Summer State of Mind

by Jen Calonita

  “Haven’t you heard?” Ethan asks as we head to the side of the stage to wait for our turn. “Summer camp critics are even more brutal than the popular clique at school.”

  “Funny,” I say. “Maybe we should have asked to do stand-up instead.”

  Jeanie is hopping up and down a few feet away from us. “J, you okay over there?” Ethan asks. She walks over to us.

  “I’m fine. Just getting psyched. I think this might work,” she says more to Ethan than to me. “Everyone knows their part except you,” she says to me. Ethan coughs. “You’re new here, and I doubt you’ve done anything like this before. Do me a favor: Stay out of my way up there.” I bite my lip to keep from screaming. “Watch me and Ethan for cues. We will lead the way, whatever the song is. And when in doubt, just mouth the words and move in place. No standing like a frozen robot. Got it?”

  “Yes, my queen,” I joke. Ethan bites his lip, and Jeanie stomps off to talk to Camilla, who is doing vocal practice.

  “She’s just nervous,” Ethan tells me, squeezing my hand. I immediately feel tingly. “I can already tell you’re going to be great up there.”

  I hear Hitch make the announcement, and I know it’s time to go on. “And now we have the bunks of 10A and 11A teaming up for a boy-girl combo!”

  We run up the stairs and take our places on stage as the crowd cheers. They settle down when the lights dim in the audience. I find it hard to see anything offstage.

  “Follow my lead,” Jeanie reminds me again. She pulls Ethan to the front, and the two look like lead singers when they get handed wireless mics. The rest of us huddle around a few microphones on stands. I glance over at Sam, Thomas, Courtney, Cole, and the other counselors. They are debating what song to use. Then I hear a familiar Pink tune that seems to be the anthem of the summer only a few weeks into it.

  “Aw, yeah! This one is easy,” Dirk whispers to me. “Pool party, here we come!”

  “It’s too easy,” I say and eye the control booth. The group is still whispering heatedly even though the music is playing.

  Jeanie doesn’t notice. She sways to the music and sings along with Ethan. The two are belting it out, and the crowd is loving it. The rest of us do our background thing.

  It’s boring, to be honest. McDaddy would be ashamed at what copycats we are. Everyone knows the moves to Pink’s video. It’s got a zillion hits on YouTube.

  Then the song screeches to a halt, and we all stop moving.

  “Now what?” Ethan hisses.

  “I don’t know,” Jeanie whispers. “Just keep smiling and moving. We’ve got this.”

  “Do they usually change the song?” I ask Justin and Lina.

  “Never,” Lina says, “but look at Cole. He seems pretty pleased with himself. So does Courtney.” The two are smiling as wide as that cat in Alice in Wonderland. A new song starts, and Jeanie and Ethan freeze. They’ve never heard this one.

  “I don’t know this song,” Lina says.

  “No one knows it.” Justin continues to sway, but that’s all anyone can do. Even the crowd is quiet. “We are going to lose this thing.”

  I recognize that instrumental! It’s that new band McDaddy played on the way up to the Pines!

  I look at Kyle. He nods. I know he knows it, too. We can save this thing.

  Jeanie is frantic. “Do something! Anything! Cartwheels!”

  “That pool party really did sound like fun,” Dirk says dejectedly.

  I grab Justin’s wig and put it on my head. Kyle steals Jeanie’s mic before she knows what’s happening. I take Ethan’s mic. “It’s not over yet. Follow our lead,” I say. The two of us break away from the group and move to the front.

  “What are you doing?” Jeanie hisses.

  “Saving you,” Kyle says. He winks at me. “Let’s show them how it’s done, sis.”

  “With pleasure,” I say and take his hand. I turn to the crowd. “This is a kick-butt new song by a group called Hudson Street that you’re going to love! Here it goes!”

  I look over at Cole and see his jaw drop. He was not expecting us to know this group. Too bad.

  I’m not nervous in the slightest as Kyle and I run around the stage together, whipping the crowd into a frenzy. When we get to the chorus, which is a rap, I let Kyle take the honors. Ethan hollers his support and salutes me. My voice isn’t fabulous, but no one seems to care because I’m selling it for all it’s worth, and I’m having a ball. This camp that never seems to want to give me a chance is loving me. Me! And I’m soaking it all in.

