by Raathi Chota
“Morning, girls.” She smiled. “Just letting you all know that the canteen is now open and a few of the boys are there. You can either go eat now or shower. The canteen will be closing at ten thirty, so a few can shower now while the others eat.”
“I’ll shower later,” Melissa said.
“Oh no, I know you, Melissa Singe. You take the longest. Go now,” Kelly demanded.
“No, what the heck? I’ll eat now then I’ll have plenty of time to shower.” Melissa shrugged.
“How do we know you’re just saying that because you just want to go sit by the boys?” Britney piped up as I snorted.
“Now why’d you think that?” I asked. “Melissa just wants to eat now because the canteen will be closed if she showers now.”
“’Cause you girls just love having all the attention, huh?” Britney looked at us. “Having eight guys around you all the time.”
“This girl obviously has more out of school.” She pointed to me as I folded my arms.
“Well, it’s because they like us…naturally we don’t have to go out of our way for attention,” Miranda snarled.
“Girls, girls. Don’t fight. There’s enough showers for most of you,” Miss Rosa assured us.
“Kelly…Britney, why don’t you just give it a rest? Do you really want to graduate like this?” Jennifer asked.
“Who cares? There are people that you get along with in high school and people that you don’t get along with.” Kelly shrugged. “Life’s a bitch.”
Miss Rosa sighed then walked out of the cabin. I managed to look through and see that the guys walked toward the canteen. Once the door shut, I looked up to see Kelly’s glare at Jennifer and Melissa.
“What happened to you two? Stooping so low to be friends with a loser, slut, and dumb blonde.” Kelly pointed at Tiffany, me, then Miranda.
“Bitch, please, I can wipe most of your makeup off with a slap.” Melissa folded her arms, and I bit my lip to prevent the laugh. “Just give up, Kelly. Nobody wants to join your bitch army anymore. This hoe doesn’t even count.”
“Oh, I have my army, and they’ll come out soon and take you out…one by one.” Kelly whispered the last part with a sudden spark in her eye. A chill crept up my spine with the way she said it.
“Most of them are in juvie,” Jennifer snorted, but I watched as her expression suddenly changed, like she realized something.
“Sure.” Kelly smiled, and I glanced at Britney, who smirked. Kelly tied her pale blue hair up then gathered her things along with Britney. “Come on, Britney, I’m sure there’ll be something left at the canteen after we shower,” Kelly said then opened the door. A sudden scream caught our attention, and we looked to see that a bucket of water was dumped on them. We laughed as they quickly ran out toward the showers. Miranda wanted to see who did the prank, but I was pretty sure it was either Aidan or Liam. Once she pushed the door open again, another bucket fell, except this time it was yellow.
“What is this?” she demanded, and as I approached her, I suddenly got a weird smell.
“Oh, shit, the wrong girl,” Aidan said as they walked to our cabin. Liam laughed, but when he realized it was Miranda, he paled.
“I’m so, so, sorry…please forgive me!” he screeched and went down on his knees.
“Liam. What. Is. This?” she demanded.
“F-Fish oil,” he mumbled. The rest of us laughed as Miranda screamed and ran after Liam and Aidan.
***
I pinched my nose as I pressed down on the spray can. Miranda showered twice yet the fish smell wouldn’t go away. So, after breakfast, she asked Tiffany and me to spray her entire body. Apparently, we went canoeing, and I’d rather sit next to Miranda than go canoeing. A guy in a red uniform who worked at the camp showed us the rules and what not to do when we’re in the canoe. They each fit three people, and before I thought to choose my companions, Britney brought out her clipboard. Yesterday when we settled in our cabins the guy came in and asked for one of us to help with the group, and I guess it was for the activities. I huffed because she’d group us with entirely different people.
“Is the smell gone?” Miranda whined.
“Nope, you still smell like shit,” Ethan replied, and she punched his shoulder.
“Okay, I teamed everyone up with nice people so we shouldn’t have a problem.” Britney smiled then looked down. As we put on our life jackets, she called out the groups of three.
“Aidan, Melissa, and Carter,” she said, and I saw Aidan grin at Carter.
