But I was so happy to be back, so happy to be alive, I just ignored it.
I rested a hand on Aaron’s shoulder and let him walk me back to my cabin. “I’m going to enjoy the rest of camp,” I told my brother. “I really am.”
The nurse checked me out carefully. Then I rested all afternoon. I took a long nap.
When I woke up, I was starving. I realized I hadn’t eaten all day.
I pulled on jeans and a camp sweatshirt and hurried to the campfire. As I trotted down the path toward the clearing by the woods, the aroma of hot dogs and hamburgers on the barbecue drifted out to me.
Richard greeted me at the campfire circle. “Sarah, you look great!” he exclaimed. “I heard about… what happened at the lake this afternoon.”
“Well, I’m fine now,” I told him. “I feel great.”
“Hey-no more close calls,” he scolded. “Or else you have to swim in the kiddie pool.”
“I’ll be careful,” I promised.
“You’d better-because we don’t have a kiddie pool!” he joked.
I laughed.
“Take a seat,” he said, pointing to the circle of logs. “Take a seat, everyone!” he called out. “We’re going to have a meeting before we eat!”
Most of the campers had already taken their places. I glanced around the circle quickly, searching for a place to sit.
“Sarah-?” A voice called to me.
“Sarah-over here.”
I let out a shocked cry when I saw Della.
Della. By herself on a log back near the woods. Her blond hair shimmering around her pale face. The pink evening sunlight shining through her body.
Shining right through her.
“Noooo!” I moaned.
“Come over here, Sarah!” Della called. “Please-sit over here with me. Be my buddy!”
19
I raised my hands to my cheeks and let out a shrill scream.
“No! You’re not here!” I wailed. “You’re a ghost! You don’t belong here! I’m alive now! I’m alive!”
I turned and saw Richard and Liz hurrying toward me.
Across the circle, Aaron jumped up and came running over. “Sarah-what’s wrong? What is it?” he cried.
“Don’t you see her?” I shrieked. I pointed to the log near the woods. “She’s a ghost! But I’m alive!”
Liz wrapped her arms around me. “It’s okay, Sarah,” she whispered. “You’re okay now.”
“But-but she’s sitting there!” I sputtered.
Everyone turned to the log.
“There’s no one there,” Richard said. He narrowed his eyes at me.
“You had a terrible shock,” Liz said softly. “A terrible shock. You’re still not quite yourself, Sarah.”
“But-but-” I stammered.
I saw Briana, Meg, and Jan huddled together, talking softly. Watching me.
What are they saying about me? I wondered.
“Do you want me to walk you back to your cabin?” Richard asked.
I shook my head. “No. I’m starving!”
Liz laughed. “Maybe that’s your problem. You’re so hungry, you’re seeing things! Let’s get you a hot dog-fast.”
After a couple of hot dogs, I started to feel better. The campfire meeting began. I sat next to some girls from a different cabin.
As Richard talked, I gazed around the circle. Stared at the campers’ faces, orange from the flickering campfire. Searching for Della.
Della the ghost…
Was she still here? Still watching me? Still waiting for me to be her buddy?
I sat forward tensely. My whole body stiff. My eyes straining to see her pale, pale face.
But she had vanished.
For now.
Liz took over the meeting. Most campers groaned when she started another lecture on water safety.
“We had a close call today,” Liz said. “A frightening close call.”
I knew everyone was staring at me. I could feel my face growing hot. I gazed into the yellow flames of the campfire.
When I raised my eyes, I saw Briana, Meg, and Jan on the next log, whispering together. About me?
“Our water safety rules are so important here at Camp Cold Lake,” Liz was saying. “Some campers joke that having so many rules is the curse of Camp Cold Lake, because we talk about the rules so much.”
She pressed her hands against her sides. Her eyes moved from camper to camper. “But as we saw this afternoon,” she continued, “the Buddy System isn’t a curse-it’s a blessing.”
A face rose up behind the darting flames of the fire.
I gasped.
Della!
No. A girl from another cabin, climbing up to get more food.
I sank back.
I have to get away from this camp, I decided. I can’t have a good time here. Not if I always have to keep an eye out for Della.
Liz rattled on about the water rules.
Richard made a few announcements.
Everyone sang some camp songs.
When the campfire ended, I jumped up quickly and started along the path to my cabin. I had gone only a few steps when I heard fast footsteps behind me. And heard someone calling my name.
Was it the ghost?
I turned to see Aaron jogging up to me. “What was that screaming about?” he demanded. “Did you really think you saw a ghost?”
“Why should I tell you?” I snapped. I continued along the path, walking rapidly. “You’ll only laugh at me.”
“Try me,” he replied, running to catch up. “I won’t laugh. I promise.”
“I saw a ghost girl,” I told him. “I swear I did. She called to me. She wants me to be her buddy.”
Aaron laughed. “No. Really,” he said. “What did you really see? Be serious.”
“I am serious!” I cried. “I have to get away from here, Aaron. I’m going to run away. Get to a phone. Call Mom and Dad. Tonight. I’m going to tell them to come get me.”
“You can’t!” Aaron replied. He grabbed my arm and forced me to stop walking. I could see kids staring at us as they walked past.
“Mom and Dad won’t want to make more than one trip up here. So if you call them, they’ll make me come home too,” Aaron protested. “And I don’t want to leave. I’m having a great time!”
“You don’t understand,” I told him. “I can’t stay here. I can’t-”
“Please, Sarah,” he begged. “Try to stick it out. Give it a little more time. You’re just a little messed up because of the lake this afternoon. But you’ll be okay. Give it some time.”
I didn’t say yes, and I didn’t say no.
I just told Aaron good-night and headed to my cabin.
I stopped outside the door. All the lights were on. I heard Briana, Meg, and Jan talking softly.
They stopped talking as soon as I stepped inside.
All three of them stared hard at me. Their expressions were tense. They moved quickly.
Moved toward me as I started across the room.
They formed a circle around me. Surrounded me.
“What is it?” I cried. “What are you going to do?”
20
“We want to apologize,” Briana said.
“We’ve been kind of rough on you,” Jan added in her scratchy voice. “We’re really sorry.”
“We’ve been talking about it,” Briana said. “We-”
“We decided we’ve been really unfair,” Meg interrupted. “We’re sorry, Sarah.”
“I–I’m sorry too,” I stammered. I was so stunned by their apologies, I could barely speak.
“Let’s start all over,” Briana suggested. She grabbed my hand. “Nice to meet you, Sarah. My name is Briana.”
“Excellent. A fresh start!” Jan declared.
“Thanks. I’m really glad,” I told them. And I meant it.
Jan turned to Briana. “When did you do that to your nails?”
Briana grinned and raised both hands. Her fingernails were a shiny, bright purple. “It’s a new color,” she said. “I did it after our swim.”