“Are you going to wear that shirt at home?” Kyle teases. “If so, I should write our camp challenge score on the back: Kyle: eight, Harper: two.”
“Ha-ha,” I say, and the crickets singing in the night seem to laugh along with me. “I have five points now, by the way. You said if I survived the campout, I got three points, so that gives me five to your eight. I still don’t think you deserved three points for making it through the campout, though. You weren’t afraid of being attacked by a yeti.”
“Yeah, but you cheated when your boyfriend found you a tree house to sleep in,” Kyle says.
“He’s not my boyfriend,” I say quickly, looking around to make sure neither Ethan nor my bunkmates heard my brother say that. “We’re just friends.”
Kyle shrugs. “You seem pretty tight for friends.”
“So do you and Lina,” I point out as a group of campers race by us to get into the theater. “Be good to her,” I warn him. “I don’t want my friend to get hurt.”
Kyle is taken aback. “Look at you being all protective. The most you say about Kate and Margo is ‘stop calling them users!’ ” he mimics my voice. “Which they are.”
“They’re not,” I say. “Margo sent me that great Kiehl’s gift basket just yesterday.”
“What’s Kate sent you?” Kyle asks. “Photos of things she wants you to buy for her when you get home?”
“Ouch!” I say. He really does have her pegged. The only time I heard from Kate was when she wanted to borrow my clothes. Meanwhile, Margo has written twice, sent the Kiehl’s basket, and says she’s counting down the days till I get home. “Just be nice to Lina, okay?” I tell Kyle. “Or I’ll have her unhook your harness from the zip line the next time you two are racing each other across it.”
Kyle clutches his heart. “Nice to know how much you care about me.” I smirk. “So are you really out in two weeks?” Today is the first day of my third week here.
I falter. “Yeah. I mean, I told McDaddy I’m only staying four weeks, so…” I trail off when I hear laughter coming from the theater. The doors are open, and the volume inside is only getting louder. “Besides, I already have plans at home for the rest of the summer. McDaddy is going to take us to Cancun. I hope. And I haven’t been to the cabana yet so…”
Kyle is giving me the same look he gets when I won’t let him cannonball into our pool (I hate getting wet when I’m reading Us Weekly on a float). “You really think you’ll be happier spending the rest of the summer at home than you would here?”
Since when can he read my thoughts? I hesitate. “Yeah.” I play with the fringe on my shirt, letting the beads knock together.
“You won’t miss canoeing with Ethan on the lake, cooking with Beaver, or eating four bowls of caramel ice cream at the I Scream for Ice Cream event with Lina?” he prods. I don’t say anything. “You just seem to be having a good time lately. The other day I even noticed you were wearing a tee that said Old Navy on it. You’ve downsized,” he jokes. “You sure you want to race home to work for Kate?”
“I don’t work for Kate.” I notice the edge to my voice.
“You’re different here,” Kyle says. “This is why Dad wanted you to come—to see how you could hack it without facials and nail salons. Here, you’re the old Harper, and I like that one better. Stay for the summer,” he insists. “Lina wants you to, too.”
The old Harper? He’s talking to Lina about me? Now I’m mad. “Well, I didn’t ask what you thought, did I?” He looks startled. “You just don’t want to lose our bet or look bad in front of Lina,” I snap.
Kyle’s expression darkens. Our lovey-dovey twin moment is over. “If you really think those things, then maybe you should go home.”
“Kyle!” Cole pops his head out of the theater doors. “Get a move on, dude!”
“Coming!” Kyle leaves me standing there, my thoughts stretching and shrinking like a rubber band. Is there really an old and new Harper? Who’s the real one?
“Hey.” Courtney walks up behind me carrying a box overflowing with what looks like wigs and clothes. “Shouldn’t you be inside already?”
“Yeah.” I can’t even fake the enthusiasm. And I had been so looking forward to this. “Sorry. I was talking to my brother, and he was being a jerk.”
Courtney nods. “He looks like a real pain in the butt.” I laugh. “Ignore him.” The bell rings, meaning we should be in there already. “Hitch is about to announce this week’s All-Camp theme, and it has everything to do with this box I’m carrying.” She half smiles. “I’ll give you a leg up to beat the guys—bunk karaoke.”