“Well, at least Carter is smart, and Aidan can swim…so we’ll survive.” Melissa sighed then walked to their canoe.
“Lana, Jennifer, and Tyler.”
“Miranda, Ethan, and Benny.”
“Kelly, Liam, and Marcus.”
“What?” Liam exclaimed, and I laughed since he hated both of them.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. That’s strange! Why are you with my boyfriend?” Miranda demanded as she glared at Kelly.
“Why not?” Kelly folded her arms.
“I bet you told Britney to pair you up with him then she added Liam to not make it so noticeable,” Miranda grunted.
“Girls, calm down.” Mr. Bronx sighed.
“Mr. B., just because her dad is the principal she thinks she can get her way!” Miranda added. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Okay, bye, bitch. We’re going.” Kelly spun around. “Come on, boys.”
“Wait.” Mr. Bronx sighed. “Marcus, you go with Lana and Jennifer, and Tyler, you go with Kelly and Liam.”
“All right!” Liam cheered as he high-fived Tyler. I turned to Miranda, who had a satisfied look on her face as Marcus approached Jennifer and me.
“Then we have Blake, Nick, and me!” Britney cheered, and I glanced at Nick, who closed his eyes for a moment then looked at the sky. Blake didn’t seem phased with his hands in his pockets, lips drawn into a straight line, while his body slouched.
It was hard to get into the canoe without losing our balance and tipping over. When we were finally in the canoe, I noticed we were the only ones still there. In the distance, I saw people took their time, one tipped over, and when they reached the surface of the water, they laughed. That’s maybe a sign that it’d be fun. Marcus was in the front, with Jennifer in front of me, while I was in the back. We paddled, and after ten minutes, I felt content. That and we passed Aidan, Melissa, and Carter. After a while, I got bored and tired, and my paddling became slower. We had to go right around the lake, and so far, Marcus was the only good one. I lost track of where we were, so I didn’t know if we were halfway there. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ethan, Benny, and Miranda come from behind. I smiled at them as they paddled near us. Ethan was in the front while Benny was behind, and Miranda was in the back. I noticed Marcus stopped and tilted my head to see him talk to Miranda. I let out a sigh then looked forward to see Jennifer’s stare. I raised a brow, looked over my shoulder to see if she looked at someone else, but it was me.
“Hey.”
“H-Hi.”
“Do you remember when Kelly talked about her ‘army’ back in the cabin?” she asked then glanced over at Marcus and Miranda.
“Yeah.”
“I don’t think she was lying about the part where they’ll come out and show themselves. She used to date Quinton, and she still visits them all in juvie.”
“How the heck does she manage to pull that off?”
“Apparently, her family has connections with the people who work in the juvenile detention center.”
“Ugh, no surprise there.”
“Yeah, but I think there are other people,” she emphasized, and I watched as her eyes moved toward Marcus.
“H-How do you know?”
“I’m not sure, but she has her ways of persuading people,” she said, and I had to resist the urge to pick up the paddle and whack Marcus on the head in case he tried something.
We continued to paddle with Miranda and them behind us. I noticed Jennifer looked ove
r her shoulder at me, and whenever we locked eyes, she’d sheepishly look away. I got annoyed because I thought there was something on my face, so I asked her what’s wrong when we reached the surface. We took off the life jackets and was told it’d be lunch soon. Everyone hung out in an open area where a few chairs and logs were scattered. Some people went into the forest while others went to their cabins. Jennifer and I sat down on a log, and I took in her features. She was pretty, with her golden-brown hair over her shoulders, hazel eyes, and plump lips, similar features to Noel.
“Listen, err, I just wanna know if we’re cool? I know I just came into your guys’ group, but I’ve always been friends with Melissa. I just had to be mean to her because of Kelly.”
“Why?”
“Well, before coming out, I was still figuring things out, y’know? I didn’t know if I was bi or lesbian, and I told Kelly that I might be bisexual. She knew I was scared and used that against me…she would’ve told everyone,” she whispered then looked down. “But my response to female gender grew, and before I came out, I spoke to Melissa. She said she’ll support me whenever I wanted to come out, and so after winter break…I did it.”
