Keeping Her Secret

by Sarah Nicolas

  Dee waved and pointed to the open spot next to her on the bench. Riya smiled and slid into the seat.

  She scanned the table as everyone started scooping food onto their plates. Most of the girls still sported pajamas and wore their hair unbrushed or pulled into messy ponytails. Courtney was nowhere to be seen. Not that she’d been looking, of course. The way Courtney brushed her off this morning made it clear she had no interest in being friends, despite their shared early-bird status. Maybe that would be easier, Riya thought. It was probably best they spent as little time together as possible.

  “This is Riya,” Dee announced to the girls sitting around her. “Some of you met her last night. She’s a newbie, but she’s cool.”

  Nods and small smiles answered Dee’s declaration.

  Two of the girls were the twins who’d been hanging around with them at the bonfire last night. “I’m Stefanie,” one said before nodding to her sister. “This is Tiffany.”

  Riya nodded, examining them for anything that might help her tell them apart. They were both tall with athletic builds and serious faces. They had the same haircut and wore different colors of the same shirt. They didn’t make it easy. Finally, she spotted it. Tiffany had a tiny rectangular scar in the center of the bridge of her nose. She hoped they didn’t wear makeup.

  “I’m Elise,” a slender blond girl with an adorable overbite chirped. “I’m terrible at all sports, but they let me hang out with them anyway.”

  Riya laughed. “I’m sure you’re okay.”

  “She’s really not.” Dee laughed. “We keep trying, though.”

  Elise shook her head slowly, but smirked.

  Conversation halted when everyone had food on their plates. Riya’s stomach rumbled more than it usually did in the morning. Maybe what they said about fresh mountain air was true. She shoveled a forkful of scrambled eggs into her mouth as the morning announcements began. Being the first day, it seemed there wasn’t much to say. Camp Counselor Becky ran through a list of the day’s available activities. Her ponytail swayed as the woman bobbed with unnatural energy.

  As she chewed on crispy bacon, Riya’s gaze flitted lazily about the room before landing on a familiar blond bun near the younger kids. Courtney knelt at the end of a table, chatting with an earnest-faced redheaded girl sitting with the ten-year-olds. They finished their conversation, but Courtney didn’t make her way to join her cabin. She found her brother’s table and swept from boy to boy, smiling and touching everyone’s shoulder. Most of them followed her movement, like sunflowers to the sun.

  “So, you and Courtney Chastain, huh?” Elise’s voice rang high and clear, carrying over the chatter.

  Riya dropped her fork on her plate. “H-huh?” she stuttered. How did Elise know? How long had Riya been staring at Courtney? Was it that obvious? Did everyone know?

  “We all heard you last night,” Elise clarified with a tone so innocent for someone publicly outing such a complicated relationship.

  Swallowing her food, Riya’s mind raced back over everything that had happened last night. There had been no one in the cafeteria when they talked. She had checked. Her heart pounded in her ears, drowning out the clanking of dishes and chatter.

  Oblivious to her distress, Elise continued. “So when are you going to make the next move? It’s your turn, right?”

  “My turn?” Riya choked out.

  “If you need help, I have some ideas,” Dee added, bizarrely supportive.

  The twins and Elise nodded in agreement. Riya couldn’t figure out what the hell was happening.

  “Dee brought an entire extra bag in preparation for pranking,” Elise said. “I think it’s bigger than her actual bag.”

  The breath whooshed out of Riya’s lungs.

  Right, the prank war. Of course. Riya versus Courtney. Not Riya and Courtney. Not like that.

  Her eyes, acting entirely of their own accord, found Courtney still at Colt’s table. She leaned so far into a guy named David that she might as well have sat in his lap. To say David didn’t complain would be a serious understatement. Finally, Courtney made her way toward their table, hips swaying and attitude oozing from every invisible pore.

  Courtney’s gaze met Riya’s and the blonde cocked an eyebrow. “Got a problem?”

  The girls sitting at the far end of the table giggled. Riya looked at them, her forehead wrinkling. It wasn’t that funny.

  Riya focused on her empty tray. Dee started singing something, but it took a few seconds for Riya to realize what it was. A laugh burst from Riya’s lips as she recognized the tune.

  Dee raised her voice for the most well-known line. “I got ninety-nine problems but a bitch ain’t one.” The twins and Elise joined her for the final five words, Elise substituting “bleep” for the curse word.

  Courtney huffed and plonked down to sit on the bench, snatching a piece of bacon from her friend’s plate.

  Dee bumped her shoulder against Riya’s, who flashed her a small smile.

