Delinquent Camp

Chapter Eighteen

Eighteen

        I wait patiently on the edge of the parking lot, waiting for Ember and Melody to arrive. Maybe it’s the fact that I can’t be in my cabin alone right now, or the constant questions floating through my head, but I stay sitting on the grass, waiting for hours.

            I know Ember’s here when I see the small, broken looking red car speed into view, kicking up gravel all over the place. The driver, who I assume to be Ember’s mother, slams on the breaks almost a second too late.

            There’s brief yelling before I see Ember open the car door and stumble onto solid ground. She almost falls but catches herself, barely having time to slam her door shut before her mother speeds away. She has no bags as she looks around the camp, disoriented.

            “Hey, Ember,” I call, rising to my feet. I raise my hand and wave, my smile slipping slightly as she looks around confused. “I’m over here!”

            She looks at me, but for a moment doesn’t remember who I am. It isn’t until I’m heading towards her that she rubs her eyes with her palm, trying to what I assume to be waking up. But as I stand in front of her and see her eyes, I see that her pupils are dilated.

            “What did you do?” I sigh, brushing her messy hair out of her eyes. “Do you even know where you are?” She shakes her head no and I wrap my arm around her shoulders to help balance her. “Here, I’ll help you.”

            She nods her head but doesn’t speak. I struggle to support her weight as she leans into me, her eyes fluttering closed.

            “Ember, stay with me,” I tell her through clenched teeth, helping her out of the parking lot. It isn’t long before a male figure comes running towards us. I can’t tell who it is as the sunlight blinds me, but squinting, I hope that it’s Rhyson.

            “What’s going on?”

            I walk into the shade as the figure takes the other side of Ember and helps me carry her. Looking over, I see that it’s not Rhyson. Instead, it’s Danny.

            “Can you go get Rhyson?” I ask, instantly looking away from him. “He’ll know what to do.”

            Danny abruptly stops and dumps Ember’s weight onto me. Walking around, he stops in front of me so I can see that he’s glaring at me. Beside me, Ember’s eyes flutter as she fights to stay awake.

            “And what? I don’t?” He snaps, throwing his hands in the space between us. “I’m willing to bet all of my lighters on the fact that I have a better understanding of what to do about her,” he admits, gesturing to Ember.

            Rolling my eyes, I start to carry her past Danny and down the trail towards our cabin.

            “Well aren’t you the big gambler,” I mutter as he pulls Ember’s arm around his shoulders and helps me again. “But I wasn’t saying that you don’t know how to handle this. In fact, I know how to handle this.”