Get Lost! (3 page)

The children all turned around to see what Mrs. Derkman would say to that. Mrs. Derkman didn’t like answering to anyone.

But Mrs. Derkman didn’t seem to have heard anything Genie had said. She was too busy spraying herself with bug spray. “Get off me, you miserable ant!” The teacher muttered as she sprayed her sneaker.

Genie pointed to a small woman with short brown hair and a cheery smile. “This is Tess,” she said. “She runs our animal program.”

“Hi everyone,” Tess greeted them. “I hope you will all visit the nature shack and help with the animals.”

Katie grinned. Tess seemed nice. And maybe visiting the animals in the nature shack would keep her from missing Pepper so much.

“And this is Carson, our nature arts instructor,” Genie said, pointing to a tall, thin man wearing sunglasses and a tie-dyed T-shirt.

“You won’t believe all the things we can create with nature’s art supplies,” Carson told them. “We’re going to have fun here, right?”

“Right!” the kids shouted back.

Genie did not look pleased.

Just then, a loud bell rang out over the campground. “Okay, that means chow time,” Genie told them. “You have exactly twenty-seven minutes for lunch. Now line up.”

The kids formed a straight line.

“March,” Genie ordered. “Hup, two, three, four. Hup, two, three ... ”

As Katie marched toward the mess hall, she remembered what George’s father had said about Science Camp not being the army.

Mr. Brennan couldn’t have been more wrong.

Genie the Meanie kept the kids moving all day long. They went from morning to night without a rest. Some of the activities—like making beeswax candles and feeding the animals—were kind of fun.

But Genie never once let the kids forget that Science Camp was part of school. She made them carry notebooks and pencils everywhere, so they could take notes on what they learned.

“I’m exhausted,” Katie said as she flopped down on the bottom bunk.

“All I know is Science Camp made me really tired,” Miriam added. “I think I could fall asleep anywhere. Even on this lumpy bed.”

Suzanne put her foot on the metal edge of Katie’s bed and hopped up onto her top bunk.

The top bunk sagged slightly over Katie’s head. The sagging lump moved back and forth as Suzanne found a comfortable spot to lie down. For a minute, Katie thought the bed might come down on top of her.

It was easier not to look up, so instead Katie looked around the cabin. There were four bunk beds lined up along the walls. The walls of the cabin were made of pine-colored wood paneling. There were four screened-in windows on each wall.

Just then, the cabin door swung open. “Okay, girls, it’s time for lights out,” Tess said, as she walked in and flicked off the light.

As Tess left the cabin, Katie felt scared ... and lonely. Pepper always slept on her bed with her at home. Now she was all alone.

Suddenly, Katie heard leaves rustling outside the bunk. “Suzanne,” she whispered.

“Do you hear that?”

Suzanne listened for a second. “I think there’s someone out there.”

“Someone or some
thing
,” Miriam suggested nervously.

Zoe leaped out of her bed and ran over to where Katie was sleeping. “Do you mind if I just sit here?” she asked Katie. “I don’t think I want to be so close to the door.”

The crunching of the leaves was louder now. Whatever was out there was getting closer.

“Do you think it’s a bear?” Katie asked.

“Maybe it’s a monster,” Mandy suggested. “A monster who hates kids at Science Camp.”

Suddenly, a huge light beam came shining in through the cabin window.

“Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!”
The girls all screamed. “It’s the Science Camp monster!”

But the light wasn’t coming from a monster. It was coming from Genie the Meanie’s flashlight.

“All right, boys, I see you out there,” Genie shouted. “You’ve been bunkhopping!”

The girls all raced to the windows to see what was happening. In the glare of Genie’s light, they could see Kevin and Manny’s faces.

“I’ve got the perfect punishment for you two,” Genie assured them in a voice that made the boys shake.

The head counselor grabbed Manny by the hand and walked him over to a huge old pine tree. “Hug it!” Genie ordered.

“Hug what?” Manny asked.

“The tree.
Hug the tree,”
Genie ordered again. She turned to Kevin. “You hug the one next to it. That way I can be sure you boys aren’t going anywhere.”

Kevin had no choice. He reached out his arms and hugged the tree. Manny did the same.

The girls knew they were supposed to be quiet after lights out. But they couldn’t help it. The sight of Manny and Kevin hugging trees was just too funny. They all started to laugh.

And Genie the Meanie didn’t tell them to stop.

“What’s that sticky stuff in your hair?” Carson asked Kevin, as everyone entered the mess hall for breakfast the next morning.

“Pine sap,” Kevin replied.

“How’d you get that on your head?” the nature arts counselor asked.

Kevin moaned and tried to wipe his hair. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Kevin took his tray and sat down beside Katie, Jeremy, Suzanne, and Manny.

“What’s up with George?” Suzanne asked Kevin. “I thought you guys always sat together.”

It was true. George, Manny, and Kevin usually did everything together.

But today, George was sitting all by himself in the back of the mess hall. He looked miserable.

“I don’t know what his problem is,” Manny said. “He doesn’t want to do anything. Like last night. We were all telling ghost stories in the cabin. George went to sleep!’”

“That doesn’t sound like George,” Katie agreed. “He loves scary stuff.”

“So, Jeremy, when exactly is this place going to get fun?” Suzanne asked, changing the subject. “You keep talking about how great camp is, but I think Science Camp is a real drag.”

Jeremy nodded. “This isn’t like the camp I went to last summer,” he agreed. “But maybe today we’ll get to to play some games or something.”

Just then, Genie passed by the table. Jeremy smiled nervously in her direction. “Excuse me, Genie.”

The head counselor glared down at him. “What is it soldier ... I mean
student?”

“Are we going to have some free time today?” Jeremy asked. “Maybe we can play soccer or basketball or something. You know, have a little fun.”

Genie’s eyes opened wide. “This is not summer camp!” she shouted. “This is Science Camp. You are not here to play. You are here to learn. And nobody said learning has to be fun!”

Jeremy gulped. Genie sure sounded mad.

“I have a full schedule for you kids,” she continued. “It begins with inspection. I’m going to check each of your cabins for neatness. And your beds had better be made well. I want those sheets pulled so tight I can bounce a quarter off them!”

“What does bouncing quarters on beds have to do with science?” Manny wondered aloud, after Genie walked away.

As the kids chowed down on their eggs, Katie glanced over at George. He seemed very quiet. She was worried about him. Finally, she got up and walked over to sit beside her friend.

 

“Hey, George,” Katie greeted him.

George didn’t say anything. He just shoved a forkful of eggs into his mouth. “These are gross,” he muttered between bites.

“I know egg-zactly what you mean,” Katie joked.

George didn’t laugh. Instead, he took another forkful of eggs.

“Are you looking forward to our hike this afternoon?” Katie asked, changing the subject.

George rolled his eyes. “No,” he snapped. “Hikes are dumb. Everything here is dumb.”

“George, why are you being so mean?”

“I’m not being mean. I’m just too cool for this place,” George told her. “Can I help it if you’re not?”

Katie’s face got red. “That was a mean thing to say, George Brennan!” she shouted. “I don’t think you’re cool at all. I think you’re a jerk!”

Then, Katie got up and stormed out of the mess hall—before Mrs. Derkman had a chance to tell her that
jerk
isn’t a word you use in school.