She heard Kevin’s shuffling footsteps moments before he said, “Hi, is Cassie here?”
“Yes, but I think she’s trying to sleep,” her dad said from beside the bed.
Cassie’s eyes snapped open. “No, I’m just laying here.” She sat up. “Hi, Kevin.”
His hand bobbed at his side in a wave. He wasn’t in his hospital gown anymore, but normal clothing. “Just came to say bye. I’m leaving.”
A mixture of envy and sadness flooded her. “Bye, Kevin. Thanks for keeping me company.”
“Hope you get better soon.”
“Who was that?” Mr. Jones asked.
“Kevin,” Cassie said. “The little boy bit by a snake.”
“Oh, that’s right. Well, he was bit just a few hours before you. Which means you’re next!”
“Yeah.” Cassie grabbed the remote control and heaved a sigh. Tomorrow could not come soon enough. Not even her books were interesting anymore.
As much as she looked forward to her moment of leaving, when it finally came the next morning, it seemed extremely anticlimactic. The nurses gave her some crutches, which weren’t as easy to get around on as they looked. They rubbed her armpits, and Cassie winced with every step forward. The only person she had to say goodbye to was Tom, so she crutched her way to his room while her mom packed up all the cards and things.
She knocked on the open door frame and poked her head in. “Tom?”
The only response was a whimper. Stepping in, Cassie saw he had two nurses with him. They both worked around his leg, cleaning the wound where the screw connected him to the bed. Cassie stood there, awkward and uncertain, feeling like the intruder to an intimate scene. “I just wanted to say bye.”
A small sob escaped Tom’s lips, and he turned his head to face the opposite wall. Cassie’s heart clenched. She wished she could help him somehow. She maneuvered her way out of the room and back to hers.
“Did you say goodbye to your friends?” Her mom picked up the small box of belongings and shoved a hand through her short, curly brown hair. She flashed Cassie a smile.
“Yeah.” Cassie leaned on the crutches, taking the weight off her foot. It already throbbed, and she hated to say that she wanted to lie down again. “I’m so ready to get out of here.”
“Then let’s go.”
“Cassie.”
She turned around as Zack came in pushing an empty wheelchair, a big grin on his face. “Hi, Zack,” she said.
“Look at you, up and about. All ready to go home. Come sit down. You get one last ride out of here.”
Did he know her foot hurt? She cast him a grateful look and slid into the wheelchair, holding her crutches across her lap. “Oh, Mom,” she said, thinking of something else, “am I still going to be able to go to Girls Club Camp?” She held her breath, waiting in expectation for the answer. The last time she’d asked, her mom had said not to worry about that right now. But camp started in two days, and if she wasn’t going, she wanted to know.
“Yes, Cassie,” Mrs. Jones said. “The doctor cleared you for camp. And the camp nurse already knows the situation. But we’re going to need to talk about it so you don’t overdo it, okay?”
“Sure,” Cassie said, though at that moment she probably would have agreed to anything. She resisted the urge to clap her hands. Camp would be so much fun. And her best friend Riley would be there!
CHAPTER SEVEN
Sleep Away
On Sunday after church, Mrs. Jones drove Cassie and Emily out to their very first sleep away camp, Camp Splendor. Though Cassie had been looking forward to going to Girls Club Camp for months, she wasn’t excited about her younger sister coming along. But, as her mom stated quite clearly, it wasn’t up to her.
“Besides, I think you’ll be glad she’s there,” her mom added as she got in line behind dozens of other cars on the winding forest road. A big wooden sign, half camouflaged by the vines and long branches around it, read, “Camp Splendor.” “She can take care of you.”
“Yeah!” Emily said perkily.
Cassie just rolled her eyes and looked out the window. Even though she was on crutches, she didn’t want everyone to think she was an invalid.
They finally pulled through the line of cars and stopped by a pavilion. Several vehicles were backed up to it with their trunks open, and parents and girls hauled out sleeping bags and suitcases. Behind the pavilion, in a neat circle, were half a dozen platform tents. The platforms were supported by stilts and were several feet off the ground. Long canvas walls had been tied up, leaving the interior of the tents open to the outside air.
