Unknown (The Secret Life of Cassie Martin #1)(12)
I breathe a sigh of relief, let go of Lucca’s hand, and stumble back to the cabin with Fallon.
CHAPTER SIX
I breathe deep as I stand under the hot water. After only half of a day here, I made an enemy that’s willing to kill me, met three guys with a strange obsession with me, and learned this camp really is for gifted teens. The most drama I’ve ever encountered before this is which classroom to duck into when trying to skip class.
During my shower, I decide to go back to my original plan to check out the Corral and their computers. I may need my escape plan sooner versus later if Mindy insists on making life hard for me. After I finish drying off, I pull my hair into my usual bun and check my face in the mirror. Light red stains my cheeks, and broken blood vessels dot around my left eye. The beginning of a black eye mars my face. Maybe one of the cafeteria attendants will give me a bag of ice.
Fallon sits on her bed, still in her swimsuit, and glances up with concern as I exit the bathroom. I feel bad that she’s losing out on her free time to babysit me.
Forcing a smile, I say, “Thanks for watching out for me, but I’m fine. I’m going to head over to the Corral for some quiet time.”
She frowns and stands. “Do you want me to go with you?”
I wave her offer away. “No, I’ll be fine. Go back to the pool and have fun with Micah.”
She nibbles her lip, obviously conflicted, and I walk out the door before guilt makes her follow me.
I make my way down the quiet lane. Since camp activities begin tomorrow, most people are probably down at the lake or still up at the pool. This allows me to have the alone time not granted yet at camp.
When I reach the Corral, I open the door, look around, and notice the place is empty. Good, I won’t have to deal with anyone or pretend I don’t want to retaliate against Mindy.
Noises in the back remind me people work here, probably preparing dinner. I walk up to the door to the kitchen and knock. A middle-aged woman answers. When she sees my face, concern fills her eyes. “Oh my dear, what happened?” She directs me back out into the dining area to sit down.
“I’m fine. There was a little mishap at the pool,” I respond quietly, not wanting to go into details. “I know there’s a clinic, but I don’t need to see a doctor. I was hoping someone could give me a small bag of ice.”
“Of course. You really should see a doctor, though. You may have a concussion.” Her stern gaze puts a small smile on my face. Not everyone here acts like Mindy.
“I was looked over at the scene.” I omit telling her it was Fallon and Parker checking me over, and based on her short nod, she seems appeased.
Without saying anything else, she strides back into the kitchen area. About a minute later, she returns with a small bag of crushed ice, a few paper towels, and a bottle of water. “Wrap those paper towels around the ice before you put it on your eye. You shouldn’t put the ice directly on your skin because it can cause damage. You should also drink that entire bottle of water. If you need more, come see me.”
She leaves to return to her kitchen duties.
I stay there for a second as I wrap up the baggy and open the water. The water tastes good and refreshing; I hadn’t realized how thirsty I became. I twist the cap back on, put the wrapped baggy of ice on my face, and head over to the kiosk where I can sign in for computer use.
At the kiosk, I have to input my name and a reason for using the computer. I hadn’t considered that. What should I put? Telling people I need an escape plan won’t go over well. I guess it doesn’t hurt to put I’m reviewing the flora and fauna of the area. I plan to reference my run-in with the poison oak if questioned.
The kiosk accepts my request and gives me my sign-in number. At the desktop farthest from the entrance, I set my bag of ice and water bottle off to one side, sit, and input the number. This brings up a home page with the most beautiful picture of the lake at dawn. The lake sparkles with the yellows and oranges of the morning sun.
Before clicking on the Internet app, something touches my shoulder. Already paranoid from the events of the day, I spin around and nearly hit some guy in the face. He reminds me of a stereotypical surfer with wavy, blond hair that falls over his light-blue, almost clear, eyes.
He backups slowly with his hands in the air. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
My shoulders slump as all the air leaves my lungs. My nerves control my actions, and I need to take that control back. “It’s not a big deal. I was more surprised than anything. It’s been one of those days.”
I clamp my lips shut, refusing to explain anymore.
His hands lower as he nods. “I heard about what happened this morning with Mindy, and then with her later at the pool. Are you all right?”
I gape at him. Is there a viewing room somewhere where you can watch and hear the events of the day? Maybe it’s on a continuous loop so anyone can walk by and review the latest news. Or maybe it’s like CNN with a ticker bar scrolling at the bottom of the television screen giving live updates.
“I’ve been through worse.” My dark mood wants to avoid people and talking. This guy may be Mindy’s golem. “Did you need something?”
“I was going to tease you about sitting at my computer, but you don’t seem to be in a joking mood.” At least this guy’s perceptive. “Do you mind if I sit here?” He points to the seat next to me.