‘I was thinking it might be fun to try painting our own back home,’ said Cici. ‘I’d love to paint some pebble owls.’
‘We could make a collection for the tower room with lots of great positive affirmation quotes on them,’ suggested Charlie. Charlie loved affirmation quotes.
‘Or a collection of sea creatures to suit our beach theme,’ said Meg. ‘Seahorses, starfish, octopuses, seals and cute little penguins!’
After the day spent with Olivia, Jemila and Sienna, I was enjoying hanging out with the Sassy Sisters like we usually did.
‘Oh no. Here comes trouble,’ I said under my breath.
Olivia bustled over brandishing a greasy spatula. Sienna and Jemila were behind her.
‘Pippa and Meg, it’s time to come and help clean up,’ said Olivia. ‘We’re on washing-up duty.’
I held up my half-eaten sausage sandwich. ‘Won’t be long. I haven’t finished yet.’
Olivia huffed with impatience. ‘Can you hurry up? We want to get it done fast so we can go and do some cartwheels on the beach before it gets dark.’
I took another bite.
‘You and Meg can go and fetch a bucket of water from the tank,’ said Olivia, waving her hand towards the cottage. ‘We need to heat some water on the fire. We’ll scrape the frypans and get them soaking.’
Meg stood up and tossed her rubbish on the coals. ‘Sure.’
Once again I felt annoyed by Olivia’s tone. After everything that had happened today, she was still bossing us about. Her arrival had totally destroyed the fun Sassy Sister catch-up I’d been enjoying. I took another bite, chewing slowly.
‘What about the boys?’ I asked. The boys were dancing, practising their hip-hop moves and pretending to be ultra-cool. Alex was rapping out a beat on his drums. They all wore their caps backwards, nodding their heads as they bounced and spun.
‘They’ll help, but we need you to get the water first,’ said Olivia with her hand on her hip. ‘Today would be good.’
I sighed and stood up. I didn’t feel hungry anymore. I threw the crusts of my sandwich into the fire with the napkin. It burst into flame.
‘Let’s go, Meg,’ I said, rolling my eyes at her. I grabbed the bucket from beside the fire and marched off. Meg chased after me. We filled the bucket and lugged it back to the campfire. Olivia, Sienna and Jemila were scraping tomato and onion scraps out of the frypans into the bin with the spatulas.
‘Pour the water into the frypans,’ said Olivia. I poured water into each of the frypans and Olivia and Jemila set them on the coals so the water would boil.
‘That should soak off most of the baked-on muck,’ said Olivia. ‘Can you pass me the detergent, please, Sienna?’
The boys were still dancing, shouting out loud yos and heys and yeehas, jerking their heads to the drum rhythm.
‘Do you think you could save the dancing until after the washing up, boys?’ I asked. ‘A little help would be great.’
‘Someone’s grumpy,’ said Rory.
Zoe wandered over to see how we were going.
‘I think we need some more water, Pippa,’ said Olivia, scrubbing at the base of a frypan. The detergent frothed up into tomato-coloured bubbles. ‘Can you get another bucket?’
I huffed again, picking up the empty bucket and swinging it back and forth. It was as if Olivia was showing off to Zoe how much work she was doing while the rest of us did nothing. I scratched my itchy bites.
‘I’ll come with you,’ said Meg.
‘No, Pippa,’ said Zoe. ‘I think the Starfish boys can do that. I have another chore I want you girls to do.’
We looked at her expectantly. The boys stopped dancing and wandered over. ‘The Turtle team can come with me to collect some more firewood,’ Zoe decided. ‘The boys can finish the washing up.’
The boys groaned. ‘We’ll go and get the firewood,’ offered Alex sweetly. ‘Pippa just loves washing up, so we’d hate to deprive her of her fun.’
‘Hardly,’ I retorted.
‘We’re super-strong,’ said Marcus. ‘We can get more firewood than the girls.’
Zoe grinned and shook her head. ‘Nice try but the boys are washing up. Girls are on wood patrol.’
We straggled out of the clearing and followed Zoe along a narrow dirt track that ran southwards beside the beach.
‘I noticed a huge old tree that’s fallen down here,’ explained Zoe. ‘There’s lots of dead wood to collect.’
