It was the first week of summer vacation and everyone was in a buzz from Cartoon Network City, to Nicktropolis, to Disneyville, and of course a whole lot more. However, before we focus on Cartoon Network City, our story begins in Nicktropolis of all places. More specifically, at Nicktoons High. It was often believed that at some moments, it seems like time actually stands still. Like when you're waiting for something really cool to happen, one lousy minute can last an eternity. The clock finally struck 3:00 and it was time for the students to go home and not just for the afternoon or the weekend. No, this time was a lot more precious than that: summer vacation. The long-awaited freedom from routine. It kind of does strange things to people.
"At Camp Caprice, price, price, we don't say mooses, we say meece, and we feel proud, proud, proud as we sing our song aloud~" A quartet of girls known as Ginger Foutley, Dodie Bishop, Macie Lightfoot, and Lil DeVille could be heard singing from in front of their school before laughing together.
"Excuse me. Step aside. Out of the way, Dodie," Principal Wartz said as he was coming by to join them outside of the school. "Man with trout to catch coming through!"
"No school for the whole summer!" Ginger cheered. "The six sweetest words in the English language."
"Unless you count 'Not impacted, no need for removal'." Macie remarked.
"I, for one, still have tons to do and the bus for Camp Caprice leaves day after tomorrow!" Dodie exclaimed.
"Don't remind me," Ginger shook her head. "My mom hasn't even finished sewing name labels into all my clothes yet and who knows when Zoey will get here?"
"Name labels?" Courtney asked as she and Miranda overheard that as she approached the redheaded girl. "Which designer are we talking about?"
"No designer, Courtney, it's just a summer camp tradition to sew your name onto your clothes," Lil explained as she rolled her eyes slightly at the blonde rich girl. "Ya know, at Camp Caprice."
Courtney just blinked and stared at Lil like she was speaking French.
"You know... bonfires and ghost stories?" Ginger added, trying to help jog Courtney's memory.
"Canoe races and s'mores?" Dodie added.
"Space away from your annoying twin brother even though you kinda have to love him anyway." Lil then said.
"Mosquitoes and the threat of encephalitis?" Macie helped.
Courtney just continued to stare them down as she was still lost.
"Anyway... you have to sew your name into your clothes." Lil then said to Courtney.
"Yeah," Ginger added with a nod. "It's a camp rule."
"Oh, you mean kinda like having your own clothing line?" Courtney guessed.
"Actually, it's just so you don't get back someone else's underwear when the camp does the wash." Ginger explained.
"Gee. Sounds like oodles of fun," Miranda snarked without a hint of sincerity. "Sorry Courtney and I will be missing out."
"Let me guess; you guys are going on some kinda fancy vacation that we 'common folk' can't afford?" Lil guessed as she rolled her eyes.
"You got that right, DeVille," Miranda smirked. "Courtney and I will be cruising the Virgins this summer."
Now Dodie and Macie were the ones who were lost in translation.
"Beg pardon?" Macie piped up.
"As in the American Virgin Islands." Courtney clarified.
"Well, I guess at least that means Miranda isn't easy." Lil smirked.
Miranda glared and growled at Lil for that.
"You know... Saint Croix, Saint Thomas, and, uh... the rest of the Saints along with my cousin Dakota." Courtney then added as examples.
"Oh! Well, that sounds fun too," Ginger said with a polite smile. "Hope you guys have a blast."
"Oh, we will." Miranda smirked as she began to walk off along with Courtney.
"I gotta tell you guys, that Miranda Killgahen really grinds my gears." Lil complained.
"We know." Ginger, Dodie, and Macie replied.
"On the plus side for camp this year, I hear Eliza Thornberry talked her parents into letting her come to Camp Caprice." Ginger then said with a small smile.
"That sounds great." Macie beamed.
"Yeah, we hardly ever see Eliza anymore." Lil added.
"Show-off girl... Dad hosting a nature show on broadcast TV..." Dodie mumbled and rolled her eyes.
The others gave her a slight look.
"Uh, I mean... Eliza! Oh, what fun Eliza Thornberry is!" Dodie covered up with a sheepish grin on her face.
