Delinquent Camp

Chapter Twenty-Three

            Twenty-Three

        Ember’s dead.

            Okay- well maybe she isn’t actually dead per say, even though I’ve been wishing it upon her. But dead as in that she’s in so much shit with Michelle, she might just as well be.

            After I threw myself at her, I didn’t get much chance to actually kick the crap out of her like I desperately wanted to. Rhyson came in and pulled me off of her. It turns out he had been waiting outside for me and when he heard me scream, he knew something was up. That, and when he saw all the blood pouring out of Ember’s mouth where I hit her, he kind of clued in.

            “Where are you going?”

            I blink a few times, trying to remember what I was doing. Looking around, I realize that I’ve been walking along the trails through the camp mindlessly most of the day.

            “Just thinking,” I shrug, giving Rhyson a small smile. He looks at me, his eyes worried but he doesn’t say anything.

            The truth is that even though I have been walking around, trapped in my thoughts all day, I’m also killing time. I’m supposed to meet with Danny. I know he was meeting with Michelle, but I still haven’t seen him and I know Ember’s trapped in her office.

            “I’m really sorry about what happened with Ember.” Rhyson tries to meet my gaze but I turn my eyes away. He rubs the back of his neck, pretending I didn’t do anything. “I don’t want to make excuses for her but just know that she really was your friend, before she started getting back on the drugs.”

            “I guess,” I reply half-heartedly. I’ve been trying to put together the puzzle pieces all day, and still I’m unsure of what he bigger picture is. “I just think that she’s been working on that painting all summer, and she wasn’t on drugs before.”

            Rhyson’s quiet for a few minutes. “You’re right,” he finally sighs. “I just can’t stop being in denial about it. I just want Ember to get better and when she does the opposite, I pretend it doesn’t happen.”

            This time I don’t respond. Together we walk around the camp, both of us silent. Rhyson shoves his hands into his pockets when we reach the beach. We now have a clear view of the sky, and when I see it, my mouth falls open.

            “It’s grey.”

            “Do you think it will rain?” Rhyson asks hopefully. “We have to break this heat wave at some point.”

            “There’s only one way to find out,” I smirk, heading for the dock. Rhyson’s on my heels behind me and I can feel his eyes sinking into the back of my head.

            “And what’s that?”