User blog:TheMaximumMatt/Camp Bluebell Day 4: A Helping Hand

''[Lola and Lana jump into their beds. Lola and Lana grab the drawing tablet]''

Lola: Lana! Give me the drawing tablet or board or whatever!

Lana: You got to do it yesterday!

Lola: Only cause you did it the day before!

Bella: Hush, you two! It's time to go to bed!

Lola and Lana: Sorry, Bella...

Lana: Fine. We'll share it then. How does that sound?

Lola: Alright. I guess. But how is the family gonna know who's writing?

Lana: Why don't I underline my writing?

Lola: [shrugs] That works.

Dear family, this is Lola speaking.

'' And Lana too! And we just finished our fourth day at Camp Bluebell! ''

''Yep! And today, we really learned a valuable lesson about being a good friend... it started when we were at the shore...''

'' Scout Leader Clarabelle was having us build boats for us to ride tomorrow, so we can get our Boat Buddy badge! ''

FLASHBACK [The Bluebell scouts were building their own canoes near the lake.]

Mavis: [putting two board together] Can someone help me with my boat? I can't put the boards together!

Trixie: I'm gonna put skis on the bottom of my boats!

Sharon: [to Trixie] How would you do that?

Trixie: I have my ways...

Hailey: I'm gonna paint mine with all the colors I can think of! It's gonna explode with joy!

Gaia: Mine's gonna have flowers on it!

Kimberly: I've read many great stories about folks riding boats. Perhaps this will be good for recreating scenes!

Stacy: I need more wood! This boat is too asymmetrical! It's not perfect! [worriedly screams]

Brooke: My boat is the most important out of all of yours!

Bella: I sure do love myself a little construction! Reminds me of being back at home? [to Lola and Lana] You two?

Lola: If by love, you mean absolutely hate, then yes! I am having "fun"!

''As you can see... Lola was not having any fun building the boat''

''Ha ha ha ha. Very funny, Lana...''

Lana: Oh come on! Don't be like that! Bella's right! This is fun! Well, for me at least.

Lola: [slapping a nail into a board] Okay... here we go! [throws hammer to the nail, but accidentally hits her hand] OW! I hate building! I hate it!

[Lola glances above and sees Sharon struggling to carry supplies]

Sharon: [drops supplies] Ow! My back! It hurts!

Kendall: Oh dear! Sharon! What's happened to you?!

Sharon: My back! It hurts from carrying so much to and fro!

Kendall: Oh dear. This isn't safe for you. [thinks up an idea] Here! Why don't I build the boat for you?

Sharon: You, Kendall? But you already have a boat of your own that you're working on!

Kendall: Oh no! It's fine, Sharon. Really. I have plenty of time. Just trying to spread the peace by being kind.

Sharon: Well, that's very nice of you. But I'm not sure if-

Kendall: Don't worry! I got this under control!

''This is Kendall. She's the peacekeeper of the group. Kendall's the kind of girl who tries to keep things positive and peaceful, even if it means putting herself in stress.''

''Not to mention Kendall's probably the nicest kid in the whole camp. She's always willing to give a helping hand and making sure there is no tension between any of the campers. Like this morning when Brooke and I were fighting over pancakes and-''

''Lola! Focus! This is about boats! Not you learning to share pancakes!''

''Dang it, Lana! Why did you have to go and spoil my story like that?!''

''Uh... Lola. You're writing everything you say...''

''Ah! Come on!''

''Ha ha. Now where were we? Oh yeah. The boats.''

[Lola is surprised by Kendall's act of generosity]

Sharon: Well, if you're sure.

Kendall: You can just tell me how you would like to build it.

Sharon: Alright then. First, I want it to make a little curl at the end of the boat...

''[Lola grows a sly smile, plotting an idea to get out of doing this job. Transition to later where Kendall is done with Sharon's boat]''

''See, I didn't know Sharon had hurt her back while working, so I thought she got Kendall to work on her boat for her. This gave me a devious idea on how to get out of doing work.

Kendall: And it's all done!

Sharon: Oh, Kendall. Thank you! I'd give you a sincere hug, but my back still hurts...

Kendall: Not a problem, my friend. Not a problem at all.

Lola: Oh! Kendall!

Kendall: Yes, Lola? Can I help you?

Lola: Oh, Kendall, could you be a nice friend and help me with my boat over here?

