Summer Brawl
THE PARTY HAD just begun when we arrived. We made our way through the crowds of people and into the cafeteria. A glorious display of food had been set on a humongous table that had been created by clustering together a bunch of smaller cafeteria tables. My mouth watered as I took in the bowls of candy, trays of chocolate chip cookies, and platters of grilled chicken, finger sandwiches, potato salad, and other tasty summer dishes.
“Lily!”
I turned around just in time to feel the full impact as Malerie nearly tackled me to the ground with one of her signature hugs.
“I knew you would come!” she squealed, curly hair bouncing as she finally let me go. With a mischievous smile, she gave Chase a wink. “Long time no see, stranger.”
Louis wasn’t too far behind. As always, Louis Jennings was dressed to impress. He looked handsome in his black suit and an emerald green bow tie that matched his charming hazel eyes. So far, he was the only boy there who had actually taken the trouble to wear a full suit, rather than just pants and a formal button-down shirt. I hoped he and Mal had come together. They had been shyly sidestepping the fact that they had had a crush on each other since the sixth grade.
“Why, Lily, how ever did you get such a hot date?” Asialie gasped, feigning surprise as she sashayed up behind Louis.
“You two are so gonna get it,” I growled. Setting my eyes on Louis, I raised an eyebrow. “Did you have any part in this?”
Hands in the air, he slowly backed away to stand next to Chase. “Nope. This was all them, I assure you.”
Asialie rolled her eyes and looped her arm with mine. “Come on. You can plot your revenge later, but for right now, let’s go get our party on!”
Malerie took my other arm and helped her to steer me toward the gym, with Louis and Chase close behind.
If it wasn’t for the open gym doors leading to the outside and the school mascot painted on the gleaming floors, I would have thought we had stepped into a nightclub. The lights had been dimmed to make room for the flashy strobe lights coming from the DJ booth. Streamers in all different shades of blue hung from the ceiling, turning it into an endless sky. Music blasted from giant speakers standing on either side of the booth.
Louis offered Malerie his arm, which she coyly accepted. They stepped onto the dance floor together and soon disappeared within the sea of swaying hips and shuffling feet.
Asialie shouted something unintelligible and disappeared after them, seemingly vanishing into thin air. Well, that left me and Chase.
I turned to him and shrugged. “Might as well dance.”
We started to dance right where we stood, shaking our hips and throwing our hands in the air with the rest of them. With a start, I found myself having the most fun I had had in a long time.
Chase and I had just agreed to take a break, when suddenly the music slowed to a steady rhythm. One of my favorite songs, “Somewhere Only We Know,” began to play.
I looked over at the booth to find Mal and Asialie smiling and talking to the DJ. They must have requested the song. My two best friends had struck again.
All around us, people began to slow dance, twirling around like we were at a real ball. Standing still in the middle of the dance floor, Chase and I exchanged nervous glances. Neither of us could really slow dance.
“Would you like to give it a shot?” I asked, looking up at him.
He grinned, extending his hand. “Sure. Why not?”
I took his hand and placed my other hand on his broad shoulder. He proceeded to place his right hand on my waist, causing my cheeks to grow warm. We had a somewhat goofy start, stepping on each other’s toes left and right before resolving to turn in a circle and stay rooted to the spot.
Then I took the time to really look at my old friend. Like the majority of boys in our class, he had shot up over the past year, towering over my meager height of five foot four. He had always been a chubby kid, which I often teased him lightly about, calling him my life-sized teddy bear. As you’d expect, he never really liked my playful nickname for him. Little boys can be so sensitive sometimes.
I couldn’t call him a teddy bear anymore. His once round baby face had taken on a more mature shape, his square jaw already showing a hint of shadow. His shoulders and chest had broadened, new muscles thickening his arms. I wondered if he had started working out, because it sure seemed that way.
After another minute of twirling, I commented, “You didn’t have to agree to Mal and Asialie’s ridiculous plan, but you did. Why?”
