The Girls of Firefly Cabin

by Cynthia Ellingsen

  “Jade, did you have a poem you wanted to read in her honor?” Archer asked.

  Jade clutched the piece of paper in her hand. It was warm and slightly damp from the sweat on her hands. In a shaky voice, she read the words to “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” by William Wordsworth, the poem Kiara had recited in English class last December.

  I wandered lonely as a cloud

  That floats on high o’er vales and hills,

  When all at once I saw a crowd,

  A host, of golden daffodils;

  Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

  Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

  The words reminded her of the way Kiara had stood in front of the class, so confident. Their classmates had listened, rapt, as she recited the poem. Now, Jade finished reading, and the words faded into the stillness of the evening.

  “Let’s hold hands,” Lauren said, “and send our well-wishes to Kiara’s spirit.”

  Jade wanted to tell Kiara how much she missed her and loved her. The moment she closed her eyes, though, she could only see the betrayal on Kiara’s face.

  Traitor, traitor, traitor…

  The leaves rustled in a sudden gust of wind. Jade opened her eyes in time to see the candles blow out. Her arms prickled. If Kiara were present, Jade was afraid to face her.

  “Let’s go,” she said quickly.

  The Fireflies walked to the group bonfire in silence.

  Lauren kept smiling at her, like they’d accomplished something wonderful.

  Let her think that.

  In truth, Jade felt sick inside.

  The other girls skipped across the sand, eager to grab plates for dinner. Jade stopped to stare at the twisting flames, too numb to see anything.

  Traitor.

  With a trembling hand, she wadded up the poem and dropped it into the fire.

  Chapter Nineteen

  The night before the competition, Archer and the other Fireflies practiced their routine for hours at the Lodge. It was a relief to finally call it quits and walk out into the mellow heat of the evening. Her week had been busy with fun electives like the ropes course, skateboarding, and comic book drawing, so dancing and singing was a total snoozefest. However, it was easy to stay fired up when she reminded herself why they were doing it: to crush her sister like a bug.

  Isla had an amazing voice. She sounded like a professional. It was going to be a thrill to make a stand against the Bluebirds with Isla on the mic.

  As they walked onto the main lawn, Lauren came to a screeching halt.

  “Hey,” Archer giggled, smacking into her. “What are you—”

  The sentence died on her lips.

  Speaking of.

  The Bluebirds were practicing their dance, showing off their routine to anyone who would watch. They looked like something off a televised talent show, with their sparkly sequined rompers, heavy makeup, and tanned legs. The campers watching seemed to love it, which was beyond annoying.

  “Oh, look. It’s the Firebugs.” Makayla hit the stop button on her MP3 player and glared. “Are you guys here to spy on us? I wouldn’t be surprised.”

  Lauren looked confused. “Spy?”

  The other Bluebirds crossed their arms and stood next to Makayla.

  “Everyone knows the only reason you’re so far ahead is because you’re cheating.” Makayla’s blue sequins flashed with every word. “So, don’t even try to copy our routine.”

  Lauren’s face flushed. “Why would we copy you? We have our own routine.”

  “You’d copy us because you’re cheaters,” Makayla scoffed. “I heard you guys should have been disqualified from the cabin decorating contest. You weren’t back by noon.”

  Isla looked stricken. “Y-yes, we were,” she stuttered. “It was close, but—”

  Jade stepped forward. “Hold up. We would have been disqualified on the spot if we were late, but we weren’t. So nice try, but stop spreading rumors. We won because our cabin looked better than yours. It’s that simple.”

  Makayla’s blue eyes turned to ice. “Watch your back.”

  “Have a good night,” Lauren called, and practically dragged the other Fireflies toward the woods. “Sorry, I had to get us out of there.”

  “I’m glad you did.” Jade yanked at a branch of pine needles. “I’m so mad right now. I can’t believe she’d try to get people to think we should have been disqualified!”

  “So low,” Archer agreed. “She needs to pay.”

  “Let’s not get in trouble,” Isla said. “Let’s just focus on beating them.”

  “Or pranking them.” Jade still looked ready to attack. “We could do the Sharpie thing with the hearts. I’ll help.”

