Chapter 2: Summer Camp Activities

Amy woke up early. She looked outside her window. The sunrise was really beautiful. She couldn't remember when she saw something like that for the last time. Sure, she loved New York. She was a true-hearted big city girl. But sometimes she missed simple things, like a night sky fulfilled with stars or a real sunrise.

Three days had passed since she left home. Three days since she met the strange girl who looked exactly like her. Tracy Bolton was her name. That's what she heard from one of the girls. She was from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Albuquerque…She heard about that city before. She simply didn't know where. Maybe at school…

She went silently to the bathroom. She won't risk waking up the other girls. She shared a hut with May and two other girls. Katherine and Leyla.

Katherine was very tall, but also very beautiful. She had long, black hair and grey eyes. She looked much older than thirteen.

Leyla was the opposite. She was small and had short blonde hair. She was a little bit boyish. But Amy liked her. She liked both of them.

She was really glad that she found friends so quickly. She was very shy. But thanks to May, she hadn't to do the first step to talk to her new roommates.

She shook her head. Yeah, May was really self-confident. A little bit too self-confident, that was for sure.

It was forenoon when Tracy finally opened her eyes. She yawned sleepy. She hated it to wake up early.

She looked at her watch. Wow it's pretty late.

She decided to stand up. Her Dad would be very mad with her, if he knew that. She laughed to herself. Her Dad was mad…every morning. Well, it wasn't a wonder. She overslept nearly everyday. But…she grinded….Dad wasn't there.

She looked around. She was alone. Her roommates had already left to join the other girls at some camp activities.

She shared her hut with Sally, the girl she met when she arrived at the camp. Sally was nice…but kinda weird, she spoke not very often and if she finally said something it sounded a little bit creepy. Her voice and her whole accent remembered at Wednesday Adams from the Adams Family. Not that she was some kind of a psycho or something like this, no, she was just weird.

Besides Sally there was Daisy. Daisy was blonde-curled high-society girl from Beverly Hills. She seemed to live in her own little world most of the time. But Tracy liked her anyways. She had never a problem with making new friends. She was opened and lively girl.

Tracy jumped into her clothes. If I see that girl again?

She caught herself very often during the last three day by watching that girl who had the assurance to steal her face.

Amy Evans was her name. After their strange meeting at the first day Tracy asked Mrs. Bix about her name.

The poor old woman was still confused about their affinity.

She was from New York. Tracy tossed her hair back.

She remembered barley that her father once told her something about New York. But she couldn't remember why.

Tss…I don't care who she is or whatever…

She left her hut. Time for some fun!

The day went on very slowly. Tracy played basketball. The whole day. She loved the game. Her father taught her since she could walk. He was the star player at his High School. And sure, she was pretty good too. She was the best at her school. No other girl could bet her. And, yeah, no guy neither.

She knew her father and her grandfather were very proud of her.

Her grandfather, Jack, was the basketball coach at her father's High School.

And now, her father was the coach.

Not that she wanted to be a coach too someday, but she'd like to play at a girl's team someday.

But for now, she was the new star of the summer camp. And she enjoyed it.

"So…anyone who likes to loose, again?", Daisy asked.

No-one dared. "Ohhh….too bad! Well, Trac, It seems that you're the champ!"

Daisy smiled at her new friend.

"Ohhh thank you. What an honour."

She through the ball into the basket. The other girls around stared to applaud.

Tracy took a bow and smiled at the crowd.

She felt really a bit like a star.

Amy watched the whole scene and rolled her eyes. "What an arrogant person.", she snapped.

"Why are you caring?", Katherine asked.

"I don't know. Maybe just…because of her face…", Amy said in thoughts.

"Well…okay, you and her you've a lot common…outside. But I guess inside, you're very different.", Katherine gave her a soft smile.

"Yeah, maybe you're right."

Amy looked again at Tracy.

Tracy gave Amy an angry glance. "Hey, why are you staring at me?", she yelled.

Amy was a little bit shocked. She didn't realize that Tracy noticed her.

"I…I just…", she stumbled…"I…"

Tracy smiled sardonic at her. "Come here!", she said with a stranger undertone.

"What are you doing?", Daisy hissed.

"You'll see.", Tracy smirked.

Amy wasn't sure what to do. She took a few steps forward.

"Wait!", May held her back.

"What?", Amy asked.

"Why are you going? That's sounds like a trap! You can't trust her."

Amy took a deep breathe. "I know May. But there's something…I don't know. Something inside want me to go."

May gave her strange look. "If you think…."

Tracy smiled triumphantly.

Amy looked nervous at the girl in front of her. That…affinity was still creepy.

"So what do you want?", she tried to be self-confident.

