Jenna's Dilemma (16 page)

Read Jenna's Dilemma Online

Authors: Melissa J. Morgan

from the curtained area outside the darkroom. He glanced in Jenna's direction and closed the door quietly. Great. Had he come to mock her photography skills again?
“Hi, Faith,” he said.
“Hey there, Adam,” she said, not even looking up from her work. Apparently she was getting used to having him around all the time.
Adam weaved his way around the tables and took the stool next to Jenna's. “Hey,” he said, looking at her supplies. “How's it going?”
“Fine,” she lied. In the twenty minutes she had been in the darkroom she hadn't printed one good picture.
“So, was Mom pretty mad about the prank last night?” Adam asked.
Jenna glanced at Faith, but then realized it didn't matter if they talked about it here. Everyone in camp knew she was responsible for the Great Animal Escape, which was what Pete had called it that afternoon.
“Not really,” Jenna said. “She was cool about it.”
“That's good,” Adam said. He started lining up her film strips on the table, organizing them for her. “I mean, she probably would have been
really
mad if she knew what else you had done this summer.”
Jenna froze. “What do you mean, what else I've done?”
“Oh, you know, the sugar in the salt shakers . . . that picture you took of Stephanie,” Adam said. “You know, that was a nice shot. Maybe you should just stick to Polaroid. It's more your speed.”
Jenna was too stunned to even whack him on the shoulder for the insult. When had Adam figured out that she was behind the other pranks? “What do you . . .”
Jenna stopped when Adam gave her an “oh, please” look. He was her twin, after all. He knew her better than anyone. There was no point in trying to act all innocent around him.
“All right. How did you know?” Jenna asked, her shoulders slumping.
“Well, first of all, the salt shaker thing was just like the trick you played on Uncle Earl last Thanksgiving,” Adam pointed out, shifting on his stool. “You remember? When you put apple cider in the gravy boat?”
Jenna laughed. “Right! And he didn't even notice.”
“Said it was the best gravy he'd ever had,” Adam said with a smile.
“Aunt Jo did not like that,” Jenna said. “Okay, so maybe the sugar prank wasn't the most original idea I've ever had. But what about the Stephanie thing?”
“Well, you and I are the only ones who know about that gross mask thing of hers except for the girls in her bunk,” Adam said with a shrug. “I knew it wasn't me, and all the girls in her bunk worship her . . . so I figured somebody had to talk them into it. Who else would do it but you?”
Jenna let out a little whistle. “Wow. You're good. Maybe you should become a detective or something.”
Adam grinned wickedly. “Why do you think I'm so interested in photography?” he said. “P.I.'s make tons of money, you know.”
Jenna was struck for the millionth time by how much her brother's thoughts were like her own. Back when she had decided to take photography one of the reasons was so that she could learn to take spy pictures of her family. Clearly Adam was thinking along the same lines.
“So if you knew all along . . . why didn't you tell on me?” Jenna asked.
“I don't know,” Adam said, toying with a lever on the exposure machine. “I guess I just figured . . . you know . . . we already had enough stuff going on. I didn't want you to get in trouble on top of everything else.”
Jenna's heart squeezed, and for the first time since she was about five years old, she felt like hugging her brother. She resisted the urge, though. It was just too weird. He probably would think that she was taping a “Kick Me” sign to his back.
“Is . . . is that why you've been hanging out in here so much?” Jenna asked him, looking down. “Because you're upset about Mom and Dad?”
Adam shrugged again. “I dunno. Maybe. It's just weird hanging out with the guys and trying to have fun when all these bad things are going through my mind. It's like one second I'm laughing and then all of a sudden I remember that Dad moved out and I don't really think anything's funny after that. Would you believe that Eric and those guys actually started calling me Adam-Moody? Like it's all one name. Adamoody.”
Jenna laughed at the joke, then covered her mouth. “I totally know how you feel,” she said. “It's like one second I'm happy and the next second I'm yelling at people. No one's given me a nickname yet, though.”
“Huh,” Adam said, his eyes wide. “You really do know how I feel.”
“Yeah. I do,” Jenna said. She felt about a million percent better to know that her brother was going through the same emotions she was.
“Wow,” Adam said, looking as surprised and relieved as Jenna felt. “We should have talked about this ages ago.”
“Tell me about it,” Jenna replied.
They sat there smiling at each other for a long moment.
Huh. Maybe Adam's not so bad after all
, Jenna thought. And somehow she knew he was thinking the same thing about her.
“So, you want me to show you how to do this or what?” Adam asked, sliding closer to her.
Normally Jenna would have gotten all defensive if Adam, or anyone else, had forced his help on her, but for the first time all summer, she felt calm. She felt like she could deal with the fact that she wasn't good at photography. She felt like she could, and should, ask for help.
“Yes, I do,” Jenna said. “I really, really do.”
 