Oh, this looked fun.
Emily hopped out of the car. Impatient, Cassie worked her seatbelt. Mrs. Jones opened the door and handed her her crutches. At the same time, Cassie spotted her best friend Riley, loading her things into a tent.
“Riley!” she called.
Riley turned around, her short hair spinning with her. At first she just looked at Cassie as if she didn’t know her, then she smiled and waved. “Hi, Cassie!” She took a step in Cassie’s direction just as Cassie placed her crutches on the ground. Riley halted.
Cassie bit her lower lip in concentration. The rocky, uneven terrain beneath her wasn’t exactly crutches-friendly.
“Can you do this?” Mrs. Jones murmured.
Not doing this wasn’t even an option. “Of course.” Still, the stiff rubber bit into her armpits, and she hoped she could sit down soon. “Which tent is mine?”
Tennis shoes came to a stop under her nose, and Cassie lifted her face to find Riley gaping at her.
“What happened to you?” she asked.
“I was bit by a snake,” Cassie answered, somewhat proudly. How many people could say that?
“I don’t think they’ll let you be here on crutches.” Riley’s voice took on that haughty, know-it-all attitude Cassie recognized a little too well.
“They already said I could.”
“Uh-oh,” an adult voice said. Cassie and her mom swiveled as a woman in khaki shorts, t-shirt, and bandanna over her hair approached. “Crutches? That’s going to be a problem.”
Cassie looked at the woman, a feeling of panic and alarm flooding up from her stomach. “But,” she said, swallowing past a painful lump in her throat, “they said I could come.” They had to let her stay. She’d been looking forward to camp all summer. Cassie turned to her mother, desperate for reassurance.
Mrs. Jones set her mouth in a straight line. “It won’t be a problem. I already spoke to the camp director and the camp nurse.”
The woman furrowed her brow and gestured to the woodsy area around them. “We’re in the middle of the woods. She can’t possibly keep up. We can’t carry her. I just don’t see how she can be a part of this.”
“And who are you?” Mrs. Jones asked.
“I’m the counselor over this unit.”
Her mom jutted her chin out. “The camp nurse said she’d pick her up and drive her to meals and activities. She can still participate. She just can’t run.”
“Or walk, or swim.” One eyebrow lifted on the counselor’s face. “There’s isn’t much she can do.”
Cassie felt her face growing hot, and she knew she was about to cry. They weren’t going to let her stay.
“We’ll help her,” Emily said, stepping up to Cassie.
“Yeah,” Riley joined in. “We’ll be her buddies. We’ll stay with her.”
Mrs. Jones hauled out Cassie’s suitcase and met the counselor’s eyes. “Which tent is Cassie’s? And what was your name again?”
The counselor hesitated, and then backed down. Maybe she realized she didn’t get to call the shots here. “We all have camp names. I’m Rainbow. Cassie’s in tent two, right over there.” She pointed to one of the platform structures. “I’m just going to radio the camp director. Excuse me.”
“You do that,” Mrs. Jones muttered. She plastered on a smile. “Come on, Cassie. Time to hobble down to your tent.”
Maneuvering the rocks an
d twigs was harder than it looked. By the time Cassie reached the tent, she had her doubts about her ability to be here, also. Her mom finished laying the sleeping bag over the mattress and looked up. “Emily’s in your tent with you.”
“Me, too,” Riley said, sitting on the bed across from her. “I made sure we were in the same tent.”
Feet pounded up the wooden steps, and Rainbow ducked her head inside. “Well, I just spoke to the camp nurse. She’s very kindly agreeing to shuttle Cassie around whenever we go outside our campground. But that’s the only exception we’re making. She has to work and clean just like the other girls.”
From the tone of her voice, Rainbow didn’t approve of this decision. But Cassie just flashed her brightest smile, not about to complain. “Thank you so much! I can’t even tell you how excited I am to be here! And I’ll pull my weight, I’ll do what I have to!”
Rainbow nodded. “Finish up here. We’ll be going to dinner soon, and the nurse will be here for you in just a minute.”