Kendall: Why? Are you hurt or something?

Lola: [melodramatic] Oh, Kendall. I'm so tired from all of this building. Perhaps, you'd like to do the extra work for me?

''Ha! You sounded just like Kimberly when she's stubbed her toe!''

Shhh!

Kendall: Well, I've got my own boat to-

Lola: Pleeeeasse? You'd be very helpful if you did. After all, you are a peacekeeper are you?

Kendall: Of course I am!

Lola: Then, you certainly do want me to go through any drama or suffering. Do you? Because I'm so stressed and all that.

Kendall: Oh dear... well, no one is going to suffer under my watch! I'll build your boat, Lola! I'm sure I still have enough time anyway...

Lola: Thank you, Kendall! [skips away smugly]

[Transition to Lola playing on the camp swings]

Lana: [pops up at Lola] LOLA!

Lola: Ah!

Lana: What are you doing?! We're supposed to be building boats!

Lola: Oh, I took care of it.

Lana: You already finished your boat?

Lola: Pssh. No! I had Kendall do it!

Lana: Kendall?

Lola: You know. The one with the glasses.

Lana: Why is Kendall building your boat for you?!

Lola: Because she offered to!

Lana: It's not fair! If you get a break, why shouldn't I?!

Lola: I thought you loved building boats.

Lana: Not if you can just get someone to do it for you! I want that!

Lola: Then why don't you ask her or something?!

Lana: I will! Hmph!

''Yeah... looking back on it, it probably wasn't the best idea to follow in Lola's footsteps so...''

''Oh, don't go demonizing me! Like you're any better!''

''Lola. You're still writing.''

AHHH!

[Lana marches straight up to Kendall, who's just finished Lola's boat.]

Kendall: There! All done. Lola's gonna be so-

Lana: Kendall!

Kendall: What, Lana?

Lana: Can you build my boat for me, too?!

Kendall: Oh, but I need to get-

Lana: I mean, it's not fair that Lola gets a break and I can't!

Kendall: But Lana, if you could just listen-

Lana: Why does Lola get the special treatment?! Not fair! Not fair!

''Guess I wasn't the only brat on the camp... was I?''

[Kendall could sense the stress Lana was feeling and was not having it]

Kendall: Alright! Alright! Perhaps I could build you a boat too...

Lana: Yay! Thanks, Kendall!

Kendall: Oh... you're welcome...

[Lana skips away, feeling great about herself]

Kendall: [sadly] Perhaps I could cut off time from making details from my own boat...

[Bella sees this dilemma and grows concerned]

Trixie: Hey! Why is Kendall build a boat for Lana?! No fair! I want her to build me a boat too!

Brooke: I demand her help first!

Kimberly: I want her help too!

Hailey: Ooh! Can I get some help too?

Bella: Oh no! None of y'all ain't askin' Kendall for nothin'! You have your own boats that you should build! Look at poor Kendall! Working her back off so hard!

[The three look at Kendall sweating and worrying]

Hailey: Oh. You're right. We're sorry...

Bella: That's alright, Hailey. Now, let's see if I can get this whole mess cleaned up...

[Bella walks over to the worried Kendall]

Bella: Kendall? What's going on?

Kendall: Uh... nothing.

Bella: Your boat's over there though! [points to her boat]

Kendall: That's- uh- Oh, Bella. I just want to be a good friend! Sharon hurt her back so I thought I could help her build her boat for her, then the next thing you know, Lola asks me to build her boat... and then Lana.

Bella: [angrily] Ooooh... those two and their tricks! Look, Kendall, you don't have to do this!

Kendall: But if I don't, there will be commotions and dilemmas! They'll get mad at me and stuff! Besides, it's nice to help out I guess.

Bella: But Kendall, you're tiring yourself out for no reason!

Kendall: As long as no one has to go through any trouble...

Bella: Kendall. I know you're trying to be a good friend, but your "friends" should realize that they-

Assistant Anita: Everyone! Only ten minutes until work is done!

Kendall: Oh! I can't talk now, Bella! Got work to do!

Bella: But Kendall... Kendall... [sighs and marches off to find Lola and Lana] Well, I might as well go find the two troublemakers. At least, I'm finished with my boat.

[Bella finds Lola swinging on the swings while Lana is playing in the mud]

Lana: Wow. I'm so glad Kendall's doing my boat for me! Now I have plenty of time to play with the camp's mud! It's so much better than the mud we have at home!

