Maybe some things are better left unsaid. “I’m fine,” I say. “I miss you.”
“I miss you, too!” Margo wails. “Get home already so we can enjoy the rest of the summer. I have your beach chair waiting for you, and we can go shopping and veg out. You’ll de-stress in no time. Just two more weeks, right?”
“Something like that,” I say, trying not to feel guilty for being so unsure.
I hear the screen door open. “I’ve got to go!” I whisper, and shove the phone under my pillow. When I realize who is there, I do a double take. “Shouldn’t you be on a bus to Boston right now?”
Lina walks toward me. She’s wearing her Whispering Pines tee and navy shorts—the official “I’m leaving camp” outfit for trips of any kind. “I decided not to go. Courtney told me what you were up to, and she thought you might need some help.”
I climb down from my bunk bed. “You’re the last person who should have to help me with this. I’m the reason we’re in this mess in the first place.” I head to my trunk to see what props I might have in there. Maybe if I can disguise myself, no one will recognize me as the narrator of this video.
No, that won’t work. Mom made me leave my Halloween costume wigs at home (I had thought they’d come in handy for camp theme nights).
“Maybe you did screw up, but you made a mistake. I shouldn’t have bailed on you because of that.” Lina leans on one of the bunk beds. “Having you as my friend is way more important than meeting London Blue.”
I blink rapidly to keep from getting misty-eyed. “You think so?”
“Absolutely.” The two of us hug. “I should have gone to the lake with you instead of making you go alone.” Lina sniffles.
“I shouldn’t have tried to go down to the lake,” I cry.
She looks at me. “Yes, you should have! You were sticking up for us. Maybe you did sound a little vindictive, but you’re right—everyone should have her say.” Lina’s big eyes seem fiery. “Jeanie can’t keep getting away with being so evil. I’ve watched her do this stuff and just shrugged it off because I threw myself into other things, but it shouldn’t have to be that way. The Pines is as much ours as it is theirs. Let me help you.”
“But you were so looking forward to Boston.”
Lina shrugs. “Once you’ve seen the Old North Church and ridden the duck boats, what more is there? I’d rather win over London.” She smiles shyly. “I already know what your title screen should look like.” She pulls something out of her back pocket. It’s another London Blue drawing. This one has been done in color. It’s even more eye-popping than the last one.
“When did you do this?” I carefully take it from her.
Lina plays with one of her pink braids. “After our meeting with Hitch, when we decided we were stupid for being mad at you.”
“We?” I question.
The screen door opens again, and Ethan waves a white T-shirt as if he’s surrendering. It makes me smile despite myself. He’s dressed in the same outfit as Lina, which should look cheesy on a boy, but Ethan somehow manages to make all clothes look good. “Permission to enter?” he asks.
I’m not softening toward him. Will not soften! Cute or not. “No.”
Lina and Ethan look at each other. “Okay, but will you hear me out before I’m banished?” he asks, his cheeks reddening.
I turn away. How could Lina take his side? He left her hanging, too. “I don’t have anything to say to you.”
“Well, I have something to say to you,” Ethan says with a half smile. “I even have a guard outside who will forbid you from leaving if you try to bolt before I get my time.” I try not to smile. I’m sort of impressed he isn’t backing down.
The door creaks open again, and Kyle ducks inside. “Hey, sis.”
“Did anyone get on that bus?” I say incredulously.
“After I groveled to Lina for forgiveness for being a moron last night, Lina told me what was going on,” Kyle says. “There was no way I was letting you hang out to dry. So a video, huh? Very McDaddy of you.”
“I didn’t get his help, if that’s what you’re asking,” I tell him moodily. My guard is still up.
“I know.” Kyle looks at me. “You don’t need any of our help, but we’d still like to pitch in. I feel bad about giving you a hard time about everything.”
“I’m listening.” Kyle is not getting off easy, either.
“I should have come looking for you and Lina last night instead of enjoying myself and letting you roast.” Kyle flashes the smirk that makes girls swoon. “No pun intended.”
“I yelled at him, too,” Lina tells me. “For both of us.”
