Across the room, Ashley was snoring like a freight train. ("I do not snore!" she snapped whenever anyone made a comment on her less than graceful habit.) Gabby had a summer cold and took Nyquil so she was out for the count as well. The two of them wore these satin sleep masks to block out the light, which made what we were doing even easier. We were in the cubby portion of the cabin, emptying all of Ashley's and Gabby's clothes into our backpacks. Em and I had already collected their shoes.
We were at war with our own cabin. And if we pulled this prank off, we were winning.
"Is that everything?" Grace asked as she zipped her backpack closed.
"Are you sure we shouldn't leave them at least one outfit?" Em asked. "What if something goes wrong and they lose everything?"
"Who cares?" Court shrugged. "They deserve it."
Court was beyond bitter this week. Even though 8B had made the talent show, thanks to Court's awesome cowgirl routine, we'd had to audition with one less team member -- Court. Ashley's Capture the Flag prank cost Court full use of her ankle (the nurse said it wasn't sprained, but it was bruised, and Court needed to avoid physical activities for a few days). She would be off crutches in two days, but she was determined to pull off the stunt that night. It was Wednesday and that was the counselors' meeting/hangout time.
"What about their shampoo and stuff?" Grace wanted to know. "Should we take their toothbrushes?"
"I want them to have bad breath!" I said gleefully.
"You guys, that's pushing it." Em sounded motherly. "A prank is one thing, but if we take everything they own, they'll know it's us for sure."
"Em's right," Grace said. "Let's put back one ugly outfit each and their pj's."
Court sighed. "Fine." She pulled some of Gabby's stuff out of her backpack. "Now let's get out of here."
The four of us crept through the cabin, avoiding the wood plank under the shaggy pink rug that made a loud creak every time you stepped on it. Court secretly put a wedge in the screen door to keep it cracked open so we could get out without a peep.
We couldn't really make a run for it with Court on crutches, so we hobbled down to the lake. The rest of us were carrying flashlights to light the way, but it still wasn't that much illumination. In the distance, I heard a long, low howl.
"What was that?" I freaked.
"I'm sure it was a dog," Grace assured me, even though she sounded alarmed herself.
"We've got to keep moving," Em said. "Beaver is on night duty and if he catches us, he'll eat us for breakfast."
Beaver took night watch duty seriously. The week before, he had woken up our bunk at 3 AM when he barged in unexpectedly because he thought he heard a noise. It was probably Ashley snoring.
"These bags are really heavy," I complained as I hoisted my backpack higher on my shoulder.
"Hang in there. This will be worth it," Court said. "Since we're putting a few of our own things in the canoe as well, Ashley and Gabby won't be able to blame the prank on us."
I had to admit Court's idea was brilliant. She made each of us put a few outfits of our own -- ones we hated or had already stained -- into the backpacks so that we looked like we were also pranked.
"Has anyone pulled this off before?" I asked.
"A few times in the years I've been here," said Grace. "Usually they only take one or two outfits -- not their whole summer wardrobe -- but one time it went really wrong. The night they pulled the prank there was a huge storm and the canoe they put the clothes in overturned. They lost everything. Hitch was so mad he sent the ringleader of the pranksters home from camp three weeks early."
Gulp. We walked in silence after that. I had gotten used to the dark campgrounds at that point and slapped my knee to ward off a mosquito attack (that was the worst part of the outdoors at night). The moon was high and bright and it seemed to be guiding us. I could see the lake in the distance and the water was as still as glass. A few canoes were tied to the nearby dock and I stared at them nervously.
I was starting to wonder if this prank was a good idea. I wanted to get Ashley back for being so awful, but I didn't want to get kicked out of camp for doing it. Ashley had been mean, but no meaner than some of the girls I went to school with. And did I play pranks on them? No. But I guess if I really thought about it, I would have liked to.
"There's the boat dock," Court whispered when we'd made it down the hill.
We stepped onto the dock and it creaked. The sound was louder at night when there weren't a million campers splashing about. I looked around. "I feel like I'm being watched."
