Briana, Meg, and Jan were already awake by the time Sarah had awakened. She yawned a loud yawn, and stretched her thin arms.
"Good morning!" chirped Sarah, not catching the blank expressions of her friends. They just stared blankly and awkwardly at her, much to Sarah's dismay. She had longed for her friends to speak with her.
"H-hey," said Briana at last, unsurely. "You were quiet last night. Did everything go well with Liz yesterday?"
Meg and Jan now just stared blankly at her, waiting for her answer. It took a second, but Sarah now finally caught their lingering apprehension given yesterday's events.
"It was okay," recounted Sarah in a murmur. "She just told me that she was notifying my mother of my behavior and if I did it again, I'm going home for the summer."
The conversation yesterday hadn't been that simple. After Sarah arrived to her conclusion, Liz shortly came to the cabin afterwards. She remembered that Liz was not happy with her behavior and told her off and scolded her more terribly than any teacher at her school ever had. She then angrily told her that Micah luckily wasn't allergic to any of the spiders, and his bite will heal perfectly.
"Well that's good, I guess." breathed Briana, shrugging.
"Are you guys mad at me?" asked Sarah immediately. She couldn't wait any longer. She wanted some sign, some clue that she wouldn't have to attempt to fake-drown herself to save the friendship.
Briana, Meg, and Jan all exchanged confused glares. To Sarah, they probably couldn't even pinpoint what their feelings were.
"I kinda am," replied Meg, looking disappointed. "I thought you were nice."
"I mean I get wanting to prank those creeps," rasped Jan. "But those spiders in the forest are some really nasty things. Micah could've gotten real sick."
"I guess we all are then," added Briana. "Trust us, we get that you wanted to get them back. But how you did it was really mean."
"Oh," sighed Sarah, looking down at her blanket. "I understand. And I know what I gotta do now."
The three other girls began talking amongst each other about the day's activities as Sarah sat sadly in thought. The idea of fake-drowning was not the next course of action she wanted. But poor Sarah had no idea what to do. Her one friend at home never used to feel mad at her. This was the first time she ever had felt disappointment directed towards her from a peer.
"What do I say?" she asked herself in thought. "Think Sarah! Think!"
But the words never came to her. She just couldn't think of what to say or how to say it as she began to squirm and feel uneasy. So uneasy she couldn't be still.
Feeling the sting, Sarah began to tactfully gather her belongings for the showers, as the three friends talked and talked. The more quiet they were towards Sarah, the more she felt her current course of action was the right way to go.
In the art hall, Sarah quietly and obidiently worked on her map of Granger Woods and Camp Cold Lake while Briana, Meg, and Jan worked on a group project.
"Hey Sarah, come here." called Meg.
Sarah, who was sitting on the opposite end, obliged and walked over to the girls. A tinge of excitement had filled her. Finally, just finally they wanted to talk to her.
"Hey do you think this looks like you?" asked Jan in a raspy tone.
In the middle was a drawn version of their log camp cabin, and in each corner of the picture was each girl that was illustrated to be holding the things that each one was good at. Briana was in the first corner holding a volleyball, Meg was in the corner to the right holding a softball, Jan was on the bottom left holding a basketball, and Sarah was holding a small square of white paper with a drawn version of Cold Lake in the middle.
Her picture, well it wasn't the most accurate depiction of her in Sarah's mind. As flattered as she was, she felt they made her arms look too long and her brown glossy glasses seemed too big for her drawn version's face. But Sarah beamed, and didn't want to make things worse by saying exactly what she felt, no matter how truthful she wanted to be.
"Yeah, it looks exactly like me. You even got my glasses right too." she lied convincingly. Too convincingly for her liking.
"Awesome," added Jan. "Counselor Troy will love this."
"Do you need any help?" asked Sarah, hopefully. Maybe her friends were trying to talk again and this picture was the olive branch?
"No," replied Briana immediately. "We're good."
"Oh-oh...okay." sighed Sarah woefully. Her hope had flew out of her mind like a balloon that was unceremoniously deflated and flew around the room making a horrid noise.
Oh how she wished she could find the right words to say...
Oh how she wished she could save the friendship...
