Alex's Challenge Read online

  For the entire rest of the day, Brynn acted like Alex didn’t exist. They usually hung out in between their activities and they almost always walked to dinner together.

  But Brynn was nowhere to be found at their usual meet-up times. Alex thought that was really strange. If Brynn was mad, she didn’t usually have any trouble telling Alex all about it. In fact, Alex dreaded seeing her because Brynn was sure to chew her out.

  As it turned out, though, not talking it out actually made Alex feel worse than a confrontation would have. Alex couldn’t shake that awkward, uneasy feeling that something was very, very wrong.

  She wondered where her best friend had sneaked off to all day, and while she was upset, she also just hoped that Brynn was okay. Alex had not meant to blow her off as swim partners, and she would tell Brynn she was sorry if she ever got the chance. Alex looked for Brynn everywhere—in the rec room, in the woods by the bunk, in the drama hut, but she still couldn’t find her.

  At dinner, finally, the two girls were together again. Alex didn’t know if she should go sit next to Brynn at their table in the mess hall. Brynn was with Sarah, and they were giggling and being loud.

  Nervous, Alex plopped down next to them. She decided that would be the right thing to do. Alex took a deep breath and got ready to apologize. Even if Brynn had been a little hard on her, it was just easier for Alex to say she was sorry and end the disagreement. Alex had no problem making the first move, and she wanted the uneasiness to go away.

  “Hey,” Alex said, smiling.

  “Hey,” Brynn answered back, not smiling at all.

  “Are you still mad about earlier?” Alex asked her while she fiddled around with her napkin.

  “I’m over it,” Brynn said, rolling her eyes and acting sarcastic. “I mean, really, it’s not that big of a deal.”

  “Oh.” Alex was surprised that she didn’t get chewed out again. “Because I really didn’t mean to—” she started to say.

  “It’s okay, really. Where’s Valerie?” Brynn asked.

  “She’s coming,” Alex answered, feeling awkward about the subject of Valerie.

  “Great,” Sarah added, rolling her eyes. She was turning out to be a lot more competitive than Alex thought!

  “I really think we should all just hang out. It would be fun!” Alex said. It seemed like she was always the one rallying and trying to bring everyone together.

  Before they could finish their nonconversation, Valerie arrived, asking if she could sit down with them. Sarah and Brynn shrugged their shoulders in unison, their way of saying “whatever” and started talking super-quietly to each other.

  The situation didn’t feel any less awkward than it had before Alex tried to be nice. In fact, Alex thought things were getting worse. But since she felt like Brynn was shafting her, she just turned to Valerie, and they talked about their chess set and swimming and the boys who had been teaching one another how to spit in woodworking. They ended up making the best of the situation, and dinner wasn’t so bad.

  Jenna really helped the situation—she told jokes so goofy that mashed potatoes actually oozed out of Candace’s nose. Marissa, who served Pete’s poor excuse for food, almost spilled a tray, she was laughing so hard when Jenna told the one about the hippopotamus that rode a bicycle through Weehawken, New Jersey. Marissa was laughing so hard, she had to rush back to the kitchen to calm herself down.

  “Hey there.”

  Julie had been off talking to the camp director, Dr. Steve. Now she sat herself down at the table with all the girls. Relief rushed through Alex’s veins. She hoped her counselor had noticed the tension at the table and could help them all to work it out.

  “Does anyone have any sparkle lotion I could borrow?” Julie asked, humming a happy little song Alex couldn’t make out—it might have been “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Julie continued, “I can’t find Marissa’s anywhere, and I don’t want her to know that I might have, um, misplaced it.”

  “I do!” Brynn said, and they started talking about how Julie needed it for her mystery date this weekend. She had the night off on Saturday, and she clearly couldn’t wait.

  Counselors weren’t really supposed to hook up, but it happened, like in the cases of Marissa and Pete, and Stephanie and Tyler. It was cool that Julie trusted the girls enough to tell them about it. They certainly wouldn’t spill her secret to anyone. But they did want to know whom Julie liked—and her lips were zipped on that front. A hookup was exciting news even to Alex, who swore she didn’t care about boy-girl gossip.

