Second Time's the Charm #7

by Melissa J Morgan

  They’d taken a hike, with Natalie and Simon acting as de facto tour guides, reprising their roles as survivalists from last year’s campout. Only Chelsea bothered to point out that, in fact, last year, they’d actually gotten lost. “And we want everyone to see how much we’ve grown!” Natalie said brightly, ignoring Chelsea’s sour expression. “I mean, I’m practically ready for Outward Bound now.” The hike culminated in a visit to a breathtaking waterfall, where even Natalie conceded to strip down to her bathing suit and get wet. “This water is freezing!” Brynn cried—dramatically, of course—but it was the only complaint heard, and it was halfhearted, at that. Finally, the group made their way to a clearing in the woods that was to be their campsite. They pitched their tents, then headed a few paces southwind to picnic for lunch.

  Everyone stuffed themselves on hot dogs or hamburgers, with Jenna and Valerie cracking jokes about the poor suckers stuck back at camp eating mess-hall food. “Yeah, suckers!” Candace echoed, enthusiastic as always.

  After lunch, the counselors were going to put together a little demonstration on green living. Mostly it was a chance for the campers to digest and recharge, but there was a whole lesson to be learned about respect for nature. Natalie already had respect for nature—she’d learned it last summer, when she’d foolishly been separated from the group. She wanted a nice, long, respectful nap, but she had a feeling it wasn’t gonna happen.

  The afternoon sun beat down on her, and she decided it might be time for another dose of sunscreen. She wandered back to her, Tori, and Alyssa’s tent. As she drew nearer, though, she heard voices.

  Natalie didn’t normally consider herself a snoop. But. As she edged up on the front flap of the tent, she heard Tori speaking in a semi-hushed tone. A semi-hushed, semi-stressed tone. Feeling slightly creepy but insanely curious, Nat leaned closer. Tori was speaking to Alyssa; Natalie recognized Lyss’s voice. And she was talking about . . . well—with a start, Nat realized that there were only two words she could make out without question:

  “Natalie.”

  And “Simon.”

  Shocked, Natalie coughed and stumbled forward involuntarily. Whoops. The outer frame of the tent wobbled.

  Tentatively, Alyssa and Tori poked their heads out from underneath the nylon. One look at Natalie’s crushed, confused expression and guilt erupted over both of their faces. Natalie had no idea what to say. Clearly they’d been talking about her. About her and her boyfriend. This was terrible. This was a hundred, thousand times worse than simply ignoring Alyssa, or even arguing with her. Knowing that her friend was talking about her with someone else—even without having any clue what they were saying—felt like a massive sucker punch to the gut.

  Where was that earthquake when you needed it, anyway?

  “Guys! Last one to the clearing is an endangered fossil fuel!” Andie called out, breaking the excruciating silence. Natalie coughed again, still saying nothing. And ran off to join the others.

  chapter ELEVEN

  Evening activity was a bonfire. The counselors each took turns telling ghost stories, and then Evan, Simon’s counselor, took out his guitar and led them all in some tried-and-true camp songs. Simon, Gabe, and Ben even did a boy-band-style dance routine that cracked everyone up. Natalie laughed despite herself, and threw her all into “Michael, Row Your Boat Ashore.” Anything was better than acknowledging the hideous, crushing tension with Alyssa and Tori.

  But she couldn’t escape the two of them forever. They were, after all, sharing a tent. After teeth brushing and changing into their pajamas, the campers were all sent to their respective tents. The counselors would be keeping guard in shifts all night to make sure all the kids stayed in their tents.

  Natalie had thought things couldn’t get worse with Alyssa and Tori. But apparently they could. In fact, they could get much, much worse. Lying on her back in her sleeping bag, a thousand questions raced through Natalie’s head. No one said a word. Finally, she couldn’t bear it. “Uh, Tori,” she began uncertainly.

  “Yeah?”

  “Were you . . . when I came by the tent before, when I was looking for the sunscreen? Were you, um, talking about me, and Simon?” There. It was out. There was no taking it back now.

  “Well, uh . . .” Tori hedged. “No?”

