The Life of Corinne P. :Chapter 14

Kenna was falling.
Corinne knew what was happening. The paper had fallen with much too loud a clunk. The floorboards of the cabin  had split, revealing a gaping hole beneath.
Kenna had fallen in.
Mira and Corinne looked at each other. Mira had a very confused look on her face. Corinne imagined that her own face was the same.
Lisa was the first to speak. She too had a look of confusion and worry. "We should go down," she said. "All of us, together."
Mira nodded, and then Corinne. Mira prepared to jump. At the last moment, she grabbed her camp bag and clutched it tightly in her right hand. "You too, " she instructed Lisa and Corinne. Then she jumped.
Corinne grabbed her own camp bag. "I hope this turns out well," she said to herself. She jumped.
It was a long way down.Surprisingly, though, Corinne landed gently. She saw Mira sitting cross-legged beside her and Kenna a short distance away. Soon, Lisa joined them. She was carrying two camp bags. One had Kenna's name on it. The other was quite obviously hers.
"I thought we might stay here for a while," she explained.
None of them were prepared to see a giant shadow rising in front of them.

The Life of Corinne P. : Chapter 13

The next day, Corinne received a letter from her friend, Abigail:

                      Dear Corinne,
  I'm having fun! I went to Rose's party. Rose was mean. She wouldn't let ANYONE touch her presents. But I still like her.
                                                                                    From, Abigail

Corinne sighed. She disliked Rose, Abigail's best friend--other than herself. Abigail refused to see the meanness and the cruelty in Rose.
Kenna leaned over. She scanned the note. "Oh, it's a quicknote," she said. In Kenna's school, quicknotes were a kind of fashion. "Let me write one back."
"No, me!" Corinne grabbed her paper before Kenna could reach it.
But Kenna was strong. She grabbed the paper...
And doubled up with laughter.
Corinne laughed too. Soon Mira joined in, and then Lisa.
It was Kenna who started IIIIIITTTTTT.

The Life of Corinne P. : Chapter 12

Next after breakfast was swimming. It was mostly a test. The lake was another good thing about the camp: it was deep enough for a nice challenge and had water slides. Corinne excelled at swimming, so naturally she passed the test and spent the main part of the morning on the water slides with other kids. The slides were of varying height and twistyness. Corinne sampled all of them and chose a tall green one that went almost straight down as her favorite. Eventually she was cleared to go. Lisa told everyone in the cabin that they passed, which they knew, of course.They had each swam considerably well.
They had free time next. Mira and Corinne grabbed the first ball they saw and played a mini game of soccer. Kenna was the judge. She was fair and impartial. But then she called the game to a halt. "Stop, stop!" Kenna waved her arms in the air until Mira and Corinne obeyed. Then she pulled them to the side of the grassy field. "Who's that strange person?" she asked, pointing towards Cabin 3. But no one was there.
It was kind of creepy. Lisa knew how they felt, but not why. She and Nory joined in the game. There was no judge. It got kind of strange, but at least it helped everyone take their mind off the strange person.
It worked until that night. In bed, Corinne wondered: Who could it be?

Notice: The new backround is where Corinne's camp is located. Yes, it is windy.

The Life of Corinne P. : Chapter 11

Corinne awoke to golden sunlight streaming in through the window. She sounded the morning bell in her mind: "Bring-a-ling-ling!" Ever since Nory had told the story of the history of the morning bell in Babyland, she'd imagined the bell here, in the U.S.
A loud thump came from the floor near the door. Mira had scampered out of bed and was doing cartwheels on the creaky wooden floor of the cabin. She launched herself into the air, did a flip, and landed. "Am I bothering anyone?" she asked innocently.
"Yes," Kenna grumbled. She rolled out of bed and onto the floor. Mira and Corinne laughed. A few seconds later, Kenna joined in.
Kenna's hair was straight, since it hardly ever got messy. Mira's sleek black hair was as straight as ever. Only Corinne's hair was as tangled as if each of the hairs was a snake and she was Medusa. She grabbed a brush out of her camp bag, which was under her bed, and began combing her hair. She got dressed along with Kenna and Mira.
Lisa entered through the wooden door. "It looks like you've settled in," she said, walking around the cabin. Mira had sorted her things into neat piles. Kenna had rarely taken anything out of her jammed suitcase. Corinne had made her one large pile as neat as possible, but it wasn't easy.
"Breakfast time," Lisa said. "I'm supposed to get you into a straight line, but I don't like straight lines. I'd prefer if you were in a group."
The entirety of Cabin 14* crowded, as best as they could with such a small group, against the door. Lisa, who was naturally the tallest of the four, leaned over, and with a long-fingered hand, opened the door. Everyone burst out into the open area and breathed in the morning's fresh air. Then they set off into the woods, towards the dining hall.
It was a noisy place, warm because of the constant moving. Lisa directed the group towards a wooden table that was so smooth that there was no thought of getting splinters from it. The food was bagels and toast, which Corinne enjoyed every minute of.
But something unexpected was happening while Corinne--and most other people--were eating. The mysterious camper** concentrated, and then teleported herself in such a way that when she reappeared, she was close enough to the table where the people of Bunk 14 sat to hear what they were saying, but far enough so no matter what, no one knew what she was doing. "Yes, we have them here," she hissed into her phone. "They're ready for convincing."

