by Annie Bryant
She almost said yes. She had loved the rush of whizzing through the air, but people were waiting for their turns. “No thanks,” she replied. “That was fun, but lots of people are waiting.”
“Hey, Char,” Avery half whispered. “Did you see how stupid I looked? I don’t know what happened. That looked so easy.”
Charlotte smiled. “It really was so much fun…kind of like flying. Are you going to try it again?”
“Not today. It has to be time for lunch. And I’m on cooking duty.” Avery took off at a jog.
“Mighty Mouse dethroned.” Maeve walked up beside Charlotte. Katani and Isabel caught up. She and the other BSG had gone to the last cartoon fest at the Movie House, and they had all agreed that Mighty Mouse reminded them of Avery.
“That had to be embarrassing for her, but Avery can’t be perfect at everything. Personally, I was sure they’d have to pull me up out of the ravine, in pieces. Did you see how many times I had to do that before I actually made it?” Maeve added dramatically.
`“Good point,” she answered as she high-fived Isabel.
“Hey look,” Katani pointed to the Flying Fox. Betsy Fitzgerald was back for more. The girls could see the “no way will I be defeated” look in her face.
“I hope she makes it,” said Isabel. “She will be really mad if she doesn’t.”
They watched as Betsy flew through the air…and fell just short of reaching the platform.
The girls could see Betsy’s lip quiver. But a determined Betsy went back for more.
“Group finger cross,” ordered Katani. Four set of hands hooked their little fingers together and crossed their fingers. “Go Betsy, go Betsy,” they chanted.
A grinning Betsy gave them a thumbs-up and went for it…across the ravine…would she make it…“Oh, yeah,” shouted Maeve. John had to scoop Betsy up, but she made it.
The four girls gave her a major whoop.
“You have to admire that girl,” Isabel proclaimed.
To the girls’ dismay, there was yet another exercise before lunch. Jody was directing people to form a line as they came back to the fire circle.
“Okay, the person in front of you is your partner,” she informed them.
Chelsea had been expecting the worst, and it happened. She was paired off with Kiki, who glared at her as if Chelsea were dirt. Chelsea walked up, set down her cameras next to Kiki, and looked plaintively at Jody. But Jody had turned her attention to a couple of the boys who were fooling around. No such luck.
Couldn’t the counselor see that a Chelsea/Kiki pairing was a disaster waiting to happen? Kiki Underwood was the snobbiest girl in the seventh grade. Even the Queens of Mean kept out of her way. Now here I am, Chelsea thought in a panic, paired with the one person most likely to make me feel really, really horrible.
Charlotte and Katani stood beside them. Charlotte could practically feel the sparks flying off Kiki.
“This is a trust exercise. Here’s the plan. One of you is going to close your eyes and fall backward. Your partner is going to catch you. Obviously in order to fall back, you have to know your partner is going to catch you. Everybody ready?”
Kiki looked as if this was the most ridiculous thing she had ever been asked to do. She wanted to refuse. But about twelve kids were watching her. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, turned into a statue, and—before she could think about it—fell back into Chelsea’s waiting arms. Chelsea had no trouble catching her. Kiki was a total lightweight in more ways than one, Isabel thought to herself. Chelsea pushed Kiki back to her feet, and Kiki jumped away immediately.
“Okay, now switch partners, and repeat. Don’t forget to relax.”
Chelsea could see disaster coming a mile away. The Beacon Street Girls could too. But there was nothing anyone could do. How could they get Jody’s attention without embarrassing Chelsea? Charlotte tried to wave to Jody but the counselor was helping some other kids.
“No way!” Kiki practically yelled. “No way will I even try to catch Chelsea…Chelsea Bigg…oops, sorry,” she made a face. “I meant Chelsea Briggs. But, really. Is there anyone here who can catch her?”
Chelsea had had just about enough. “Okay, Ms. Kiki Underpants, so I got a weight problem,” Chelsea shouted angrily. “You don’t have to be so rude about it.”