  Archer’s laughter cut across the woods. “That’s exactly what we’ll do.”

  The moment Cassandra said goodnight and went to hang out with the other counselors, Archer and Jade crept down the steps and cut through the woods toward Bluebird Cabin. Archer’s heart pounded in her chest. They had to time this just right to get back in time before bed check at eleven. If Cassandra came back before then, Lauren was supposed to fake sick and beg to go to the infirmary, before their counselor noticed the pillows stuffed under their sheets.

  It was all pretty risky. Archer was just about to call the whole thing off when Jade poked her in the arm, grinning.

  “Relax,” Jade whispered. “This is going to be great.”

  “What if we get caught?” Archer asked, ducking to avoid a tree branch. It was hard to see in the dark, and she’d already been scratched on the face more times than she cared to count.

  “Cassandra is not going to catch us,” Jade scoffed. “And we’re not going to get caught at the Bluebirds’, either. Their counselor manages all the cabins in the cluster, so there’s no chance she’ll be in there. We should be fine as long as we’re quiet.”

  Still.

  The sticks on the ground seemed to crackle with every careful step. Mosquitoes hummed by Archer’s ears, and overhead, bats darted through the trees. Her neck prickled, and Archer froze. Was something watching them? Isla’s paranoia about bears kicked in, and her stomach dropped.

  You can’t quit now. Hang in there.

  Bluebird Cabin loomed into sight at the edge of the forest, like some enchanted castle. Cobwebs and dead bugs lined the screen. Now that her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, she could see the eerie outlines of her sister and her friends in their beds. They were fast asleep.

  “Boots,” Jade mouthed, pointing down. “Too loud.”

  Archer nodded. Sliding them off, she hid them behind a nearby pine tree. Then she tiptoed to the front door and slid Jade’s nail file under the latch. Jade gave her a thumbs-up as the latch lifted.

  The slow, measured breathing of the Bluebirds echoed through the room. Before she could lose her nerve, Archer popped the cap off the pink Sharpie and drew a heart on the forehead of the girl closest to her. The girl stirred, and Archer froze.

  What if she wakes up?

  Archer made eye contact with Jade, whose horrified expression almost sent Archer into a series of panicked giggles. Instead, the girl with the heart on her forehead let out a little sigh and then rolled over.

  Once the remaining Bluebirds were equally decorated, Archer climbed the ladder to set the marker next to her snoozing sister.

  To her surprise, Makayla was wearing the pink satin sleep mask with the outrageous eyelashes Archer had given her one Christmas. In the moment, Makayla had tossed it aside and declared it “painfully tacky.” Now, Archer felt a pang.

  I wish things could be different.

  One of the Bluebirds coughed in her sleep. Quickly, Archer dropped the pink marker onto Makayla’s pillow.

  But they’re not. So, talk your way out of this one, sis.

  The next morning, Archer couldn’t stop giggling on the walk to breakfast. The thought of the Bluebirds waking up, looking in the mirror, and thinking her sister had drawn on their faces with a Sharpie was hilarious. The night before
, the Fireflies had laughed at their play-by-play for ten minutes straight.

  “I wish we could have been at the window this morning when they woke up,” Lauren said, as if reading Archer’s mind. “We would have had a front-row seat!”

  Everyone giggled except for Jade. She was quiet this morning, with puffy eyes. Archer suspected she had woken up crying.

  You’d think if you went to sleep laughing, you wouldn’t wake up crying.

  That wasn’t always the case, though, with Jade. Catching her eye, Archer gave her a small smile. Jade smiled back but then looked away, out at the pine trees.

  Yep. She’s sad again. I wish I could do more to help her.

  The girls walked up the steps and into the front of the mess hall, the scent of bacon thick in the air.

  “Has anyone caught up with us?” Lauren stopped in front of the competition board and studied it.

  Archer joined her. The Fireflies were still in first place, with 280 points. It was unlikely anyone could have done enough bonus activities to catch them, but not impossible. She gave Lauren a backward high five.

  “We’ll be at three eighty by this afternoon,” Archer said.

