33 - The Horror at Camp Jellyjam Read Online Free Page A

Stroke.
    On the other side of Dierdre, I saw Jan swimming comfortably, easily. Jan was so small and light. She seemed to float
over the water.
    Into the third lap. I kept a few lengths behind Dierdre. I had to concentrate
on keeping a slow, even pace. I pretended I was a robot, programmed to swim
slowly.
    Dierdre turned into the fourth lap a few seconds ahead of me. I saw her
expression change as she made her turn. She narrowed her eyes. Her entire face
grew tight and tense.
    Dierdre really wants to win, I saw.
    I wondered if I could catch her. I wondered if I could beat her.
    I made my turn and put on the speed.
    I ignored the aching in my arms.
    I ignored the cramp in my left foot.
    I thrust myself forward, kicking hard from the waist. My hands cut through
the water.
    Faster.
    I glimpsed Jan fall behind. I saw the disappointment on her face as I passed
by.
    Pounding, thrusting arms and legs churned the water to froth. The splashing
became a roar. The roar nearly drowned out the cheers of the kids watching from
around the pool.
    My heart thudded so hard, I thought my chest might explode.
    My arms ached. They felt as if they each weighed a thousand pounds.
    Faster…
    I pulled up beside Dierdre. Close. So close, I could hear her gasping
breaths.
    I glimpsed her face, tight with concentration.
    She’s just like Elliot, I decided. She wants to win so badly.
    Lots of times I let Elliot win a game. Because he cared about it so
much more than I did. And so did Dierdre.
    As we neared the wall at the deep end, I let Dierdre pull ahead.
    I saw how much it meant to her. I saw how desperate she was to finish first.
    What the heck, I thought. There’s nothing wrong with coming in second.
    I heard the cheers ring out as Dierdre won the race.
    I touched the wall, then dipped below the surface. I pulled myself up and
grabbed the wall.
    My entire body ached and throbbed. I gasped in breath after breath. I shut my
eyes and pulled my hair back with both hands, squeezing the water out of it.
    My arms were so tired, I could barely pull myself out of the pool. I was one
of the last swimmers out.
    The others had all formed a circle around Dierdre. I pushed my way into the
crowd of girls to see what was happening.
    My eyes burned. I brushed water out of them.
    I saw the red-haired counselor hand something to Dierdre. Something gold and
shiny.
    Everyone cheered. Then the circle broke, and the girls all headed in
different directions.
    I made my way up to Dierdre. “Way to go!” I exclaimed. “I came close. But
you’re really fast.”
    “I’m on the swim team at school,” she replied. She held up the gold object
the counselor had given her.
    I could see it clearly now. A shiny gold coin. It had a smiling King Jellyjam
engraved on it. I couldn’t read the words around the edge of the coin. But I
could guess what they were.
    “It’s my fifth King Coin!” Dierdre declared proudly.
    Why is she so excited about it? I wondered. It wasn’t a real coin. It
probably wasn’t even real gold!
    “What’s a King Coin?” I asked. The coin gleamed in the sunlight.
    “If I win one more King Coin, I can walk in the Winners Walk,” Dierdre
explained.
    I started to ask what the Winners Walk was. But Jan and Ivy came running up
to congratulate Dierdre. And the three of them all started talking at once.
    I suddenly remembered my brother. Where is Elliot? I wondered. What
has he been doing?
    I turned away from Dierdre and the other girls and started toward the pool exit. But I had only taken a few steps when I
heard someone calling my name.
    I spun around to see Holly jogging toward me. Her purple-lipsticked lips were
knotted in a fretful expression. “Wendy, you’d better come with me,” the
counselor told me.
    My heart skipped. “Huh? What’s wrong?” I asked.
    “I’m afraid there’s a problem,” Holly said softly.

 
 
9
     
     
    Something happened to Mom and Dad!
    That’s the first thought that burst into my