  “Thank you,” she said, her voice unable to convey the full extent of her gratitude. Since Courtney, she hadn’t made any friends who’d stick their neck out to stand up for her.

  Counselors started herding campers out of the dining hall, so they dropped their plates in the designated spot and filtered out with the crowd. Younger kids skipped and shrieked about what they wanted to do first.

  Riya made a detour on her way out the door. She was scooping a handful of ketchup packets when she spotted the mayonnaise next to them. Courtney hated mayonnaise. She’d once called it “the most disgusting substance ever invented on the entire planet.” Courtney’d always been a fan of hyperbole. Riya filled her pockets with the silvery packets before walking out into the fresh mountain air.

  “Riya,” she heard Becky call behind her. “Courtney. Wait. I need to talk to you two.”

  Riya’s heart pounded against her ribs. What had she done? Was she in trouble? In the seconds it took to walk back to Becky, Riya’s mind was already imagining the worst. She’d be sent home on the first day. Her mother would be “disappointed.”

  “What’s up?” Courtney said with breezy nonchalance. Riya couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to have even half of the girl’s self-assurance.

  Becky fisted her shiny blond ponytail and ran her hand down the length of it. “I noticed y’all weren’t in your beds when I woke everyone up. Where were you?”

  Riya froze. It hadn’t occurred to her that her early mornings would be a problem.

  “Nancy said I could use the art building to dance in down times,” Courtney said.

  Becky pursed her lips and looked at Riya, who was having trouble controlling her breathing. She never got in trouble. She hadn’t seen Becky unsmiling in the entire time she’d been at Pine Ridge, so her serious expression rendered Riya’s tongue inert.

  Courtney cleared her throat. “Riya was practicing volleyball. She has a scholarship, so she has to stay in top shape in order to keep it.”

  Becky nodded, and Riya snuck a glance at Courtney, whose forward-facing gaze didn’t waver.

  When Becky spoke, Riya jerked her attention back to the counselor. “It’s against the rules for y’all to wander about unattended.”

  Riya frowned. Losing her morning practices would be a disaster.

  “I understand that, Becky,” Courtney said.

  Riya’s heart plummeted. She hadn’t realized how much she’d been relying on Courtney to find a way around the rule.

  “But is there any way we could work something out?” Courtney said, her voice firm but respectful. “If Riya loses her scholarship, she’ll have to switch schools.”

  Riya’s jaw dropped open slightly as she turned to look at Courtney again. It reminded her of when they were kids and Courtney, knowing how completely useless Riya was in a confrontation of any kind, would defend Riya from whatever stupid boy was trying to make her cry. But this time, Courtney had no reason to defend Riya. She could’ve just argued her own case and left Riya to
fend for herself.

  “The ability to practice in the morning is really important to both our futures,” Courtney concluded. She’d hate to hear it, but Riya saw a little bit of her mother in Courtney at that moment.

  Becky pulled her lips tight as she considered. “Okay, but you two have to walk with each other, both to and from the practices. No wandering about on your own. And check in with me when you get back to the cabin. Deal?”

  “Thanks for understanding, Becky,” Courtney said with a soft smile. “I appreciate it.”

  When Courtney elbowed Riya, she realized she hadn’t uttered a single word the entire conversation.

  “Thank you, Becky,” Riya said. “Thanks so much.”

  Becky waved off her gratitude, and the two girls headed for the door.

  “Thank you, Courtney,” Riya murmured.

  She stared up at her, but Courtney didn’t return eye contact. Instead, she barreled ahead, racing Riya to the door and disappearing into the early morning sunshine.

  Riya stared after her for a few seconds before walking outside, where she found Trey waiting for her. “Riya!” he called over a gaggle of shorter kids and jogged up to her.

  His amber eyes sparkled like the lake behind him, reflecting the morning sun. “What are you doing first?”

  Riya glanced back at her new friends, and Dee raised an eyebrow at her, accompanied by a knowing smirk.

  “Oh, hiking. Luckily,” she said, motioning at the lake. “It’s perfect weather for it.”

  “Awesome. That’s on my schedule, too.” Trey smiled at her, and it brightened everything around them. “Don’t leave without me, okay?”

  Riya nodded. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

  “Okay,” Trey said, but then didn’t make a move to walk away.

  “Okay,” Riya echoed.

  After a beat of silence, they both laughed. “See you,” Riya said before turning to catch up with Dee.

  The older girls had a long trek to their cabin, almost to the other side of the lake, since the younger cabins were closer to the office. They were closer to the pool and courts, which separated the oldest girl cabins from the oldest boy cabins, so it was a decent trade-off. On the walk back, they teased Riya about Trey.

