“Okay.” I unwrap my breakfast sandwich and take a bite to give myself a reason to avoid admitting the truth about his observations.
Having bounced around most of my life, most people ignore me, but Simon notices aspects of me others miss. I pace myself in class, so I appear to read at the same speed as everyone else. I purposely miss questions on exams to blend in with my classmates’ grades. Speed-reading and memory skills barely touch what I’m capable of doing. I can mimic people’s voices and play a musical instrument by ear. I know multiple foreign languages.
Regardless of whether this place has people like me, I still don’t want to go.
Even after I finish eating, the drive remains quiet as I contemplate my future. My eyes blur as I watch the city give way to the monotony of empty highway, grays mixing with staccato lines of white. The sun peeks over the edge of the world, casting a golden glow over the fields. As we continue, I wonder about our destination as the fields turn to hills and then slowly into mountains.
My hands shake from sudden stress, and a light pounding hits my temples. I always know where I am and how to escape if needed. Now, I won’t know where to turn if I want to get out.
I force my voice to remain calm as I glance at Simon from the corner of my eye. “Are we going out of state? Is that why we had to leave so early?”
“We’re not leaving Ohio, but the camp’s not far from the Pennsylvania border. It’s located near a lake.” He sounds reassuring, but I’m leery.
Several lessons in geography and geology give me a baseline about mountains, but if I’d known our destination ahead of time, my reading would have included the local flora and fauna. If this place is designed for smart kids, internet access should be available. My research begins when we arrive.
As I make plans for my time at Camp Odysseus, I wonder why they built a camp for geniuses in the middle of nowhere. Don’t smart kids go to big schools like Harvard? Wouldn’t those places have programs for future enrollees?
While lost in my musings, Simon exits the highway. I focus on his turns. Remembering the way won’t be an issue, but I want to catch anything important that may help me in the future. As we drive, nothing of significance stands out. A small bait shop and convenience store connect via a long gravel drive. Cabins, mobile homes, and tiny houses nestle into the side of the mountain. No cars pass us, and few people linger outside.
Simon turns off the two-lane road and onto a gravel drive, hugged on each side by trees and wildflowers. Had Simon not turned, I’d have missed the driveway. We aren’t on this stretch long before it opens up into a large gravel parking lot. At the end of the space, a large two-story, white building that looks like an old church with its steeple and bell tower in the front sits. Off to the left side, several tables are set up with people sitting behind each. To the right, another gravel lane curves along the side of the mountain.
By this time, the clock clicks over to nine o’clock. Parents mill around with their kids, and everyone seems either happy or resigned to be here. A few younger kids run through the crowd, but most students appear to be my age or older with an equal mix of boys and girls.
Simon pulls into one of the open spots, gets out of the car, and grabs my bag for me. As I climb out the clean scent of the country hits me. It reminds me of when my class went on a two-day field trip at one of the state’s nature reserves. Like then, I miss the sounds of cars and the smells of the city.
With no signs or people giving direction, we walk over to an empty registration table to find out what to do next.
CHAPTER TWO
As the man on the other side of the table greets Simon and me, my attention gravitates to my new surroundings. Down the lane to my right, small, two-story apartment buildings line the way, reminding me of the nun housing near one of my old group homes. The back of the buildings faces the side of the mountain, and, as far as I can tell, no cameras point to the building entrances. Staying there would be perfect. I could sneak out without anyone noticing.
Simon pulls me out of my appraisal with a slight nudge. I raise my eyebrows as I turn to him. Both men wait expectantly, which means I missed a question. Simon smiles down at me and saves me from embarrassment. “Mr. Pratt asked if you’ve ever been to camp before.”
The middle-aged man’s face remains blank as I answer, “I’ve lived in and out of foster homes and orphanages my entire life. This is my first time to camp.”
In the next instant, I want to kick myself. What made me give him so much information? The more people know about me; the more they can use against me.
Mr. Pratt’s eyebrows bunch while he considers my statement. His deep, blue eyes never stray from mine as if he tries to read my thoughts. “There’s been a slight mix up, I’m afraid. We have you listed as a boy, which would put you in one of the boys’ cabins.”
“Clearly, I’m a girl,” I grump. “I don’t want to be in a cabin with boys.”
“Oh, my dear, we don’t mix boys and girls in the same cabin. Had you been paying attention, you would have noticed I handed your father the rules, schedules, and class choices.” Mr. Pratt points to the packet in Simon’s hand.
“I’m not your dear, and he’s not my father,” I respond back before turning to Simon, stretching my hand out. “Please hand me the packets so I can read them.”
Simon passes me the packet, but I hold off on reading it until we finish checking in.
He turns back to Mr. Pratt. “When will you know her cabin assignment, so I can get her settled in? I’m not comfortable leaving her here without knowing she’ll be taken care of.”
I was worried I might have hurt Simon with my declaration of him not being my father, but, to my relief, he seems more worried about my current situation.
“Give me a few minutes while I speak with Ms. Whitney, the head of our female students. It shouldn’t take us long to sort this out since I don’t believe we’re at max capacity with this summer.” Mr. Pratt gets up and walks over to a pretty, young blond speaking with some parents.
As he walks away, I question whether this camp is a fit for me. I mean, how hard can it be to assign a cabin correctly? I understand if my name was unisex, like Jessy or Taylor, but not Cassandra.
Again, Simon pulls me out of my reverie. “I’m sure there’s a simple explanation for this, and it will be resolved quickly. These are supposed to be extremely intelligent people, so how hard can it be?” His smirk clues me in that he knows what I was thinking.