Chase smiled softly, ocean eyes twinkling. “Of course I agreed. You’re my friend, and I know you’ve been going through a lot lately. Besides…” He paused, breaking our eye contact.
“What?” I asked, trying and failing to make him look at me.
“Well…” His cheeks took on a slightly reddish hue. “I had been planning to ask you anyway.”
Before I could comment, he quickly spun me outward, causing my skirt to puff out around me like the top of a cupcake. I came twirling back into his arms, out of breath. He wrapped an arm around my waist, steadying me.
“Really?” I asked.
He nodded, looking at me directly now. “Yeah.”
We both stopped moving. The song had already changed into something faster paced, but neither of us really cared.
A hand appeared on my shoulder. It was Louis. He had something in his hair. It looked like a piece of a cookie. “Guys, sorry to break this up, but you have got to see what’s going on in the cafeteria. Come on!”
I grabbed Chase’s hand and ran after Louis, wondering what it was that had gotten him so excited.
When we entered the cafeteria, it was like we had stepped into a war zone. Only instead of guns and grenades, people were using food as their ammunition. Screams and shrieks of both horror and laughter filled the large room. Some people dove for cover, trying to save their dresses, while others were right in the middle of the fighting, having a great time. I tried to shield myself as best as I could with my hands, but something cool and wet soon hit my chest with a splat. None of the chaperones knew what to do. They helplessly yelled for everyone to stop, but nobody paid attention to them. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the principal running toward the entrance, probably to get the police officer stationed outside.
Somehow I lost both Chase and Louis in the madness. They were nowhere to be found in the whirlwind of flying food and catastrophe. I thought I spotted Asialie squirting someone with whipped cream, but there really was no way to be sure. By now my glasses had become covered in gook, forcing me to take them off and try to wipe them clean with the ends of my dress. Something hit me square in the face. Something sugary.
Having had enough of this fun fest, I made a mad dash for the now empty gym. It seemed like everyone wanted in on the crazy action going on in the cafeteria. Heck, even the DJ had left his booth. The music was still blasting, though, filling my head with a steady pulse. I leaned my head back against the wall, trying in vain to get all the bits and pieces of food out of my hair.
Something caught the corner of my eye, flashing past the open gym doors. A blur of golden brown, just like at Cameron’s funeral. My curiosity had a strong grip on me.
Momentarily forgetting about the chaos in the other room, I decided to investigate.
Outside, the wind was getting a little restless, like whoever started that food fight. It tugged at my curls until they were even more of a tangled mess. The clips in my hair flew away one by one. Struggling to keep the hair out of my eyes, I searched the yard. Dusk had already succumbed to the thick darkness of night, so I couldn’t see a thing. A twig cracked somewhere close. I stood in fighting stance, ready for anything.
“Boo!” someone yelled from behind me, lightly touching my shoulder.
I took in a sharp breath and whirled around, seconds away from throwing a punch. My fist froze in midair, for there Dustin stood. He had cut off nearly all of his beautiful dark curly hair. He had grown even m
ore since I had last seen him, which was nearly a year ago. The pitch-black tux he wore fit him so perfectly it had to have been specially tailored.
“Long time no see,” he teased with a grin.
All I could do was stare, letting my fist fall and hang limp at my side. His voice had gone down an octave or two. Other than that, he was almost exactly how I remembered him.
Dustin’s eyes took one sweep over my attire and he burst out laughing.
“What’s so funny?” I demanded, fighting the urge to stamp my foot.
“You’re covered in cake and ice cream! Just put a cherry on top and you’ll be ready to serve in a bowl with a spoon,” he gasped through gales of laughter. “Wow. I must have started a good food fight.”
I stared at him incredulously. “Wait, you started that food fight?”
He nodded. “Sure I did. It was the only way to get you out of there, and away from that guy.” He frowned. “Who was that, anyway?”
