by Wendi Wilson
So many people said that to me after Dad was killed, and I hated it each and every time. It was so impersonal, like I’d lost my wallet or my house burned down. Dad dying wasn’t merely a loss. It was a devastating event that changed my life drastically, molding me into a completely different person than I was before.
“Sorry. I don’t know why I said that,” I blurted, feeling my face warm with embarrassment.
“No worries,” True replied, cocking her head to the side and softening her voice. “Who did you lose?”
“My dad,” I found myself saying. “He was killed by a… bear on our last camping trip.”
“Oh my God,” True gasped, her hand snaking out to wrap around mine. “That’s awful. We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. Or if you do, I’m a great listener.”
A weight lifted off of me with her words and inherent kindness. She could have brushed off my devastation, pointing out that, unlike her, I still had one of my parents. But she didn’t do that. She took my pain at face value and gave me the best response a person could—no pressure, but an offer to be there if I needed it.
I sniffed back the emotion and squeezed her fingers before extricating my hand from hers. I leaned back to copy her previous position, and True took the hint and relaxed back into the casual pose.
“So, you were here last year? Do you know any of the other counselors?”
“I know them all,” she said, then cocked her head. “As well as you can know people who stick to themselves and refuse to open up their ranks to let you in. That’s why I’m so glad you’re here, Piper. I need a squad, and you’re it.”
She shot me with a finger gun and winked, making me chuckle. I had a feeling I was going to enjoy being True King’s only squad member.
“Wait,” I said, sitting upright. “Are you saying I’m the only new counselor this summer?”
“Yep,” she said, popping the p at the end. “Just like I was the only newbie last year. And no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get those gorgeous jackholes to be friends.”
“Were they mean to you?” I asked, thinking of the dark stalker in the woods.
“No. Not at all. It was more like they were reserved,” she explained, her expression turning thoughtful. “They’re always polite, but never…open. Does that make sense?”
“Aloof,” I supplied.
“Yes!” True exclaimed. “That’s the perfect word to describe them. Aloof. But not in a “my shit don’t stink” kind of way. They just seem content to keep to themselves and never tried to include me, despite my sparkling wit and magnetic personality.”
“Oh, I was a goner from the word hi,” I quipped, widening my eyes to feign pure innocence.
True chuckled, and my own laughter spilled out to join hers. Even if the other counselors were jackholes, as she called them, I knew I’d found at least one friend. And the fact that we were partners and would be working and living together as leaders in the same cabin made it that much better.
“I saw a few of them crossing the street today. They were…”
“Hot? Perfect? Unattainable?” she supplied when my words trailed off.
“Interesting,” I said, settling on the vague word. “It seemed like they were having fun, except for this one guy.”
“Ooh, wait. Don’t tell me,” she ordered before I could say more. “Dark hair, broody, muscles for days?” She gestured to her thin shoulders.
I nodded, and True made a swoony face while a sigh purred from her lips.
“That’s Levi Kass. The only time he doesn’t look grumpy is when he’s working with the kids. He’s really good with the young ones.”
Levi Kass. Somehow, the name suited him and…I really needed to stop thinking about him.
“So, we are going to be dealing with a cabin full of hormonal thirteen-year-old girls?”
True nodded. “And it’s worse because they’re old enough to realize how much life has shit all over them. They come in with huge chips on their shoulders and smart mouths to back it up.”
“Yippee,” I groaned, scrubbing a hand down my face.
“It’s not so bad after the first couple of days. The girls will start to have actual fun and realize that, while they’re here, their normal lives fade into the background. Here, they are just regular kids, making new friends and learning new skills like kayaking and rope-climbing.”
“Rope-climbing?” I repeated, unable to stop the shudder that wracked my body. “We don’t have to do that, do we?”
“Scared of heights?” she asked, grinning.
“A little. And my upper body is pretty weak. I’d only end up humiliating myself.”
