Summer Lake

by Jennifer Liss

  JENNIFER LISS JENNIFER LISS Art Seen

  Avalanche

  Baby Mama

  Blurred Reality Cloud Warrior Instafamous

  Lost in Time

  Summer Lake The Throwaways

  Copyright ©2018 by Saddleback Educational Publishing

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, scanning, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher. SADDLEBACK EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHING and any associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Saddleback Educational Publishing.

  ISBN-13: 978-1-68021-480-2 ISBN-10: 1-68021-480-2 eBook: 978-1-63078-834-6

  Printed in Guangzhou, China 22 21 20 19 18 1 2 3 4 5

  The Big Idea

  Hey, Rayna,” Cora said. “Can you hand me the popcorn?” Cora was on her bed reading. Rayna was sitting on the floor. She was staring at her phone. A few seconds of silence went by.

  “Rayna! Popcorn?” “What? Oh, sorry. Here you go.” She handed the bowl to Cora.

  “Don’t you have homework?”

  “Yeah,” Rayna said. “I’m just reading a story on Twitter. Listen to this. Some guys were hiking. They found an old trunk. There were gold coins inside.”

  “Like buried treasure? That’s so cool,” Cora said. “Where were they hiking?”

  “Near a dried-up river.”

  “Did the coins belong to pirates?” Cora laughed.

  “Not quite,” Rayna said. “It just says the trunk is about 100 years old. If the river had water, it wouldn’t have been found.”

  “The drought is good for something, I guess.”

  The girls lived in the foothills. There were miles of land around them. There used to be so much green. Now everything was brown and dry. There had been many wildfires.

  This was the third year of a drought. There was little water. The town had set limits on using it. That meant taking short showers. People couldn’t water their lawns or fill their pools.

  “Do you think there’s more treasure?” Cora asked. “There are so many dried-up places. Like—”

  Before she could finish, Rayna had jumped up. The girls were looking at each other.

  “Summer Lake!” they called out.

  “Let’s talk to Lucas,” Cora said. “He may know about this.”

  Lucas was Cora’s older brother. Camping was his hobby. Every chance he got, he’d head for the lake. It made him feel close to their dad. He’d died a few years ago.

  He taught Lucas all the basics. What gear to pack. How to set up a tent and make a fire. Mostly how to be safe in nature.

  Now Lucas was the one to take his sister camping. He’d taught her all the same things. On these trips, they’d fish and hike. Cora really loved to hike.

  One time Rayna went with them. At first she hated to be away from her phone. But she started to love being outdoors. It was good exercise. And the photos were great for social media.

  After that trip, the girls set a goal. They would hike the Pacific Crest Trail. Not the whole thing. Just a portion. The entire PCT stretched from Mexico to Canada.

  They planned to go after graduating high school. That was still three years away. But hiking to the lake would be good practice.

  Rayna was reading again. “Part of Summer Lake is dried up,” she said.

  “Which part?” Cora asked.

  “The eastern region, it says here. I’ll pull up a map of the area.”

  “Here,” Cora said. She pulled a box out from under her bed. Inside were a stack of paper maps.

  “Not those maps. I mean a map app.”

  “Too late.” Cora had a map spread out on the bed. Rayna rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe we’re friends.”

  “What do you think we’ll use on a hike?” Cora said. “An app won’t help us if we can’t get a signal.” She pointed to a spot on the map. “There it is. Summer Lake. Doesn’t it look amazing?”

  “Oh sure,” Rayna said. “If you think the world is flat.”

  “Whatever. Let’s go see if Lucas is home.”

  Good to Go

  Cora and Rayna were on their way down the hall. The front door opened. Cora’s mom stepped inside. There were two bags of groceries in her arms.

  “Perfect timing,” she said. “Can you help me, Cora? There are two pizzas in the car.”

  “Sure. Be right back.”

