Part 22 (2/2)
It wasn't long before the boys started chanting, ”Alicia Rivera's underwear-a,” over and over again.
”It's not mine.” Alicia jumped to her feet.
But no one heard her over the chanting.
”Thanks ah-lot!” Alicia shouted at Claire before she turned and bolted. It was the first time Ma.s.sie had ever seen her run.
”Come back here, Ms. Rivera,” Mr. Dingle insisted. But Alicia ran past him and straight out the door.
”I better go see if she's okay.” Olivia threw her napkin on the table and chased after her friend.
”Me too.” Dylan stuffed two bagels and a few slices of cheese in the pockets of her bomber jacket. ”They're for Kristen,” she said when she noticed Ma.s.sie's look of disgust. ”It's my turn to bring her food.”
Ma.s.sie grinned. She felt light and utterly stress-free, like she was on a spa vacation. This was so not her problem.
The chanting got louder.
”ALICIA RIVERA'S UNDERWEAR-A!”ALICIA RIVERA'S UNDERWEAR-A!”ALICIA RIVERA'S UNDERWEAR-A!”ALICIA RIVERA'S UNDERWEAR-A!”
”That's enough!” Mr. Dingle shouted. He dropped the stick and the dirty underwear in the trash. The chanting turned into whispers and then finally faded away.
”I feel terrible,” Claire announced softly.
”Explain.” Ma.s.sie took a sip of orange juice and popped another home fry in her mouth. She felt like she was watching a movie. She understood perfectly why Claire felt guilty blaming an innocent girl, but she didn't want the show to end. Why put out a perfectly good fire when you can throw more fuel on it and watch it it burn? burn?
”I know for a fact that was Layne's doing, not Alicia's,” Claire whispered. ”I was just so mad at her for trying to kiss Cam.”
Ma.s.sie tore off a piece of baguette and dipped it in the raspberry jelly jar.
”I have to go say I'm sorry,” Claire insisted.
”Tell me why you feel that way.” Ma.s.sie imitated the shrink she had to see when she was having night terrors.
”I just do.” Claire stepped over the bench, grabbed her baby blue puffy coat, and made a dash for the exit.
Ma.s.sie turned back to the table. Layne was staring at her blankly.
”Nice going, Layne ... the Stain.” Ma.s.sie lifted her eyebrows and half smiled.
Layne pushed back her chair and ran after Claire.
Ma.s.sie turned to her left, then her right, looking for someone to crack up with. But no one was there. ”Coming,” she shouted to no one in particular. Then she ran out of the dining pavilion before anyone realized she had been left behind.
She expected to see the girls fighting outside the door but the campsite was strangely peaceful. The wind had died down, taking the bite out of the cold air. Now it just felt clean and refres.h.i.+ng. Ma.s.sie felt the weight of sadness inside her body when she realized it was their last day at Forever Wild campsite. It had turned out to be one of the best weeks ever ... for her.
The shower house seemed like a logical place to start looking for her friends, because girls in tears usually ran to the nearest sink. But the high-pitched shriek coming from inside the girls' cabin told her otherwise.
”I hate you!” she heard Dylan shout.
Ma.s.sie picked up speed. She couldn't stand to miss another second. She ran up the porch steps, two at a time. ”What's going on?” she asked as she threw open the door.
The warm spicy smell of the roaring fire reminded her of her living room when her parents had company. But wait-who had been using the fireplace? Kristen would never make such a stupid mistake, would she?
It wasn't long before it all made sense. Mr. Myner and Merri-Lee were snuggled together on the couch in front of the fire and Dylan was standing over them with tears rolling down her bright red cheeks. Claire, Layne, Olivia, and Alicia stood behind her with their mouths hanging open. Ma.s.sie tiptoed over and joined them.
”I am so going to barf up my pancakes,” Dylan shouted at them as she rubbed her stomach.
”Pickles, wait.” Merri-Lee untangled herself from Mr. Myner and stood up. ”You're way off base here.”
”You should know,” Dylan sneered. ”You're ahb-viously an expert on bases.”
”Good one,” Ma.s.sie said under her breath. The rest of the girls shook their heads in agreement.
Dylan smiled softly through her tears. Then her expression quickly hardened again. She marched over to Ma.s.sie's bed and pulled the bagels and cheese out of her pocket. ”Here's your stupid breakfast, Kristen.” She held the food under the bed until Kristen's hand reached out and grabbed it.
Mr. Myner stood up and smoothed his hands over the front of his Levi's. ”Kristen is here?'
”What are you doing?” Ma.s.sie mouthed to Dylan.
”Like they they have any right to preach about rules,” Dylan sobbed. She stuffed her hands in her coat pockets and ran outside. have any right to preach about rules,” Dylan sobbed. She stuffed her hands in her coat pockets and ran outside.
”Where is she?” Mr. Myner put his hands on his hips and rested a leg on one of the beanbags.
”Outside.” Olivia pointed to the open door. ”She just left.”
”Not Dylan,” Mr. Myner snapped. ”Kristen!”
”Oh.”
”Hi.” Kristen slowly rolled out from under Ma.s.sie's bed. The back of her short blond hair was matted and tangled. A gray dust bunny was stuck to the back of her neck.
”How long have you been here?' Mr. Myner demanded.
”Coupla days.” Kristen's voice trembled as she pushed herself up to stand.
”And you've been living under that bed?”
Ma.s.sie couldn't tell if he was shocked, angry, or impressed.
Kristen nodded.
”This is turning into a real survival story,” Merri-Lee said. ”Where's my crew?” She hit a speed dial number on her cell phone and tapped her bare foot while she waited for an answer.
”No cameras,” Mr. Myner insisted. He pulled the cell phone out of Merri-Lee's hands and snapped it shut. ”This is very serious.” He didn't take his eyes off Kristen. ”Do your parents know where you are?”
Kristen looked at the fluffy white rug below her feet.
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