 
The next day, Jenna trailed behind the rest of her bunk on the way to free swim. Ever since the Great Animal Escape all her friends had been sort of cold to her. They weren't ignoring her completely, but they weren't being all that friendly, either. The very idea of sitting by the lake on the outskirts of their crowd made her cringe. All she could do was hope that they wouldn't be mad at her forever.
“Hey, Jenna! Wait up!” Marissa called out, jogging to catch up with her. As always, the CIT was perfectly coordinated with a red bathing suit, red flip-flops, and a red-and-white striped plastic bag full of magazines and suntan lotion.
“Hi,” Jenna said, surprised that Marissa wanted to walk with her. The CITs, especially Marissa and Stephanie, had been looking forward to the social more than anyone else in camp. Jenna had figured they would be madder at her than the rest of the campers.
“So, how's it going?” Marissa asked, her ponytail swinging back and forth as they walked.
“Okay,” Jenna said, pulling her towel more tightly around her body. “Except everyone hates me.”
“Everyone does not hate you,” Marissa said, slinging her arm over Jenna's shoulders. “It was just the camp social. Half the people there didn't want to be there, anyway.”
“Really?” Jenna said.
“Please! You remember what it was like when you first started here,” Marissa said. “All the younger kids don't know what to do at dances, whether they're square or otherwise. And, you didn't hear this from me, but all the CITs want to do is sneak off and smooch somewhere,” she added, lowering her voice.
“Oh, ick!” Jenna said, sticking out her tongue with a laugh.
“All I'm saying is, people will get over it,” Marissa said. “You'll see.”
Just then, Marissa tripped forward a few steps and Jenna caught her arm.
“Stupid flip-flops,” Marissa muttered. One of her red sandals was lying on the path a foot back, having slipped off. “Hang on a sec, will you? I want to put on my tennis shoes.”
“Sure,” Jenna said, following Marissa over to a rock so she could sit. Jenna didn't see what the big deal was. The lake was about fifty yards away, and Marissa could definitely make it without changing her shoes. But Jenna wasn't in any hurry to get to free swim, anyway, so she waited, watching the other campers laughing and chatting as they streamed by.
Marissa pulled out a pair of white tennis shoes and shoved her feet into them, then placed the flip-flops back into her bag. She retied the knots in her laces and finally stood up.
“Okay, all ready,” Marissa said, dusting herself off. They started toward the lake again, side by side. “So . . . you think you want to try diving again today?”
“I don't know,” Jenna said, feeling that familiar pit of fear start to form in her stomach. “Maybe I could give it a try . . .”
Her words trailed off as she and Marissa came to the end of the pathway and stepped onto the sand. There, directly in front of her on the beginners' diving pier, was her entire bunk, along with Tyler, Stephanie, and Adam. They were all lined up on either side of the platform like they were forming a runway.
“Let's go, Jenna!” Stephanie cheered. Everyone clapped and shouted and called out her name.
“Omigosh,” Jenna said, stepping to the edge of the pier. “What are you guys doing?”
“We're helping you dive,” Tyler said, stepping forward and walking her to the edge of the platform. “This whole scaredey-cat thing? It's definitely not you.”
“You think?” Jenna said.
“Come on, Jen,” Stephanie said. “You're the bravest chick we know. I mean, what you pulled the other night might have been totally beyond stupid—ow!” Adam had nudged Stephanie in the side to get her to stop talking. She rubbed her ribs and continued. “But it takes guts to do stuff like that.”
“Yeah, if you can coordinate the Great Animal Escape, you can totally dive,” Natalie put in.
“Not that we're saying you should ever do anything like that again,” Julie put in.
“Ever.”
“Don't worry. I am all pranked out,” Jenna assured her.
“Come on, Jen,” Marissa said. “Do you really want to be standing on the planks all summer, or do you want to dive in and join the rest of us?”
Jenna stepped up to the edge of the platform. Maybe it was because her heart was so full, thanks to her friends and family for supporting her. Or maybe she just didn't care anymore. But either way, the fear was barely there anymore. Marissa was right. It was time for Jenna to take the plunge. It was time for her to do something really daring.
Jenna stood with her toes hanging over the edge of the pier and raised her arms over her head the way Tyler had taught her. With all her friends, her counselors, her brother and sister cheering behind her, Jenna grinned, took a deep breath, and went for it.
Turn the page for a sneak preview of
camp
CONFIDENTIAL
Grace's Test
available soon!
chapter ONE
Dear Emily—
Hey there, chiquita! What's up back in Boringtown, U.S.A.? I bet you've been spending the whole summer just lying by the pool, right? I'M having a blast here at Camp Lakeview, as if that's any surprise! My bunkmates rule—they're almost as cool as you. (Calm down, I said almost!) I'm in the same bunk as Brynn, Jenna, and Alex again, which is so Much fun. It's hard to believe I haven't seen them since last summer—we just slipped right back into our old friendship. I'M lucky to have so Many friends here. Not that they'll ever replace you, My bestest friend in the world! I wish you could come to Lakeview, too. It's weird being best-friendless for the entire summer. And I know you're probably Mad at Me. I'M sorry I haven't written yet, EM, but you know how it is. I keep Meaning to, but then—
Whatever. I haven't told you the Most amazing thing. One of the new girls in my bunk, Natalie, is the daughter of Tad Maxwell!! Can you believe it?? He came to Lakeview with his girlfriend one day during the first two weeks, but he couldn't Make it for Visiting Day last week. If only My parents were famous Movie stars so they'd be too busy to get here for a visit. But no, they showed up. With about five More books for Me to read. Ugh. They spent the whole time lecturing Me, as I'M sure you can imagine—

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