My Extra Best Friend by Julie Bowe

push the erase button. “There,” I say as the picture bleeps off the screen. “Now it’s an
un
memory.”
    Alex steps into the doorway, watching, as I jam the camera back at Meeka.
    Meeka takes it, frowning. “That was mean.”
    “It was mean of you to take Ida’s picture without her permission,” Jenna puts in.
    Meeka gives Jenna a frown too. Then she, Randi, and Jolene brush past Alex, shooting looks back at us as they head out the door.
    “I’ll get your towel from the line,” Jenna tells me. “Meet outside.”
    Alex studies me and Elizabeth for a moment after Jenna leaves. “Is anything wrong?” she asks. “Everyone seems a little upset.”
    Elizabeth adjusts the beach bag on her shoulder. “Nothing’s wrong with
me,
” she replies.
    Alex turns my way. “Ida?” she asks. “Everything okay?”
    My face feels as red as my T-shirt. My eyes sting with tears. I feel bad about grabbing Meeka’s camera. I don’t like that she’s mad at me. But it’s not my fault. If Elizabeth hadn’t shown up wearing the exact same swimsuit as me, none of this would have happened. In fact, everything would be perfect if she hadn’t shown up at all.
    I blink away the sting. “Everything is fine,” I reply.
    Then I head out the door.

Chapter
11
    “Turn it inside out,” Jenna says a few minutes later, when we get to the beach. The other girls are already halfway to the raft. “Then you won’t match Liz
butt
, and no one will see the toilet.”
    I give Jenna a smile of relief. “That’s a good idea,” I say, slipping the T-shirt off and turning it inside out.
    Jenna lifts her chin. “I’m an expert at good ideas.”
    Elizabeth comes up from behind us.
    Jenna gives her a squint. “What do
you
want?”
    Elizabeth sets down her beach bag and taps her chin. “French fries and a strawberry shake,” she replies. “How about you?”
    “Ha-ha,” Jenna says. “I mean, what are you doing here?
We’re
swimming together as soonas I win my race.” She takes my hand.
    “I know,” Liz replies, reaching into her bag. “But I thought we could explore until you get back.”
    She pulls out a face mask. Bright green, with buggy frog eyes on top. The lens looks like the frog’s wide-open mouth. She snugs it over her eyes. Then she pulls out a pair of matching green flippers.
    Jenna shakes her head, giving Elizabeth the once-over. “There isn’t a kiddie pool at camp. You look like my little sister.”
    Elizabeth slips the flippers on her feet. “How
is
Rachel?” she asks. “I always liked
her
.”
    Jenna squints again.
    Elizabeth waddles to the edge of the water. “Want to go over by those weeds?” she asks me, pointing to the far side of the shallow end. “If we stand still for a minute, fish will swim right up to us. Maybe even nibble our ankles!”
    I just stare at her frog face mask. At her green flippers. At her blue two-piece that would be just as cute as mine, if
mine
wasn’t hidden under a giant T-shirt.
    How can she think that I would want to explore with her? How can she pretend that everything is the same between us? Wasn’t she paying attention back at the cabin? Didn’t she read my notes?
    “C’mon, Jenna!” Randi hollers from the rope. Rusty and Joey are already by the raft, squirting water through their teeth and doing their best to bug Brooke while she tries to impress Nat and Emillie.
    Jenna turns to me. “I’ll be right back,” she says. “We’ll get my squishy ball and play catch.”
    “Sounds like fun!” Elizabeth chimes in.
    Jenna glares at Elizabeth. “I was talking to Ida. Catch is no fun with
three.
”
    “We could play Marco Polo,” Elizabeth offers. “You need at least three for that.”
    Jenna gives me a
doesn’t-this-girl-ever-give-up?
look.
    “I know a game three can play,” I say, turning to Elizabeth.
    Elizabeth’s eyes brighten behind her frog face mask. “What?” she asks.
    I cross my arms. “Keep-away.”

    “Trust me, you guys will
love
Nat and Emillie