  Natalie bristled. “Are you lying?” She couldn’t believe it; she’d finally mustered up the courage to confront Tori, and the girl was going to outright deny it? Unbelievable.

  “You know,” Alyssa said, jumping in, “it’s not a great idea to go accusing someone when you really don’t know what’s going on. And, I mean, why would you listen in on someone’s private conversation, anyway?”

  “I don’t know, Lyss,” Natalie snapped, dangerously close to tears yet again. She sat up. “I guess I’m just not used to us keeping secrets from each other.” She couldn’t help it—a choked sob escaped from her throat.

  “Oh, hey—Nat—come on—” Alyssa began.

  But Natalie was already gone—up, out, and tearing through the woods. She had no idea where she was going. Only that she needed to be as far away from Alyssa and Tori as possible.

  “Nat! Nat!”

  Natalie could hear Alyssa stomping through the woods about as stealthily as an overweight elephant, calling for her in the loudest “whisper” Natalie had ever heard.

  “Nat!” she repeated, more urgently this time. “You, of all people, should know better than to storm off into the woods by yourself!”

  Natalie held her tongue, crouching behind a tree.

  “And even if things are totally messed up between us,” Alyssa called, “I have a feeling you wouldn’t want me lost out here in the wilderness.” She paused. “C’mon,” she pleaded. “I know you wouldn’t want that on your conscience.”

  Reluctantly, Natalie stepped out from behind her tree. “How do you know that?” she asked quietly.

  “Because you’re my best friend,” Alyssa said.

  Natalie sniffled. “It doesn’t feel like that, these days,” she said.

  “I know,” Alyssa agreed. She broke down.

  “Natalie, I miss you! Half the reason I even came back this summer was to see you!”

  “Me too,” Nat agreed. “I hate the way things have been. I hate this summer.”

  “You hated last summer at first, too,” Alyssa pointed out in her own unique, matter-of-fact way. “You turned that around.”

  Natalie nodded. “Good point.” It was.

  “I think we just need to fix this ridiculousness between us. Then we can have an amazing summer.”

  “I agree,” Natalie said. “I’m really sorry if you felt like I was blowing you off in order to spend time with Simon. I’ve never had, you know, a serious boyfriend before, so maybe I’m not so great at balancing my time. But you seemed, uh, perfectly content to be with Tori all the time. And so I got jealous.” The words sounded ridiculous to Natalie even as they came out of her mouth. This was Alyssa, after all. Their friendship had always been solid. She should never have felt threatened by anyone else.

  “Duh,” Alyssa said, rolling her eyes. “But, I mean, what was I supposed to do? Sit around twiddling my thumbs? Tori’s great—but she’s not you. I had to do some adjusting this summer, myself.”

  “I get it,” Natalie said. “And I’m sorry.”

  Alyssa smiled, looking incredibly relieved. “Me too,” she said. The girls hugged. “That was horrible,” Alyssa said, once the hug was over.

  Natalie looked at her quizzically.

  “Not the hug,” she clarified. “Being in a fight with you. Or, a non-speak. Whatever the heck that was. Let’s never do it again!”

  “Hear, hear!” Nat said. “Let’s get back to the tent before the counselors notice we’re gone.” She threw an arm over her best friend’s shoulder, and off they went. Together.

  Back in the tent, Tori was sitting up in her sleeping back, biting a fingernail pensively. “You’re going to wreck your manicure,” Natalie admonished, smiling, as she c
rawled back into her own sleeping bag. Funny how a big, puffy blanket on the ground is more comfortable than a camp bunk bed, she thought idly. Or maybe it was just that she was in the best mood she’d been in for days.

  “You’re back,” Tori said, breaking into a grin. “All better?” she asked tentatively.

  “All better,” Natalie confirmed. “And, I apologize for being such a weirdo these past few days. It wasn’t fair of me to be so jealous just because you and Alyssa were becoming friends.”

  “No, I get it,” Tori said graciously. “I mean, you may not believe it, Nat, but I was totally jealous of you!”

  “Me? Why?” Natalie asked, incredulous.

  “Well, we’re a lot alike, in case you haven’t noticed.”

  “I had,” Natalie admitted.

  “Well, just think back to how you felt last summer, when you first got here,” Tori prompted.