  “Let’s hear you clap! Clap! Clap!” I yell. “I know you know how to do that!”

  “You heard my sister! Let’s hear ya!” Kyle seconds.

  I wave my boa in the air, and Ethan grabs it, swinging it around. Justin runs over and grabs the other end, and they pretend to have a tug-of-war to the beat. Dirk, Lina, Trisha, and Vickie join them. The rest of my bunk sees what’s happening and grabs opposite sides. The group moves to the beat as Kyle and I dance across the stage. A bewildered Jeanie just stands there. Finally I grab her arm and swing her around with me. And then the song is over. The crowd goes nuts.

  Ethan picks me up for a victory lap around the stage before I even realize what he’s doing. “You were amazing!” he says in awe as he puts me down. I notice he doesn’t let go of my hand. “You should audition for The Voice.”

  My checks flush, and I look down at our joined hands. “Thanks.”

  I notice Jeanie grimacing. Then she starts whispering to Camilla. She does not look thrilled, but Addison high-fives me.

  “Didn’t know you had it in you, Barbie! Nice one!” she says.

  “If that doesn’t win, I don’t know what will,” Melody adds, sounding giddy. “Thank God you took over!” I see Jeanie look at her. “We were drowning out there.”

  “We were doing fine,” Jeanie insists, but everyone is too busy talking to Kyle and me about our performance to listen to her. “I had it under control!”

  “How did you two know that song?” Dirk asks.

  Kyle and I look at each other. “Our dad listens to this new-music station on Pandora. I guess we heard it on there.”

  “Cool dad,” Heath says.

  We all stop talking at once when we hear the counselors begin to give their scores. They hold up their cards, and we get nines and tens across the board! The crowd goes wild. So does my own team. Ethan hugs me again. I could get used to that.

  “Victory party!” Justin yells.

  “We haven’t even won yet,” Camilla reminds them.

  “Oh, we will,” Ethan says. “The Barbie twins rocked this joint! I think a party at the lake is in order.” He looks at me. “What do you say?” I’m so surprised, I can’t speak.

  There’s an unsaid agreement between counselors and campers that we can go down to the lake at night as long as we keep things low-key. Lina and I haven’t been invited down there—till now. And by Ethan! Lina pinches me, and I know she’s thinking the same.

  “I’m in for the party, but do not call me a Barbie twin,” Kyle says. He grabs me and swings me around, and Melody and Addison move out of the way. “I would give us each five points for that display.”

  “Ten!” I joke. “Infinity!”

  Jeanie walks over with Camilla. “Are you guys going to come to the lake tonight?” she asks. “It’s really fun. You should.”

  Lina and I look at each other. Jeanie wants us to come, too? I guess I did help us win (well, we haven’t won yet, but I am pretty sure we will!). “I think we are.”

  “We can’t go like this though,” Camilla says to Jeanie. She points to her own frizzy hair. “We’re sweaty messes.” She looks at me hesitantly. “Do you think you’d be up for going to the bunk first to do a quick makeover before we head down there?”

  “That’s a good idea,” Jeanie agrees, and I almost swallow my tongue. “What do you say, Harper? I have been dying to try out that flat iron of yours.” She blushes. “I’ve just felt too funny to ask.”


  I’m gobsmacked, and I know Lina is, too. Jeanie is finally giving me a chance to be one of them, and I know I have to take it. “I’ll head back to the bunk early to get everything heated up and ready,” I say excitedly.

  “That’s perfect! We’ll meet you back there as soon as the show is over.” Jeanie whispers in my ear. “It would look too obvious if we all ducked out of here early.”

  “Understood,” I agree.

  “We’ll see you soon,” Jeanie says, and the two head into the crowd.

  Lina and I don’t know what to say, but Kyle does. “That moment deserves a point all on its own, which means we are eight to six now,” he says. His eyes have a mischievous twinkle to them that I know well. “Could be fun if you stuck around longer to see how high our scores could go, don’t you think?”

  Lina looks at me hopefully.

  I push my hair out of my eyes and try to catch my breath. “You two are not going to let this rest, are you?”

  “Never!” they say at the same time.

  The truth is, part of me hopes they don’t.

