Tug-of-War Read Online Free Page A

cabin. She was pretty and slender, and there was something really graceful about the way she walked, like a ballet dancer. She had short hair and she was African American. The other new girl on Side B was Shelby Parsons, a really skinny girl with long bangs that almost hid her eyes. Boo Bauer I sort of knew from last summer. Every time Laurel-Ann went off on some long-winded discussion, Boo would lean over and say, “Hyphen-Ann, be careful you don’t swallow your tongue.”
    Boo had blond hair and glasses, and she was a little on the chunky side. Even her name tag said “Boo” on it, so I wasn’t sure what her real name was. She took one look at Shelby sitting next to her and said, “Here, have another taco. Or two, or three.”
    Shelby looked embarrassed. “I do eat. A lot. I just can’t seem to gain weight.”
    â€œThat’s the same problem I have!” Boo insisted, which got a huge laugh.
    I was just relieved to have other people around so that I didn’t feel so torn between explaining things to Devon and catching up with Maggie.
    Gloria Mendoza was the newbie counselor Laurel-Ann had groaned about, although I thought she looked nice enough, maybe a little on the shy side. She had dark brown hair and green eyes.
    After lunch, there was rest hour, and while Gloria was getting to know her Side B campers, Wayward said we could do whatever we wanted. She covered her face with her cap and fell instantly asleep.
    â€œHow very Zen of her,” Devon commented.
    Betsy was busy unpacking. She dropped a little plastic case on the floor, and her top and bottom retainers bounced out and rolled under her bed. She had to crawl under her bunk to get them out. “Gross!” she moaned, holding the bottom one up. It had a dust bunny clinging to one of the wires.
    â€œI’d sanitize that thoroughly if I were you,” Devon advised.
    When rest hour was over, I leaned down from my top bunk and smiled at Devon below me. “Now we go take our swim tests.”
    Her reaction was just as I expected. “I will not swim in that swamp you call a lake. I can only imagine what diseases I could catch.”
    Maggie let out a fake sneeze and scratched herself all over. “Jeez. Am I itchy! I think I’m getting some kindof weird rash. Oh, well. A dip in the lake will cool me down.” I tried not to laugh. Maggie wasn’t helping the situation at all.
    After I’d gotten changed, I pulled my hair back, twisted it, and looped it into a loose knot. When I wanted my hair out of the way, I never bothered with clips or elastics. It was halfway down my back—wavy, thick, and dark—and usually I wore it down, except for swimming or sports.
    I turned to Devon, who hadn’t moved from her bunk. “Just come with us. It’s really not that different from swimming in a pool.”
    â€œSorry. I don’t do lakes.” She was reading and wouldn’t even look up at me.
    â€œDevon, everyone has to take the swim test the first day. It’s required.”
    She lowered her book enough to make eye contact. “Required? So what happens if I don’t take the swim test?”
    â€œIf you don’t take the swim test, you can’t go swimming. Or canoeing or kayaking. Basically, you can’t go near the water. So you have to come,” I explained. I stood there with my towel, waiting.
    â€œHmm,” said Devon. “No test—I can’t go near the water. Works for me.”

There was one good thing about Devon refusing to take her swim test. It gave Maggie and me a chance to talk by ourselves for the first time all summer as we walked down the hill to the lake.
    â€œChris, where did you dig up that Ghosty Girl, and why don’t you bury her back in the grave you found her in?”
    I squeezed my throbbing skull between my palms and growled. “Look, I know. She’s making a horrible first impression. She’s not like