09 | Talk About a Snoozefest

After changing my bedding and finally settling in for some sleep, I expected that by morning, I'd be able to work out an idea of how Lizzie and I are going to get back at Rita. But as the two of us eat our breakfast, my mind is still struggling to come up with anything worth mentioning.

Unfortunately, Lizzie's in the same boat. We've been picking at our food with furrowed brows, focused silence settling between us as the rest of the room chatters on. On the bright side, there are no workshops today, meaning we have the entire day to figure out our next move.

As I take another bite of my apple, an idea clicks-- not exactly a prank, but at least something that could lead us to one.

"Hey," I start, getting Lizzie to look up from her oatmeal, "Since there aren't any workshops today, what if we followed Rita and Mei around to try to dig something up?"

Lizzie purses her lips, nodding at the suggestion. "There is a chance we could overhear something they wouldn't want us to." Her expression brightens. "Or even catch them doing something embarrassing. And if we bring our phones, we could get a picture."

I laugh, knowing it's unlikely but liking her enthusiasm. Plus, it's the best thing we've got so far. "Hopefully we're lucky and Rita turns out to be an avid nose-picker or something."

We finish our meal and keep an eye on Rita from across the cafeteria. When she and Mei get up, throw out their trash, and leave, Lizzie and I sneak out behind them. We keep our distance as they walk to their cabin and head inside, totally out of view. As we hunch behind a few bushes, I feel my optimism retreat.

"Well that wasn't very exciting," I whisper, watching the door for any sign of them.

"There's an open window-- we should get closer, see if we can hear anything."

Lizzie's tiptoeing over before I can argue that someone might see us perched under their window and rat us out.  I follow her, the two of us squatting beneath the shutters. I keep my eyes trained on the empty path, my heartbeat quickening at our obviously suspicious position.

"I wish I could've seen the look on their faces," Rita's voice comes from the window above us. Lizzie and I give each other a look, rolling our eyes. Of course she's still gloating over her prank. "And they didn't even have the nerve to say anything about it at breakfast."

"I'm sure that'll end it," Mei speaks up. "They'll back off now."

Ha! Back off? Fat chance.

"If another thirteen-year-old boy comes up to me and mentions worms one more time, I swear I'm gonna lose it. Let's go," Rita says, and there are obvious footsteps against the wooden floor.

"One sec," Mei replies.

Lizzie shifts to all fours, crawling on the grass to avoid the windows as she makes her way to the back of the cabin. I follow and hear the front door squeak open just as I round the corner. Lizzie stands and peeks out around the building.

"They're in their bathing suits and carrying towels," she whispers. "Heading towards the lake."

"We can follow from behind the cabins," I suggest, wiping grass and dirt from my knees.

She nods, the two of us continuing to stalk, hurrying to stay behind the cabins and trying to be light on our feet as we avoid twigs and branches.

"The whole thing is just so immature," Rita huffs. "I didn't want to spend my summer dealing with dumb and dumber, you know? I just want to star in my play, get a good tan, and get Ethan to ask me out."

Lizzie looks at me and smirks, shaking her head as if saying Never gonna happen.

"I wonder why he was talking to Delena and Lizzie last night," Mei ponders. Well, it's at least nice knowing I'm not the only one who's still thinking about that.

Rita glares at her, head moving in an obvious are you stupid? gesture. "He was just doing his job-- the staff are supposed to make the campers feel at home."

Mei must know she pushed a button, because she stays quiet all the way to the beach. Lizzie and I, having run out of cabins to hide behind, cross the path behind them and move to the wooded area that separates the girls' cabins from the center of camp.

Rita and Mei lay their towels out on the sand and sit down, popping on sunglasses and lying in the sun. And just like that, our plan is thwarted-- they may as well be asleep with how quiet and motionless they're being. No chance of us hearing something juicy or seeing something embarrassing from two people who aren't doing anything.

"Talk about a snoozefest," Lizzie mumbles, shaking her head and leaning against a tree. We're only a few feet away, meaning still we need to be quiet, especially thanks to how quiet they're being. The lake is filled with campers who are swimming and splashing around, but apart from the two cadaver-esque bodies lying nearby, the beach is empty. Rita and Mei's idea of a good time obviously isn't a popular one.