"That's just because we're pulling a prank," Court said as she gingerly knelt down and began unloading the contents of her backpack into the closest canoe. I saw her place Ashley's favorite green American Eagle tee in the boat. "I always feel that way. But afterward, when the prank works, you're going to be exhilarated. Trust me."
It was eerie down at the boat launch at night. I'd never been down here this late. I knew Court had in summers past -- it was where she had her first kiss -- but it didn't seem romantic to me. It was spooky. I expected Jaws to pop out of the water at any moment.
We'd almost unloaded everything into the boat, including Gabby's rhinestone-studded Havianas, when I saw a light in the woods by the cabins.
"Someone's coming," Em croaked.
It was definitely a flashlight.
We were toast.
"Quick," Court instructed, hurrying to finish the contents of the bags and get them in the boat. She dumped the remaining few pairs of shoes inside. "Turn off your flashlights. We've got to untie the boat and push it into the lake or we're going to get expelled from camp for sure. If they catch us in the act, it's worse than just being caught out of bed after curfew."
Grace pulled Court to her feet. "You have to start walking now," she ordered Court. "You're the slowest. One of us will untie the boat and the other two will help you get away."
"WHO'S DOWN THERE?" It was Beaver. I felt a chill run down my spine.
"We're dead," Em freaked. She started to wheeze and quickly reached for her inhaler.
"You three go," I told them. "I'll untie the canoe and I'll be right behind you."
"No, I'm not leaving you!" Court said. "This was my idea. I should take the rap if we get caught."
"Go," I said forcefully and Grace started dragging Court and Em away. "I'll be there in a second."
"I CAN SEE YOU! STOP RIGHT THERE!" Beaver's voice was getting louder.
My heart was beating out of my chest. "Go so I can finish this!"
"We've got to go," Grace said. "Court, NOW."
"Untie the boat and push it as hard as you can," Court told me as they moved away. "Hurry, Sam!"
"Who are you?" I heard Beaver say as I fumbled for the knot that was tying the canoe to the dock. "Did you hear me?"
My hands were sweating and I was having trouble undoing the rope. "Come on, come on," I said to myself as my heart beat faster and faster.
"I'm radioing for Hitch! If you show yourself you'll get in less trouble."
Yeah, right.
The knot unraveled and I untied the boat. I gave it a hard push and it moved away from the dock. In an hour, it would be floating in the middle of the lake. YES! Good-bye Ashley's and Gabby's clothes! Have a good trip!
I looked up and I saw Beaver's flashlight was almost down the hill. I turned, started to run, and boom!
I'd tripped over my own two feet. When I stood up, I was missing one of my flip-flops. I could run without it and I started to, but then I remembered: Everything I owned at camp had my name on it. Stupid camp rules! If I didn't retrieve that flip-flop, I was as good as done for. I was afraid to turn my flashlight on and give away my face so I fumbled around the dock in the dark. I felt a splinter pinch my finger as I traced the worn wood planks. Finally I felt something rubbery. It was my flip-flop!
And it was stuck. It must have gotten wedged in the dock.
"Give me your name and maybe I'll go easy on you," Beaver yelled. "There
is nowhere for you to run!"
I pulled as hard as I could. My hands were slipping because I was sweating a lot. I looked around. I couldn't see Court, Grace, or Em. If they were still somewhere on the beach, there was no way I could find them now. I gave one final tug and my flip-flop came free. I slid it on my foot and broke out into a full run, just as Beaver made it to the bottom of the hill.
"Get back here!" Beaver bellowed.
He was too close. There was no way I was going to get away from him. Any second he was going to shine his flashlight on me and I'd be recognized. I had to get off this beach.
"Did you hear me? Stop!"
I darted left into the dreaded woods. I could hear Beaver running after me, but I kept going even though I had no clue where I was headed in the dark. My arms brushed against tree branches and leaves and I forced myself not to freak out.
I was doomed.
And that was when it happened. All of a sudden something grabbed me and I screamed.
"Are you okay?" I heard Beaver say.
A hand slapped over my mouth and the next thing I knew I was hoisted into the air and over someone's shoulder. Instinctively I started to pound on their back.
