Read Online Camp Confidential 01 - Natalie's Secret by Melissa J. Morgan - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Melissa J. Morgan
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“I just don’t see a need to get up close and personal with something cold and slimy.”
“For a city girl, you sure can be a baby,” Chelsea said, and wandered off to play with the rabbits.
As soon as Chelsea was out of earshot, Natalie rolled her eyes at Valerie. “Funny, I’ve never seen her touch the snake,” she commented. “She just likes to annoy me.”
“She likes to annoy everyone ,” Valerie pointed out.
“But me especially,” Natalie insisted.
Valerie shrugged. “Yeah, maybe. I wouldn’t worry about it. She’s probably just jealous.”
“Of me? Why?” Natalie asked. “What’d I ever do to her?”
“Well, let’s see, you’re the only other girl in the bunk who’s anywhere near as pretty as she is, and you also wear makeup and are into boys, just like her. So you’re like some kind of big threat to her.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Natalie scoffed. “She’s the one who’s totally gorgeous and always put-together. I think her body is naturally programmed to wake up before the bugle! And she’s way more into camp than I am. I mean, she’s good at all the sports and stuff. I’m no good at anything other than ballet and yoga. I’m, like, the anti-camper.”
“It’s not ridiculous, Natalie,” Valerie protested. “For starters, you’re an amazing swimmer, even if you hate to go in the lake. And let’s not forget the one thing you’ve got that she really wants.”
Natalie eyed her friend questioningly. Val winked and tilted her head in the direction of the rabbits, where Chelsea was replenishing the animals’ water. There was only one other person over by the rabbits. Simon.
“For starters, I do not ‘have’ Simon, and secondly—do you really think Chelsea likes him?” Natalie asked. But before Val could answer, Roseanne clapped her hands and called for everyone’s attention.
“Girls, guys, gather round! I have an announcement to make,” she said loudly.
But Natalie couldn’t concentrate on what Roseanne was saying. She was still thinking about what Valerie had said. Simon did always go out of his way to talk with her in nature, which was nice, but she didn’t know if he liked her, liked her. Or if she even wanted him to. Still, when she thought that maybe Chelsea was into Simon—well, the idea didn’t make her feel very good. Not good at all.
But there were worse things to worry about at Camp Lakeview, as Natalie was about to learn.
“Next week, on Thursday, we’re going on a camp-out,” Roseanne said.
Suddenly, Chelsea’s feelings for Simon were the least of Natalie’s concerns.
“What color today, Nat?” Marissa asked, spreading out a beach towel on the sand next to Natalie.
Natalie was a fantastic swimmer—she’d had all sorts of private lessons in New York. She didn’t mind instructional swim, but she wasn’t crazy about the lake and all of the actual fish that swam in it. So when free swim rolled around, she preferred to work on her tan.
The head of the waterfront, an extremely tan and fit counselor named Beth, seemed to think this was okay, though she was often trying new and inventive tactics at getting Natalie up and into the water. Just yesterday, she had tried to convince Natalie that lake water was good for the skin. While Natalie appreciated the approach—“A for effort, Beth,” she’d said—she wasn’t biting.
Natalie’s new hobby was lying on the shore by the lake, painting her toes, and watching her bunkmates swim. Fortunately, free swim was the one thing in camp she could get out of if she wanted to, as long as she came down to the waterfront. Lately, Marissa had been joining her, which was especially cool because she always brought her magazines with her.
“Ice Princess,” Natalie read off the bottom of the bottle. “Want me to do yours?” Her heart wasn’t in it, though, after Roseanne’s alarming announcement. Marissa instantly picked up on Natalie’s mood.
“No, thanks, Steph
“For a city girl, you sure can be a baby,” Chelsea said, and wandered off to play with the rabbits.
As soon as Chelsea was out of earshot, Natalie rolled her eyes at Valerie. “Funny, I’ve never seen her touch the snake,” she commented. “She just likes to annoy me.”
“She likes to annoy everyone ,” Valerie pointed out.
“But me especially,” Natalie insisted.
Valerie shrugged. “Yeah, maybe. I wouldn’t worry about it. She’s probably just jealous.”
“Of me? Why?” Natalie asked. “What’d I ever do to her?”
“Well, let’s see, you’re the only other girl in the bunk who’s anywhere near as pretty as she is, and you also wear makeup and are into boys, just like her. So you’re like some kind of big threat to her.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Natalie scoffed. “She’s the one who’s totally gorgeous and always put-together. I think her body is naturally programmed to wake up before the bugle! And she’s way more into camp than I am. I mean, she’s good at all the sports and stuff. I’m no good at anything other than ballet and yoga. I’m, like, the anti-camper.”
“It’s not ridiculous, Natalie,” Valerie protested. “For starters, you’re an amazing swimmer, even if you hate to go in the lake. And let’s not forget the one thing you’ve got that she really wants.”
Natalie eyed her friend questioningly. Val winked and tilted her head in the direction of the rabbits, where Chelsea was replenishing the animals’ water. There was only one other person over by the rabbits. Simon.
“For starters, I do not ‘have’ Simon, and secondly—do you really think Chelsea likes him?” Natalie asked. But before Val could answer, Roseanne clapped her hands and called for everyone’s attention.
“Girls, guys, gather round! I have an announcement to make,” she said loudly.
But Natalie couldn’t concentrate on what Roseanne was saying. She was still thinking about what Valerie had said. Simon did always go out of his way to talk with her in nature, which was nice, but she didn’t know if he liked her, liked her. Or if she even wanted him to. Still, when she thought that maybe Chelsea was into Simon—well, the idea didn’t make her feel very good. Not good at all.
But there were worse things to worry about at Camp Lakeview, as Natalie was about to learn.
“Next week, on Thursday, we’re going on a camp-out,” Roseanne said.
Suddenly, Chelsea’s feelings for Simon were the least of Natalie’s concerns.
“What color today, Nat?” Marissa asked, spreading out a beach towel on the sand next to Natalie.
Natalie was a fantastic swimmer—she’d had all sorts of private lessons in New York. She didn’t mind instructional swim, but she wasn’t crazy about the lake and all of the actual fish that swam in it. So when free swim rolled around, she preferred to work on her tan.
The head of the waterfront, an extremely tan and fit counselor named Beth, seemed to think this was okay, though she was often trying new and inventive tactics at getting Natalie up and into the water. Just yesterday, she had tried to convince Natalie that lake water was good for the skin. While Natalie appreciated the approach—“A for effort, Beth,” she’d said—she wasn’t biting.
Natalie’s new hobby was lying on the shore by the lake, painting her toes, and watching her bunkmates swim. Fortunately, free swim was the one thing in camp she could get out of if she wanted to, as long as she came down to the waterfront. Lately, Marissa had been joining her, which was especially cool because she always brought her magazines with her.
“Ice Princess,” Natalie read off the bottom of the bottle. “Want me to do yours?” Her heart wasn’t in it, though, after Roseanne’s alarming announcement. Marissa instantly picked up on Natalie’s mood.
“No, thanks, Steph
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