Sarah then found herself later playing volleyball in the large track field not too far from the lake against another all girls cabin as Counselor Richard was double-teaming referee duties with the opposing counselor who's name was Gabriella. She wore the Camp Cold Lake counselor uniform with hiking boots, and had long flowing black hair with green cat-like eyes.
To Sarah, Richard seemed more busy in talking to her and gazing at her than paying attention to the match. He had the same perplexed, yet lovestruck gaze he had for Liz.
But she couldn't focus. Her interest hadn't been on the game. It was on her task she felt she had to do. Each time the volleyball was heading into Sarah's direction she would hold one arm out to serve it over the net lazily, as Briana and Meg would glare wearily at her.
"Hey Sarah," said Briana at last. "I get things are rough, but please try. We'll talk later, I promise."
Sarah looked confused. "Why not now? Why not sooner? Why keep me in suspense?" she thought bitterly. "Maybe I'll try harder. That way I won't have to fake drown."
Once again, knowing she wasn't going to try, the ball was served towards her for a point. Sarah feeling the frustration boiling inside her, gritted her teeth and jumped and smacked the ball over the net as hard as she could.
But there wasn't cheers or Sarah's long awaited reconciliation. There were gasps followed by a shriek of horror. Sarah had struck the ball so hard with her long arms, that it bounced and smacked an opposing teammate in the face - hard.
The poor tan girl's nose was bleeding profusely as she was covering her face in pain. Sarah stared in horror as her teammates had crowded around their friend and began to jeer at Sarah.
"THAT WAS TOO HARD!" a red-headed girl on the other team said as she consoled her friend.
"Oh I'm sorry!" wailed Sarah. "I didn't mean to!"
The girls on the other team didn't even bother to acknowledge Sarah. Her friends only glared at her with perplexed visages.
"Richard, let's end this here." Gabriella murmured. "I'll take Morgan to the infirmary. You take your girls to the lake, and we'll catch up later."
Richard nodded and gathered Briana, Meg, Jan, (who was on the sidelines), and Sarah to troop together to the lake.
"It was an accident!" cried Sarah sadly to Richard. "Honest!"
"Like let's just not talk about it, okay?" decided the calm counselor. "I'm totally not wanting to anymore. It was like a freak accident, and we'll chalk it up to that."
Sarah could tell that Richard was just as disappointed in her like her friends were, which only made her heart drop even further into her body.
"You guys believe me, right?" whispered Sarah to her friends.
Her friends only exchanged quiet and uneasy glances, much to Sarah's dismay. However it wasn't long until they reached Cold Lake. It was another beautiful sunny day, and the water sloshed quietly back and forth, glistening under the sun.
There was a smell of pine in the air in Granger Woods, followed by a gently wind that blew around them. While, Richard and her friends felt more at ease, Sarah didn't.
"It's such a beautiful day," she thought sadly. "I don't want to ruin it. I shouldn't."
But then she thought about her scolding from Liz, Richard's disappointment, her friends' confusion and anger, and putting Micah in the infirmary. It was maddening to her - drowning, of all things, was going to save the friendship. With a heavy sigh, Sarah knew what she felt that she had to do.
"I'll break the rules," she thought. "If I go to bottom of the lake, lay there and float up - I can make it look like I drowned and I am unconscious. They'll run and swim to me, and I'll wake up miraculously. They'll forget about the spiders and all my mistakes today and things will go back to normal. Piece of cake."
...
After changing into bathing suits, the girls were now all in a line with their opposing team of different girls. Counselor Gabriella had returned with her girls and Morgan, who's nose was swollen with red and purple blotches all over and a large tan bandage on the front and a cotton ball inside her right nostril.
"Alright girls," said Richard. "Today we're going to be doing a little water shell racing."
Sarah was dismayed. Of all events she was looking forward to, this was the one. And now it's going to be completely ruined. She began to feel hot, and then she couldn't be still or even focus on what Richard and Gabriella was saying. She began to start fanning herself, and feel ancy. Like one of her smuggled spiders from the day prior was in her bathing suit, and she was trying to get it out.
"Sarah, we're up. Come on." said Briana, nudging Sarah.
She had snapped out of her nervous trance and began to realize that once again she missed key information. But she looked at the two girls on the opposing team getting in their green rowing shell boat with while she and Briana were meant to get into a grey one.
"Oh! Oh yeah, let's get in!" spluttered Sarah suddenly and nervously.
