“All right, campers,” Taylor said, back on the mic. “Shall we get this competition started?”
The audience cheered, and Isla took in a deep breath. It wasn’t too late to run screaming for the door. Or maybe it was, because her legs were paralyzed with fear.
Isla watched the other performances in tortured silence. Taylor returned to the stage after each one with an applause meter, and the Fireflies cheered and stomped their feet in support. At least, until the Bluebirds pranced onstage. Their pink Sharpie hearts glowed from their foreheads, and their costumes twinkled in the muted light.
“Oh, they look so stupid,” Archer groaned.
The lights flashed on. Makayla gave a huge smile and kicked off the dance routine. The hip shaking and sass was pretty impressive, really. Definitely not something Isla could have done, especially in front of people. Some girl sang for maybe thirty seconds, then took a bow in a frenzied flashing of lights.
The audience roared.
Lauren sat back on the bench with a huff. “This is not good. We can’t afford for them to place!”
Isla chewed on her lip, feeling more frightened by the second.
The only other standout performance was the Cardinals, because they were so, so bad. They did some mash-up of a Top 10 hit and the Blueberry Pine camp song, but it made no sense. The boys booed, and the camp counselors stopped everything to lecture them. The Butterflies were on stage when Cassandra beckoned at the Fireflies.
“Come on, girls,” she sang, braces flashing. “You’re up!”
Isla clutched Lauren’s hand as they walked up the rickety steps leading backstage. “I don’t think I can do this.” Everything felt like it was spinning beneath her.
“You have to!” Lauren’s other hand dug into her shoulder. “We need you, Isla. Besides, think of how impressed you-know-who will be.”
The Butterflies rushed off the stage in a flurry of giggles, and Taylor held up the applause meter. Cassandra rummaged in a large bin and then handed the Fireflies their prop: a large, silver-sequined sheet that Isla would hide behind. Then Cassandra gave them each high fives.
“Make me proud. You’re on in thirty seconds.”
The audience cheered for the Butterflies. Suddenly, Isla imagined stepping out on the stage, and her chest went tight.
No. Not now.
If she had an asthma attack, she wouldn’t be able to sing. The fear made her feel faint, and she let go of Lauren’s hand and grabbed for a wooden beam attached to the wall. With her other hand, she fumbled in her pocket to make sure she had her inhaler.
“Isla, are you all right?” Lauren asked.
She couldn’t answer.
“Fireflies, help,” Lauren cried.
The other Fireflies swarmed around Isla. Lauren pulled her hand off the beam and bounced it up and down.
“Zap, zap, zap,” she cried, then the rest of the Fireflies joined in.
“Zap, zap, zap!”
The first notes of their music started.
“Go,” Cassandra cried.
There was nowhere to run. Lauren pushed her onstage, and the spotlight was so bright, Isla couldn’t see any of the faces in the audience. Instead, she noticed a trickle of sweat dripping down Archer’s neck, the pink shimmer of Jade’s lip gloss, and the flyaway strands of Lauren’s bright red hair.
The opening bars faded, and the Fireflies covered Isla with the sparkling sheet. For a split second, she imagined she was back at home, winning competitions with her choir. Taking in a deep breath, she lifted the microphone and forced herself to sing.
The sound of her voice rang out strong, sure, and sweet. The calm feeling that filled her heart when she sang swept through her like a smile, along with the sense of surprise she always felt that the sound came from her. The pulse and rhythm of the music built, and the Fireflies lowered the sheet to reveal her as the singer.
By then, Isla didn’t care. She was lost in the music, the melody soaring out across the water to the wind through the trees, chasing after the clouds in the sky. Before she knew it, the song had hit the crescendo and she let loose the final note.
Stunned silence stretched through the crowd, followed by thunderous applause.
The sudden noise jolted Isla out of her reverie. Embarrassed, she scurried offstage. The other Fireflies rushed after her, jumping up and down as Taylor rated the audience reaction with the applause meter.
