To Night Owl From Dogfish

Avery writes a letter to Sam and Kristina. She’s still working through her fear of canoeing. There is a dance with the boys from Camp Stone Point on Saturday. She thinks it’s strange that they have never met these boys but are supposed to dance with them, but it’s a tradition, like everything at Camp Far View Tarn.

Brielle’s mother sends a letter to Brielle, having learned from Mrs. Leonard that Brielle and Tyler got into a fight at the dance. Mrs. Leonard did not go into specifics, but she said the children were writing formal apologies. Brielle’s mother warns her to straighten up: She already regrets marrying Brielle’s father and would not want to regret having children as well.

Tyler Mayhew (Brielle’s brother) writes a letter to Avery. When he asked her to dance, he didn’t know anything about her but really did want to dance with her. During their third dance, Brielle approached them and asked Tyler if he knew Avery has a gay father. Bett and Brielle started yelling at each, and Tyler now worries that Avery might think he’s an “idiot” like his sister: He doesn’t care if Avery’s father is gay. There’s another dance coming up, and Tyler hopes to see Avery there again. Avery also looks forward to seeing Tyler at the next dance, assuming she has not left camp due to the mandatory lake crossing.

Avery sends a letter to Sam and Kristina after the second dance, which was better than the first because nobody argued. Bett danced with a boy named Nick, who is friends with Tyler.

Bett writes a letter to Angel (a friend from California). She came here because of Avery, and they’ve had some fun, but Avery is so worried about the lake that she’s having trouble sleeping. Bett doesn’t feel like she can be Avery’s sole support at three o’clock in the morning. Avery is frequently alone, while Bett spends more time with the other campers. Bett is glad Tyler gives Avery something to talk about besides drowning.

Avery writes Bett a letter, which she places under her pillow while everyone is asleep. She says they made a mistake coming to this camp and should have done more research. Avery knows she talks about the lake too much and that it annoys Bett. She asks if Bett is mad or trying to get away from Avery. She says they don’t always have to be together: Everyone gets sick of each other at some point.

Bett writes Avery a letter back. She woke up in the middle of the night and read the letter Avery wrote to her. Bett wasn’t going to say anything, but since Avery asked, Bett says she does wish Avery would confront her issues with canoeing, bug bites, etc. Bett questions what the two girls have in common anymore. She knows Avery likes Gaga, but Gaga is Bett’s grandmother, not Avery’s. Bett can’t commit to the full-time job of protecting Avery from the world.

Avery writes Bett back. She woke up early and asked Jilly to move her out of Avery’s canoe. Avery agrees that she and Bett don’t have much in common and says it’s good things didn’t work out between their fathers. Bett and Marlow are both reckless and don’t realize it can hurt others. Avery won’t bother Bett anymore. Tomorrow is the canoe trip, and a week later they’ll be gone.

During the canoe trip, an incident occurs, so counselor Jilly Holland emails Chessie Leonard. Since Avery was nervous about the trip, she was paired with the strongest oarer, Charlotte Canaday. Brielle Mayhew was with Piper Tilley, and Bett Devlin was with Markie Bishop. Everything went fine during the voyage across the lake and the overnight camping trip. On the return trip, however, something happened that makes Jilly feel so sick she can’t finish the story.

Sunny Mayhew (Brielle’s mother) emails Jim Mayhew (Brielle’s father). Brielle is okay, but she’s in a hospital in Maine alone with two other girls from camp. Sunny is driving there now. Sunny and Jim must start talking because their daughter needs them.

Sasha Pope, who was in Jilly’s canoe, emails Mrs. Leonard to finish Jilly’s story. All the canoes from their group were taking a break, and the girls were singing in the distance. Therefore, the counselors didn’t know there was a problem until they heard the emergency whistle, by which point the girls were already in the water. Markie stood up in her canoe and lost balance. Her oar hit Bett on the head. Bett’s head also hit the canoe, and she fell in the water. Bett was not wearing her life jacket, and neither were Markie and Charlotte. Seeing this, Avery dove out of her canoe, which tipped over, sending Charlotte into the water as well. Avery swam to Bett and took her own life jacket off to keep Bett’s head above water. Avery is not a strong swimmer and started to sink; she might have had a panic attack, as she also stopped breathing. Brielle then dove in to help Avery. Charlotte blew the emergency whistle, and Jilly called 911.

