Camp Rules! Read Free

summer.”
    “But not this summer,” Gianna said proudly. “I’ve been practicing. I’m going to swim there. In the intermediate area.” She pointed to an area of the lake that was sandwiched between two long docks. “The water is deep, but the swim counselors stand on the docks and make sure everyone is okay.”
    “What do you have to do to get to swim in there?” Rainbow asked her.
    Gianna pointed to the raft. “You have to do two laps of crawl, one lap of breaststroke, and one lap of sidestroke,” Gianna said.
    Katie knew all of those strokes. But she was afraid she might be too tired to do four laps.
    “I think I am going to take the intermediate test,” she said finally.
    “Me too,” Rainbow agreed.
    “Yeah!” Gianna cheered. “Then we can swim together at free swim.”
    Alicia rolled her eyes. “I guess I’m the only deepwater swimmer in our bunk,” she said, then she dove in and swam out toward the raft. “See you later, Bumblebee babies!”
    “Why does she keep saying that?” Rainbow asked. “She’s a Bumblebee, just like us.”
    “Alicia was like that last year, too,” Gianna said with a shrug. “She’s just mean.”
    Katie shook her head. “Nobody’s just mean,” she said quietly. “Not even Alicia.”

Chapter 5
    “Boy, pioneering was so much fun!” Rainbow said at the end of the day as the girls were getting into their pajamas. “I loved cooking s’mores over that fire.”
    Katie nodded in agreement. The graham crackers, melted chocolate, and marshmallows had been yummy.
    “I’ve never built a fire before,” Chelsea said. “There’s no place to do that in the city.”
    “Well, you did a really great job!” Katie said. “The sticks you piled up caught fire right away.”
    “I know,” Chelsea said proudly. “I can’t wait to write home and tell my parents.”
    “Big deal, so you piled a bunch of sticks into a pyramid,” Alicia groaned. “Like that’s really something to write home about.”
    “It is to me,” Chelsea told her. She pulled out a box of stationery. “Anybody want a piece?” she asked. “It smells like bubble gum.”
    “Oh, cool!” Gianna said. “I’d love to send a letter to my sister on that. Thanks.”
    “I’ve got stationery and postcards,” Katie said. “Thanks, though.”
    “My parents would kill me if I sent them a letter on anything but recycled paper,” Rainbow explained. “They’re really into saving the trees. Thanks anyway, Chelsea.”
    “How about you?” Chelsea asked, holding her box of stationery out toward Alicia. “You could write your parents to tell them you passed your deepwater test.”
    “They already knew I would pass,” Alicia told her.
    “Okay,” Chelsea said with a shrug. She started to write her letter.
    Katie climbed up in her bed and began to write one, too.
     
     
    To: Jeremy Fox
Camp Arrowhead
USA
     
     
    Dear Jeremy,
    Hi. How is your camp? Mine’s great. I took my swim test today. The bottom of the lake was kind of slimy, but the water was really clean and nice. I didn’t see any fish, but were some little tadpoles swimming around in tha shalow part. I guess we’re going to have a lot of frogs hopping around here soon.
    At night we had a campfire and made s’mores. Do you make those at your camp?
    Please write back soon.
    Your pal,
    Katie
    “Okay, Bumblebees, everyone into bed!” Shannon told the girls cheerfully. “It’s time for lights-out!”
    Katie climbed up into her top bunk and crawled under the covers.
    “Good night, sleep tight,” Shannon said. “Don’t let the bedbugs bite!”
    “Oooh. Don’t say bugs!” Chelsea groaned.
    Shannon laughed. “If you have any problems, there are two counselors on duty outside in the field. Just call for them and they’ll come help you.”
    Katie lay there for a minute, feeling the scratchy camp sheets against her arms and legs. It was weird not being able to sleep in her own bed. Suddenly a big knot began to form in her stomach. She got a