“Don’t worry, Piper. The camp has designated instructors for the dangerous or difficult activities. We will be in charge of something easy, like arts and crafts or s’mores. We’ll be getting the details at orientation this afternoon.”
I slipped my phone from my back pocket and checked the time. It was nearly noon, and the first tendrils of hunger were creeping through me.
“What time is lunch?” I asked.
“You better hide that thing,” True said, and my gaze snapped up to see her eyeing my phone.
“What? Why?”
“Camp Shadow Lake has a strict, no-electronics policy. No phones, no tablets, no access to the outside world—except for occasional use of the ancient desktop in the office. The whole point is to be completely immersed. Plus, I guess they can’t have counselors checking their social media while they are supposed to be making sure the kids don’t drown in the lake or chop their hands off in woodworking.”
I nodded and tucked my phone into the bottom of my bag, underneath the yellow sundress Mom made me pack despite my assurances that I would never wear it. I shoved the bag under the bed with my foot, and True nodded in approval.
“You hungry?” she asked.
“How did you know?”
“Because you just asked me what time lunch will be served.” She laughed. “The answer is right about now. Let’s go.”
True got up and pushed through the screen door, holding it open for me to pass through. As we wandered through the camp, True played tour guide, pointing out different structures and describing their use.
One building definitely got my attention. The scent of hay mixed with manure permeated the air, and I wrinkled my nose.
True laughed, pointing to a fenced-in area near a barn. “That’s the livestock area. The camp has four cows and six pigs. The kids learn to milk the cows, as well as basic animal care. And anyone who breaks the rules gets shit-shoveling duty.”
“Gross,” I muttered.
“Well, you better get over it,” she said, shaking her head. “Because if none of the campers are being punished, it falls to the counselors to do the grunt-work.”
“Seriously?” I asked, then flinched at how whiney my voice sounded. Bubbly Piper, remember? “Okay. No problem.”
“That’s the spirit,” True replied, giving me a wink. Then she pointed across the path. “Over there is the pavilion where we gather for morning assembly and any large group activities. And this is the mess hall.”
She stopped in front of a large, wooden structure with lots of windows and a pitched roof. The front doors were propped open, and I could see row upon row of long wooden tables filling the room. The scent of hamburgers wafted from the open doors, making my stomach growl.
“Let’s eat,” True said, grabbing my hand and pulling me up the steps.
Other than a few teenagers gathered around a table in the corner, the mess hall was empty. In a few days, the place would be teeming with kids, but for now, we pretty much had the place to ourselves.
“Piper, this is Chloe, the camp chef. Chloe, this is Piper, the new counselor.”
As True introduced me to the woman behind the long counter, I couldn’t help but feel a bit surprised. She was tall and slender, with shiny brown hair cut into a wispy bob. With delicate features and bright blue eyes, she was drop-dead gorge
ous.
“Fresh meat, eh?” she said, and I thought I heard a hint of a French accent.
“What?” I blurted, her words taking me by surprise. What was this, prison?
“Relax, Piper. She’s just pulling your chain. She called me fresh meat all last summer.” She looked from me to the chef. “Nice to see you again, Chloe.”
Chloe smirked as she handed us trays filled with burgers, bags of chips, brownies, and a carton of chocolate milk. True led the way to a table by the window, a few rows over from the other counselors.
“I think I’ve seen too many movies,” I say, sliding onto the bench across from her. “I thought all camp cooks were loud, obnoxious, ugly trolls.”
“Ha! Don’t let Chloe hear you say that.” She paused, looking back at the chef thoughtfully before locking eyes with me. “She’s hot, right? Like too hot to be working in the kitchen of some backwoods summer camp. It’s weird.”
I nodded in agreement as I picked up my burger and took a bite. It was warm and juicy, with cheese, mayonnaise, and pickles. Just the way I liked it. I groaned in pleasure, then froze as I looked up and caught Levi Kass staring at me.