"Calm down," I heard a familiar voice say. "It's okay. I'm getting you out of here."
It was Cole! I would have recognized that voice anywhere. I was so shocked I didn't say anything. Cole was moving quickly and Beaver's voice sounded farther and farther away. Before I knew it, we were back on a camp path. Cole put me down and looked at me. He was in a tee and sweats.
"You just saved my life!" I told him, and without caring what he thought, I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him. Neither of us let go for a while, and we just stood there quietly. I could feel my heart pounding out of my chest and I wondered if he could too. Finally, I reluctantly unwrapped myself. "What are you doing here?"
"I was looking for you," he said as if it was obvious.
Me? Cole was looking for me?
"Walk and I'll explain," he said. "We should get you back to your bunk before Beaver starts inspecting them to see who's missing."
We walked back in silence, but I kept stealing glances at him out of the corner of my eye. "I'm sorry I tried to hit you," I apologized.
"I'm sorry if I scared you. You've got a strong arm!" He laughed. "I came looking for you at your cabin and saw you guys heading down to the lake so I followed you. I guess it's a good thing I did, huh?"
"You saw the prank we pulled?" I asked in alarm.
Cole stopped and looked at me. "What prank?" he said innocently. "I didn't see you do anything down at the lake involving clothes and a boat."
I should have known Cole wouldn't say anything. "Thanks," I said, relieved. But I still had an unanswered question for him. "But, um, why were you coming to see me?"
My heart was pounding again. This time it was a different kind of fear. I was anxious to hear what Cole had to say.
"You were keeping me awake tonight," Cole admitted.
If I wasn't trying to avoid Beaver's capture, I think I would have fainted on the spot. "I was? But I was far away in bunk 8B." I was trying to be flirty, but I was nervous.
"I couldn't stop thinking about you before bed," Cole said. "There was something I wanted to ask you."
He turned toward me. Even though I felt dizzy, I stopped and turned too.
"I was wondering," Cole started to say. "I mean, I was hoping..."
"SAM!" someone whisper-shouted.
It was Court. I whipped my head around and saw Grace sprinting toward me. Court and Em were moving slowly behind her.
As glad as I was to see they got away, I kind of wished they weren't there at that moment.
"Cole, what are you doing here?" Grace asked as she reached me. "We were so worried! I thought you were going to get caught, Sam."
"I got away just in time," I said as Court slowly made her way over with Em. "Cole rescued me."
"What were you doing down at the lake?" Court asked. She looked at me curiously.
"Don't ask and I won't ask what you guys were doing there yourselves," Cole teased. Court laughed nervously.
"We better get back to the bunk," Court said. "I'm sure Beaver has alerted the counselors and they're going to be doing bunk checks any minute."
"You should go," Cole told me, but his face told a different story.
"You too," I said awkwardly. "But... ?" I left the sentence hanging there, hoping Cole would finish it.
"We'll talk some other time," he said and looked at my friends. "Goodnight, ladies." Then he turned and headed back to his cabin.
Grace grabbed my arm and the four of us hurried back to our bunk. I couldn't stop thinking about Cole. I had a feeling I would be the one tossing and turning now.
I was awakened the next morning by an ear-piercing scream.
"Where are my clothes?" Ashley was shrieking. She was in the cubby area and she was examining all the clothing places and running back and forth to her empty trunk. "Where the hell are my shoes?"
Ashley was always the first one out of bed in the morning. She liked to be the first one in the shower if she was showering before breakfast. She was a pro at using up all the hot water.
"Ash, calm down, maybe you just -- OMG! Where is my stuff?" Gabby freaked out as she walked in behind her and saw all the empty cubbies. She ran to her trunk. That was almost empty too, except for the ratty things we had left behind.
I was sitting up. I looked over at the next bunk, where Grace was sitting up also. We didn't say anything, but we knew what to do. We jumped out of bed and acted alarmed. Em and Court were right behind us.
"Has anyone seen my gray sweatpants?" I asked as I reached my cubby.