“Bunk karaoke?” My voice warbles. I don’t feel like I have an edge at all in this category. “Are you saying we all have to sing? Even if we have a terrible voice?”
Courtney grins. “The worse the voice, the better the performance. Trust me.”
As Courtney and I make our way inside the theater, the room is buzzing with its usual Saturday night giddiness. The theater has a real stage, but the auditorium side doubles as an indoor basketball court and dance room so whenever we’re here for an event, we have to sit on the floor. No one seems to mind. I’ve decided it’s my favorite night of the week at camp because everyone is so casual. Actually, it turns out every night here is casual—even camp dances—and I didn’t even need half the stuff I brought with me on this trip. I’m secretly starting to like that.
Every Saturday is an All-Camp Night, and it’s the one night of the week the entire camp gets together to do the same activity with their counselors and the staff. Last Saturday we broke into teams to play charades. This week it is karaoke. I hear the last week of camp they have a talent show. The best part about the evening—other than just hanging out together—is that the winning team gets to pick a cool prize, like making your counselor clean your bunk.
As I make my way to where my bunk is sitting, I sidestep over guys still wearing dirty T-shirts from an earlier baseball game and peeps who have their faces painted like Spider-Man or princesses. People are wearing sweats and pajamas and zero makeup. Even I’m only wearing lip gloss and mascara. I can’t think of a single place I could go at home where it would be this acceptable to just let it all hang out. My bunkmates are sitting with Thomas’s bunk in a cluster a little ways away, but I head straight for Lina, who is sitting alone.
Lina is sketching a London Blue drawing in her notebook, which is balanced on her knees. “I thought you handed in your favorite drawing for the spirit board already.”
“I did, but…” She frowns. “I’m not sure I like London’s nose in that one. I think the nose ring I gave her is a little large, don’t you think? And the blue streak in her hair should be more near her bangs, not the back of her head.” She sketches a deeper pencil shade along London’s hairline. “I think I can do better.”
I place my hand on top of the paper. “Your first drawing is perfect, and they’re lucky to have it. It’s the best thing about the spirit board. Even Jeanie said so the other day, and she doesn’t compliment anyone.”
Lina grins. “She did, didn’t she? I think we have a real shot at winning.” She bites her lip. “I just wish you were going to be around to find out what happens.”
Why is everyone talking about me leaving today? “We’ll write, and you’ll tell me what happens.”
“I wish you could be here to find out the good news with me.” Lina traces a finger over her drawing. “Kyle and I both want you to change your mind.”
Ever since the overnight camping trip a few days ago, Kyle and Lina have been hanging out 24-7. They’ve gone rock climbing or zip-lining together daily and even canoeing. Courtney told me things move quickly at camp, but I had no idea how quick. My only consolation is that she’ll have him when I leave in less than two weeks. Wait. Did I really just consider having Kyle around a good thing?
“Leen,” I say with a sigh because I don’t know what else to say. I hate leaving her, too, but I have a whole other life to get back to. So why do I feel so torn?
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“Good evening, Whispering Pines!” Hitch’s megaphone-amplified voice drowns out our conversation immediately.
I’ve never been so happy to see him use that thing.
All eyes turn to the front of the room, where Hitch and Pam, along with most of the senior counselors, are lined up like they are about to be part of a flash mob.
“Welcome to All-Camp Night!” Hitch says and is met with the usual cheering.
(We do an awful lot of cheering and clapping in this place. Some nights my hands are actually sore from all the clapping. I need a good manicure and paraffin treatment when I get home for sure.)
“We hope you had a good second week at the Pines and are enjoying the start of week three,” Hitch says. “The peeps had their dance contest and wowed us with their Will.i.Am routine, and the marshmallows got to go on their first overnight camping trip, which was a lot of fun. Most important for all of you, this week is the last week you can work on our submission for the London Blue contest. I think it’s incredible so far. Want to see how it looks?” The crowd applauds.
