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Caitlyn
Standing behind her family’s van, Caitlyn draped two plastic grocery bags loaded with miscellaneous camping supplies onto David’s arms. “Follow Stacey and Priscilla,” she said. “And tell them that’s the last of it.”
David toddled off in the general direction of their campsite.
No sooner did Caitlyn slam the van door shut when Zoe’s mother pulled up. Two car doors flew open, and out popped Zoe and Caitlyn’s new archenemy, Mya.
“Oh, this is going to be fun!” Mya squealed. She dropped her sleeping bag and pink duffle bag, clasped her hands together, and glanced around. She wore shorts, sandals, and a baby-pink t-shirt, all entirely inappropriate for camping. She’d think so, too, when the mosquitoes came out, or if she decided to actually take a hike through nature.
Caitlyn had dressed in layers, a pale-blue cotton shirt under a turquoise button-front shirt, old hiking boots, a long denim skirt, and bug spray.
Zoe, in jeans and a soft brown sweater, sauntered up to Caitlyn and nudged her. “Sorry,” she whispered. “Mya asked for a ride. What could I say?”
“No. You could’ve said no.” Caitlyn narrowed her eyes, pretending to be angry.
“You’re the one who invited her.”
“I know.” Caitlyn sighed.
After promising her mom that she’d come right back to help set up their tent, Zoe, Mya, and Caitlyn took a walk to check out the area.
People milled around everywhere, setting up tents or just goofing off. Kids from school, families from church, and others she didn’t know. Peter and his dad had done a wondrous job. At one site, a dozen lawn chairs surrounded a big stack of wood and a fire pit with a little welcoming fire. A short distance from that they’d set up two rows of picnic tables, enough seating for the entire group to enjoy meals together. Peter’s mom, Mrs. Brandt, and a few other moms spread out red-checked tablecloths and placed citronella candles on them to keep them from blowing away.
Mya stopped to talk with the moms while Caitlyn and Zoe strolled a short distance away, toward the road. Tags with familiar names marked campsites on both sides of the dirt road, as far as Caitlyn could see.
Excitement raced through her veins and made her want to jump or scream. She couldn’t wait to see the bonfire area and more of her friends. Where was Peter . . . and Roland?
“Hey, Caitlyn!” Peter came up behind her.
“Oh, Peter!” Without thinking, she turned and flung her arms around him. She rarely ever hugged him, so he gave her a funny look.
“Sorry.” She backed up and brushed his shirt. “I’m just so excited to be here.”
He slapped her hand away. “Yeah, you’re weird. But this is cool, huh?”
She leaned and whispered, “Where’s Roland?” Then she glanced to see if Mya heard her. Mya stood watching a group of Fire Starter boys wrestle with a seriously old tent.
“Oh, he’s ghosting.” Peter peered over his shoulder.
His younger brother Toby ambled around tree trunks, his gaze apparently fixed on sunbeams streaming through the canopy of leaves. He wore a shirt with his full name on the front, and he carried a long stick. While only nine years old, he had the body of a twelve-year-old but the behavior and speech of a three-year-old.
“Hi, Toby,” Caitlyn said.
Toby turned his big brown eyes to her but made no reply. He did that sometimes. The new surroundings probably overwhelmed his autistic mind.
Caitlyn looked at Peter again. “What do you mean ghosting?”
“He’s not coming.”
Her heart crumpled. “Not coming? Why? But you said he was. I thought we all helped with the Finns’ house so his brother could come, too.”
Toby shuffled toward Peter, whining, “Go fishing,” in a pathetic voice. He latched onto Peter’s arm and hung on him.
“I don’t know.” Peter tried shrugging Toby off but with no luck. “Don’t ask me about it. I guess, Jarret didn’t want to go so he decided not to go, too.”
“Who?” Mya came up behind Peter.
“Roland.” Peter pushed Toby away. “Stop hanging on me. Go find Mom.”
Mya’s smile turned into a pout. “He’s not camping with us?”
“No.” Peter motioned for them to follow. “I set up the girls’ tent over here.”
Caitlyn trailed the others. All the jittery excitement that had coursed through her veins whenever she’d thought about camping and Roland had gone.
“What do you think?” Peter flung out an arm and turned up a palm, indicating a big blue-green tent with yellow trim and screens on every side.
“It’s taller than me,” Mya said, making a beeline for the zipper door.
Caitlyn forced herself to smile. “Thanks for setting it up.”
Zoe crawled in after Mya. Their giggles and voices carried as they talked about who would sleep where and how hard the ground felt.
Caitlyn watched them for a moment through a screened window then set out for her family’s site. She still had to help set up their tent.
Peter went with her. “You should see what we did up on bonfire hill. We got—” His head spun. Then he took off, bolting toward the dirt road where a silver car had stopped. “Hey, you made it anyway,” he shouted. Resting his arms on the open passenger-side window, he spoke with the passengers.
Unable to identify the car, Caitlyn stopped watching and strolled alone to her family’s site to get the tent setup over with.