*Why is it Bunk 14? Corinne P. : Chapter 5
**Hear more about the mysterious camper: Corinne P. : Chapter 9

The Life of Corinne P. : Chapter 10

It was slightly after dinner. The food had been macaroni and cheese, one of Kenna's favorites. Speaking of Kenna, Kenna's counselor had agreed to a switch, which meant that Kenna was now in Corinne's cabin!
Kenna was sitting on her new bed. "I'm so glad I can be with you!" she was saying. "I didn't know anyone in my cabin! They had all been to camp before and had friends and..."
"Now you know how I felt when I first came to America," Mira said, interrupting Kenna. It was the first time she'd spoken this evening.
Corinne stroked Kenna's baby doll, who was named after a character in a good book. This baby doll was wearing a pink dress with parallel/perpendicular fuchsia lines running through it, and it had been the subject of many earlier fights. She considered how lucky she was to have stolen it from Kenna without notice.
Lisa came into the cabin. "I see you're all settled in," she said. "It's nearly time for bed."
Something made Kenna look over at Corinne. "What are you doing with Bianca?" she demanded. Bianca was, of course, the baby doll.
Corinne sighed. She handed Bianca back to Kenna, and until bedtime, the four of them played.
Later, as Corinne was brushing her teeth, she considered the day. It had been a good day. Everyone seemed happy as they got into bed--even Corinne.

The Life of Corinne P. : Chapter 9

Corinne gasped. "I don't want to be alone in a cabin with Mira!" she explained. "No offense to Mira, of course," she added. Mira hung her head.
Suddenly, Kenna's eyes lit up. "Can I transfer to your cabin?" she asked Lisa.
Lisa sighed. "I'll talk to your counselor. Meanwhile, it's time for dinner. Mira, show Corinne the way to the dining hall."
Mira took Corinne's hand. Kenna clutched Corinne's other hand, and the two of them were pulled along by Mira, into the forest. Kenna shouted, and Corinne grinned. "It's like going on a roller coaster," she told Mira.
The group, however small, was pulled along. A watching camper grinned. She typed something in on her miniature laptop computer, then, hidden by the abundance of trees, followed them.
It was not long before Corinne caught sight of the dining hall. It was a large brown building, seemingly made from strips of dark wood. A narrow stream of campers were going into the building. Corinne, Mira, and Kenna followed them, trying to blend in.
But not their follower. She ducked around the corner of the building and answered her ringing phone.
"Yes," the girl said. "They're here. I'm ready."

The Life of Corinne P. : Chapter 8

Corinne Packel cautiously opened the cabin door. She and Mira timidly peeked outside.
Kenna was the one who had made the crash. She was near the cabin's doorstep, impossibly tangled in a mess of ribbon and string and more. "Hi," she said. "This place is too messy!" Then she spotted Corinne. "You mean...you're not tangled?" she asked incredulously.
Corinne shrugged. "It's easy not to," she replied.
Kenna grimaced. "Can someone please untie me?" she begged.
Mira leaned over. "Do not worry," she said. "I will do it."
In an impossibly short time, Kenna was untied. "Thanks," she said. "By the way, remind me again why Nory calls me Henna Penna."
The afternoon seemed to pass quickly as Mira and Corinne played with Kenna. They ventured into the forest, and Kenna demonstrated "the climbing of the average tree." Mira brought out her photo album and told stories of what it was like in China. Corinne showed them how to make a leaf berylanditandie out of regular leaves.
Soon, Lisa came back. "I'm afraid that you girls will have to sleep in Cabin 14 alone. By the way, it's time for dinner."

The Life of Corinne P. : Chapter 7

As Corinne Packel looked at her new cabin, she looked back on her life. A year ago, or even a couple days ago, she would never have imagined herself at summer camp, staring at a cabin. It was amazing.
The cabin was seemingly wooden. It had windows and one electric light hanging from the ceiling. There were three bunk beds.
A girl with luscious black hair with a barrette in it smiled at Corinne. "Hello," the pretty girl said to Corinne. "I am Mira."
Corinne managed to say, "Hi. I'm Corinne." She regarded the bunk beds. "Which bunk do I get?"
Mira shrugged. "I will take this one," she said, motioning to the top bunk of the third bed.
Corinne nodded. She selected the bottom bunk of the first bed and set her stuff down on it. Lisa went out of the cabin, probably to collect the other girls.
Mira began making her bed. "I have gone here, to this camp, since my family first came to America, when I was five. My brother and I were scared. But everyone was so nice. I like it a lot." She spread the sheets out on the bed. "Aren't you going to make your bed?"
Corinne nodded. She took the sheets out of her camp bag and began making her bed. "So you have a brother?" she asked.
Mira nodded. "He's my twin. He's very funny and good at sports. But he is annoying, too, sometimes. He kicks a ball at me. I play sports, too, but then I am caught unawares."
Mira opened her mouth to continue, but she stopped when a large crash came from outside.