"Well…you and I we're looking…alike. Just a bit of course!"

Amy raised her eyebrows. "And….?"

Tracy passed her basketball to Amy. "Show me if there's more than just the same face!"

Amy looked at the ball. Was that girl crazy?

"You want me to play basketball with you?"

"No.", Tracy shook her head. "I want you to play against me."

Amy passed the ball back. "No way."

She turned around.

"So you're scared?", Tracy asked in a high-pitched voice.

Amy looked over her shoulder.

"No. But I think I don't have to prove something to you."

Tracy gave her an angry glance. "Fine. I mean, I never thought that YOU could ever win against me!", she laughed.

Amy was a shy and calm person. Normally. But this girl made her really angry. What did she think who she is? Michael Jordan?

"Okay. The first one who's got twenty points wins!"

Tracy smiled. I already won, sweetie!

Katherine shook her head. That couldn't be good.

May screamed loudly: "Go Amy, go Amy, go, go, go Amy!"

Tracy stared the game. And much to her own surprise, thirty seconds later Amy was the one who had the ball. And much to her surprise Amy made one point and another point and….so on.

Tracy couldn't believe it. No-one really could. Tracy was the champ. The best. And then Amy came. The shy girl from the big city. No, the new basketball star.

Amy won pretty fast. Tracy just had eight points. It was a shame.

She was really frustrated.

May cheered and pulled Amy into a big hug. "You're the best!"

Amy scratched bashfully her back head. "Well…I guess I played good."

"Good? Girl, you were brilliant!"

Tracy glanced furious at Amy. "Don't take to much to your heart, Tracy.", Daisy said encouraging.

Tracy got more and more angry. Don't take it to you heart? Don't. Take. It. To. Your. Heart?

"This….girl…", she hissed.

"It's your own fault.", Sally said in her typical Wednesday-voice.

Tracy gave her a confused look.

"You made her to play against you."

Sally turned around and walked away. Tracy looked after her. She was right. Tracy knew it. She made her to play.

"Why you didn't tell me that you're a b-ball crack?", May asked Amy, still happy.

Amy sat down on her bed. "I kinda…forgot it."

"You forgot it?", may asked confused.

"Yeah. I don't play often."

"Where did you learn it?"

"When I was younger, my mother declared me in a basketball team for kids. I don't know why. She isn't a sports fan after all. Maybe…he liked it.", Amy said sadly.

"He?", May was really curious, now.

"My Dad.", she said quickly.

"Your Dad?". May didn't show it, but she was a bit annoyed. Amy was really the opposite of chatty.

"I don't know him."

May was shocked. "I'm sorry. I didn't know. Is he….?", she stopped. She didn't want to make Amy sad.

"He is not dead.", Amy said suddenly.

May looked up. She was really alleviated.

"I just don't know him. And don't know where he is or even who he is. I just have an old, broken picture. My Mom doesn't wanna talk about him that much."

Tracy changed in new jeans. It was evening now. She was still a bit mad, because of the game at the afternoon. But, life goes on.

Mrs. Bix announced at lunch that they're having a little karaoke party that night. Tracy didn't tell her roommates, but she loved karaoke.

"You're ready?", Daisy asked.

"Yeah.", she replied and tossed her hair back.

Daisy laughed. "You're tossing your hair very often."

Tracy gave her a strange look. "Really?"

Daisy nodded. "Yeah, ever five minutes…or something like that!"

Tracy smiled briefly. "My Dad told me once, that my Mom tossed her hair very often. I think I got it from her."

She looked sadly at the floor.

"You lost your Mom?", Daisy asked seriously.

"No…not like you think. I just don't know her."

Daisy looked confused at her.

"My Dad and my Mom broke up when I was pretty young. I don't know where she lives now.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Tracy shook her head. "Well, don't let's ruin the evening. Lets have fun!"

With that she stormed outside.

Amy stood in the spotlight. She sang almost the tenth song this evening. She loved singing. Of course she loved it! She grew up with music.

He mother was a Broadway actress. A very great one. And her uncle was a Broadway director.

She sang since she learned to speak. She was at the choir at her school. She played in school musicals. And she knew, she had a good voice. A really good voice.

She finished her last song. It was The Wizard And I from Wicked.

She loved that song. And of course the musical. Her mother played once the Glinda.

She was always proud if she had the chance to tell someone that her mother won a Tony Award for portraying Glinda.

Tracy rolled her eyes. She was annoyed. Very annoyed. "Look at our little, sweet Broadway girl….", she hissed, "Isn't she perfect?"

"Who's next?", Mrs Bix asked.

"AMY!", may screamed. "Again?", Mrs Bix laughed.

