“I’m assuming that’s a rhetorical question,” Alice mumbled, staring at the coffeepot with quiet desperation. She hadn’t even had caffeine yet. How was she supposed to deal with Brooke?
Despite the fact that she’d told Thad she’d try to get to know Brooke better and give her the benefit of the doubt, she hadn’t really lived up to her promise. It’d just been easier to stay away from both Brooke and Thad for the past few days, although the avoidance hurt much more in Thad’s case than in Brooke’s.
She did a double take when Brooke shoved her cell phone in front of Alice’s face. Startled, she stared at the image on the screen.
“You haven’t seen it yet?” Brooke demanded quietly, obviously recognizing Alice’s shock. “All the managers are crowing about it, although Kehoe doesn’t seem too pleased,” she added with bitter triumph. Her victory was short lived. An uncertain, sullen expression came over Brooke’s face. “I suppose you put them up to it?”
Alice laughed abruptly. She grabbed Brooke’s phone, peering closer at the photo. “Oh my God. That’s awesome.”
Dave came up behind them, grinning. “Is this your first time seeing it? Everyone is talking about it. They sent out texts with the photo this morning. They somehow got most of the managers’ phone numbers, plus most of the counselors’. At least one kid on every team got one, too, so the photos are flying around with the speed of light. Hilarious. Nice one, Alice.”
Someone called out to Dave, and he walked away.
“There’s more. Next photo,” Brooke said through a tight mouth.
Alice took another long look at the first before moving to the next, however. The photo was of an iron goat perched on a stone pedestal—obviously Camp Wildwood’s legendary Bang. The area behind it was dark and empty. It was clearly the dead of night. Around Bang’s neck was tied the Red Team’s iconic flag. The goat was wearing sunglasses that Alice immediately recognized as Judith’s knock-off Cartiers. Beneath it, three hands held up in the V for victory sign: one large, light brown, clearly masculine, another feminine, paler with long manicured nails, the last small and delicate. Alice suspected she knew to whom all the hands belonged.
Alice swiped her finger on the screen. Her grin widened. This was priceless. Now the common area around Bang was filled with people. The photo showed Noble D, Jill Sanchez, and Judith surrounded by several other teenagers and adults, most of them wearing sweatpants, shorts, T-shirts, and pajamas. They were strangers to Alice. This must be the Camp Wildwood staff and kids. D and Judith appeared to be passing around pizza boxes, Jill handing out cans of soda. The girl’s mouth was open as though she was talking, and she was grinning.
Jill? Talking to strangers with what looked like genuine enthusiasm?
The caption underneath the photo read: How to make trouble and friends at once, Camp Durand–style.
Alice barked with laughter, unable to stop herself despite the fact that she knew Brooke would find her pleasure annoying.
“They gave the kids at Camp Wildwood a pizza party?” she blurted out incredulously.
“After they snuck into camp unnoticed and took their pictures of the goat, proving they could have stolen it if they wanted to,” Brooke said, grabbing her phone back abruptly. She looked mutinous as she met Alice’s stare. “I know you must have set them up to it. It could have easily had the opposite effect, you know. All the managers could have been as pissed as Kehoe is. How did you know they wouldn’t be?”
“I didn’t for sure,” Alice said, shrugging. “The kids wanted the adventure and the challenge, and I thought they should have it. They are supposed to be here to have fun, you know. I just wanted to make sure they did as respectfully and safely as possible.” She nodded at the phone in Brooke’s clutching hand. “They came up with all the other brilliant ideas.”
“Brilliant,” Brooke spat. Alice’s spine straightened, until she noticed that despite Brooke’s bitchiness, tears pooled in her eyes and her lower lip trembled. Alice’s acidic retort evaporated on her tongue.
“What’s wrong?” Alice wondered, confounded by the other woman’s show of vulnerability. Brooke was always in control and smug in her superior knowledge and position. Alice had been intimidated by her from the first moment she laid eyes on her. To see Brooke on the verge of tears shook her a little. “It’s not a big deal, Brooke. They’re just kids, having a good time.”
“It is a big deal,” Brooke corrected in a hushed, but harsh tone. “I can’t win when it comes to you. I can’t beat you because I can’t figure out why everyone is so determined to act like you’re special when you’re really just a grubby, smart-mouthed, low-class—”
“Whoa,” Alice interrupted angrily. She pointed at the other woman in a menacing gesture. “Stop right there.”