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 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.

Leaf Days*

Every day, after school, Leaf, Maya's big sister, came home to babysit Maya until Mom and Dad arrived. But today she wasn't coming. Mom was at work, Dad was coming home on the BART train, and Leaf wasn't coming.
Maya started thinking. She went to her favorite thinking position: Her legs up on her head, her arms crossed and her eyes looking up. She thought about all the happy times she and Leaf had spent together as if that would make Leaf come. But she didn't.
Maya went into Leaf's room. She looked at Leaf's neat desk and Leaf's cosy stuffed animal that Maya used to beg to play with. She thought of what to do while she waited. That was when she remembered Leaf saying,"Read for a little while."
Maya went into her room and picked out Leaf's favorite book. Leaf had let Maya bring it into her room so Maya could remember Leaf at night as long as Leaf was allowed to read it sometimes. Maya picked it up. For a five-year-old, reading this sort of book was hard. By the time Maya figured out the first sentence, she heard a knock at the door. Maya rushed to open it and there was Leaf! Maya was so filled with joy and relief that she gave Leaf a great big hug.

* This post was fun to write. I hope you enjoy it.