“Don’t tip it over, Jan. Please-” I pleaded.
She tilted it more. Made it rock so hard, I thought I’d tumble out.
“I’m really not a good swimmer,” I repeated. “I really don’t think I-”
She uttered a disgusted groan. Then she tossed back her hair. Raised her arms over her head. Bent her knees. Kicked off hard.
And dove into the lake.
“Noooo!” I let out a cry as the boat rocked violently. Jan’s dive sent up a tall, foamy wave of water.
The canoe tilted… rocked…
…and flipped over!
I hit with a smack. Cold water rose up around me as I sank.
Frozen in shock.
I felt the canoe bounce above me on the surface.
Then I started to choke as water invaded my nose and mouth.
Sputtering and gagging, I thrashed my arms and legs.
Pushed myself… pushed… pushed myself to the surface.
And raised my head over the bobbing current.
Still sputtering, I sucked in a deep breath of fresh air. Then another.
Floating on the surface, I saw the canoe bobbing upside down on the water.
I struggled to catch my breath, to slow my racing heart.
Then I swam to the canoe. I grabbed on to it. Wrapped one arm around it. Held on for dear life.
Bobbing with the canoe, I squinted into the sunlight, searching for Jan.
“Jan? Jan?” I called to her.
“Jan? Where are you?”
I turned and searched in all directions.
A feeling of cold dread tightened my chest.
“Jan? Jan? Can you hear me?” I shouted.
11
I held on to the canoe with one hand and shielded my eyes with the other.
“Jan? Jan?” I shouted her name as loudly as I could.
And then I spotted her.
I saw her blond hair glowing in the bright sunlight. And I saw her red swimsuit. Her arms moving steadily, smoothly. Her feet kicking up foamy waves.
She was making her way to shore.
She swam away and left me here, I realized.
I turned and searched for the other canoes. Squinting against the sun, I could see them far ahead of me. Too far away to hear my shouts.
Maybe I can turn the canoe over, I decided. Then I can climb in and paddle back to shore.
But where were the paddles?
I raised my eyes to the camp-and saw Jan talking to Liz. She was waving her arms frantically and pointing out to the water. Pointing to me.
A crowd of kids gathered around them. I could hear excited voices. Shouts and cries.
I saw Liz pull a canoe into the water.
She’s coming to rescue me, I realized. Jan must have told her I couldn’t swim all the way back.
I suddenly felt embarrassed. I knew all the kids on shore were watching me. I knew they were talking about what a wimp I must be.
But I didn’t care. I just wanted to get back on dry land.
It didn’t take Liz long to paddle out to me. When I pulled myself into the canoe, I started to thank her.
But she didn’t let me get a word out. “Why did you do it, Sarah?” she demanded.
“Excuse me?” I gasped. “Do what?”
“Why did you tip the canoe over?” Liz asked.
I opened my mouth to protest-but only a squeak came out.
Liz frowned at me. “Jan says you deliberately tipped over the canoe. Don’t you know how dangerous that is, Sarah?”
“But-but-but-!”
“I’m calling a special camp meeting because of this,” Liz said. “Water safety is so important. The water safety rules must be followed at all times. Camp Cold Lake couldn’t exist if campers didn’t follow every rule.”
“I wish it didn’t exist,” I muttered unhappily.
So Liz held a long meeting at the lodge. And everyone at camp had to be there.
She went over the rules of water safety again. Rule by rule.
And then she showed an endless slide show about the Buddy System.
I sat way on the side and stared down at the floor. But every time I raised my eyes, I saw Briana, Meg, and Jan glaring angrily at me.
Other campers kept staring at me too. I guess they all blamed me for this long, boring meeting. Jan probably told everyone in camp that I was the one who tipped over the canoe.
“I want you to memorize all twenty water safety rules,” Liz was saying.
More campers stared angrily at me.
Everyone hates me, I thought, shaking my head sadly. And there is nothing I can do about it.
Then, suddenly, I had an idea.
12
“I’m going to run away,” I told Aaron.
“Good-bye,” he said calmly. “Good luck.”
“No. Really!” I insisted. “I’m not kidding. I’m really going to run away from this camp.”
“Send me a postcard,” Aaron said.
I had dragged him away from the mess hall after dinner. I really needed to talk to him. I pulled him to the edge of the lake.
No one else was down here. Everyone was still at the mess hall in the lodge.
I glanced at the canoes, stacked in piles of three near the water. I pictured Jan’s blond hair, her red swimsuit. I pictured her swimming away, leaving me in the middle of the lake.
And then lying to Liz. Getting me in trouble….
I shook Aaron by the shoulders. “Why won’t you take me seriously?” I cried through clenched teeth.
He laughed.
“You shouldn’t shake a person after they’ve just eaten the camp meat loaf.” He let out a loud burp.
“You’re so gross.” I groaned.
He grinned. “It’s a family tradition.”
“Stop joking around. I mean it,” I snapped. “I’m really unhappy, Aaron. I hate this camp. There is no phone here we can use. I can’t call Mom and Dad. So I’m going to run away.”
His expression changed. He saw that I was serious.
He skipped a flat stone across the water. I watched the ripples spread out, then disappear.
The lake reflected the gray evening sky. Everything was gray. The ground, the sky, the water. Reflections of trees shimmered darkly in the gray water.
“Where are you going to run?” Aaron asked softly. I could see him quickly becoming the mature, “wiser” brother again. But I didn’t care.
I had to tell him my plan. I couldn’t leave camp without letting him know.
“Through the woods,” I said. I pointed. “There is a town on the other side of the woods. When I get to the town, I’m going to call Mom and Dad and tell them to come get me.”
“You can’t!” Aaron protested.
I stuck my chin out. “Why not?”
“We’re not allowed in the woods,” he replied. “Richard said the woods were dangerous-remember?”
I shoved Aaron again. I was so tense, so angry, I didn’t know what to do with my hands.
“I don’t care what Richard said!” I bellowed. “I’m running away-remember?”
“Give the camp a chance, Sarah,” Aaron urged. “We haven’t even been here a whole week. Give the place a chance.”
That’s when I totally lost it.
“I hate it when you’re so sensible!” I screamed.
I shoved him hard. With both hands.
His mouth flew open. He lost his balance-and toppled into the lake.
He landed on his back in the wet mud just past the shore.
“Ooof!” I heard the air shoot out of him.
“Sorry-” I started. “It was an accident, Aaron. I-”
He scrambled to his feet, pulling up greasy gunk and seaweed with him. Shaking his fists. Calling me all kinds of names.
I sighed. Now even my brother was furious at me.
What am I going to do? I asked myself. What can I do?
As I trudged back to the cabin, another plan began to form in my mind.
A really desperate plan.
A really dangerous plan.