“Girls, I’m leaving.” Mrs. Jones kissed and hugged both Emily and Cassie. “Cassie, I’m only an hour away. If you decide you want to come home, just have them call me.”
“It’s hard out here,” Riley said. “I came last year. I bet you’ll want to go home.”
Cassie kept her bright smile on her face. She knew no matter how hard it got, she wasn’t going home. “Thanks, Mom.”
As soon as Mrs. Jones left, Riley hauled her suitcase out from under her bed. “Look at all my snacks,” she said, tossing it open.
Cookies and candies and bags of chips filled up almost the entire bag.
“Wow!” Emily breathed.
Cassie felt a flash of envy, and her stomach rumbled. She hadn’t brought any snacks. “That’s nice,” she said. She knew better than to expect Riley to share. She often showed up at Girls Club with extra candy and food, which she used to bribe the other girls.
Riley opened up one of the bags of cookies.
“Can I have one?” Emily asked, holding out a hand.
Riley looked at her, all while nibbling on a chocolate-chip cookie. “Sure.” She handed one over.
Cassie leaned forward. “Can I too?”
“No.” Riley put the bag away. “You haven’t been nice to me.”
“What?” Cassie exclaimed. “When was I not nice to you?”
Riley shrugged. “If you’re nice, you’ll get one.”
Whatever. Cassie turned away from her and pretended to search for something important in her suitcase. She didn’t want one anyway.
The rumbling engine echoed around the campsite several minutes before a big white truck parked next to the pavilion.
“That’s your ride, Cassandra!” Rainbow called from another tent, where she helped the girls rearrange their beds. “Take a buddy!”
“Want to come with me?” Cassie asked Riley.
Riley glanced around and wrinkled her nose. “No. I’ve already made some friends here. I want to hang out with them.”
Cassie felt a stab of betrayal. Riley had told Mrs. Jones that she’d help out. “Okay, then.” Who else? She didn’t know anyone here.
“I’ll be your buddy.” Emily came over, handing Cassie her crutches. “Come on.”
Only her sister wanted to be her buddy. She was feeling less wanted by the minute.
Two girls carrying logs to the fire pit passed her and Emily as they hiked up to the pavilion.
“What happened to your leg?” one asked, stopping in front of them.
“I got bit by a snake,” Cassie said, a little sheepishly.
“What?” gasped the other girl. “Was it poisonous?”
Cassie nodded. “I spent a week in the hospital. Just got out two days ago.”
The two girls’ eyes went wide as saucers. “No way,” the first one breathed. “That’s so awful. Like, the worst thing ever. I’m Tiffany, by the way.”
“I’m Alicia,” the other added.
“I’m Cassie. This is my sister Emily.”
“Can we see the bite?” Tiffany asked, edging closer.
“Maybe later,” Cassie said. “We have to ride with the camp nurse to dinner now.”
“Oh, right.” The two girls nodded in understanding.
“It’s a long hike to the mess hall,” Alicia said.
“We’ll see you in a few minutes, then,” Cassie said.
“Yeah.” Tiffany waved as they continued on to the fire pit. “Save us a seat. I want to hear all about it!”
A flicker of warmth grew in Cassie’s chest. She might not have had any other friends, but it wouldn’t take long to make some.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Foot and Oh
Cassie and Emily arrived first at the mess hall, thanks to the camp nurse. They picked a table and waited for the other girls. Campers began to arrive in groups, each accompanied by a leader, but Cassie didn’t recognize them. She knew there were several campsites at Camp Splendor. There had to be a least a hundred girls here this week.
Finally she spotted Rainbow leading the way, a line of girls behind her. Tiffany saw their table first, and her face brightened. Even though she was a smaller girl, short with petite features, she had an enigmatic energy that brought the room’s focus on her. She tugged on Alicia’s hand, then pulled her out of line and hauled her toward the table. To Cassie’s surprise, four other girls followed.
“Hi,” Tiffany said, pulling out a chair and sitting down. “I hope you don’t mind if we brought some friends. Everyone wants to meet you.”