  “Hi, Rayna,” Mrs. Evans said. “Can you stay for

  dinner? We have plenty of food.” She put the bags down. “I just need to get plates.” Cora came in carrying the pizzas. Lucas was behind her. He’d been out jogging. They all sat down at the table.

  “It was a long day,” Mrs. Evans said.

  “Here it comes,” Lucas said.

  Mrs. Evans was an ER nurse. Most of her stories had gory details.

  “One man had pieces of glass in his eyes. Another man had a knife stuck—”

  “Mom!” Cora said. “Stop! We’re eating.”

  “I have some good news,” Lucas said. “You know the wildlife center? I might get a summer job there. They need a lab assistant. My science teacher put in a good word for me.”

  “That’s perfect for you,” Mrs. Evans said.

  “Right? Last year they rescued a condor. Not many people get to see one up close.”

  Lucas was starting college in the fall. Ever since middle school, he planned to major in science. After high school, he wanted to work with wild animals.

  “Does anyone else have news?” Mrs. Evans asked. “Cora? Rayna?”

  The girls looked at each other and smiled.

  “Uh-oh,” Lucas said. “This could mean trouble. What are you guys up to?”

  Cora told them the whole story. How gold coins were found in a dried-up riverbed. “We want to search the area around Summer Lake,” she said. “Can you take us, Lucas? Please?”

  “Those trails aren’t exactly easy,” Mrs. Evans said. “And what about wildfires?”

  “We’d be with Lucas,” Cora said. “He would keep us safe. And it will be good training for the PCT.”

  “How do you know he’ll take you? Not only that, your trip is a long way off. You won’t be 18 for another three years. Isn’t it early to start training?”

  “Actually, no,” Lucas said. “They’re serious about the PCT. So they should hike as much as they can. It will help them get ready. I’ll take them over spring break. If it’s okay with Rayna’s parents.”

  Cora jumped up. “Yes! That’s in two weeks! Come on, Rayna. Let’s start planning.”

  “Hold on,” Lucas said. “I want to warn you. You probably won’t find treasure. And even if there were some? That Twitter story was seen by a lot of people. They could have the same idea.”

  The girls were halfway down the hall.

  “Do you think he’s right?” Rayna asked. “We won’t find any treasure?”

  “He’s just trying to spoil the fun. As usual.”

  It’s a Plan!

  Cora loved to make plans. It didn’t matter what she was doing. A school day was as important as a vacation. There were always a few handwritten lists. Not being prepared could ruin everything.

  The hiking trip was no different. There were so many details to work out. What gear did they have? What was still needed? What supplies would they take?

  Lucas was a big help. He knew everything about camping. Like how much water to take. As warm and dry as it was, they would need a lot. It would make their packs heavy. That meant taking less of something else.

  Food was tricky, he’d said. During a normal year, they could cook over a fire. But with the drought, that was too risky. Wildfires were a real danger.

  Summer
Lake They would have to take prepackaged foods. Things like meal bars were perfect, Cora decided.

  She also did research. The best trails to take. The best spots to camp. The dos and don’ts of hiking.

  Planning was important. But it also helped the time go by. Cora couldn’t wait for the trip. Now if only school would end.

  The two weeks seemed to drag. Today was the worst. It was Friday, and social studies was so boring.

  Mr. Cortez was talking about the United Nations. But Cora hadn’t been listening. Her mind was on the supply list.

  Sleeping bags. Check.

  Tents. Check.

  Sun hats. Check.

  Shovel. Ch—

  “Cora?” Mr. Cortez said. “Are you listening?”

  “What?” Cora said, looking up. Everyone was staring at her. “Sorry. I didn’t hear you.”

  “I’ll repeat the question. What is the purpose of the UN?”

  “To unite nations?”

  Everyone laughed.

  “Quick thinking. Imagine what you’d learn if you paid attention.”

  The bell rang. Cora packed up her things. She hurried out the door. Rayna was waiting outside the building.

