The Fireflies wouldn’t see her as their leader anymore. They would see her as someone to pity. Besides, she didn’t owe them anything. The Fireflies would only be a memory once camp ended.
“Hey, look,” Isla said in her tiny voice.
“Whoa,” Archer breathed.
Like that first night, the forest was lit with fireflies. There were hundreds, if not thousands of them, flashing with a golden glow. It seemed like they, too, wanted to celebrate the end of the rain.
Pushing all the negative thoughts out of her mind, Lauren clasped her hands. “This is poetry,” she whispered. “It’s magic. It’s…”
“Nauseating,” Archer cracked, and everyone laughed.
Smiling, Lauren turned and faced her friends. “Make jokes if you want, but I think they’re performing just for us.”
“I want to paint that,” Jade said.
Archer hit the railing. “That’s why we’re friends! You think exactly like I do.”
Blueberry Pine, where the day is pure and bright
Time to sing songs and celebrate the night…
The Butterflies shouted the start of a camp song, and quickly, the other cabins joined in.
Lauren linked arms with Isla and then Jade, who did the same with Archer. The group swayed back and forth, singing as loud as they could as they stood at the railing and watched the fireflies perform.
Lauren was in an especially good mood because they had seen the points board for the Faces of Blueberry Pine competition, and so far, they were crushing the other cabins. They had done all sorts of bonus points activities while it rained and were already up to 280 points. The Bluebirds were close behind, but even they only had 240.
“It’s cause for celebration,” she said to no one in particular.
The forest smelled rich with damp pine and wild mushrooms. In the stillness, the trees creaked in the wind. Looking up at the sky, Lauren came up with the most daring idea for a celebration she’d ever had.
Should I even suggest it? We could get in so much trouble.
Cassandra always left the cabin to go hang out with the other counselors until the eleven o’clock bed check. It would be easy. Besides, it would be something the girls would never forget.
Back at the cabin, Lauren waited until lights were out and Cassandra’s footsteps had walked down the wooden path. Then she sat up in her bunk.
“Fireflies,” she whispered. “I have a wonderful, terrible idea.”
In the dark, she heard the other girls shift in their beds.
“Spill it,” Archer said.
Clenching her fists, she squealed, “Let’s sneak out and go for a night swim!”
The only sound was the crickets chirping outside until Archer snorted with laughter.
“I’m in,” she said. “We have an hour until bed check.”
“Maybe more,” Lauren said. “The counselors are still in the middle of a Netflix marathon because of the rain. I heard them talking about it.”
A flashlight lit under Archer’s chin. Her head seemed to float in the top bunk like a ghoul. “Let’s get wild.”
“What about snakes?” Isla whispered. “Several species are nocturnal.”
Lauren made silly hissing noises. “You only live once.”
The night was spectacular. A full moon hung over the lake like a glowing mirror. The girls hushed one another as they crept down the path.
Once they reached the beach, Lauren slipped off her sandals and slid her feet into the sand. She glanced at the forest and paused.
“Let’s go down farther. This is too close to camp.”
The girls scampered down the shore like thieves. The spongy, cold sand squished between her toes as she stared up at the moon. The lake lapped against the shore in a slow, gentle rhythm.
Lauren stopped walking about thirty feet past the main swim area. “How about here?”
The other Fireflies nodded.
She rushed for the water and splashed in, gasping as the icy water soaked through her tank top and shorts. She waded out until she couldn’t touch the bottom. In one smooth motion, she flipped onto her back.
The haunting echo of the water pulsed in her ears as the stars sparkled overhead. Mosquitoes buzzed in a high-pitched drone, and she brushed them away, diving below the surface. For fun, she opened her eyes. Complete blackness. Once she’d surfaced, the other Fireflies bobbed next to her.
“This is epic,” Archer said. “I’ve always wanted to do this.”
Isla gave a little shriek. “Something bit me,” she cried, kicking away from them.
