Girl on the Run Read Online Free PDF

probably become water balloons.
    Only one item remained. It was a small, flat black box.
    I lifted the cover. It was my wraparound necklace. Tiny colourful beads threaded all the way around, with a dime-sized silver disc in the middle. It had been a gift from Mom and Dad after I broke my very first provincial record, when I was fifteen. We joked that the charm was my first medal. Since then, before every event, I always rubbed the silver between my finger and thumb for luck.
    But, like my runners, I had hidden this. Or so I thought. There was no note from Mom, but it wasn’t needed. For luck,it said to me.
    Voices caught my attention. I zipped up the duffel bag, still full of junk, and shoved it in the corner. I wiped my face a few times, then came out of my room and saw two boys standing on the porch.
    â€œIs this Cabin 4A?” a fair-haired boy asked, looking through the screen door.
    â€œYup,” I said, running over like an anxious hostess. He walked in, followed by his brother—clearly an identical twin. They shared the same short, spiky, blond hair, thin arms and legs, and blue eyes. Disastrous scenes from The Parent Trap played in my mind.
    â€œHi,” I said, reaching out my sweaty hand. “I’m Jesse.”
    â€œI’m Liam,” said the first brother, ignoring my hand. “And this is Duff.” Duff only nodded. Wordlessly, they chose the bunk beds opposite Spencer.
    Spencer ran a hand through his mop of red hair and extended a fist to Liam. “Hey,” he said.
    â€œHey,” Liam replied, reaching out, touching fists.
    â€œOh, do you guys already know each other?” I asked.
    â€œNo.” Spencer frowned at me, then looked at the twins and rolled his eyes.
    The twins unpacked, and fell into an easy alliance with Spencer. A quick comment about video games I had never heard of stimulated five minutes of commentary from Liam, peppered with critiques by Spencer. Duff, it seemed, was the quiet twin.
    After a few moments, they noticed I was still in the room.
    â€œOh,” Liam said. “I didn’t know we had our own maid.”
    I put my hands on my hips, and gave him my best Lara Croft, Tomb Raider impression. “I’m your counsellor,” I said.
    â€œWhat?” Liam dropped his grin. Duff tapped his brother on the shoulder.
    â€œShe’s the counsellor,” Liam said to Duff, making gestures with his hands. Duff answered him with quicker sign language.
    Liam nodded to his brother. “Yeah, I know.”
    â€œWhat did he say?” Spencer asked Liam.
    â€œIf he knew it was going to be coed, he would have asked for the hot blond with the ponytail.”
    Spencer gave me a crooked smirk. “If you leave, do we get another counsellor?”
    â€œWhy would I leave?” I asked. Although secretly I rejoiced at the idea.
    Spencer remained quiet, but his expression made me uncomfortable. I retreated to my little room, leaving the snickering behind me. I checked my watch. Only twenty minutes on the job and I was already in last place. My eyes fell on the black box.
    For luck.
    I put the necklace on and faced the small oval mirror on the wall. The necklace was short, almost a choker, perfect for running since it never bounced or tangled. My finger automatically touched the dangling silver disc. I was no longer the track star, but the new girl, ready for a summer of freedom from nosy stares and gossip.
    But no matter what happened at Kamp Krystal Lake, I couldn’t quit. Chloe was expecting Old Jesse. I had to figure out how to pull that off by the end of the summer. This job was a chance for me to create a new life, even if that meant faking it every single second.
    â€œI can do this,” I whispered to my reflection.

FIVE

    S ince the other kid was a no-show and Spencer’s whining about starving to death made me want to break his iPhone for real, the Three Musketeers and I walked up the grassy slope to the Main Hall.