The next day, everything felt so new, so different. Lizzie got out of bed before anyone else. She looked at Rachel. She felt sorry for Rachel. She had told Miranda what had happened and they thought maybe Rachel wasn't really cut out for counseling. But, they promised to give Rachel a second chance. Maybe she would be good afterall.
Lizzie slipped on her slippers that Miranda and Gordo had given to her for her birthday. She stepped out of the cabin and walked around to the back and looked at the sky. She wanted to reach out and touch it. It flowed endlessly along the water of Meadow Lake. Lizzie wished this moment could last forever. But pretty soon the revile was playing and all the campers got up.
After breakfast they got in their activities groups to go canoeing. Lizzie was beyond excited. She couldn't wait to get out on the water.
"We have a new camper with us today," Rachel announced. She stepped to the side and revealed the new camper. "This is Larry Tudgeman!"
"Tudgeman!" Miranda shouted in disgust.
"Tudgeman!" Lizzie gasped
"Tudgeman!" Gorod groaned.
"Gordo! I mean Tudgeman! Wait, who's Tudgeman?" Charlotte asked.
"That's right, I'm back, and I'm rickets free," Tudgeman exclaimed triumphantly.
"Oh so you've met?" Rachel asked.
"Once or twice," Miranda snarled.
"Great! I'm sure you'll all get along!" Rachel said.
"So you're the one with the rickets. Great. I was in your spot. Does this mean I go home?" Gordo asked.
"No sir, but I am in your bunk," Larry said.
"Great," Gordo said sarcastically. "So, what are rickets anyway?"
"They're like these things, that chirp at night and stuff," Ian inputted.
"Hardly. It's a vitamin D deficiency, my friends," Larry said matter-of-factly.
"That's weird," Lizzie said.
"You're weird," Larry retorted.
Lizzie snorted in disgust. They began walking to the docks. The water was calm today, great for beginners, and the canoes were lined up along the shed.
"Ok, kids, pick your partners! Must be Co-ed" Rached said cheerfully.
Lizzie quickly grabbed Gordo. There was no way she was going to let Charlotte have him again.
"Mirrrr-an-da!" Tudgeman said gleefully before Miranda could get to Ian.
"Ugh!" Miranda shouted.
The kids carefully pulled the canoes off the side of the shed, and carried them over their heads to the dock. The dock swayed a little under all of the weight, but they managed to get the canoes in the water. After they got their life-vests on they seated themselves in their boats. Charlotte and Miranda looked decidedly disappointed, for not getting their partner of choice. Tudgeman looked decidedly over-joyed, while Ian looked decidedly neutral, as always. They began paddling their way to a buoy a long ways out, with Rachel's chipper command coming from the dock.
"Why is she so overly cheerful all of a sudden?" Lizzie asked Gordo who was sitting up front.
"I don't know, I guess she is trying to make a good impression," he said, turning back toward her. "Hey, do you think Charlotte is acting weird around me?"
"Oh, I don't know, what do you mean?"
"Well, I don't know, she's always standing next to me and stuff. And she shouted my name before," Gordo.
"Well, I, I mean, maybe she...maybe she's just friendly," Lizzie stuttered.
"Ok, what's the deal, McGuire?"
"The deal? What deal? There is no deal!"
Gordo stopped rowing and looked back at her, straight into her eyes. Lizzie felt incredibly guilty, and there was nothing she could do but tell him the truth.
"Gordo...I...I kinda...I kinda told Charlotte you liked her," Lizzie explained, "But I mean, she asked about that ghost story you told, and I was going to say you made it up, and then, I don't know, I just said you liked her, and I know it's a complete lie, and I don't know what..."
"Lizzie, it's not a big deal," Gordo said as he started paddling again.
"What? Are you serious? It's not a big deal?" Lizzie asked awestruck.
"No, I mean, so what if she thinks that? She can think whatever she wants."
"It's not true, is it? I mean, you don't actually like her, do you?"
"No, no...don't be ridiculous," Gordo said.
After canoeing, it was free swim. Miranda and Lizzie were hanging out on the beach, in their one-piece camp mandated swimsuits, with their toes in the water.
"Lizzie, he's so cute!" Miranda swooned.
"Yeah, he is pretty cute," Lizzie agreed staring at Ian, who was standing in the water. "He reminds me of someone, does he remind you of someone?"
"Yeah, but I can't figure out who."
"Me neither," Lizzie said with a puzzled look. "So, how was canoeing with the Tudge-Man."
"Oh, God, it was awful! He would not shut up about Star Wars...or Star Trek..or Star Gate...or something. I don't know. But he was talking in this weird code."
Lizzie made a face. "Sounds like fun."
"Loads," Miranda said sarcastically.
"Miranda?" Lizzie asked sincerely.
"Uh-huh?"
"Do you think Gordo likes Charlotte?"
"What do you mean? Doesn't he? Isn't that what you told her?"
"No...he doesn't. I made that up," Lizzie said biting her lip.
"Oh, well she seems to think he does," Miranda said, "But I have no idea really, I haven't asked him. Oh well, it's not a big deal for making that up, it's not like you like him."
