Friends Forever? (10 page)

“Well, Zee, it's pretty clear whose side you're on!” Ally said loudly. “What do you think, Jasper?”

Jasper nervously looked at the ground and shrugged. “I think you guys should work it out.”

The girls started talking at once, shouting over one another. No one could hear what anyone was saying, until Ally shouted, “I quit!”

“You can't quit,” Zee pleaded. “This was your idea.” Zee was stunned. Everything was falling apart.

“Not anymore,” Ally answered.

“What about our grade?” Zee asked. “All the seventh graders are supposed to perform.”

“Remember? I'm not a Brookdale Academy student anymore,” Ally said. Then she stormed off.

 

As Zee entered the dining hall for dinner, she noticed Ally was the last person in line for food. Perfect! This was Zee's chance to make up with her!

Zee rushed to get behind her. “Hi,” she said.

Ally spun around with a smile on her face. Zee could feel her whole body sigh with relief.

Then Ally's smile became a frown. “Oh, I thought you were Missy,” she said, and stepped out of the line. “I think I'll go find her.”

Zee got her food and sat down, then waited for Ally to do the same. When Ally sat next to Missy, Zee slid into the empty spot beside her at the table. But Ally turned away from Zee and joined in Missy and Kathi's conversation.

“What are you guys talking about?” Zee asked.

“Café Lulu in Paris,” Kathi said. “We go there every time we visit. They have awesome pastries. Have you ever been?”

“No,” Zee told her. “I've never been to Paris.”

Kathi looked at Zee as if she had a zit right between her eyeballs. “Really?” Kathi said. “I didn't know there actually was anyone who had never been to Paris. I guess you were busy visiting other parts of France?”

“No, I've never been to France.”

“Oh,” Kathi said, then turned back to Ally and Missy. “Have you ever had the tarts? Mmmm. They're my favorite.”

It was no use. Zee was on the outside. Being Ally's BFF again would just have to wait. Zee just hoped she wouldn't have to wait forever.

 

Zee and Chloe studied the evening work assignments on the cabin door.

“Firewood,” Zee read out loud. “I'm supposed to do it with Ally, but she switched assignments with one of the boys in cabin two so she could be with Missy. What do you have?” she asked Chloe.

“Yay! S'mores,” Chloe told her. “I hope I don't end up eating all the chocolate!”

“Save some for me,” Zee said.

As Zee headed down the path toward the campfire area to start collecting wood, a voice called out behind her. “Zee!”

Zee turned around and stopped. It was Landon! Her heart pounded as she repeated in her head,
No big deal—he's just a friend
, and he hurried to catch up.

“Hey!” Landon said once he'd reached Zee. “I didn't expect to see you on firewood duty, too.”

“Why?” Zee asked.

“Because Ally switched jobs with me. I figured it was because she wanted to have the same job as you.”

“No,” Zee said, and sighed. “It's the opposite. She's not talking to me right now.”

“Why not?”

“I'm not exactly sure,” Zee said. “Having her back in Brookdale is harder than I thought it would be. She's not really acting like herself.”

“How's she acting?”

“Kind of jealous.”

“Of you?”

“Sort of.” Zee paused. “Of my friendship with Chloe—and Jasper.”

“I know how she feels.”

“You do?”

“I'm jealous of Jasper, too.”

“Why?”

“He gets to hang out with you a lot,” Landon told her. By now, he and Zee had reached the campfire area.

“Well, yeah, because we're really good friends.”

Landon took one step closer to Zee and leaned forward. His face was right next to hers. Zee's heart sped up. Then Landon kissed her! It happened so quickly, Zee couldn't believe it.

Suddenly, Zee's legs wobbled. “I thought we were just friends,” she said.

“Is that what you want?” Landon asked.

No way!
Zee thought. But for some reason, she couldn't get the words out. Something was holding her back.

“I don't know,” she finally said.

“Well, we better get the wood to the campfire,” Landon said, looking embarrassed. He hurried to collect an armful of sticks and rushed off.

Zee looked around. She had come to camp with three best friends, but now she was all alone—after the most amazing moment of her life. Her first kiss!

 

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
The wall next to Zee's head vibrated. She looked at her cabin mates, all sound asleep.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
Zee's heart started pounding.

“My leg.” A deep, rough voice came from the other side of the cabin wall. The Mountain Man was inches away from Zee!

The ground crackled as the Mountain Man walked—toward the cabin door! “Arroo. Ugha.” The noises didn't sound human anymore, and Zee's whole body shook at the thought of what might happen when she finally came face-to-face with this stranger. But she didn't intend to find out. She opened her mouth to scream.

“Who's out there?” Mr. P's voice interrupted Zee.

There was no response. Zee could hear the Mountain Man run away.

Ohmylanta!
Zee thought. What if he hadn't been awake? What if the Mountain Man had actually come into the cabin?

Of course, now Zee couldn't sleep. The Mountain Man was still out there—and Mr. P might be sleeping the next time he attacked.

Zee got out of bed and looked at Ally sleeping soundly on the bunk above. Then she tiptoed to Chloe.
Pssst!
She quietly tried to wake her. Chloe didn't stir.

“Chloe!” Zee loudly whispered in her ear. Chloe rolled over to her other side and faced the wall away from Zee. Zee reached up and gave her a little shake. “Chloe!”

Chloe's eyes popped open. “What?” She sat up straight.

“The Mountain Man was here,” Zee told her friend in a quiet voice.

“How do you know it was the Mountain Man?”

“I think he's looking for his leg.”

“We don't have it!” Chloe was starting to sound angry.

“That's not what he thinks.”

“Let's go check,” Chloe said. She slipped out of her sleeping bag and grabbed her flashlight.

“Okay, but we better not wake anyone else,” Zee said. “I think Mr. P would be really angry this time.”

The girls quietly moved across the cabin floor so they wouldn't wake the others. Chloe walked so close behind Zee, they were practically one person. Zee carefully pushed open the door and looked around. In the dark, they couldn't see much. Which was a relief. As long as the Mountain Man wasn't nearby, Zee was happy. They took a few steps forward.

Before Zee knew what was happening, she'd fallen to the ground.

“What happened?” Chloe asked, panicked.

“I tripped over something.”

“Are you all right?”

Zee got up and brushed herself off. “I'm fine. What was that?”

Chloe shined her light on the forest floor. At first, all she saw was the usual—leaves, twigs, and pinecones. Then she found something that didn't belong in the woods—a crutch.

The light danced around as Chloe's hand started shaking. “How did that get here?” she asked loudly.

Zee took a step back—as Mr. P hurried out of his cabin. “What's going on?” he shouted. Zee didn't need to see his face to know he was angry.

“We heard…uh…something,” Zee explained.

“What?” Mr. P asked impatiently. Up close, Zee could see that he was wearing a black Yes No concert T-shirt and flannel pajamas. Raccoon circles surrounded his sleepy eyes, and his hair stuck up every which way.