Alex's Challenge

by Melissa J Morgan

  Something in Alex’s brain clicked. Maybe Adam Spasm had been hanging around all of the time because of Valerie. He likes her! Alex thought. That made sense to Alex—Valerie was confident, cool, outgoing, cute.

  Adam and Val? Alex thought as she noticed an ant crawling across her sneaker.

  “And Jenna, too,” Alex said, her heart beating a little too hard. “We’re going to kill the Reds.”

  Her words were confident. So why was her body shaking like the laundry spin cycle?

  I do not want to think about crushes and stuff, she thought. Especially not now. I need to focus.

  “Maybe you girls will survive without me,” Adam joked, “but don’t be so sure.”

  “Yeah, maybe!” Valerie called after him, shaking a fist menacingly.

  “He’s so weird,” she said, once he had gone.

  “Yeah, what was that!?” Jenna asked, being nosy.

  “Right?” Alex asked. Her heart rate had returned to normal and the flush she’d felt in her cheeks had cooled. And Jenna seemed clueless that Alex had even been thinking . . .

  Nothing! You were thinking nothing!

  “Let’s get back to that cheer,” Val said, nudging them both. The small smile on her face suggested that she might have an idea what Alex was thinking.

  Nothing, Alex reminded herself firmly. Nothing at all.

  “And fifty points goes to the Blues for the singdown!” Pete yelled. He smiled. His face was painted red, and he wore a headband with devil horns to show his spirit. Even though his team hadn’t won the first competition, he was just as enthusiastic and happy for the Blues. He was a great sport.

  Marissa, a Blue, turned to her team. “You guys rock.”

  “When you came up with song that had the word ‘burger’ in it, I was so impressed!” Marissa said to Alyssa.

  “Cheeseburger in Paradise? A classic,” Nat quipped, clapping her friend on the back good-naturedly. Alyssa only grinned, semi-embarrassed at her retro-music knowledge.

  Alex, Jenna, Grace, Valerie, Natalie, Alyssa, and Chelsea had another competition together that day. They were on the same tug-o-war team. Alex knew that she’d be against Brynn and Sarah there. Brynn loved that game, and she had a will as strong as chain links.

  “Don’t worry about them,” Valerie said as the teams lined up on either side of the thick, white rope. Val reminded Alex that they had to finish their wooden boxes—their gifts to their ex-friends—later that night during their evening free time. Working on a gift for Brynn was just about the last thing Alex wanted to do. “Whether you two are close friends again or not,” Valerie explained, “with these gifts, at least you two won’t be enemies.”

  “We’ll be frenemies, instead,” Alex said, wondering how she’d let Valerie talk her into this crazy gift idea.

  “Are you talking about Brynn?” Chelsea said, interrupting.

  Alex and Valerie immediately clammed up. They definitely didn’t want Chelsea to get involved. Chelsea would surely think of a backhanded putdown or something—anything—wicked to say.

  “Please. Like I don’t know what’s going on,” Chelsea snorted.

  “Nothing’s going on,” Alex insisted, looking across the thick competition rope for Brynn. Brynn was laughing—make that cackling—about something with Sarah.

  Instead of getting sad, Alex got determined. The girls lined up for tug-o-war, bracing their legs and feet into the ground as if they could grow roots.

  “On your mark, get set, go!” Julie yelled. She was the counselor-in-charge once again. She had on an all-red outfit, and had painted cat whiskers on her face. Alex didn’t know what that had to do with anything, but it was funny.

  “One, two, three!” Jenna yelled, telling them to all yank together. She was the anchor of the team, meaning she stood at the end of the rope, her feet and body leaning toward the earth. Jenna was the strongest of the group, so she was the unofficial team leader for that game.

  The immediate strain on the rope knocked the wind out of Alex and dragged her off her feet, taking her completely by surprise. Her strength was draining away, as if the rope was actually sucking it out of her body.

  Shake it off, she thought, determined to keep trying. Her grip was so tight that it burned. She looked up and saw Brynn’s eyes shut, her face scrunched up into a wrinkled ball. Brynn loved tug-o-war, and it looked like she was about to win at it. Unbelievably, Alex’s confidence sagged.