Sam, Courtney, Cole, Thomas, and a few other counselors carry the giant spirit board onto the stage. I can’t believe how big that thing has gotten since I last saw it. It has to be the size and length of a door. It’s hard to see everything on it from where I’m sitting, but it’s covered with pictures, camp patches, a piece of a camp T-shirt, slogans, camp bracelets, and, in the center of it all, Lina’s beautiful sketch of London Blue, which I have a feeling London is going to flip for. She loves pictures of her hair looking really wild. The board is so packed, I can’t see them fitting anything else on it, but there is still a week left to do so.
I squeeze Lina’s shoulder. “Yay, Lina!” I shout out, and she hits me.
Hitch puts his hand on an edge of the board. “Pam thinks we should deliver this monster to London’s people in New York by hand a few days early so that it doesn’t get damaged in transit. For that reason, we’ll end any work on the board in four days. Until then, keep tacking stuff on there! We’ll have the board on display on the theater porch all night for you to look at your handiwork up close. Go Pines!”
Cheer! Cheer! Clap. Clap. Clap.
The counselors carry the board offstage again. “And now for the real reason we’re here: All-Camp Night! Tonight’s theme: bunk karaoke!” Clap. Cheer. Cheer. “For those of you who have never played, I’ll give you the rules—there are none! You can team up with another bunk or work with your own, but the trick is to be a group when we throw songs at you. You don’t pick the karaoke song, we do! And no lyrics. That’s the fun part, folks.”
Clap. Cheer. Groan. (That last part is me.)
“Feel free to use this basket of props we have up on stage and have fun!” Hitch says. “Your counselors and I will be judging you. Top score gets a prize that has never been offered before.” A hush falls over the room. “A day of pampering that starts with breakfast in bed, free periods all day, and dinner cooked for you by Pam and me at our house. You’ll finish the day with a private pool party at our place in early August.”
Mega claps! Mega cheers! Utter pandemonium.
“Wow, that sounds fun,” I admit to Lina.
“Stick around and you can be here if we win,” Lina baits me. “I’ve heard he has a great house. Sam is always raving about it.”
“Pam and I are going to start you off,” Hitch adds. “Make it a bit less scary.”
Pam looks like this is news to her. I see her try to get off the stage, but Hitch pulls her toward him. Seconds later, Hitch and Pam are handed mics and the sounds of Kenny Rogers fill the air. Hitch’s singing is terrible, but he seems to be enjoying himself. He knows every word. Pam not so much. But at the end, everyone goes crazy for them.
Courtney was right. It doesn’t matter how horribly you sing. This crowd is going to love you, anyway. It gives me hope that I can get up there.
“Do you guys want to work with us, or are you doing your own thing?” asks Addison gruffly. A few feet away, Jeanie and Camilla are whispering heatedly while Vickie, Trisha, and Melody stand nearby looking miserable.
“You want to work with us?” I ask incredulously.
Addison is uncomfortable. She pulls at the camp tee I just bedazzled yesterday. “Jeanie would rather it just be the three of us, but I think karaoke is better with a crowd, so I told her I was asking the rest of the bunk, too.” Her mouth twists awkwardly. “I’m hoping more voices will drown me out. I’m practically a baritone. What do you say?”
I look at Lina, who shrugs. The thought of doing a Hitch-and-Pam-style duet is less than appealing. “Okay, we’re in,” I say and follow Addison over to the others.
Jeanie frowns when she sees me. “So you’re actually joining us? You better be able to carry a tune.”
She acts so much like Kate sometimes that it is scary. I’m not having it tonight. “Same goes for you, you know. I really don’t want to lose out on that pool party.”
The girls look at each other and then at Jeanie. “I thought you were going to be home by then,” Jeanie stammers, playing with one of her curls.
I shrug. “I’m supposed to be, but cost Lina that pool party and I might have to stick around for a karaoke rematch.”
Jeanie grimaces. “Fine. Let’s get to it. Our strategy is always the same,” she reminds the others. “No props. No gimmicks. Zany may draw a crowd, but it won’t give us the points we need to win. We keep it simple and just sing.”
