by Annie Bryant
Kazie jumped out of her chair. “Kara-Lee and I will come! We’ll make it a Kgirls-only event!”
Kara-Lee followed Kazie’s lead. “That sounds fabulous!”
Katani felt uncomfortable with “Kgirls only.” The BSG never thought of themselves as an exclusive club or clique. They were just good friends. “You guys should come too, after you eat,” Katani confided to Charlotte and Isabel, then waved good-bye and followed Kazie and Kara-Lee out of the dining room. Mr. Madden and Andie also excused themselves from the table, telling the girls that they would meet them on the dock.
Charlotte waited until everyone was out of earshot. “The Kgirls Club?” she asked Avery and Maeve. “What’s that?”
Avery pushed her empty plate away and rolled her eyes. “You don’t want to know.”
The Lucky Cap
The dock was a flurry of activity! A mix of passengers, crew, and locals rushed around, although no one seemed to go anywhere.
Maeve pushed her sunglasses on top of her head. “Everyone looks like a tourist.”
“That’s because everyone is a tourist,” Avery replied.
“Including you!” Charlotte added. After breakfast, the BSG, minus Katani, had returned to their room to get ready for shore leave. Of course it took Maeve a dozen tries to pick out the perfect sunglasses to go with the perfect tank top and capris.
Maeve lowered her sunglasses—pink tortoiseshell—and beamed the crowd with her best Oscar acceptance smile. “I always try to blend in whenever I go,” she said. “It’s a sign of a great actress.”
“But, Maeve,” Isabel asked her, “I thought you wanted to be a star? Don’t stars always stick out wherever they go?”
Maeve waved one hand dramatically. “Details, details!”
Charlotte and Isabel burst out laughing, and even Maeve couldn’t keep a straight face.
Avery looked around for Katani, Kazie, and Kara-Lee. She refused to call them the Kgirls! “Okay, they left breakfast before we did, so why are we here before they are?”
“I see them!” Charlotte cried out, spying Katani in the crowd. She jumped up and down and waved her arms until Katani spotted her and waved back. “They’re coming this way.”
“Great,” said Avery under her breath. She wanted to stamp her feet or something. Ever since Kazie showed up she just hadn’t been herself at all. Usually, Avery wanted everyone to join the party—the more, the merrier—and now, here she was, wishing that the newcomers would just go away.
Katani jogged up, followed by Kazie and Kara-Lee. They all wore variations on the same outfit—T-shirts and jeans with fabric leis threaded through their belt loops. Each girl had her hair braided with ribbons, just like Kazie wore, and the look was topped off with baseball caps.
Maeve studied her friend. “Katani, I thought you hated baseball caps?”
Katani smiled nervously and touched her head, which was adorned with a green Savannah Sand Gnats cap she must have borrowed from Kara-Lee. “Oh, you know me, always on the cutting edge of fashion. Caps are totally in on a cruise. ”
“Just last week you said they were sloppy,” Avery insisted.
“But it works here in Hawaii. Total protection in the tropical sun, don’t y’all think so?” crooned Kara-Lee. “Aren’t these belts precious?” she continued. “Totally Katani’s idea!”
Avery noticed that Kazie was wearing a Boston Red Sox baseball cap…one that looked eerily familiar. “Where’d you get that cap?” she asked suspiciously.
Kazie shook her head, sending her blond braids swinging. “Jake the Snake found this in the house and…hey! You’re a Red Sox fan, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” said Avery, seething. “That’s my lucky cap!”
“Then you’re out of luck, I guess?” Kazie said, laughing. “How lucky can it be if you forgot it?”
Avery looked like she was going to snatch the cap right off Kazie’s head! Maeve thought quickly. “Ave, I bet you’ve got a ton of Red Sox caps at home,” she said, putting an arm around her.
“Yeah, and I only have this one!” Kazie exclaimed. “There he is! Jake the Snake, our SLC!” Kazie yelled over the crowd, waving her arms frantically. “Over here!”
Avery watched as Mr. Madden and Andie weaved through the crowd toward the girls. She didn’t know who made her more furious: Kazie, who had practically stolen her cap, or her dad, who had just given it away. She didn’t leave the cap for Kazie. She forgot it. There was a big difference!