"So much for this idea." I sigh, the two of us still watching from behind the thick trees, waiting for anything worth hearing or seeing. "At this rate they'll get a sunburn before we come up with something."

There's the sound of a branch snapping behind us, causing my heart to jump in my chest. We both reel around to face the culprit: Zack, who walks over and raises his eyebrows in curiosity as he looks between us.

"What are you guys--" Zack cuts his sentence short as we shush him, waving our hands for him to stop. He freezes, deer in the headlights, and I look back to the beach-- Rita is sitting up and taking off her sunglasses.

"Hide!" I hiss, grabbing Zack by the shoulders and pushing him over to Lizzie. He stumbles, bumping into her, the two of them struggling to fit behind the trunk of the tree. Hey, just because I'm panicking and about to be caught spying doesn't mean I can't be a good wingman.

I hold my breath, staying as still as possible for what feels like forever but is probably more like thirty seconds. We're dead quiet, only the sounds of the campers playing in the lake and the birds and bugs nesting in the trees around us filling the air.

Zack shifts, and his foot slips on a leaf, body flailing before he awkwardly steadies himself with the help of a low branch. I bite my lip, holding back laughter at the fact that I'm on a spy mission with what seem to be the two clumsiest people at camp.

I take a deep breath and decide to risk it, peeking out from behind the tree. Then I exhale heavily, feeling pretty stupid-- from the looks of it, Rita wasn't doing anything more than flipping over to lie on her stomach.

I motion my head in the opposite direction, leading the three of us away from the beach and towards the center of camp.

Once we're out of their earshot, Zack, still red-faced from crashing into Lizzie, speaks up. "You guys were spying on Rita?"

Lizzie looks over to me as if asking for permission to fill him in on our secret mission. I shrug, figuring he's probably harmless-- potentially even helpful, considering his obvious crush on Liz.

"We're in the midst of a prank war," she explains. "Rita confessed that she was the reason for what happened to me at the lake last year. Me and Del were behind yesterday's worm fiasco."

"Really?"

I nod. "But she and Mei got us back, and good. We were following them in the hopes of learning something useful, something to help us think of a retaliation prank... but we've got nothing."

The three of us head up to the crafts building, which is busy inside and out. Campers sit around in groups, laughing as they make colorful friendship bracelets and gimp keychains. A few nearby girls giggle as they attempt to learn an intricate handshake, repeating the motions over and over.

We sit on one of the benches outside, and I make sure Lizzie gets the spot between me and Zack.

"We don't want to do anything too harsh, you know?" Lizzie says. "Like, no poison ivy in their suntan lotion or anything-- although I'd be lying if I said it didn't cross my mind."

Zack nods, quiet as he thinks it over.

"And," I add, "it's especially hard coming up with something that just the two of us can pull off."

"I can help," Zack offers so fast I can barely finish my sentence.

"Really?" Lizzie asks, looking like she's trying really hard to suppress her excitement at the proposal.

He nods-- the way they're making googly eyes at each other, it feels like they've forgotten I'm even sitting on the same bench. "Of course-- I mean, Rita's not exactly my favorite person here. And if she did that to you last year... you deserve to get her back."

Lizzie smiles, face flushed.

"I appreciate the extra manpower, but we still have to come up with something," I say, reminding them of my existence.

"Wait a second." Lizzie snaps her fingers, sitting up straighter. "We already know something we can use against Rita. She even mentioned it on the way to the beach."

I replay the conversation in my brain. "She wants the lead in the play... and she likes Ethan."

"Ethan Wright?" Zack asks.

Lizzie nods, smiling mischievously. "Bingo. I have an idea, but it's kind of mental. Maybe too harsh, and maybe not even possible-- but with three people, we might just manage to pull it off."

I shrug a shoulder. "Let's hear it-- can't be worse than nothing."

She bites back a grin. "Rita already flirts with Ethan at every opportunity, but personally, I think we could help her come on a little stronger."

With that, Lizzie dives into an explanation. And she's right: the idea is crazy. It'd be insanely difficult to pull off, and if we get caught, it's a great way to get us in massive amounts of trouble. It's devious and cruel-- but it's also perfect.

And just like that, Operation Panty Planting is officially on.

Do you think it's a good idea for them to get help from Zack? 💟

Any guesses for what Operation Panty Planting entails? 😆