I can’t believe Lina has gone from being afraid to talk to a cute boy to telling him off. I’m so proud! I look at Kyle skeptically. “Well, if you yelled at him, I guess I don’t have to.”
“I’m ready to work.” Kyle salutes me. “Even if it means you’ll win our bet by pulling this off.”
“You’ve got that right.” The two of us hug. Then I remember Ethan is still standing there waiting for his turn to grovel. “I’m not going to go as easy on you as I did on him,” I say to Ethan. “He’s family.”
“I know.” The floorboards in the cabin creak as Ethan inches toward me. Kyle and Lina move out of the line of fire. “I’m sorry Jeanie lied to you. I’m even sorrier that I believed her. We’ve been friends for a long time, so I generally believe whatever she says. But I should have realized by how upset you were that Jeanie wasn’t telling me the truth. She and I are going to have a long talk when she gets back.” He runs a hand through his thick hair. “I guess I kind of knew something was off because I was on my way to your bunk when I ran into you.” His eyes are glued to mine. “Hanging out at the lake was no fun without you there.”
“Really?” I can’t help but be a little happy about that.
“Really.” Ethan moves closer. “I didn’t think the Pines could get any better. Then you showed up.” I feel myself inhale sharply. “You may have hated camp at first”—he raises an eyebrow—“but then you surprised us all by dominating this place.” He takes my hand. “You’re fearless, Harper, and I love that. Here I was telling you to break out of your comfort zone when it was really me who needed to do that.” He looks at me searchingly. “There’s so much more to you than I realized when we went to school together.”
My face feels flushed, and I know it’s partly because my whole body is tingling at Ethan’s words. The other part of me is horrified that he is saying these things in front of other people. But I don’t want him to stop, either. “You only got one thing wrong in that speech,” I say, and he looks at me oddly. “There is one camp activity I will never enjoy—sleeping outdoors. I don’t want to come face-to-face with a yeti.”
Ethan shakes his head. “No, you do not.” The two of us stare at each other and grin. The only sound in the room is the ceiling fan whirring above our heads.
“Well, as much as I want you two lovebirds to work this out, I think we have a video to create,” Kyle says.
The video! That has to come before my boy problems. “Right! I’ve been thinking about this video a lot.” I grab the notes from my bunk. “The only way we’re going to win this thing is if we’re as flashy as possible. London needs to see the glamour of Whispering Pines and how much we love her.”
“Works for me,” Kyle agrees.
“The first thing we need is a narrator to act as a tour guide for London on the video,” I explain. “The guide needs to be bubbly, welcoming, and funny.” I look at Kyle. “And it can’t be you. We don’t want London to realize the connection between our family and this contest till after we’ve won.” Kyle nods.
“Connection?” Lina asks. Ethan doesn’t say anything. I realize now that’s just another reason to like him—he hasn’t brought it up to me once this summer.
Kyle nods encouragingly. “Our dad shoots music videos for a living, and he’s done a bunch of London’s,” I say, and Lina’s jaw drops. “I didn’t tell anyone
because I didn’t want that to be the reason you hung out with me.” I look at the cobwebs on the ceiling. I have to remember to dust those.
“Harper, that’s incredibly cool, but it wouldn’t have made me like you any more or less,” Lina says. “I like you because you’re you.”
I feel an overwhelming urge to hug her, so I do. Kyle follows my lead and squeezes us both, and then Ethan creates a sandwich with the four of us. We’re all cracking up.
Finally I break up the moment. “That’s enough! We have a video to shoot.”
“I’ll narrate,” Ethan volunteers. “I’m cute.” True. “Some people say I’m funny.” He is. “I know this camp inside and out.” Also true. “And I can lay it on thick and leave London drooling over the Pines. I’m a natural.”
“Sold!” I look at the three of them excitedly. We have a narrator! This is going to work! “What are we waiting for?” I reach up to my bed and grab Courtney’s phone. I have my video notes in my other hand. The gang watches as I walk to the cabin door and hold it open for them. “Let’s get out there and make London beg to see more.”
