Chapter One

"Cut! Alright, that's a wrap. Tomorrow we will go over the footage and put together the commercial. Thanks for agreeing to do this," the director told me and Lewis. I gave a rare sigh a relief. I had been dying to go back home to see if anyone from Green Lake was online. The reason I wasn't there now was because since Camp Green Lake was shut down,and we all had to do community service. Lewis and I just finished shooting a commercial to keep kids out of trouble.

"Hey, Emma hold up," Lewis said running to catch up with me. "You really want to see if Squid is on don't you."

"Yeah, it's been driving me insane that he hasn't been on in a week. I hope he's okay," I said walking to our car.

"I'm sure he is fine. I just want to go home and get ready for my date," Lewis said hoping into the driver's side of the car.

"Where are you and Gia going?" I asked clicking my seatbelt closed.

"To a restaurant."

"I figured that much. Which restaurant?"

"None of your business, I don't want you and Sarah 'accidentally' showing up to spy on us."

"We would never."

"Sure," Lewis said. He signaled that he didn't want to talk anymore by turning up the radio.

I was still adjusting to being back in Houston. My friends kept asking me questions about Green Lake, my parents were always watching me, and I couldn't cope with the fact that I didn't see anyone from Green Lake beside Lewis, who doesn't count. I couldn't wait for school to start. I knew that all of us were going to the same school because we all lived in the same part of Houston. I knew this only because Green Lake was meant for people from our part of town. The reason I hadn't seen any of them was that all of our parents wanted to keep watch over us the whole summer. I only saw any of them once and that was when we were cleaning the park.

We pulled up into the driveway and parked the car in the garage. I walked inside straight to the computer and signed on AIM. I looked at my Buddies List and saw that Hype, Twitch, TC, Stranger, Caveman, Zero, and SQUID was on. Yes! Finally, he decided to get with the program.

Twisted312: Squid! where on earth have u been?

SquidBoy: um…my mom took away the computer.

Twisted312: oh…r u ok?

SquidBoy: yep

Twisted312: sooo…do you know how many days 'til school starts?

SquidBoy: no, but I bet you've been counting down.

Twisted312: 45 days!!! We should all go on vaca together before school starts

SquidBoy: u think all of our parents would let us all go on vaca together?

Twisted312: we could lie and say it was to finish up our services. Lewis and I just finished ours, we shot the commercial today.

SquidBoy: cool, I finished mine this week. I picked up my last park leaf. I g2g. see ya. And I like the vaca idea.

Twisted312: okay, bye

I watched as Squid signed out. I decided to log off as well, I really just signed on for him. I might sign back on later. I walked up to my room and lied down on my bed. I sunk into the feather duvet. I sat up and looked around my light blue room. I actually missed the hunter green canvas of my tent and the smell of dirt. I got up and walked down stairs. I was going to go sit outside, but when I opened the door Sarah was there about to ring the doorbell. I had forgotten that she was spending the night.

She walked past me and said, "I'm glad that that place didn't ruin our ability to tell when one of us is close. So, I brought Scream, When a Stranger Calls, and Mean Girls. What are you in the mood for? Nightmares of screams or the bitches of high school?"

"Um…When a Stranger Calls, I haven't seen that in a while," I said in monotone.

"Okay, what is up with you? Ever since you got back you've been all depressing," Sarah told me.

"It's just that…I miss it. I miss being called Twist, I miss the smell of dirt, and I MISS SQUID!" I whined.

"My goodness Emma. You act like you are never going to see them again. School starts in 45 days, that's not that long."

"Hey, I haven't told you my idea," I said sitting up. "I think we should go on a vacation to the beach."

"Yeah, just the two of us," Sarah said excitedly. She looked at my face, and her face fell. "You meant 'we' as in me, you, and your camp buddies. Emma, that's not fair on my part. I don't know any of them."

"We could invite Gia and Rachel," I said. Gia and Rachel were our other two best friends from last school year before I left.

"Really? I mean, you and your other friends could just go. I don't want to have to make you invite me, Gia, and Rachel."

"Really, I want you guys to come. I can't be around them that often, I still need some sanity into my world."

I watched as the idea sunk into her mind, and after a while her face lit up.

"Let's do it."

I popped in the When a Stranger Calls DVD and we both fell asleep watching it.

The next day, Lewis walked into the living room 'accidentally' tripped onto me and Sarah waking us up.

"Ow…"

"Lewis, you are officially the King of Buttheads," I said too tired to make up a better comeback.

"That's Your Highness," Lewis said rolling off of us.

I glanced at Sarah and she gave a slight nod. We tackled Lewis into the ground and pinned him.

"Get off of me," Lewis gasped. "You two are too heavy."

"Are you calling us fat?" I said.

"Yes."

"Well, then I guess our legs at the moment are temporarily broken," Sarah said crossing her legs.

"What will it take for you two to get off of me," Lewis sighed.

"Breakfast, and not a bowl of cereal. We want waffles with bacon," I commanded.

"In your dreams."

I dug my elbow into his back.

"Fine, fine."

We got up and followed Lewis into the kitchen. We had to supervise his making of breakfast; he is not to be trusted. Breakfast for two was served after about thirty minutes.