* * * * *
Claudia was fast asleep by the time that Caera got home. Ana's mother had dropped Ana and Caera off at the Campbells' house since the twins' mother had a meeting in Boston that afternoon. Mrs. Campbell's plane landed at three, so Caera figured they had a while by themselves, and Ana asked to stay until dinnertime. For once, her mother agreed to let her.
"Claudia! Claudia! Claaaddiiiaaaaa!" Get down here!" Claudia woke at the first call of her name and was running down the stairs before Caera had finished screaming.
"You can stop yelling, Caera. I'm coming!" Claudia hollered while still on the staircase. The heavy echo of her footfalls carried to the living room, where Claudia found Caera and Ana slumped on the couch, finishing off a plateful of chocolate chip cookies. Caera grabbed the last one just seconds before Ana took the plate and polished off the cookie crumbs.
"I'm sorry we didn't leave you anything, Claudia, but you know Mom doesn't like you loading up on junk food when you're sick. I was only acting in your best interest."
"How generous of you, Caera. Your kindness is overwhelming." Claudia said dryly.
Suddenly there was a noise outside, and Caera and Ana went out to see where it had come from. Claudia heard the back door slam and went to check in the cookie cupboard. It was then that she heard shouting outside.
"Honestly, Mrs. Johnson sent us to talk to you after the meeting this afternoon. Just ask her tomorrow." Claudia recognized the voice instantly.
"Why are the Davenport twins in our back yard?" she wondered aloud on her way to the door.
"What makes you think that I wanna help you, Alex?" Caera demanded.
"Shes' got a point there, Alex," Andrew observed. "After all, you don't know Caera the way I do." he challenged conspiratorially. "You'd better let me ask her."
"Oh! Hi, Claudia!" Caera cried as Claudia appeared beside her on the back lawn. "Maybe you can get these trespassers to vamoose." Caera pulled Claudia in front of her to use as her shield.
The Davenports were leading a group of six boys and one girl. Claudia groaned. That one girl was Marie Summit, gossiping legend. Obviously they'd brought a little extra insurance along with them. No one wanted to make a scene with Marie around. But what were they all doing in the back yard? Todd Miller, Alex and Andrew's best friend, was trying to appear inconspicuous as he stole glances in Ana's direction while George Stuart stood admiring his toes. Marie Summit was smiling, notepad and pencil in hand, wildly scribbling across the page.
"Look, it's like this..." Alex began, "You know the science survival trip that's coming up in a couple weeks?"
Claudia nodded.
"Well, the original place we'd planned on has flooded, and Mrs. Johnson asked us if we would look for the perfect camping spot, and according to this map," he pointed out a small, white, folded map booklet of the surrounding countryside, "the perfect spot is right here." (He pointed.) "We didn't realize the widest trail started on your land until we got here. We thought we could start from the road and go into the forest using some of the paths that are marked. It'd be perfect if we started from your place, that is, if you're parents don't mind. So, how about it?"
Now that Alex had brought it to her attention and the more that Claudia thought about it, she realized that the forest would be the perfect spot! Even she had never fully explored the woods, rocky hills, and the mountains beyond.
"Hey, Claudia." From his tone, Claudia suspected that Andrew had some sinister purpose in mind.
"What?" she asked hesitantly.
"Well, I just thought you were supposed to be sick. You don't look it."
"I am," Claudia insisted, "but when I heard shouting, I jumped from my bed to see if Caera was okay."
"Ah, sisterly devotion. Kind of makes you want to vomit." Andrew muttered, but Alex interrupted him.
"Well how about it?"
"Yeah, well, I guess it's okay. Oh this'll be great, I just know it!" Claudia was beaming.
"Great. Then I'll tell Mrs. Johnson the good news." Alex smiled. Marie Summit giggled as her pen flew across several pages.
The sound of a car coming up the driveway startled Claudia.
"Uh-oh, Claudia! Mom's home. You'd better hurry inside." Caera whispered. "She'll be mad if she finds you here." Claudia nodded and dashed inside. Caera watched as the Davenports' group got into Mrs. Stuart's mini-van and backed up, just as Mrs. Campbell was getting out of her car. They turned to open the door for her since her arms were full of bags of things she had purchased in Boston.
It took Claudia a few minutes to get to her room, put on a nightshirt, and crawl into bed, but she was "sleeping" when her mother came to check on her.