"Yeah, that's what I thought you said." Lil rolled her eyes in disbelief.
Courtney and Miranda soon continued to walk off together.
Miranda scoffed about the brief conversation she and Courtney just had. "Could they be more 12?"
"Miranda... about this summer camp thing... What's the skinny?" Courtney soon prompted her best friend hopefully.
"Don't even go there, Courtney," Miranda shook her head. "Some kids may consider it a rite of passage..."
"Really?" Courtney asked as her eyes lit up.
"But I simply do not see it that way," Miranda continued to explain. "Stupid songs, pointless hikes, and macreme friendship bracelets that clash with everything," she then listed out of disgust. "Trust me, Courtney. It's not for a girl like you." she then advised in conclusion.
"A girl like me?" Courtney glared in offense. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means you're a little high maintence for summer camp." Miranda explained as she put her arm around Courtney.
"High maintence?" Courtney glared at that.
"I'm just being realistic, okay?" Miranda defended. "You wouldn't last two minutes in a place like Camp Caprice."
"Is that so?" Courtney glowered before she took out her cellular phone suddenly to dial a certain number. "Winston? Cancel my cruise and book me and Dakota for a summer session at Camp Caprice."
"Courtney! You know my father won't let me go on that cruise alone and he doesn't trust Amber Browne anymore!" Miranda reminded her best friend.
"I'll show you, Miranda!" Courtney glared. "If going to summer camp is a rite of passage, then I say 'hear, hear'!" she then added before turning away and storming off.
"Well, then, I say, 'You just totally ruined my whole summer'!" Miranda complained. "Thanks a lot!"
"You're very welcome!" Courtney retorted.
The two girls then groaned at each other in disgust before going their separate ways.
MEANWHILE...
In Cartoon Network City, as usual, there was a concert in the park to kick off summer vacation.
Grim really got into the music as he headbanged, but then made his skull fly right off his shoulders. "Rock on, dude!" he then cheered.
"AAAAAAAH!" Wyatt and Jonesy cried out as that startled them.
"Aw-w-w-wesome!" Jude laughed as he stood beside his girlfriend Bridgette.
"Oh, Jude, I'm so nervous..." Bridgette spoke up nervously.
"Don't worry, Bridge. Grim always loses his head when he has too much fun if Billy and Mandy let him." Jude said to the surfer girl he loved.
"No, it's not that, Jude," Bridgette explained. "It's meeting your Aunt Lisa and cousin SÅsuke."
"Aw, don't worry. They're gonna love ya, I just know it." Jude reassured her.
"You really think so?" Bridgette asked hopefully.
"I like you, don't I?" Jude reminded her with a small grin.
Bridgette beamed and blushed. "You have a good point there." she then had to admit.
"I thought you'd see it my way." Jude chuckled.
Bubbles was shown, seeing that with tears in her very big sky blue eyes while Blossom and Buttercup continued to rock out to Ami and Yumi on stage. Brick laughed as he, Butch, and Boomer were crowd-surfing until Boomer noticed that Bubbles was sad, then he flew down and smiled at her as he tried to cheer her up before she looked over at him curiously. No one was more excited in the crowd than a quarter of the teenagers who were on a double date. The group known as Zoey Gibson, Dakota Milton, Sam Froud, and Mike Doran. Eventually, the song came to an end as Yumi did a guitar solo after Ami then punctuated with one last drum beat.
"THANK YOU, CARTOON NETWORK CITY!" Yumi yelled out as she threw up the goats.
The crowd cheered and went wild for them.
"Yes, yes, thank you! Thank you so much, Poofy AmyYummy." The Red Guy smirked as he emceed the concert.
"That's Puffy AmiYumi!" The two rock stars glared and reminded him.
"Same difference, I get paid either way..." The Red Guy rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Unlike last year when Eddy Sampson tried to trick me into believing he personally knew these famous rockstars when it was just his friends in disguise."
Double D grinned sheepishly at that while Ed just had an oblivious smile and Eddy seemed to be trying to be hiding out of Red's line of sight.
"AAAAAAAAAAnywhoo~" Red then continued and laughed. "That was Amanda and Yolanda-"
"AMI AND YUMI!"
