Born at Midnight (Shadow Falls #1)(10)

But what else could it be about?

And why? Why of al the freaks in the room had she been singled out? Was it because she didn't twitch her eyebrows? Oh, she could twitch her brows as good as the next person. And darn if she wouldn't be practicing that as soon as she got alone. Problem was, she just didn't understand the whole twitching thing. Was it the Shadow Fal s Camp version of a secret handshake?

"Come on. Let's get things moving," the singsong voice said again. "Returnees, outside. Newbies, hang right here."

Kylie experienced the tiniest bit of relief when the crowd stopped staring and started shuffling around, reaching for purses and backpacks. Or at least most of them stopped staring. Kylie looked over to the right and saw the black-haired boy with bright blue eyes standing there, his gaze locked on her. Lucas Parker. She recal ed his name, even though it had been a long time since she'd seen him. I'm glad they left, she recal ed her dad saying. Take my word on it, that kid is going to grow up to be a serial killer. Kylie felt a fist wrap around her heart and squeeze. Was she real y at a camp with a possible serial kil er?

Could it real y be him? Of course, she could be wrong. It had been, gosh, over ten years. Chil s tiptoed up her spine, and then he turned and moved into the flow of other returnees out the door.

Kylie saw Miranda take a few steps. She stopped in front of Kylie and said, "Good luck." Kylie couldn't tel if the girl was being a smartass or serious, so she just nodded.

The blond boy stepped behind Miranda and grinned at Kylie. "Wouldn't want to be you," he said as if joking, then he fol owed Miranda out. Knees locked so she wouldn't crumble, Kylie came to her senses long enough to realize that at least half the crowd had gone. And of her bus buddies, the only ones remaining were Pale Girl, Goth Girl, Derek, and the guy with al the piercings.

"Okay," Holiday said. "Now, what I want is for al of you who know why you're here, to move to the far left. Al of you who don't, move to the far right."

Kylie remembered her feeling that this was about more than her trip to the police station and started to move to the right, but she noticed everyone shifting to the left. Not wanting to be singled out any more than she already had been, she went to stand beside Derek. He shot her a look of disbelief. Deciding to practice the whole eyebrow thing, she crinkled her forehead. When she looked over, only four people stood on the right side of the room. One of them was the pierced boy from her bus. Holiday looked at both groups and Sky walked in and stood beside the redheaded leader. "Okay, righties, come with me. Sky is going to talk to everyone else." Holiday started out, then stopped and glanced back over her shoulder. Her gaze slapped right into Kylie. "Come with us, Kylie."

Shocked the women knew her name, she shook her head. "I know why I'm here," she lied.

"Real y?" asked Holiday.

Deciding to take a stab at it, she said, "I got caught at a party where drugs were found."

A few snickers fil ed Kylie's ears.

Holiday frowned at the snickerers and motioned Kylie forward.

"Is it because my parents are getting a divorce?" she asked, feeling desperate.

Holiday didn't say anything, but then she didn't have to. The look she shot Kylie reminded her of her mom's don't-go-there stare. And the one time Kylie had gone there, she'd been grounded for a month. So Kylie fol owed Holiday and the four others out of the dining hal . When they walked past the crowd standing outside, Kylie felt al the eyes turn toward her. Miranda nodded and mouthed the words "good luck."

For some reason, Kylie suspected the girl's intentions were genuine.

Then Kylie spotted Lucas Parker standing beside the goth girl who'd raised her hand and asked about Kylie in the big meeting. They had their heads together, whispering, and they both stared at Kylie as if she didn't belong there. And damn if Kylie didn't agree with them. That's when Kylie realized that Lucas was dressed goth, too. Or at least he wore a black T-shirt. Of course, he looked real y good in that shirt. It fit his upper torso-

his very lean yet muscular upper torso-like a glove. So unfair, how guys didn't have to fol ow any fashion guidelines to look good. Realizing she was staring at the guy's abs, and that the goth chick was smirking at her, Kylie turned away and pretended she hadn't noticed the girl's rude expression. Now if she could just pretend none of this was happening. Right then the pierced guy fel into step beside Kylie. She glanced at him and tried to smile. They might be strangers, but at least they'd ridden the same bus and he seemed just as clueless as she was. He leaned in. "You wouldn't have brought any drugs with you, would you?"

Kylie's jaw dropped open in shock and mortification. Just shoot me now. Friggin' great. Thanks to her little slip in the dining room, everyone now considered her a druggie.

* * *

Holiday, her red hair flowing down her back, led them into a smal er cabin with a tin roof, located right behind the dining hal . From the woodenplank porch hung a sign that read CAMP OFFICE. Kylie and the other four fol owed her to a back room that looked like a classroom.

"Have a seat, guys." Holiday leaned against the desk in the front as she waited for everyone to settle in. Kylie felt the woman's gaze on her every few seconds as if she thought Kylie might try to bolt. Much to Holiday's credit, the idea had crossed Kylie's mind more than once. Hence the reason she chose the desk closest to the door.