On a warm summer day, The Buttercups were gathered in Peppertree forests. The sun produced a radiant glow without a cloud in the sky and birds voiced their sweet serenades. "I can't believe we're going on a campout!" Sofia said delightfully. "I know, and it's only our second one!" Jade noted excitedly. "Oh I hope my mom puts us together!" Ruby said hopefully "Handclap! Handclap!" So the girls gathered in a circle and chanted "Like three birdies in a nest, three friends are the very best. Like three berries on a vine, three friends always make it fine. One! Two! Three! Is how we're meant to be!" "Aw, how cute! The princess and her baby friends are playing patty-cake" someone insulted. "Watch it Charlie!" Jade retorted "When Sofia becomes queen she could have you locked in the dungeon." "Jade's right; in fact, why wait? I could just get my dad to lock you up." "Oh, so you're pulling the 'my daddy is super important' card, real mature." Before anyone could respond, a whistle blow sounded.
"Buttercups Buttercups, your attention please." Mrs. Hanshaw signaled. "Buttercups Buttercups we're here to appease." The girls replied. "As you all know, we are all going on a camping trip on Friday. I will now assign you your tent mates." The three friends kept their fingers crossed as they awaited the announcement. "The first partners are Jade and Meg" "I wanted to be partners with Peg" Meg mentioned sadly "And I wanted to be partners with Meg" Peg stated. "I know you to are very close, but I want you to know how to work with others and be a little more independent." "Yes Mrs. Hanshaw" the twins replied in unison. "Next, we have Ruby and Peg. And finally, Sofia and Charlie." Sofia and Charlie glared at each-other. "This camping trip will teach you to the values of teamwork. To prepare yourselves in advance, try spending a little more time together. That way, you can really get to know your partner. And the most important thing to remember is to be prepared." "So, Charlie, do you want to come to my castle?" Sofia asked. "Yeah, sure" Charlie replied briefly. "I've got Flying Derby practice at two o'clock. Does three fifteen sound like a good time?" "Yeah, sure, whatever."
Later, Sofia was riding home in the royal coach. "So, Sofia, how was your Buttercup meeting?" King Roland asked. "It was alright" Sofia answered "We're going to be going on a camping trip on Friday, but Charlie was chosen to be my tent partner and I don't like her." "Why not?" "She's mean and grouchy. Mrs. Hanshaw wants us to spend more time with each-other, but how am I going to survive an entire night with her?" "Well, Sofia, some people aren't so bad once you get to know them. Try having an open mind about Charlie." "You think that'll work?" "I know it will."
Well, Charlie arrived soon after Sofia got back from her flying derby practice. "So, what should we do?" Sofia asked. "I think we should focus on pitching the tent." "Great idea. Baileywick used to be a Groundhog scout so maybe he can help us."
The girls went outside once they had gathered all of their tent-pitching materials. "Ok, so the first thing to take into consideration is the location" Charlie stated "You want to make sure that it isn't under any dead trees and that it's on flat ground. Once you pitch the tent, you want to make sure that it has a strong backbone. That way, the tent will stand strong and-" She suddenly looked over at Sofia. "What?" Sofia questioned. "You'd better change back into your dress before your mom finds out." "Oh don't worry, she already knows about it." "Oh" Charlie paused for a moment "Well, when you have to face your mom try thinking of something funny like a puppet show or Alice in Wonderland. That always helps me when I'm getting creamed." "Creamed? You mean hit? My mom doesn't hit me, does yours?" "…So, the backbone helps support the tent and-" "Come on, Charlie, tell me. I promise I won't tell anybody." ""No! I'm not telling you! Not even if you swear on your father's life!" "…My father isn't alive." "Wow, you are such a bad liar. Your dad is the king, I saw him pick you up this afternoon." "He's my stepfather. My real father died a year ago from a heart condition." "Oh, I'm sorry. My father isn't alive either." "I'm sorry. Do you want to talk about him?" "He was the best dad anyone could ever have! He used to take me camping every summer. He taught me all sorts of neat things, like how to fish and pitch a tent. We laughed and cried and did nearly everything together!" "Wow." "Exactly! I lost him a year ago. We were canoeing and a bad storm rolled in. Dad tried his best to keep the boat steady, but we were headed for some big rocks. It crashed but we managed to grab on to one of the boards. Suddenly, the water started going up to my waist. Dad let go of the other end of the board and he…was carried off by the current and I never saw him again." "Oh, you poor thing. This must be really hard for you." "It is sometimes. I guess it's really hard on mom too." "And that's why she hits you?" "Well, not all the time. Some days are better than others. Hey, what time is it?" "Well, judging by the position of the sun, I'd say it's about five o' five." "Oh no! I stayed out too late! I have to go! Listen, Sofia, promise me you won't tell anyone about my mom! If anyone finds out, I could be in big trouble!" "I promise!" Sofia blurted out. Sofia's eyes followed Charlie as she ran. The princess placed her hand over her heart as her mind raced with several thoughts.