The Kids Aren't Alright

Chapter 66: Ronan

"Ronan, where the hell is Finn?"

There's a forkful of mediocre baked beans halfway to my mouth when I look up and see Becca hovering over me, her eyes scrunched with worry and her lips drawn together in a thin line. For a second, I'm thinking oh shit, she's breaking up with him, until I realize that she looks more distressed than angry, and also that I haven't seen Finn at dinner yet, which is definitely weird considering I've never known him to miss a meal.

Becca shoves me hard in the shoulder. It's not a violent gesture, but a desperate one. "You have a mouth, don't you? Why don't you use it to tell me where your roommate is?"

"How would I know where Finn is? It's not like I've got him chipped." This definitely isn't the answer Becca was looking for, because her eyes get even more squinty and she's looking at my fork like she wants to use it to stab me in the throat. Murderous Becca is definitely not one of my favorite Beccas, so I add, "I'm sorry, I've got no idea. I'm not his keeper."

"Someone has to be."

I shrug and lift the fork further towards my mouth. Becca slaps it away, sending baked beans flying through the air.

A glob of beans smacks Jasper in the forehead. "Hey!" he exclaims. "What was that for?"

Giselle shoots Becca a look that says watch it. "What the big deal, Fisher?" she asks, handing Jasper her napkin to wipe away the goop. "Are you and Finn breaking up or something? Please say no. You have so many anger issues already."

Ignoring her remark, Becca grabs my wrist and drags me away from the table, hissing, "This is not a time to be witty or funny or whatever you think you are, Ronan Lockwood. Finn— your roommate— is in danger, and we need to find him."

"And you know this how?"

"I know this because I know things." Becca tugs more firmly on my wrist, propelling us towards the side exit that leads to Beckarof Cabin. I can't see why Finn would be at the cabin, but I don't know where else he would go if he was skipping dinner. "Come on. Owen knows about the Kraken, and if we don't get to Finn before he does, we're going to be in some real deep shit."

"Wait— Owen knows? I thought we all agreed he didn't see Finn summon it—" I stop walking. Becca fixes me with a stare that would be menacing if she didn't look so worried and tightens her grip on my arm. "Uh, Becca? There's something you should know. Earlier today, Finn told me that Owen asked him to meet him by the lake at sunset. I told him that he should go so that we could try to get some information on what's going on at camp."

Her mouth widens into a perfect O. I realize that I've never seen Becca Fisher looked scared before, and dread seeps into my chest. "Shit. Did I just send Finn to talk with the most dangerous person at camp, alone?"

Becca drops my arm. "We have to get to the lake. Now!"

I move to open the door, but before I can even get a toe into the outside world, a wall of blue rushes forward to stop me.

"And where exactly do you two think you're going?" demands Karen, glowering down at us menacingly. "If you think it's okay to sneak off during dinner, think again."

"But I've already eaten my protein," I say.

She narrows her steely-blue eyes at me. "That's a mark for sass, Lockwood. And another mark if you try to step out this door again. Fisher, that goes for you too. Now, I want both of you to head back to your tables, or I'll have you scrubbing dirty dishes tonight."

Becca opens her mouth like she's about to protest, but I grab her by the shirt-sleeve and yank her away from the counselor. "Good choice," Karen says, before pivoting around to bark orders at a poor camper trying to steal seconds from the pathetic, melting excuse of a sundae bar. I wonder if she knows her secret boyfriend is actually a psychotic kidnapper.