  “So, Alex,” Julie said, turning toward her, “can you come see me after dinner in the kitchen? I need to ask you something.”

  “Sure,” Alex answered, as usual.

  Alex was always helping Julie or Marissa or Pete, one of the chefs, with something. Sometimes they just needed an extra hand to carry something. Other campers were enlisted every so often, too, but it seemed like Alex did the most, which was fine with her. After all, the counselors had their reasons for keeping her busy and keeping an eye on her. She understood. Heck, she appreciated it.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Alex could see Brynn and Sarah getting ready to head back to the bunk with the rest of 3C. Was Brynn going to walk off without even saying good-bye?

  Without warning, Brynn turned to her abruptly. “See ya later.” And then she was off.

  Alex tried to calm herself. At least Brynn was speaking to her. She couldn’t keep from smiling when she answered, “Cool.”

  Hopefully, they’d get along well for the night activity a scavenger hunt. Alex loved those things—outsmarting everyone, finding stuff, and digging up clues.

  At the last one, Alex led her bunkmates to the winning item that only had the clue: “Something that’s shiny and red.” She talked Natalie into letting go of her Teen People magazine, and her team submitted it. Even though she knew the counselors meant for campers to capture a ladybug, they let Alex’s creative idea pass.

  Alex walked back into the kitchen. Most campers never went back there. But it was okay for Alex to step right in and start doing something—like cleaning or putting dishes away. She loved helping if it meant she got to hang out with the counselors.

  “What are you here for today?” Pete asked.

  He was always cooking hamster surprises and spaghetti worm dinners.

  Alex told him they were good—even the Soupy Dooby Doo they had last night—because he was funny and sweet. No one wanted to hurt Pete’s feelings—especially not Marissa, who had to actually smile when she ate the, well, slop.

  “Julie asked me for a quick hand,” Alex answered, stacking some cups next to the dishwasher out of habit.

  “Julie’s not here. But are you sure you don’t want to scrub some pots?” Pete asked, snapping his towel at Alex’s ankles.

  “Um, I will if you need me to!” Alex said, jumping out of the way before the wet towel zapped her. She really wanted to be on time for the scavenger hunt. “But not if you hurt me—then I won’t!”

  “You are too much, Alex Kim,” Pete said, stuffing his surfer ponytail into the hairnet he was required to wear when he cooked. If he wasn’t a culinary talent, at least he was into cleanliness; Alex gave him that.

  “I’m just kidding,” Pete added. “Now go find Julie. I think she’s outside.”

  Around the back of the mess hall, Julie was sitting at a picnic table filing her nails. She smiled really big when Alex arrived.

  “You okay, Mia Hamm?” Julie asked Alex.

  Julie reached for Alex’s hand so she could file her nails while they talked. Alex was excited—clearly Julie didn’t need Alex to help with anything specific, she just wanted to talk. Of course that probably meant she had noticed the problems between Alex and Brynn, but Alex didn’t care. Spending time alone with Julie made her feel special.

  Alex was double thrilled because she was terrible at doing her own nails. She didn’t have patience for sitting still to do girlie stuff like that. The only time she’d had her nails
painted all summer was when Brynn had done it for her four weeks ago.

  “I’m fine,” Alex answered evasively.

  “You didn’t seem fine today at free swim,” Julie said, whizzing across the tips of Alex’s fingers with the nail file. “You have to take care of yourself.”

  “I know. I did try to tell Brynn how I felt,” Alex answered, trying to sit super still so her hands wouldn’t wiggle.

  “Oh, that. I didn’t know you were having a problem with Brynn,” Julie said. Alex was disappointed—Julie had no clue what was going on.

  “Oh, no, not really, it’s nothing.” Alex didn’t want to bother her counselor with her silly friend issues. Julie had other things—like twelve campers and zillions of friends and one crush—to think about!

  Surely, all of those things are more important than a pair of jousting best camp friends, Alex thought.

