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little bit. Natalie knew that her friend had total confidence in her amazing artistic abilities but didn’t really like being the center of attention.
    â€œWe can say we knew you when,” Natalie joked.
    â€œNo, I’m not kidding. My mom’s friend owns the shop—Astrid Landon? You know, that model? My dad does her contracts, and that’s how she became friends with my mom.”
    â€œYou know Astrid Landon?” Given that her father was pretty much a megastar, Natalie didn’t usually get weird or celebrity-struck. But Astrid Landon was a different story. Astrid Landon was, like, her father’s arch-nemesis.
    Her father tried to be discrete about these things, but Nat had gotten the story out of him over one Fourth of July weekend several years ago. Tad’s long-time girlfriend, Josie McLaughlan, had been on the short list to play against him in one of the Spy sequels, but at the last minute, Astrid’s agent had pulled some strings. . . . Josie was a good sport, of course, but she’d been terribly hurt. In the long run, the movie had done modestly at the box office and the whole incident was forgotten, but Tad had sworn he wouldn’t work with Astrid again. And now Tori’s family was, like, best friends with her?
    That wasn’t something Nat could hold against Tori. Was it?
    No, those sorts of things happened in Hollywood all the time, Natalie knew. It wasn’t Tori’s fault she was on the wrong side of a celebrity-feud. It was just . . . annoying.
    â€œYeah, she’s great,” Tori gushed. “I wish they would let us keep our cell phones up here. I’d take a picture of that vase so I could show it to Astrid when I get back home.”
    â€œI know. When I first got here last summer and they took our phones away, I thought I was going to go into withdrawal. But you get used to it,” Nat said. Part of the whole “embracing the great outdoors” thing and all.
    â€œMaybe you can,” Tori said. She sighed. “You’re just more . . . rustic than I am, I guess.”
    Natalie bristled. She knew Tori didn’t mean it as an insult, and she knew it was silly to compete. It was especially silly to compete over who was the bigger princess. But.
    Silly or not, Natalie couldn’t help feeling that her new friend, the one she had been so excited to induct into the cult of summer camp, was stealing her shtick.
    Ridiculous.
    â€œMaybe I just need a hottie trail guide,” Tori went on. “You know, someone with great eyes. Like Simon.”
    â€œHuh?” Natalie said, feeling clumsy and inarticulate.
    â€œSimon. I’m sure that getting lost in the woods with him helped you develop a new appreciation for nature, right?” Tori winked.
    â€œYeah, and, um, he’s taken,” Natalie said. “Sorry.”
    As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Natalie realized how much harsher they’d come out than she’d meant. What was wrong with her? So Tori was friends with a model; she was from L.A., Natalie could understand that—probably better than anyone. And Tori was getting along with Alyssa—that was a good thing. Camp was for chick-bonding; the more, the merrier, Nat and Alyssa always said. And so what if Tori thought Simon was cute? He was, that was for sure. She could hardly be blamed for noticing.
    Tori chuckled lightly. “Of course he’s taken, Nat. I was just kidding.”
    Natalie cleared her throat. “Right,” she said quickly. “Me too.”
    But deep down, she wasn’t so sure.

chapter SEVEN

    â€œYou were born in San Francisco? I had no idea!”
    â€œYup, my parents were big-time hippies, back in their day.” Simon smiled at Natalie, then shuddered. “It’s very disturbing to think about my mom in a miniskirt with ironed hair.”
    â€œWe can move on,” Nat replied, laughing.
    â€œDon’t you think you’ve done enough