  Slowly, the Red Team inched their way backward. The Blues’ bottoms hit the ground as their last bit of sheer willpower washed away. They slid forward, defeated.

  “Go, Red!” Julie yelled. “We rule!”

  Brynn and Sarah and Candace and Jessie and Karen hugged one another. Tears nearly sprung from Alex’s eyes. She couldn’t believe the Blues had lost. She blamed herself because she hadn’t tried hard enough. She couldn’t believe that she was an outsider to her ex-best friend.

  “It’s okay,” Jenna said. “None of them are good at basketball. They might as well take this win while they can get one.”

  “Except for Sarah, she’s, like, good at everything,” Chelsea said in a voice that was much more quiet than usual.

  Chelsea was right—Sarah was a great athlete. But Alex team-hugged Jenna. Together, they wouldn’t let the Reds win again.

  I think I can, I think I can, Alex thought to herself.

  I have to.

  Alex started strategizing. She wondered and calculated and figured what she’d have to do to get back in the right mindset to win. She thought of the Ninja Supertwins. In tug-o-war, she had her former best friend’s determination and spirit. It was what she loved best about Brynn, and seeing it had made her wistful. That sad, longing feeling took away Alex’s competitive edge. Alex was uncomfortable playing against Brynn; it was like an allergic reaction. It made her throat get thick and her head ache. Alex turned her thoughts to soccer that afternoon. It would be easier.

  After lunch, the bunk headed off to the soccer field. Alex rubbed her temples. Her head thumped with a dull thud. As her mind wandered, Alex realized that she’d left her knapsack in the bunk. She figured she was just tired from the night before. I’m fine, she told herself. Then her head started to spin. She paused, glancing back toward the bunk.

  “I, um, just have to grab one thing. I’ll be back in five minutes,” Alex said.

  “Oh, no you don’t,” Natalie said, smiling and teasing Alex. “I know you don’t really want to compete against Brynn again. I could see it during tug-o-war. But you’re not bailing on us for soccer. We need you for soccer.”

  “I’ll be right back, I just have to go—” Alex started to say.

  “Let’s go, girls! We’re running late!” Julie yelled. “Everyone on the soccer field! It’s time for midfield shots.”

  “Midfield shots!” Candace yelled, crazy enthusiastic even though she wasn’t so good at them.

  Jenna cheered. Nat shrugged and winked at Alyssa. Grace and Valerie clapped like crazy because they were awesome cheerleaders.

  Alex watched as Brynn and Sarah started frowning. Clearly, those two knew that the next round would be tougher for them than tug-o-war had been. Alex told herself to get excited and to do it fast. Soccer was her thing.

  “Alex, you okay?” Julie asked, breaking into Alex’s thoughts.

  “I’m fine,” Alex answered, even though her brain was throbbing as if a jackhammer was right next to her head.

  “You sure? You seem tired,” Julie added.

  Before Julie could make a big deal out of anything, Alex turned toward her teammates.

  “Okay, girls. I’ve got an idea. Here’s how we’re going to win,” Alex said, drawing the Blue team into a huddle.

  After, the girls, Blue and Red, lined up on opposite sides of the goal net. They would take turns kicking three-point shots, kind of like a game of H-O-R-S-E, but using a soccer ball and with points. Everyone had three turns. If you hit either edge of the net, you got one point. Hitting the edge of the goal got your
team two points. Scoring a goal was three full points. At the end of the game, the points were dropped, but the winning team added a full twenty-five to their team’s overall total.

  Alex forgot that she needed her knapsack and willed her headache to calm down so she could concentrate. It didn’t matter if Brynn was prancing around with Sarah. It didn’t matter if they were on opposite teams. It didn’t matter if she was still getting over Brynn’s decision to be mad at her. Alex still loved being the athlete. She figured she deserved to shine in her element.

  She deserved to win.

  “You can do it, Brynn,” Sarah yelled as her friend stood poised to kick.

  Alex didn’t get down this time like she had during tug-o-war. She stood there, watching what Brynn would do with the ball, and she thought of the day as a competition, not as anything to do with the breakup of their years of friendship.

  Brynn tried to look focused, but she kept glancing over at Alex. Alex was glassy-eyed, staring at Brynn’s kicks instead of looking directly at Brynn. Brynn missed all of them.

