Lots of times I let Elliot win a game. Because he cared about it so much more than I did. And so did Dierdre.
As we neared the wall at the deep end, I let Dierdre pull ahead.
I saw how much it meant to her. I saw how desperate she was to finish first.
What the heck, I thought. There’s nothing wrong with coming in second.
I heard the cheers ring out as Dierdre won the race.
I touched the wall, then dipped below the surface. I pulled myself up and grabbed the pool’s edge.
My entire body ached and throbbed. I gasped in breath after breath. I shut my eyes and pulled my hair back with both hands, squeezing the water out of it.
My arms were so tired, I could barely pull myself out of the pool. I was one of the last swimmers out.
The others had all formed a circle around Dierdre. I pushed my way into the crowd of girls to see what was happening.
My eyes burned. I brushed water out of them. I saw the red-haired counselor hand something to Dierdre. Something gold and shiny.
Everyone cheered. Then the circle broke, and the girls all headed in different directions.
I made my way up to Dierdre. “Way to go!” I exclaimed. “I came close. But you’re really fast.”
“I’m on the swim team at school,” she replied. She held up the gold object the counselor had given her.
I could see it clearly now. A shiny gold coin. It had a smiling King Jellyjam engraved on it. I couldn’t read the words around the edge of the coin. But I could guess what they were.
“It’s my fifth King Coin!” Dierdre declared proudly.
Why is she so excited about it? I wondered. It wasn’t a real coin. It probably wasn’t even real gold!
“What’s a King Coin?” I asked. The coin gleamed in the sunlight.
“If I win one more King Coin, I can walk in the Winners Walk,” Dierdre explained.
I started to ask what the Winners Walk was. But Jan and Ivy came running up to congratulate Dierdre. And the three of them all started talking at once.
I suddenly remembered my brother. Where is Elliot? I wondered. What has he been doing?
I turned away from Dierdre and the other girls and started toward the pool exit. But I had only taken a few steps when I heard someone calling my name.
I spun around to see Holly jogging toward me. Her purple-lipsticked lips were knotted in a fretful expression. “Wendy, you’d better come with me,” the counselor told me.
My heart skipped. “Huh? What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I’m afraid there’s a problem,” Holly said softly.
9
Something happened to Mom and Dad!
That’s the first thought that burst into my head.
“What’s wrong?” I cried. “My parents! Are they okay? Are they —”
“We haven’t found your parents yet,” Holly said. She wrapped a towel around my trembling shoulders. Then she led me to a bench at the side of the pool.
“Is it Elliot?” I cried, dropping down beside her. “What is wrong?”
Holly kept one arm around my shoulders. She leaned close. Her brown eyes stared into mine.
“Wendy, the problem is that you didn’t really try very hard to win the race,” she said.
I took a deep breath. “Excuse me?”
“I watched you,” Holly continued. “I saw you slow your strokes in the last lap. I don’t think you tried your best to win.”
“But — but — I —” I sputtered.
Holly continued to stare at me without blinking. “Am I right?” she demanded softly.
“I — I’m not used to swimming that far,” I stammered. “It was my first race. I didn’t think —”
“I know you’re new at camp,” Holly said, brushing a fly off my leg. “But you know the camp slogan, right?”
“For sure,” I replied. “It’s everywhere I look! But what does it mean? ‘Only the Best!’”
“I guess it’s kind of a warning,” Holly replied thoughtfully. “That’s why I decided to talk to you now, Wendy.”
“A warning?” I cried. I felt more confused than ever. “A warning about what?”
Holly didn’t reply. She forced a smile to her face and stood up. “Catch you later, okay?”
She turned and hurried away.
I wrapped the towel tighter around my shoulders and started back to the dorm to change. As I walked past the tennis courts, I thought hard about Holly’s warning.
Why was it so important for me to win the race?
So that I could be awarded one of those gold coins with the blobby purple king on it?
