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

head.
    “What’s wrong?” I cried. “My parents! Are they okay? Are they—”
    “We haven’t found your parents yet,” Holly said. She wrapped a towel around
my trembling shoulders. Then she led me to a bench at the side of the pool.
    “Is it Elliot?” I cried, dropping down beside her. “What is wrong?”
    Holly kept one arm around my shoulders. She leaned close. Her brown eyes
stared into mine.
    “Wendy, the problem is that you didn’t really try very hard to win the race,”
she said.
    I swallowed hard. “Excuse me?”
    “I watched you,” Holly continued. “I saw you slow your strokes in the last
lap. I don’t think you tried your best to win.”
    “But—but—I—” I sputtered.
    Holly continued to stare at me without blinking. “Am I right?” she demanded
softly.
    “I—I’m not used to swimming that far,” I stammered. “It was my first race.
I didn’t think—”
    “I know you’re new at camp,” Holly said, brushing a fly off my leg. “But you
know the camp slogan, right?”
    “For sure,” I replied. “It’s everywhere I look! But what does it mean? ‘Only
The Best!’”
    “I guess it’s kind of a warning,” Holly replied thoughtfully. “That’s why I
decided to talk to you now, Wendy.”
    “A warning?” I cried. I felt more confused than ever. “A warning about what?”
    Holly didn’t reply. She forced a smile to her face and stood up. “Catch you
later, okay?”
    She turned and hurried away.
     
    I wrapped the towel tighter around my shoulders and started back to the dorm
to change. As I walked past the tennis courts, I thought hard about Holly’s
warning.
    Why was it so important for me to win the race?
    So that I could be awarded, one of those gold coins with the blobby purple
king on it?
    Why should I care about winning coins? Why couldn’t I just play some games,
make new friends, and have fun?
    Why did Holly say she was giving me a warning? A warning about what?
    I shook my head, trying to shake away all these puzzling questions. I’d heard
about sports camps from some of my friends back home. Some camps, they said,
were really tough. The kids were all serious jock types who wanted to win, win,
win.
    I guessed this was one of those camps.
    Oh, well, I thought, sighing. I don’t have to love this camp. Mom and Dad
will be here soon to take Elliot and me away.
    I glanced up—and saw Elliot.
    Sprawled face down on the ground. His arms and legs spread out awkwardly. His
eyes closed.
    Unconscious.

 
 
10
     
     
    “Ooooh!” I let out a frightened wail.
    “Elliot! Elliot!” I dropped down beside him.
    He sat up and grinned at me. “How many times are you going to fall for that?”
he asked. He started to laugh.
    I slugged him in the shoulder as hard as I could. “You creep!”
    That made him laugh even harder. It really cracks him up when he makes me
look like a jerk.
    Why do I always fall for the stupid joke? Elliot pulls it on me all the time.
And I always believe he’s been knocked out cold.
    “I’m never falling for that again. Never!” I cried.
    Elliot pulled himself to his feet. “Come watch me play Ping-Pong,” he said,
tugging my hand. “I’m in the tournament. I’m beating this kid Jeff. He thinks
he’s good because he puts a spin on his serve. But he’s pitiful.”
    “I can’t,” I replied. I pulled out of his grasp. “I’m dripping wet. I have to
change.”
    “Come watch,” he insisted. “It won’t take long. I’ll beat him really fast,
okay?”
    “Elliot—” He certainly was excited.
    “If I beat Jeff, I win a King Coin,” he announced. “Then I’m going to win
five more. I want to win six so I can walk in the Winners Walk before Mom and
Dad come for us.”
    “Good luck,” I mumbled, rubbing my wet hair with the towel.
    “Were you in a swim race? Did you win?” Elliot asked, tugging my hand again.
    “No. I came in second,” I told him.
    He snickered. “You’re a loser. Come watch me beat this kid.”
    I