Kate looked up at him, stunned at his kind gesture. “Really?”
“Really.” He nodded and grinned.
“That would be great. We can’t take long, though, because my parents are waiting.”
“They can come too,” Gus said. “Run and fetch them.”
Kate did just that, and before long, both families were crammed into the tiny work space.
As Gus showed them around, he was all smiles. “Wow. He’s really great,” Kate whispered to McKenzie.
Kate thought about everything that had happened. How she had misjudged people!
The tour ended after just a few minutes, and it was time to leave the quarry. Kate had a hard time saying goodbye to everyone, especially Megan and Joel.
“Promise you’ll write?” Joel asked.
“I will. And you let me know if you get that internship.”
“Oh, I forgot to tell you! Mr. Jenkins told me this morning that I did!” Joel’s faced beamed. “Isn’t that terrific news?”
“Awesome!” Kate turned to Megan, feeling tears well up in her eyes. She reached to hug her counselor goodbye and whispered, “I’m going to miss you so much.”
“I’m going to miss you too,” Megan said. “And I can never thank you enough for helping solve this case, girls,” she said, reaching for McKenzie with her other arm. “I hope you’ll come back.”
Kate nodded. “Maybe we’ll get to come back someday and bring our friends. You’ll love Elizabeth. And Sydney and Alex and Bailey…” On and on she went, singing the praises of the Camp Club Girls.
Finally Kate’s mother interrupted her. “I’m so sorry, honey, but we really have to go.”
“Okay.” Kate sighed and gave the quarry one last look before they climbed into the RV. As they pulled out of the parking lot, she felt the sting of tears in her eyes but quickly brushed them aside. No tears today. This was a happy day.
“Mom, would it be okay if I called Mrs. Smith?” Kate asked. “I want to tell her what happened.”
“Yes, it’s fine,” her mother said. “I know she’ll be very relieved.”
Kate spent the next ten minutes on the phone with her teacher, who was thrilled to get the news, especially when she heard that the real fossils had been located and would be sent to the Philadelphia museum in a few days.
“Kate, you did it! You solved the case and saved the day.”
“I hate to disagree with you, Mrs. Smith,” Kate said, “but only God can save the day. I am glad He chose to use the Camp Club Girls to help, though!”
“Me too.” Her teacher laughed then thanked her once again for helping out.
Kate ended the call, then looked at McKenzie. “Now we need to call the other girls and let them know what happened!”
“Yes, they’ll be so excited!” McKenzie added.
“Awesome! Let’s do a conference call.”
Minutes later, Kate had all of the Camp Club Girls on the line. Everyone was so excited that they talked on top of each other.
Kate held the phone in her hand and McKenzie leaned in close to hear everything.
“We have so much to tell you!” Kate said. “We figured out who forged the fossils!”
“No way!” Bailey let out a loud squeal. Kate pulled the phone away from her ear and rubbed it, then laughed.
“Yes. And you’re never going to believe who it was. The very last person on planet earth that we would have ever suspected—Conner! Alex already knows because her uncle helped us run the fingerprints, but I wanted to tell the rest of you.”
Kate quickly relayed the rest of the story, giving the girls all of the details then thanking each of the girls for her help.
“Oh wow, that’s unbelievable!” Sydney said. “Conner seemed so trustworthy.”
“I know,” Kate said. “He’s a respected paleontologist and a counselor to the boys. That’s why I never considered him. But in the end, that’s who it turned out to be.”
“So Gus wasn’t the one after all?” Bailey asked.
“No, it looks like we judged a book by its cover…and we were wrong,” Kate answered.
“What do you mean?” Sydney asked.
“I saw a grumpy older man in wrinkled clothes and thought he was a bad guy. Turns out he’s just a man who is hurting. His poor wife is in a rehab hospital because of a terrible car accident. Instead of judging Grumpy Gus, I should have shared God’s love with him.” Even as she spoke the words, Kate felt guilty.
“Don’t let her fool you,” McKenzie said. “Kate did show him God’s love. Every time she passed by, she smiled and talked to him. That’s a lot more than most of the other campers did.”
