A Fair to Remember #13

by Melissa J Morgan

  “This really is a big, old-fashioned party,” Brynn said, her eyes wide.

  Jenna spotted a banner that read OLDE-TYME BLUE RIBBON COMPETITION. It hung over a table with a short line in front of it, where a woman seemed to be signing people up for something.

  “What’s that about?” Jenna asked.

  “Oh! I saw that on the schedule,” Valerie said. “It sounded like fun.”

  “Let’s check it out!” Jenna suggested.

  Once again, Jenna raced ahead and all of her friends laughed and jogged to catch up with her. Jenna knew she was acting like a crazed puppy, but she didn’t want to miss anything.

  “Hi!” Jenna said to the middle-aged woman behind the table. She was wearing a blue T-shirt, a red jacket, and a red, white, and blue ribbon that read OLDE-TYME COMMITTEE. “Can you tell us about the competition?” Jenna asked.

  Alex fell in next to Jenna and the rest of their friends gathered around, some of them out of breath.

  “Sure!” the woman said with a smile. “We’ll be holding several events over the course of the weekend,” she said, handing over an information sheet. “How old are you girls?”

  “Thirteen,” Alex answered, sounding proud.

  “All righty. We have a three-legged race, a wheelbarrow race, and a balloon toss in your age division,” the woman said, quickly consulting her clipboard. “In each event you earn points for coming in first, second, or third, and the pair with the most points at the end of the weekend wins.”

  “What do you win?” Tori asked, slipping to the front of the group.

  “A ribbon and a trophy,” the woman told her.

  “Sounds great,” Jenna said.

  “Good! All you need is a partner and you can sign up,” the woman told her.

  Jenna looked at Alex. The two of them were known for being the most athletic girls in their division at Camp Lakeview.

  “What do you think?” Jenna asked.

  “I think we can take anyone,” Alex replied with a grin, high-fiving Jenna.

  The woman’s face fell. “Oh, I’m sorry, hon,” she said. “But your partner has to be a boy.”

  “What?” Jenna blurted.

  “Well, one of the rules is that all pairs be boy-girl,” the woman told her with a shrug. “That way it keeps the competition even.”

  “No fair!” Alex cried. “Jenna and I can compete against any all-boy team.”

  “And win!” Jenna added.

  “Yeah!” the other girls cheered.

  “Well, now, ladies. I didn’t say it was to keep it fair for the girls,” the woman said with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

  Slowly, Jenna smiled. She liked this lady. But that didn’t change the fact that she wasn’t going to let her and Alex sign up. Shoulders slumping, Jenna turned away from the table.

  “This stinks,” she said, trudging away.

  Her friends gathered in around her. “No doubt,” Valerie said.

  Jenna really wanted to join that competition. She loved those kinds of silly, fun events. But even more so, she loved to compete. And win. If she wanted to sign up with one of her friends and have some good, olde-tyme fun, they should have let her.

  Why did it seem like the whole world was trying to force her to hang out with boys?

  “Hey, you guys! Look!” Valerie said, pointing across the huge main field. “They’re setting up a stage over there.”

  “That must be where the talent competition is gonna happen,” Brynn said, lifting her sunglasses off her eyes for a moment. “Let’s go sign up!” Valerie led the girls as they wove their way around picnicking families, ball-chasing dogs, and a bunch of kids fighting over who got to fly their kite next. By the time they reached the big, whitewashed stage, they were practically skipping. Valerie couldn’t wait to sign up for the show and get started on their routine. She just hoped there weren’t any surprise rules in store, like there had been for Jenna’s competition. If she had to work boys into her dance number, she was out.

  A woman with a blonde ponytail stood atop a tall ladder, twisting a bulb into one of the light fixtures above the stage. Valerie climbed the steps to the platform and looked up at her, shielding her eyes with her hand to block out the sun.

  “Excuse me?” she said. “Is this where we sign up for the talent contest?”

  “Sure is!” the woman replied with a smile. “Just head backstage and see Mr. Cox. He’ll get you all set up.”

