This isn’t the first time she’s been invited to an after-hours party. I avoid them, being the obedient girl my mom raised me to be. But now? Now I’m going out of spite.
Shane and I used to be close, but that doesn’t mean he’s my boss. I don’t need a second brother. One is plenty.
Scarlett clears her throat as she tosses her lipstick into the oversize makeup bag she lugged up here and shoots me a nervous look. “To be fair, you don’t go to these types of parties. And you said no until he showed up.”
“Okay, fine. But he doesn’t know that.”
“It was oddly possessive of a stranger.”
My mouth drops open then snaps shut. For a second I forgot Scarlett has no idea how far back Shane and I go. Now might not be the best time to tell her. I’m so amped up I swear my toes are shaking and if something goes down or if he ends up ratting us out, I don’t want Scarlett throwing our history out there for everyone to know. Shane seems to be the golden boy up here with Mr. River and I don’t need everyone else walking on eggshells afraid I’m some Goody two-shoes that will get them in trouble.
This is my last summer of fun and I won’t let him ruin it.
“Whatever.” I brush off her words and head toward the door. “Let’s go have some fun.”
Even as the words leave my mouth though, I can’t get the image of Shane’s disappointed face out of my head as I walked away earlier. He didn’t come back to camp until the end of orientation, and even then, he avoided my gaze at all costs. For two people who grew up together, we couldn’t feel further apart.
Scarlett, the master of sneaking out, stuffs another pillow under her sheets and leaves a strand of her extensions hanging out of the blankets before tiptoeing to the door. When she cracks it open, we’re met with a warm summer breeze and nothing but the sound of insect nightlife.
She motions with her head, taking the quietest steps known to man. I follow, shutting the door with an almost silent click before we race down the front stairs, avoiding step number three, which we discovered earlier makes a horrible noise. Scarlett is proficient. She even figured out all the areas we could sneak back into camp without being seen.
This afternoon I assumed the party would be on the lake next to camp. But those were shut down super-fast in the past, so they moved it farther down the shore. So, I have to drive. Not something I had in mind. Sunshine is hit-or-miss when it comes to, well—driving.
When we settle inside my car, I send up a prayer and turn over the engine. For the first time since I bought the thing, it starts right away. Scarlett grins at me, and I know she’s thinking what I am. This is a sign we made the right choice. If the universe didn’t want us going, my car would refuse to start.
Tonight, the universe is on my side.
Those thoughts don’t help to calm my nerves though. What Scarlett said earlier was right on the money. I am a rule follower. Out of my brother and me, I’m the one who is least likely to break my mom’s rules. I haven’t been grounded since I was thirteen and that was because I tore down Jay’s tent when he and Shane refused to let me camp out with them in the backyard.
My fingers roll against my thigh as I pull to the side of the dirt road where a line of cars sits empty. Dax told Scarlett they would be one exit up. From what I know of the grounds, several campsites are separated by stretches of lake that no one owns. The one farther up is the type that people can rent out. My family stayed there one summer, and that’s how I found out about Camp Whispering Willow.
Seems to me we’re in the right place, but maybe I should have paid more attention to what Dax and Jason said. I was too busy glaring a hole in the side of Shane’s face as he chatted up Mr. River, never once glancing my way. It was like the moment I defied him, I no longer existed and it made me wonder if that’s what happened between Jay and him. Was he so petty that one minor disagreement meant you were dead to him?
Scarlett’s hand lands on mine where I have a death grip on the steering wheel. “Hey, you okay? If you’re uncomfortable we don’t need to go.”
“Yeah.” I force a smile and relax my fingers. “Just annoyed.”
“The guy is a colossal ass.”
I nod, my eyes wide. “I’m not imagining his level of douchery right?
She nods along with me. “For sure. If anything, you are underestimating his douchiness. But screw him. We’re here to have fun, so let’s go have fun.” She gives my hand a final squeeze before turning toward the door.
I give myself an extra minute, taking in a deep breath to calm my anger and nerves before I follow her out into the pitch-black night. At least we were smart enough to bring our cellphones for light, otherwise I have no idea how we would find our way.
“We need to be back by midnight,” I remind her. One of the guys who was a counselor last year warned us they do bed checks a little after midnight and aren’t above sending people packing for being a poor example to the younger kids.
Scarlett winks at me. “Promise.”
A few minutes later an orange glow lights up the night and we no longer need our phones to see where we are going. Scarlett skips ahead of me, more excited than I am to be breaking the rules. I don’t blame her though. Her parents have such a tight grip on her I’m surprised she hasn’t rebelled more.
After all, there were talks of tattoos last year, but I got her to change her mind by reminding her she wants to model. A giant fairy on her back might be hard to cover up.
By the time I reach the warmth of the fire, I can tell the party is in full swing. I didn’t think we were running that far behind, but as a girl who introduced herself earlier as April stumbles past me, I can tell that alcohol has been flowing freely.
Scarlett waves me over from where she stands next to Jason, a red cup already in her hands. We talked about it and she promised not to get plastered and thrown out of camp because I don’t think I can handle three weeks of Shane all by myself.
Dax saddles up next to his friend and passes me a red cup. I have no intention of getting drunk. Been there, done that. Alcohol and my stomach don’t mix well and I don’t want to spend all of tomorrow yacking up every ounce of bile my body produces. But not wanting to seem ungrateful, I smile and cradle the cup to my chest.
Awareness tingles up my spine, and before I can even glance over my shoulder, I sense an angry presence.
“There you are,” someone snaps from behind me.
In the next second, the cup is pried from my hands and shoved into Dax’s chest, spilling beer down the front of his white shirt.
Shocked, I whirl around only to be caught off guard by the furious expression on Shane’s face.
“Here I am,” I snap, trying to match the annoyed tone of his voice as I make a move to walk around him, but he catches my arm.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
“Okay, Dad. Newsflash, I’m not some dumb kid.” Without thinking about my actions, I reach out and shove his chest.
Mistake.
Huge mistake.
It didn’t hurt him. Based on how much he and Jay used to roughhouse I can’t guarantee he even felt it. One time, Jay threw Shane out of a tree and he got up as if nothing had happened even as I stood there with my heart thundering, afraid he was dead. A tiny shove won’t do much. What’s frightening though is the way his eyes narrow, the black of his enlarged pupils reflecting the light from the fire making him appear dangerous. Evil, even.