No such luck. Mr. Baker raises an eyebrow at us. “What was the name you were debating?”
“There’s no debate. We voted on the name. We’re now Cassie’s Harem,” Parker announces with pride.
My mouth hangs open, and my brow furrows. How could he do that? We can’t change names now.
The adults chuckle to themselves, and Ms. Carlton finally shoos everyone out the door. As she goes to shut it, she turns to me and winks.
CHAPTER NINE
“I can’t believe you guys agreed to that name. I was joking! Girls are going to be all over you just to try to make me jealous.” I need to learn to keep my mouth shut. “Is that why you did it? Are you trying to get attention? If so, you don’t need it. I’m supposed to ask Noah if he will go to the bonfire with Lily. If he says no, I’m supposed to ask Jay if he will go with her.” I point between the two of them.
“Um, no. I’m not going to the bonfire with Lily. Jay can have her.” Noah’s voice drips with sarcasm.
“Not me. I’m a team man. We stick together from now on. I can’t bring a date to our bonding time.” Jay holds up his hand to end the discussion. I decide to mess around with them though.
“Does that mean that I can’t bring a date to the bonfire? That’s no fun. I’m told there are some hot guys around here.” I raise my eyebrows at them.
Their bottom lips stick out, and their shoulders droop.
Lucca speaks up first, his voice sad. “We wouldn’t hold you back if you wanted to do that. We’ve already had our fun here. We’ll be around afterward.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not here to date. I’m here to kick ass, and I have the best team. I guess I have four dates to the bonfire.” I put my hands on my hips and wiggle my butt, attempting to bring back the good mood from before the faculty interrupted us. “This also makes me the boss.” I smile over at Parker. “You can be the pretend boss.” I laugh and then wink at him.
“Oh really, mistress? How may we please you today?” Parker’s quick comeback throws me for a second.
“You can give me a hug and then take us through the motions of this meeting. If someone gives me any problems later, I’m blaming the four of you.” I give Parker a quick, one-armed hug. As I head back to my seat, each of them gives me the same hug.
Over the next two hours, we talk about this week and the trust tasks coming up, which sound easy. After we finish, we inspect the room for security issues. Other than both the doors and windows being easy to break into, we find nothing alarming. Noah plans on hacking into the camp surveillance to discover if any cameras connect to the rooms.
As for our paperwork, I recommended we leave false information here, and I remember the important details. They like the idea. We work out a coding system on how to discern between real and false information.
My rumbling stomach alerts me to how much time has passed at the same time that Lucca straightens and checks his watch. “It’s lunchtime.”
Parker gathers our papers together and stashes them behind a bookcase before we head out, locking the room behind us.
~
After lunch, we stroll down to the lake.
The multiple hues of greens from the trees and grasses mixing with bright dots of reds, pinks, and purples from the wildflowers mesmerize me. Living within the city limits, pops of color typically come from signs or graffiti among the drab grays or browns of most buildings.
The boys remain quiet as we walk since our plan is to survey the area. They promised me there would be no swimming today. Once at the water’s edge, they throw out swimming pointers as Jay highlights different places in the water to watch out for. They show me how to tell where rocks hide, where the water shallows, and what other dangers lurk beneath the surface of the calm lake waters. I absorb all the sights and sounds as we walk in order to remember the way later if needed since I can tell by smell, sound, or sight where I am.
After about two miles around, we stop at a place marked Scenic Area. A small gazebo with a table in the middle rests near the forest edge. A few hammocks hang from the trees in the shade. We saunter over to the hammocks and hop in to take a break. I lie between Lucca and Noah on one hammock while Parker and Jay lounge on the one next to ours. They lie with their heads on the opposite end as ours so we can see them.
I close my eyes for a minute and breathe in the clean air.
Before I know it, an elbow nudges me in the side. “Hey, Sleeping Beauty, you ready to walk back? If we don’t leave soon, we’ll be late for dinner.” Noah’s bright eyes shine down at me as he leans over me to block out the sun.
I realize my arm and leg drape over half of Lucca. His arm pillows my head, which rests between his bicep and shoulder. How did I end up like this?
When I sit up quickly, I nearly turn the hammock over. “I can’t believe I did that. I’m sorry. I thought I would close my eyes for a minute, and the next thing I know, I wake up like this.”
“No worries, you looked so peaceful none of us wanted to disturb you.” Lucca’s dimples deepen. “We just talked about you the entire time.”
I swat his arm, and we tumble to the ground. I end up on top of Lucca, and Noah on top of both of us. I brush myself off, and then Lucca’s back as we reorient ourselves.
“Are you hurt?” Noah asks as he inspects my arms and legs.
“Just my pride. We should head back. They may send out a search party for us.” I point toward the trail, but Jay waits for me to take the lead.
The trip back doesn’t seem to take as long, and we make it in time for dinner.
~
After dinner, we have another hour and a half before the bonfire starts, so we decide to go our own way until then. I trudge my way back toward the cabin to find out how the girls’ first day went and about their teams.
About halfway there, Mindy and Jenny step in front of me.
“You aren’t going to get away with this,” Mindy spits at me.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, and I really don’t care.” I try to step around her.
Mindy moves over to block my path, again. “You’re going to bring those boys down. They could have won without you. Now, they’re pathetic and the laughing stock of the entire camp. Just. Like. You.”
“Those boys will run circles around you and your team while carrying me if they have to. You’re just jealous, and you’re wearing it for everyone to see. Grow up.” I move one more time to get away from her, but this time Jenny plants herself in front of me.
“Listen, bitch. Take it from someone that’s been there. Those boys will use you and then dump you.” Jenny’s smug smile and hands on hips remind me of a two-year-old girl from one of the orphanages. I bite my lip to stop from laughing at her. She can talk all she wants about herself, but the boys seem like better people than that.