  Harper McAllister @HarperMc

  Do something you’ve never done before—like hijack a karaoke session and bring down the house. #rulesofsummer

  15

  FLAMING THE FIRE

  IF THERE ARE ANY RACCOONS or possums lurking nearby on our walk back to our cabin, Lina and I have managed to scare them all away. The two of us can’t stop laughing as we let our flashlights guide us back to the bunk.

  “I cannot believe Jeanie was groveling to you tonight.” Lina is still amazed. “She actually asked you to straighten her hair!”

  “I know!” I can’t believe it myself. “She finally wants a makeover just when I’ve gotten over giving them! I haven’t looked at that flat iron in over a week.”

  Lina’s face sparkles in the glow of the lanterns lighting our way. “She keeps pushing you down, but you keep getting back up. Maybe she’s finally realized there’s no fighting it. Is there anything you can’t do?” she asks. “Maybe you should take that boxing elective with me next week!”

  “No, thanks!” I say quickly. “Ask Kyle to do that with you.” Lina gets quiet, like she does whenever I bring him up. “Not that I want you to date my brother—there’ll be no living with him if you do—but I can’t believe I won’t be here to see what happens,” I realize. “Of course it would happen that I finally start liking the Pines when it’s almost time to go home. I’ve had so much fun that I haven’t e-mailed my mom to complain about camp in days. She must wonder if I’m still alive.”

  Lina stops short. “Are you saying you might want to stay?”

  I hesitate. I’m not ready to say that, but I am all of a sudden thinking about it. “All I know is I don’t want to miss that pool party at Hitch’s house. I have to be there to see Jeanie’s face when someone says Kyle and I saved the day.”

  Lina does a little happy dance, and I join her. We must look like idiots, but no one is around to see us. Then my flashlight gives out.

  “Oh man,” I groan. “That was my last set of batteries.”

  “Same here,” says Lina. “We’ll have to get more at the canteen tomorrow. At least we’re at the cabin.”

  We hurry up the porch steps to get ready. I flick on only one light in the cabin when we enter. I’ll need the rest of the power for my hair tools (I’ve learned my lesson on that one). I kneel down by my trunk and unlock it.

  Lina whistles. “Wow, you really do have a whole hair salon in there. My trunk just has art supplies, hiking boots, and extra sunscreen.”

  We stare at the assortment of hair dryers, flat irons, light-up makeup mirrors, and curling wands I felt was absolutely necessary to keep with me at camp. Looking at it all now I feel kind of foolish. In two weeks, I’ve only used a handful of them, and that was all on the night we had the camp dance. I’ve become a wash-and-go girl myself. Turns out my curls dry in a half hour in this heat, which means I can sleep in a few minutes longer. ME! The girl who gets up two hours before school to get ready. I do, however, make time for eyeliner and mascara (I haven’t become a full mountain girl yet).

  It doesn’t take us long to have the room completely set up. My makeup is on one table with the mirror and the other holds all sorts of face creams and perfumes. I put out my best hair products in the bathroom in case someone wants to wash her hair before I blow it out. My half a dozen brushes and combs are lying near one of the hair dryers. And for the final touch, I attach Lina’s iPod shuffle to my portable speaker so that Bruno Mars fills the room. When I’m finished, I’m pretty pleased with myself. Then I look at my watch and frown. “It’s after ten.”

  Lina plays with her hair in front of my makeup mirror. “They should be here any minute then. Want to do my hair first before they get here?”

  I grab the crimper that is heated up. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  When I’m done, Lina looks in the mirror. I’ve braided the top and made funky curls out of the pink strands in the back. The look is sort of punk meets princess. “I think you’ve found your calling,” she says as she plays with the curls. “The girls are going to fight over who you do first.”

  I look at my watch again. It’s now ten forty-five! “What time did you say All-Camp usually ends?”

  Lina shrugs. “Ten at the latest. Why? What time is it?”

  “Ten forty-five!” I say, and she pales. “They should be here by now, right?” She nods. “It’s almost eleven, and our curfew is twelve,” I realize slowly, “that could only mean one thing…” We both rush to the cabin door and go out on the porch. Lights are on in the other cabins nearby, and we can hear distant voices and laughter. Not only is everyone back, they’ve already turned in. Lina and I lean over the railing to get a view of the lake. Just as I suspected, I can see a bonfire roaring. The marshmallows party is going on all right; Jeanie just didn’t want us to be a part of it. “She tricked me!” I say angrily. “I should have known she was never going to let me give her a makeover!”