  “I made you a to-do list,” Cora said. “Do you mind?” She knew that Rayna wasn’t a big planner. “It won’t take long. It’s mostly research so we know what to expect.”

  If it were up to Rayna, she’d rather be surprised. But she took the list. Doing research wasn’t that bad. At least she’d be online. She was never far from her phone or social media.

  Warning Signs

  Rayna sat on her bed. She’d just posted a selfie. It showed her in sunglasses and holding a backpack. There was a caption. “Glamping trip coming up! #lookinggood.”

  She glanced over at her desk. The to-do list had been sitting there. It wasn’t going away. Fine! She gave in and grabbed it.

  “Things to research. Snake bites. Poison oak. High and low temperatures. Animals in the area.”

  She typed snake in the search box. Then her phone buzzed. It was a text from Cora.

  “Can U go 2 Great Gear? Get meal bars, trail mix, beef jerky. TY!”

  “OK,” Rayna texted. “Will call U when I’m back.” She looked up and saw her mom at the door.

  “I’m going to run some errands. Need anything?”

  Summer Lake

  “Can you take me to Great Gear?”

  “Sure. But let’s go now. Before the bank closes.” Rayna’s mom stopped in front of Great Gear. “Is 20 minutes enough time?” she asked.

  “Should be. Thanks, Mom.” She got out of the car.

  Her mom waved and drove off.

  As Rayna walked to the door, someone started laughing. It was coming from a group of boys.

  There was something about the looks on their faces. It made her nervous. She hurried inside.

  First on the list was meal bars. A clerk handed her a basket. Then he led her to the food aisle. The shelves were filled with packages. Most foods were freeze-dried. Some looked really good. Like Thai peanut noodles. But Cora said to keep it simple.

  Rayna grabbed a box of meal bars. Just then someone laughed. She looked over. It was two of the boys from outside.

  “Going camping?” one of them asked.

  Her first thought was to drop the basket and go. But then the boys left. The checkout counter was just steps away. It would take only a few minutes more. By then, her mom would be back.

  “Find what you need?” a clerk asked.

  “Yes.” Rayna looked around. “But I’m kind of in a hurry.”

  “Sure.” He gave her the total.

  She paid and walked away.

  “Your receipt,” the clerk called.

  In her rush to leave, Rayna hadn’t heard him.

  Haters

  Rayna’s fears were coming true. The boys were outside. They stood side by side, forming a wall. It seemed they were waiting for her. No words were spoken. But their eyes were cold.

  “Excuse me,” she said. “Can I get through, please?” But the boys didn’t move. Where was her mother? “You’re not going anywhere,” one of them said. He

  took a step toward her.

  Rayna looked at him. “What?”

  “We know about you,” he said. Now his arms were

  crossed. The other boys were staring at her.

  “What are you talking about?” Rayna asked. “You, terrorist.”

  “Me?” she said. Her heart was pounding. “That’s

  crazy.”

  “You’re not American,” another boy said.

  “My family is from India. But I’m American. We

  probably go to the same school.”

  Rayna looked around. A few people had stopped to

  watch. “Can someone help me?” she asked.

  No one spoke. A woman holding a child hurried away. “Who wants to help a terrorist?” the boy said. He

  stepped closer to Rayna.

  “Back off,” someone said.

  Rayna stood frozen. Then she felt a hand on her

  shoulder. A woman was standing next to her.

  “It’s okay,” the woman said.

  By now the boys had started shouting. The woman’s

  grip on Rayna tightened. She felt herself being moved

  along. They were going back into Great Gear.

  As the door closed behind them, the shouting faded.

  But the boys looked in through the window. Some shook

  their fists.

  “Those guys are jerks,” the woman said. “You’re

  shaking. Are you okay?”

  “I’m not sure,” Rayna said. “My mom should be

  here by now.” She looked out the window. Her mom had

  pulled up to the curb. “Would you mind—”

  “No problem,” the woman said. “Ready to make a run

  for it?”