  “Let’s not get overconfident.” Isla wrung her hands. “I could pass out today and fall face-first off the stage.”

  “Then we’ll make it up in the relay race.” Lauren patted her arm. “Here’s the song order for today. Let’s see where we’re at.”

  Lauren pulled a piece of paper out of a folder labeled “Information” and skimmed through it. Archer peered at it over her shoulder, noting that the Bluebirds were early in the show. The Fireflies were almost last.

  “We’re going to crush it,” Archer said, whacking Isla on the back.

  “If you knock the wind out of me, I won’t be able to sing,” Isla huffed, then stalked into the mess hall. The other Fireflies burst out laughing and raced after her.

  Archer loved the feeling she got from walking across the cafeteria with her friends. They’d scatter to get food, then meet back at their table as quickly as possible, already giggling about some silly thing that had happened. Like the time Isla tried to get orange juice and the machine spit out cranberry juice instead. One of the Butterflies had insisted it was orange juice, no matter how many times the counselors tried to explain there had been a mistake.

  “The juice wasn’t even orange,” Isla kept saying, baffled, and Lauren, Archer, and Jade had screamed with laughter. Silly stuff that no one else would get, unless they’d experienced the story firsthand.

  Back home, Archer had witnessed girls acting like this, and it had always bugged her. She’d think, Do they have to giggle with their friends about everything? Why can’t they be more independent? Now, she knew the answer: Because it was fun to joke that the pan of oatmeal looked like mashed brains or to rate how runny the eggs were each morning on a scale of one to ten. It was fun to have friends, something that really bummed her out every time she thought about going back home.

  Don’t think about it. There’s plenty of time left here. Besides, we’ll video chat, group text, all of it. I’ll still be with them, no matter what.

  The Fireflies had just reached the line with the breakfast trays when Isla nearly choked. “The Bluebirds,” she whispered.

  The Fireflies tensed with anticipation. Out of the corner of her eye, Archer saw her sister strut into the cafeteria. And she heard the fascinated hush that followed her wherever she went.

  Archer almost snorted as she stared down at the gray counter, gripping her plastic tray tight. “I’m going to look.”

  “Don’t,” Lauren warned, barely moving her lips. “Everyone go get breakfast and meet at the table like always. Or they’ll know it was us.”

  The Fireflies split up. Isla and Lauren got in the hot breakfast line, like always, Jade headed for the fruit bar, while Archer made a beeline for the cereal display. She focused on filling up a bowl with Fruity Pebbles, and only then did she glance at the Bluebirds.

  They look like walking valentines!

  When Archer had gotten herself under control enough to look again, something seemed off. The Bluebirds weren’t shooting her sister mean looks or ignoring her altogether. They were giggling with her like always. And…Archer squinted. Her sister had a heart on her forehead too.

  What?! That wasn’t the plan.

  Archer stomped over to the Firefly table. Lauren and Isla were already there. To emphasize her irritation, she slammed her cereal down, sloshing half of it onto the table.

  Lauren grabbed a handful of napkins and wiped it up. “I know. It’s terrible. Do you think your sister woke up first?”

  “Who knows?” Archer grumbled. “It’s just my luck.”

  Jade slid into a chair, setting down a tray with a bowl of cottage cheese, melon, and fresh strawberries. Archer grabbed a strawberry and shoved it into her mouth.

  “Take them all,” Jade mumbled. “I’m not hungry.”

  They sat in silence for a moment.

  “The worst part…” Lauren drizzled maple syrup over a plate of pancakes and then gave Archer a worried look. “Should I even tell you?”

  It was hard to imagine anything could be worse.

  “Get it over with.”

  “It’s become a thing,” Lauren said. “Some of the younger girls are drawing hearts on their foreheads.”

  Archer’s mouth dropped open. “Heinous. Who?”

  “The Cherries and the Crabapples,” Lauren said before taking a quick bite of bacon.

  Isla nodded. “It’s kind of cute.”

  Cute?!

  Next to her, Jade put her head in her hands.

  “Thank you,” Archer mumbled. “At least someone’s on my side.”

