Jenna's Dilemma (2 page)

“Maybe she wants to make a ceramic statue of
Simon
!” Jenna teased, watching Natalie's face go red. Everyone laughed even harder, and Jenna giggled happily. She loved making people laugh, and this joke was too easy to make. Simon was a boy in Jenna's twin brother Adam's bunk whom Natalie had been crushing on since the first week of camp. Most of the girls in the bunk thought boys were gross and annoying, so they loved to tease Natalie about Simon.

“Okay, okay. Are you guys ever going to stop picking on me about this?” Natalie asked, still smiling.

“Sometime, maybe,” Jenna said. “Check back with me next summer.”

“Nat! You're up!” Julie called.

“Ha-ha,” Natalie said, nudging Jenna's leg with her toe as she got up and walked over to Julie.

Jenna kicked back and munched on her cupcake while the rest of the bunk went up one by one to get their electives. Suddenly, the door banged open and in walked Marissa, her CIT, along with Jenna's older sister, Stephanie, who was also a CIT. Stephanie had been stuck with bunk 3A, who happened to be the rivals of bunk 3C. Normally, CITs would at least be semi-cold to the CITs of their rival bunks, but not Marissa. She and Stephanie were best friends and couldn't care less about the rivalry.

“Hey, Boo,” Stephanie said. “You got cupcakes, too, huh?”

“Steph, I told you not to call me that here,” Jenna said, scrambling to her feet. At home, her family nickname didn't bother her, but the last thing she wanted was for her bunkmates to start using the cutesy name for her. Then the guys would find out, and suddenly everyone at Lakeview would be calling her “Boo,” which was only her nickname because she had apparently loved peekaboo so much when she was, like, two.

“Oh, right. Sorry,” Stephanie said, reaching out to smooth Jenna's hair behind her ears. “God, did you even wash up today?” The girl actually licked her finger and went to wipe something off Jenna's cheek.

“Ew! Do not touch me with that!” Jenna pulled away, her face turning beet red as a couple of her bunkmates giggled. “Okay,
why
did you bring her here?” Jenna asked Marissa.

“I'm not getting in the middle of this,” Marissa replied, backing away.

It wasn't like Jenna hated her big sister. She actually loved her—most of the time. But when they were away at camp, Stephanie always acted like she was suddenly supposed to be Jenna's mom or something. And she was only sixteen—just five years older than Jenna. It drove Jenna up the wall. It also didn't help that Stephanie was totally gorgeous and cool, which meant all the girls looked up to her, and all the boys followed her around like puppy dogs. Totally sickening, if you asked Jenna.

“Sorry!” Stephanie said, her blue eyes sparkling as she raised her hands in surrender. “I just came by to borrow some nail polish from Marissa. Pretend I'm not even here.”

Marissa and Stephanie walked over to Marissa's bed and started to go through the CIT's big pink box of cosmetics. Jenna let out a sigh. Sometimes it was cool having her sister and Adam at camp with her at the same time. It was nice having family around and knowing there were people she could go to if she needed someone or got homesick. But those things hardly ever happened to Jenna, and in the meantime it was like everywhere she went, there was a sibling watching her or picking on her or trying to tell her what to do. Plus, because her oldest brother Matt had also gone to Lakeview, half the grown-ups here couldn't keep all the Bloom kids straight, so they just called her “Bloom.” It was totally annoying. Sometimes she just wished she could get away from them all.

“Jenna, you're next,” Julie said.

Jenna quickly wiped her cheek, wondering what Stephanie had seen on there, and sat down next to Julie.

“Okay, you got photography, which was your first choice,” Julie told her. “But for your other elective, I could only get you your third choice, the newspaper.”

“No sports?” Jenna asked, disappointed.

“No, not this time,” Julie said. “But don't worry. You still have a million active activities to keep you busy. And, hey, Natalie and Alyssa are on the paper, so that'll be cool.”

“Yeah. Welcome to our world,” Alyssa said with a smile, overhearing.

“Cool,” Jenna said, brightening.

Since camp had started two weeks ago, she had really gotten to know and like the two new girls. It might be fun working on the paper with them. Besides, she liked hanging out with newbies. Jenna had been coming to Lakeview for years, and the new kids always needed her help finding their way around. It made her feel important. Instantly, her disappointment was forgotten. Jenna had never been one to dwell very long on the bad. She was all about the good. And, besides, Julie was right: They had swimming every day—either lessons or free swim, which was the best part of camp. Plus, the bunk competed in various sports with other bunks in their age group almost every day. She would have plenty of exercise.

“So, Bo . . . I mean, Jenna,” Stephanie said, stepping up with a bottle of silver nail polish. “What did you get?”

“The newspaper and photography,” Jenna replied.

“Oh, that's so cool!” Stephanie exclaimed. “I just saw Adam before I came over here, and he got photography, too! I guess you guys will be spending a lot of time together!”

Jenna tipped her head back and groaned. Perfect. So much for getting away from her family. Two whole weeks stuck in the darkroom with her twin brother. Wasn't it enough that they'd had to share a womb for nine months? When was the torture going to end?

chapter TWO

That night in the mess hall, everyone was even rowdier than usual. There was a rumor going through camp that there was going to be some big announcement, and all the campers were buzzing, wondering what it might be. Voices and laughter bounced off the wooden rafters high above, filling the room with a crazy mix of happy noise. It was so loud, Jenna swore she could even see the cobweb-covered lights swinging on their wires overhead.

“What do you think the big news is gonna be?” Karen asked Jenna excitedly, digging into the orange sherbet that the kitchen staff passed off as dessert. Usually, Karen was the shyest girl in the bunk. She kept to herself during free period and barely spoke at meals—or ever—but even she couldn't help but be affected by the excitement in the air.