As we walked along in the golden evening light, leaving the sights and sounds of Camp Castaway behind us, I felt my mood lighten. It was definitely more fun to be out walking in the rainforest than scrubbing frypans. After a few minutes we came to the fallen tree. Zoe was right. There were lots of branches and kindling on the ground. Meg and I stooped and picked up an armful of wood. Olivia used the weight of her foot to snap a branch into smaller pieces.
‘I think we can get the firewood in a little while,’ said Zoe. ‘It won’t be dark for another half an hour. Let’s go down to the beach and enjoy the view.’
We dropped our kindling in a pile and followed Zoe onto the sand.
I felt a little nervous. I wondered if Zoe was going to give us another lecture about cooperating.
‘I think we should be super-quiet,’ suggested Zoe. ‘Let’s just sit in silence for a few minutes and see what we can see.’
I looked at Meg and shrugged. I wasn’t sure what Zoe was up to but we obediently followed her lead. We were about a kilometre down the crescent-shaped beach. We hadn’t ventured to this part of the island before.
The six of us sat down on the dunes. They were powdery soft but spiked with grass. We gazed out over the lagoon towards the reef and the open sea. From behind us came the high-pitched calls of birds. It was so tranquil.
I turned to Meg to ask her if she knew what type of birds we could hear, but Zoe put her finger to her lips to remind me to be quiet. The others girls stopped fidgeting and sat quietly too.
After a few minutes of silence, Zoe turned to us.
‘Girls, I brought you down here to play a little game,’ she explained. ‘It’s a game one of my teachers taught me when I was at high school. It’s called the compliment game.’
‘I’ve never heard of it,’ I said.
‘Can we all sit in a circle?’ asked Zoe. ‘And I want Meg to sit in the middle.’
Meg took her place in the centre, while the rest of us formed a tight circle around her. We all looked at Zoe expectantly.
‘The purpose of this game is that everyone in the circle has to compliment the person in the middle truthfully, while looking them in the eyes,’ said Zoe. ‘It can’t be backhanded or nasty. Try to think of the loveliest thing you can about that person. Then the person being complimented has to look the speaker in the eyes and say thank you.’
Meg immediately squirmed uncomfortably.
‘What if you can’t think of anything?’ asked Olivia.
‘Try harder,’ said Zoe firmly. ‘I’ll start, to show you what I mean. Meg, I love the way you have so much empathy for other people. You are kind, caring and compassionate.’
‘Thank you, Zoe,’ said Meg shyly.
It was my turn. I thought quickly. ‘Meg, I love the way you are so passionate about the environment and saving wildlife. You’re a girl on a mission!’
‘Thank you, Pippa,’ said Meg, glowing from the praise.
Compliments from the other girls included her lovely smile, her kindness, her water sport abilities and her patience.
Then it was Olivia’s turn. The other girls talked about her gymnastics and maths ability, receiving the academic award and being a good friend. I thought really hard. Complimenting Meg had been easy because I knew her so well. What could I possibly praise Olivia for? Then I realised what I admired about Olivia.
I looked Olivia in the eyes and spoke as sincerely as I could. ‘Olivia, I love the way you always try so hard at everything you do. You’re clever, determined and hardworking.’
; Olivia flushed with pleasure. ‘Thank you, Pippa.’ And she also said it as though she really meant it. Zoe beamed at me with delight.
When it was my turn, I suddenly felt super-nervous. What if no one had any compliments to make about me? What if they couldn’t think of anything? Or if they said something totally lame, like I had pretty hair?
Meg, of course, could be relied upon. She grinned at me. ‘Pippa, I really love the way you are bold, brave and full of happy spirit.’
I grinned back. ‘Thank you, Meg.’
It was Olivia next. She paused for a long moment. Oh no, I thought. Olivia can’t think of anything nice to say about me. Actually, she probably thinks I’m mean and bad-tempered all the time. She probably hates me.
Olivia licked her lips. ‘Pippa, I really love the way you treasure your friendships and your family,’ she said. ‘People like being around you because you are fun-loving and cheerful.’
I felt a flash of guilt. I hadn’t been fun-loving and cheerful with Olivia. In fact I’d been grumpy and gruff. I hadn’t been my best self at all.
