Barbie Fall 2015 Chapter Book Read online

  Erika nodded. “And you’re the one who’s supposed to be at Camp Royalty!”

  The girls laughed.

  “We could just switch camps,” Erika suggested.

  Courtney thought it over. After what Sloane had just said, maybe switching was the right answer. “I don’t see why not,” she said.

  It was settled. Princess Courtney would return to Camp Royalty. Erika would join the other pop stars at Camp Pop. They would both be where they belonged. So why were they still standing there?

  Courtney thought about all she had accomplished at Camp Pop. With the help of her friends, she was breaking out of her princess shell. It was fun to just be herself—without all the rules of royalty! How could she leave that feeling of freedom behind?

  Erika understood. Her life on tour was always so lonely. She had never felt like she truly belonged anywhere—until her time at Camp Royalty. Giving that up would be so hard!

  “You know,” Erika suggested, eyeing Courtney, “we could always not switch camps. Keep things the way they are…”

  Courtney was relieved. As bad as things were, she knew she could count on her friends at Camp Pop to help her through. “True. There’s only a week left,” she agreed. “See you at the sing-off, then?”

  Erika grinned. She looked as relieved as Courtney felt. The girls hugged goodbye and went to find their friends.

  Back at Camp Royalty, Erika apologized for running out. Then she and her friends continued to rehearse.

  “Better…,” Erika coached. “But the harmonies have got to be tighter.”

  Olivia crossed her arms. “We don’t need a one-hit wonder telling us what to do.”

  Erika fumed. Why couldn’t Olivia see that she was trying to help?

  “Fine!” Erika snapped. “You want to go down in flames, be my guest!” She stormed out of the room again.

  Erika marched toward the main office. It had been a mistake to come back. She would switch to Camp Pop once and for all. At least they would appreciate her talent.

  When she reached the office, she heard Clive talking on the phone.

  “I am the smartest,” Clive said, dancing around the room. “No one else could have masterminded a plan to make sure Camp Royalty won the sing-off!”

  Erika bit her lip. What was Clive talking about? She listened closer, careful to stay hidden.

  “I’ve bribed a judge. In just a few days, Camp Royalty will win. Finn Oxford will have no choice but to close Camp Pop for good!”

  Erika clapped her hand over her mouth. The competition was rigged! She had to warn her friends.

  Back in their room, Erika told Genevieve and Aubray about Clive’s plot. “Even worse, he and Lady Anne have made some kind of bet with Camp Pop. The loser of the sing-off has to shut down for good!”

  Her roommates started to panic.

  Erika held up her hands. “I have an idea. But I need your help for it to work.…”

  That night, Erika and her friends snuck over to Camp Pop. They needed to talk to Princess Courtney.

  “What are you doing here?” Courtney asked Erika when they found her.

  Erika explained her plan. “The futures of Camp Pop and Camp Royalty are on the line. The only way we can save them is for everybody to work together. Do you think you can get the pop stars on board?”

  “I’ll try,” Courtney promised. Rehearsals hadn’t exactly been going smoothly for her either. But Courtney knew this wasn’t just about her—it was about all of them. Time was running out. With only one more day before the sing-off, she had to try.

  Twenty-four hours later, the sun was shining over both camps. It was sing-off day! In a big arena, campers were ready to watch the competition.

  “Welcome to the first ever sing-off between Camp Royalty and Camp Pop!” Lady Anne announced.

  Finn introduced the judges. It was time to begin.

  Courtney and Erika waited backstage with their groups. They had stayed up all night practicing a totally new and totally secret sing-off number. It would be amazing!

  The plan was for both camps to perform the new number as one big group. That way, the judges wouldn’t be able to pick a winner. Both camps would have to stay open!

  Courtney and Erika eyed each other nervously. The music swelled. It was now or never.

  Performers from Camp Royalty took the stage first. Erika led them in their song. Everything appeared normal. But then, in the middle of their performance, the singers from Camp Pop jumped onstage. Fireworks exploded. The two groups performed a mash-up of their original songs—together! Then they switched to the secret song they had spent all night rehearsing.

  Lady Anne and Clive looked shocked. What was happening? Why were the two groups singing together?

  Onstage, Courtney felt the music in her soul. She caught Erika’s eye. Erika winked back. Now.

  Courtney tossed her microphone high in the air. Lights flashed. The stage filled with swirling smoke and glitter. The fog lifted as Courtney caught her microphone. Her blond hair had changed to bright pink! She wore a sparkling top and a short tulle skirt instead of her ball gown. Talk about rocker chic!

  Erika’s outfit was different, too! Her metallic pink-and-blue dress glittered with tiger stripes. The crowd roared.

  Erika’s and Courtney’s friends gathered around them for the final part. They raised their voices. They sang for their new friendships and for the camps that meant so much to them. They sang for each other and all they had learned. They sang for everyone who had ever felt different.

  As they hit their last notes, the crowd went wild! Erika and Courtney grinned at each other. They had done it! But would it work?

  Lady Anne crossed her arms. She looked furious. Finn looked confused.

  After a few moments, two judges were undecided. The third judge was the one Clive had bribed. She chose Camp Royalty as the winner. Camp Royalty cheered!

  But then Lady Anne and Finn interrupted. They decided to overrule the third judge’s vote. They declared both camps the winner!

  Yes! Erika and Courtney bumped fists. Now both camps would have to stay open!

  Near the stage, Lady Anne and Finn Oxford were whispering to each other. What could that mean? Then Lady Anne picked up the microphone.

  “Finn and I have worked out our differences,” she announced. “We’ve been blaming each other for some pretty old mistakes, and we pushed you guys to take sides. But those days are over! Starting next summer, our two camps will merge! We will create one place where we can celebrate rock and royalty alike!”

  The audience cheered.

  Courtney and Erika high-fived.

  “So…any plans for next summer?” Courtney asked.

  Erika grinned. “Want to room together?”

  Courtney nodded and hugged her new friend. Then she looked at the campers in the crowd. Some wore gowns and some wore leather jackets. Some had punk-rock hairstyles and some wore jewels.

  But Courtney knew one thing: no matter how different they were, each camper deserved a place where he or she could fit in—or stand out. And a camp that let them do both? That was music to Courtney’s ears. She picked up her microphone and nodded at Erika. Then she turned to the crowd.

  “Who’s ready to rock?”