  Alex was up next. Valerie and Jenna patted her back and told Alex how awesome she was before she made her way to the line. Alex dribbled the ball nine times before going for her first kick.

  Sure!

  Her team cheered because she’d made a goal, scoring three whole points. Alex’s heart pounded. She was so intent on scoring nine points that she didn’t pay attention to anything else. Her energy had drained. Her breath was short. Her heart fluttered.

  She thought she was just pumped to win.

  She dribbled ten more times, slowly, her eyes never leaving the net. She lifted her right foot to launch the ball into the perfect position in the air. On one side, her team members stood in anxious silence—giving Alex the moral support she needed to concentrate. On the other side, the girls screamed and yelled, trying to break her thoughts and her lucky streak.

  Alex felt like she was in a movie. She could see both teams of girls moving in slow motion, the outlines of their faces and bodies going grainy, like a blurry photograph.

  Alex didn’t think anything of how fuzzy she was getting. She thought it was just the buzz of adrenaline. She didn’t realize what was happening.

  She didn’t realize she was going down.

  Hard.

  Chapter EIGHT

  “Oh my God!” Brynn yelled.

  Alex could barely make out her former friend’s voice through her haze. Through tiny slits in her mostly closed eyes, she saw Brynn’s face hovering anxiously overhead.

  The rest of the girls were stiff with worry. Valerie looked on the verge of tears. Jenna ran off, yelling to the others that she was going to the infirmary to get the nurse. Sarah stood back, uncertain. In a surprise move, Chelsea hovered nervously at Alex’s side.

  “Where’s your knapsack?!” Julie asked, about to hyperventilate herself. “We need your knapsack.”

  “She left it in the bunk,” Valerie yelled, pulling herself together.

  “I know where it is, I’ll get it,” Chelsea said, running off before anyone else could do it.

  Julie patted Alex’s face gently, trying to keep her awake.

  “Alex, honey, come on. Don’t pass out. Stay awake. We’re here, and we’re going to take care of you. Help us out by staying awake, honey,” Julie said.

  Julie was trying to stay calm, but it was clear that she was worried. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably. “Come on. You can do it.

  “Jenna went to the infirmary, right?” Julie asked, turning to the rest of the group.

  “Yeah, what can we do? Just tell us what to do!” Valerie asked, pacing around Alex.

  “What’s wrong with her, Julie?” Brynn asked, desperation in her voice. “What’s wrong?”

  Brynn’s face was turning blotchy red. Brynn was much more upset than anyone else—and she wasn’t even being overdramatic for once.

  Sweaty and breathless, Chelsea appeared back on the scene, Alex’s navy blue backpack in her hands. Julie grabbed it, and she fished around frantically inside. She pulled out the little tablets that Valerie had seen earlier and also a small bottle of water.

  “Alex,” Julie said, breathing fast and quick. “Keep your eyes open, just keep them open for me. I’ll take care of you. We’ll take care of you.”

  “What? What happened?” Alex murmured softly as she kinda-sorta began to wake up.

  “Oh thank God,” Julie said, her voice quivering. Sweat drops lined the sides of Julie’s face. “Open your mouth.”

  “Look under my bed,” Alex mumbled to Brynn, who was sitting on the ground just to Alex’s left side. Alex’s eyelids fluttered as if she were having a super difficult time keeping them open. “My kit’s there.”

  Brynn wiped the tears from her eyes. Her shoulders were slumped—so unlike her usual confident stance—as she ran off toward the bunk in a blur.

  Julie pried open Alex’s mouth and placed an unwrapped candy between Alex’s lips. Then Julie poured water, also from Alex’s knapsack, over the candy and into Alex’s mouth. A whole lot of the liquid ran down the sides of Alex’s face. But her eyes began to stay open, and her eyelids stopped fluttering so much.

  Just seconds later, the nurse arrived with an oxygen tank and a couple of counselors. Brynn was not back yet.

  “Good job, Julie, good job,” the nurse said. “I’m really impressed. Now, girls, please step back.” The nurse whispered something gently to Alex. The counselors whisked Alex away to the infirmary. She was mumbling to them, “Did we win? Did we win?”