I forced myself to look her in the eyes. Olivia looked at me as though she meant what she had said. ‘Thank you, Olivia.’
It was Zoe’s turn. ‘Pippa, I love the way you are joyful and exuberant. I also love how you have been so kind to Ariana, who was feeling homesick and sad on the first few days of camp. I noticed you tried hard to cheer her up.’
How did Zoe notice? How did she know? I thought.
‘Thank you, Zoe,’ I said, my cheeks flushing.
We played the game with Sienna and Jemila. Sienna was complimented for being graceful, artistic and supportive, while Jemila was praised for being a good listener, unselfish and helpful.
To the west, the sky was turning a deep purple, streaked with gold along the horizon. To the east the full moon rose majestically from the sea, a huge orange ball reflecting the sunset. The high tide lapped against the sand. We stopped talking to admire the changing sky. A huge brown-and-white sea eagle hovered above the lagoon, hunting for fish. A flock of seagulls swooped in the air, squeaking and cawing. Behind us, a gecko made its characteristic chuk-chuk-chuk call.
Then I noticed a soft scraping sound. It seemed to be coming from a sandy mound to our right. I grabbed Meg’s arm. Something was digging its way up through the sand. A moment later a small dark creature scrambled out of the hole. We looked at each other with wide-eyed wonder. Zoe touched the others on the arms to get their attention. Another head popped up. We all inched closer to the mound to see what it was.
Erupting from under the white sand were dozens of tiny brown turtle hatchlings. Each one was about five centimetres long. Their little flippers flapped as they wriggled down the mound and struggled across the beach. It was a long, long way for such tiny creatures. More and more emerged from the nest and scuttled their way towards the lagoon. We watched in awe.
‘There must be a hundred of them,’ whispered Olivia.
‘Or more,’ said Meg.
‘So many babies!’ cried Jemila. ‘Are they all from one mother?’
‘Yes,’ said Meg. ‘The mother would have laid the eggs and buried them in her nest a few weeks ago. But sadly most of the hatchlings won’t survive. That’s why there are so many.’
The moon had risen higher in the sky, now forming a silvery trail across the sea. ‘They’re following the stairway to heaven,’ said Zoe. ‘They’re attracted by the moonlight.’
A flock of seagulls swooped above our heads.
‘Look at all the gulls,’ said Meg, sounding alarmed. ‘They’ve spied the hatchlings.’
The gulls cawed and shrieked. One dived for a baby turtle, hoping for an easy snack. Meg waved her arms in the air and yelled, scaring the gull away. Another gull plunged. I copied Meg and waved my arms wildly. ‘Shoo!’
‘They’ll eat all the babies,’ Olivia said, sounding horrified. ‘That’s awful.’
‘I know we’re supposed to let nature take its course, but I can’t bear to watch the hatchlings getting gobbled,’ said Meg.
‘Why don’t we pick them up and carry them down to the water?’ asked Jemila. ‘Then they’d be safe.’
Meg thought for a moment. ‘I don’t think we should touch them. They need to make their own way down to the lagoon across the sand.’
‘Why don’t we compromise?’ I suggested. ‘We could walk down on either side of the turtles so we can protect them from the gulls but not touch them.’
The others agreed, so the six of us marched on either side of the torrent of swarming baby turtles, protecting them from the predatory gulls until they reached the lagoon.
The first turtle reached the water’s edge and was swept away by a foaming wave, its little flippers flapping vigorously. Soon all the hatchlings were in the lagoon and swimming for their lives. Moments later they had all disappeared as though it had been a dream.
‘That was amazing,’ I said, grinning at the others. I turned to Zoe. ‘Did you know the turtles were hatching tonight?’
She chuckled and shook her head. ‘Not at all. Though Nigel did tell me that turtles usually hatch during the full moon. We were just incredibly lucky to be in the right place at the right time.’
Meg beamed with delight. ‘They were so beautiful. Do you know that if any of those turtles survive to adulthood, in about thirty years they will travel hundreds or even thousands of kilometres back here and lay their own eggs on this very same beach? Their navigation skills are unbelievable.’
‘That’s incredible,’ said Olivia. ‘So many little babies and such a long, dangerous journey to grow up.’
I shivered, thinking sadly that even with our help, most of the hatchlings would not survive that long.