“Seriously gnarly day for shredding up the horse trail, dudes!” Mr. Madden remarked.
You don’t even know the half of it, Avery thought. She needed to talk to her dad about the baseball cap situation, and soon!
“Looks like everyone’s here,” Andie reported.
“Why don’t we snap a quick pic before we take off to parts unknown!” Mr. Madden motioned everyone to gather together and pose in front of the dock.
“Jake, the girls don’t want to stop for a picture,” Andie said.
“We need to capture the moment! C’mon, everyone smoosh together so I can get all of you! Now say fleas!”
“FLEAS!” yelled everyone.
Mr. Madden snapped the photo. “Sweet!”
Avery tugged at her dad’s sleeve. “Um, Dad, you got a sec?”
“Always!” Mr. Madden put his digital camera back in its carrying case. “What’s up?”
“Why did you give Kazie my Red Sox cap?” she asked.
“You must have left it after a trip—” he started to say.
“Then you could have just shipped it back to me!” Avery countered.
Mr. Madden knelt down to Avery’s level. “I just thought you and Kazie could use the Sox as a way to, y’know, bond.”
The problem isn’t that we have nothing in common, Avery thought, the problem is that I don’t like her! And on top of that, no matter where I go, or what I do, she’s there to mess things up: Dad, friends, vacations, the Snurfer competition…there’s Kazie cracking jokes at me. But there was no way she was going to make her dad understand all that.
“I just can’t believe you’d give away something that was mine,” she said finally in an angry whisper. “That’s my cap. Not hers. And you didn’t have any right to—” Avery could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. She knew it wasn’t really about the stupid cap, but she couldn’t help herself.
“Whoa whoa whoa, hang on a second there, Ave,” her dad said. “I’ll buy you a new one just like it, okay? I just kinda thought you and I, well, I thought we were on the same wave.”
“Same wave?” Avery asked.
“It’s not what you wear, it’s how you tear. Am I right?” He held up his hand for a high five.
Avery couldn’t believe it. He’s taking Kazie’s side! He knows how much I love the Red Sox. She swallowed back tears. He was not going to see her cry. And Kazie wasn’t going to see her cry, either.
“Ave, don’t leave me hanging! Am I right?” He showed her his outstretched palm.
Avery slapped him five. “You’re right.”
But there wasn’t anything right about this situation. Nothing at all.
CHAPTER
8
Horsing Around
The twelve-passenger van pulled up to the riding stable in a cloud of dust. The girls piled out of the vehicle one by one. The last was Isabel, who looked a little green.
“That was the bumpiest ride I’ve ever been on,” she moaned.
“Total roller coaster!” Kazie cheered.
Avery snorted. Does Kazie think she’s helping? “Isabel doesn’t like those either.”
Charlotte stopped writing in her journal long enough to witness the exchange. She knew what being blindsided by your dad felt like. For a while before the Valentine’s Day Dance, she thought her dad was dating Avery’s mom! But that turned out to be a big misunderstanding, and there definitely wasn’t anything iffy about Mr. Madden and Andie’s relationship. Charlotte had a feeling that Avery was going to have to learn to get along
with Kazie one way or another. So the real problem was how to even begin to make peace between the two of them!
“Isabel, are you sure you’re okay?” Charlotte asked, but she was looking at Avery.
“I hope no one else on this trip is going to end up in that infirmary!” Maeve insisted.
“I just need a second,” Isabel said. “Then I’ll be fine.”
“If you’re not feeling well enough to go riding, I can hang back with you,” Avery offered. They had arrived at the stables and Kazie was pointing at each of the horses in turn, trying to get Katani to pick out the biggest and strongest one for Kazie to ride. Who does she think she is, a cowgirl? Avery wondered. Wait, make that cowgirl with a ‘K’…She chuckled at her little joke.
Isabel shook her head. “I’m fine, Avery! Promise.” She’d been riding before in Texas at her sister’s big quinceañera party, and she wasn’t going to miss out on this opportunity for anything!