“That shows courageousness, and standing up for yourself against Kelly West of all people,” I said, and we laughed.
“Yeah, and Miranda’s been so supportive after my brother died…I’m grateful, and so I just want to know if we’re cool? I spoke to Tiffany in the canteen, and well, she’s easier to approach than you.”
“I guess it will take some time getting used to, but…we’re okay.”
“Great. Do you think the guys approve of me? I mean, I was a total bitch these past few years,” she said then turned her head. I followed her gaze to see Ethan, Liam, Benny, Carter, and Marcus walk into the canteen.
“Yeah, plus you have Melissa Singe backing you up. That blonde can put them in their place.” I chuckled. She nodded in agreement then turned to the canteen. She offered to bring me food, but I said that it was okay since I saw Benny walk toward me with two plates. Once she was gone, he sat down beside me, and I licked my lips at the delicious barbecue.
“Liam begged Mr. B for the wifi password that the teachers were using.” He laughed. “Give me your phone.”
I unlocked my phone then gave it to him. As I ate my delicious meat, I looked around to see Liam, Tyler, and Carter. Miranda and Marcus spoke while Melissa, Nick, and Jennifer sat on the ground and ate. The rest of the seniors scattered around the area.
“There you go.” Benny smiled then handed me my phone. I let out a sigh of relief when I saw those three lines and dot.
“Where were you guys?” Ethan asked, and I looked up to see Aidan and Tiffany walking out of a bush. They held hands, but something hung over Aidan’s shoulder.
“Just walking.” Aidan shrugged, and I noticed Tiffany’s face turned red, like her hair. Melissa and I shared a look and grinned.
“Aidan, what is that?” Miranda scrunched her nose as she looked at the thing on his shoulders.
“He found a jacket hanging from a tree branch.” Tiffany rolled her eyes. At first, it looked like any dirty old jacket, but once I got a clear look at it when he showed us, I paled. Benny noticed it too as he tapped my thigh. I nodded then looked at Nick, who froze. That was Christo’s jacket when he disguised as Jack.
“Didn’t we leave it underground?” Benny whispered.
“Obviously,” I muttered then felt my phone vibrate at the same time Benny’s went off.
Liam: Aidan found a cool jacket…it’s so vintage.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Benny facepalm as I laughed. I looked up to see Nick walk to Liam and whisper to him. A minute later, our phones went off again.
Liam: SHIT
“Hey, Aidan, where did you find it? Like what direction?” Liam asked and playfully hit Aidan’s back.
“Nobody would suspect Liam, right?” I whispered to Benny.
“Well…someone might,” he said, and I followed his gaze to see Marcus’s stare on Liam and Aidan.
“That way. Why?” Aidan pointed north.
“I want one!” Liam whined, and I laughed because Liam’s so calm about it.
“Come on, Nick, let’s go get us cool jackets.” Liam tried to pull on Nick’s arm, but Nick shook his head.
“I’ll go,” I offered because it wouldn’t be suspicious if the two of us went. As I stood up, I made sure to tell Benny to keep an eye on Marcus.
Nick: Aidan’s touching evidence…
Benny: No shit.
Liam: OH, SHIT CARTER IS TRYING IT ON. ABORT MISSION.
“Come on, Liam, before it gets dark,” I said and made sure to pull him away from the others before he’d freak out.
***
“Y’know, we should be doing something fun right now.” I remembered that we’d do an obstacle course after lunch or swing from one tree to another.
“I didn’t think we’d come to this side of the forest. I fell asleep on the bus so I couldn’t see what direction we went in.” Liam sighed. We walked for almost an hour with Liam ahead of me. Every step I took, twigs and leaves snapped and crunched under my feet. It all looked the same to me, every bush, every tree, and path. I really hoped we didn’t get lost.
“We’re here,” he said, and I looked up to see that he stopped.
“How do you know?” I looked around to see a small open area surrounded by trees, bushes, and a crunched leaf-carpeted path which we had come from.
