"You okay?" Danny croaked, still clutching his plastic bag and looking green.

"I think I should be asking you that, Danny, but thanks! I can't believe I just got to sit next to Brendan Dakers. Stuff like that never happens to me."

"What did he talk about?" Jess asked curiously.

"I'm not really sure. I was concentrating too hard on being normal."

Jess nudged me, and we laughed as we hooked our arms through Danny's to lead him toward where everyone was gathering for a safety talk.

We were split into two groups, with half the grade going toward the ATV courses in the open fields and the other half, which I was standing in, toward the woods. "Good thing that you're in that group," Connor said, suddenly next to me as everyone excitedly followed the instructors. "I hear there are zip lines in the forest. You'll be right at home zipping through the air eh, Spidey?"

He winked and rushed off to join the other group.

Zip lines? I gulped.

I hurried to catch up with my group and found myself with Josie and Sophie, who were at the back and not looking very pleased with the forest we were about to enter. "That was sweet of Brendan to ask you to sit with him," Sophie observed. Josie watched me carefully.

"Yeah, I think he took pity on me," I replied quickly, chuckling.

Sophie smiled. "No, I'm sure that's not it."

We followed our group down a forest path. "Urgh," said Josie loudly, as we navigated our way down a small but steep drop, "this is so not fun. I'm not doing anything that involves wearing a harness."

"All the activities involve wearing a harness, Josie." Jess laughed over her shoulder as she climbed down after the instructor. "Unless you like free fall?"

"Well, we won't be doing them," Sophie snapped, rubbing her hands clean after gripping some dirty rocks to get down safely.

"The girls can watch." Brendan grinned.

"Thanks, Brendan, but some of us aren't scared to join in," Jess argued, folding her arms as we all gathered in a group around the instructor.

I didn't say anything.

Sophie and Josie categorically refused to go near the zip line, and, along with a couple of other girls-and Danny, who still looked very pale and sorry for himself as he sipped cautiously from a bottle of water-they sat on their jackets on some benches nearby, cheering on Brendan and his friends as they climbed up toward it.

I was more than happy to sit with them, but Jess can be very persuasive when she wants to be. "You'll enjoy it, I promise," she said, gripping my arm. "Please do it with me."

"Okay, fine." I sighed, reaching for a very unattractive red helmet. She was so pleased that she jumped up and down on the spot. Sophie and Josie watched with a grimace as one of the guides strapped me into a harness and attached me to a wire, instructing me to climb up the pole to the top, where the other instructor was waiting.

My confidence faded very quickly when I got to the top and looked down. I immediately regretted listening to Jess, who had gone before me and was now standing at the other side waving encouragingly. I gulped.

"Go on, Anna!" Brendan yelled from below, where he was sitting with Sophie after having had his turn.

Realizing I couldn't back out now, I leaped off the side and flew across. It was terrifying but actually exhilarating as well, and as I reached the end, I heard Brendan and the others whoop loudly.

I was so thrilled at everyone cheering that I welled up a little as I climbed down. "See?" Jess cried when I got to the bottom, helping me take my helmet off and giving me a massive hug. "You enjoyed it, right?"

"Yes, but no more scary activities for me." I laughed. "All right?"

"Absolutely," Jess nodded. "I'm so proud of you."

"Me too," Danny said, slowly coming over to pat me on the back as though that was a huge amount of effort.

Toward the end of the day the two groups joined back together and, utterly worn out, we were taken to the edge of the woods, which was lined by some rocks, where the stream from the woods became a small waterfall that splashed down the side and into caves. Sophie, Josie, and a group of girls had already set up camp around some benches. "Right," began the instructor. "Anyone with enough energy left who wants to explore the caves can rappel down. If not, you can wait by the benches."

Sophie and Josie didn't even look up, they were in such deep conversation about something on their phones. Intrigued by what they were talking about and completely exhausted, I slouched toward them.

"Anna, can you come with me?" I looked around to see Jess holding two helmets.

"No, no, no." I smiled at her. "I don't want to rappel into dark, murky caves thank you."

"Please, Anna," she pleaded, dropping the helmets to her sides in defeat.

"Take Danny," I said, gesturing to him. He was sitting on one of the benches, clutching his plastic bag.

"Is he still not better?" I huffed, realizing what this probably meant.

Jess looked at me pleadingly. "Pleeeeease, no other girls will come. You'll enjoy it; it'll be like an adventure. I'll be scared on my own!"

