In my dreams, I walked around in super-short shorts, my legs perfectly tanned and toned, wearing a killer pair of hiking boots, while I pummeled Naomi Farrow in front of Bradley and Liam, who were both cheering for me despite the fact that one was her brother and the other pretty much hated me with a passion.
In reality, my skin was roughly the color of ET during his scary, life-threatening Earth illness. My shorts were knee length (camp rules), and my dad, my dad, sat next to me on the bus while Bradley was in the way back, plugged into whatever stupid video game he’d packed for the long bus ride.
Needless to say, the sure-you-can-hop-away-on-an-extended-camping-trip conversation I’d planned on having with my parents didn’t exactly pan out. Even after a very convincing episode of heart-wrenching sobs and swearing that they were ruining my life, my dad said the only way I would be bussing it to Camp Brown was if he was with me. As a chaperone.
He was currently involved in a very animated discussion about the future of car travel with my Econ teacher across the aisle.
I had visions of the bus careening off the road into a ditch and exploding into flames. At least I wouldn’t have to hear about how cars would eventually drive themselves on freeway rails while running on a combination of human waste and vodka.
While my dad waxed poetic about the safety of poop mobiles on my left, Seth was fast asleep in the seat on my right. He made a series of slapping, licking, tasting, most disgusting tongue sounds on the planet, and I elbowed him sharply in the ribs.
“What? Maddie? Sunset? Campfire?” He rubbed the sleep away from his eyes with the back of his hand and flushed. “Oh…Kate. Sorry. Was I talking in my sleep?”
“Yeah totally. Something about a very intimate moment between you, Superman, and Wonder Woman.” I managed to keep a straight face while his cheeks were about burst into flame.
“Well, it’s totally normal for guys my age to have fantasies…”
“Oh God, no. Stop, just stop. I was kidding.”
“Works every time.” It was Seth’s turn to laugh.
“Well played.” I tipped my imaginary hat to him and lowered my voice to a whisper. “Actually, I was just wondering if you had a chance to talk to Liam. About the plan?”
Seth’s green eyes flicked to the back of the bus where Liam sat between Bethany and Naomi. Every so often, we could hear the three of them laughing. The sound made me want to kill someone. Liam hadn’t so much as looked at me since the night we’d all landed ourselves in Ms. D.’s office.
Seth patted the back of my hand. “You know, it’s okay to be jealous, Kate.” He popped a Raisinet in his mouth, which reminded me way too much of those cars my dad was still rambling on about. “I’ve been there, believe me.”
“I am not jealous, okay? I’m just tired. And stressed. Excuse me for wanting to make sure that no one else gets hurt.”
“But it really seems like….” I gave Seth the look of death (patent pending), and he stopped mid-sentence. “Uh yeah, Liam’s on board,” he finished.
Because of the most recent Naomi twist, Bradley had to be completely snipped out of the investigation without knowing about said snipping. It hadn’t been easy. Luckily (or really, unluckily), Bradley was still distracted by grief for Alistair. I pushed up on my seat with my hands to peer down the aisle and saw the top of his shaved head. Even that looked pissed off. It was cocked to the left and lowered slightly. He’d resisted the trip but had come at his parents’ and teachers’ and counselors’ insistence to escape and relax, but mainly to heal. Or so they promised. I had my doubts.
***
Camp Brown met us with the fresh smell of a forest in bloom and blinding sun we had to squint our way through. I sneezed seven times in a row. An auspicious beginning to our little adventure.
A guide named Luca instructed us to strap on our backpacks and prepare for the hike to camp. Siegfried Manchester, inventor of Bye Bye Diaper, a contraption that somehow reduced the size and smell of a dirty diaper into an environmentally friendly nugget, had created the adventure camp as a way of giving back to his alma mater. Every year, students were selected to be bussed out here, placed on teams, and forced to compete in team-building challenges designed to shape future leaders of America, followed by a mandatory three hours of Reflectere to set personal goals and review accomplishments. It was Pemberly Brown meets Survivor, but with bug spray, secret missions, and rum smuggled in shampoo bottles.
“It’s so pretty out here.” I wrapped my arm around Bradley’s waist as he gazed at the lush, green-covered hills in the distance. The trees stretched for miles, and it felt like we were on a different continent, as opposed to just three hours from school. As birds chirped and the brand-new spring leaves rustled in the wind, it struck me how isolated tragedy could be. While Pemberly Brown seemed to be crumbling between our fingers, the rest of the world was welcoming spring. It was unfair and comforting at the same time.
Bradley nodded and squeezed my hand. I knew how hard he was trying, and despite everything I’d been through with Grace, I couldn’t imagine how he was feeling right at that moment. I couldn’t bring myself back to that place. I wouldn’t let myself think about how much we were deceiving Bradley by investigating his sister. It was unforgivable. As unforgivable as Naomi’s involvement in the first place.
Once again, I found myself wedged into a tight corner, damned if you do, damned if you don’t, and all that. For once, I wished I didn’t have to use anyone. I wished something could be easy. I wished that I wasn’t always stuck being the Trojan horse.
Liam laughed with Naomi and Bethany a few yards away. He was already at work, cozying up to Naomi. I couldn’t stop the stab of jealousy as I watched him throw his arm around her shoulder. Even worse was the look on Bethany’s face as she watched them. She so clearly had a thing for Liam, and based on the picture someone had so helpfully texted me the other night, the feeling was mutual.
Bradley, I reminded myself. Focus on Bradley. Focus on the plan. Focus on the Sisterhood. All this crap with Liam could wait, and even if it couldn’t, he’d clearly already moved on. What was stopping me?
“Maybe we can hike up there or something,” Bradley said, nodding to the great expanse of green. I let my eyes linger for another second on Liam’s dimpled smile and turned back to Bradley, to his sad but hopeful eyes.
“Definitely,” I said, squeezing his hand back. “I’d love to.”
And then a voice seemed to erupt from the trees. It came from nowhere and everywhere all at the same time.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the seventh annual Survivor Games!”