"I DON'T CARE!" Red snarled before he continued his speech. "And I want to thank you all for attending the End of the School Year Salute to Summer Concert! We're gonna take a 10 minute break and then up next will be those buck-toothed and high-pitched rats you adore! Melvin and the Squirrels!"
Johnny Bravo soon came on stage and whispered to Red about a certain detail.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY'RE NOT ON THIS NETWORK ANYMORE?!" Red yelled and snapped out of anger and frustration.
The crowd then muttered a bit before they left the stage grounds to go and do something else as it was getting dark.
"Well, this summer is off to an interesting start so far." Mike commented.
"You said it, bud," Sam nodded. "Especially since we get to spend it with two lovely ladies~" he then added as he looked across at Dakota and Zoey.
"Oh, Sam... you're so sweet~" Dakota blushed at that.
"Thanks, Sam. That's nice of you." Zoey added politely.
"It's what we do best," Mike smirked. "What can we say? You're the greatest and we're gonna have a great summer break with you."
Dakota and Zoey looked over at him before sighing.
"What? What'd I say?" Mike asked nervously.
"Oh, man! Did we forget your birthdays?!" Sam panicked.
"No, no, it's nothing like that!" Dakota reassured her gamer boyfriend.
"By the way, mine was in November." Zoey added as she crossed her arms slightly at Mike who grinned nervously.
"Sorry about that, I'll make it up to ya next time." Mike reassured her.
"I guess we'll have to see about that," Zoey rolled her sepia eyes and shook her head. "Anyway, that's not what we're talking about."
"Oh." Mike blinked.
"Then, uh, what's up?" Sam added.
"We're sorry it's so last minute, but we've been making plans about this during Finals Week in school," Zoey sighed and began to explain. "See, my Aunt Lois called to tell me that Ginger was going to Camp Caprice again this year with her friends and I qualified to take a job as a volunteer C-I-T and cabin Big Sister."
"And my Aunt Claire called me to tell me that Courtney needed a chaperone for her cruise with her friend Miranda and since Courtney is like my little sister, I should be there for her." Dakota added.
"Oh," Mike and Sam blinked before looking down. "Ohhh..."
"Sorry, guys..." Zoey replied. "Plus Ginger, Carl, and Courtney just started summer vacation."
"Well, uh... okay..." Sam sighed before looking over. "I guess we can't really come with you?"
"Not this time, I'm afraid," Zoey then said. "Camp Caprice is an all-girls camp."
"And I'm not sure how Uncle Prescott and Aunt Claire would react if I brought a date on the cruise with me." Dakota added.
"Well... I guess in that case, we can't stop ya," Mike sighed in defeat. "Well, we'll make the most of it while we can."
"When do you girls leave?" Sam added.
"First thing tomorrow." Dakota replied softly.
"Aw, *Qbert." Sam grumbled and pouted.
"That rots." Mike added as they all suddenly felt low.
Zoey and Dakota sighed as they just wished that there was something they could do to make it up to their boyfriends. This was going to be a long summer camp adventure and even longer than when Carl would greet Zoey with one of his pranks such as a hand buzzer or a pail of maple syrup on the front door hinge. Carl really spent too much time with Truman X and not with Jimmy Neutron who would be a more positive intelligent childhood friend and role model. Dakota went straight to the Gripling mansion in town while Zoey went into the small house that belonged to the Foutley family after they were ready to go after they finished Cartoon Network's Summer Concert and came straight to Nicktropolis before going their separate ways. Mike and Sam looked stumped as they wished that there was something they could do since the girls they loved spending time with were going away for most of the summer.
"Ah, Zoey, there's my favorite niece." Lois smiled as she hugged the redheaded teenager instantly.
"Ah, Aunt Lois, I'm your only niece." Zoey reminded the woman.
"Makes it easy to pick my favorite, doesn't it?" Lois smirked. "Just don't ask me who my favorite child is."
"I guess that would be cheating." Zoey smirked back.
The two then shared a laugh together.
In the meantime, Dakota came to the Gripling mansion, reuniting with her cousin Blake and Aunt Claire.
"Oh, my darling niece, it's always a joy to have you around." Claire beamed warmly.