“The ground is still fresh,” he said, and I looked down at the dark ground compared to everywhere else that was faded. “James must’ve gotten his men to dig up the jacket…no surprise there.” Liam shook his head then crouched down and touched the ground. I let out a sigh then ran a hand through my hair.
“We need to get that jacket from Aidan.”
“Yeah, but I don’t get why James left it here…” Liam trailed off then looked up at me. “He said he’d only bring back evidence if we spill the beans.”
“I didn’t say anything.” I shook my head. “Benny and Nick wouldn’t either, so what could it be?”
“Think of the past few days. What happened?” Liam stood up then walked back. I tapped my chin as I thought over the past few days. I didn’t talk much at home because I was upset with Levi and Blake. I mostly spoke to Benny. At that moment, I froze when I told him and Uncle Griff about Parker. It was hard to, believe me, and they thought I was joking, but then I cried in front of them, and well…they didn’t take it so well. Uncle Griff wanted to go to the juvenile center and beat the crap out of Parker while Benny blamed himself. Ever since I told him, he had become protective and cautious of me…it was cute. It was awkward at first to kiss, but I hugged him and told him that it’s okay because Parker was gone, but I’d never forgotten it. Benny said he felt like a douche when we had sex, but I told him it was okay. I wanted it. The thought of Parker made my eyes widen. Maybe I wasn’t supposed to tell them that, and that’s why the jacket showed up, but how did Parker fit into all of it? He worked for James before, but why now? I gasped because Parker must’ve gotten other visitors besides Kelly West.
“They served lunch at two, and we’ve been walking for almost two hours so it should be round about four,” Liam stated.
“Do you know where we’re going?” I picked up my pace so that I walked next to him.
“Yep.” He smiled then pointed up ahead. I wasn’t convinced yet kept quiet as I took in the sounds of nature. Two squirrels scurried past us, and I let out a shriek. Liam laughed, and I playfully punched his bicep.
“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good.”
“Liam, is that a Har—” I cut myself off then looked up to see Blake leaning against a tree with his hands shoved in his pockets.
“That’s what it says on your shirt,” he said, and I didn’t have to look down to know that I wore my old Harry Potter tee.
“Oh, how ironic.” Liam laughed, and I glared at him.
“Blake, what are you doing here?
”
“Just went out for a smoke and heard some voices.” He held his lighter. “And you two?”
“Just went for a walk.” I folded my arms then walked past Blake. “Come on, Liam; Benny will be wondering where we are.”
“Lana, please. How many times do I have to say sorry?” he called, but I ignored him. Liam walked beside me, and I looked up at him to see him stare straight ahead. Great, when I needed the funny one to fill the silence, he’s oblivious. I sighed then looked in front of me, yet I felt Blake’s eyes burn the back of my head. “Lana, come on.” I felt a tug on my arm, and he whipped me around. “We need to talk.”
“There’s nothing to say, Blake. I mean, you of all people knew what I’ve been through and promised to help, but you just fucked it up.”
“How long are you going to be angry at me?”
“I’m not angry…I’m hurt. There’s a difference.”
“And you think I’m not hurting too? Lana, I feel like shit right now for doing that to you. I’ll go down on my hands and knees for you, never smoke again, or sell my motorcycle, whatever you want…I’m sorry. Please, forgive me. I never meant to hurt you, and now I know how much you care about him. Please, I’ll never hurt you like that again.”
“You hurt Benny too,” I said then turned to glare at him. “You have to apologize to him.”
“Okay, does this mean you forgive me?”
“No. I’ll never forgive you for what you’ve done, Blake Gunner. I hate you because all you do is fuck up,” I said and noticed his jaw clenched. “Like it’s your fucking hobby…to fuck up.”
“Like you’re any better!” he suddenly roared. “Confusing the shit out of people, that’s your fucking hobby!”
“Wanna know my hobby?” Liam asked.
“NO!” Blake and I yelled then glared at each other.
“You promised you wouldn’t cause shit anymore, and just like that, you broke it.” I snapped my fingers.
“How many times do I have to say that I’m fucking sorry?!” he demanded then gripped my arms. His eyes darkened, and every time he exhaled, his nostrils flared and made the nose pierce shine. “What more do you want me to say…do?”