  “I hope not. You are such a great twosome. You really take good care of Brynn—like when she almost started a bunk pillow fight after everyone had already fallen asleep last week. You don’t know how happy I was that you talked her out of it,” Julie said, blowing on Alex’s nails. “But more importantly, I just want you to take care of yourself.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Alex added, starting to wiggle and squirm. She didn’t like where this conversation was heading. She didn’t like sitting still. She loved running around.

  “So, what I want to ask you is if you’ll help in the kitchen for the formal banquet,” Julie said, finishing up Alex’s ninth finger.

  The formal banquet always took place on the very last night at camp, after the drama group’s big end-of-summer play, Peter Pan. It was 3C’s shining night.

  Brynn had the part of a Lost Boy, and Grace got to be Wendy. Brynn had actually been really cool when Grace beat her out for that main role. She seemed really happy to be a Lost Boy, surprisingly, and, unsurprisingly, was putting a ton of effort into rehearsals, fixing the set, and all kinds of other play-related stuff.

  “Sure, of course. I thought I already was,” Alex said.

  “You are the sweetest, I swear,” Julie said. “Anyway, thanks. Natalie, Alyssa and Candace are helping out, too. The four of you need you to come to the planning meeting tomorrow night with the rest of us counselors. It’ll be fun. We’re going to play Scrabble and stuff after we figure out the menu and plan the desserts. I always like you to have a say on those things, Alex.”

  She was so happy to be included in any plans that involved the counselors. Alex definitely wanted to be a CIT in a few years, and she thought she’d be really good at it. She loved organizing as many things as possible. With her newly shaped nails—she had to admit they looked pretty good—Alex went back to the bunk in a great mood.

  Back at 3C, not even Chelsea could ruin Alex’s spirits. She and Brynn would work out their differences; Alex was hopeful. Even if Julie hadn’t noticed—or given Alex any advice—Alex knew how strong their friendship really was.

  “So, what did Julie want, Alex?” Chelsea asked, getting in her face.

  “Oh, I’m going to help with the formal banquet,” she answered as Chelsea inspected Alex’s nails.

  “Me too!” Candace yelled enthusiastically. She was too sweet for her own good, but Alex felt kind of sorry for her, too. Candace never had an original thought—ever. At least Candace was good at telling ghost stories. Apparently, she’d learned them all from her older brother.

  “Of course you are, Miss Perfect Alex,” Chelsea said. “You’re always doing whatever you can to kiss the counselors’ butts. Just like Natalie and Alyssa and Candace.”

  “Please, Chelsea,” Natalie said, sitting on her bottom bunk on the other side of the room. “What’s your problem?”

  Alex was glad Nat had chimed in. She didn’t know how to react to Chelsea. Today of all days she really wasn’t prepared for extra bunk drama.

  “You need to mind your own business,” Alex said, once she had regained her composure. She looked Chelsea dead in the eye.

  The rest of the girls’ mouths hung open. But not Brynn. Brynn didn’t stand up for Alex. Alex couldn’t believe her supposed best friend didn’t have her back. Alex really did start feeling sick to her stomach. She didn’t even want to be in the scavenger hunt anymore.

  “Don’t tell me what to do,” Chelsea said while Karen ran up to her and tried to distract her. Karen attempted to make Chelsea sit down by offering to French braid her hair. Chelsea finally did sit down, but that didn’t mean she would shut up.

  “Then don’t get in my face,” Alex said, wishing she were the kind of person who could give Chelsea’s long blond hair a nice short trim in the middle of the night. She hated that this fight was escalating—but Chelsea had managed to push just the wrong button. And right when Alex had been feeling a little bit better . . .

  “Don’t be such a drama queen,” Chelsea added. “Everyone, just relax. I didn’t mean what I said. It was rude.”

  “You don’t say,” Alex spat.

  “Whatever,” Chelsea said, over it and preoccupied with Karen’s hairstylings.

  Everyone was deadly quiet. After a beat, they tried to go back to hanging out.

  Alex looked up to see Brynn walking toward her. Jenna, Jessie, and Candace perked up, watching.

  Alex shot them a meaningful look, and they got the hint to mind their own business. They pretended to be busy reading books—except that Jenna’s copy of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret was upside down.

