the sanded plank as she stared down into the dark blue water.
Behind her the dock groaned, and it rolled under her feet. Emily whirled around, startled.
“Hey, this place you found—it’s cool,” Taylor said. Dressed like Emily in a two-piece swimsuit, she stood at the foot of the dock, a pleased smile on her face.
Trying not to treat Taylor as an intruder, Emily searched for the right thing to say, but before she could say anything, Taylor shrugged and explained, “I followed you. Okay?”
Emily nodded. “I got tired of listening to all those rules.”
“Me too.” Taylor walked gingerly until she was at Emily’s side. “The dock rocks,” she said, then giggled.
“It’s old,” Emily said, “but I don’t think there’s any problem with it.”
Taylor twisted to glance toward the sign. “That says to keep off.”
“It doesn’t mean us,” Emily said. “The dock seems safe enough. I think they just don’t want a whole bunch of kids on it at the same time.”
Taylor leaned over to examine the water. “It’s deep down there,” she said, “and there are a lot of rocks. Do you think there are snakes?”
“Not near the camp,” Emily said. “My dad told me once that cottonmouths try to avoid people.”
“Good,” Taylor said. “I like to swim, but not with snakes.” Emily noticed that Taylor’s pale skin was already glowing pink.
“Didn’t you put on sunblock?” Emily asked.
“I didn’t bring any,” Taylor said. She quickly straightened and turned to face Emily, defensive.
“I’ve got some sunblock in my room that hardly anybody else uses except doctors and their families,” Emily said quickly. “You can have some. You haven’t been out in the sun much. You’re going to get a bad burn if you don’t use anything.”
Taylor began to look interested. “How come hardly anybody uses it?”
“Because it’s a total block and terribly expensive,” Emily answered.
Taylor smiled. “Well, okay, then,” she said. “Lead me to it.”
A few minutes later, as Emily finished rubbing sunblock into Taylor’s back and shoulders, Taylor said, “I don’t care if some people say I look weird. I like to be different. Does it bother you?”
“No,” Emily said. “I think you should look any way you want to look.”
“Any way?”
“Sure,” Emily said. “Whatever makes you happy.” She thought about her older sisters and her parents’ disappointment that she wasn’t just like them. “People can’t be carbon copies of other people,” she said.
“Unless they want to be,” Taylor added.
Emily nodded and tried not to smile as she momentarily wondered what her parents would think if she came home with spiked pink-and-gold hair.
“Do you think the coach is finally through explaining all his rules and will let us go swimming now?” Taylor asked.
“Let’s find out,” Emily said. She threw open the bedroom door. “Race you!”
After a swim, beach volleyball, a shower, and lunch, Emily found herself captured by Haley and steered toward one of Camp Excel’s waiting vans. “I found the name and address of a
curandero
,” Haley said in a low voice, excitedly digging her fingers into Emily’s arm.
“Ouch,” Emily said, and tried to pull away.
“You could at least say thank you.” Haley shoved Emily into the backseat and squeezed in beside her.
“Okay, then, thank you,” Emily said. “How did you find him?”
“Computer room, Internet,” Haley said. “No problem. Did you bring any money?”
“Of course,” Emily told her. “It’s a sight-seeing and shopping trip, isn’t it?” She thought a moment, then confronted Haley. “How much is visiting this so-called folk healer going to cost?”
Haley looked pained. “Don’t be like that, Em. He’s a true healer. He doesn’t charge.”
Emily leaned back against the seat, relieved.
“He simply asks for donations,” Haley said. Quickly, she added, “Like a few dollars. I mean whatever you think his
Behind her the dock groaned, and it rolled under her feet. Emily whirled around, startled.
“Hey, this place you found—it’s cool,” Taylor said. Dressed like Emily in a two-piece swimsuit, she stood at the foot of the dock, a pleased smile on her face.
Trying not to treat Taylor as an intruder, Emily searched for the right thing to say, but before she could say anything, Taylor shrugged and explained, “I followed you. Okay?”
Emily nodded. “I got tired of listening to all those rules.”
“Me too.” Taylor walked gingerly until she was at Emily’s side. “The dock rocks,” she said, then giggled.
“It’s old,” Emily said, “but I don’t think there’s any problem with it.”
Taylor twisted to glance toward the sign. “That says to keep off.”
“It doesn’t mean us,” Emily said. “The dock seems safe enough. I think they just don’t want a whole bunch of kids on it at the same time.”
Taylor leaned over to examine the water. “It’s deep down there,” she said, “and there are a lot of rocks. Do you think there are snakes?”
“Not near the camp,” Emily said. “My dad told me once that cottonmouths try to avoid people.”
“Good,” Taylor said. “I like to swim, but not with snakes.” Emily noticed that Taylor’s pale skin was already glowing pink.
“Didn’t you put on sunblock?” Emily asked.
“I didn’t bring any,” Taylor said. She quickly straightened and turned to face Emily, defensive.
“I’ve got some sunblock in my room that hardly anybody else uses except doctors and their families,” Emily said quickly. “You can have some. You haven’t been out in the sun much. You’re going to get a bad burn if you don’t use anything.”
Taylor began to look interested. “How come hardly anybody uses it?”
“Because it’s a total block and terribly expensive,” Emily answered.
Taylor smiled. “Well, okay, then,” she said. “Lead me to it.”
A few minutes later, as Emily finished rubbing sunblock into Taylor’s back and shoulders, Taylor said, “I don’t care if some people say I look weird. I like to be different. Does it bother you?”
“No,” Emily said. “I think you should look any way you want to look.”
“Any way?”
“Sure,” Emily said. “Whatever makes you happy.” She thought about her older sisters and her parents’ disappointment that she wasn’t just like them. “People can’t be carbon copies of other people,” she said.
“Unless they want to be,” Taylor added.
Emily nodded and tried not to smile as she momentarily wondered what her parents would think if she came home with spiked pink-and-gold hair.
“Do you think the coach is finally through explaining all his rules and will let us go swimming now?” Taylor asked.
“Let’s find out,” Emily said. She threw open the bedroom door. “Race you!”
After a swim, beach volleyball, a shower, and lunch, Emily found herself captured by Haley and steered toward one of Camp Excel’s waiting vans. “I found the name and address of a
curandero
,” Haley said in a low voice, excitedly digging her fingers into Emily’s arm.
“Ouch,” Emily said, and tried to pull away.
“You could at least say thank you.” Haley shoved Emily into the backseat and squeezed in beside her.
“Okay, then, thank you,” Emily said. “How did you find him?”
“Computer room, Internet,” Haley said. “No problem. Did you bring any money?”
“Of course,” Emily told her. “It’s a sight-seeing and shopping trip, isn’t it?” She thought a moment, then confronted Haley. “How much is visiting this so-called folk healer going to cost?”
Haley looked pained. “Don’t be like that, Em. He’s a true healer. He doesn’t charge.”
Emily leaned back against the seat, relieved.
“He simply asks for donations,” Haley said. Quickly, she added, “Like a few dollars. I mean whatever you think his
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