It warmed Kate’s heart to hear McKenzie’s words, but she still felt bad.
“Remember what happened in the story of Jacob and Esau,” Elizabeth said. “Even though Jacob made some mistakes, God still made something good out of the situation. That’s how the Lord works. You watch and see.”
“O–okay. I will.”
“I see one good thing that came out of it already,” Sydney said. “You suspected the wrong person, but your suspicions led to the right person. Don’t you find that interesting?”
“Yes.” Kate couldn’t help but smile. “I learned a big lesson.”
“What’s that?” Alexis asked.
“Megan told me on the day of the treasure hunt that we each leave an imprint on others with our attitude. She called it a fossil on the heart.”
“Ooo, I like that,” Elizabeth said. “A fossil on the heart.”
“When my attitude is good, I leave a good imprint and when my attitude is bad, well…” Kate paused and sighed. “Let’s just say that sometimes I leave a negative imprint.”
Sydney laughed. “Kate, don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re one of the sweetest girls I know. You’ve left a great imprint on my heart. And on Bailey’s. And Elizabeth’s.” She began to talk nonstop about how each of the Camp Club Girls had left a different imprint. Before long, Kate was laughing. The Camp Club Girls all started laughing and talking and soon got really loud. Kate’s mom gave her a warning look.
Kate ended the call just as they arrived at their campsite at Yellowstone. The sun was starting to set in the west, painting the sky the most brilliant colors Kate had ever seen.
She and the others climbed out of the RV and stretched their legs.
“I’m so hungry!” she said. “What’s for dinner?”
“We’re grilling hamburgers and hot dogs,” her mother said. “You girls can help.”
Kate and McKenzie helped their mothers get the meal ready. As they worked, Dexter drew near, his eyes wide with excitement.
“Kate, you’ll never believe what happened when you were gone.”
“What?” She looked at her little brother.
“Yesterday morning we had a bear. He came right to the edge of our tent.”
“No way!”
“It’s true,” her mother said. “I think someone…” she looked at Dexter, “someone left the bag of marshmallows out. And a little bear cub found it at the campsite, just a few feet from our tent.”
“I wish you could’ve seen it, Kate,” Dexter said with a grin. “I came out of the tent and caught him in the act.”
“What did you do?”
“Well, I read online not to ever spook a bear, so I stayed quiet. For a minute or two he didn’t know I was there.”
“We watched the whole thing from our tent,” her father said. “The cub was so busy eating marshmallows that he wasn’t paying attention to anything. But as soon as he saw Dex, he took a couple of steps in his direction.”
“Then what?” Kate could hardly believe it.
Dexter shook his head. “I stood frozen like a statue.”
“We all prayed silently,” her mother said. “The Lord answered our prayers. The bear ate that last marshmallow and then took off into the trees.”
“When he left we ran and got inside the van,” Dexter said. “Just in case he came back.”
Kate’s father said, “He didn’t come back. He went off, probably looking for more food.”
“I’m so glad I didn’t go to fossil camp with you,” Dexter said. “I would have missed the whole thing.”
“See!” Kate laughed. “I told you God had an adventure in store for you.”
When everyone gathered around the campfire with food, between mouthfuls of their yummy burgers, Kate and McKenzie told them the whole story. Afterward, one thing stood out above all the others. Kate still heard Megan’s words echoing in her ears…“We leave an imprint on others with our attitude. A little bit of us rubs off on them. So, when you react with an attitude to something—good or bad—it’s like you’re creating a fossil on the heart.”
“A fossil on the heart,” Kate whispered once again.
This was one lesson she knew she would never forget.
Camp Club Girls: Kate and the Pennsylvania Pretzel Pickle
And the Winner Is …
Kate stood on the huge stage with an overhead spotlight nearly blinding her. She waved at thousands of adoring, cheering fans. Her heart soared with excitement as the thunderous applause rang out. She tiptoed to reach the microphone behind the podium. She spoke, her voice quivering.