His eyes were a beautiful mix of green and gray, a color I was sure couldn’t be natural. Maybe contacts? Either way, they’re mesmerizing. My eyes drifted over the angles and planes of his face, noting the creases in his forehead and the deep frown on his face.
“Piper,” True said, snapping her fingers in front of my face to get my attention.
“Sorry, what?” I mumbled, dragging my eyes to her face and forcing them to remain there.
“I asked you if you wanted to go for a swim after lunch. We have a couple of hours before our first meeting with the dean.”
“Sure,” I said, looking down at my tray as I took another bite of my burger.
When I couldn’t stand it any longer, I glanced up through my lashes to check if Levi was still watching me, but he was gone. My head swiveled toward the door, my mouth falling open before I snapped it shut.
Why did he leave in the middle of lunch? Was it because I was looking at him? Or was I being egotistical to even think his comings and goings had anything to do with me at all?
That boy was a mystery—one I felt a strange need to solve.
Chapter Six
“What are you waiting for, chicken? Come on in.” True glanced over one brown shoulder, squinting against the glare. She was thigh-deep in the water, her arms crossed over her chest as she inched deeper.
The camp lake was colder and murkier than I expected, which was really saying something. Small inland lakes were often a bit weedy, but this one seemed to need attention. I could see the muck from where I stood on the tiny beach.
“Are you sure we’re supposed to swim in here?” I bit my lip looking for signs that said “No Swimming” so I could use them as an excuse to keep dry, but, sadly, there were none.
Instead, there were a few sad canoes and kayaks lying upside down beside a rickety boathouse which contained yellowing lifejackets and chipped oars. True showed me the equipment shed before stripping off her tank top and jean shorts and wading into the water.
Her body was lean and looked amazing in her red one-piece. We’d been instructed that bikinis were prohibited—too much skin for the campers to handle—but my pale body had seen so little sun in the last year I didn’t mind covering it up as much as possible. It was definitely one of the reasons I still wore my shorts and T-shirt over my own one-piece.
“Ew, fish!” True said, jerking sideways. “Oh, wait, no. That’s just a log.”
“None of that sounds inviting,” I said, walking forward on the sand to let the water lap at my toes. It was a hot day. Maybe I could get in up to my ankles.
While she inched deeper, I glanced around Shadow Lake. It wasn’t very broad, and True claimed it wasn’t deep, but that might have been a lie to encourage me to get in. Ringed on three sides by trees, the lake was indeed covered by shadow, which added to the foreboding feeling that settled over me when I drew near.
Why did I get an ominous feeling every time I scanned the dark forest? Maybe because I worried Levi was there, in the depths, watching? He’d done it before, so why not now?
There wasn’t much more to look at, but voices drew my attention away from the water. On the shoreline to my right stood three Native American style teepees. The voices belonged to the other counselors who settled themselves on two shady wooden benches beside the teepees.
Levi wasn’t with them. Maybe I wasn’t the only one who felt the need to get as far away from him as possible.
“True,” I whispered, trying to get her attention without projecting my voice to the other counselors. “True!”
She spun around, her arms up like chicken wings as she kept them out of the waist-high water. “Are you coming in or what?” she demanded.
“I think the answer to that is pretty clear by now,” I shot back. “Hey, does Levi ever hang with the other counselors?”
She cocked her head. “Still obsessing over that dude? Yes, he’s gorgeous, and no, I have not pictured him naked. He’s not my type.” She flashed white teeth before flicking some water at me.
I flicked a little back with my toe. “Why does he bother working here when he doesn’t seem to even like it?” And he’s antisocial and mad all the time.
“He’s close with Charles Purty. They know each other from... something.” True lifted one shoulder, like that was all the information she knew. I wanted more, but I’d sound like a stalker if I kept harping on Levi.
“Do they swim?” I nodded toward the teepees at the group of thin, pale counselors.