The other Fireflies shushed her, and Archer towed her back to the group.
“Nothing bit you,” she scolded. “If we get caught because you acted like a princess, I’m going to put a snake in your bed for real.”
“Try it,” Isla muttered, and Lauren giggled.
Lauren stretched her arms out, as if embracing the night. “This is amazing.”
“Totally,” Archer agreed. “Just like the Fireflies. I…I never thought I would have friends like you.”
“Aw,” Lauren said, touched. She felt exactly the same way.
“I mean it.” In the moonlight, Archer looked sad. “It’s bad at school, you know? I’ve got this one friend, and she’s just…I don’t know. She hates everything. It gets old.”
What would they say if they knew? That I’ve never even had a close friend?
“My friends are okay.” Isla’s wet hair clung to her head, making her look even younger than usual. “It’s different here, though. I know we’ve only been at camp for a week, so maybe this is silly, but I feel like…I don’t know. Like we’re family.”
Lauren’s heart leaped. “I feel that way too!”
“I never thought I’d have three best friends.” Archer looked at Jade. “I know you already have a best friend. I still consider you one of mine, though.”
Jade stuck out her chin, her eyes damp with tears. “Thanks,” she whispered.
One by one, the Fireflies grabbed hands until they floated in the water like a giant octopus.
Lauren felt joy bubble up inside. This was the type of friendship she’d imagined when she wrote her essay. Now here she was, living out her dream.
“Stop!” Isla said suddenly, slapping at Archer’s arm. “It’s not funny.”
Archer looked confused. “I didn’t do anything.” Jade gave a small shriek. “Stop kicking my foot, Archer. Seriously!”
Archer’s eyes widened. “You guys. I didn’t do anything.”
Lauren didn’t know what to believe. Then she felt a nibble on her toes. She didn’t know if it was a fish, a snake, or the Loch Ness monster, but she did not want to find out.
She swam to shore as fast as she could. The other Fireflies were right behind her. They raced out of the water and collapsed onto the shore, laughing hysterically and shushing one another with every other breath.
The giggles subsided and Lauren stretched out in the soft sand. She stared up at the sky. The starlight twinkled like fireflies.
This is everything. I want it to last forever.
The thought stunned her. Quickly, reality set in.
It can’t last forever. Nothing does.
But the thought of saying goodbye suddenly didn’t seem simple. It seemed downright sad.
Chapter Seventeen
The fact that the girls stayed up until eleven nearly every night that week did not stop reveille from blasting at seven a.m. Isla turned up the waves on her sound machine and pulled her pillow over her ears. It made no difference. The bugle was relentless.
Shouldn’t there be a camp-wide sleep-in day?
That would certainly help. The late nights had started with the Fireflies sneaking out for a night swim, followed by Wednesday’s camp-wide Guitar and Ghost Stories Bonfire. Then last night, the Insect leaders had taken their clusters to the beach to watch a meteor shower. The Fireflies had stayed awake talking and giggling long past the time they should have been in bed, and now,
Isla was exhausted.
Can a person die from lack of sleep?
“The Lady of Shalott,” a mournful poem first introduced to her by her English tutor, flickered through her mind. She imagined Jordan discovering her limp, exhausted body in a canoe. He’d drag her out, wailing, and press his lips to—
“Get up, get up, get up!”
Isla’s eyes shot open.
Lauren held out a warm, cinnamon donut. “Appetizer?”
Isla hesitated. It had been days since Lauren had started bringing them donuts in the morning, and Isla had yet to spot a bear, mouse, or even an ant. The camp most likely had a system to keep them out. Plus, the donuts smelled so darn good.
“Okay.” Isla caved, taking it.
“I want one too,” Cassandra called, sitting up in her cot. With a wink, she added, “You girls owe me for cutting short my beauty sleep.”
