Roll to Me

Chapter 5

"I'm not staying here."

"Ditto what she said, for once."

"I see the Cooperation Cabin is already affecting you."

Akemi took one big, intentional step away from Moriko, backing away from the cabin and the very displeased camp counselor who had led them here.

This wasn't fair. She shouldn't be forced to move out of Camellia Cabin and into this prison just because of a food fight. Weren't food fights just something that happened at camp sometimes? And honestly, she hadn't meant to hit Moriko. She had been innocently aiming a spoonful of mashed potatoes at Sakura, and Moriko's face had gotten in the way when she accidentally let the spoonful fly. It had been mostly not of purpose. Her fingers had slipped, and the tension she had been placing on the spoon had done the rest of the work.

Plus, it was more Moriko's fault than anyone else's that the entire cafeteria had devolved into a massive juice-dumping, pie-slinging, pea-launching battlefield. Moriko was the one who had poured her ice water over Akemi's head, after all. Which, honestly, seemed aggressive for her, but Akemi guessed getting a faceful of mashed potatoes had broken her.

"Tomioka, don't start with me," the counselor said. Nakime was somewhat terrifying, moreso than most of the counselors at camp. Maybe it was because she gave off ghost lady vibes.

Beside Nakime, Moriko stood like a marble statue but silent anger blazed in her eyes, rising every time she glanced in Akemi's direction. Akemi did her best to ignore her.

Nakime pushed open the door and gestured for both girls to go inside. When they didn't move, she stared at them until they were unnerved enough to zip into the cabin.

It was dark and dingy without a single decoration. No flowers painted on the ceiling or pictures of happy former campers or drawings and paintings from the art shed. Spiderwebs hung from the rafters. Akemi pulled her duffle bag up farther onto her shoulder, resting it against her backpack.

Moriko tensed. "It's a wooden crypt. This is unacceptable."

"As was your behavior," Nakime said. She closed the door. "Pick a bed."

"Nah, no, thank you," Akemi said, not lowering her duffle bag or her backpack. Bad things happened to people who slept in cabins like this. She had watched enough horror movies with Shinya and Hayato to know a thing or two about avoiding lonely cabins in the woods.

Nakime walked past them. Dust swirled behind her. "You'll stay here until you learn to get along. For the next two days, you'll lose recreation privileges and your meals will be delivered to this cabin. After that time, your case will be reviewed and you may earn privileges back as a pair."

As a pair sounded awful. Did that mean she was going to have to do things with Moriko? Who hated her?

"Didn't our parents pay for an actual camp experience?" Moriko asked, rigid.

Akemi nodded. "Yeah, my dad paid for camp. Not forced friendship bracelet-making jail time."

"We're allowed to dole out consequences for poor behavior," Nakime said. She picked up a broom and a mop from where they had been leaning against a wall. A spiderweb clung to the broom, and she swiped it away. "That was in the camp agreement you and your parents signed."

Moriko lifted her chin. "My mother wouldn't agree to this."

Nakime paused in the middle of the room, her dark horror hair sweeping across her face. "I'm certain the camp director will be happy to contact her about the incident in the cafeteria if you would rather endure that conversation over this arrangement."