Camp Confidential 01 - Natalie's Secret by Melissa J. Morgan Page A
Authors: Melissa J. Morgan
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celebrity, sure, but what people don’t always realize is that the interview is also the reporter’s opportunity to paint the subject in any light he or she sees fit. Many people assume that interviews they read are a reflection of the subject’s true thoughts and words, but often, the interview is strongly influenced by the reporter’s vision.”
Natalie snorted almost without realizing. “I’ll say,” she muttered to herself.
Alyssa looked at her friend quizzically. “What do you mean?” she asked.
Natalie looked up to see that not only was Alyssa looking at her, but so were a few other campers. Whoops, she thought. She hadn’t meant to actually say anything aloud. Now what was she going to do? “Uh, well, I just mean—I read a thing in Teen People last week that made Britney Spears look like a total moron. And I don’t really think that she is,” she stammered, covering.
“Yeah, I’m sure she’s, like, a real brainiac,” said Claudia, a girl from 3B that Natalie and Alyssa were starting to get to know.
“She’s way smarter than Christina Aguilera,” Natalie protested defensively, hoping to turn the conversation away from her little slip. “Don’t you think, Alyssa?”
“Huh? Well, I guess . . . but she’s nothing compared to, uh, Mindy Moore,” Alyssa said.
Everyone at their table cracked up. Alyssa was so hopeless when it came to mainstream pop culture. That was one of the things Natalie liked best about her—she was into more original music, books, and movies than most of the kids Natalie knew—even her friends back in the city.
“ Mandy Moore, Lyss,” Claudia said, laughing hysterically. “Mandy.”
Natalie giggled with her friends, and Alyssa did, too. Natalie was especially relieved for the change in conversation topic. But when Natalie glanced up at her friend, she caught Alyssa gazing at her with a strange expression.
Did her friend suspect that Natalie’s comment meant more than she was letting on?
“Pass it here! Alex, pass it here!”
Natalie looked up to see a soccer ball nearly glance off Chelsea’s face. Naturally, the girl was completely undaunted. Chelsea may have been a total princess in the mornings, spending time blowing out her hair and picking just the right outfit, but when it came to sports, she was a big-time jock. Right now, for example, she dipped backward and deftly sidestepped the soccer ball as it shot toward her. Once it hit the ground, she leaped on top of it and began dribbling swiftly toward the opposite team’s goal.
“Go! Go! Go!” Alex shouted, egging Chelsea on. Brynn stood beside Alex, screaming wildly and waving her arms in the air in a wordless show of support.
“Do you think we’re supposed to be going after her?” Natalie whispered to Alyssa, who was also hanging out in the far left field. Natalie was fast learning that in addition to nature, there were several other aspects of camp that weren’t exactly her strong suit. Sports being one of them.
Alyssa shrugged. “Not sure. What does ‘defense?’ mean, anyway?”
Natalie grinned. She and Alyssa really were on the same page.
Suddenly, the players on the field—all the rest of the girls in bunk 3C—erupted into a mixture of triumphant battle cries and booing and hissing. Obviously, Chelsea had scored. No surprise there.
Brian, the head of sports, blew his whistle shrilly, bringing the game to a formal conclusion. “Nice work, girls!” he shouted in his thick Australian accent. “Chelsea, great goal! Alex, awesome assist!”
“I personally think we did some mighty fine standing around,” Natalie mumbled to Alyssa under her breath.
Alyssa stifled a giggle. “Somehow, I don’t think we’re going to get any praise for that.”
“Natalie!” Brian called, as if on cue. “Why don’t you help me gather up the equipment?”
“Um, sure,” Natalie said, slightly taken aback. She headed toward the far end of the field and wrapped her arm
Natalie snorted almost without realizing. “I’ll say,” she muttered to herself.
Alyssa looked at her friend quizzically. “What do you mean?” she asked.
Natalie looked up to see that not only was Alyssa looking at her, but so were a few other campers. Whoops, she thought. She hadn’t meant to actually say anything aloud. Now what was she going to do? “Uh, well, I just mean—I read a thing in Teen People last week that made Britney Spears look like a total moron. And I don’t really think that she is,” she stammered, covering.
“Yeah, I’m sure she’s, like, a real brainiac,” said Claudia, a girl from 3B that Natalie and Alyssa were starting to get to know.
“She’s way smarter than Christina Aguilera,” Natalie protested defensively, hoping to turn the conversation away from her little slip. “Don’t you think, Alyssa?”
“Huh? Well, I guess . . . but she’s nothing compared to, uh, Mindy Moore,” Alyssa said.
Everyone at their table cracked up. Alyssa was so hopeless when it came to mainstream pop culture. That was one of the things Natalie liked best about her—she was into more original music, books, and movies than most of the kids Natalie knew—even her friends back in the city.
“ Mandy Moore, Lyss,” Claudia said, laughing hysterically. “Mandy.”
Natalie giggled with her friends, and Alyssa did, too. Natalie was especially relieved for the change in conversation topic. But when Natalie glanced up at her friend, she caught Alyssa gazing at her with a strange expression.
Did her friend suspect that Natalie’s comment meant more than she was letting on?
“Pass it here! Alex, pass it here!”
Natalie looked up to see a soccer ball nearly glance off Chelsea’s face. Naturally, the girl was completely undaunted. Chelsea may have been a total princess in the mornings, spending time blowing out her hair and picking just the right outfit, but when it came to sports, she was a big-time jock. Right now, for example, she dipped backward and deftly sidestepped the soccer ball as it shot toward her. Once it hit the ground, she leaped on top of it and began dribbling swiftly toward the opposite team’s goal.
“Go! Go! Go!” Alex shouted, egging Chelsea on. Brynn stood beside Alex, screaming wildly and waving her arms in the air in a wordless show of support.
“Do you think we’re supposed to be going after her?” Natalie whispered to Alyssa, who was also hanging out in the far left field. Natalie was fast learning that in addition to nature, there were several other aspects of camp that weren’t exactly her strong suit. Sports being one of them.
Alyssa shrugged. “Not sure. What does ‘defense?’ mean, anyway?”
Natalie grinned. She and Alyssa really were on the same page.
Suddenly, the players on the field—all the rest of the girls in bunk 3C—erupted into a mixture of triumphant battle cries and booing and hissing. Obviously, Chelsea had scored. No surprise there.
Brian, the head of sports, blew his whistle shrilly, bringing the game to a formal conclusion. “Nice work, girls!” he shouted in his thick Australian accent. “Chelsea, great goal! Alex, awesome assist!”
“I personally think we did some mighty fine standing around,” Natalie mumbled to Alyssa under her breath.
Alyssa stifled a giggle. “Somehow, I don’t think we’re going to get any praise for that.”
“Natalie!” Brian called, as if on cue. “Why don’t you help me gather up the equipment?”
“Um, sure,” Natalie said, slightly taken aback. She headed toward the far end of the field and wrapped her arm
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