  “So, Alex,” Brynn said, sitting down next to her. “Sorry about that and all. You know how Chelsea is,” Brynn added loudly so Chelsea would hear.

  Chelsea just gave her—and everyone else—an evil eye.

  “It’s nothing,” Alex answered, even though comments like that were everything to her. She was glad that Brynn had at least noticed how hurt Alex had been.

  “So, are we on for tomorrow night then?” Brynn asked, sitting down next to Alex on her bed like she always did.

  Alex’s throat got tight again. I can’t believe what I did! She had just promised to be at Julie’s banquet planning meeting! She wanted to be at that meeting with all the counselors. She wanted to help plan the big dinner and play Scrabble with them afterward! But she had promised to help Brynn paint the Peter Pan set for the big show tomorrow night.

  Ugh, Alex thought. How did things ever get so complicated? She had double-booked, and she couldn’t have picked a worse time to do it. Brynn had just started acting like she wasn’t mad anymore! Apparently, she hadn’t been completely unaffected by Alex’s clash with Chelsea. That, at least, was something, Alex thought. Though it didn’t exactly solve the current problem.

  “So, we are, right?” Brynn said, looking at Alex with her puppy eyes. “I really hoped you could help us.”

  Alex was no good at painting. She kind of hated it, too. Her mother had made her do way too much of it when she was a little kid. She had only told Brynn she would do it to be nice. She was, however, good at Scrabble. She did like organizing the formal banquet. She would get a say in the menu, and that would be awesome, too.

  “Brynn, please don’t be mad at me, but I told Julie I’d be at a banquet-planning meeting tomorrow night,” Alex said, wishing she had brought her pocket organizer to camp.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Brynn said, her voice getting louder and louder. “After today with the swimming and everything?” Brynn stood up, a sure sign that big time theatrics were on the way.

  “Please, just try to understand,” Alex said, thinking that she’d rather yank off her ponytail at the roots than endure her third fight of the day.

  “Understand what?” Brynn yelled, acting like she’d yank out Alex’s ponytail for her. “What? That you’d rather hang out with Valerie and Julie and whoever else than with me? I get it just fine.”

  “I think we need to talk about this. This is not how best friends are supposed to act,” Alex said, trying to keep her voice steady.

  “Oh yeah, like you’re the po
ster girl for how to be a best friend,” Brynn said again, getting all evil-eyed. “Kind of like you were earlier today?”

  “You need to get a grip, you are so totally blowing this out of proportion!” Alex yelled. Immediately, she wished she’d just counted to ten first. She knew it was always better to chill out—but Brynn was making that so hard to do!

  “Ladies, back to your corners,” Grace said, trying to ease the tension with a joke.

  “Grace!” Alex and Brynn shouted in unison.

  All eyes were back on Alex for the second time in five minutes. She’d had the most up-and-down day of anyone at camp. She had never been in this many fights with Brynn—or anyone else—before. Jenna and Alex clashed sometimes, but they always worked it out. They never yelled, either.

  Alex really didn’t know what to do. Arguing was not her style, and she just wasn’t used to it. She felt herself mentally checking out of the situation. She just wanted to run out into the woods—and run and run and run. She couldn’t make Brynn happy, and she was tired of trying.

  “I don’t want your help, anyway!” Brynn yelled as the other girls started to whisper about the impending altercation. When Chelsea chewed out Alex, it was easy for everyone to take Alex’s side.

  But the fight between Alex and Brynn wasn’t so clear-cut. Both girls had a point: Alex was standing Brynn up, and Brynn was being self-involved, not to mention bossy. The other girls—Natalie, Alyssa, Karen, and the others—didn’t know what to do. They just looked at one another and shrugged.

  Only Sarah and Valerie got involved.

  “I’ll help you, Brynn,” Sarah said, moving to stand next to Brynn.

  “Come on, Alex,” Valerie said. “Cool down for a while, and then try to talk about it again.”

  Alex wanted to add one more thing before Brynn walked away. “If Sarah helps, then it’s okay if I go to the meeting with Julie?” At least she knew Brynn would have an extra hand, which was the important part, anyway.

  “I said, I didn’t want your help, anyway,” Brynn stated, stomping off.