Briana raised an eyebrow, but got into the narrow boat in the front, and Sarah got into the back. The boat wobbled a little and rocked. But it was much to Sarah's liking.
"Alright girls," said Richard. "So like you're gonna row your boats gently down the stream -"
"Richard!" snapped Gabriella angrily.
"I mean you're gonna totally row your boats down the lake to like the middle of the little trees out there." explained Richard in a chuckle. Sarah began to put her plan into action. Before she grabbed her oar, she adjusted her glasses to where they weren't firmly placed on her face.
"Liz is out there in the middle of the little islands to help turn you guys around." finished Gabriella.
"First to make it to Liz, then back wins! Alright guys!" announced Richard. "On your mark!"
Sarah and Briana firmly took positions...
"Get set!"
Meg and a member of the other team placed their hands on the back of the boats to push them into the water...
"Go!" cried Richard, and he blew his whistle.
Meg heaved and pushed the boat further in the water as much as she could, and Briana and Sarah were off. Paddling the oars in the water, pushing forward. Sarah was surprised with just how well she was doing.
"I guess practice really paid off." she muttered to herself.
The two girls furiously pushed and paddled the Cold Lake with their double-sided oars, back and forth. Back and forth, pushing forward, sloshing around in the lake. To Sarah's surprise, the two were further out more than she thought. While Liz was waiting to begin the second part.
"Keep going!" willed Briana excitedly. "We're gaining on them!"
Sarah then sighed to herself. It was time. Unfortunately, it was the absolute right moment for her plan. With Briana distracted, Liz not too far away to save her, and enough distance from the land where Richard could spot her easily, it was too perfect of a time to pass up.
Sarah quickly whipped her head to the side and her glasses flew off of her face and into the lake.
"Oh no my glasses!!" wailed Sarah, frantically now moving wildly in the boat. "My glasses fell into the lake! I can't see anything without them!"
"Sarah wait!" cried Briana, but it was too late. Sarah had dove into the waters of the lake, but unfortunately as she did, Briana's oar on the side-as she rowed wildly to stablize the boat-had struck Sarah across her face very hard as she now ungainly fell into the water with a splash.
All sound felt far away and distant as a dazed Sarah fell down, down, and down into the deep clearwaters of the lake. Briana's frantic cries for help, Richard wildly blowing his whistle, the other team trying to row to Briana and get to the sinking Sarah while screaming frantically was all muffled to silence for poor Sarah.
She was too dazed to continue her plan. She didn't even know or realize she was in the water floating into the depths and was too dazed to continue her acting as the lake water filled her nostrils and ears. Sarah's vision was blurred, as her vision had become blinded by the wavy lake water. And in a split second, Sarah went unconscious and everything had faded to black.
Sarah had awakened on land, clutching her head and feeling dazed and confused.
"Thanks for saving -" she began, but stopped. No one was around. In fact, she could tell she was at Camp Cold Lake. The lake lay in front of her. And she was at Dock Three of Four. But the scenery had changed.
For Sarah, it was as though there was a light bluish-gray tint over her eyes. She took her glasses off to rub them to try to correct her vision, but it remained the same strange color.
She stood and surveyed the area. All of her friends were gone, the opposing team was gone, Gabriella and Richard had disappeared...she was all alone. With no sound but the lake waving and sloshing in the background to keep Sarah company.
"Great, I guess now I'm color blind and alone." moaned Sarah, frustratingly running her hands through her hair.
"No you're not." called a girl's voice.
Sarah jumped and then she saw her. It was a girl she had not seen at the camp, as the mystery girl sat at the end of the dock, kicking her feet idly.
She was wearing the Cold Lake uniform, but it looked different it had a logo on the front. The green letters on the gray shirt seemed more oddly shaped and funky looking. She had long blonde flowing feathered blonde hair that seemed to flutter without wind making it so. She was pale, but tall and very skinny just like Sarah, except this girl seemed more gaunt with a rounded face.
"Who-who are y-y-you?" Sarah stuttered frightfully.
"I think you know who I am." replied the girl, now gazing out to the lake.
"No. I have no idea who you are." replied Sarah bluntly, but calmly.
"They tell stories about me," said the girl calmly. "I'm what the old people would say an urban legend."
Sarah gasped. It all hit her as hard as Briana's oar did. "You're Della Felix!"
