Step It Up by Sheryl Berk

build a fire, and rustle up some grub.
All
before the sun sets.”
    â€œGrub?” Liberty groaned. “What kind of grub? Can’t I call my mom and have it catered?”
    â€œNo catering, no moms, no assistance whatsoever,” Toni dictated. “This is exactly what you girls need.”
    â€œTo starve to death or be killed by grizzly bears?” Liberty shrieked.
    â€œNo, a wake-up call. A dose of reality. You’ll be hiking several miles to the site. A park ranger and I will follow close behind, but there’ll be no help unless it’s an emergency.”
    Rochelle laughed. “Liberty breaking a nail is an emergency.”
    Bria looked nervous. She’d never “roughed it” before. “What if we don’t want to go?” she asked.
    â€œThen you certainly don’t have to. I won’t force you,” Toni said. “You can just hand in your Dance Divas jacket and find another studio to dance at.”
    She turned and walked out the door, leaving the girls behind to discuss her proposition.
    â€œSo we have no choice,” Anya said. “We have to go on Toni’s camping trip or get kicked off the team.”
    Scarlett flipped through the forest guide. It looked huge, with lots of hills, trails, and lakes. “Maybe it will be fun,” she suggested. “A Divas’ adventure.”
    â€œDid you see
The Hunger Games
?” Liberty asked her.
    â€œIf we have to go, then we should try and make the best of it,” Scarlett insisted. “It’s only one night. We’re tough. We can do it.”
    She raised her hand in the air for a Divas’ cheer:
“Divas rock, divas roll! Divas are always in control!”
None of the others joined in—except for Bria, who had her own lyric to add:
    â€œDivas alone in the woods? None of this sounds very good!”

Chapter 11
Camp Diva

    When a van pulled up in front of the studio the next day at 6:00 a.m., none of the girls were excited—and they were barely awake.
    â€œThis is barbaric,” Liberty said, yawning. “Who ever heard of packing a backpack? All my luggage has wheels.” She struggled to hoist the sack over her shoulders and make her way over to where the rest of the Divas were waiting.
    â€œToni said to pack light,” Rochelle pointed out. “What do you have in there?”
    â€œJust the bare necessities,” Liberty replied. “Pedicure kit, moisturizer, cordless curling iron,cell phone charger, cashmere blanket—oh, and my lamb Pillow Pet of course!”
    Rochelle rolled her eyes. “How about some canned food and water?”
    â€œNope, but I do have several issues of
Teen Vogue
for when we get bored!”
    â€œI brought a compass,” Anya volunteered. She held up a tarnished silver disk on a chain. “My dad said it belonged to my great grandpa Alexei in Russia. It’s kinda my good-luck charm whenever I travel, but it might actually come in handy this time.”
    â€œWho needs a compass when I have this?” Bria held up her phone and pointed to her GPS app. “I can find anywhere on the planet with this.”
    â€œAssuming you can get a cell phone signal in the woods,” Rochelle reminded her. “I wouldn’t count on Wi-Fi wherever Toni is taking us.”
    â€œOr a bathroom,” Scarlett said. “I don’t think there’s such a thing as a ladies’ room in the wild.”
    Liberty wrinkled her nose. “That is so disgusting! How am I supposed to do my nighttime beauty ritual without a sink?”
    Rochelle shook her head. “You’re worrying about your beauty? I’m worried about my life! What if there are ferocious beasts out there? I don’t want to be some grizzly bear’s midnight snack!”
    Scarlett tried to keep them all calm. There was no use in freaking out … yet. “I’m sure Miss Toni wouldn’t put us in any danger,” she said.