Marlow emails Sam (who is probably midflight) from the hospital in Maine to say Avery will be okay: She was already breathing on her own once they got her in the boat. Marlow can’t believe the girls were together at camp this whole time. Marlow is in Bett’s room now. She’s sedated because of her head injury and a neurologist is there. Marlow needs Bett to be okay because she is his whole life.

Kristina leaves Avery a voicemail saying Avery is the bravest person she knows: She instantly overcame her fear of water to save a life. Sam and Kristina didn’t know the girls were at camp together, but now Kristina is grateful they were. Gaga and Kristina are on their way to Maine now; Dinos is driving them. Kristina will always be proud to be Avery’s mother.

Gaga emails Bett and Avery, whom she considers the girls she never got to have. She says Avery was a hero, as was Brielle. Even though Bett didn’t like Brielle, it appears she saved both her and Avery. Gaga, Kristina, Sam, and Dinos are at a motel together because the nurse said everyone but Marlow had to leave. Gaga’s understudy is performing in her place, and Gaga wants to go home to Texas for a break.

At the hospital, Bett sneaks out of her room and into Avery’s, climbing into bed with her. Shortly thereafter, Avery and Sam go home, but Bett and Marlow stay because Bett has a concussion that needs further care.

The other campers from Far View Tarn write a group poem for Bett and Avery, called “The Ballad of a Scary Canoe Trip.” The poem calls Avery and Brielle heroes and Avery and Bett sisters. It also says they are all Tarnies and friends.

Avery emails Bett while she is still in the hospital, though she is supposed to stay away from technology due to her concussion. Avery explains that she doesn’t think it’s bad to fight with someone close: Once you fight, you can be even closer. Avery cares about Bett, their fathers are no longer enemies (and even speak on the phone), and Avery has a good college application topic now about saving a life: “But not just ‘a’ life. The life of my best friend. My sister (by choice). My dogfish” (275). Tyler left a note suggesting that he, Avery, and Brielle could meet up sometime in New York. Avery met Brielle and Tyler’s parents as well.

Bett wonders what would have happened if Avery wasn’t close by during the accident. From now on, Bett will wear a life jacket.

Sam and Kristina no longer act like enemies, supporting each other instead. Avery tells Bett she is going to see her mother and realizes she just typed “mom” instead of “Kristina” or “my biological mother” for the first time.

Bett once again finds tickets to New York in Marlow’s Expedia account.

Three months later, the girls receive an e-vite to a wedding. Avery emails Bett, wanting to coordinate outfits with her.

Gaga emails Bett and Avery. Looking forward to the wedding, she’s been reflecting on what it means to raise a child. Her husband, Alden, died too young, but he was a good dad to Marlow: “A good parent gets his child ready to take on his own child” (282). This teaching goes both ways: The child also teaches the parent, and Marlow taught Gaga how to be brave. Then Marlow met Sam, and they wanted Avery and Bett to become friends—even sisters—which they have. Families are always changing, and theirs has gotten bigger.

Avery and Bett attend a rehearsal dinner and continue to anticipate the wedding.

The morning after the wedding, Bett and Avery email Gaga a copy of the toast they co-wrote and read at the wedding, as she requested. The toast explains that this is the girls’ first wedding. However, there are some things they have experienced. They know that all families are different and that love is often found where you least expect it. They’ve seen how people who are very different can get along and even switch roles. Some people are meant to be together, and others aren’t. When Sam and Marlow got together, the girls disapproved. Then, they wanted to be sisters. Things fell apart with their fathers, but no one could tell them not to still love each other. Similarly, no one can tell people they have to love each other. The girls wanted a bigger family and now they are getting that.

Dinos and Gaga fell in love even though they’re different ages and from different places and backgrounds. They discovered they were in love when they were driving to Maine to visit Bett and Avery in the hospital. Gaga and Dinos are grandmother and grandfather to both Avery and Bett. Because of Sam and Marlow’s motorcycle trip, Kristina is also a big part of both girls’ lives now. Many good friends are here, including Dinos’s children and grandchildren, Judge Balakian (who married Dinos and Gaga), and even Brielle and Director Daniel.

The girls invite everyone to dance and, like Javier says, set their spirits free.