"Thanks, Auntie," Dakota smiled before she looked around. "Where's Courtney?" she then wondered.
"She's upstairs in her room at the moment," Claire explained before sighing. "Maybe you can talk some sense into her."
"Pardon?" Dakota asked, raising her eyebrow.
"She... She just... Oh, I can't say it! It's too much for me to handle!" Claire cried out in distress before she fainted on the couch suddenly in the parlor.
Blake then rushed over and tried to fan his mother awake. "You better go see Courtney right now," he then suggested to his cousin. "I can tell that this is going to be a hard summer on poor Mama~"
"Right then... nice to see you again, Blake." Dakota nodded.
"Likewise, Dakota." Blake replied.
Dakota soon came upstairs and knocked on the door to the fluffiest and pinkest room in the whole mansion which clearly belonged to a certain someone.
"Just a moment~" Courtney answered before she soon answered the door, then beamed. "Dakota! You made it!"
"Hi, Courtney!" Dakota smiled as she hugged her cousin instantly. "Oh, just look at you, you're so beautiful."
"You can thank the cucumber milk that I saw in an old-school Coco Chanel catalog." Courtney smiled back.
"You're just gonna be the brightest and most glowing girl on the cruise." Dakota agreed.
"Ah, right... the cruise..." Courtney suddenly said distantly.
"Is something wrong, Court?" Dakota asked out of concern. "You always enjoy a good cruise."
"Right... I'm well aware, Dakota... But I have something to tell you, especially since you've had experience with a little place called Camp Wawanakwa." Courtney said as she led the way inside her bedroom, allowing her older cousin to come in and follow her.
"Yes...?" Dakota asked, waiting to see where this was going, though she had a bad feeling about it so far.
"I want to go to Camp Caprice this summer and I managed to talk the staff into letting you become a C-I-T and Cabin Big Sister." Courtney then finally revealed.
"WHAT?!" Dakota shrieked, scaring away some birds from the rooftops of the mansion as she looked like she was going to have a heart attack.
Back at the Foutleys, Ginger was packing up and getting ready to go for her big trip. Zoey came upstairs to greet and reunite with her favorite cousin and the two were very happy to see each other. Zoey then smiled as she decided to bond with Ginger a bit in the younger girl's room.
"It's so exciting that you're gonna be a C-I-T at Camp Caprice this year, Zoey," Ginger beamed in excitement. "I just hope you're a better one than that Courtney Garcia girl."
"Anyone is better than Courtney Garcia," Zoey nodded in reassurance. "Some people like Jo Elliot call her 'crazy-in-training' instead of 'counselor-in-training'."
The two then shared a laugh together.
"Oh, by the way... Ginger, I brought you a surprise," Zoey smiled at her cousin as she sat on her bed with her. "I thought you'd like to have it for your trip." she then added before taking out a wrapped box.
"Oh, thanks, Zoey!" Ginger smiled back out of excitement before unwrapping the box. "You didn't have to do that."
"Well, you know I wanted to," Zoey reminded her favorite cousin. "You're like a little sister to me after all."
"And you're definitely like a big sister," Ginger nodded before she beamed and took out a new blank paged journal. "Aww... I love new journal smell."
"Well, you know what they say, sometimes your life is like a blank journal waiting to be filled." Zoey reminded Ginger fondly.
Ginger smiled as she soon went to put her new journal away in her trunk before trying to close it shut. She then tried to sit on it, but grunted and struggled a bit as Zoey got up and was about to help her cousin.
"Need a hand?" Darren offered as he climbed through the window before patting his butt playfully. "Or a rump?"
"My hero." Ginger chuckled at that.
"Oh. Hey, Zoey... it's been a while since I last saw you." Darren said as he came into Ginger's bedroom.
"I could say the same thing about you, Darren," Zoey nodded. "It feels like the last time I saw you, you were Little Bill's age."
Darren chuckled at that before he came to sit down next to Ginger on the trunk to help close it. "So... Ready for a laugh?" he then asked with a weak laugh. "My dad's sending me to military camp."
"No way!" Zoey and Ginger gasped as the preteen girl was able to lock the trunk shut now.