  “Thanks!” Valerie told her. She turned to her friends. “We have to go back—”

  But Brynn and Grace were already halfway there, the others trailing behind them. Valerie grinned and rolled her eyes. Apparently her friends were just as excited about this as she was.

  “Hey! Wait up!” she called out, jogging to catch them. She wanted to be the one to talk to this Mr. Cox guy. After all, signing up for the talent show had been her idea.

  But when she got behind the curtain, she realized she shouldn’t have worried. All of her friends were gathered around three huge racks of costumes, oohing and aahing over the sequins and beads.

  “Look at this!”

  Natalie slipped a pink feather boa off a hanger and tossed it around her neck, striking a pose. Grace grabbed a top hat and placed it on her head.

  “You’re looking mah-velous this evening, madame!” she said to Natalie with a bow.

  “Well thank you, I’m sure!” Natalie said back in a breathless voice.

  “Wow, you guys are easily distracted,” Valerie said, putting her hands on her hips. “We’re supposed to be signing up for the show, remember?”

  “Did I hear someone say they wanted to sign up for my show?”

  Valerie turned around and looked into the dark brown eyes of a very good-looking, college-aged guy in a white T-shirt and jeans. He had short brown hair gelled up into little peaks all over his head and tanned skin. He was so cute he could have been a model.

  It was too bad Becky, Valerie’s counselor from bunk 4C, wasn’t there with them. She would have been flirting like crazy with this guy right off the bat.

  “Are you Mr. Cox?” Valerie asked.

  He cracked a grin. “Call me Greg,” he said. He looked from Valerie to her friends behind her and smirked as he picked up a clipboard from a nearby table. “So what’s your talent? Trying on all my costumes?”

  Instantly the girls scrambled to return all the stuff to where it had been. Greg laughed. “No! It’s okay, it’s okay. No harm done.”

  “Actually, we’re a dance troupe,” Valerie told him, going for a mature, no-nonsense expression.

  Behind her, Valerie’s friends knocked over the hat rack with a crash. Greg winced, but said nothing.

  “A dance troupe, huh?” he said. “I’m a dancer myself. Hip-hop, mostly. What’s your style?”

  We don’t have one . . . yet, Valerie thought. But she couldn’t tell him that. If he knew they didn’t actually have a style or a routine, he might not want them in his show.

  “Oh, uh . . . it’s kind of a modern, hip-hop, African fusion thing,” Valerie blundered, thinking back to her dance classes at home.

  Greg’s face lit up. “Wow! Sounds amazing. We’ve never had a full dance troupe before.”

  “Really?” Valerie said with a grin. “Well then you’re gonna love us.”

  “I’m sure I will,” Greg said. “What’s your name?”

  “Valerie Williams,” she said. “Why?”

  “So I can sign you up,” Greg said, making a note on his clipboard.

  “Oh, right,” Valerie said, embarrassed.

  “Valerie Williams and dance troupe,” he said. “I can’t wait to see your routine.”

  “Yeah! Me neither!” Grace said, jumping up next to Valerie.

  Greg’s brow creased. “You don’t have a routine yet? The competition is two days away.”

  Valerie felt her face burn. Here she was trying to look like a serious dancer/choreographer, and Grace was making her look like she had no idea what she was doing.
>
  “No! Of course we have a routine!” Valerie said. “She’s just kidding.”

  “All right then. Well, break a leg!” Greg said.

  “Thanks!” Valerie told him.

  The moment Greg was gone, Valerie turned to her friends. “All right. That’s it. We have to go home and work on the routine. Like, now.”

  “Now?” Jenna asked. “But we brought all this stuff to hang out.”

  “So we’ll hang out at home. And dance,” Valerie said. “You heard Greg. The competition is two days away. I don’t want to look like a complete moron in front of everyone.”

  “Okay,” Jenna said with a shrug. “I’m kinda hungry anyway.”

  “Shocker,” Tori teased. “I’m in!” she said, slipping her arm around Valerie’s. “Let’s go put on our dancing shoes!”

  “But I didn’t bring any dancing shoes,” Jenna joked.

  “Actually, you guys, I should probably study,” Grace said, biting her lip. “Sorry, Val.”