The Life of Corinne P. : Chapter 6

Corinne P was being led through a forest.

It wasn't a particularly nice forest. It was the usual kind of forest, with knotted trees and a cold wind. Corinne shivered.
"We're almost there," the counselor said to Corinne. The counselor was tall and athletic, with black hair pulled back into a braid and sunglasses on her head. "So, you're Corinne Packel, right?"
Corinne nodded. She wished for her clarinet, which she'd left behind. The clarinet was beautiful. "I play the clarinet," she announced to the counselor.
"I'm Lisa," the counselor told Corinne. "I used to play the trumpet."
"Why did you stop?" Corinne asked, eager to hear the rest of the story.
"I had to practice too much," the counselor explained. "I bet you do, too."
Corinne had to practice a lot. She liked it, though. "I do," she admitted. "But it was fun."
They had come to a point where the trees made a kind of arch, which lead outside of the forest. Corinne raced up ahead. She burst out of the forest and stared at the group of cabins in front of her. 
"Cabin 14," Lisa said. "It's waiting for you."
Corinne ventured inside. She set down her bags and looked at Cabin 14.

The Life of Corinne P. : Chapter 5

Corinne clutched her stuff. Taking a deep breath, as if she was going to play one long note on the clarinet, she looked out the door.
There was too much to see. There was a lake, cabins, a big green field of grass, a building with seats outside it that Corinne assumed was the dining hall, and much, much, more.
A counselor who was standing outside of the bus, just beyond Kenna and Corinne looked at Kenna. "Six?" she asked. "Cabin 7." 
"But I'm not six!" Kenna protested.
The counselor sighed. "Seven? With me." She eyed Corinne and Nory, who had just come out of the bus. "Wait for your turn," she said strictly, and Corinne was reminded of Lora. 
As the strict counselor walked away, another took her place. "How old are you?" she asked Nory.

"Eleven," Nory answered. The counselor pointed her towards a clutch of green cabins in the distance and said,"Cabin 11."
"That's her age!" Corinne exclaimed, but the counselors took no notice. Nory walked toward her cabin.
"What about me?!" Corinne screamed. No one looked at her. No one checked to make sure she was still there.
Corinne felt sad. Everyone was going off to their cabins without her. What could she do?
Just then, a counselor noticed Corinne. "Cabin 14," she said to Corinne. "If you're 10."
Corinne nodded. She was ready.

The Life of Corinne P. : Chapter 4

Corinne Packel had her bags packed. Standing beside her were Nory and Kenna. Behind them stood Jesse, smelling fresh from the shower he'd just taken. In supervising position, a.k.a. the front step, sat Lora, criticizing every move. "That's dangerous, Kenna," she'd said sharply the second Kenna put her foot on the knotted tree, ready to climb. Now she was watching Jesse closely in case he would kick up a cloud of dry summer dust. She claimed it would ruin his freshly washed hair when the dust, having been kicked up, barely reached up to his knees. 
Corinne hummed a few notes from Tepre Aupre, a song she'd recently learned to play on the clarinet, her chosen instrument. She suddenly remembered something. "Can you go get my clarinet?" she asked Lora, as horrified as if it had already been lost. As Lora rushed inside, the buses pulled up, with Camp Rhiswile printed on their sides. Corinne chose the closest one and stepped inside as the doors closed around Corinne and the others. "Goodbye, home," she whispered. "I'll remember to write you letters."

*  *  *

Only as Corinne stepped  into the waiting bus did she realize how hot it had been outside. They'd been playing and hadn't much considered the heat. The bus had fans blowing soft, sweet air into the atmosphere. Corinne sighed. Her eight years in Philadelphia had taught her to handle the "slightly warm" air. They hadn't owned a fan since Corinne was a baby.

"Should we sit together?" Nory asked Corinne, bringing her back to the present time. Corinne nodded, uncertain. Kenna had already found a seat next to a boy who was making toot noises with his lips that Corinne found rude. Nory, though, did not seem to agree. "That's how you play a trumpet," she informed the boy. Nory played the horn and had tried the trumpet. She should know, thought Corinne.
Nory motioned to a seat near the back of the bus. "Too bad we can't sit with Kenna," she said unhappily. "She tells the funniest stories."
"Now look who gets to enjoy them," Corinne said. She pointed to the boy Kenna had decided to sit with, who was laughing at something she'd said.
The ride was uneventful. When the bus stopped, everyone got up, trying to beat each other to the door. Kenna was one of the first to make it to the door. When she did, she turned back. "Come and see our new camp," she whispered to Corinne.