McDaddy would pull his hair out if he knew I was trying to shoot a video in eight hours. He’d cry if he knew we tried to finish it in six. We got enough footage for an hour-long video, but ours has to be five minutes max. When Kyle, Ethan, Lina, and I start to sort through the footage we’ve shot, I know our video has to include a few key scenes:
1. Making dessert for London.
“I’m nervous!” Beaver says when I point the iPhone at him to start shooting. He’s the only other person at the Pines I told the truth to about the video. I knew he’d keep a secret, and he’d want to make his part extra special for London. After a quick shower, a fresh apron, and hair styling (by me!), Beaver has all the supplies he needs to make London’s favorite dessert: bananas Foster. I didn’t even have to tell Beaver what it was. He knew!
“Don’t be nervous,” I say calmly. “Just pretend we’re in Baking with Beaver and you’re teaching me how to make bananas Foster instead.”
Kyle chuckles as he holds up an extra light to make the kitchen brighter. “Baking with Beaver.” Lina and Ethan make warning motions to him, but it’s too late.
“Have a problem with a guy baking?” says Beaver. “Haven’t you heard of Bobby Flay or Guy Fieri? They’d flatten you if you laughed at them.” Kyle gulps.
I steal Lina’s line. “He’s a teddy bear when you get to know him.” I look at Beaver. “Pretend I’m London.” I do a giant toss of my hair and sing a few notes from our favorite song. “You can even sing if you want to.”
Beaver’s eyes light up. “Not a bad idea.” He fires up the stove. “Start taping before I change my mind.”
I turn on the iPhone video and press record. “Rolling!”
“Hi there, London!” he says. “This is Beaver, the head cook at the Pines. When you come here, you can forget the craft services truck. Who needs one? I’ll make your every culinary desire on command. My specialty is bananas Foster,” he adds. “I’m going to make it for you now to get your mouth watering…”
2. The Peeps London Sing-Along
How do you get thirty six-year-olds to sing a London song when they don’t know they’re making a video for London? You let them think it is karaoke.
After All-Camp Night, I’ve grown fond of karaoke. It makes even the unlikeliest of people come together for a song.
“Why are we singing?” asks a cute six-year-old with pigtails. “Is it Saturday already?”
Ethan crouches down. “We always sing at the Pines. Don’t you like to sing?”
She looks at her friend, a redhead with short hair. “Yeah. I still don’t want to sing for you, though,” she says, and Lina and I try not to laugh.
“Will you sing for me?” Kyle does a hip-hop move called a donkey kick in front of them, and a few kids laugh. “If you sing, I’ll dance as goofy as you want.”
The kids say no. I can’t blame them. Kyle’s moves are not great.
“We have fifteen minutes till next period,” their counselor warns us.
I look desperately at Ethan. “If you sing, we’ll give you a reward, just like they do on All-Camp Night,” he pipes up.
This gets them fired up. “Like what?” a boy calls out from the back.
“Free ice cream for everyone at the canteen this afternoon,” Ethan says.
They all cheer.
Ice cream is a dollar a bar. And people say I like to buy friends with presents. I shake my head at Ethan, but the funny thing is, his bribe works.
Lina starts off the song, and the redhead is the first to join in. Then they all do. By the time they reach the chorus, they’re so loud I wish I could drop the iPhone and plug my ears. They’re dancing around at this point, too. If London doesn’t like it, I don’t think she’ll like anything she sees on our video. Pint-sized singers are video gold.
3. Canoeing at Sunset with the Perfect Date
“We have to hurry with this last shot or we’ll lose the light!” I say as Kyle rows me out to the center of the lake. Ethan rows his own canoe alongside us with Lina tucked inside. It was his idea to show London how romantic the lake could be at this time of day. Since I don’t think I should be on camera, I tapped Lina to play Ethan’s date for the ride.
Kyle tries to stop in the center of the lake, a few feet from Ethan’s canoe. The amber glow from the setting sun makes the water look like glass. The lake is quiet (everyone else is at the mess hall for dinner), and the crickets offer a perfect soundtrack. Ethan adjusts the new shirt he put on: a turquoise polo that looks really good on him (he got a little muddy after climbing the rock wall and doing the zip line as part of London’s tour).
