it. No one would be there. Everyone was out at Color War activities.
Quickly Katie raced to the Bumblebee bunk, taking care not to be seen by anyone.
Phew. A few minutes later she was safe inside. No one could find her.
Or could they?
Chapter 19
Clomp. Clomp. Clomp.
Suddenly Katie heard footsteps coming up the stairs toward the bunk. Oh no! Someone was coming. Quickly she dove beneath the bottom bunk of Alicia’s bed.
If she stayed really still, maybe she wouldn’t be noticed. Because if she was seen, she would be taken for Alicia and would be forced to swim.
But staying still wasn’t easy. Katie’s nose was right up against one of Alicia’s smelly gym socks. She’d thrown it under there instead of sending it to the laundry. A skunk would have smelled better than that sock did.
But Katie couldn’t move the sock. Any move could reveal her hiding place.
“I haven’t seen Alicia anywhere,” Katie heard Chelsea say.
“Me neither. I checked the mess hall, the nature shack, and the canteen,” she heard Rainbow add.
“Leave it to Alicia to mess up Color War for us,” Gianna added.
“Maybe Katie’s seen her,” Chelsea suggested.
Katie frowned. Seen her? She was her.
And at the moment, being Alicia was getting more and more difficult. Alicia never swept under her bed. The dust bunnies made Katie want to sneeze.
The mosquito bites all over Alicia’s body were making Katie itch.
And that smelly sock was making her kinda sick to her stomach.
But Katie didn’t dare sneeze, scratch, or puke.
“Katie’s in arts and crafts working on the banner,” Rainbow told Chelsea. “Alicia wouldn’t go there.” She plopped down on the bed just above Katie. The mattress sank down right in the middle, hitting Katie on the back.
“Mmmph . . .” Katie let out a small groan, shoving her fist in her mouth to muffle the sound.
“Did you hear that?” Chelsea asked nervously.
Katie’s heart began to pound. What if the girls found her now? They’d make her swim for sure. What a mess that would be!
“Come on, Chels, there are no ghosts here,” Rainbow said in her gentle voice. She shifted her weight slightly. Now the mattress sank into the back of Katie’s head. That pushed her face farther into the stinky sock. Blech!
“This is the worst thing Alicia has ever done,” Gianna said. “The Green team is in second place. We need Alicia to win that race to pull us into first.”
“I know. All the older girls on our team are in the soccer match,” Rainbow said. “We have no one to swim in that race.”
The girls all looked at one another and frowned.
“Oh yes, we do!” Chelsea exclaimed suddenly. She jumped up.
“Where are you going?” Shannon asked her.
“To put on my bathing suit,” Chelsea replied. “I’m taking Alicia’s place.”
“But you can’t swim,” Gianna reminded her.
Chelsea shook her head. “I never said I couldn’t swim. I said I didn’t want to swim. I’ve been swimming since I was four years old. I’m really good—and fast.”
“But what about your hair?” Rainbow asked her.
Chelsea shrugged. “This is an emergency. But my blow-dryer better be working when I get back!”
Chapter 20
“AAACHOOO!”
The second the girls left the bunk, Katie let out the biggest sneeze of her whole life. Then she scratched the mosquito bites on her legs and took a deep breath of fresh air.
It was good to be out from under the bed. Hopefully no one would come back to the bunk. But just in case, Katie decided to stay on the floor near Alicia’s bed.
And that’s when she noticed the diary on the floor next to Alicia’s bed. It must have fallen out from her cubby. Now there it was, lying open on the floor.
Katie knew it was wrong to read someone else’s diary. Really wrong. But it was lying there, wide open.
She couldn’t help taking a peek.
Alicia had written a poem on one of the pretty pink pages.
No letters for me again today.
It’s no surprise I have to say.
I
Quickly Katie raced to the Bumblebee bunk, taking care not to be seen by anyone.
Phew. A few minutes later she was safe inside. No one could find her.
Or could they?
Chapter 19
Clomp. Clomp. Clomp.
Suddenly Katie heard footsteps coming up the stairs toward the bunk. Oh no! Someone was coming. Quickly she dove beneath the bottom bunk of Alicia’s bed.
If she stayed really still, maybe she wouldn’t be noticed. Because if she was seen, she would be taken for Alicia and would be forced to swim.
But staying still wasn’t easy. Katie’s nose was right up against one of Alicia’s smelly gym socks. She’d thrown it under there instead of sending it to the laundry. A skunk would have smelled better than that sock did.
But Katie couldn’t move the sock. Any move could reveal her hiding place.
“I haven’t seen Alicia anywhere,” Katie heard Chelsea say.
“Me neither. I checked the mess hall, the nature shack, and the canteen,” she heard Rainbow add.
“Leave it to Alicia to mess up Color War for us,” Gianna added.
“Maybe Katie’s seen her,” Chelsea suggested.
Katie frowned. Seen her? She was her.
And at the moment, being Alicia was getting more and more difficult. Alicia never swept under her bed. The dust bunnies made Katie want to sneeze.
The mosquito bites all over Alicia’s body were making Katie itch.
And that smelly sock was making her kinda sick to her stomach.
But Katie didn’t dare sneeze, scratch, or puke.
“Katie’s in arts and crafts working on the banner,” Rainbow told Chelsea. “Alicia wouldn’t go there.” She plopped down on the bed just above Katie. The mattress sank down right in the middle, hitting Katie on the back.
“Mmmph . . .” Katie let out a small groan, shoving her fist in her mouth to muffle the sound.
“Did you hear that?” Chelsea asked nervously.
Katie’s heart began to pound. What if the girls found her now? They’d make her swim for sure. What a mess that would be!
“Come on, Chels, there are no ghosts here,” Rainbow said in her gentle voice. She shifted her weight slightly. Now the mattress sank into the back of Katie’s head. That pushed her face farther into the stinky sock. Blech!
“This is the worst thing Alicia has ever done,” Gianna said. “The Green team is in second place. We need Alicia to win that race to pull us into first.”
“I know. All the older girls on our team are in the soccer match,” Rainbow said. “We have no one to swim in that race.”
The girls all looked at one another and frowned.
“Oh yes, we do!” Chelsea exclaimed suddenly. She jumped up.
“Where are you going?” Shannon asked her.
“To put on my bathing suit,” Chelsea replied. “I’m taking Alicia’s place.”
“But you can’t swim,” Gianna reminded her.
Chelsea shook her head. “I never said I couldn’t swim. I said I didn’t want to swim. I’ve been swimming since I was four years old. I’m really good—and fast.”
“But what about your hair?” Rainbow asked her.
Chelsea shrugged. “This is an emergency. But my blow-dryer better be working when I get back!”
Chapter 20
“AAACHOOO!”
The second the girls left the bunk, Katie let out the biggest sneeze of her whole life. Then she scratched the mosquito bites on her legs and took a deep breath of fresh air.
It was good to be out from under the bed. Hopefully no one would come back to the bunk. But just in case, Katie decided to stay on the floor near Alicia’s bed.
And that’s when she noticed the diary on the floor next to Alicia’s bed. It must have fallen out from her cubby. Now there it was, lying open on the floor.
Katie knew it was wrong to read someone else’s diary. Really wrong. But it was lying there, wide open.
She couldn’t help taking a peek.
Alicia had written a poem on one of the pretty pink pages.
No letters for me again today.
It’s no surprise I have to say.
I
Similar Books