I crossed my arms and retorted, “None of your business. Why are you even here? You didn’t bother to come to Cam’s funeral.” My voice broke on the last part. For a moment I remembered the look on her mother’s face as they lowered the casket.
A flash of anger crossed Dustin’s face before his shoulders sagged, and he looked away. “I did come to Cameron’s funeral. You just didn’t see me. No one did. There was a reason for that. I didn’t think it was the right time to tell you.”
Tell me what? I waited for him to go on, afraid of what he was about to say.
Dustin took a deep breath. He seemed to be having trouble searching for words. Finally he said slowly, “My dad . . . Turns out he knew about our plans to escape the whole time. That’s why we got out of there so easily.”
I stared at him, trying to take this all in. “What? Why would he let us go if he knew about it?”
He shrugged. “Guess it was his way of testing how we’d work together. Unfortunately, we passed. He wants you back.” He lowered his eyes, refusing to meet my panicked gaze. “Lily, I’m here to tell you that you have exactly forty-eight hours to come back on your own. If you aren’t back by then, he’s sending out his men to come and get you.”
It took me a few seconds to process what he had just said. This couldn’t be happening. I had to find a way to get out of this. If that FBI agent had been telling the truth, then maybe they could help me. Couldn’t they? I mean, they were the FBI, for goodness sakes. They could do anything.
For so long, I had been pushing the memories back, a file cabinet labeled Wacko Academy firmly locked shut in a neat corner of my brain. Now it seemed to burst open, letting everything immediately rush to the surface. Bloodstains on starched white shirts, children ordered to do push-ups, and Cameron lying on an operation table flickered before my eyes like images on a TV screen. My hands began to shake and my breath quickened. I could feel my heart crashing against my chest, and a cold sweat broke out on my skin. Suddenly feeling sick to my stomach, I found it difficult to remain standing.
Frightened by my reaction, Dustin grabbed my arms. “Lily, are you OK?”
I shook my head. “Does it look like I’m OK? Why can’t you just leave me alone?” My whole body trembled.
I struggled to catch my breath, but I couldn’t.
All the while Dustin kept saying, “I’m so sorry, but there’s nothing I can do.”
I wanted to tell him to shut up already, but I couldn’t find my voice. So I let him hold me while I completely freaked out. He gently sat me down on a bench stationed by the gym door.
Finally the shaking stopped. Neither of us said anything for a while.
I broke the silence, voice cracking slightly. “Do you count as one of your dad’s men? Will you come and get me if I don’t come in forty-eight hours?”
Dustin sighed, running a hand through his short hair. “My job is to keep an eye on you to see if you make any move to escape or something like that. If you choose to come on your own, I’m here to bring you back. If you don’t, I’m supposed to report to Dad and he’ll send someone. I guess I could just come and get you myself.”
I stared out into the night, thinking. If Dustin was the one to come and get me, at least I would know when he was coming so I could form my plan of escape by then. If Dr. Wacko decided to send one of his goons, then this would be another unpredictable variable that I really did not need.
Ultimately, I was going to have to call that number and see what would happen. But wouldn’t I be leading Dustin into an ambush of FBI agents? He wouldn’t get in trouble for something his dad made him do, right?
“Maybe it would be better if you came to get me,” I decided.
He stared at me. “But I’d have to force you to come. I don’t think I can do that.”
“I won’t fight you,” I promised quietly, careful not to look directly into his eyes.
This time it was his turn to stare off into space, his jaw clenched tight. He unwrapped his arm from around my shoulders. I straightened up and moved over, skirt rustling. I kicked off my shoes and tucked my legs under me, waiting for his answer.
“So you’re not going to come on your own, but you won’t fight me when I come to get you?” Dustin asked. “I’m not sure I understand.”
I gave him a look. “Dustin, I only have forty-eight hours left with my friends and family. Wouldn’t you want to spend every minute of it? So no, I’m not coming to you. You’re coming to me.”
He flashed me a sad smile and nodded.