  Nat reflected for a moment. “Shell-shocked.” “Exactly,” Tori said. “I was so envious of how into camp you are. I mean, you never complain—not about the food, not about the showers, not about the—ugh—spiders on the toilet . . .”

  Natalie paused for a moment. She almost couldn’t believe it, but Tori was right. It was amazing, really, how far she’d come. “You’re right!” she said. “Sorry I was such a doof. And for thinking that you were macking on Simon.”

  “Give me a break,” Tori said, groaning. “I mean, he’s really cute and all, but I would never crush on someone else’s boyfriend. The minute you told me he was taken, I put it out of my mind.”

  “So, then, why were you and Alyssa talking about us?” Natalie asked shyly. She didn’t want to dredge up more conflict, but as long as they were getting everything out in the open, she really needed to know.

  Alyssa and Tori exchanged a glance. “I guess you have to tell her,” Alyssa said, sounding way too serious.

  “Oh, now you definitely have to tell me,” Natalie said, eyes widening.

  Tori sighed. “Okay,” she said. “But just know that I really never wanted to ruin the surprise.”

  Natalie waved to her in a “get on with it” gesture.

  “Simon came to me last week to talk,” Tori said, sounding alarmingly serious. Natalie braced herself. “See . . . it’s your anniversary, he told me. A year ago this weekend, you guys went on that nature campout.”

  It is our anniversary! Natalie realized. She couldn’t believe it had gone unnoticed. The whole thing with Alyssa had really been keeping her preoccupied.

  “So, he wanted to get you something, but he had no idea what you might like. And he knew that you and I had similar tastes. So he came to ask me what I would suggest.”

  Natalie’s mouth dropped open.

  “But . . . I don’t know you that well, and I was deathly afraid of steering him in the wrong direction. So I decided to consult Alyssa, after swearing her to secrecy. We’ve been debating for a while now. We really wanted it to be a surprise, but unfortunately, as you’re figuring out, it’s kind of hard to keep a secret among good friends. Anyway, that’s what you overheard before. Now that we know what he got you, we’re dying for him to give it to you. You’re going to love it.”

  “And I was so disappointed that you overheard us, after we went to all that trouble to keep it on the downlow,” Alyssa cut in. “That’s why I gave you such a hard time about listening in. I was a spaz. Do you forgive me?”

  “Are you kidding?” Natalie exclaimed. She couldn’t believe what amazing friends she had. Even when things were all screwy between them, they were helping her boyfriend out and making sure she had a special day. “You guys are, like, the best, ever. I won’t even ask what you recommended to Simon.”

  “No way,” Tori said. “There should be at least some element of the unexpected left. And you’d better act shocked when he gives you the gift, whatever it is!” She made a big, exaggerated motion of zipping her lips, locking them, and tossing away the key.

  “Deal!” Natalie said. A thought crossed her mind. “Our anniversary! Maybe that’s why he wants to, like, kiss me.”

  “What?” Tori and Alyssa shrieked in unison.

  “This is what I was trying to tell you the other day when you were playing cards,” Natalie said, giggling. “But you wouldn’t be disturbed.”

  “Oh. My. God. You should have made us aware of the gravity of the situation,” Alyssa chided her. “Now. Spill.”

  “But, of course,” Natalie said obligingly. There was nothing she’d rather do, after all, than have a nice, juicy, heart-to-heart with Alyssa and Tori.

  Her two camp BFFs.

  Second time’s the charm, Natalie thought, warming to her story. Totally.

  EPILOGUE

  “How do you feel, Nat?”

  “Does it itch?”

  “Is your throat swelling?”

  “Leave it to Princess Natalie to turn the campout into a high-drama scenario.”

  Natalie was propped up on no fewer than three fluffy pillows in the camp infirmary, soaking in the cool AC and the good vibes and well-wishes of her friends from 4A and 4C. Well, everyone except Chelsea, who could never resist a snarky comment.

  Natalie had thought that the rest of the campout would be perfect, once she, Alyssa, and Tori had worked things out. Even Simon noticed the renewed spring in her step. But early on Saturday morning, Natalie’s legs erupted in hives, and she broke out into a serious fever. It seemed that when she had run out of the tent and away from Alyssa, she had run headfirst into a raging patch of poison oak and was suffering a massive allergic reaction.

