Rumors by Katy Grant

sees how much it upsets you, she’ll keep doing it.”
    What was this inside joke about rainbow trout? I was dying to find out. There had to be some way I could get Laurel-Ann to tell me the whole story.
    Did Bubonic Boo know about it too? Probably. She seemed to know everything about everyone else’s business.
    The rest of the afternoon was pretty uneventful. Laurel-Ann was upset, and even though I did feel bad for her, it just so happened that when something wasbothering her, she got really quiet. So I was actually able to enjoy the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves of the trees.
    Late in the afternoon, we stopped at a clearing in the woods to set up camp. It was such a relief to finally take my backpack off. My new Pine Haven T-shirt was all sweaty from where my backpack had been, and I didn’t realize how sore my shoulders and back were starting to feel.
    We were in a beautiful spot. It was wooded all around us, but we’d come to a little clearing where the ground was flat and open. Down a sloping hill was the stream we’d been following for most of the hike. From our campsite, we could hear the sound of the water rippling over the rocks.
    â€œOkay, ladies. We’ve got tarps to put under you to keep your sleeping bags dry,” said Jerry. “Doesn’t look like rain, so we’ll be fine sleeping out in the open tonight.” He looked up at the clear sky, visible through the trees above us.
    So then we all got busy spreading out the tarps and laying out sleeping bags.
    â€œWe’ll leave a spot in the middle for the campfire,” Rachel told us.
    â€œGood idea, Hoffstedder,” Jerry agreed. “We needsome girls to gather firewood and some to find rocks to ring the fire with. And we need pine needles and twigs for kindling.”
    â€œI’ll help you gather firewood, Jerry,” said Katherine.
    Laurel-Ann gave me a nudge. “See? What did I tell you?” She rolled her eyes at the way Katherine followed Jerry around.
    Before long, we had our campsite set up. One thing I wasn’t thrilled about was that we had to dig a latrine out in the woods behind a tree. But that was the only thing about camping I didn’t like.
    When it was time to make dinner, we lit the campfire, and Lori, Rachel, and Jerry showed us how to make campfire stew. We got busy cutting up carrots, onions, meat, and potatoes, and all the ingredients went into a collapsible metal pot that we then set into the hot coals so it could simmer.
    It seemed like it took forever for the stew to cook, so we all took off our sweaty shoes and socks and played in the stream while we waited. The smell of the simmering stew made my stomach grumble. But when it was finally ready, it was hot and delicious.
    â€œDid everyone leave room for dessert?” asked Rachel, pulling a bag of marshmallows out of her backpack.
    â€œYum!” said Ashlin. “Did you bring chocolate and graham crackers too?”
    â€œYou bet,” answered Jerry. “You can’t have a campfire without s’mores.”
    We scattered into the woods to find sticks to roast our marshmallows on. Lightning bugs were starting to come out of the grass, and their little lights flashed on and off like blinking signals all around us.
    Lori had added more wood to the fire, so now it was a roaring blaze. We all stood around it with our sticks and held our marshmallows out to roast them. The fire was so hot it actually made me sweat, but I felt cool air on the backs of my bare legs. I was glad I’d put on a sweatshirt, because it was a chilly night. The smoke from the fire made my eyes water, but I loved the smell of the burning wood.
    All of a sudden, Laurel-Ann’s marshmallow burst into flames. “Oh, no! Oh, no!” she shrieked at the top of her lungs.
    Katherine laughed so hard I thought she might lose her balance and fall into the fire. Laurel-Ann screamed and tossed the whole stick into the fire,