"Della Ophelia Raver-Felix to be exact," replied Della, softly. "I just like Felix more because it's my mom's last name, and my dad was awful."
Sarah's brown eyes had shot wide open.
"But this is just impossible!" spluttered Sarah. "Ghosts can't exist!"
"Well here I am, and without a buddy." sighed Della turning to Sarah. Della's eyes were a piercing cerulean blue, round, and slightly big in this colorless version of Camp Cold Lake.
"So it's true, you died because you didn't have your buddy with you to help you from drowning." replied Sarah in a breath. Any fear she had was replaced with empathy.
"That's right, I did." replied Della, slightly angrily.
"I'm sorry that happened to you," soothed Sarah apologetically. "But I'm finding this hard to believe. You see, ghosts violate the laws of physics. They need energy to function or they would dissipate immediately. Studies have been conducted that dictate that a ghost can exist or even that there is some form of life after death. I must be dreaming."
"I wish you and I both were," sighed Della. "But we'll be buddies soon enough."
"How? You're dead and I'm clearly still alive." retorted Sarah, sounding annoyed. Nothing was making any sense, it made her feel frustrated and bothered.
"You're a smart girl," purred Della. "But mistaken. Ghosts can exist when they have a conduit. And when someone joins them in their afterlife."
"Wait, so that- so it- it means I'm-" Sarah spluttered and choked out in a shaken hollow breath.
"Dead." finished Della plainly.
"I can't be! No way!" shrieked Sarah, as she began to squirm and fan her hands, as if she was trying to shake then dry.
"Relax, would ya?" snapped Della crossly. "We're going to go back together. Except you'll be alive and I'll still be dead."
This was too much for Sarah who could only slump down, cross-legged on the dock, feeling hot.
"This is impossible. This is impossible." she repeated, rocking back and forth.
Della walked over to her gracefully, her blue eyes piercing a hole right through to Sarah's soul. "It's possible. You see, Liz is performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on you right now because Richard felt awkward doing it." she said crossing her arms, and rolling her eyes at the thought of Richard's behavior.
Sarah just gazed to Della helplessly, clasping her fingers on her head, shaking it wildly. "How do you -"
"And when you get back, you'll be my lake buddy. And I'll finally be able to leave this place," continued Della with a calm smile. "I'll finally have a true friend. And we can be best friends forever."
"Lake buddy?" spluttered Sarah. "Best friends? How? What do you mean? I'm so confused!"
"You won't be soon enough," replied Della in a pur, placing her hand calmly on Sarah's shoulder, Della was cold to the touch which made Sarah shiver. "See you soon best friend."
Sarah then awoke gasping for air wildly, and panting heavily. Her chest felt sore, and her breaths were heavy from her lungs being filled life once more as Liz was face-to-face with her and now kneeling beside her.
"RIGHTEOUS!!!" cried Richard, clenching his fist. Briana, Meg, Jan, and the Gabriella's team of girls were cheering and crying excitedly from seeing Sarah awaken from her excursion from the lake.
"What-what happened?" asked Sarah, dazed and coughing. "Where am I now?"
"You nearly drowned and died," explained Liz, tears flowing from her face. "You were trying to get these."
Liz then revealed Sarah's glasses in front of her face, carefully holding them in her hand. Sarah retrieved them and wearily put them back on.
"When you dove in, Briana accidentally smacked you with her oar," explained Liz. "I came over in the motorboat, dove in, and saved you and got your glasses back."
"We were so worried!" cried Briana, her eyes full of tears and interrupting Liz.
"We all were!" added Meg, sobbing tears of joy.
"We didn't want to lose you Sarah." added Jan, her voice not sounding as hoarse.
Sarah was still dazed and could only smile a half-smile as she felt herself fading in and out of consciousness. But while it was a smile that she was alive, it was also a smile of relief. She was too happy and exhausted feeling to think about her "encounter" with Della Felix.
"It worked." she triumphantly murmured in thought. However as Sarah was being carried to the infirmary in Richard's arms, while her plan indeed did work - it worked too well. For as Sarah was being carried away with her friends, Liz, and Gabriella's team following behind - they were being watched...
A/N: I can't wait to write more for Della!!! She is one of my fave GB villains in the series. But I do have some surprises in store with her character. Thanks for reading so far!