  So much for my dreams of Outward Bound, Natalie thought wryly. I guess I still have a ways to go when it comes to becoming One with Nature.

  Susan, the head counselor of the fourth division, had whisked Natalie back to camp in her car, which was, not surprisingly, a much smoother ride than any yellow school bus, and Natalie had spent Saturday and Sunday in the infirmary with cold compresses pressed against her legs and hopped up on baby aspirin. Nurse Helen had even rolled an ancient black-and-white television set into Natalie’s room.

  All in all, it wasn’t exactly the worst way to spend forty-eight hours. Ceaseless, merciless itching notwithstanding.

  “You missed the best time, Natalie,” Jenna said. “On Saturday night, someone snuck into the boys’ tents and went through their backpacks. And they tossed their underwear into the lake. It wasn’t me,” she swore. She grinned devilishly. “But it was awesome.”

  Natalie cracked up. “It sounds awesome,” she agreed. “I’m sorry I missed it.”

  “We’re sorry, too,” Alyssa said. “I’d hug you, but . . .” She gestured at the compresses.

  “Right, right, we need to contain the damages,” Natalie said. “Wouldn’t want to spread my cooties or anything.”

  Nurse Helen came into the room, waving a thermometer. “Natalie, this room’s getting a little crowded, don’t you think?” she asked, not unkindly.

  Natalie grinned. “Yes, I’m stunningly popular. It’s my cross to bear.”

  “We can take a hint,” Grace said, pretending to pout. She waved a finger. “But we will be back tomorrow,” she said, making it sound like a threat.

  The girls filed out, followed by Nurse Helen.

  “Oh, Nurse Helen,” Natalie called after her, not wanting to shout too loudly and irritate her throat. “What are the chances you’d bring me a cup of tea?”

  “I’d say your chances are excellent. But, unfortunately, I’m not a qualified RN.”

  Natalie looked up to see Simon walking into the room bearing a steaming Styrofoam cup of what she knew was her favorite—peppermint tea. “Hey,” she said, brightening at the sight of him. “I thought visiting hours were over for the day.”

  Simon winked. “Nurse Helen was willing to cut me a deal when I explained how our anniversary got busted up.”

  Natalie blushed. “I’m sorry I had to leave the campout early.”

  Simon glanced at the television set, and then back at Nat
alie. He raised an eyebrow. “No, you’re not.”

  “Busted,” Natalie said, smiling guiltily. “But I’m sorry I missed our anniversary.” That much was definitely true.

  “Well, I, um, got you something,” Simon said, suddenly looking incredibly uncomfortable. It was adorable how nervous he was. Natalie had no problem whatsoever pretending that Alyssa and Tori had never given her a heads-up.

  “A present?” she asked. “No way. That’s too sweet.”

  He thrust a small, delicately wrapped box at her awkwardly. “Tori helped me wrap it. And Alyssa picked it out. Well, she made the suggestion. And then my mom sent it up once I told her what to get.”

  “I can’t believe you went to so much trouble,” Natalie said in amazement. She fingered the box gingerly. “Can I open it?”

  “You’d better,” Simon quipped. “The suspense is killing me.”

  Natalie eagerly ripped into the gift wrap. “Ooooh,” murmured, fishing out a dainty silver charm bracelet. “Wow.”

  “Do you like it?” Simon asked, sounding insecure.

  “I love it,” Natalie said. “Thank you so much.” She held out her wrist. “Will you help me put it on?”

  Simon leaned over and fastened the bracelet to her wrist. They both admired it for a moment, not saying anything. Then Simon broke the silence. “I’m really excited about our anniversary,” he said.

  “Me too,” Natalie agreed. She couldn’t help but notice that his face was very close to hers. Was this it—the big kiss moment? With Nurse Helen right in the other room? Was she ready?

  Simon leaned in before she even had time to decide. Natalie squeezed her eyes shut, her stomach exploding like a packet of pop rocks. And then she felt it. Simon’s lips touch down, ever so lightly.