A few seconds later, the car crunched down the road, making a little dirty cloud. Peter shouted to someone and laughed.
Caitlyn sighed and reached for a tent pole. She hoped her enthusiasm would return even without the prospect of spending time with Roland.
Fifteen minutes later, Caitlyn stood next to her dad, both of them admiring the old tent they’d put up in record time.
“Well, that doesn’t look too bad,” Dad said, eyeing it strangely.
Caitlyn was about to comment on the bent tent stakes and frayed guy lines when a shadowy figure caught her attention. Her gaze traveled to the dirt road. And through the trees, she saw him.
Roland West!
Her mouth fell open, and her heart stopped.
For a moment, everything seemed to move in slow motion. A breeze played in the waves of his hair. A beam of sunlight reached his face, making his skin dazzling white against his gray hooded jacket. With Peter on one side and Jarret on the other, he strode across the dirt road, headed her way.
Caitlyn ran her hands through her hair and wiped the front of her skirt as she ran to Mom. “Mom, hey, can I go now?”
Mom’s brows creased then her gaze shifted and she smiled. She probably caught a glimpse of the guys. She wouldn’t have known Caitlyn’s interest in Roland, but she knew Peter was her friend. “Fine. Have fun. I’ll see you for dinner.”
When Caitlyn turned, the guys had stopped their approach and stood in a circle. Mya had joined them. All pink, shapely, and blonde, she bounced on her toes and threw her arms about, gesturing wildly to emphasize whatever silly thing she had to say. Peter looked away, head shaking and eyes rolling, but both of the West boys gave her their full attention.
Zoe appeared at Caitlyn’s side. She folded her arms. Her eyes gleamed like bronze spears in the sunlight. “Let the battle begin.”
“What battle? How can I win against her?”
“You’re not allowed to think like that. Come on. To the tent.”
Caitlyn followed Zoe, stumbling on roots and lagging behind because she couldn’t keep her eyes off Roland and Mya. Roland hadn’t looked Caitlyn’s way once.
A few minutes later, Caitlyn emerged from the tent wearing skinny, distressed jeans; Zoe’s new hiking boots; and a fuzzy, forest-green sweater. Zoe had put gel or something in her hair, saying Caitlyn needed it to keep the long curls together. But Caitlyn refused the make-up. It just was not her, and it always made her eyes water. She could only imagine it causing more problems than good. Of course, slim, distressed jeans weren’t her either.
Caitlyn tried not to feel self-conscious as she followed Zoe through the trees. Everyone wore jeans. Why shouldn’t she? No one would think a thing of it.
They found the boys—and Mya—engrossed in conversation at the picnic tables. Jarret sat atop one, Mya on a bench, and Peter and Roland stood facing them. No one noticed their approach until Roland cocked his head to one side. He couldn’t have heard their footsteps over Peter’s and Mya’s loud voices, but he did seem to sense them. He turned to face them, and his mouth fell open.
Zoe and Caitlyn joined the group.
Peter and Roland both checked Caitlyn out, Peter with an obvious stare, Roland with glances. Having never seen her in jeans before, they probably wondered why in the world she wore them now. And why jeans that emphasized her skinny legs. Maybe they even suspected she wanted to impress someone.
Caitlyn’s cheeks burned. Feeling fake and exposed, she wanted to run back to the tent.
“Jeans, huh?” Peter’s eyes snapped to hers. He grinned and gave a knowing look.
Mya stood and stretched. Roland stopped staring at Caitlyn, his gaze turning to Mya then to his brother.
“What else would she wear camping?” Jarret sounded annoyed, rude even. He gave Caitlyn an approving nod, his eyes roaming over her in a way that increased her discomfort.
“She usually wears dresses,” Peter said, his tone mocking, “. . . even camping, if you can believe it.”
“Skirts,” she said but not loud enough for them to hear. She wished they would talk about something else. She shouldn’t have put on the jeans. It was a bad idea. It really wasn’t her, and this wasn’t the attention she wanted. Yes, she wanted Roland to like her, but not for the way she filled her jeans.
“So what are we going to do out here all weekend long?” Mya bubbled, everyone turning to her.
Caitlyn exhaled. For the first time in her life, she appreciated Mya’s talent for drawing attention.
“Are you kidding me? Haven’t you ever gone camping?” Peter, always quick to enumerate the joys of camping, rattled off a list of all the fun things they could do.
Zoe leaned close to Caitlyn and whispered in her ear, “Aren’t you going to introduce me to Roland’s brother?”
“No,” Caitlyn whispered back. “I don’t know him that well.”
“Well, he’s cute,” she whispered, eyes on him.
Caitlyn turned her back to the others and whispered to Zoe, “He’s trouble.” He was in the eleventh grade and new to River Run High, but he already had a bad reputation.
Zoe turned her back on them, too. “How can he be trouble when you told me he volunteered to help some guy build a house for his family? He sounds nice.” She glanced over her shoulder and gave a flirty smile. “And he’s so hot.”