Bella: You should feel ashamed of yourselves! Having poor Kendall do all of your work!

Lola: Oh please, Kendall's fine! She offered to do it for us!

Lana: Yeah!

Bella: Sounds more like you manipulated and forced her to do it! I thought better of you two! Why would you do that?

Lana: I saw Lola make her do it!

Lola: Only 'cause Sharon made her do it!

Bella: Kendall offered to do it for her because she had a hurt back. Have you ever had to work with a hurt back?

Lana: Oh yeah... that hurts like the dickens...

Lola: I'm sure Kendall will be fine!

[Bella takes a deep breathe]

Bella: And you do you suppose is gonna happen if she runs out of time with his own boat? She's working so hard on your guys' boats that she's almost forgotten about hers. She's been trying to be a real good friend to you guys while you two have been slackin' off not caring about her at all, and Lola, you didn't even thank her for building the boat. Now what kind of a friend is that?

[Lola and Lana pause what their doing and begin to feel ashamed about their actions]

That was when Lana and I realized we completely messed up.

''Forcing another camper to do our work was not right. And for what? So we could get out of doing it so we could play while the other scouts put effort into their work? What were we thinking?

Lola: [defeated] Alright. You're right.

Lana: [defeated] Let's go tell her to stop.

Bella: Thank you.

[Lola, Lana, and Bella walk over to Kendall]

Lola: Kendall...

Lana: Kendall!

Kendall: Oh, Lana! I'm sorry! I haven't finished your boat yet! Please don't be mad, I- !

Lana: No, Kendall. You don't have to. Because I am.

Kendall: I- I don't understand...

Bella: Lola and Lana have something to tell you.

Lola and Lana: [looking down with guilt] We're sorry.

Lola: We took advantage of your kindness.

Lana: We made you build our boats for us just because we were just too lazy to build it! Slacking off while you worked your butt off for us and sacrificed time for working on your boat...

Lola: I didn't even thank you for finishing my boat... I feel like an awful person.

Lana: Same. We haven't been very good friends to you.

Kendall: Oh... it's alright. It was my fault really. I'm the one who agreed to help you both. I just wanted to keep things peaceful here.

Lola: Come on. Forget Lana's boat.

Lana: Let's go finish your boat!

Kendall: but we only have 5 minutes left! How can we- ?

Lola: Don't worry about it. There's four of us here right?

Bella: Certainly. We can all build your boat with you together.

Lana: Four heads are better than one.

Kendall: Thank you all! It means a lot.

Lola: It's the least we could do for you.

''[Lola, Bella, Lana, and Kendall begin work on Kendall's boat. Lola's is having a hard time with building, so Bella teaches her how to build properly. The four are working as quickly as they can, gluing, nailing, and decorating the boat. They barely manage to finish at the last minute.]''

So with the four of us working hard, we got Kendall's boat ready

More like the three of us did...

''Hey! I was learning still!''

Clarabelle: Time's up! Time for me to judge your boats.

Bella: Welp, time for me to head to my boat.

Lola: Same.

Kendall: Oh no! Lana! Your boat! It's not done yet.

Lana: Oh don't worry about it. What matters more is that your boat is finished.

Lola: Lana! You wanna share the boat? This boat's perfect for both of us! We'll just say it's a collaborative effort! No one says we can't.

Lana: Sure!

[Lola and Lana rush to their boat]

''So to sum it up, most of us did a good job on our boats, but none of them were as good as Kendall's, thanks to our help of course. We did explain to Clarabelle about the whole thing with Kendall, and though she wasn't exactly the happiest about it, she did appreciate how we learned our lesson and made up for our actions. We didn't care about our badge. We just cared that Kendall got his boat done all... after we treated him like garbage... We're still feeling really guilty about that.''

''While she didn't give us the Boat Buddy badge since we didn't technically make our boat, she did give us the Canoe Cooperation badge, since we did work on Kendall's boat together. Oh, and Bella and Kendall got the same too. So they both go two badges actually. That was nice.''

''So, that was our day. We learned our lesson that we shouldn't just take advantage of people's kindness. It's really mean and selfish.''

''And being a good friend means not forcing your friends to do your work for you. Trust us. We won't be making the same mistake again.''

''Welp. I guess it's time for us to head off to bed. See ya, tomorrow, family!''

Bye!

THE END