The Fireflies kept the chatter to a minimum on the walk to breakfast. In spite of the silence, Isla felt close to the other girls and proud of herself for everything she’d accomplished that week. It had been scary, breaking the rules for the night swim and then going out so late at night to stargaze, but instead of worrying about getting kicked out of camp, drowning in the lake, or being attacked by bats on the nightly walks through the forest, she had said yes to the adventures.
The knowledge put a skip in her step on the way to Flagpole. She put her full attention into the Pledge of Allegiance and even whispered along with the friendship song. Then Taylor pulled out the bullhorn.
“Before our daily activities,” she roared, “we have an important announcement!”
Isla stood up straight. The coed dance? It was all she could think about, ever since Lauren had mentioned it.
“It’s time for another event in the Faces of Blueberry Pine competition…a singing contest, Stand Up, Sing Out!”
Oh dear. Not this.
The Fireflies cheered, and Isla shifted in her loafers. Singing was her secret gift, but she was not about to share that piece of information with the girls.
“Next Saturday, you’ll perform in front of a very special group of judges: the boys of Blueberry Lane. Afterward, we’ll join them on the beach for a bonfire celebration.”
The trees spun above Isla’s head. She would finally get to be near Jordan. But why oh why did it have to start with a singing competition?
Of course, it was all the Fireflies could talk about during their nature scavenger hunt. Isla fell behind, pretending to focus on the things they were supposed to find (a flat gray stone, a wildflower, a pine cone) as the Fireflies plotted their attack.
“I used to be the captain of the dance team,” Jade said. “We could do a routine to go with our song.”
Dancing. Ugh.
Isla imagined falling flat on her face. It would be a repeat of the moment she’d dumped the chocolate shake down the front of her shirt. Jordan would think she was the most ridiculous human alive.
By lunch, she’d pretty much decided to give up Jordan, become critically injured, and go home, when Archer rushed to the table. Her face looked like thunder.
“We’re doomed.” She sank into a chair.
“What do you mean?” Lauren asked. “And where’s your lunch?”
It was macaroni-and-cheese day, one of Isla’s favorite meals. She’d miss it if she went home, not to mention the Fireflies.
I’d also never see Jordan again.
Perhaps leaving wasn’t the solution.
“I can’t eat,” Archer moaned. “I’ve lost my appetite.”
Jade frowned. “What did your sister do now?”
Archer kicked her boots against the table, jostling everyone’s drinks. “My sister and the Bluebirds are outside practicing for the singing competition. My eyes are burning.”
Lauren giggled. “Shouldn’t it be your ears?”
“My eyes,” Archer insisted. “Their dance routine is so scandalous. The boys will love the Bluebirds.”
Jordan might fall in love with Archer’s sister?
The very thought was horrific.
“We have to do something,” Archer decided.
“Like what?” Lauren took a quick bite of macaroni. “It’s not like any of us can sing.”
Isla must have flinched or something, because Lauren looked right at her.
“Wait. Isla, can you?”
Oh dear. It would be wrong to lie.
“I’ve won a few singing competitions,” she mumbled.
The Fireflies stared at her.
“A few singing competitions?” Archer echoed.
Ugh. Was camp invented to torture her?
Isla took a sip of water. “For chorale group at school. I also sang at the Kennedy Center. However,” she added, because the Fireflies were practically bouncing up and down with glee, “I was with a huge group of people.”
Archer scoffed. “So, your choir wins competitions, princess.” She popped a noodle into her mouth. “That won’t do us any good.”
Isla paused. Something about Archer pushed Isla to prove herself again and again. Perhaps because Archer was bold in a way Isla wasn’t, or because she insisted on teasing her. Whatever the reason, Isla was not about to let her minimize an area where she had true talent.
“Not the choir.” Her tone was firm. “Me. I won three solos at the state-level competition. The choir was backup.”
“Okay, Miss Thing.” Archer grinned. “I think it’s time to hear you sing.”
Isla squeezed her hands together. Not good. The other Fireflies would force her to lead the singing competition. Terrifying, but better than allowing Jordan to fall into the vortex of Makayla’s dance.
