didn’t want to.”
“No, that’s not it,” Alicia insisted. “I didn’t feel . . . well . . . actually, I’m not sure what happened.”
“Come on, haven’t any of you guys ever gotten really nervous about something?” Katie added, covering for Alicia. “She just freaked out.”
“I did?” Alicia looked totally puzzled.
“Anyway, Alicia can make it up to us by writing the cheer,” Katie said.
“I guess we could give her a chance,” Rainbow said.
“But don’t mess it up,” Chelsea added.
“I won’t,” Alicia vowed. “I promise.”
Chapter 21
“Blue rules! The rest are fools! Gooo, Blue!”
While the Blue team finished their cheer at the sing, the Green team took the stage.
Katie, Alicia, Rainbow, Gianna, and Chelsea all had green paint in their hair. They’d used face paint to draw green stripes on their faces. Some of the older girls were practically painted from head to toe in green.
“They look like big pickles,” Alicia said.
The Bumblebees all giggled. They knew it was a joke. Alicia wasn’t being mean at all.
“Thanks for coming up with a way for me to be part of Color War,” Alicia whispered to Katie. For the first time she sounded really nice.
“The Green team needs you,” Katie replied. “You’re going to lead us to victory!”
Suddenly Shannon came running over to them. “Okay, girls, it’s time for the Green team to do their cheer.”
Katie looked over at Alicia. “Ready?”
Alicia nodded. “You bet!”
“Then let’s go!”
With Alicia leading the way, the members of the Green team began their cheer.
“Mighty Greens,
We’re the Color War queens.
Toughest girls you’ve ever seen,
Other teams shake,
Their boots quake,
When we take the lead
With killer speed.
It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen,
The mean Green fighting machine!”
A few minutes later, after all the teams had sung their songs and shouted their cheers, the judges announced the winner.
“And in first place, the Green team!”
All at once everyone on the Green team began screaming, shouting, and hugging one another.
Some of the bigger girls picked up Alicia and began carrying her around on their shoulders.
Alicia was a hero. She had led the Green team to victory.
Well, actually, she and Katie had done that—since it had been Katie’s idea. But Katie was fine with letting Alicia take the credit. It was the first time she had seen her friend smile all summer.
Friend. Wow. That was a word Katie never thought she would use to describe Alicia. But Alicia was her friend now.
And, as if to prove it, Alicia whispered something in one of the older girls’ ears. A moment later three big girls raced over and lifted Katie off the ground, too.
“Yeah, Alicia! Yeah, Katie!” they shouted loudly.
“Yeah, Green team!” Katie and Alicia cheered back.
Chapter 22
As Katie stepped onto the yellow school bus, she turned and took one last look around. She couldn’t believe camp was over. But Katie wasn’t sad. She knew she would be back next summer. And so would Alicia, Rainbow, Gianna, and Chelsea. They had all promised to return to Camp Cedar Hill.
Suddenly a song began running through Katie’s head. “Friends, friends, friends. We will always be . . .” she hummed to herself as she found a seat in the middle of the bus.
A few minutes later, the bus driver turned on the engine and started driving home toward Cherrydale.
Katie reached into her backpack and pulled out a white pillowcase. The other Bumblebees had all signed and written their addresses and phone numbers on it. Katie found the address she was looking for and pulled out one last postcard.
She was making sure her friend Alicia got at least one letter this summer.
Dear Alicia,
I hope the rest of your summer is a lot of fun. I am going to spend this whole month practicing my swimming at our town pool. Next year I will take the deepwater swim test so we can swim together. I hope you can visit me in
“No, that’s not it,” Alicia insisted. “I didn’t feel . . . well . . . actually, I’m not sure what happened.”
“Come on, haven’t any of you guys ever gotten really nervous about something?” Katie added, covering for Alicia. “She just freaked out.”
“I did?” Alicia looked totally puzzled.
“Anyway, Alicia can make it up to us by writing the cheer,” Katie said.
“I guess we could give her a chance,” Rainbow said.
“But don’t mess it up,” Chelsea added.
“I won’t,” Alicia vowed. “I promise.”
Chapter 21
“Blue rules! The rest are fools! Gooo, Blue!”
While the Blue team finished their cheer at the sing, the Green team took the stage.
Katie, Alicia, Rainbow, Gianna, and Chelsea all had green paint in their hair. They’d used face paint to draw green stripes on their faces. Some of the older girls were practically painted from head to toe in green.
“They look like big pickles,” Alicia said.
The Bumblebees all giggled. They knew it was a joke. Alicia wasn’t being mean at all.
“Thanks for coming up with a way for me to be part of Color War,” Alicia whispered to Katie. For the first time she sounded really nice.
“The Green team needs you,” Katie replied. “You’re going to lead us to victory!”
Suddenly Shannon came running over to them. “Okay, girls, it’s time for the Green team to do their cheer.”
Katie looked over at Alicia. “Ready?”
Alicia nodded. “You bet!”
“Then let’s go!”
With Alicia leading the way, the members of the Green team began their cheer.
“Mighty Greens,
We’re the Color War queens.
Toughest girls you’ve ever seen,
Other teams shake,
Their boots quake,
When we take the lead
With killer speed.
It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen,
The mean Green fighting machine!”
A few minutes later, after all the teams had sung their songs and shouted their cheers, the judges announced the winner.
“And in first place, the Green team!”
All at once everyone on the Green team began screaming, shouting, and hugging one another.
Some of the bigger girls picked up Alicia and began carrying her around on their shoulders.
Alicia was a hero. She had led the Green team to victory.
Well, actually, she and Katie had done that—since it had been Katie’s idea. But Katie was fine with letting Alicia take the credit. It was the first time she had seen her friend smile all summer.
Friend. Wow. That was a word Katie never thought she would use to describe Alicia. But Alicia was her friend now.
And, as if to prove it, Alicia whispered something in one of the older girls’ ears. A moment later three big girls raced over and lifted Katie off the ground, too.
“Yeah, Alicia! Yeah, Katie!” they shouted loudly.
“Yeah, Green team!” Katie and Alicia cheered back.
Chapter 22
As Katie stepped onto the yellow school bus, she turned and took one last look around. She couldn’t believe camp was over. But Katie wasn’t sad. She knew she would be back next summer. And so would Alicia, Rainbow, Gianna, and Chelsea. They had all promised to return to Camp Cedar Hill.
Suddenly a song began running through Katie’s head. “Friends, friends, friends. We will always be . . .” she hummed to herself as she found a seat in the middle of the bus.
A few minutes later, the bus driver turned on the engine and started driving home toward Cherrydale.
Katie reached into her backpack and pulled out a white pillowcase. The other Bumblebees had all signed and written their addresses and phone numbers on it. Katie found the address she was looking for and pulled out one last postcard.
She was making sure her friend Alicia got at least one letter this summer.
Dear Alicia,
I hope the rest of your summer is a lot of fun. I am going to spend this whole month practicing my swimming at our town pool. Next year I will take the deepwater swim test so we can swim together. I hope you can visit me in
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