SCARLETT. fear street (1994, 1978, 1666 )

two. love letters

"YOU KNOW, I'M STARTING TO THINK YOU'VE BEEN A BAD INFLUENCE ON ME."

Cardan looked up from the bag he was ruffling through, a small smile making it's way onto his handsome face. "It doesn't count if we never get caught."

Niki looked out the window, trying to spot any counselors who might be walking around. It had been a week since she met him, a week since they dumped a bunch of clothes into the lake, six days since Cardan brought her along to put bugs in Will's shoes, five days since she got food poisoning from the mashed potatoes, four days since she let out the camp rabbits with Ziggy, three days since Cardan brought her to the archery range and taught her how to shoot, two days since they got their first warning from Kurt, and a day since they graffitied the outhouse stalls.

"We did get caught," Niki pointed out, readjusting the strap of her pink dress since it felt a bit uncomfortable. "Kurt warned us two days ago. Remember?"

"Nah, don't mind him. His dad works for my dad. He'll never try something stupid against me."

Niki raised a brow, surprised by the sudden arrogance. "He might not do anything against you, but there's a big chance he might try something against me."

"He won't."

"Why?"

"Because we're a packaged deal."

The girl smiled teasingly, taking a seat on the random Sunnyvaler's bed. "Ziggy and I might be a packaged deal— ever think about that?"

Cardan shrugged, grabbing the cigarettes from the boy's bag. "I don't think about very many things, and I don't think for very long, but when I do think, it invariably tends to be about you. Can't seem to get you out of my head, Aoki."

Niki grinned. "Well, I have that effect on people."

Cardan still didn't know why she wasn't getting his attempts at flirting. It's been a week— yet she notices nothing at all.

"You smoke?" she mumbled, looking at the pack of cigarettes in his hand. Niki never expected to see a Sunnyvaler enjoy smoking— she heard Kurt scolding Joan over the same thing. Seeing Cardan, casually putting it in his pocket, made her rethink it. We're they not as perfect as they were made out to be?

"A lot of Sunnyvalers aren't as perfect as you think," he mumbled, still searching through his bag. "They're just better than hiding it."

"Wow," Niki drawled out sarcastically, "It's really good to know that the oh-so-perfect Sunnyvalers are—"

"Hello?" Three knocks. "Cardan, I know you're in there!"

"Shit," Cardan cursed, throwing the bag back into the bed as he peeked through the blinds. "It's Nick Goode. Go hide in a closet or something."

"But it's smelly."

"Better than you getting caught." The blonde boy mumbled, stashing the cigarettes in his jean pocket. When Niki did nothing but stand, he raised a brow, pointing at the door.

"All right," Niki mumbled, walking up towards the closet and locking herself inside. It wasn't as smelly as she thought it would be, but it was still a teenage boy's closet. The stink was still there— but she tried her best to stay quiet.