“Are you ready?” he asks me as I continue to zone out.
“Oh! Yep!” I hold up the iPhone to start shooting. “Whenever you are.”
“Hey, London,” Ethan says in a smooth voice. I can see the reflection of Ethan and Lina in the water. “We hope you enjoyed your day at Whispering Pines with us. We’ve saved the best moment of the day for last.” He motions to the darkening sky. “The sunset. If you shoot your video here, you’ll definitely want to spend time on our lake and maybe even shoot at this exact time of day.” He looks at me when he is supposed to be looking at Lina. “With the right person, this lake can be pure magic.” I feel goose bumps. He starts to row away. “Until then, have a great summer and enjoy the sunsets.”
“Cut!” I cry, and he stops rowing. “That was perfect!”
Kyle frowns. “I don’t know. Enjoy the sunsets? Sounds a little cheesy to me.”
“That’s just because you’ve never had anyone to share a sunset with,” I say.
“You do now,” Lina says quietly, and we all look at her in surprise. Her face is flushed. “If you want to, I mean, you could watch it with me. We could swap canoes.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Ethan says. He rows closer until our canoes knock together. Kyle carefully helps Lina while Ethan helps me and we cross the canoes at the same time for balance. After a rocky few seconds, we are settled where we should be.
“See you back at the shore,” Kyle says as he rows away with Lina. She looks nervous but isn’t freaking out.
For a moment I feel strange, too. I look at Ethan. “I—”
“Shh…” Ethan puts a finger to my lips, and I go numb. “You’ve done all you can for this video today. Now it’s time to enjoy the moment.” He takes my hand, and we watch the sun beginning to slip below the trees. I’m not sure I could have come up with a better moment if I tried.
Harper McAllister @HarperMc
Sunsets are even better than sunrises… when you have someone to share them with. #whoknew?
18
LONDON CALLING
Harper McAllister @HarperMc
Time moves much slower without TV and Internet. That wouldn’t be such a bad thing—if I wasn’t waiting on huge news!
Harper McAllister @HarperMc
Sat for
a drawing by a friend then got misty when I found out it was a going-away present. Had ice cream at the canteen to cheer up. #sad
Margo Is Divine @MargoDivine
@HarperMc What is the canteen? This camp sounds fun. I’m so over the cabana. It’s the same people vying for best lounge, bikini, & bod.
Harper McAllister @HarperMc
Confession: The one thing I didn’t see coming at camp this summer: me being sad it was over. #revelation
Margo Is Divine @MargoDivine
@HarperMc Don’t be sad! Are you coming home tomorrow? Miss you! Dying here…
FROM:
[email protected] TO:
[email protected] SUBJECT: For Harper McAllister
Hi, sweetie! Thought you’d want to know that I am shooting London’s next video, the one being shot at a summer camp. Did the Pines ever enter the contest? I know Hitch’s wife said you guys were thinking about it, but you haven’t said anything to me. If the Pines did and they win, you can come with me and watch me film—that is, if you can tolerate being back there so soon.
Hope you’re trying to have fun. Mom says you haven’t e-mailed her all week and you usually e-mail her daily. She called the main office to make sure you weren’t sick, and they said you were fine. All okay?
We’ll see you this Saturday around 11:00 a.m. We promised Kyle we’d stay through lunch. Hope you can handle the mess hall one more time. I got sick of hamburgers and sloppy joes when I was there myself.
Love, McDaddy
“You forgot this.” Lina hands me the crimper I hid from Courtney (who banned all my hair tools after the fire). Who knew oversized makeup cases were such a great place to hide things?
No, I didn’t.” I gently push her hand away. “I left it there for you. It’s a gift.”
“Seriously?” Lina holds the crimper tight, and I see her smile for the first time all morning—and it’s been a long morning. We walked down to the lake together so I could see the sunrise (the view there is my favorite spot at the Pines). “Are you sure you don’t need it for Cancun or one of those beach party nights at your cabana?”