Why should I care about winning coins? Why couldn’t I just play some games, make new friends, and have fun?
Why did Holly say she was giving me a warning? A warning about what?
I shook my head, trying to shake away all these puzzling questions. I’d heard about sports camps from some of my friends back home. Some camps, they said, were really tough. The kids were all serious jock types who wanted to win, win, win.
I guessed this was one of those camps.
Oh, well, I thought, sighing. I don’t have to love this camp. Mom and Dad will be here soon to take Elliot and me away.
I glanced up — and saw Elliot.
Sprawled facedown on the ground. His arms and legs spread out awkwardly. His eyes closed. Unconscious.
10
“Ooooh!” I let out a frightened wail.
“Elliot! Elliot!” I dropped down beside him.
He sat up and grinned at me. “How many times are you going to fall for that?” he asked. He started to laugh.
I slugged him in the shoulder as hard as I could. “You creep!”
That made him laugh even harder. It really cracks him up when he makes me look like a jerk.
Why do I always fall for that stupid joke? Elliot pulls it on me all the time. And I always believe he’s been knocked out cold.
“I’m never falling for that again. Never!” I cried.
Elliot pulled himself to his feet. “Come watch me play Ping-Pong,” he said, tugging my hand. “I’m in the tournament. I’m beating this kid Jeff. He thinks he’s good because he puts a spin on his serve. But he’s pitiful.”
“I can’t,” I replied. I pulled out of his grasp. “I’m dripping wet. I have to change.”
“Come watch,” he insisted. “It won’t take long. I’ll beat him really fast, okay?”
“Elliot —” He certainly was excited.
“If I beat Jeff, I win a King Coin,” he announced. “Then I’m going to win five more. I want to win six so I can walk in the Winners Walk before Mom and Dad come for us.”
“Good luck,” I mumbled, rubbing my wet hair with the towel.
“Were you in a swim race? Did you win?” Elliot asked, tugging my hand again.
“No. I came in second,” I told him.
He snickered. “You’re a loser. Come watch me beat this kid.”
I rolled my eyes. “Okay, okay.”
Elliot pulled me to a row of outdoor Ping-Pong tables. They were shielded from the sun by a broad white canvas awning.
He hurried up to the table at the end. Jeff was waiting for him there, softly bouncing a Ping-Pong ball in the air with his paddle.
I had pictured a little shrimpy guy that Elliot could beat easily. But Jeff was a big, red-faced, blond kid with bulging muscles. He had to be twice the size of my brother!
I took a seat on a white wooden bench across from the tables. Elliot can’t beat this guy, I thought. My poor brother is in for a major defeat.
As they started to play, Buddy came walking over and sat down beside me. He flashed me a smile. “No word from your parents yet,” he said.
“But we’ll find them.”
We watched the Ping-Pong match. Jeff did his serve with the special spin. Elliot slammed it back at him.
To my surprise, the match was really even. I think Jeff was surprised, too. His returns became more and more wild. And a lot of his sp
ecial serves missed the table entirely!
They had already played two games, Buddy told me. Jeff had won the first, Elliot the second. This was the third and deciding match.
The game was a tie at sixteen, then a tie at seventeen and eighteen.
I watched Elliot become more and more intense. He wanted desperately to win. He leaned stiffly over the table, gripping the paddle so tightly, his hand was white.
Sweat poured off his forehead. He began ducking and dodging, groaning with each hit, trying to slam every ball.
The more frantic and wild Elliot became, the calmer Jeff appeared.
The game was a tie at nineteen.
Elliot missed a shot and angrily slammed his paddle against the table.
I could see that he was losing it. I’d seen this happen to my brother many times before. He could never win if he stayed this intense.
As he held the ball and prepared to serve, I raised two fingers to the sides of my mouth and blew hard. He lowered the paddle when he heard my loud whistle.
That was my signal. I’d used it many times before. It meant, “Cool it, Elliot. Calm down.”