Some kids started to laugh. No one had dared call Kiki “Ms. Underpants” since second grade. Anna and Joline laughed so loud, they began to snort. Clearly, Anna had never forgiven Kiki for trying to steal all the thunder in the talent show. Kiki was really mad. “You fat…”
Jody raced over and stepped between the two girls. “Enough, girls. This behavior is completely unacceptable. “We do not tolerate name-calling at this camp.” She ordered Kiki to partner with Tanya.
Charlotte, standing right next to Jody and Chelsea, overheard what Jody said next. “No one has to tolerate insults about the way they look. I know this is hard. But you don’t have to let Kiki’s comments bring you down. So let’s go. Things are going to change for you…I’m sure of it.”
Chelsea closed her eyes, visibly relaxed, and fell back into Jody’s arms. Chelsea couldn’t stop a tiny smile from creeping onto her face.
Chelsea had just scored some major points with her classmates.
Later that morning, Josh Trentini told his brother, “It was a beautiful thing watching Chelsea take on Kiki ‘Underfabulous’ today.”
“Yeah, but you better not let Jody hear you calling her Kiki Underfabulous—no name-calling remember,” Billy reminded his brother.
Kiki was sitting on her bunk rebraiding her hair when Jody walked in. There was a certain look of defiance on Kiki’s perfectly sculpted face.
But Jody had been there before. Rather than sit down on Kiki’s bunk as she had planned for a heart-to-heart, Jody realized that this was a girl who needed the direct approach.
“Kiki, you seem like a smart girl so I am going to get straight to the point. It is against camp rules to taunt another camper—particularly about race, religion, or physical appearance. Are we clear about that? That is bullying, and it won’t be tolerated.”
Kiki turned her head and stared out the window.
“Kiki. I have sent campers home before for disobeying important camp rules. But, I think you can do better. Am I right?”
Kiki nodded. Her parents had gone to New York for vacation. They would be furious if they had to cut their trip short. Kiki picked up her mirror and checked her hair. Chelsea Briggs was so totally annoying, she fumed. But, whatever.
CHAPTER 12
Jody and Chelsea’s Incredible Shrinking Act
Okay, about a half hour of free time until lunch,” Jody announced. “Chelsea, help me make sandwiches, okay?”
“Sure.” Chelsea was grateful she didn’t have to help Kiki make sandwiches. How could Kiki be so incredibly mean? Chelsea began thinking that Kiki was under the spell of some wicked witch and that the only thing that would help was a good dunking in some ice-cold water. Hmm…the lake. When could she get Kiki alone in a canoe? “Uh-oh,” she could say. “I think Kiki fell out. I was so busy paddling, I never noticed. Has anyone seen her?” Chelsea smiled, reveling in the fantasy of Kiki taking a good dunking.
“I’m glad you can still smile at something,” Jody said, passing Chelsea mayonnaise and a loaf of bread. Then Jody set out stacks of turkey, ham, cheese, lettuce, and sliced tomatoes, making an assembly line to be efficient. She opened up another loaf and quickly began to spread peanut butter and jelly on the slices.
Chelsea thought, I’m glad Jody can’t hear what I’m thinking. She’d probably send me home. Actually, Chelsea would have loved to be sent home, except for the camera work she’d miss. Wait till everyone sees my pictures of the loons, she thought proudly.
“Just think twice before letting her win.”
“Who?” Chelsea jumped out of her reverie.
“Whoever is bugging you.” Jody grinned, as if she had no idea.
As they got the sandwich
making under control, Chelsea decided to trust Jody just a little. “Remember what you said yesterday, Jody? That you were really fat when you were a kid?”
“Well, I said heavy. I don’t use the word ‘fat’ anymore. I think it’s a mean thing to say, even to yourself.” Jody reached in a back pocket and brought out a thin billfold. Carefully, after wiping her hand on her shorts, Jody pulled out a photograph and handed it to Chelsea.
Chelsea wiped her own hand, took the photo, and stared at it. There was no other word to use to describe the kid who was obviously Jody at about twelve. Jody was fat. Really fat. Chelsea, at her worst, was never so big.
Chelsea handed the photo back and Jody put it away. “What happened? You’re in great shape. I mean, you’re not skinny, but you look good. You know, healthy, fit. How did you…and why do you carry that awful photo around all the time?”
