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.” The girl rolled the last bite of candy to the back of her mouth, then crumpled the wrapper and dropped it on the floor.“In last year’s meet, I beat out everybody.Even the third-year girls.Now I’m even faster.”Courtney hadn’t been swimming since last summer at Daddy Jon’s house.He’d taught them all to swim, her, Betsy, and Ellie, when they were little.Sometimes she wished Mama were still married to Daddy Jon, even though he wasn’t her real father.Her real father went away when she was almost two years old.Daddy Jon was Ellie’s real father.He had adopted Courtney and Betsy.Now he and Mama were divorced and the girls spent every other weekend with Daddy Jon.Daddy Travis was okay, but older and never any fun.“Tennis,” the Toad said.A glob of chocolate had stuck to her crooked tooth.“If you play tennis, we could double.”“I haven’t played much,” Courtney admitted.She’d never played tennis in her life, but the girl seemed to be making an effort to be friends, and Courtney wondered if she had misjudged her.“I catch on quick, though.”“Tough.You’ll have to find another partner.I’m a star player.A beginner would drag my score down.”QUEEN TOAD, Courtney decided, turning toward the window.The rain had stopped.They should be getting close to Camp Cade.She wondered if Ellie’s bus had arrived at Camp Donovan.One of the second graders had promised to look out for Ellie, but Courtney had a bad feeling about this summer-bad enough that she’d given Ellie her lucky penny.Inside Ellie’s camp book she had written Daddy Jon’s telephone number.Daddy Jon was a good person to call if you got scared.Listening to the other girls’ chatter, Courtney missed Betsy so much, she felt as empty as a shriveled-up balloon.She wished she could take back all the mean things she’d ever said and somehow let Betsy know she’d done a pretty good job of being a big sister.Courtney wasn’t sure she could ever measure up.She wished, also, that she could take a BASEBALL BAT to the car that killed Betsy.She’d like to BUST all the windows and FLATTEN all the tires.Even more, she’d like to BASH Mr.Parker Dann.Chapter ThirteenSunday, July 26, Camp Donovan, TexasEllie wriggled into her shorts, slipped her arms into the red camp shirt, and squeezed it over her head fast.She hated getting caught inside.She smoothed the wrinkles over her tummy and scraped with her fingernail at a spot of something yellow.Mama would say to wear a clean shirt, the blue one or the white—both had CAMP DONOVAN on the front—but Ellie liked the red one best.She’d worn it every day since camp started.Rubbing her eyes with a fist, she tiptoed to the door, praying she wouldn’t awaken the other girls in her cabin.She’d woke up early so she could beat Anna to the flag.Yesterday, Miss Bower’d said the person who got to raise the flag to the top of the flagpole had to be an early bird.Easing the door open, Ellie started down the steps.Then she remembered Courtney’s lucky penny.No, her lucky penny.Courtney said she could keep it, and today Ellie needed lots of luck.Creeping back to her bunk, she tripped on her untied shoestrings and made a loud thump.She crossed her fingers that Anna wouldn’t wake up.She and Anna had argued last night about who would get to do the flag today.Ellie knew in her heart that she could do a better job.Anna would probably drop the flag halfway up, and then they’d have to burn it.Everybody knew it was very bad luck to drop a flag.She felt around under her pillow until her fingers closed over the penny.Pushing it deep in her shorts pocket, she hurried back to the door and down the steps.When the door banged behind her, she kept going.Across the yard, Miss Bower, her blond hair scraggly from sleep, was leaving the Chow Barn, where everybody ate meals except when they had a picnic.Miss Bower had a coffee mug in one hand and the flag box tucked under her arm.Ellie raced across the damp ground to the circle where everyone gathered to salute the flag.Miss Bower was settling into her camp chair to drink her coffee.“My goodness, Ellie.Aren’t you an early bird?”“I came to do the flag.”“Oh…” Miss Bower nodded, but Ellie could tell by the way her smile faded that it wasn’t a yes nod.It was the sort of nod Mama used when she said, “I see.”“I won’t drop it, Miss Bower.I promise.”“No, I’m sure you wouldn’t mean to, but it’s an awfully big flag for such a little girl.”“I’m not so little anymore.See, my hands are big.” Ellie spread her fingers wide to make her hands as big as possible.She heard footsteps pounding behind her.“Miss Bower! Miss Bower!”It was Anna.“Look!” Ellie clenched her fist to bunch up the muscle in her arm, as she pushed up the sleeve of her camp shirt.“I’m strong, Miss Bower.”“That’s not a muscle,” Anna jeered, offering both arms.“Look at these.”Just then, the bell rang, calling everybody to the circle.Ellie had to admit that Anna’s muscles might be a teensy bit bigger than her own
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IndexCidney Swanson [Saving Mars Saving Mars (epub)
Christine Wood [Life Plan 01] A Life Plan Without You (epub)
Cheryl McIntyre [Infinitely Infinitely (epub)
Clair Delaney [Coral 01] Coral (epub)
Christine Cody [Bloodlands 01 Bloodlands (epub)
Christina Ross [Unleash Me, A Unleash Me, Vol 3 (epub)
Christine Flynn [The Hunt for Once Upon a Christmas Eve (epub
Christian Fletcher [The Left Left on the Brink (epub)
Christopher G Nuttall [Royal The Royal Sorceress (epub)
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