Read Online Camp Utopia & the Forgiveness Diet (9781940192567) by Jenny Ruden - Free Book Online Page B

wanted to visit there,” I told her. In fact, I’d nearly asked Jackie to drive through New Mexico before our road trip took its most unpleasant turn. Santa Fe laughed and wrapped a tail of cotton candy around her finger. “I don’t live in Santa Fe. Counselor Carrot Top couldn’t pronounce Albuquerque, or spell it either, so I went with Santa Fe. Sounded exotic.”
    She launched her espresso drink into a metal trash can then belched a few bars of what I was pretty sure was a Shakira tune. “ Perdón ,” she expressed. “Thanks so much for the candy, Cambridge. You sure you don’t want to sample your own goods?”
    Cambridge sighed. “It seems that since I’m here, I might as well try and lose a few pounds. That’s what everyone is expecting anyway.”
    â€œTrue, true” observed Santa Fe. “But you can’t start a diet in the middle of the day. Tomorrow is the official first day, verdad ? What happens in Utopia stays in Utopia.”
    Cambridge fondled a box of Goobers. “I don’t know about that.”
    Santa Fe continued kneading the cotton candy like dough. “ Entra más profundo , friends. That’s what my brother’s always saying. You have to fall in deep inside a situation to understand it—or something like that.”
    â€œYour brother seriously followed you to fat camp?” asked Cambridge, confused.
    Santa Fe rattled the window’s curtain and stared at the campus below. The sun was out now, its light settled on her face and shiny hair. She looked so young. Thirteen maybe. Her navy blue braces glittered when she smiled. “No, he’s at genius camp. When I got a scholarship to fat camp, he didn’t want me to be alone. He applied to all of CUP’s summer programs. You can imagine my surprise when he walked in one day talking about some string theory cha-cha, blah-blah-blah-ing about rocket science math camp, waving his acceptance letter around like some girl’s panties. Me and Mom couldn’t believe it. He’s smart, alright, but a real slacker.”
    She looped the cotton candy around her neck like a necklace. “By the way, I’m Liliana Delgado,” she said. “I almost told you guys not to laugh at the name, which means thin one, but I forgot where I was. Anyway, if I can ever get out of Albuquerque, I want to design clothing for thick tweens one day. I’m a mad seamstress.”
    When she unzipped a leather carrier, I assumed she was removing the blood sugar monitor again. Only this time she whipped out a deluxe bedazzler. She reached for the curtain and fired a few rounds at the old crusty material. Twenty silver studs materialized. “Check it out.”
    I admit it was a nice touch.
    We all laughed as Cambridge produced candy from her bag as easily as TJ pulled cards from his sleeve. I could get used to this: lazy mornings, bedazzling curtains, clean towels in the bathroom. Cotton candy. What a life. Why, at California University of the Pacific, we’d even have a refrigerator and cell phone. Likewise, if we visited a vending machine during the night, it wouldn’t result in a penalty of the fifty push-up variety.
    Just as Cambridge dug deeper into her Mary Poppins bag, promising us a box of Milk Duds, I heard the clonk, clonk, clonk of heels in the bathroom. Within seconds, our door swung open revealing Hollywood, who didn’t even have the courtesy to knock.

15
    HOLLYWOOD
    WE HAD BEEN in our rooms for less than twenty minutes and already our suitemate had changed outfits. Hollywood now wore a dark-pink velour sweatsuit with a ruffle on the butt. Tiffany hearts dangled off her wrists and neck like rabies tags.
    â€œI brought this over,” the starlet informed us and presented a jar the way Vanna introduced a puzzle. “It’s our forgiveness bucket. I thought we could join forces. Forgive everyone we can think of and give our team an