“Fine.” She picked up her fork. “Finish lunch, and then we’ll go to the main bathrooms, for the echo. And you can’t look at me while I sing. I hate that.”
“Who knew we had such a diva in our midst?” Archer cracked.
Then she burst out laughing with her ridiculous, staccato laugh. Everyone started giggling.
“Make fun of me if you want,” Isla said. “I think you’ll be surprised.”
With that, she focused on eating as the other Fireflies watched with amusement. She got up to put her tray away. Breezing back by the table, she pointed at the clock: 11:55.
“The offer expires at noon.”
Lauren, Archer, and Jade leaped to their feet and followed her to the bathroom.
Chapter Eighteen
Jade stood on the porch, staring out at the trees. The leaves rustled in the wind. It was such a pretty day.
It should have been a fun day too. The girls had worked all afternoon rehearsing their dance routine. It had taken them hours to perfect it, because they needed to incorporate a sheet that could hide Isla while she sang. Apparently, she experienced severe anxiety every time she performed in front of an audience and felt more comfortable hidden. The Fireflies finally aced using the sheet, but every shared giggle with the girls, every silly moment, reminded her of all the times she and Kiara had prepped for dance team down in Kiara’s basement, until they could have done the routines in their sleep.
It made Jade miss her more than ever.
The screen door creaked and Archer walked outside.
“Hey.” She gave a casual wave and settled into one of the rocking chairs.
The smell of Sharpie filled the air, which meant Archer was hard at work on another arm drawing. Through the window, she could hear Lauren telling a funny story about her brother, which made her think of her brother and Colin.
“You okay?” Archer asked.
She squeezed the wooden railing. “Sure.”
The big bonfire at the beach was in an hour. She had time for a nap but couldn’t get one important fact out of her mind.
“Today’s Kiara’s birthday.”
Saying the words out loud filled her with relief. She’d sat on them all day, trying to convince herself it wasn’t a big deal.
“Today?” Archer said.
“Yeah.”
&nbs
p; “Oh.”
The words were short. Her communication with Archer was similar to the shorthand she shared with Kiara. It felt like a betrayal, somehow. Turning, she moved to go inside.
“Hey.” Archer got to her feet. “Let’s do a memorial for her on the beach. Read one of her favorite poems?”
When Jade didn’t answer, Archer flushed. “Maybe that’s stupid.”
It wasn’t stupid. It just made the whole thing more real than Jade wanted to admit. That was why she hadn’t gone to Kiara’s funeral.
She regretted that. She wished she’d been there to see the people fill the church (standing room only), to see Kiara’s sister (and claim responsibility), and of course, to see the face of her best friend one last time.
“I’d like that,” Jade whispered. “If you don’t mind.”
Archer nodded. “Let’s grab the girls.”
Jade stood by the water in silence, her friends by her side. Down the beach, the other campers laughed and sang as they arrived at the bonfire. The scent of burning wood hung heavy in the air and the sun reflected rays of gold across the water.
Archer looked at her. “Ready?”
Jade nodded. “Yes.”
“Thank you for coming tonight,” Lauren said, as if speaking to a large crowd. “We are here to honor the memory of Kiara Maria Flora. Her life was taken too quickly, but she made a lasting impression with her sense of humor, carefree spirit, and commitment to friendship.”
A perfect description.
Archer took a step forward. “I know Kiara was an amazing person, because she had the honor of being Jade’s best friend.”
Jade dragged her foot through the sand, fighting her emotions. She pictured Kiara sitting on the large log by the shore, with her legs stretched out, a big grin on her face. “Shall we light the candles?” Lauren asked.
Isla’s grip on a package of white, waxy candles tightened. “I don’t know,” she fretted. “Do we really want to be responsible for starting a forest fire?”
“We’re on the sand.” Archer snatched them away. “It will be fine.”
Lauren lit a match, then carefully passed three candles around.
The Girls of Firefly Cabin Page 9