"It was my dad's idea," Darren explained with a sigh. "He won't say why, but I think it's because I'm not like him and Will."
"But that's a good thing, Darren." Ginger replied.
"Yeah, I always thought so," Darren nodded. "But now, it's Spengler's Military Academy for me. Same one the old man went to when he was a boy."
"Spengler? Are you serious?" Zoey asked with a gasp. "You know what that means, right Ginger?" she then asked her cousin.
"Yeah! Then you'll be right across the lake from me-I mean us!" Ginger added out of excitement. "We can practically wave to each other!"
Zoey hid a small smirk at her younger cousin.
"Yeah. You'll be waving, I'll be saluting." Darren countered as he began to head out the window.
Zoey then looked at Ginger and urged her cousin to go after him.
"Oh... Miss you already, Darren~" Ginger beamed as she hugged him before he was fully out the window, causing him to blush.
Meanwhile, summer camp preparations were being made as Carl managed to talk Lois into letting him stay home for the summer to do a Vampire Cleaning Service with Hoodsey, though Zoey highly suspected something else. Classical music was being played in the Gripling mansion as Dakota was amazed at what her younger cousin was up to lately. Winston carried many clothes for Courtney while several maids began to do what they could to Dakota and Courtney's clothing.
"Oh! No, no!" Courtney shook her head and tutted. "The name tag goes on the inside of the collar. Not over the little pocket emblem! Isn't that right, Dakota?" she then asked her older cousin.
"Honestly, I don't remember Chris or Chef ever providing laundry in Camp Wawanakwa ever," Dakota replied. "It seems like we all wore the same clothes every day anyway."
"Oh, why would you wear the same thing every day? That's boring and distracting!" Courtney scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"Hm." Dakota mumbled in response.
"Mademoiselle, are zese enough to keep ze mothz avay?" A maid asked as she was pouring moth balls all over Courtney's luggage.
Courtney took a quick look for herself. "Maybe another few, Giselle. I will be packing cashmere." she then informed the maid.
"I just know that this isn't gonna work." Dakota sighed and shook her head at her cousin.
"I've got a bad feeling about this, Miss," Winston piped up urgently. "Pardon my saying, but you're the type who needs tending to."
"Oh, Winston, not you too," Courtney pouted at her faithful butler. "I am going to Camp Caprice, I am going to drink bug juice, and I am going to hear no more about it!"
"Understood, Miss." Winston sighed in reply before turning away.
"Well, look on the bright side," Dakota advised her cousin. "Bug juice really isn't as gross as it sounds."
"How do these poor kids get by not eating snails for lunch once in a while?" Courtney sighed and shook her head.
"It's beyond me with no caviar." Dakota agreed.
Courtney nodded before looking back at her butler. "Now Winston, I need you to keep a stiff upper lip. You know how the staff looks to you for strength." she then advised.
"Well, at least that was mature." Dakota remarked.
"Thank you, my dear cousin~" Courtney nodded.
"Well, all right..." Winston smiled as he looked back at his charge. "Shall I pack bug spray or lotion?" he then asked.
Courtney was about to answer that question when her bedroom door was suddenly slammed open.
"Now you're sure you want to go through with this, dear?" Claire asked her daughter uneasily. "I mean, the Islands won't be the same without you."
"I should say not!" Blake scoffed as he leaned against the doorframe, dressed like a little sea captain. "They shall be quieter for one and thereby, infinitely better! Not to mention Dakota won't have her paparazzi around and blocking the skylight for me."
"Blake! Show some compassion!" Claire scolded. "Your sister and cousin are spending their summer in more than third-world conditions." she then added before wiping away her tears in dismay.
"There, there, fragile matriarch~" Winston soothed Claire as spending the season without her daughter was emotional for her. "I've done the research and found out it's practically a spa."
"What I wouldn't give if Camp Wawanawka was more of a spa especially after I became Chris's intern." Dakota muttered to herself.
"Should I line your sleeping bag with the same fabric I used for your eye shade, Miss?" A woman soon asked as she walked into the room as she brought out a needle.
"Oh, brother..." Dakota sighed.
