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free time. We’ll get our suits on, grab some towels and magazines, and go lay out by the lake. You won’t even have to get wet. But for now, we have to go to activities,” I told her.
    â€œWhat happens if we don’t?”
    Maggie stood in front of the little square mirror, adjusting her Camp Crockett cap. “The counselors throw us in a cage full of rabid chipmunks.”
    â€œWouldn’t surprise me in the least.”
    I ignored them both. “Okay, these are our options: canoeing, riflery, tennis, crafts, or hiking,” I read from the list. I looked at Devon. “Pick one.”
    Devon sighed heavily. “Crafts. I suppose that wouldn’t be too torturous.”
    Maggie made a snorting sound. “Crafts? No way! Crafts is totally lame. I’m not going to crafts.”
    â€œDon’t say that around Gloria. It’s not her fault she’s new and she got stuck being the crafts counselor,” I reminded her.
    â€œSo? She’s not even in the cabin now. All you do in crafts is make lanyards.”
    â€œWhat’s a lanyard?” asked Devon.
    â€œLook, it’s Devon’s first day. Let’s let her pick the activities she wants to go to this morning. Then in the afternoon you can pick.”
    â€œThanks, Mommy!” Maggie hugged me. “But when do you get to pick?”
    I could feel my face getting hot with anger. “I really don’t care what we do, as long as we’re having fun. Okay? Let’s try to have fun today!”
    â€œYippee,” said Devon. “I can hardly wait.”
    â€œCheer up, Ghosty Girl! Let’s all three be happy campers.”
    Devon held up three fingers. “Read between the lines.”
    Maggie grinned sweetly. “Nice manicure.”
    â€œLet’s go!” I snarled.
    So on that note, my two best friends and I left for the Crafts Cabin.
    It’ll get easier,
I told myself. Not every day could be this much work.

But it didn’t. At least crafts wasn’t absolutely miserable. We made plates out of some kind of clay and painted designs on them. Then it was time to pick another activity. Surprisingly, Devon chose tennis. I’d never known her to play tennis before, but I was glad she was willing to try something new.
    Tisdale, one of the tennis counselors, helped Devon and some of the other beginners work on backhands and forehands. Maggie and I took an empty court and started a match. Things were actually going fairly smoothly until Tisdale suggested that the girls she’d been working with try rallying with each other for a while.
    â€œI’m supposed to practice the strokes I just learned,” Devon announced, walking right out onto our court inthe middle of Maggie’s serve. Of course, I missed the return.
    I ran to the corner of the court and scooped up the ball I’d missed.
    â€œOff the court, Ghosty Girl! Chris and I are playing a match!” Maggie yelled from her side of the net.
    Devon didn’t even blink. There might as well have been a brick wall between Maggie and me instead of a net. “You want to play for a while? I think I could get the hang of this game with a little practice.” Devon swung her racket back and forth in a few practice strokes.
    Maggie ran up to the net. “Are you deaf ? We’re playing here, and you interrupted!”
    Devon had this amazing gift for ignoring people when they got on her nerves. She walked right past Maggie to the other side of the court. Then she called to me, “Okay, ready when you are. But go easy on me to start.” She gripped her racket in both hands, using the ready position that Tisdale had just showed her and the other beginners.
    Maggie and I stood by the net. Her mouth fell open. “Palechild’s got some nerve! She just barged right into the middle of our match!”
    When I glanced at the other courts, I could see that everybody else was already paired up in doublesor singles