think Jared’s still mad because Holly told him she wouldn’t be his girlfriend anymore.”

  “Well, we can’t let it spoil our camp experience,” Kayla commented.

  “Kayla’s right,” I said, grateful to see Laina and friends get up and carry their trays off to the kitchen. Followed by her string of straight-faced girl friends, the spunky redhead looked like a contemporary Pied Piper. I couldn’t imagine Billy spending time with the likes of her. But Billy Hill was the epitome of an unpredictable male, as were his cohorts.

  Another busy day sped by.

  Swimming, craft classes, a noontime picnic, horseback riding, and finally the twilight hike. Not once did any of the makeup-less SOS speak to a guy. Not a single time.

  After supper, we headed off on our hike with Rhonna.

  Several other girls and their counselors joined us, but fortunately not Cabin E.

  I was looking forward to this hike. I figured since I had given up guys, the least I could do was enjoy the rest of God’s creation. Sunsets included.

  Rhonna insisted that each of us carry a water bottle in our backpacks, as well as granola bars and flashlights, even though we were only going for a moderate hike. She was like that. “Be prepared for anything,” she said.

  Steadily, we worked our way up a gradual incline, stopping occasionally to catch our breath and view the sights, hearts pounding from exertion. Andie and I linked up as hiking partners, and even though lately Paula wasn’t too eager to hang out with her twin, she teamed up with Kayla automatically.

  Rhonna and Joy led the way, with Shauna and Amy-Liz close behind. The trail was wide enough for two to walk side by side.

  “This trail will adjust us gradually to the altitude,” Rhonna said when we paused for one of our huff-and-puff stops.

  “How high up are we, anyway?” Joy asked.

  “Almost eight thousand feet,” Rhonna said. />
  “Whew!” Andie whistled.

  I sat down on a log to tie my tennies and catch my breath. Suddenly out of the stillness came a high-pitched whistle. I leaped off the log. “What’s that?”

  Rhonna chuckled. “Sounds like a marmot saying hello.”

  Andie searched everywhere for the furry little guy, but the rodent must have scurried off to his burrow for the night.

  I squinted as the Saturday sun sank behind the mountains beyond us to the west. “Look, Andie, it’s almost sunset,” I said, enjoying the peaceful moments of the evening. What a fabulous contrast to the conflict of the first three days at camp.

  We hiked farther before stopping midway up one of the highest mountains overlooking Ouray. Andie and I found a place to sit on a massive rock at the edge of the trail. There, I stared in awe at the sunset. Red and gold streaked the western sky, and the sweet smell of pine filled the air. In the hushed stillness of twilight, the SOS, the pact, and the hassles with boys disappeared.

  After a long silence, Rhonna whispered, “Girls, look!”

  Far below in an open meadow, a deer meandered from the protection of the pine forest, searching for cool mountain waters. I held my breath as she located the stream and drank.

  Rhonna said softly, “ ‘As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.’ ”

  I recognized the psalm she quoted. It was one of Mom’s favorites. For a split second, I wished Jared and Billy and the other guys—Danny, too—could have been here to witness the inspiring scene. Ripping off our sports bags and making lowdown, dirty threats seemed almost insignificant at a time like this.

  After the hike, we headed back to our cabins, ready for a full night’s sleep. I wondered if the guys had pulled a fast one while we were gone—that deed our weasel-like informant had warned us about at supper. But as we crossed the log bridge leading to Cabin B, things appeared to be perfectly normal.

  “Nothing happened,” Andie whispered as we rummaged around for our toothbrushes and towels.

  “Right, and let’s hope it stays that way,” I replied.

  Andie and I were the first to make the nightly trek to the bathroom. “Here, we’ll need this,” she said, pulling a flashlight out of her backpack.

  When we arrived, Andie pointed her flashlight into the darkened log structure. “Anyone home?” she called out. I giggled as she groped for a light switch.

  Nothing.

  Again she tried the lights.

  “Something’s wrong,” she said. “The electricity must be off.”

  A quick glance toward the dining hall/chapel building told us differently. “That’s weird, lights are on everywhere but up here,” I said.

  “Well, whatever’s wrong, I can’t wait forever,” she stated. “You guard the door, and I’ll take the flashlight with me.” Andie hummed a song of courage as she disappeared into the darkness.

  Outhouses and outdoor rest rooms had never been my favorite places. Maybe because I had gotten locked inside a nasty-smelling outhouse on the top of Copper Mountain last summer.

  Suddenly Andie’s humming stopped. The night was too still.

  I inched forward. “Andie?”

  “I can’t believe this,” she wailed. “There’s no toilet paper!”

  “I’ll go find some,” I said, bravely entering the darkness to aid my friend. When I made the turn into the stall area, my eyes became better adjusted, thanks to Andie’s flashlight. I opened the door to the stall beside hers.

  No paper there, either.

  I went to the next one and the next. “How bizarre. Do you think the camp maintenance people just forgot to restock?”

  “Oh, this is great,” Andie said with a sigh. “Remember what that Laina Springer said about the guys?”

  I gasped. “It is them. They did this. It’s so despicable!”

  “So, what am I gonna do?”

  “Wait here,” I said. “I’ll get some tissues.”

  On my way back to the cabin, I met up with the other girls. Quickly, I filled them in on the situation. Hearing the news, the sisters grew more determined than ever to ignore the boys.

  Amy-Liz summed it up for all of us. “One thing’s for sure,” she said, “if this is how the guys think they’re gonna get our attention, they’re still absolutely wrong!”