"Of course!", May smiled at her friend.

"Amy has the most gorgeous voice I've ever heard!"

Amy blushed a little.

It was not something new that people made her compliments about her voice, but it was still…weird.

Tracy stood up. "I sing!", she yelled.

The other girls looked at her. They couldn't believe that Tracy liked to compare herself with Amy.

"You'd like to sing?" Amy asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I'd like to!" Tracy said self-confident.

"Fine.", Mrs. Bix said and smiled. "It's very refreshing to hear a new voice."

Tracy walked on stage. "Give me the mic and sit down, girlie. I show you how to make the crowd cheering."

"So, what do you like to sing?" Mrs Bix asked. "A pop song? Or a rock song…or…"

"A musical song." Tracy said and looked at Amy.

"Uhm…fine." the old woman said.

"I'd like to sing….well….On my own from Les Misérables!"

Amy's eyes got wide. "You know Les Misérables?"

"Why not?" Tracy snapped.

"Well…" Amy laughed a little, "It's culture!"

Tracy got really angry now. The silly old goose bonkers! Who does she think is she? Liza Minnelli?

Amy sat down next to May. "She could never ever sing a song like that!" she said determinant. "My mother played Eponine almost a year on Broadway. She will loose this game!"

May looked at Amy. The whole situation was weird. The girls know each other for almost three days and they were acting like life-time enemies.

Tracy looked around. She felt a strange feeling in her stomach. Am I nervous?

She took a deep breath and started to sing.

And now I'm all alone again
no where to turn no one to go to
Without a home without a friend without a face to say hello to
And now the night is near
now I can make believe he's here

Sometimes I walk alone at night when everybody
else is sleeping
I think of him and then I'm happy with
the company I'm keeping
The city goes to bed
And I can live inside my head

Amy froze. Tracy had one of the most gorgeous voices she had ever heard. Besides her mother of course. She sang like an adult.

On my own,
Pretending he's beside me,
All alone, I walk with him till morning.
Without him, I feel his arms around me,
And when I lose my way, I close my eyes,
And he has found me...

Amy bit at her finger-nails. That was such….impossible.

In the rain,
The pavement shines like silver,
All the lights are misty in the river,
In the darkness the trees are full of starlight,
And all I see is him and me,
Forever and forever...

And I know it's only in my mind,
That I'm talking to myself and not to him,
And although I know that he is blind,
Still I say, there's a way for us...

The audience was quite. Tracy's wonderful voice resonated through the whole room.

I love him,
But when the night is over,
He is gone, the river's just a river
Without him the world around me changes,
The trees are bare and everywhere the streets are full of strangers.

Amy wasn't able to say anything. She was fascinated. Shocked. But also fascinated.

I love him,
But everyday I'm learning,
All my life,
I've only been pretending,
Without me,
His world will go on turning,
A world that's full of happiness,
That I have never known...

I love him... I love him...
I love him... But only on my own...

When Tracy finished the audience was still quite. She looked at the faces in front of her. She wasn't sure if the silence was a good or a bad sign.

Her glance met Amy. Her face was blank. Tracy grinded. Amy's mien gave her the sureness. She was good. Really good.

A few seconds later the girl's started to applaud. Tracy made a curtsey and left the stage.

She stopped next to Amy. "I won." she said simply.

Amy trembled. "Just this game…" she replied.

Tracy sat down next to Daisy. "And?" she asked with a big smile on her face.

"You were soooo wonderful!" she pulled her into a deep hug.

"You sang nicely…" Sally said with her normal creepy voice.

"Thanks"

"So…." asked Daisy, "Where did you learn to sing like that?"

"Well, our neighbour taught me."

"Your neighbour?"

"Yeah. She's an old friend from my father. They went to High School together. She played the piano pretty good and composed her own songs. She showed me how to use my voice and well….you heard…"

"Wow. She must be a great teacher."

"Yes, she is. And a great person. I know her since I was born."

Amy watched Tracy. "Amy…" May said softly. "It isn't a shame that she sang…well…"

"That she sang better than me?" she asked.

May nodded slowly.

"It isn't only the fact that someone is better than me. It just…why does it have to be her?"

"Well….you defeated her in her game. It was her turn now."

Her turn? She did it as revenge? Amy felt bad. She knew now how Tracy felt when she won the basketball game.

Tracy looked at Amy. She would never ever admit it, but she felt sorry for her. But she wanted her to feel the same like she felt before.

"Hey, Tracy!" Amy yelled.

Tracy gave her a confused look.

"Touché! But just for now!"

Tracy smiled evilly. "You'll see. At the end of the summer, I'm the winner!"

Oh yeah, the summer turned out very interesting!