Baby Under The Christmas Tree. Teresa Carpenter

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      PROLOGUE

      ELLE AUSTINSAT very still in the corner of her bunk, knees tucked up to her chest under the yellow satin of her Belle princess dress. Retreating from the chaos reigning in the room, she smoothed her hand over the soft material. She loved her Belle dress.

      Mama had made the gown just for her and she liked it better than the costume that came with her admission to Princess Camp. Mostly because Mama didn’t do anything girlie, but when her parents had agreed to let Elle come to camp, Mama took a class and made the dress. Elle figured Mama got a lot of help from the teacher, but she didn’t care. Her Belle dress shimmered and flowed and was the most beautiful in camp. Everyone said so.

      “What’s wrong, Elle?” Amanda came to sit on the edge of Elle’s bed. Posture straight, hands clasped in her lap amid the full skirt of her Rapunzel dress, Amanda’s serene smile brought a moment’s calm to the chaotic activity dominating the cabin.

      Elle wanted to cover her ears but she wasn’t a baby anymore. At eleven she was big enough to come to Princess Camp alone. That meant she was big enough to handle a little friendly bustling.

      “Everyone is talking at once.” She forced a smile for Amanda. “How can anyone hear what anyone else is saying?”

      “With all your brothers I’d think you’d be used to a lot of noise and activity.”

      “I am.” Elle pleated her skirt between tense fingers. She loved her family, knew they loved her, but she often felt the misfit among the athletic, boisterous crowd. She confessed to her friend something she’d never told anyone. “But I don’t like it. It makes me nervous. I like order.”

      “Me, too.” Amanda nodded. “But this is fun noise. Everyone is excited about the talent show. They’re just sharing their ideas and claiming their spots.”

      “But no one is paying attention.” Wasted noise, wasted energy, it made everything in her go tight. And her stomach hurt.

      “I know.” Amanda stood and wound her way through the six girls dancing and twirling in the middle of the room. At her bunk she bent and pulled a book out of her backpack. A minute later she was back and handing Elle the book, which was actually a journal, and a purple pen.

      “For you. To take down what everyone is saying. My grandmother says organization is the foundation of greatness. And my grandfather says chaos is merely random patterns that need to be put in order.”

      “I can take notes.” Elle sat forward and took the book. She didn’t really want to try to make sense of the excited chatter, but it had to be better than hiding in the corner. Amanda and Michelle were so pretty and so smart. Elle refused to be a sissy baby in front of them.

      She nodded and began to listen for the different voices, pulling individuals out of the mix. Michelle first; her melodic voice made her easy to discern.

      Elle noted her friend’s choice of singing a song from Sleeping Beauty. Of course.

      Next the Little Mermaid twins were enthusing together about a tap-dance routine.

      Cinderella wanted to talk costumes.

      And Mulan did a kick as she announced she’d be doing martial arts.

      Elle bent over the pad, quickly taking down all the ideas she heard. Soon she had lots of notes and her stomach didn’t hurt anymore. No longer curled into the corner, she sat on the edge of the bed directing the action as a plan began to emerge.

      Elle liked plans.

      Amanda smiled and Elle grinned back, happy to have order restored.