Part 25 (1/2)
”Ehmagawd, I'm so going to pee in my pants.” Alicia doubled over and held her bladder.
”Just squat,” Kristen suggested.
”Ew, no way.” Alicia rolled her eyes.
”Pee in your pants,” Dylan suggested. ”They'll dry.”
”You're disgusting.” Ma.s.sie playfully slapped her friend on the arm.
”Maybe.” Dylan smiled. ”But at least I'm warm.” She lifted her long, olive green DKNY cardigan and revealed a ma.s.sive wet spot around her crotch.
”Ew!” They shouted and took off; even Alicia ran away.
”Come back and give me a hug.” Dylan stretched out her arms and chased after them. The louder they screamed, the harder she laughed. ”You can't escape the pee-pee monster!” she shouted over and over again. ”Urine trouble! Get back here.”
The girls ran as fast as they could. They were choking on their laughter and tripping over each other as Dylan chased them right out of the woods.
All of a sudden they were back in camp, not even knowing how they'd gotten there.
”Urine for it!” Dylan shouted from a few feet behind them. She had no idea her victims were now standing by the fire pit while Mr. Myner stared at them in” disgust.
He kept his eyes on them as he spoke into his walkie-talkie. ”I have a twenty on the missing girls, over.”
”Are they all safe and accounted for? Over,” the voice said back.
Mr. Myner was about to answer when Dylan shot out of the woods. She was running on her toes, her arms stretched out over her head and her legs splayed out to the sides like she was doing the funky chicken dance.
”Come give the pee-pee monster a big hug,” she shouted. She stopped the second she realized everyone was staring at her.
Kristen's phlegmy laugh was the only sound anyone heard after that.
Finally, after a long, uncomfortable stare-down, Mr. Myner broke the silence. ”Do you have any idea how many people have been looking for you?”
”Pickles.” Merri-Lee hugged her daughter as hard as she possibly could.
”Ew,” Alicia said under her breath.
The girls lost it at the thought of Merri-Lee pressed up against the pee-pee monster.
”Where's my crew?” She pulled away from her daughter and looked around the campsite. ”Why wasn't anyone shooting our reunion?”
”Are you okay?” Cam rushed over to Claire.
”Yeah.” Claire relaxed her eyelids, trying to look weak and forlorn.
A group of girls surrounded Ma.s.sie until Derrington arrived. Then they stepped back to give the happy couple some private time to reconnect.
”Girls, hurry to the dining pavilion and get some food before it's all cleared away,” Mr. Myner ordered.
”Awesome, you're the best!” Dylan blurted out, temporarily forgetting the grudge she had been holding against him.
The other girls hugged Mr. Myner and thanked him endlessly for his compa.s.sion.
”Please meet me in my quarters in twenty minutes,” he said, refusing to hug them back. His stiff, stoic posture reminded Claire of the tall trees that had been staring down at them all morning.
”You got it,” Ma.s.sie shouted.
The girls raced toward the dining pavilion, salivating for whatever sc.r.a.ps they could salvage from lunch.
”Maybe it's a good thing he's in love with my mother,” Dylan said.
”I know,” Alicia agreed. ”He's so going to let us off the hook.”
”I bet if you start calling him Dad, he'll forget the whole thing ever happened.” Ma.s.sie giggled.
Claire laughed too, knowing the worst was behind her. She'd kissed Cam, made up with Alicia, and was finally out of the woods.
Or so it seemed.
LAKE PLACID, NEW YORK FOREVER WILD CAMPSITE MR. MYNER'S QUARTERS.
Wednesday, February 25th 2:11 P.M. P.M.
”Kill me now.” Dylan found her mother's green-and-yellow silk twill Hermes pocket scarf behind the leather pillow on Mr. Myner's couch.
”Ew.” Alicia winced when she saw it.
Ma.s.sie found more than Merri-Lee's scarf unsettling. It was creepy in general being in Mr. Myner's quarters. It smelled like a combination of Irish Spring soap and burnt coffee.
Behind them, in the center of the room, was his four-post bed. It was half-made. His navy-and-red plaid comforter had been haphazardly pulled up but had not been smoothed out or tucked in. And the pillows still had dents in their centers from where his big head and thick hair must have lain all night. Ew! Ew! Even though he was better looking than most teachers, the image of him sleeping was borderline repulsive. Did he drool? Snore? Have brutal morning breath? Ma.s.sie shook those thoughts away as quickly as they'd come. She longed for the powdery, perfumey fragrance of the girls' cabin. Even though he was better looking than most teachers, the image of him sleeping was borderline repulsive. Did he drool? Snore? Have brutal morning breath? Ma.s.sie shook those thoughts away as quickly as they'd come. She longed for the powdery, perfumey fragrance of the girls' cabin.
”Do you really think he's outside calling our parents?” Kristen sniffled.
”I know he's been in close contact with Dylan's.” Ma.s.sie couldn't help herself.
”Shut up.” Dylan whipped the scarf at Ma.s.sie's face.
Claire twisted the empty candy bag around her hand. Her fingers started turning different shades of purple and Ma.s.sie looked away.
”Can I use that?” Kristen sniffled and reached for Merri-Lee's scarf. Ma.s.sie handed it to her without a second thought.
”Relax, Kristen.” Dylan rubbed her friend on the back. ”We are not going to get into any trouble. He's just trying to teach us a lesson.”
Kristen dabbed her eyes. ”So you don't think he's really calling anyone?”
”I bet he is,” Alicia speculated. ”But my parents will blame him him, not me. He lost us us. Remember that.”
Kristen burst into tears. ”Yeah, but I wasn't even supposed to be be here. My mom thinks I'm at a soccer match.” here. My mom thinks I'm at a soccer match.”