"You won't be on your own," Josie said, obviously listening to our conversation. Jess and I turned to see the group of girls watching us. "All the boys are going."

"I know," Jess said, looking at her feet. "But it would be nice if I had another girl with me. Sisterhood and girl power and all of that. Heard of it, Josie?"

Josie scowled in response.

I noticed for the first time that, despite the front she was putting up, Jess looked nervous. I don't think I've ever seen Jess look nervous before. I took one of the helmets. "I'll come with you." I gulped.

She looked at me in surprise, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Really?"

"Really?" Sophie repeated.

"Yeah," I said, my voice wobbling slightly. "It'll be fun."

"Anna." Josie sighed. "If I were you, I wouldn't. It's not very cool. Come and sit with us."

I took a deep breath. "It's okay. We'll come over after."

"Um, you can," Jess muttered under her breath. I gave her a look, and she had the good grace to give me an apologetic smile. I put on the helmet and walked toward the edge. Josie leaned in toward Sophie and whispered something to her as the instructor tightened the harness around the top of my legs.

I shuffled about with the strap around my waist, trying to make my harness a bit more comfortable, when Connor came over. He was strapped up for the rappel too. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to," he said quietly. "People won't care. Do what you want to do."

"I don't mind. Jess is all excited," I said by way of explanation and then attempted to tuck my top back into my harness as it kept rising up. "I'm sure it will be fine."

"Yeah, well I hear you've at least tackled a few of the activities today, unlike some people." He rolled his eyes toward Sophie, who was debriefing Josie on all her break plans. "Apparently you're a dark horse on an ATV."

"Okay, firstly, I do not appreciate your sarcasm, and secondly, I swear someone must have moved that stack of tires to the middle of the track for my turn."

"See you down there, Spidey." He grinned and joined the line of rappelers. I waited for Jess before attempting to walk after him as elegantly as possible while wearing a safety harness.

It was not an easy task.

The boys had made their way down, and it was Jess's turn. She looked nervous leaning over the edge, but she navigated her way down quickly, laughing about her sneakers getting wet in the water. "Come on, Anna, it's easy! You'll love it!" she yelled up. I peered over and saw Brendan standing next to her, giving me the thumbs-up. Connor was next to Max, away from the rest of the group. He nodded at me encouragingly.

"Ready, Anna?" the instructor, Evan, asked as he signaled to the other guide below.

"No." I shook my head.

"You're completely safe," he said softly so only I could hear. "Just go as slow as you like, one step at a time. I've got you."

I took a deep breath and, trying to act like I was very cool and collected like Jess, I leaned slowly backward. "That's it." Evan smiled. "Perfect. Now off you go-pop that left foot into the first hold. Can you see that dip there? Take your time."

I did as I was told and placed my shaking leg down into the hold. Then I did the same with the right. Suddenly I felt a rush of confidence. Feeling the harness tighten, I felt safe with Evan holding on. I cautiously began to descend backward, my canvas sneakers slowly becoming soaked as I found each foothold next to the gentle waterfall.

I knew I was getting near the end when I could hear Jess shouting up kind words of encouragement. Feeling braver, I sped up, taking step after step down. I started to enjoy it and thought happily about how the guys below must be pretty impressed. I wondered if Brendan was still watching.

And then I got truly stuck.

I realized I had put my right foot into a hole that was much too small, and somehow my foot was wedged in. I tried to shake my leg free, but my sneaker wouldn't budge. I knew Evan had me on the rope, so slowly I let go of the side and attempted to pull out my foot using both hands.

Evan continued to lower the rope that was holding up my body, not able to see this far down. Suddenly my upper body dropped backward and my foot remained stuck, the safety rope around my waist.

I was hanging upside down in a small waterfall.

Flailing around wildly, I couldn't see or hear anything because of the noise of the water. And then when it seemed like the situation couldn't get any more dire, my sweater fell loose from the harness and dropped down over my face.

As I hung upside down, having remembered the Wolverine thermal underwear I was wearing (that Dad had insisted on for the cold weather) was on display for everyone to see, I genuinely wished I could stay there until everyone else went home.

Eventually though, I was lowered to the bottom, where the second instructor grabbed hold of me half laughing as he unclipped the rope and checked if I was all right.

I looked up and saw Sophie, Josie, and the other girls gathered around the edge and looking down, their hands over their mouths, some of them giggling. I stood there, totally drenched, wiping the water off my face.