The night sky had grown a shade darker. Stars sparkled and shimmered overhead. The calmer wind carried the sound of voices and cars beeping to our ears. A few kids were whining about their clothes and how this was the worst dance ever. But most sounded like they had had a blast and were thrilled to have finally been in a real-life food fight.
Remembering where I was, I jumped up and slipped my shoes back on. Dustin stood up too.
“Time for me to get out of here. Here’s my cell phone number.” He handed me a piece of paper. “Call me if you need anything, or if you change your mind. I’m sure you won’t, but still…”
I stared down at the paper. He placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, and when I looked up, his face was level with mine.
“I really am sorry. This was never supposed to happen. I was sure our plan would work. You believe me, right?” he pleaded.
“I should be getting back,” I answered, quietly shrugging his hand off. “Thanks for telling me.”
Dustin gave me a look like he knew I was ignoring his question. “Yeah, see you around.” With that he turned and left, disappearing within seconds.
Stuffing the crumpled paper in my dress pocket, I hurried back into the gym. Out front, people stood in tight groups as they waited for their rides to arrive. Chase spotted me immediately, waving me over to the little group my friends had formed.
“Hey, I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” He grinned. “You’re a mess.”
My laugh sounded a little forced. “You’re not exactly spotless either.” I brushed some crumbs off his shirt to make the point.
His smile faded as he got a closer look at me. “Are you all right? Your eyes are kinda red.”
The lie came easily. “Oh, I’m fine. Just got a little something in my eye, that’s all. A piece of cake or something.”
Chase took a deep breath. “Listen, do you think maybe you’d wanna—”
A car horn sounded, drowning out the rest of his sentence. Our ride had arrived.
No Choice
“ABSOLUTELY NOT,” MY mother said with conviction.
We were sitting at a park picnic table, concealed from view by the rich foliage surrounding us. Off in the distance, I could hear the soft screeching of rusty swings being forced to move back and forth. The sounds of giggling children and scolding mothers reached my ears as well, causing a small involuntary smile to turn up the corners of my lips.
Agent Cooper, the same guy who had approached me in the cemetery, sat across from us now, hands f
olded in front of him on top of the table. He was still wearing dark shades to obscure his eyes, but he had ditched the black suit for a polo shirt and slacks. I guessed he had decided to try to blend in a little bit. It didn’t work very well, though. Something about him made the guy stick out like a sore thumb.
He didn’t even flinch. This man was good at hiding his emotions. When he had shown up at our meeting place here and learned I had decided to clue my mom in on this whole thing, he hadn’t even batted an eye. He had simply introduced himself to her and made sure to discreetly flash his badge. One thing was clear: Agent Cooper knew how to roll with the punches.
“Ma’am, your daughter will be perfectly safe, I assure you—”
My mother wasn’t having it. She shook her head. “There’s no way you can be certain of that. We just attended the funeral of a girl who was used as a human guinea pig in that awful place. She lost her life because of the horrible things those people did to her. That will not happen to my daughter. I won’t let it.”
The FBI agent nodded his head slowly. “I understand that, but your daughter can prevent that kind of thing from ever happening to anyone else. There are more lives at stake than just hers.” He turned his attention to me now. “With your help, we can shut this whole operation down. We just need someone on the inside. Usually we don’t use kids, but this is what we call…special circumstances.”
I matched his grim gaze, trying to penetrate the eyes behind the shades. “I understand.”
Mom squeezed my hand. “No, Lily is a minor. While she is still a minor, her parents have to make the big decisions for her. This counts as one of them and I am saying no. You are not letting her go back to that place.”
Agent Cooper sighed. “I understand your husband has recently been promoted to CIO of his company.”
I frowned. What did that have to do with anything?
By the look on my mother’s face, I guessed she was thinking the same thing. “Yes, that’s correct.”
“Let’s say this particular company started to see a loss in revenue. Information became corrupted. Employees working under the new CIO began to quit. I suspect he would eventually be fired. Wouldn’t he?”
Camp Wacko: The Drones of Summer Page 2