  Rayna nodded. The woman took her by the arm. Then

  the two ran from the store. They stopped at the car. “Thank you,” Rayna said. Then she opened the door

  and got in. The door slammed behind her.

  “What’s going on?” her mom asked. “Who was that

  woman?”

  Tears ran down Rayna’s face.

  “Oh, honey. What’s wrong?”

  There was no way to explain this. Her parents would

  not understand. First they would call the police. And

  then Rayna would never be allowed to leave the house

  alone.

  “Please, Mom. Let’s just go.”

  On the way home, her mom kept asking questions. “What’s wrong?”

  “What happened?”

  “Are you okay?”

  All Rayna could do was shake her head. When they

  got to the house, she ran inside. She locked her bedroom

  door behind her.

  After a few minutes, she heard voices outside the

  door. Her parents and grandmother were talking. “What is wrong with her?” Rayna’s dad asked. “I’m not sure,” her mom said.

  Then there was a knock on her door.

  “Are you sick?” her mom asked. “Did something

  happen at the store? Is it school?”

  “Talk to us,” her dad said. “Let us help you.” “Please leave me alone,” Rayna said.

  There was silence. Then she heard her grandmother

  say, “This isn’t helping. Let’s give her some time.”

  What’s the Problem?

  It was 6:00 p.m. Cora checked her phone. Rayna hadn’t called or texted. She was supposed to call after shopping. That was two hours ago. As Cora started a text, her phone buzzed. It was Rayna’s mom calling.

  “Have you heard from Rayna?” she asked.

  “I haven’t. Is everything okay?”

  “I don’t think so. She hasn’t left her room. She won’t

  talk to us. Can you come over? Maybe she’ll tell you what’s wrong.” “I’ll be right there,”
Cora said. Before she left, she called Rayna. There was no answer.

  “Mom,” she called on her way to the front door. “I need to go to Rayna’s. She’s really upset about something.”

  “Okay. Call me if you need anything.”

  It was a short walk to Rayna’s house. She lived just down the block. The door opened before Cora could knock.

  “Thank you for coming,” Rayna’s mom said. “I’m so worried. I’ve never seen my daughter like this.”

  “I’ll talk to her,” Cora said. She went to Rayna’s door and knocked. Then she knocked again. “It’s just me. Can I come in?”

  The door opened. Rayna stood there. Her eyes were red from crying.

  “What’s wrong, Rayna?”

  “Quick. Come in. And close the door.”

  Cora closed the door behind her. The girls sat on the bed.

  “You can’t tell my parents,” Rayna said.

  “I won’t.”

  “There were these boys at the store. They were following me around and laughing. When I went outside, they blocked my way. One of them called me a terrorist.”

  “Why?” Cora asked.

  “How would I know? Maybe because I have dark skin?” Rayna’s voice was rising. “Because they’re stupid?”

  Cora stared at Rayna. Then she started laughing.

  Rayna jumped up. “What? Why are you laughing? What’s so funny?”

  “You’re joking, right?” Cora asked.

  “No! I’m not joking! Do I look like I’m joking?”

  “Okay! Okay!” Cora said. “I think you need to calm down.”

  Rayna began to shake. Her face was red with anger. “Calm down?” Her voice had gotten louder.

  “Yeah. I’m sorry you’re upset. But it’s over. You’ll be okay. Let’s talk about the trip. Did you get the food?”

  “Get out!” Rayna cried. “And take your stupid food with you!”

  “Why? What did I—”

  “Just leave! Now!”

  Cora grabbed the Great Gear bag and left. When she got home, she slammed the door behind her.

  “Hey!” Lucas said. He was sitting on the couch. “I’m trying to read.”

  “You’re studying? Seriously?” Cora said. “You’re almost done with high school.”

  “You’ve heard of finals?”