“That was incredible,” Archer cried, lifting Isla in a hug. “You’re amazing!”
Jade gave a serious nod. “You have such a beautiful voice.”
“Do you think he liked it?” she whispered.
“Definitely!” Lauren laughed. “And I’m sure he’s in love.”
The Fireflies giggled hysterically and ran back to their seats. People kept offering Isla congratulations, and she gave little smiles, but ducked her head. She didn’t feel right accepting praise for her talent. It wasn’t like her Internet business, where she had to work hard to be successful. Singing was a gift, like Archer’s ability to be funny.
Or Jordan’s ability to be gorgeous.
Had he recognized her? The thought made her cheeks flush bright red.
There were four other acts. Isla focused on taking deep breaths to calm down, because her heart was still racing. Finally, the event ended and Taylor took to the stage to announce the winners.
“Third place goes to the Strawberries,” she cried.
The Fireflies applauded loud and long for the group of younger girls.
Isla gripped the rough edge of the bench. What if they didn’t place at all?
I’ll smile and be gracious, she decided. That’s all I can do.
The smell of cinnamon was suddenly strong, and she turned to see Archer shoving a bunch of gum into her mouth. Lauren noticed, too, and frowned. Reaching over, she counted the wrappers.
“Three pieces?” Lauren demanded. “Isn’t that a little excessive?”
“I’m nervous,” Archer said, chomping away.
“Second place goes to…” Taylor smiled at the audience. “The Bluebirds.”
“Ugh.” Archer kicked the floor with her boots.
“Oh no.” Lauren looked super-depressed. “That is not good for us.”
The Bluebirds ran to the stage, and Jade shook her head. “Yeah, but we saw that one coming.”
Lauren bit her nails.
“Finally, first place goes to…” Taylor put her fist into the air. “Once again, the Fireflies!”
There was a loud roar in Isla’s ears, and for a split second, the amphitheater seemed to go quiet, even though everyone was clapping. Isla flushed hot and then cold and felt stuck to the bench. Then Lauren grabbed her hands.
“Come on,” she cried, pulling Isla to her feet. “You did it!”
“We did it,” Isla said, and her friends cheered.
The Fireflies raced up the wooden steps to enthusiastic applause. Isla glanced out at the audience, and her heart nearly stopped. Jordan was looking right at her, a goofy smile on his face. Of course Lauren noticed.
“Let’s wait outside to talk to him,” she whispered. “Okay?”
“Zap, zap,” Archer cried, waving their trophy.
The Fireflies giggled, and Isla nodded, grinning from ear to ear.
They waited for Jordan next to the exit of the amphitheater. Isla’s silk shirt was damp with sweat, and the breeze from the lake felt cool against her skin. Lauren practically bounced up and down in anticipation, while Jade and Archer headed to the beach.
A steady stream of campers passed by and Isla fidgeted. The anxiety was really starting to get to her.
“I don’t want to do this,” she finally said, swatting away a mosquito. “We need to have time to apply sunscreen and get water before the activities start. Let’s go.”
“No way.” Lauren stepped in front of her. “This is your one chance to bump into him without making it obvious. Stop looking so stressed out. Pretend like we’re just standing here, having a conversatio
n.”
The stream of campers trickled down to none. The only sign of life was a bumblebee that seemed determined to divebomb Isla as many times as possible.
Lauren looked puzzled. “Did we miss him?”
Maybe. Even though the campers had been instructed to leave through this exit, there was another that led to the beach. Maybe Jordan and his friends had decided to break the rules.
Disappointed, Isla shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. Let’s go.”
She was just about to turn away when Jordan and his friends raced out. They ran right past, and she thought he hadn’t seen her, until he stopped suddenly and looked back over his shoulder. Their eyes met and Isla’s legs nearly gave out beneath her.
What am I doing? It’s so obvious I like him.
Of course, the bee picked that moment to buzz by. Isla involuntarily shrieked and swatted at it, which was super-embarrassing.
Lauren leaned in. “Laugh,” she instructed. “Like I’m saying something funny.”