“So I won’t forget.” Jody stacked finished sandwiches onto a platter. “I figured out I was never going to be a size two, so I concentrated on being the absolute best, healthiest person I could be. My doctor told me that I was really at risk for diabetes.” (There was that word “diabetes” again, sighed Chelsea to herself.) “So, I figured that I would try and get healthy for awhile. I wouldn’t worry about the ‘the fat thing.’ I would just respect my body and eat healthy and exercise. I decided that exercise would be the easiest to start with. So, I started hiking in the woods with my high school hiking group. At first, I was uncomfortable because I didn’t know any of the kids and they were much better hikers than me. But it turned out that they were a really friendly group and everyone encouraged me. And, you know what? I loved it. I didn’t just like it, I mean I really loved it. Loved being outside. Pumping up the hills. It was fun. Next, I gave up the soda. Stopped watching TV all day on Saturdays and Sundays. You know, that’s when eating gets out of control for me. I watch TV, I eat. I eat, I watch TV. The two go hand in hand.”
Jody could have been telling Chelsea’s own story. She loved TV, and TV wasn’t TV without a snack…or maybe two or three.
“Anyway, I just kept getting healthier and happier and fitter and I realized what fun it would be to make a career out of the whole thing.”
Chelsea nodded. “I like to walk…When I miss my bus, I walk home from school. It gives me time to think.”
“That’s a great start. Maybe you could find a buddy to do that with. I used to have dance parties after school. A couple girls in my neighborhood who were also heavy came by. We had a ball.”
“And remember, all snacks are not created equal. Someone told me if you don’t get enough chewing, you don’t feel satisfied, even right after a meal. That was so me, I didn’t even try those liquid diets. Too boring. No fun at all. Instead, I made a list of crunchy snacks that took maximum chewing…and that I liked. Like carrots. Love baby carrots—so much tastier than the grownup ones.” Jody grinned.
“I like baby carrots too. I like to dip them in hummus.” Chelsea ripped open a new bag of bread. “How many of these sandwiches are we making anyway?”
“I figure most of the boys can eat two. They need to eat more to maintain their weight. Maybe we’ll stop at fifty or sixty. We can always make more.”
Chelsea knew she could eat two. Could she stop at one today? Or maybe, she would just try stopping when she had had enough. Maybe she would just slow down and see what happened. No pressure. That would make her want to eat more.
“Did you join any of those weight loss groups?”
“No, that wasn’t for me. What I did join was a martial arts class. The idea of a license to kick some you-know-what appealed to me. In class, I could knock someone flat, and it was okay. I had to admit I was holding in a lot of anger and unhappiness. Strange to say, as I became happier, I wasn’t as hungry. It’s easy to eat when you’re stressed or something happens that you feel you can’t do anything about.”
“Like someone calling you names or refusing to partner with you?”
“Exactly. I took a yoga class and I learned to meditate. Just sitting still without eating was a big accomplishment. Keeping your hands busy helps. Some people knit, but that wasn’t for me.”
“When I’m putting my pictures onto my computer and messing with them, I forget about eating.”
“Exactly. Keep busy with something you really like to do.”
“How long did it take you to lose as much weight as you wanted?”
“Two years, Chelsea.”
“Two years?” yelped Chelsea.
“Listen, Chelsea. Take it from one who knows. You are too young to even be considering a diet. Just eat some healthy food and get moving. It took me two years to change my life. It wasn’t easy, and some days I fell back into my old ways. But I didn’t stay there long and I knew that I wanted to feel better about myself. So I just kept going. Now, I just kind of eat healthy on a regular basis, stay away from too much junk, and keep active as much as I can. I’ll never go back. That’s why I look at that photo occasionally. Believe me, it sends chills down my spine to see that overweight, lonely kid—the kid that was me.” Jody paused and looked sidelong at Chelsea. Then she asked, “Do you ever feel lonely?”
Chelsea didn’t say anything for a long time. She could feel her pride keeping her from answering. But then she thought about how nice Jody was being to her and she figured maybe she would take a chance…and trust someone just this once.