  “That’s okay,” Valerie said, heading back out into the sun. “You study and we’ll work on the routine and just teach you the steps later.”

  As the girls started back across the fairgrounds and headed for home, Valerie was already choreographing the routine in her head. The last thing she wanted was to look like some amateur in front of everyone at the fair. But as she looked around at her smiling, gabbing friends, she knew they would be all right. As long as they all worked together, they would come up with a show-stopping routine.

  chapter FOUR

  “I love this music, Tori!” Valerie said, her head bopping to the beat coming through the portable CD player’s speakers. “Who is this?”

  “They’re called Nova. They’re this new band from London,” Tori told her, dropping down on one of the cushy chairs on the Blooms’ back deck. “My dad might be their U.S. representation.”

  Tori’s dad was an entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles and had an inside track on everything that went on in Hollywood. Which meant that Tori was always up on who the next big actors and singers were going to be.

  “Ooh! I like this part!” Brynn said, jumping up. “This would be a good place for a little spin move, right?”

  Brynn whipped around and did a quick stutter step, then slid to the right.

  “Sweet!” Valerie said, pushing herself out of her seat. She quickly rewound the CD to Brynn’s part. Together they both did the move in exact unison. “I like it!” Valerie said, slapping hands with Brynn. “You guys! Check this out. We should all give it a try.”

  Tori got up and stood behind Valerie and Brynn, and then Natalie joined her. Jenna and Alex, however, were engaged in a serious thumb war and were too busy trying to knock each other out of their seats to notice. Alyssa, meanwhile, had her nose buried in a novel under the shade of the table umbrella.

  “You guys! Come on!” Valerie said. “Don’t you want to learn this? We have to have a killer routine by Monday.”

  Alyssa lowered her book. “Right! Sorry,” she said. She placed her bookmark between the pages. “Where do you want me?”

  “Why don’t you stand behind us so you can copy the move?” Brynn suggested.

  “Okay. Alex, Jenna? Earth to Alex and Jenna!” Alyssa teased as she walked by them.

  Alex finally pinned Jenna’s thumb, and Jenna groaned hugely. But at least their thumb war was over and they finally joined the others. Everyone fell into place behind Valerie and Brynn and waited for direction.

  “Okay. Here’s the move,” Valerie said. “Five, six, seven, eight.”

  She and Brynn went through the eight-count move and Valerie described what she was doing as she did it. “Turn around, right foot in, step, step, and slide!”

  “Nice!” Natalie said. “Let’s all try.” Tori reached over and restarted the music. Everyone began moving as one and Valerie grinned. They were getting it! Already they were on their way! But as soon as the spin was over, Jenna stepped left when she should have stepped right. Meanwhile, Alex missed the stutter step completely and just went right into her slide. Alyssa lost track of what she was doing and completely stopped, tripping herself, and Alex banged into her, sending them both into the railing around the deck. Only Tori and Natalie really got the move.

  Valerie had a feeling she had a lot of work ahead of her.

  “Oh! Oops!” Alex said, blushing.

  “I completely spaced. Sorry,” Alyssa told Val.

  “It’s no problem,” Valerie said. “Let’s just try it again.”

  Just then the sliding door to the house opened up and out walked Adam and David. Adam tossed a volleyball up and down as they approached. Everyone looked at Alex, who had pretty much lost all the color in her face.

  “Hey, everyone! How’s the dance party?” David joked.

  “Fine. It’s going great,” Valerie answered.

  “What do you guys want?” Jenna asked flatly. “We’re trying to practice here, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

  “Excuse us, Queen Jenna,” Adam said, holding up one hand in surrender. “I just wanted to ask Alex something.”

  Alex eyed him nervously. “Yeah?”

  “We’re going down to the beach to bump the ball around,” Adam said, popping the ball from hand to hand. “They have a net down there and everything. Wanna come?”

  Alex’s entire face instantly lit up. It was the first time Adam had talked directly to her all day. But then she seemed to remember that her friends were all watching.

  “Actually, we’re supposed to be working on this routine . . .” she said reluctantly.