“Nope, not unless they have to jump in to save a camper. They’re chickens, too. They say there are leeches in here, which... You know what? On second thought, maybe swimming was a bad idea.” True walked out of the water, checking her legs for gross black creatures, but thankfully there were none.
I handed her a towel and waited as she dried off, my eyes drifting over to the teepees again. Though everyone in the group was wearing sunglasses, I had a feeling they were staring this way. My stomach twisted as I fought off that eerie feeling again.
Paranoid much?
“Weren’t you going to give me the rest of the tour?” I asked, giving my brain something else to obsess over.
She rubbed sand off one foot before answering. “There’s not much more to see, but we can detour on the way to the training and peep the barn if you’re so inclined.” She arched one eyebrow.
“Sure, I love cows,” I said, my voice laced with sarcasm as I pumped a fist halfway in the air. “Woo.”
True snorted. “Girl, come on.”
We tromped up the sand to the cement path and headed west. I tried to picture the map in my mind, but the place was so expansive it would take me ages to memorize it all. To illustrate the point, the path curved left and we found ourselves walking right by the teepees.
The other counselors had already turned in our direction. Seven pairs of sunglasses locked in on us as we approached. As I noted each, a hollow pit formed in my stomach.
“Hey, guys,” True said, giving them a wave. “This is Piper.”
They regarded me coolly, a few nodding. I twisted my fingers together behind my back and offered a simple, “Hey.”
“Piper, this is Lars, Miranda, Ian, Micah, Sarah, Analise, and Naveen.” She ticked them off, pointing to each.
Overloaded with information, I waved. “Nice to meet you.”
“You headed to training?” the one she’d called Lars asked as he pushed his sunglasses to the top of his head. He was tall and pale like Levi but with a heavier brow, square jaw, and small searching eyes that made him appear as though he was always scanning for a threat. He wore a Camp Shadow Lake tank top that showed off his muscles. I was sure that was no accident since they were massive. He had that pre-Neolithic look that made me worry he might pull out a club and start bashing.
Not very flattering, Piper. Maybe try be
ing nice if you want them to like you.
I pushed the caveman scenario out of my brain as True answered, “Yep. Can’t wait.” She popped her fist into her flat palm. “Gonna be a real riot.”
“I’ll say,” the slender blonde with legs for days named Sarah said, standing up. “Let’s go, everyone.”
The group stood without complaint. I realized that, while Lars was clearly the largest, Sarah seemed to be in charge. She was, arguably, the most beautiful with straight blonde hair, perfect skin and teeth, and full red lips. I wondered why she wasn’t modeling for Abercrombie or Hollister.
She led the way, her group trailing slightly behind. We followed, True sticking tight to me as she whispered, “Queen Sarah. Do not mess.”
I dipped my head once to let her know I’d heard, but for some reason, even though she was way too far ahead, I had the feeling Sarah caught the comment.
Silence settled around us as we walked up the path. A few moments later, the smell of farm animals let me know we were close to the barn, and when we turned the corner, there it was. The large red building had its doors open, but it was difficult to see inside the dark interior. In the yard, a lone cow and two pigs lumbered around, chewing cud and nosing through a trough.
I was a big animal lover and had the impulse to run up and give them each a hug but restrained myself, quickly realizing eau de barnyard could kill the cool vibe I had going.
Yeah, right. Cool Piper was about as real as Bubbly Piper.
I settled for veering a little closer and giving the animals a wave, but when I saw the cow’s neck, I gasped and stepped back. The poor animal had a raw wound about the size of an apple above his right shoulder. Flies buzzed around it, adding to my concern and horror.
“Something’s wrong with that cow,” I uttered, pointing.
The group shuffled to a stop and turned. Sarah’s eyes narrowed. “Oh, that? I’m sure it’s nothing. Some sort of infection. We’ll tell Harris.” She tossed her hair over one shoulder and kept walking as if the problem was solved, but my eyes refused to budge from that puffy, red lesion.