Elliot turned and gave me a quick thumbs-up.
I saw him take a deep breath. Then another.
My whistle signal always helped him.
He raised the ball and served it to Jeff. Jeff sent back a weak return. Elliot smacked it back into the right corner. Jeff swung off balance and missed.
Jeff served the next one. Elliot backhanded it. Very soft. The ball tipped over the net and dribbled several times on Jeff’s side.
Elliot had won!
He let out a gleeful cheer and raised his fists in victory.
Jeff angrily heaved his paddle to the ground and stomped away.
“Your brother is good,” Buddy said, climbing to his feet. “I like his style. He’s intense.”
“For sure,” I muttered.
Buddy hurried over to award Elliot his King Coin. “Hey, guy — you only need five more,” Buddy said, slapping Elliot a high five, then a low five.
“No problem,” Elliot bragged. He held the coin up so I could see it. King Jellyjam smiled out at me, engraved on the coin.
Why did the camp pick this silly little blob for a mascot? I wondered again. He looked like a fat hunk of pudding wearing a crown.
“I’ve got to get changed,” I told Elliot.
He slid the gold coin into the pocket of his shorts. “I’m going to find another sport!” he declared. “I want to win another King Coin before tonight!”
I waved good-bye, then started toward the dorm.
I had walked only a few steps when I heard a low rumbling.
Then the ground started to shake.
I froze. Every muscle in my body locked as the rumbling grew louder.
“Earthquake!” I cried.
11
The ground shook hard. The awning over the Ping-Pong tables shook. The tables bounced on the ground.
My knees buckled. I struggled to stay on my feet.
“Earthquake!” I choked out again.
“It’s okay!” Buddy called, running toward me.
He was right. The rumbling sound faded quickly. The ground stopped shaking.
“That happens sometimes,” Buddy explained. “It’s no problem.”
My heart still thudded in my chest. My legs wobbled as if they were rubber bands. “No problem?”
“See?” Buddy motioned around the crowded camp. “No one pays any attention. It lasts only a few seconds.”
I gazed around quickly. Buddy was right again. The kids in the chess tournament in front of the lodge didn’t glance up from their chessboards. The kick ball game on the field across from the pool continued without a pause.
“It usually happens once or twice a day,” Buddy told me.
“But what causes it?” I demanded.
He shrugged. “Beats me.”
“But — everything shook so hard! Isn’t it dangerous?” I asked.
Buddy didn’t hear me. He was already jogging over to watch the kick ball game.
I turned and started walking to the dorm. I felt kind of shaky. I could still hear that strange rumbling sound in my ears.
As I pulled open the door to the dorm, I bumped into Jan and Ivy. They both had changed into white tennis outfits, and they both carried tennis rackets over their shoulders.
“What sports have you been playing?”
“Did you win a King Coin?”
“Wasn’t that a great swim race?”
“Are you having fun, Wendy?”
“Do you play tennis?”
They both talked at once and shot out about half a dozen questions. They seemed really excited. They didn’t give me a chance to answer.
“We need more girls for the tennis tournament,” Ivy said. “We’re having a two-day tournament. Come to the courts after lunch, okay?”
“Okay,” I agreed. “I’m not that good, but —”
“See you later!” Jan cried. They both hurried away.
Actually, I am a pretty good tennis player. I have a decent serve. And I do all right with my two-handed backhand.
But I’m not great.
Back home, my friend Allison and I always play for fun. We don’t try to kill each other. Sometimes we just keep volleying back and forth. We don’t even keep score.
I’ll enter the tennis tournament, I decided. And if I lose in the first round, it’s no big deal.
Besides, I told myself, Mom and Dad will be here any minute. And Elliot and I will have to leave.
Mom and Dad … and their faces flashed into my mind.
They must be frantic, I realized. They must be worried sick. I hope they’re okay. I suddenly had an idea.