A man in jeans and a red T-shirt that read KAUAI ISLAND STABLES in big, bold letters walked up to them. “Hi, everyone! I’m Kai Paele. I’ll be your riding instructor and guide for today. Has anyone here ridden before?”
Andie, Isabel, Katani, Kazie, and Kara-Lee raised their hands, along with several other strangers in the crowd.
Charlotte whispered to Isabel, “Does riding a camel or an elephant count?”
Maeve looked around and noticed “that boy” from the ship with the cute smile. His hands were stashed firmly in his pockets. Phew! I won’t be the only beginner…and I can finally find out his name! Maeve tried to catch his eye, but the guide cleared his throat and Mr. Madden pointed at Maeve to pay attention.
“Just a few pointers. You keep calm, your horse stays calm. If you feel like you’re going too fast, pull back on the reins. There’s no need to worry if you’re new to this. Our horses here are so gentle that you could let a puppy dog ride ’em,” Kai continued.
For the first time that day, Avery smiled, thinking of Marty wearing a little cowboy hat and boots, riding a horse!
“And they know the trail, so you’ll be able to sit back and enjoy the sights that Mahaulepu has to offer. It’s a popular tourist destination, but also sacred to native Hawaiians, and home to many species of rare and endangered plants and animals.”
Isabel clutched her bag close to her chest. She was thrilled that she had remembered to bring her sketchpad to draw all the local wildlife.
“Excited?” Charlotte asked.
Isabel nodded. “I hope we see some birds!”
“Like African Greys?” Charlotte whispered.
Isabel giggled. “Hopefully not until we get back on the ship!”
“Now if you’ll all follow me,” Kai said to the crowd, “I’ll get you saddled up and ready to go!” He motioned for them to follow him over to the barn.
Andie walked alongside Avery. “Ave, I’m shocked that you haven’t been riding before! You’re so athletic!”
Avery shrugged. “I just never really thought about it before. It kinda seems like the horse does all the work and the rider just sits there!”
“Well, I bet you’re a natural,” Andie said brightly, putting her hand on Avery’s shoulder.
Out of the corner of her eye, Avery noticed Kazie glaring at them. “Maybe.” Avery shrugged, and then a weird thought occurred to her. Andie is acting like my mom! That was something Avery was not prepared to deal with. I already have a mom, Avery thought as she ran ahead to catch up with Charlotte and Isabel. And why doesn’t Andie get that crashing my vacation was a terrible idea?
Welcome to the Jungle
The line of horses ambled along the trail that ran through the jungle under a canopy of trees, shielding the riders from the morning sun. Birds chirped and insects buzzed, providing them with a sound track to the ride. Isabel tried to take it all in. Kai was right, Mahaulepu was spectacular—a virtually untouched natural resource. She heard a rustling in the bushes and craned her neck to see if she could spot anything.
“As you can witness for yourself,” Kai told them, “Mahaulepu is host to some pretty spectacular native plants, animals, and birds.”
A ducklike creature with a black and white head and speckled black and white feathers waddled out of the bushes.
“That’s a—” Kai started to say.
“A nene!” Isabel blurted out. She covered her mouth and blushed red. “Sorry!”
Kai smiled. “No, no, that’s good! Not many people have heard of a nene or could identify one on sight!”
Kazie laughed. “A nay-nay? It sounds like a name you call someone.”
“The nene is Hawaii’s state bird,” Isabel said.
“That’s right,” Kai turned in his saddle and smiled at Isabel. “It’s been brought back from near-extinction. We’re lucky even to see one!”
All the riders ooohed and ahhhed as the gooselike bird poked around in the bushes, looking for something to eat.
Avery noticed that Kazie looked like her wings had been clipped. No one thought her joke about the bird’s name was funny.
“Is there a conservation program or something to help Hawaii’s native birds?” Avery asked, perking up a little. She had always been into the environment and saving the planet. Maybe the Green Machine ecology club she’d started at school could take up the nene as their next cause!
“Yes,” Kai answered, obviously pleased that these tourists cared about Hawaii’s wildlife as much as he did. “There are several programs. I can provide more information if you like after the ride. Thanks to dedicated conservationists, the nenes are slowly coming back!”