The Life of Corinne P. : Chapter 3

"What in the world," said Corinne Packel. She was sitting on her bed, in the dark, with Kenna and Nory beside her. They were looking over the edge, onto the trundle bed, where Jesse was lying, tangled, in a pile of blankets. He was still active: Writhing all around in such a way that you'd think he'd hit his head on something, but he never did.

"Jesse, stop that and get some sleep," said Nory seriously. For once, Jesse lay still, covering himself with the knotted blanket as best as he could. The pillow had flown off the edge when he was still in motion, so he didn't use that. But Corinne wasn't fooled. "Jesssssssse," she warned.

"Sleepyhead," Jesse mumbled. Then: "Helpi'msleepingwanttohearideawhatisitwanttohearsecrethelpme."

"Nonsense," grumbled Kenna. She leaned down to the lower level of the trundle bed and slapped Jesse on the back. "See? You're awake. Now close your eyes and go to sleep." She sat back up proudly.
"Like Jesse would ever listen," Corinne grumbled to Nory. Nory whispered something to Kenna, who slumped down. "The meeting's started," she said, without much enthusiasum.
"Kenna and I found something," Nory announced. She grabbed something--in the dim light, no one could see it, they just heard crinkling noises. A flashlight was turned on--by Kenna, no doubt--and bright light illuminated the wrinkled paper. Corinne scanned it, looking for key words like she'd been taught to in second--or was it third?--grade. "Does it mean what I think it means? she asked.
"Yes," Nory said. "We're going to camp."

The Life of Corinne P. : Chapter 2

Corinne was bored. She was sitting on the couch with her legs propped up against the armrests.
"I don't know what to do," she moaned to Jesse.
"Play trucks with me?" Jesse suggested. Since a few days ago, Jesse had been going through what Lora referred to as a "transportation phase." Cars, trucks, airplanes, boats, even his Transformer toys had started to fascinate him more than ever. When they saw a bus passing one day, he'd delightfully asked, "How does it work?" When the members of the family had failed to give an explanation, he'd stomped his foot in frustration.
"Sorry, Jesse. Not right now, " apologized Corinne. And really, she was sorry, even though she didn't like the game of trucks. Jesse would be sad. He'd always said that trucks was a two person game: "So we can race the trucks!"
"I have an idea," offered Lora, coming into the room holding a bowl full of blueberries in one hand and one of Jesse's Transformer toys in the other. "Jesse, you need to clean this up, " she said, addressing Jesse. "And Corinne, it would be a good opportunity for you to visit your friends."
Corinne groaned. Lora, though always insisting she'd visited her friends in her childhood, couldn't seem to understand that Samantha was in Australia, or Mia was in Mendocino, or Kiren was at summer camp.
"Mom, all my friends are away!" whined Corinne. "Why can't we go somewhere too?"
Suddenly Kenna appeared in the room, standing next to Corinne as if she was attending to Corinne. "I have an idea," she breathed in Corinne's ear, eyes glowing green. "At night, you'll see."

Missed the first in the series? Click here to read it.

The Life of Corinne P. : Chapter 1

Corinne Packel was in the living room of her house, trying to recruit more people for a game of Musical Chairs.
It was late afternoon. The morning had been filled with thunder and lightning, so no one dared to go outside. Now, even though it had stopped raining, her previous attempts to persuade her mom to go to the bowling alley had failed. Corinne sighed, and dragged over a chair: Both herself and her cousin, Nory, were playing already. Nory didn't seem to be helping, though: She was listening to Robin's music, coming from a laptop computer.
Since her mom had politely refused a minute before, Corinne began to work on her dad. "Can you play Musical Chairs with me?" she pleaded.
Andy, her dad, shrugged his shoulders.
"Pleeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaase?" Corinne begged. Her comment made beautiful harmony with the music.
Just then, Kenna, Nory's little sister, burst in, with Jesse, Corinne's little brother, trailing behind her. "Can we play?" Jesse asked.
Corinne sighed. "Kenna, get some more chairs."
Soon, a game of Musical Chairs was in progress. Robin's music played while Corinne, Jesse, Nory,
and Kenna walked around and around the set of chairs.
Robin's hand slid across the keyboard. The music stopped. Everyone scrambled for a seat. Corinne found that she had no trouble getting a seat. This round, Jesse was out...
Then Nory...
Until Kenna got out. It took a minute for Corinne to realize what had happened. Then she cheered, along with everyone else.