A Silver Summer

Chapter 20

Chapter twenty

"As tempting as that sounds, I don't think Gelsey would appreciate that." Anika tried to diverge the other three girls' thoughts on killing Victoria and their twisted plans. 

"Either way, she's not walking away unharmed." Mel vowed. 

"If I see the bitch, I'm taking her out." Keira said with a straight face. 

"Just, don't do too much damage." Anika sighed in defeat. 

"No promises." Ivy glared at the floor. The pink haired girl felt the worst and slightly responsible for what Victoria did. If she hadn't befriended Anika, than maybe Victoria wouldn't be so dead set on ruining her. Ivy decided that Vicky not talking to her and giving her looks was way worse than having to deal with her snide comments. At least she was still telling Ivy all of her plans then. 

"Let's just get to breakfast." Anika made a move to stand from her chair. 

"Skinner left a while ago to grab us food." Mel explained the absence of the dirty blond haired boy.

"Speak of the devil..." Keira mumbled as she spotted Skinner walking down the path through the screen door. 

"Um, why was Ryleigh walking down the path? Did he do something?" Skinner protectively met every pair of eyes. 

"He didn't...." Anika shifted in her seat. 

"But he was here?" Skinner guessed with a confused raised brow. 

"Yeah." Keira drew out the word. The girls traded cautious and weary glances. Mel and Keira knew how overprotective he could be. 

"So what did he want?" Skinner picked up on the slight tension between them. 

"He, uh, didn't want anything." Ivy nervously picked at her nails. The girls knew he wouldn't believe Ryleigh's truce proposal. 

Skinner's face darkened as he acknowledged they were keeping something from him. Something that had to do with the jerk that he passed on his way to deliver food. His calm exterior settled uneasily in Skinner's stomach and had him quickening his steps to Anika, Mel and Keira's cabin. 

With a frown to the floor, Skinner plopped the two full breakfast trays on Mel's bed, which happened to be closest before he turned around and headed for the door. 

"Skinner, wait!" Anika shot out of her seat, forgetting all about her pain until it shocked her system when she took a step. A hiss slid between her lips when she dropped to the floor. Immediately, the other three girls flew to her side and Skinner turned around in alarm at the bang. 

"Are you okay?" Ivy brushed a few raven strands of hair out of Anika's face. Anika looked at the pink haired girl and tried to swallow the growing knot in her throat. 

"I think I'm going to be sick." she whispered. 

Ivy's eyes widened and snapped up to meet Mel's caramel ones. Both girls snatched each of Anika's shoulders by linking their arms under her armpits. They pulled her by a stunned and utterly worried Skinner and out the door. By the time they made it behind the closest tree, Anika emptied her stomach juices over the roots. 

"What's going on? Is she alright?" Skinner demanded Keira to answer him as he watched Mel and Ivy rub Anika's back. 

"She had a run in with Victoria." Keira said. 

"Did she give her those?" Skinner shouted. With the other two girls dragging her out of the cabin and now rubbing her back, Anika's tank top had risen a little. The darkening, angry bruises peeked out from under the damp material.