“It's going to be a dance,” Alex said, cutting in before Jenna could answer. “It's
always
some kind of dance.”

“Really?” Natalie asked, leaning forward in her seat. “That could be cool!”

“Yeah, they actually are,” Jenna said, eager to

share her Lakeview info. “They usually have all these great decorations and crazy amounts of snacks, and everyone gets all dressed up.”

“Well, as dressed up as you
can
get around here,” Grace put in. “I've been saving my favorite rhinestone barrette just in case,” she added with a grin. “Last year, I had
nothing
cool to wear.”

“Well, my mom called ahead to see what I would need, and when she found out about the yearly dance she bought me a new sundress,” Chelsea said, tossing her blond hair back. “I haven't even cut the tags off yet.”

Jenna caught Alex's eye, and they both stifled a groan. Chelsea was new this year, and they had found out early on that she was smart and funny. But she could also be a bully and was totally into her looks. Plus, she
loved
to show off.

“This is so beyond cool,” Natalie said. “I brought all kinds of stuff that I never thought I'd get to wear once I got here. Like my new denim miniskirt and that purple tank top with the appliqué flowers . . . I'm going to have to do some serious outfit planning.”

“Well, I have no dance-worthy clothes,” Alyssa said. “Who knew they had dances at camp?”

“You can borrow something of mine, if you want,” Natalie offered. “So, do people have, like, dates for this dance?”

Please! Dates?
Jenna thought.
I'd rather eat all the leftover sloppy joe surprise!

“Some of the older kids ask each other,” Alex said. “But I don't think anyone in our year will.”

“Oh,” Natalie said, her face falling.

“Why? Did you want
Simon
to ask you?” Jenna asked. “Natalie and Simon sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” She glanced over at Simon and Adam's table and found them and a bunch of their friends trying to get their spoons to stick to the ends of their noses. Adam's spoon clattered to the table, and they all cracked up laughing. “What do you see in them, anyway? They're such losers,” Jenna said.

“But cute losers,” Chelsea put in, raising one eyebrow.

Jenna stuck her finger in her mouth to fake gag. Two weeks ago, Chelsea had claimed to be just as grossed out by the boys as the rest of them, but clearly that was a big fake out. Lately it had become obvious that she was almost as boy-crazy as Natalie.

“I just hope none of you think my brother is cute,” Jenna said, pushing away from the table. “Because that would just give me nightmares.”

“You're going over there, aren't you?” Natalie asked as Jenna stood up.

“Yep. I have to talk to my evil twin,” Jenna replied.

“Tell me if Simon says anything about me?” Natalie begged.

Jenna tried not to roll her eyes. “No problem,” she replied.

“Uh, Jenna? Where are you going?” Julie asked, sounding worried.

“To talk to my brother,” Jenna replied.

“To talk to him? Not to pull some prank on him?” Julie asked.

Jenna smiled. “No, Julie, I swear.” She crossed her heart with her pinkie for good measure.

“Okay, then!” Julie said with a smile, though she still looked doubtful.

Wow. Pull a few lousy pranks and one raid and nobody trusts you anymore,
Jenna thought.
Well, one raid each summer. Maybe two.
She walked over to Adam's table and dropped down into a chair next to him.

“Jenna? What are you doing over here?” Adam's bunk counselor Nate asked, with an expression that looked a lot like Julie's just had.

“I'm not pulling a prank!” Jenna half-shouted.

“Like you could really pull one over on us,” Adam said.

“Hello? I've only done it, like, a million times before!” Jenna reminded him.

“But not tonight,” Nate said.

Jenna rolled her eyes. “Not tonight. I promise,” she told Nate. She turned to her brother while the rest of the guys continued their stunning spoon tricks. “So, Adam, we need to talk.”

“I know,” he said. “Did you get the cupcakes from Mom today?”

Jenna's heart turned over in her chest. “Yeah, but that's—”

“Unbelievable, right? I mean, it's like they're trying to bribe us or something. I didn't even finish the candy Dad sent over the weekend yet,” Adam said, looking down.

Jenna did not like the way this conversation was going. “Yeah, well, that's because you don't share,” she said. “So listen, do you really
have
to take photography?”

“Photography?” Adam asked, blinking. “That's why you came over here? I thought you wanted to talk about—”

“Yeah. I want you to drop it,” Jenna said, cutting him off. “Drop photography and take something else.”

Adam sat up straight in his chair, and she knew she finally had his full attention. “Why?”

“Because I'm taking photography. And, you and me? We can't be in the same elective at the same time,” Jenna said.

“Why not?” Adam asked.

“Because! You . . . you . . .” And that was when Jenna realized she didn't have a real reason. What was she supposed to say?
“I don't want you around me?”
Adam had thick skin, but even he would probably be upset by that. It didn't even really make sense to her, but it was how she felt.

“Because I what?” Adam asked.

“Because you smell!” Jenna said, blurting out the first thing that came to her mind.

All of Adam's friends cracked up, and her brother's face fell. For a split second Jenna felt beyond awful. She couldn't believe she had just made fun of her brother like that in front of everyone. But then his face broke into his silly, wide grin. He lifted his arm and took a huge, long whiff of his T-shirt at the armpit.

“Ugh!” Jenna groaned, along with some of the guys.

“Fresh as a flower patch,” Adam said, picking up his spoon and digging into his dessert. “Sorry, sis, but if you want to avoid me,
you're
gonna have to drop photography. You'd better get back to your friends. I'm sure you're missing some very important lip-gloss tips or something.”