“Yeah, but he flirts with everyone. Are you really interested in someone like that?” Caitlyn looked him over, trying not to be obvious.
Jarret wore faded jeans ripped at the knees, black boots, an oversized red hoodie, and a black cord necklace. He had the hint of a goatee, and his hair—dark, curly, and worn in a ponytail—seemed very important to him. It looked as though he’d spent a lot of time on it, maybe even using some sort of hair product. And the way his dark eyes moved over Zoe, he totally looked like he fit the rumors.
“What are you girls talking about?” Mya, all silliness and bubbles, invaded their huddle.
“Nothing,” Caitlyn snapped.
“What’s his name?” Zoe nodded to indicate Jarret.
“That’s Jarret, Roland’s brother. He has a twin just as cute.” Mya, not respecting their secretiveness, blurted it all out. She might as well have invited him to their huddle.
“You talking about me?” Jarret grinned, looking pleased.
“I have an idea,” Zoe whispered to Caitlyn, her eyes still on him. “Why don’t we—”
“Where’s Toby?” Mrs. Brandt shouted. She jogged up to Peter and grabbed his arm, worry in her eyes.
Peter glanced to either side. “What? I sent him back to you.”
“You were supposed to be watching him.”
“I’ll help find him,” Caitlyn said. “Where have you looked?”
Mrs. Brandt welcomed Caitlyn’s offer and soon Zoe, Mya, and Roland had offered, too.
“You girls take the mile-long trial.” Peter pointed at it. “Me and the West boys will take the longer trails.”
“Not me,” Jarret said. “I got something to do.”
“Why not you?” Roland looked calm but sounded miffed.
“I got something to do.”
“What can you possibly have to do that’s more important?” Roland growled, almost under his breath.
“You guys don’t really need me for this, do you?” Amusement flickered in Jarret’s eyes. He glanced to either side then reached into the front pocket of his hoodie. “I’m sure you can handle it.” He pulled out a pack of cigarettes.
Roland stepped up to him and said something Caitlyn couldn’t hear, but anger showed in his posture. Jarret hopped off the picnic table and stood face to face with his brother. They locked eyes. Were they going to fight?
“Forget about him.” Peter grabbed Roland’s shoulder. Peter was one of the biggest instigators Caitlyn knew, but he also had a way of rising above conflict.
Yielding to Peter’s prompting, Roland turned and stepped away from Jarret. Then he muttered something to Peter.
A heartbeat later, Jarret lunged and flicked the back of Roland’s head.
Roland jerked to face him.
Jarret laughed, challenge in his eyes.
Roland stood glaring for a second. Then he shook his head and walked away.
Roland and Peter went one way, Zoe, Mya, and Caitlyn another. They explained their mission to the boys from the Fire Starters and other friends they came across. Soon they had a scouting party, two and three to a group, all searching for Toby.
Their path crossed Peter and Roland’s once. Peter was frowning, his face pink and sweaty. “Did you see him?” He kept cracking his knuckles.
“No.” Caitlyn shared his anxiety.
Roland and Caitlyn exchanged sympathetic, worried looks. She hated that Toby was lost, but she liked working toward a goal with Roland, the way they had at the Finn’s house. They were doing something for somebody else. They both cared. It felt good. She wished she and Roland could’ve been searching as a team, but she forced that selfish thought from her mind. They had to find Toby.
Zoe grabbed her hand and they continued down the trail. She took long steps, pulling Caitlyn along, until they gained a good distance from sandal-footed Mya.
“Don’t worry,” Zoe said. “We’ll find Toby. Everyone’s looking for him. The woods don’t go on forever.”
Maybe they didn’t go on forever, but the Black Hills Forest was over a hundred miles long and over sixty miles wide, Peter had always boasted. Having a forest ranger for a father, Peter knew these things. And there were cliffs, canyons, gulches, fast streams, and deep lakes. Not to mention the wild animals. Caitlyn comforted herself with the thought that Toby had probably found something he liked and was standing still, fixating on it at this very moment. Someone would find him any minute now, and they’d all return to the campground where they could laugh about it while enjoying hotdogs around the fire.
“Once we find him, here’s the plan . . .” Zoe peeked at Mya over her shoulder. “You and Roland. Me and Jarret. We’ll do things together. We’ll rent paddleboats and take walks.” She smiled, her eyes sparkling.
“But Roland doesn’t want a girlfriend.” Caitlyn glanced at Mya. She had stopped and stood balancing on one foot, dusting off the other. She waved at Caitlyn, as if to say she was fine, before sliding her foot back into her sandal.
“We’ll all just be friends,” Zoe said. “I’ll make suggestions for things to do. You’ll second them, and we’ll casually invite the West boys along.”
“I don’t know.” It sounded too much like dating. Would she be allowed? Maybe if it were more of a group . . .
“You’ll see. He’ll like being your friend so much that he’ll no longer be afraid of having a girlfriend.”
“What about Mya?”
“Hmm. We’ll come up with something.” Zoe walked on, silent and thoughtful.