  “Oh, don’t worry about it!” Natalie said, waving her off. “We’ll be okay.”

  “Natalie!” Val said through her teeth.

  “Valerie,” Nat whispered. “She clearly wants to go. Give the girl a break.”

  “I’m no good at coming up with this stuff anyway, Val,” Alex said hopefully. “Do you think maybe you guys can just teach me the steps later when you teach Grace?”

  She had a point. Alex was a soccer star and a super athlete, but dancing was not one of her special talents. And besides, her eyes were practically begging. She really wanted to spend some time with Adam.

  “Okay. That’ll work,” Valerie said finally. “You guys have fun.”

  “Thank you so much!” Alex said happily. “See ya!” Then she took off with the boys, barreling down the outside stairs.

  “Who knew that Alex Kim could be so boy crazy?” Jenna grumbled.

  “One day, Jenna, you are going to fall totally in love and then we are all so going to pick on you,” Natalie said, wrapping her arm around Jenna’s back.

  “Yeah. You wish,” Jenna shot back with a smile.

  “Okay, you guys. Let’s focus. We’ll do the move again,” Valerie said, reaching for the CD player. “On one. Ready?”

  The backdoor slid open again. This time it was Grace and she did not look happy.

  “You guys! I’m doomed!” she cried dramatically, throwing her hands out.

  Instantly Alyssa and Jenna left the dance line. They ran over to Grace. “What’s the matter?” Alyssa said.

  “I cannot memorize dates!” Grace said, her eyes wide. “It’s like I’m brain-dead or something. They just will not stay in there,” she told them, knocking her head with the heel of her hand.

  “It’s okay. We’ll help you!” Jenna offered, tugging Grace back toward the house.

  “I have a great memorization game,” Alyssa told her. “It always works for me.”

  “Really?” Grace said, brightening slightly. “You’re the best!” Valerie felt herself growing frustrated as two more of her friends deserted her. But what was she going to do? Tell them not to help Grace? No way. Val wanted Grace to pass history and come back to Camp Lakeview this summer as much as the rest of them did. Grace’s grades were a lot more important than Valerie’s talent competition.

  “Just come back as soon as you can!” she called after them.

  “We will!” Jenna shoute
d, slamming the door behind her.

  “And then there were four,” Natalie joked.

  “Huh?” Brynn said.

  “Oh, it’s just from this Agatha Christie book we read in English,” Natalie said. “Never mind. Let’s keep dancing.”

  “Okay. One more time!” Valerie said, hitting the play button.

  At least she had been left with the three best dancers. Maybe together the four of them would be able to work out a good routine. She just hoped there would be time to teach everyone else later. Otherwise this talent competition would be over before Valerie ever got to the stage.

  “It just does not get any better than this!” Jenna said, dropping down at the picnic table her friends had snagged at the fairgrounds.

  Her plastic plate was overflowing with two hot dogs, baked beans, corn on the cob, and potato chips. All around her, hundreds of people chatted and laughed and milled around, checking out the buffet-style barbecue. The entire town had turned out.

  “How did I know that the ‘finger-lickin’ barbecue’ would be Jenna’s favorite thing on the schedule?” Valerie joked, placing the sheet of events on the table.

  “I am just that predictable,” Jenna said. She took a big bite of her overloaded hot dog and smiled in ecstasy.

  “It’s an amazing spread,” Natalie said, sitting down with her big plastic bowl full of salad and grilled chicken. “There’s something for everyone.”

  “I bet even Alex could find something good to eat,” Tori said. “If we had any idea where she was.”

  Alex was diabetic and had a bunch of special dietary requirements. Jenna knew it was tough on her friend and was relieved that there were so many choices at the barbecue. But at the moment it didn’t really matter since no one had seen Alex since she’d ditched them that morning for Jenna’s brother.

  “She might miss the whole thing if she doesn’t get here soon,” Brynn fretted, taking a sip of her lemonade.

  “She’s the one who wanted to hang out with the boys, so she’ll just have to suffer the consequences,” Jenna said, shrugging. “Knowing them, they probably tied her to a tree and left her there.”