Isabel balanced her sketchpad against her horse’s mane, trying to get the small black and white goose on paper before it disappeared into the jungle thicket.
“Isabel, you’re amazing,” Charlotte remarked. “I can barely get a picture with my camera and you’re sketching on horseback!”
Isabel was proud that she remembered everything her cousins in Texas had taught her about riding. She stroked her gray mare’s neck to keep her calm, and held up the drawing to show her friend. “It’s rough, but I can fill it in when we get back.” Then she clicked her tongue and squeezed her legs to tell her horse to walk forward.
Charlotte tucked her camera back in her pocket. “I got a photo, but it might be a little blurry.”
Charlotte wasn’t just trying to shoot pictures like a tourist. She wanted to capture the feeling of being here on horseback, riding through Mahaulepu’s ancient jungle trail. Her father always reminded her that his goal as a travel writer wasn’t just to list the pros and cons of going to a certain place, ticking off details, but to make the reader feel like he or she was there. A travel writer’s job was to evoke the sights and the sounds of being somewhere else. And since her dad was sick in the ship’s infirmary, Charlotte knew it was her job now.
The girls caught up to Kai, who had paused under a tree with branches that stretched out like arms draped with fernlike leaves and bright red flowers.
Twisting jungle branches capture red fireworks of flowers, Charlotte thought, hoping she’d remember to write it down later when she had a free hand.
As they crossed over the small creek running past the base of the tree, a royal poinciana, Kai had called it, Avery held tight onto her horse’s neck. She still wasn’t sure about this riding thing. She loved horses, but leaving the walking up to someone else wasn’t something she was used to. It reminded her of the time her brothers always kidded about when she was three years old and her dad was pushing her in the stroller and she yelled out, “Lemme walk!”
Avery looked for her dad to remind him about it, but he was taking a picture of Andie smiling on her horse. He’d already taken about a million pictures of her, and only one of Avery. Spending time together seems to mean spending time with Andie, she fumed. I don’t even know whether I’m jealous or angry or just upset! Avery exploded inside. One second Kazie’s on my nerves, then Dad’s acting weird, then Andie’s pretending to be my mom…I wish that I had ne
ver come on this trip!
Spooked
Up ahead on the trail, the Kgirls’ horses ambled side by side. Kai was right—the horses seemed to know their way through the jungle without any help from their riders. Katani relished the feeling of moving in tune with her horse’s gait.
“You’ve got a great seat, Katani,” Kara-Lee remarked in her Southern drawl.
“Excuse me?” Kazie said. “Did I hear you right?” Kara-Lee’s eye grew wide. “Oh, I am so sorry! That’s a compliment: It means Katani’s a good rider!”
Kazie burst out laughing. “Ha! Sweet seats all around!”
Maeve’s horse was a few steps behind, and Maeve wasn’t feeling all that confident in her seat. She wobbled and grabbed her horse around the neck to steady herself. Knowing how to ride a horse was practically a necessity as an actress, especially if she wound up stranded in one of those flowering trees, waiting for Indiana Jones, played by her idol Simon Blackstone, of course, to come galloping in on an Arabian horse…a world-famous stallion that’s in Hawaii because he was smuggled in on a ship along with crates full of gold and jewels!
Maeve’s fantasy was rudely interrupted when her horse (a plain-looking, lazy, brown and white pinto) took an extra-large step over a rock, jostling her already-sore rear end. Riding was trickier than she had expected. And it was hard to look good doing it, as humidity was not a friend to those with naturally curly hair!
As Maeve tugged at a knot in her red mass of curls with one hand while trying awkwardly to hold on to the saddle with the other, she realized the boy she had been dancing with the night before at dinner was riding right behind her! Just my luck…Maeve thought, but quickly regained her composure. “Hello, hula partner!” she cooed.
He rode up next to Maeve and smiled, exposing perfectly white teeth that gleamed in contrast to his tan skin. His hair fell in thick, brown waves to his shoulders. He looks like a surfer out of a summer movie, thought Maeve. She worked up her most bewitching smile.
“I don’t believe we formally met the other night. I’m Maeve.”