  “Technically Camilla tricked you,” Lina says. “That’s probably why we didn’t realize what Jeanie was up to.”

  The happiness I was feeling earlier vanishes like a puff of smoke. It all makes sense now. Jeanie was bent out of shape that I helped with the karaoke number. She hated everyone congratulating me and Kyle, so she decided to get rid of me for the after party. It’s like the bunk raid all over again. “The guys must notice we’re not there.” I freak. “Why haven’t they come looking for us? If they cared, they would have come up here by now. They’re all jerks!”

  “Harper, calm down,” Lina says. “Maybe they are looking for us. We don’t know what’s going on down there.”

  My face flushes angrily. “You’re right. Let’s go down there then and see for ourselves,” I declare, grabbing my sweatshirt from the hook by the cabin door and throwing it on. “When I get my hands on Jeanie, I am going to crush her.” I think of what Kate would do in this situation. She would show no mercy. She’d make the girl cry. “I will publicly humiliate her the way she humiliated us and tell everyone what a frizzy-haired, big-nosed, psycho camper she really is.”

  “Yikes.” Lina looks annoyed with me. “That has nothing to do with why we’re mad. You’re just being obnoxious now.”

  “But she ruined our night,” I say. “Again!”

  Lina shakes her head, her curls bouncing vigorously. “Don’t you see? If we march down there and cause a scene, we’re as bad as she is.”

  “So what?” I channel Kate, whose mantra has always been “the meaner, the better.” “Sometimes people deserve to be taken down a peg, and there’s no better place to do that than in public.”

  “Believe it or not, not everyone is a fan of public humiliation, including me,” Lina says incredulously. “When people find out what they pulled on us tonight, they’re going to be on our side. You’ll blow that by going down there and going ballistic. Trust me.” We just stare at each other as the porch door slams open and closes on
its own. The wind has picked up. “I’m tired,” she says, sounding suddenly beat down. I can’t help but think how our night went from such a high to such a low so quickly. “I think I’ll just go to bed and deal with Jeanie tomorrow. Do the same,” she begs. “We can tell the guys what happened when we see them then.”

  But I don’t want to wait till tomorrow. “I need air,” I say and let the porch door slam shut behind me. Part of me is mad at Jeanie and another part is mad at Lina for being such a pushover. We have a right to put Jeanie in her place! I take deep breaths and listen to the crickets and sounds of the other cabins turning in around us. Lights are going out all around me, which should be calming, but it’s not. I can’t let this go. The sounds of the lake travel all the way to the bunks. I can hear them down there having a good time. Jeanie is probably bragging about the trick she played on us. Does Ethan hear her? Meanwhile Lina and I are on the outside looking in again. It’s not a feeling I’m used to, and I hate it. I pace back and forth on the porch, weighing my options. Lina may be the bigger person, but I’m not. I’m going down there.

  I grab my flashlight, which is still lying on a porch chair. Then I remember my flashlight died and so did Lina’s. What am I going to use to get to the lake in the pitch dark? I pause and spin around, looking back toward the bunk. One of my candles! Lina’s already turned in and our cabin lights are out, so I quietly sneak back into the cabin. I hear music playing softly and realize Lina must have put her headphones on to fall asleep. Tiptoeing over to my trunk, I pull out the one candle I kept for safekeeping. It’s a big, fat pillar that will last for days if I let it. I grab the box of matches I hid inside a pair of socks and exit the cabin, waiting until I’m at the bottom of the porch stairs to light it. Then I duck into the woods rather than going on the path. It’s the best way to sneak up on those creeps without getting caught.

  Walking by candlelight is tougher than I thought, though. If I trip, I might fall into the candle and set my hair on fire, so I walk slowly and look down for rocks and snakes. Concentrating on that keeps me from freaking out that I’m off the path, in the woods, alone, in the middle of the night. When I hear people talking, I stop short. Cole and Sam are whispering quietly on a rock a few feet away. Quickly, I walk in the other direction, silently praying neither of them sees the flame from my candle. It’s so dark, I’m not sure where I am headed now. When I finally see lights ahead of me, I turn toward them.