  Later, while lying in bed, I thought of the events of the day. If taking our light bulbs and toilet paper was the lowdown, dirty deed Laina had mentioned, then the rest of camp week was going to be a cinch.

  Still, I wondered how the guys would respond to zero reaction from us girls. Would they become even more determined?

  Joy and Shauna were still whispering as I gave in to the scratchy feeling behind my eyes. I dreamed a marmot was chasing me, but when I woke up, I realized the sound of the marmot’s whistle was coming from Andie’s stuffy nose.

  Sometime later, in the misty, wee hours, I was sure I heard people tiptoeing around in the cabin. Cracking open my eyes, I saw something shiny gleam in the moonlight. But when I tried to sit up, my body went stiff as a board. Absolutely numb. The sleep stupor overtook me, and I sank into it.

  Rhonna’s alarm rang too early the next morning. But I fell back to sleep. Much later, I awoke to the sound of Paula and Kayla whispering. I opened one eye and saw them gather up their towels and clean clothes for the day. The twins headed out the front door.

  I squinted my other eye open, yawning. Looking around, I saw that Andie and I were the only ones left in the cabin. Joy, Amy-Liz, and Shauna must have wanted to be the first to hit the showers.

  I peeled dead skin off my arm while relaxing on my upper bunk. Wide awake now, I leaned over the side, peeking down at Andie. She looked so little all curled up in a ball beneath me. I was proud of her stand against my brousin, even though I knew it was painful. After all, Stan had been Andie’s longest-running guy friend.

  I stretched in my bunk, eager for another busy day at camp.

  The twins hadn’t been gone more than five minutes when I heard Kayla yelling, “Those horrible boys!”

  “Holly! Andie!” Paula called as she came back into the cabin.

  I tossed off the covers. “Wha-at?”

  “Come look,” Kayla said, peeking her head into the cabin. “You’ll never believe this!”

  Andie appeared unconcerned. She rolled over, pulled the blankets over her head, and snoozed on.

  I swung down off the top bunk, then grabbed my bathrobe and pulled it on as fast as I could. In my bare feet, I ran out the door and down the path behind Paula and Kayla.

  When we came to the clearing at the bottom of the slope, I stopped cold in my tracks. Directly in front of the chapel stood three stately pine trees, uniquely decorated. Their branches displayed underwear—pink, blue, and white bras, matching panties, and two pairs of baby-doll pajamas.

  An underwear raid!

  And not just any underwear raid. I could see Andie’s iron-on name tags adorning numerous items. Paula’s and Kayla’s bras were obvious by their size. My own intimates were recognizable, of course. At least by me.

  “Lowdown and dirty, all right,” I muttered, completely stunned. “How embarrassing.”

  Kayla and Paula stared in silence.

  “We’ve got to get this stuff down before breakfast,” I said. “Mr. Boyce will have a cow.”

  “Shouldn’t the guys be worried about that?” Paula asked.

  “You’d think so, but once again, we’re not dealing with intelligence here,” I reminded them.

  We hurried back to the cabin. Thank goodness we’d discovered this state of affairs so bright and early.

  “Andie!” I hollered, out of breath. “Get up!”

  She moaned pitifully from her mound of covers. I pounced on her bed. “C’mon, Andie. This is war!”

  “What’s war?” she muttered in a sleepy, throaty voice.

  Such a way to begin the Lord’s Day.

  NO GUYS PACT

  Chapter 18

  Andie go
t up immediately when I announced that her baby-doll pajamas were waving in the breeze in front of the chapel.

  Just then Shauna, Joy, and Amy-Liz arrived back from the showers, their hair still damp. “What’s going on?” Joy said when she saw our faces.

  Paula explained the situation, and panic ensued.

  “My brand-new bras!” Kayla moaned.

  “You think you have it bad. My underwear is labeled,” Andie complained.

  “The guys are begging for battle,” I said.

  In no time, all of us were standing in front of those three pine trees. Paula reached up, trying to retrieve her dangling blue bra.

  “Our Dressel Hills guys, all right. Has to be,” Andie fumed. “But let’s deal with who did it later. We need some long-handled brooms…or something.”

  Amy-Liz found a rake around the side of the girls’ rest room and shower area. “Too convenient, don’tcha think?”

  I wondered about that, too. Had the guys actually come into our cabin and used this rake to do their wretched deed?

  “Wish we could dust for fingerprints,” Andie said, eyeing the rake handle.

  “No kidding.” I watched as the Miller twins carefully located their personal items, getting them down with the long rake handle.

  One after another, we stretched and strained, poking at pine branches with the rake, bobbing for underwear. Andie was last. She was too short to reach her baby-doll pajamas and panties and things. I volunteered to help while the rest of the girls headed off to the cabin.

  “We won’t let the guys get away with this,” she hissed.

  I agreed, shoving the Golden Rule out of my mind. “I have a plan.”

  “Good, because if you don’t, I do,” Andie said.

  It turned out that the entire SOS—once we were gathered in the cabin—was in agreement. We would deliver a declaration of war describing why we were retaliating and what we wanted. It all boiled down to this: The guys wanted our attention. Well, they would get it. I scribbled furiously.

  We, the girls in Cabin B, do declare war on the boys at Camp Ouray. You have taken our personal items and displayed them disrespectfully for the world to see. You have stolen our makeup and clothing. You have hurt our feelings and tampered with our self-esteem.