  The rest of the girls rushed to Julie, and Julie struggled to catch her breath. Her forehead was sweating, and she leaned over her knees, trying to get herself together. Brynn arrived on the scene with a little white medicine box, totally out of breath.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared in my life,” Julie said, more to herself than to the girls. “That was close.”

  “What’s wrong with her?! What’s wrong with Alex?!” Brynn yelled, upset.

  “The nurse has her, Brynn,” Julie said, patting her back. “And now she has her kit, too. She’s going to be okay now.”

  “Are you sure?” Valerie asked. She paced around the group of girls, rubbing the palms of her hands together.

  “She has juvenile diabetes,” Chelsea said, interrupting. She sat down on the ground and rubbed her temples.

  “How did you know?” Julie asked surprised. “She didn’t tell anyone.”

  “My cousin has it,” Chelsea said. “It’s awful. Really awful.”

  “So you knew about Alex this whole time, and you still always give her a hard time about eating snacks?” Valerie asked, clearly annoyed.

  “I didn’t know!” Chelsea said, still not making eye contact with anyone. “I just figured it out when I saw the tablets Julie put in Alex’s mouth. I swear! I didn’t know until a second ago!” With that, she stood up and ran back to the bunk.

  “An insulin kit, thank you, dear,” Nurse Helen said, taking Alex’s box from Brynn and placing it on an empty cot.

  Brynn had raced Alex’s kit to the infirmary. Now she stood awkwardly next to Alex’s bed.

  “Luckily, I also have this stuff on hand here. So do me a favor, and make sure you put this back exactly where you found it. And Alex, no more Twinkies for you, okay?”

  “Okay,” Alex muttered softly. Her voice was tired. She hadn’t regained her normal strength yet, but at least she wasn’t dizzy anymore.

  “Hi,” she said weakly, turning to Brynn.

  “Hey, girl,” Brynn said, reaching for Alex’s hand.

  Alex let her take it—she was in no position to do anything else. Alex’s heart beat hard. She really didn’t know what to say to Brynn. She did know that somehow, she was relieved to see Brynn there at the infirmary. Deep down, Alex knew that Brynn would get over whatever was eating her brain lately. Alex knew that Brynn would come through for her if she really needed her to. And Alex needed her to right then.

  “Is it too late to
say I’m sorry?” Brynn asked, rubbing Alex’s thumb the way Alex’s mother might have done if she were there.

  “For what?” Alex asked, winking at Brynn.

  “I’ve been so awful,” Brynn said, her eyes tearing up for about the fifth time in the last thirty minutes. “I love you. You really had me worried just now! I couldn’t bear to think that I had been so mean to you—while you were so sick!”

  “I’m not that sick,” Alex said. Slowly, the energy was flowing back into her veins. Her body was acting like she’d been at a slumber party all night—and hadn’t slept a wink. But other than that, Alex felt okay. It definitely helped that Brynn was there—and ready to reconcile.

  “You have diabetes, though!”

  “I do?” Alex asked, feigning shock.

  “I’m so serious! I’m not making a joke. You looked like you could’ve died,” Brynn said, moving her head around as if she were on stage.

  “Oh, I just shouldn’t have eaten all that junk last night,” Alex said, waving her hand as if to say pppshaw! “And I didn’t get a shot this morning like I usually do.”

  “So that’s where you go every day before we clean the cabin!” Brynn said, her hands in the air.

  “Yes, and you thought I was staying after breakfast to help Pete,” Alex answered, smirking. “That’s what everyone thought, or so I hoped. Even if it meant getting teased by Chelsea.”

  “It all makes so much sense now,” Brynn said, rubbing her forehead. “But why didn’t you just tell me? When did this happen? Last year you ate all kinds of junk!”

  “I got diagnosed last fall. I was tired and thirsty all the time,” Alex said, a serious expression on her face. “The doctor said I’d have to totally change my diet and get shots once a day, so that’s what I’ve been doing.”

  “I’m so embarrassed that you didn’t think you could tell me. When you stopped eating snacks even I thought—”

  “Eating disorder,” Alex said, lying in the cot and turning her gaze to look out the window. “Or some weird soccer diet. I know.”

  “I can’t believe you! Why didn’t you just tell us?” Brynn asked, her voice louder. “The bunk, I mean. We would’ve understood. I definitely would’ve understood.”