  “It’s not that.” Jade lifted her head, rubbing her nose. In a flat voice, she said, “That’s how it used to be at school. The other girls would copy us every time Kiara and I did something new.” She stared blankly out at the lake. “I bet everyone misses her. I never really thought of that.” Archer didn’t have the first clue what to say. There were still moments when she wanted to be mad at Jade for having it so easy, but she also knew how stupid that thought was. Jade didn’t have it easy. It didn’t matter how pretty she was or that everyone she met wanted to be her friend. Every day was a struggle.

  She touched Jade’s arm. “You okay?”

  Jade reached for her water and downed it in one gulp. “Fine.”

  Lauren gave her a gentle smile. “Let us know if you’re not. We’re here for you.”

  “You know what?” Jade snapped, pushing her chair away from the table. “I’m not going to be happy every second of the day. Sometimes you’re just going to have to deal with that.”

  The other Fireflies sat in silence, watching her go. Just then, one of the Robins ran by, clutching a handful of Sharpies and waving them at her friends.

  Archer drained the colorful milk from her cereal bowl. “Well, Isla, I hope you really don’t pass out during the singing competition. Because to be honest, it’s shaping up to be that kind of day.”

  Chapter Twenty

  The outdoor pavilion at the boys’ camp smelled like sweat, cedar, and lake water. Isla would have been disgusted by the smell before camp started, but now she wanted to bottle it like a well-loved perfume. The fact that Jordan would soon be somewhere in this very amphitheater made her heart pound with excitement.

  The boys were supposed to sit on the wooden benches, fifteen or so rows back, while the girls sat in the front rows, but the boys hadn’t yet arrived. Isla wanted to look over her shoulder to watch for Jordan but didn’t dare. She tried to focus on the festive feeling in the air instead of the fact that, before she knew it, she’d be singing onstage. The thought made her stomach clench with nerves.

  “You doing okay?” Lauren asked for the fiftieth time, and Isla nodded.

  It was obvious Lauren was in a panic about the competition. The idea of letting her down was even worse than the thought of passing out and falling face-firs
t off the stage. She fidgeted, half hoping for a natural disaster. If a lightning storm hit, or even a tornado, the entire thing would get canceled. Unfortunately, the sky gleamed bright blue.

  “Don’t be nervous.” Archer kicked her boots against the dirt floor of the outdoor auditorium. “Focus on what matters: the pig roast afterward.”

  Isla made a face. “I don’t eat pork.”

  “More for me,” Archer said cheerfully.

  The counselors had planned a coed celebration down by the beach, complete with pig roast. Everyone was supposed to swim and participate in balloon tosses and potato sack races all day, followed by a big bonfire with fireworks at the end of the night. The whole thing sounded hot, sweaty, and disgusting. The only thing that made the thought bearable was the idea of hiding out somewhere in the shade to spy on Jordan and his friends.

  Assuming I’m not being rushed away in an ambulance for passing out and falling face-first off the stage.

  Taylor took center stage with one of the counselors from the boys’ camp. They both had microphones, and suddenly, music blasted out over the loudspeakers.

  “A bright Blueberry Pine and Blueberry Lane welcome,” Taylor cried. “Everyone, get on your feet!”

  An upbeat version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” started to play, and suddenly, there were a hundred or so boys crowding the stage, singing a rousing rendition of the national anthem. They each held a small flag, and a few of them waved around sparklers.

  The girls cheered, jumping up and down while singing along. Isla scanned the crowded stage and almost passed out when she spotted Jordan. He stood over to the side with a group of boys, looking serious and waving a flag.

  “Is that him?” Lauren whispered, nodding in his direction.

  “Shh!” Isla’s entire body went hot with mortification. “Don’t look!”

  Jordan could not catch her staring at him. That would be the height of humiliation.

  The national anthem ended and the boys launched into a joyful rendition of “America the Beautiful.” They filed off the stage and into the outdoor auditorium amid applause and cheers, giving shy smiles to the girls. Isla gave a sidelong look at Jordan as he walked by, noting that his hair was now sun streaked and he had an even better tan than she remembered.