“That’s boring!” I protest, and the others look at me. “I don’t care if you’ve won that way in the past. With a prize this good at stake, it’s time to kick things up a notch. We should use wigs or boas, or anything wacky that is in that prop box.”
“I’ll stop you there. Some of us may have wanted a bigger team for karaoke,” Jeanie says, looking at Addison, “but we don’t need one.” She looks smug. “Camilla is recording a demo this fall.”
“A real demo,” Camilla brags.
I bite my tongue to keep from going all music industry pro on her and saying, “Do you know how many non-talented people record demos?”
“And I’m on All-County Choir at home,” adds Jeanie like I should be impressed. “I got to the semifinals in New York once, and Bruno Mars was a judge, so I think I know how to do a sing-off.” Her eyes narrow. “Let me handle this.”
Who cares if she’s met Bruno Mars? When it comes to a production, McDaddy has taught me how to get things done. Problem is, they don’t know that.
“You girls want to team up?” Justin appears out of nowhere and pushes into the center of our circle, followed closely by Heath and a few other guys from Cole’s bunk. “A boy-girl group could take home the big prize. Think of how much fun that pool party would be.” His eyebrows go up and down. “Bikini time.”
“Eww!” Melody pushes him. “No, thanks. Right, Jeanie?”
She sighs. “How many people am I supposed to share the stage with?”
“Don’t be like that,” Ethan tells her as he approaches. “You have a great voice, but even Beyoncé has backup singers.”
“True,” Jeanie says as she winds a curl around her finger. “But I’m already stuck with seven of them now. Why do I need more?”
“Because we’re switching things up for a change,” I try again. “You can play the diva role all you want, but if we want to win, I still say we need to do something different from everyone else.”
“I agree,” Lina seconds.
“I like the way Harper’s thinking, too,” Ethan agrees, and Jeanie looks horrified. Dirk and some of the others nod. Kyle still won’t look at me. “I think a guy/girl truce should be in order—for tonight only, of course. You guys need us.”
“And why is that?” Camilla asks. “I’ve heard you guys sing. You stink.”
“Ouch!” Justin pretends to be hurt. “That’s not true. I’m told I sound like Usher in the shower.”
“You don’t,” Kyle says and pretends to sock him in the stomach. “Dirk is a
good performer though. Our ace in the hole. You do not want this guy on a rival team.”
“I might trip you on your way up to the stage, too,” Justin confesses.
Ethan winks at me. “And I’ve been known to cause a scene during performances I’m not in.” I give him a look. “What do you guys say? Can we team up for a one-night-only performance?” Jeanie hesitates, and Ethan dances goofily in place. Heath and Justin play air guitar for backup. “Our bunk has got the moves and the talent. We are a boy band waiting to happen.”
I giggle. “If they’re this funny standing here, imagine what they’d do with a Kanye song playing,” I say to the others. “I say we let them in.”
“I’ll give them a shot,” says Vickie.
“They could make the audience laugh,” says Trisha, and Addison nods.
Jeanie sighs. “Fine! What’s a few more at this point? You’re on,” she tells Ethan. “Just don’t hog the whole stage!” The two shake on it.
We watch two acts go before it is our turn. The first group we watch—a girl bunk of peeps—perform with their counselor, which is pretty cute, especially considering they get a Katy Perry song to do. All the girls know the words, but none of them move unless their counselor runs over and moves them herself. The second group is a bunch of pez guys who get a rap song. It’s comical that they botch every word. They can move though, and I wonder if they’ve been secretly practicing in their cabin.
“They stole our routine,” Justin says in horror.
He’s joking. I think.
The whole theater is in hysterics by the time that act is done. Entertaining, but they still only scored a five out of ten.
“Wow, some harsh critics up there,” I say to Ethan, Lina, and Justin, who I’m standing with. Jeanie, Kyle, and the others are talking strategy, but how much strategy can you have when you don’t know the music? What we have agreed on is that the girls will grab boas and boys will take wigs. Everyone must have some sort of costume. Jeanie is not thrilled, but she still gets the mic so that makes her happy.