“Sometimes, I do. Mostly at school, I keep to myself there.”
“You can feel terribly alone in a crowd. But, I’m not sure being lonely has anything at all to do with other people. I have a friend who just got married and moved away. She called me and said she’d never felt so lonely in her life.”
“Maybe she married the wrong guy.”
“No, he’s a really nice man. She is shy and for the first time in her life she has to make an effort to get out there and meet new people. It’s hard doing things you have never done before.”
Chelsea thought Jody was one of the smartest people she had ever met. She seemed to know about how people really felt.
Jody looked over at Chelsea with a big grin. “You know, before I got healthy, I assumed boys only liked skinny girls.”
“That’s not true?” Chelsea looked incredulous.
“No it’s not. Surprise! Guys like girls who are happy and confident and like to have fun.” Then she laughed. “Most guys I know don’t like to work too hard at relationships…you know what I mean?” All of sudden Chelsea started to laugh. “What’s so funny?” asked Jody.
“I was just thinking about my brother Ben and his girlfriend. Ben said he liked her because she made good pizza and she was the only girl who could catch one of his football passes.” Jody howled at that one and Chelsea joined in. Lake Rescue just might be a turning point in my life, Chelsea thought as she began loading the sandwiches on the plates.
As she helped Jody carry the plates to the big table, Chelsea thought about how Nick Montoya looked at Charlotte. He liked her, you could tell that. But he wasn’t real obvious about it. He just treated her as a friend. Who wouldn’t like Charlotte, or any of the Beacon Street Girls for that matter? They were fun, laughing all the time, always thinking up something crazy to do. If Chelsea laughed more, would people like her? If she went to gym class and tried all the stuff, even if she looked stupid, would people say something like “Good try?” Unlikely, thought Chelsea wryly. Most seventh graders weren’t that clued in.
“Have you got some particular boy in mind?” Jody interrupted Chelsea’s thinking. She grinned at Chelsea.
“Oh, no. No boy—”
“Maybe not now. Try some of the other stuff first. The boys will come. If you give me your address, I can send you some information about an Outward Bound camp for kids. I went to one of their programs. That also helped to change my life. And after I got over being scared out of my mind by everything they were making us do, that camp was the most fun I’d ever had up to that point. That’s a big reason I became a camp counselor her
e.”
“Thanks for asking me to help make the sandwiches, Jody,” Chelsea said, lifting another platter of sandwiches.
“If I give you my address or my e-mail, will you write to me? I’d like to know how you’re doing.”
“Would you really write back?”
“Of course. And will you send me some photos from this week?” Jody asked.
“It’s a deal.”
Outside, Chelsea took a plate and a sandwich. She took a small handful of potato chips and piled on raw carrots, celery sticks, and an apple.
She found it hard to pass by the chocolate chip cookies, so this time she just took one instead of her usual three or four. Then she took a glass of iced tea instead of a cola drink. In a couple of hours, she would probably be starving, but she might as well give this healthy eating thing a try. For once it didn’t feel like a punishment, and it seemed to have worked for Jody.
Nash made the announcements after lunch. “Okay, listen up, green and blue teams. We are generously giving you one hour of free time. You can nap, write in those journals I know you brought with you, or just hang. Then report back here at two o’clock.”
“Is that when we do basket weaving?” Henry Yurt asked.
“And how about making those little braided leather key chains?” Dillon remarked. “I promised everyone at home I’d bring them one.”
“In your dreams,” Nash said. “This is hard-core outdoor education.”
“I told you this would be like having gym class for a week,” Maeve said. “I could sleep all afternoon.”
“I agree.” Katani held her eyelids open. “Just this once, I choose nap time.”
Maeve linked arms with Katani, and the two girls walked up the hill to their cabin. As they crawled into their bunks, their cabin mates trickled in behind them and flopped down to snooze or read for a while. Everyone was glad for the chance to rest. Just as Maeve’s eyes were closing, the door burst open and slammed against the wall. Anna’s and Joline’s shrill voices pierced through the peacefulness.
“Ugh, it smells like feet in here!” Anna said loudly.