Soon, it was time for the big drop-off. Dakota and Zoey called and got in touch with Sam and Mike while they still could before they would be leaving with their cousins for the summer, but promised to make it up to them somehow.
"Now in case of snake bite you know you don't suck out the poison," Lois reminded her daughter. "That's just in the movies, okay?"
"Okay, Mom." Ginger replied.
"And if you see a shark that has legs, then you should run for your life." Zoey added.
"Too soon, Zoey!" Mike complained on the phone.
"Hey! It's not like you were Scott!" Zoey defended.
"Okay, I'll ease up," Lois then said to her daughter before holding out her arms. "But I still get a goodbye hug, right?"
Ginger soon leaned in and hugged her mother as tightly as she could.
"I'm not feeling it... that's better~" Lois smirked before smiling and then kissing Ginger goodbye. "I love ya, kiddo. Listen to Zoey and I want a letter every week."
"That I can do," Ginger reassured her mother. "And don't you forget to send gum."
"That I can do." Lois nodded.
"Ginger! Saved you a seat!" Macie cheered from the window. "Come on!"
"Hi, Mrs. Foutley!" Dodie added.
Lil then suddenly zipped over, making Dodie yelp as she came to the window. "Goodbye, Mrs. Foutley!" she then announced.
"Have fun, girls! Be careful!" Lois smiled and waved at them as Ginger got on the bus.
"See ya, Aunt Lois," Zoey said as she walked by. "I just hope my boyfriend Mike will be okay."
"I'm sure he'll understand," Lois told her. "He's the right one if he does, unless he's like your Uncle Jonas."
"Yeah, I guess that's a good point." Zoey nodded before she hugged her aunt.
"See ya, I hope you have fun too." Lois smiled as she hugged her niece back.
"I'm sure it'll be a summer to remember." Zoey replied softly.
Ginger soon came to sit on the bus next to Dodie while Lil sat next to Macie.
"PHILLIP!" Lil complained as she glared out the window as she saw her twin brother was up to something.
Phil chuckled as he seemed to have a certain purple book in his hands while standing with Tommy, Chuckie, and Dil until he saw his sister coming for him. "Uh-oh. Gotta run." he then smirked before he took off.
"PHIL, I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" Lil snapped as she began to chase after her twin brother.
"You're on vacation, take it easy, Lillian!" Phil retorted and cackled.
"Well, there goes Lil again." Ginger noted.
"Ah, don't worry about her, let's focus on us for now." Dodie advised.
"Okay... Battleship Blitz or Parcheesey?" Macie offered.
"I vote for... license plates!" Ginger suggested.
"Ooh, same!" Dodie beamed.
"Right, right. Save the best for last." Macie nodded at that.
Lil soon grumbled as she carried a little purple book in her arm and went to sit back down next to Ginger. It then looked like it was time to buckle up and soon the girls on board did so. That was, until...
"Wait! Stop!" Courtney cried out as she ran to catch up to the bus along with her workers and Dakota dressed like she was about to go to an Australian Outback. "Come on, Winston! Hurry!"
"Courtney? Dakota? You're coming to Camp Caprice?" Ginger asked out of disbelief.
"Isn't it surreal?" Courtney replied.
"Oh, you can say that again." Dakota agreed as she came onto the bus along with her cousin.
"That's great, Courtney." Ginger said politely as the blonde girl came to sit next to her.
"Hey! I was sitting there." Lil glared at Courtney, but she was ignored by the blonde girl.
"But not to worry I've been fully briefed on the ins and outs of camp chic so I'll fit right in," Courtney reassured the redhead before she called out the window to her butler. "Winston! Be a dear and tip the driver handsomely. Ta-ta!" she then requested.
"Where am I supposed to sit now?" Lil complained.
"You can sit with meeeee, Lil DeVille~" A girl known as Tootie Varner grinned and beamed hopefully.
"Aw, great, just what I always wanted..." Lil muttered and rolled her eyes.
"This is going to be fun." Courtney beamed as she got comfortable on the bus.
Dakota then came to sit next to Zoey while Lil sat next to Tootie. It was known that there were two types of friends. Your home friends and your away from home friends. And when those two sets of friends collide, you kind of see them both in a brand new light.