“T–thank you so much for giving me this award.” She held up the huge trophy with the words BEST YOUNG INVENTOR engraved on it, and the audience cheered once again.
“I…I’m so grateful,” she continued. “I accept it on behalf of all of the young inventors around the globe!” She turned to Mr. Peterson, the man who had just handed her the trophy and smiled. “And thanks to the committee for choosing me. I pray the Turbo Heat-Freeze is the first of many more inventions to come!”
Mr. Peterson stepped to the microphone and faced the crowd. “One more round of applause for Kate Oliver, Pennsylvania’s Young Inventor of the Year!”
The crowd members rose to their feet as their applause grew louder. Kate felt her cheeks turn warm with embarrassment. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever imagined standing here in front of so many people! And what an honor!
“Three cheers for Kate! Three cheers for Kate!” rang out from the front row. She smiled at her parents, who sat with her little brother, Dexter, at their side. She waved, nearly tripping as she turned to walk to the edge of the stage. As she did, cameras flashed with dozens of people taking her picture. She walked down the steps, nearly dropping her large trophy.
“Careful, Kate,” she whispered to herself. “You don’t want to fall in front of thousands of people!”
“Kate, Kate, Kate!” Dexter’s voice rang out above the crowd.
She smiled at her brother and waved, suddenly feeling a little strange.
“Kate!” he called out again. “Kate Oliver!”
Or was it Dexter? Suddenly, she wasn’t so sure anymore.
“Kate! Kate Oliver!”
“Hmm?” The room grew fuzzy.
“Kate, wake up!”
“W–what?” She stirred in her seat, coming awake. She blinked her eyes several times and her classmates came into view. She looked around and realized she was at school…in her science class. Oh no! Had she really fallen asleep in class? What a crazy dream she’d had! One of the best ever!
“Kate Oliver. Have you been staying up late?” her teacher Mrs. Abercrombie asked with a stern look on her face.
“Oh, y–yes,” she stammered as she rubbed her eyes. “I’m sorry. I’ve been perfecting my invention, the Turbo Heat-Freeze. The one I entered in our school’s science fair last week.”
“Yes,” Her teacher nodded. “That’s exactly why I wanted you to be wide awake when I made my announcement.”
“Announcement?” Kate’s heart pounded in excitement.
Mrs. Abercrombie walked to the front of the room. “Okay, now that Kate has joined us, we are ready to begin. Class, all of the science teachers at our school have judged the science fair entries, and I am happy to announce the winners. Would the following students come to the front of the room?”
Kate sat straight up in her chair, growing more and more excited. “Please, please, please!” she whispered.
Mrs. Abercrombie called the first name: “James Maddoux.”
Kate sighed but never lost her focus on the front of the room.
“Jenny Padilla,” Mrs. Abercrombie said next.
Kate watched her friend Jenny walk to the front of the classroom. Jenny was one of the best science students ever!
Mrs. Abercrombie next called another boy’s name: “Phillip Johnson.”
Kate watched as Phillip, the class’s brainiest boy, walked to the front. Her heart twisted a little as she watched him. It seemed as if she and Phillip always ended up competing for the top spot.
“Kate Oliver.”
Finally! Kate joined the others, her heart beating a mile a minute.
Mrs. Abercrombie faced them all. “Taking fourth place with her invention, the Shop-Vac Hover Craft,” is Jenny Padilla. She handed Jenny a certificate as the other students clapped.
“In third place is James Maddoux for his invention: the battery-powered dust-mop.”
Kate could hardly breathe. This meant it was down to two—she and Phillip were competing again for the top spot.
“Our runner-up turned in a great invention,” Mrs. Abercrombie said, looking at them both. “The judges were very impressed.”
Kate felt her heart sink a little as her teacher looked her way. Had she come in second place…again?
“The Weather-Cast Watch won rave reviews with the judges,” Mrs. Abercrombie said. “Phillip, you are our second place winner this year.”
