Summer Bites(BOOK 3-Bites series)

Chapter 8

"Lexi wasn't too happy about the Beetle Juice." I smiled, scooting on to the bench at the deserted wooded table.

"Even I could predict that would happen." West rolled her eyes. After lunch West and I went down to the river, where our challenge for Thursday would be. It was a canoe race. It was also where out next prank would go down. Each person was assigned a boat at the beginning of camp. Lexi's was the fifth one down the row. She had bedazzled her name onto the front of the canoe and tied pink ribbons to her paddle. West and I headed over to the bedazzled boat and set up our next prank.

"You go the knife?' West asked, getting into the boat and holding out her hand.

"Yeah." I carefully placed the handle of a metal knife that we stole from the kitchen into her hand. She tightened her grip and walked towards the middle of the boat. West kneeled down and pointed the knife toward the bottom of the boat. She then began to twist the knife around and made a small dent in the boat. West kept the friction going and spun the knife between her fingers until she broke through the bottom of the boat into the solid ground underneath.

"Do you think it's big enough?" I asked leaning over the tall grass, into the boat.

"Yeah, water's going to get into this in no time." West grinned and stepped out of the boat.

"You never really explained to me why you can't go in the water." I mentioned as the boat rocked back and forth on the dock.

West looked down and spoke in short breaths, like she did with the bag of red stuff in her room, "What do you mean?"

"Before the swim race you said you would tell me why you wouldn't swim later, but you never did." I said.

"No, I told you that I had twisted my ankle and couldn't swim." She pushed past me and walked down the beaten dirt path.

I gritted my teeth and stepped in front of her. "Why do you always do this when I ask you about things?" I shook her.

"Do what?" West muttered, pushing my hands off her shoulders.

"Shut down! You pretend like nothing ever happened! Why? What are you hiding from me?" I demanded.

"Melody, I cannot tell you." West's eyes hardened.

"Why do you always treat me like a child?" I rolled my eyes, "We're friends, you can tell me anything!"

"No. I. Can't." West growled and pushed past me. I watched her walk down the dirt path toward camp. I followed her to the cabin where she collapsed down on our bunk.

"Why do you freak out like that?" I asked, sitting down on the bed next to her.

"I can't tell you." West looked up at me with tears in her eyes.

"Why?" I pleaded. West covered her face with her hands.

"Stop asking me. I can't tell you." West took a breath between each word. She lifted her head as the cabin door opened.

"It's time for the campfire." Lexi snapped.

"Get out of here Lexi." West growled.

"Don't tell me what to do." Lexi placed her hands on her hips. West stood up. Her fists were clenched at her sides and she was biting her lip to gain control of her anger. Lexi noticed the danger and started backing up, "Okay then, do whatever you want." She bolted outside and slammed the door.

"Do you want to go to the campfire?" I spoke to West softly.

"No you go ahead. I want to be alone." West sat back down on the bed and placed her head in her hands.

"Okay." I sighed and got up from the bunk. I put my silky black hair up in a ponytail and headed out of the cabin toward the big fire pit in the middle of the camp. My group was the only ones who had already taken their seats around the large circle of rocks. Everyone was spread out so I sat on the side closest to out cabin.

Then other groups began to file in. Andrew walked towards the circle with Lexi hanging onto him like a lost puppy. He sighed and took the seat in front of me. Chris and Cody followed Andrew. They both took a seat of either side of me, closing me into their brainless conversation about football. I shivered as Chris placed his arm around my shoulders.

I glared at him but he was too busy talking to Cody to notice, "Where's that West chick?" he asked his friend.

"I don't know, she was really hot though, maybe if she wasn't such a freak, I would give her the honor of dating me."

"Hey, don't talk about my friend like that." I pushed Chris' hand off my shoulders.

"Well then." Chris laughed and placed his hand by his side. I smile sarcastically and crossed my arms over my chest. Chris rolled his eyes and continued his conversation with Cody. I tried my best to ignore them and think of what was really bothering me, West.

Why was she hiding things from me? What was so important about water and red stuff that she couldn't even tell her friend? Why couldn't she explain her fear of swimming? Why did she deny having the bag of red liquid?

I clenched my fists in frustration and though up my own answers. She didn't trust me, that's why she was hiding things from me. That was the only thing I could think of as an answer and it pretty much worked with every question.

After the camp fire was done, I headed over to the cabin. West was already asleep in the top bunk and if I had learned anything from being her friend, it was never to wake her up from a deep sleep. I sighed and got into the bunk underneath hers. I would have to confront her tomorrow.