"Yeah," Lizzie said, "Especially when we've got Ian around to stare at."
Lizzie slipped on her slippers that Miranda and Gordo had given to her for her birthday. She stepped out of the cabin and walked around to the back and looked at the sky. She wanted to reach out and touch it. It flowed endlessly along the water of Meadow Lake. Lizzie wished this moment could last forever. But pretty soon the revile was playing and all the campers got up.
After breakfast they got in their activities groups to go canoeing. Lizzie was beyond excited. She couldn't wait to get out on the water.
"We have a new camper with us today," Rachel announced. She stepped to the side and revealed the new camper. "This is Larry Tudgeman!"
"Tudgeman!" Miranda shouted in disgust.
"Tudgeman!" Lizzie gasped
"Tudgeman!" Gorod groaned.
"Gordo! I mean Tudgeman! Wait, who's Tudgeman?" Charlotte asked.
"That's right, I'm back, and I'm rickets free," Tudgeman exclaimed triumphantly.
"Oh so you've met?" Rachel asked.
"Once or twice," Miranda snarled.
"Great! I'm sure you'll all get along!" Rachel said.
"So you're the one with the rickets. Great. I was in your spot. Does this mean I go home?" Gordo asked.
"No sir, but I am in your bunk," Larry said.
"Great," Gordo said sarcastically. "So, what are rickets anyway?"
"They're like these things, that chirp at night and stuff," Ian inputted.
"Hardly. It's a vitamin D deficiency, my friends," Larry said matter-of-factly.
"That's weird," Lizzie said.
"You're weird," Larry retorted.
Lizzie snorted in disgust. They began walking to the docks. The water was calm today, great for beginners, and the canoes were lined up along the shed.
"Ok, kids, pick your partners! Must be Co-ed" Rached said cheerfully.
Lizzie quickly grabbed Gordo. There was no way she was going to let Charlotte have him again.
"Mirrrr-an-da!" Tudgeman said gleefully before Miranda could get to Ian.
"Ugh!" Miranda shouted.
The kids carefully pulled the canoes off the side of the shed, and carried them over their heads to the dock. The dock swayed a little under all of the weight, but they managed to get the canoes in the water. After they got their life-vests on they seated themselves in their boats. Charlotte and Miranda looked decidedly disappointed, for not getting their partner of choice. Tudgeman looked decidedly over-joyed, while Ian looked decidedly neutral, as always. They began paddling their way to a buoy a long ways out, with Rachel's chipper command coming from the dock.
"Why is she so overly cheerful all of a sudden?" Lizzie asked Gordo who was sitting up front.
"I don't know, I guess she is trying to make a good impression," he said, turning back toward her. "Hey, do you think Charlotte is acting weird around me?"
"Oh, I don't know, what do you mean?"
"Well, I don't know, she's always standing next to me and stuff. And she shouted my name before," Gordo.
"Well, I, I mean, maybe she...maybe she's just friendly," Lizzie stuttered.
"Ok, what's the deal, McGuire?"
"The deal? What deal? There is no deal!"
Gordo stopped rowing and looked back at her, straight into her eyes. Lizzie felt incredibly guilty, and there was nothing she could do but tell him the truth.
"Gordo...I...I kinda...I kinda told Charlotte you liked her," Lizzie explained, "But I mean, she asked about that ghost story you told, and I was going to say you made it up, and then, I don't know, I just said you liked her, and I know it's a complete lie, and I don't know what..."
"Lizzie, it's not a big deal," Gordo said as he started paddling again.
"What? Are you serious? It's not a big deal?" Lizzie asked awestruck.
"No, I mean, so what if she thinks that? She can think whatever she wants."
"It's not true, is it? I mean, you don't actually like her, do you?"
"No, no...don't be ridiculous," Gordo said.
After canoeing, it was free swim. Miranda and Lizzie were hanging out on the beach, in their one-piece camp mandated swimsuits, with their toes in the water.
"Lizzie, he's so cute!" Miranda swooned.
"Yeah, he is pretty cute," Lizzie agreed staring at Ian, who was standing in the water. "He reminds me of someone, does he remind you of someone?"
"Yeah, but I can't figure out who."
"Me neither," Lizzie said with a puzzled look. "So, how was canoeing with the Tudge-Man."
"Oh, God, it was awful! He would not shut up about Star Wars...or Star Trek..or Star Gate...or something. I don't know. But he was talking in this weird code."
Lizzie made a face. "Sounds like fun."
"Loads," Miranda said sarcastically.
"Miranda?" Lizzie asked sincerely.
"Uh-huh?"
"Do you think Gordo likes Charlotte?"
"What do you mean? Doesn't he? Isn't that what you told her?"
"No...he doesn't. I made that up," Lizzie said biting her lip.
"Oh, well she seems to think he does," Miranda said, "But I have no idea really, I haven't asked him. Oh well, it's not a big deal for making that up, it's not like you like him."
"Yeah," Lizzie said, "Especially when we've got Ian around to stare at."