Someone took my hand, and I turned my head to see Connor Lawrence by my side. "Anna, are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Please don't make a fuss," I whispered, completely mortified that everyone was still laughing at me. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Brendan Dakers and the other boys watching us.

Connor followed my eyeline over to Brendan and pulled his hand away. "Fine." He walked off toward the back of the cave wall.

"Oh, Con" I began, but was interrupted as Jess ran over looking upset. "Anna! Oh my goodness, are you okay?"

I looked around to try to catch Connor's eye, but he was resolutely facing the other way. Brendan was still watching though. I shook my head. "No, Jess," I replied, my eyes welling up.

Jess gave me a big hug and then squeezed the bottom of my sweater to wring it out.

"Did it look awful?"

"No, it wasn't that bad," she replied carefully before letting out a small, apologetic giggle. "I mean, it was a little funny to watch. You know, you were sort of swaying upside down in the water. Don't worry though, I made sure no one filmed it on their phone . . . Nice thermal underwear, by the way."

So everyone had seen it.

"Did Brendan see?" I hissed desperately.

"Uh." She bit her nail. "Well, I think so. You know, everyone was looking up to watch you come down. . . . But I doubt anyone thought it was a big deal; I mean Brendan was laughing. You know, um, in a nice way."

I pushed my sopping hair off my face. I knew Jess was being kind, but even she must have been embarrassed by that. I wondered what she was really thinking.

I sat on the bus on the way home, wrapped in a towel and on my own again. Even if Brendan hadn't been sitting with Sophie, Josie, and the popular crowd, I was far too ashamed to sit next to him after today. Connor was sitting in the front again but hadn't said anything when I walked past.

I listened to Jess and Danny laughing in the seats opposite, the chatter of Sophie and Brendan as they flirted in the back seats, and the forced laughter of Josie as one of the soccer players told her an unfunny joke, and I made the decision there and then that things were going to change. I no longer wanted to be Anna Huntley, the embarrassing geek who wore Wolverine thermal underwear and couldn't do anything right.

I looked out of the window and made a pact with myself. I had to become someone who wouldn't be an embarrassment to spend time with. I'd be someone everyone would admire and, ultimately, someone they might even want to be.

I had to become Anna Huntley, the It Girl.

TEN REASONS WHY MY PARENTS could never be together although they would never admit any of these: 1. My mom talks to Dog in a baby voice. My dad HATES this. "For goodness' sake, Rebecca, he's not a replacement child. If you feel the need to speak in that manner, go to the local nursery and volunteer. Don't torture my poor Labrador."

2. My dad talks to Dog like he is a fellow member in a renowned gentlemen's club. My mom HATES this. "For goodness' sake, Nicholas, he doesn't care whether it's a 'voluminous' port and he certainly won't join you for a cigar. Make new friends."

3. Mom doesn't like silence so makes little clicking sounds with her tongue every now and then during long periods of quiet. These sounds make Dad dig his fingernails into his leg.

4. The last time my mom stayed at our house, she painted one of the doors orange when Dad was out at a meeting because she said the house was: "Like your father, looking dreary." Neither the orange nor the reason behind it went down well.

5. Dad eats very quickly and then gets the hiccups. Every meal, Mom says, "Slow down, Nick; at your age you'll get heartburn," to which he replies, "Leave me alone; I'm enjoying my food." And then he gets the hiccups. She gets very angered by this process each time it happens. Then they have a conversation that in theory is with me, but actually they don't even look at me once. Just give each other death stares. "He never listens to me, Anna!" "I would listen to her, Anna, if she didn't tell me how to behave all the time. Please remind your mother that I'm a grown man!"

6. My mom backed his new Volvo into a mailbox. And then a bread van. And then the side of the garage where she took it to be fixed.

7. My dad took her new Audi for a test drive and totaled it.

8. Every time she comes to stay, my mom throws out any of Dad's clothes or shoes she doesn't approve of but doesn't tell him. Most of the time he only realizes a few weeks after she's gone, when he's late for something and is looking for his "darned green bow tie." Then I get: "Anna. Please get your mother on the phone, NOW. I don't care if she's trekking in the Andes. I said NOW."

9. They constantly bicker over which newscaster is the best on TV.

10. They both hate that the other one knows them better than they know themselves.

Mom arrived on Monday laden with gifts from around the world. "What a lovely fruit bowl," my dad said grimly, trying to sound enthusiastic as he held it out away from him.