"My Nikes are missing!" Em said, sounding shocked.
"Who cares about your stupid sneakers!" Ashley screamed. "Practically every piece of clothing I have is missing."
"Do you think it was those marshmallows, Ash?" Gabby whispered. "You know, the girls you made cart the sleepover snacks? The ones you told to leave? They've been jealous of us all summer."
"They wouldn't be this stupid," Ashley said.
"Where is my navy sweater?" Court interrupted. "It's missing!" Her acting was perfect. I would never have known that she was the mastermind behind this whole prank.
"You mean the one I spilled ice cream on last week?" Gabby snapped. "Who cares about your ugly sweater? I'm missing my outfit for the dance!"
"Me too!" Ashley moaned. "I just knew it was a bad idea to tell everyone I was wearing Bebe!"
I glanced at Court out of the corner of my eye. She was smirking and she turned away. I will not laugh, I willed myself. I will not laugh.
Meg came running from her room, still in her pj's. "What's wrong?" she asked just as there was a knock at the cabin door. "Come in!"
It was Hitch and he was carrying a huge black bag that smelled like swamp water. I had a strong hunch I knew what was in there.
"I believe this belongs to this bunk," he said seriously. "At daybreak, when I was taking my morning jog, I saw a canoe floating in the middle of the lake. Donovan swam out and retrieved it and we found all these clothes inside that had this bunk's names on them. Someone obviously played a prank on you guys."
"That's it?" Ashley shrieked. "That's all you have to say? Daddy, I want whoever did this expelled."
Hitch chuckled. "Ashley, that's a little harsh. Thankfully, no harm was done -- this is very different than what happened last time -- but you may want to do some laundry since it rained this morning and everything is wet." Ashley continued to stare at him and Hitch cleared his throat. "I will be issuing a warning during announcements this morning. I do not want campers out of bed after curfew. It's dangerous."
Gabby grabbed the bag from Hitch and opened it, pulling out Ashley's green American Eagle shirt. She jumped back in disgust. "Eww! Everything smells like pond water."
"One of you did this," Ashley whirled around and turned to the rest of us. "I know it. You're jealous
because I didn't want any of you at my sleepover."
"Ashley Suzanne Hitchens!" Hitch said sternly. "We agreed not to talk about the party in front of people who weren't coming, remember?"
"Ash, that makes no sense," said Meg as she began sorting through the smelly clothes. "Some of their stuff is in here too."
"But all of my stuff is in here!" Ashley yelled, hopping up and down in frustration. "I have nothing to wear today but a pair of skuzzy sweatpants or farty pj's that I hate!"
"Borrow some of your bunkmates' clothes," Meg suggested.
Ashley rolled her eyes. "I'm too thin to wear their stuff. It would fall off."
"Pul-eeze," Court couldn't help blurting out. "She wishes."
Meg handed Ashley the bag and smiled sweetly. "Well, if that's the case, then I guess you'll have to do laundry before breakfast. It will be quicker if you all do it together, since you all have stuff in the bag."
Ashley and Gabby dragged the bag past us and we followed. I was trying hard not to look at Grace, Em, or Court, so that I didn't give us away.
Victory was ours.
A few feet from the cabin, Ashley stopped suddenly and faced the four of us. "I'm going to find out who did this," she said in a low voice. "I know it was one of you. And when I figure out who it was, you're going to be supremely sorry."
15 The Hunt
I wanted to throw up.
Either that or I was going to jump off the stage and run screaming from the auditorium at any moment. Brooke, our drama instructor, was definitely wrong about me: I didn't have a bright future in the theater. I was standing on the Pines stage in full costume alongside the other CITs and counselors as Hitch explained the rules to the Guess the Counselor game hunt and all I could think about was the fact that I was less than an hour away from confessing to Cole that I seriously liked him.
"For those of you who are new to the Guess the Counselor game, let me explain how this works," Hitch instructed the entire camp from the front of the stage using his trusty megaphone. I secretly prayed he'd run out of batteries for it before the end of camp. It had started to squeak when he talked and sometimes you had to hold your ears the noise was so bad.