Isla forced a laugh, feeling ridiculous. Jordan tapped one of his friends on the back, pointing toward them. Then he and the group of boys headed back their way.
Isla felt incredibly stupid—until Jordan looked right at her (!) and said, “You sound like Adele.”
“No, I don’t,” she said, blushing.
He grinned. “You gonna sneak back onstage or are you coming to the beach? They’re roasting a pig.”
The idea of a pig on a spit was less revolting when the words came from Jordan’s lips.
“We’re headed to the beach.” She gave an eager nod. “We were just…”
“Waiting for the rest of the girls in our cabin, but I bet we missed them,” Lauren said quickly. “Let’s go.”
To Isla’s horror, Lauren rushed forward and started talking to Jordan’s friends, leaving her to walk alone with him. He still smelled like grape Jolly Ranchers and fresh cotton. She pinched the inside of her wrist, wondering if she’d passed out onstage and was dreaming this entire encounter.
For a moment, the birds in the trees made the only sound. Then Jordan spoke. “How did you do that? Sing like that?”
Isla hesitated. “I don’t know.” Normally, she would have left it at that, but he was looking at her the way people looked at her brothers: like she was something great. “I’ve always been able to sing. However, I prefer not to sing in front of other people. I become exceptionally nervous.”
“You could’ve fooled me.”
She sneaked a peek at him. He had a small scar by his ear, an imperfection that made him even more perfect.
“It’s one of those things where I kind of forget about everything. Even though I’m nervous at first, it’s like something takes over. This sense of calm.”
He gave an eager nod. “It’s like that when I play basketball. I don’t hear the crowd or think about anything; only the swish the ball makes through the net. It’s one of the few things I don’t feel pressured at, because I know I’m really good at it.”
Isla was surprised he felt pressured too. “My parents want me to be so good at everything,” she blurted out. “They want me to be a surgeon.”
“Mine too!” He held up his hands, laughing. “My hands are enormous. The patients would run screaming.”
Isla smiled. His hands were, in fact, the size of bear claws.
The sidewalk turned into steps that led to the beach. Once they hit the sand, one of Jordan’s friends turned back and called, “Is Adele teaching you how to sing?”
Jordan laughed again. “I gotta go hang out with those losers. Could I sit next to you at the bonfire?”
The sand seemed to shift under her feet. She squeaked out,
“Please do.”
“Cool.” Jordan jogged up to his friends. They took off, wrestling and flipping one another over the others’ backs. He glanced back at her once and grinned.
Lauren rushed over and squeezed her arm. “Tell me everything.”
“He asked to sit with me at the bonfire,” she managed to say.
Lauren cheered. “He looooooves you.”
Did that just happen? Did I really just talk to Jordan?
“I l-love camp,” Isla stammered.
Lauren giggled, and the two rushed to meet the rest of the Fireflies. Suddenly, the world seemed full of possibility.
Chapter Twenty-One
Lauren climbed the steps of the bus waiting in the parking lot. The fireworks were over; the Fireflies were exhausted; and Isla stood to the side, saying a shy good night to Jordan. Plus, with their win, the Fireflies now had 380 points in the Faces of Blueberry Pine competition! The day could not have been more perfect.
The bus smelled like exhaust and hair spray, and the seats were packed with fellow campers. Jade and Archer grabbed the first open seat. Lauren slid in behind them, saving the seat next to her for Isla. The Bluebirds started the bird chant, and along with everyone on the bus, Lauren turned to watch.
Birds of a feather
We all flock together
Rain or shine
We’ll be fine
We’ll flap our wings
Then we’ll sing
Tra-la-li-la-la
Tra-la-li-la-la
O the freedom
We can fly
Tra-la-li-la-la
On the final part, the bird cabins flapped their wings so hard it was a wonder the bus didn’t lift up into the sky. Then they all giggled.
From the front of the bus, there was an audible sigh. “I can’t wait until we’re old enough to do that.”
