The Secret Cookie Club Read Free

okay? It’s getting late!” Hannah, our counselor, called through the bathroom door, which, unfortunately, did not have a lock. If Hannah or anyone found out I had just vomited my breakfast, I would die of embarrassment.
    â€œYes. Fine. Don’t come in.” I flushed the toilet, rinsed my mouth out, splashed water on my face, and looked around for my towel before remembering itwas packed in my trunk, just like everything else.
    â€œGrace?” Hannah sounded worried.
    I opened the door. My face was dripping.
    â€œHold on. I think I saw paper towels.” Hannah found a crumpled-looking roll in Flowerpot Cabin’s mostly empty cupboards and handed it over. “Now tell me what’s the matter.”
    Usually I appreciated Hannah’s TLC. We all did. But right then I wanted to be left alone.
    â€œI am fine ,” I said, then realized how that sounded and added, “Sorry.” I took a final swipe at my face, wadded the towel, and threw it away.
    Would we lose points for the wastebasket not being empty?
    Oh, right. The Chore Score didn’t matter now. Camp was over. Today we were going home.
    â€œI’m just upset about saying good-bye,” I said.
    This was true, but it wasn’t everything. A few kids had already been bused to the airport in Phoenix, but most people’s parents were coming by car this morning to pick them up. That included the parents of usfour campers in Flowerpot Cabin—Emma, Olivia, Lucy, and me.
    More than anything else, I was freaking out—as Lucy would say—about my parents meeting everyone else’s. My parents aren’t like other people’s. My parents have accents. My parents dress too nicely. My parents are ten to the tenth power more embarrassing than anyone else’s parents in the entire United States of America.
    The worried knot in my stomach persisted even though now the pancakes were out of the way.
    Hannah stepped back, looked at me, and shrugged. “Okay, Grace, my friend, if you say so.” Then she steered me toward the door with a hand on my shoulder. “Everybody else is on the oval waiting for their parents already. I bet yours will be superglad to see you. They must have missed their only daughter.”
    Outside, the dry desert air hit me like a blast from a hair dryer, and the sunshine made me blink. Tomorrow I’d be home in Massachusetts, where the forecast was cloudy and humid.
    Along with most of the other campers, Emma, Olivia,and Lucy were sprawled on the oval-shaped lawn in front of the nurse’s office. Emma spotted me first and waved. “Where were you?”
    Olivia sat up and tugged her hat to shade her face. “We thought you were dead.”
    â€œWait.” Lucy looked around. “Are you just getting here?”
    Emma rolled her eyes. “Yeah, she’s just getting here. Where did you think—?”
    â€œâ€”I dunno.” Lucy shrugged. “Over with Vivek or something.”
    â€œLeave me alone about Vivek,” I said.
    Lucy said, “Okay,” but Olivia said, “Sor- ree !” and Emma asked, “Grace, are you okay? Do you want a glass of water?”
    â€œShe’s gonna miss Vivek,” Lucy said.
    â€œWill you please stop —” I started to say, but then, with no warning, I burst into tears.
    There was a surprised pause, followed quickly by a collective cooing sound— oh-h-h-h —followed quickly by a group hug. I closed my eyes, feeling better becausemy friends loved me and worse because I was about to lose them forever.
    â€œExcuse me. Grace?” The voice was muffled but familiar. “Is that you? And are these the girls about whom you speak so often?”
    Oh no. I should have remembered another embarrassing thing about my parents: They are always early.

CHAPTER 4

    Grace
    I introduced my parents to the Flowerpot girls, who were friendly even though they must have been in shock about how my parents’