I stopped breathing. A few moments earlier, I'd been inhaling the beauty of the day. Expelling the negativity, as Professor Sal had said. Now I couldn't even feel my mouth, my lungs, my hands. Just my heart pounding against my ribcage. The cops were here. Surely, it had nothing to do with me and Manning, but I couldn't ignore the coincidence. Last night was the first time I'd ever come close to getting in trouble with the police, and here they were again.
I looked to Manning for cues. He stood tall. Only his eyes moved as he watched Gary cross the dirt toward the policemen.
Lexi took Gary's spot, but everyone ignored her.
"What's going on?" one of my campers asked.
"Nothing." It came out as a whisper. Gary and the officers turned to look at us. All of us. Not me. Maybe me? Then they closed their circle, talking with their heads bent.
"Lake?"
"Hmm?" I blinked, looking at the sea of concerned faces below me.
Hannah rubbed one of girls' backs. "I'm sure it's nothing," she said, but to me, she whispered, "Why are they here?"
Manning wouldn't look at me, but I needed to him to look at me. I hadn't seen the officer last night, but he'd sounded younger than the two cops standing there. Bucky appeared out of nowhere, shuffling his feet as though he'd been literally dragged from his bed. Behind him came a couple other permanent staff members I recognized but couldn't name.
Manning finally turned to me and slowly, he shook his head. No. I could only guess what he meant. Don't look at him. Don't say anything. Don't act suspicious. To show him I was adult enough to handle this, I took a much-needed deep breath, tore my gaze from him, and turned to my girls.
"I think I know what happened," I said solemnly.
Eight pairs of eyes widened. "What?"
"Someone snuck candy into the cabin, even though Gary warned us not to."
Hannah clamped a hand over her mouth. "Are they going to arrest the culprit?"
"Maybe." I smiled. My face was stiff. I felt as though I could vomit any moment. "I tried to tell you guys . . ."
Some of the girls gasped. "We didn't do it. We swear."
"Then you have nothing to worry about," Hannah said.
"It was probably the boys' cabins," I said. "They're always pulling dumb pranks."
"Must've been Manning's," Hannah said.
I looked at her. "Why would you say that?"
She nodded over my shoulder. I turned. Gary made his way toward cabin nine as the cops retreated into the woods. I reached out to steady myself on something and Hannah was nearest.
"Are you okay?" she asked when I took her arm.
This was bad. They knew. Gary knew. Manning and I hadn't even really done anything, but would anyone believe us? What would they think, knowing Manning and I had spent a few hours off the campground in the middle of the night? I wanted to go listen to whatever Gary had to say, but my feet felt like concrete, as if Manning's withering look before had glued me to the spot. And everyone in camp was watching.
Including Tiffany.
The girls tittered and giggled. They whispered to each other, excited by the distraction. "I have Skittles in my bag, but my brother said bears don't eat those."
Gary said something to Manning. The whole exchange only lasted a few seconds. Then he returned to relieve Lexi of the job she hadn't done. "All right, everyone. Calm down. It's no big deal." He smiled, but behind it, in his eyes, I sensed something was off. "Where were we?"
Manning wasn't in the cafeteria. Neither was Gary. I made myself a plate of food but didn't touch it. When breakfast was nearly over and it became apparent Manning wouldn't show, I asked Hannah to take over and went to look for them.
Camp was empty, one-hundred-plus kids crammed into the dining hall. I went directly to cabin nine and felt an ounce of relief to see Manning out front. He was talking to someone in the cabin.
I recognized Gary's voice. " . . . last night . . . alcohol. How come . . . what took so long?"
I crunched through a pile of leaves, and Manning turned around. He shook his head. "Give us a minute, Lake."
"Why are the police here?" I asked.
Gary came onto the front step. "We're handling it."
I ignored him. "Manning?"
He sighed, facing Gary again. "I need a second to talk to her."
"We don't have a second."
"She's Tiffany's sister, man."
Gary put his hands up. "Just saying, you probably don't want to make them wait."
Manning left him there, nodding for me to follow him.
When we were out of earshot, he stopped. His eyes darted around our immediate area, and when he seemed satisfied we were alone, he spoke under his breath. "Everything's fine. I just need you to promise me one thing."
Fine didn't sound fine. It sounded bad. I wanted to be strong, but my legs felt about to give out. "Why? What's going on?"
He went to put a hand on my shoulder but stopped himself. "Do you trust me?"
I nodded. No hesitation.
"Then believe me when I say, it's nothing." He looked over my head as he spoke. "The reason the cops are here has nothing to do with you."
"What about you?"
"I just need you to promise me . . ." He returned his eyes to mine. As if he had some kind of power over me, my heartrate calmed. I'd promise him anything, because Manning would protect me. I knew that. But who would protect him? "Don't mention last night to anyone. No matter what. If someone asks where you were, lie, and make it damn convincing."
"But-"
"Did Hannah hear you come in? Any of the girls?"
"No. Yes-Hannah. But I told her I was in the bathroom."
"Last night, after the party, you went straight to your cabin and fell asleep. Then you woke up this morning. If you feel the urge to tell the truth, don't do it without talking to me first."
"But why?" I begged. "Why would someone ask me where I was?"
"They won't. I won't let them. Your only job is to protect yourself. Mine is to protect us both. Now, go get your sister for me."
I reeled back as if I'd been slapped, face tingling. "My sister?"
"Send her here alone. Quick. I don't have a lot of time."
"No. You can't just tell me that and send me away. Where are you going?"
"They're taking me to the station. It's nothing, Lake, but if you open your mouth, it could become something. Understand?"
He wasn't in trouble. I had to trust in that. But he was right-no matter that nothing had happened last night, we were the only two who knew that for sure. I couldn't think of a coherent response so I just nodded.
"Go," he said. I wanted something. Anything. A kiss. A hug. I would've taken a pat on the back. All I got was a hard stare. "This is adult business," he said, his jaw ticking. "You're too young."
His words were as sharp as knives, and they cut deep. Even after last night, I was still a child to him. Immature. Not to be trusted with important things. I swallowed thickly to keep from crying like the baby he already thought I was. And then I went and got Tiffany.
23
Manning
I sat in an interrogation room at Big Bear's sheriff station in shorts and a t-shirt. I rarely wore shorts, which was why they were the only clean thing I had left up here. My jeans from last night were in a soggy ball at the bottom of my duffel like buried evidence. I looked like a grown man who'd borrowed a camper's clothes.
My hands in my lap, I absentmindedly fidgeted with the bracelet Lake had made me. I wasn't used to having things on my hands or wrists. She played with hers when she was uneasy, but I had no reason to be nervous. From what Gary'd told me, whatever the hell the cops wanted had nothing to do with me. I took comfort in that, but it wasn't as if I were exactly innocent. And that made me sweat. I'd gotten carried away with Lake in the truck. I still tasted watermelon on my lips. Smelled the dampness of the truck's cab. Heard the drumbeat of the music. What if they sensed that fear on me?
Two men entered the small room, an older man with a gut that hung over his belt, and a tall thin one in a suit. Neither was the cop from last night, and I wasn't sure if that was good or bad. He'd turned out to be all right. He'd made me walk in a straight line, and when it was apparent I was sober, we'd talked about my plans to join the force while he'd jumped the truck's battery.
"Morning, Mr. Sutter," said the burly man in uniform. "I'm Officer Vermont, and this is my colleague, Detective Krout."
I shook both their hands. "I'll be honest," I said, "I don't know why I'm here."