Instead of smiling, Phillip looked a little upset as he reached to take his certificate. He looked at Kate, but only for a second. She didn’t have time to think about it, though. Not now! She was about to be declared the winner of the science fair!
Sure enough, Mrs. Abercrombie held out a framed certificate in one hand and a small trophy in the other as she said, “Kate Oliver has won this year’s science fair with her invention, the Turbo Heat-Freeze. And as the winner, she has been chosen to represent our school at the Young Inventors’ Festival in Hershey, Pennsylvania, over spring break.”
Everyone in the classroom began to clap, and Kate grinned. She reached to take the certificate and the trophy as Mrs. Abercrombie whispered, “Now you see why I needed you to be wide awake.”
“Yes, thank you so much!” Kate laughed. “I’m so excited!”
“Now, I have some more good news.” Mrs. Abercrombie looked at Phillip. “The school has decided to send both our first place winner and our second place winner this year. So, Phillip, you will be going too!”
His sour expression lifted at once. He smiled and whispered, “Thank you.”
The bell rang, and the class ended. Kate slipped on her backpack, then headed out into the hallway with the trophy and framed certificate in hand. Every few seconds another student stopped her, offering congratulations. She couldn’t stop smiling.
The next couple of classes seemed to drag by, but Kate’s mind wasn’t on her studies for once. She could hardly wait to get home to tell her parents. And, of course, she would have to send an email out to all of the Camp Club girls—Alex, McKenzie, Bailey, Sydney, and Elizabeth. These were the special friends from around the United States that she’d met at Discovery Lake Camp. There they’d solved the first of many mysteries together. They would certainly celebrate this victory with her.
Finally the school day came to an end. Kate rode the bus home, holding tightly to the trophy. She noticed Phillip sitting across from her with a scowl on his face, but what could she do? She wasn’t bragging, after all. Just holding the trophy she’d rightfully won. Besides, he would be going to the competition too.
She sighed as she thought about that word: competition. Kate had never really considered herself as a person trying to win over anyone else. But these days she found herself competing…a lot.
When she arrived home, Kat
e entered the house and found her mother at the stove, stirring a pot of soup. The delicious smell of chicken filled the room.
She put the trophy behind her back and grinned as she spoke. “Mom!”
Her mother turned and smiled. “Kate, you startled me.”
“Sorry.”
Her mother gave her a suspicious look. “What are you hiding behind your back? What’s up?”
Kate pulled the trophy from behind her back and her mother grinned. “Oh honey. I’m so proud of you. You’ve won the science fair!”
“It’s more than that, Mom,” Kate said. “I’m going to represent the school at the Young Inventors’ Festival in Hershey in two weeks. Please say we can go!”
“I’ll have to check with your father,” her mother said. “But I don’t see why it would be a problem. And you know how much I love chocolate, so going to Hershey is always fun.”
Hershey, Pennsylvania was the place where all the famous chocolate was created. Chocolate bars, chocolate kisses…Kate’s mouth began to water at the thought.
Mrs. Oliver snapped her fingers. “Oh, I know! Since it’s over spring break, why not invite one of the Camp Club Girls to join you?”
“Oooh, what a fun idea!” Kate thought about it for a moment. “You know who I think I’ll ask? Alex. She’s so much fun and she’s so encouraging. She always looks on the bright side. She’d be the perfect one to have along.”
“Great idea!” her mother said. “And while you’re at it, why not invite her parents too? Hershey is a great place, and it’s not just about chocolate—though that’s my favorite part, of course. They’ve got a wonderful amusement park too. It’s call Hersheypark.”
“Sounds too good to be true! I’ll look it up online after I talk to Alex and the other Camp Club Girls.” Kate reached for her handy-dandy cell phone as she marched up the stairs toward her room and punched in Alex’s number. Her friend answered on the third ring.
“Hello?”
“Alex! This is Kate! You’re never going to believe what happened.” The words spilled out of Kate’s mouth so fast she could hardly keep up with them. She told Alex the whole story—about winning the science fair, about being invited to the Young Inventors’ Festival. Everything.
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