Zoe turned to me. ‘We should head back to camp. I didn’t mean to be away so long. I just thought it would be good for you five to come away, ponder your strengths and enjoy the beauty of nature for a while.’
‘Thanks for bringing us, Zoe,’ I said. ‘I know you didn’t plan the hatchlings but that was magical.’
‘The Turtle team got to see the turtle hatch-ling parade,’ said Olivia. ‘Go, Turtles!’
We gathered up the armfuls of wood that we’d left by the old tree and made our way back to camp in the moonlight. Our eyes had adjusted to the dim light, so we could see perfectly well.
As we walked together we chatted and giggled, feeling euphoric from the wonderful sight we had just shared. I felt a strong sense of comradeship with this group of girls that I hadn’t felt before. The compliment game and turtle watching experience had brought us much closer together.
Back at camp, the others were sitting around the campfire toasting marshmallows on sticks and planning the evening activities. Charlie was strumming on her guitar.
‘Let’s tell ghost stories,’ said Reuben in a deep, spooky voice. ‘Ooohaaah!’
‘No,’ said Ariana firmly. ‘Too scary.’
‘How about jokes?’ said Rory.
‘Why do you never see elephants hiding in trees?’ Connor asked at once.
‘I don’t know,’ replied Rory.
‘Because they’re really, really good at it! Get it?’ Rory and Connor roared with laughter. Cici, Charlie and I groaned.
I remembered Connor’s knock-knock jokes from the talent quest. They were truly awful.
‘Who wants to play kick-the-can?’ called Joey.
‘Me! Me!’ yelled out a chorus of keen participants.
‘Alex is the seeker,’ cried Rory. ‘It’s his turn.’
‘Okay, okay,’ Alex agreed with a wide grin. ‘But you’d better be good at hiding because I can run faster than lightning.’
Alex put his head against the trunk of a tree and began to count. All of us jumped up and ran, scattering to the different parts of the clearing. Charlie and Cici ran towards the rainforest.
‘One … two … three …’
Meg grabbed my arm, pulling me towards the ruins of the old whaling cottages. The ruins were a great place
for kick-the-can because there were so many walls, chimneys and old water tanks to hide behind.
We ran fast in the open clearing, but once we came near the ruins we slowed down. Neither of us wanted to trip over a rock or some debris in the darkness. We looked about.
I pulled Meg towards the second biggest cottage. Only three of its outer walls still stood, and the inner walls were slowly falling apart. It had once had three rooms, with a chimney at the far end where the kitchen would have been. Now it had open sky overhead instead of a roof. Meg and I hid close together behind one of the timber walls. It was kind of spooky to be crouching in the darkest shadows of the old house.
We could spy through a gap in the boards.
‘Spot you,’ called Alex, waving his torch around. ‘It’s Ariana, hiding behind that tree.’
Ariana shrieked with excitement as she raced Alex for the can. Alex was right. He could run really fast. He beat Ariana to the can, which meant she was a prisoner.
Alex marched Ariana over to the jail area. Then he prowled off, heading away from us, shining his torchlight under bushes and behind trees. Alex worked methodically, searching the edges of the clearing. In a couple of minutes he’d found his next target, very close to where Ariana had been hiding.
‘Sienna and Jemila – spot you, under the bush.’ Alex turned and ran for the can before the two of them had a chance to crawl out from their hiding place. He reached the can easily. Sienna and Jemila slowed to a jog and took themselves straight to jail.
A scuffle sounded very close to us. Someone else was hiding in one of the other rooms. Alex looked over towards the ruins. Meg and I pressed ourselves close to the wall, deeper in the shadows. Alex walked towards the old cottages, shining his torch back and forth. I heard the noise of a twig cracking as the other person slithered away in the darkness. Alex broke into a jog.
I hardly dared to breathe as Meg and I crouched in the darkness, as still as we could be.
I could hear Alex searching the other rooms. Should we make a run for it? Or should we stay as still as we could and hope Alex wouldn’t see us?
Meg pressed a finger to her lips, urging me to stay where we were. Then there was silence for the longest time. It sounded as though Alex had given up and moved away. My leg was stiff from crouching for so long. I stayed completely motionless for another long, long minute. There was no sound. Alex must have gone.
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