I’ll call home, I decided. I should have thought of this before. I’ll call home and leave a message on our answering machine. I’ll tell Mom and Dad on the machine where Elliot and I are.
No matter where he goes, Dad checks for phone messages every hour. Mom always makes fun of him for being so nervous about missing a call.
What a good idea! I congratulated myself. They’ll both be glad to get this message!
Now all I needed was a phone.
There have to be phones in the dorm, I decided. I searched the small front lobby. But I didn’t see any pay phones.
No one at the front desk. No one I could ask.
I peered down a long hallway. Rooms on both sides. No phones.
I tried the other hallway. No pay phones there, either.
Eager to make my call, I turned and hurried back outside. I let out a long sigh of relief when I spotted a row of pay phones beside the long white dorm building.
My heart pounding, I jogged over to them.
I picked up the phone closest to me. And I started to raise the receiver to my ear —
— when two strong hands grabbed me from behind.
“Get off the phone!” a voice demanded.
12
“Huh?” I shrieked in surprise and dropped the phone. It spun crazily on its cord.
I turned around. “Dierdre! You scared me to death!” I cried.
Her green eyes flashed excitedly. “Sorry, Wendy. I just had to tell you my news! Look!”
She held out her hand. I saw a stack of gold King Coins.
“I just won my sixth coin!” Dierdre declared breathlessly. “Isn’t that awesome?”
“I — I guess,” I replied uncertainly. I still couldn’t figure out why it was such a big deal.
“I’ll be in the Winners Walk tonight!” Dierdre exclaimed. “I can’t believe I made it!”
“That’s great,” I told her. “Congratulations.”
“Have you won any King Coins yet?” Dierdre asked, still holding out her hand.
“Uh … not yet,” I replied.
“Well, get going!” Dierdre urged. “Show them what you’ve got, Wendy. Only the Best!” She flashed me a thumbs-up with her free hand.
“Right. Only the Best,” I repeated
.
“We’ll have a party,” Dierdre continued. “In our room. Right after the Winners Walk. Okay? We’ll celebrate.”
“Great!” I replied. “Maybe we can get a pizza from the mess hall or something.”
“Tell Jan and Ivy,” Dierdre instructed. “Or I’ll tell them. Whoever sees them first! See you later!”
She ran off, holding the six gold coins tightly in her fist.
I realized I was smiling. Dierdre had been so excited, she’d gotten me excited. So excited, I forgot about my phone call.
I have to give this camp a chance, I decided. I have to get into the spirit of things and start having some fun. Only the Best! I’m going to win that tennis tournament!
We all ate dinner at long wooden tables in the huge mess hall inside the main camp lodge. The long, high-ceilinged room seemed to stretch on forever.
Loud voices and laughter echoed off the walls, over the clatter of plates and silverware. Everyone had a story to tell. Everyone wanted to talk about the games of the day.
After dinner, the counselors led us all to the running track. I searched for Elliot. But I couldn’t find him in the crowd.
It was a warm, clear night. A pale sliver of a moon floated low over the darkening trees. As the sun set, the sky faded from pink to purple to gray.
When darkness fell, I saw at the far end of the track two flickering yellow lights moving toward me. As they came near, I could see that they were torches, carried by two counselors.
A blaring trumpet fanfare made us all grow quiet.
I stepped closer to Jan, who stood at my side. “They sure make a big deal of this,” I whispered.
“It is a big deal,” Jan replied, her eyes straight ahead as the torches approached.
“Do we have any food for the party later?” I whispered. Jan raised a finger to her lips. “Ssshhhh.” Several more torches had been lighted. The yellow balls of light glowed like tiny suns.
I heard a drumroll. Then a loud march blared from the loudspeaker, all trumpets and pounding drums.
We stood in silence as the parade of torches passed by. And then, in the flickering yellow light, I saw faces. The smiling faces of the kids who had won their sixth King Coin that day.
I counted eight kids. Five boys and three girls.