“Oh! No, of course,” Cassie said, surprised but pleasantly flattered. “I’d love to meet your friends.”
Tiffany tossed her pigtails over her shoulder and smiled around the table. “This is Cassie. She’s the one who was bit by the snake.”
Cassie pushed her glasses up on her nose and responded to everyone’s cheerful greetings. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Riley walk past their table and pause for a moment before continuing on.
She could sit here, Cassie thought. There was room. But Riley didn’t ask, so Cassie didn’t offer.
After dinner, all the campers gathered around the stone fireplace and sang songs. The leaders led them through the verses several times, and by the time everyone stood up to head back to the campsite, she felt like she could easily sing along to those songs again.
Rainbow nodded at Cassie. “We’ll see you back at camp.”
“Thanks.”
Cassie and Emily left the mess hall and waited for the nurse to arrive in her white pickup truck again. A mosquito buzzed around Cassie’s ear, and she swatted at it.
“What do you think so far?” Emily asked. “Is it fun?”
It hadn’t been long enough to tell. “Yeah. Everyone seems pretty nice. And I like the music.”
“Yeah, that’s fun.”
They drifted into silence, and the nurse’s truck pulled up, kicking gravel and clouds of dirt behind it.
“Come on in, girls,” she called through the open window.
They arrived at the campsite before the others had finished the hike through the woods. Cassie and Emily arranged their things better around the tent, though they couldn’t really unpack. There was no place to put anything.
Cassie heard the other campers approaching long before they arrived. They were singing, or chanting, or something, and the mingled tones of a dozen voices carried through the trees. She watched with anticipation, her heart in her throat, wishing she could join them. They burst out of the forest, a flurry of waving arms and bobbing heads.
“So there must be a trail through the woods that goes straight to the mess hall,” Emily said from beside her. “Since we didn’t pass them on the road.”
Cassie nodded. “Must be.” And of course she couldn’t go on it. Not with these crutches. But if she could just walk. . . .
She stood up on the platform, carefully putting her weight on both feet. Stabs of shooting pain rushed up her calf, and she sucked in a breath. Slowly, she pushed her
left foot flat on the ground.
“What are you doing?” Emily whispered.
“I just want to walk,” Cassie replied.
“Cassie, hi!” Tiffany broke away from the group of girls and marched over to their tent. “Oh, I didn’t know you can walk on it.”
“She can’t yet,” Emily said.
“But I’m trying.” Cassie shot a glare at her sister. If she could convince the other girls she could walk, maybe Rainbow would let her go on the trail with them. Just once.
“Can I see your foot?” Tiffany asked in a loud whisper. Her eyes went wide with anticipation.
“Sure.” Cassie shrugged and sat back down. “It doesn’t look so bad anymore.”
Holding onto the pole in the middle of the tent, Tiffany whipped her head around and shouted, “Alicia! She’s going to show me her snake bite!”
Alicia wasn’t the only one who came running. A smile tugged at the corner of Cassie's mouth as most of the girls from the unit crowded into her tent.
“It’s a lot better now,” Cassie said, keeping her eyes averted. She started unraveling the gauze around her foot. The girls let out a collective gasp at the swollen, slightly purplish foot. Even Cassie admired its ugliness.
“It doesn't look that bad,” Riley said.
Cassie glanced up at her. She leaned against the tent pole, her arms crossed over her chest, a scowl on her face. Cassie nodded. “Yeah. You should have seen it in the hospital. It was awful. The swelling went all the way to my knee.” She lowered her voice, getting carried away with the story. “They almost had to amputate my leg.”
Tiffany sat down in the middle of the tent. “Tell us everything. The whole story.”
Cassie launched into it, starting at the beginning with doing fireworks.
She didn’t fail to notice Riley push away from the pole and leave the tent.
*~*
“Girls!” Rainbow called. “Everyone gather at the pavilion! We’re going to go over a few rules!”
Only a few campers remained in Cassie and Emily’s tent. They stood up now, waiting for Cassie to get her crutches under her arms before trotting down the steps.
Creature Comforts_The Extraordinarily Ordinary Life of Cassandra Jones Page 4