Lauren sat back against the seat.
What would it be like to come back to camp every single year? To be with the Fireflies, again and again?
In a word, it would be amazing. Everything in her life would be easier, knowing she had friends like this. Ever since the night swim, tiny thoughts like that had been nagging at her, and they were progressively more daring.
Make it last.
You don’t have to say goodbye.
Maybe you could find a way to come back.
It was that thought that really struck her. Could she really find a way to come to camp again next year?
Aren’t you fancy, one of the meanest foster mothers used to say, whenever Lauren had big ideas. Always wanting more. Get ready to be disappointed, because girls like you aren’t nothing special at all.
The words hurt, but Lauren refused to believe them. Every time she set a goal and worked hard to reach it, good things happened. Like winning the scholarship to come to camp in the first place. Maybe she could win another scholarship to come back? No, the rules stated it was impossible to receive the award twice. That option was out, so what could she do?
Get creative, her English teacher always said. If the answer isn’t right in front of you, start searching for it.
There had to be a solution. It was just a matter of finding it.
Lauren’s thoughts returned to the present when Isla walked down the aisle of the bus, her pale face flushed with excitement. She slid in next to Lauren and folded her hands in her lap. Archer and Jade hung over the back of the seat, waiting for her to speak.
“Well?” Archer finally demanded.
Isla cleared her throat, obviously enjoying the drama.
“Tell us,” Jade insisted. “Come on.”
The bus lurched out of the camp parking lot, and Isla gave them a big smile. Then she launched into a detailed description of her night with Jordan.
“He even held my hand during the grand finale of the fireworks,” she said, blushing.
Lauren held her breath. “Did he kiss you? Outside the bus?”
“Of course not.” Isla covered her face with her hands. She splayed her fingers and grinned. “But he’s going to call me during Indoor Rec.”
The other Fireflies cheered.
Archer started their secret handshake.
“Zap, zap, zzzzzap,” they cried.
For once, Isla shouted louder than anyone.
La
uren leaned against the window, the wind warm on her cheeks.
The Fireflies are meant to be friends forever.
She just had to figure out how to make it happen.
The feeling stuck with her through the following week. Finally, during Indoor Rec, Lauren decided to ask to help out in the kitchen for a few hours. Baking soothed her, and she hoped it would quiet the confusion in her heart. No matter how many times she tried to focus on the here and now, she couldn’t shake the disbelief that she had already been at camp for four weeks and in no time at all, the Fireflies would be a distant memory.
When Lauren walked into the kitchen, it was steaming hot. Chef was hard at work, her round cheeks flushed.
“Well, aren’t you a glutton for punishment,” Chef said when Lauren asked to help. There were dirty dishes stacked everywhere, loaves of bread rising on the oven, and several bags of onions next to a cutting board. “Dishes or chopping onions. You pick.”
“Chopping.” Cheerfully, Lauren grabbed a knife. “I’ve already cried in this kitchen once. Might as well do it again.”
Chef chuckled. They worked in companionable silence, falling into the steadying rhythm of the knives against the cutting board. Once the space was so full they couldn’t cut any more, Chef dumped the contents into a large bowl and they began chopping once again.
“What’s your story, missy?” Chef said after ten minutes. “There’s more to you than meets the eye.”
Lauren hesitated. From the beginning, Lauren had suspected Chef could see right through her.
“Do you really want to know?” she asked.
Chef wiped her face with her apron. “If you want to tell me.” Her voice was gentle. “I get the impression you’ve got something you want to hide.”
Lauren chewed on her lip. Lying was getting old. So, as they diced the next round of onions, she told Chef the truth.
“It’s been hard,” she admitted. “I knew camp would be incredible, but I thought it would be easy to say goodbye.”
Chef added the last of the onions to the bowl. Then, she pulled out a five-pound bag of carrots, fresh cutting boards, and two peelers. “That’s the thing about the good life. Once you taste it, it’s hard to go back to plain potatoes.”
The Girls of Firefly Cabin Page 11