  “He’s sooo cute,” Elise crooned.

  Riya smiled. “I guess.”

  “Yeah, he’s cute,” Dee chimed in. “But he’s got nothing on Colt.” Her face softened and took on a dreamy quality.

  Stefanie and Tiffany laughed a laugh as identical as their faces.

  “Girl, you’ve been crushing on him since you stopped believing boys had cooties,” Tiffany said.

  “It’s our last year, Dee. It’s now or never,” Stefanie added.

  “You like Colt?” Riya elbowed Dee. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Dee shrugged and, for the first time since Riya’d met her, lowered her eyes shyly. “Everyone has a crush on Colt.”

  “Really?” Riya asked, checking with the other girls, who nodded.

  “Pretty much,” Elise confirmed.

  Riya’d never thought of him that way, not once. “I don’t.”

  Dee glanced across the lake on their left toward the guys’ cabins. “I’m content to crush from afar.”

  Elise rolled her eyes. “Not this again.”

  “What again?” Riya asked.

  Dee wouldn’t meet her eyes, so she looked at Elise for an explanation.

  Elise held up finger quotes. “Guys like Colt don’t like girls like me,” she said, rolling her eyes even bigger than before.

  Though Riya understood what she meant, she scoffed at the idea. Colt wasn’t exactly like “guys like Colt.”

  “I think you’d be surprised,” Riya encouraged. “Besides, what have you got to lose? This is the last summer you’re both going to be here. If he’s not interested, you’ll never have to see him again.”

  Dee fell quiet, and they passed two more cabins before she spoke. “You were friends when you were younger. What do you know about him?”

  Riya grinned and grabbed Dee’s hand, squeezing it. “Everything! What do you want to know?”

  …

  Courtney was washing her hair before bedtime when she heard snatches of conversation over the stall door coming from the sink area. She recognized Riya’s voice. When Delores said Trey’s name, Courtney shifted toward the curtain to hear better.

  “I like him,” Riya said. “He’s cute and funny and nice.”

  Courtney’s gut twisted painfully. Those two were all wrong for each other. They’d realize it sooner or later. Hopefully sooner.

  Delores laughed. “You’ve said that, like, a hundred times. Don’t you have anything further to report?”

  A beat of silence followed. She hoped Riya was shaking her head.

  “Has he kissed you yet?” Delores’s voice was teasing.

  Something popped in the shower, and Courtney realized she’d squeezed her conditioner bottle until the top had snapped open. She froze, listening for a sign that they heard.

  “No,” Riya said. She didn’t sound eager for that to change. “It’s too early, don’t you think?”

  Courtney’s stomach untied itself.

  “The twins are cool,” Riya said.

  Courtney’s ears twitched at the t-word. She leaned as close as she dared to the curtain to catch every word.

  “Yeah,” Delores agreed.

  Courtney’s brow twisted in confusion. She’d been positive Delores didn’t care for her, and the feeling was mutual.

  “They’re incredible players,” Riya said.

  Players? Courtney was still trying to figure out what exactly that meant when Riya spoke again.

  “Is Tiffany always so serious, though?”

  Oh, the other twins. They were great volleyball players. Damn it. Courtney wondered if they’d ever get around to talking about her. Why would they, though? Delores and Courtney had been going to the same camp for three years and had never exchanged more than a couple words. And a couple pranks.

  Courtney shook her head, recognizing her own crazy. Eavesdropping on girls she didn’t give a rat’s ass about. She was supposed to be ignoring Riya, not covertly listening to her inane conversations.

  She squeezed a large glop of conditioner into her palm and began to work it through her strands. A strange, almost sour smell filled the air around her. Courtney froze mid-stroke. She stepped back from the stream of water, sniffing it. Just a slight metallic smell, like usual.

  But when she turned to inspect the shower stall, the scent increased. Slowly, she raised her hands to her face. Conditioner coated her hands in uneven splotches. She inhaled.

  And gagged.

  Mayonnaise.

  Mayonnaise soaking into her hair and her skin. Mayonnaise dripping down her naked body. Mayonnaise sliding down to her butt crack.

  Courtney gagged again.

  “Riya!” she shouted.

  Riya and Dee broke into hysterical laughter. It faded as they retreated to the bunks.

  Courtney’s face flushed hot with anger. Riya Johnson knew exactly how she felt about mayonnaise. She’d used her prior knowledge to concoct one of Courtney’s worst nightmares. That bitch.

  Frantically, Courtney thrust her hands under the running water and rubbed at the foul gelatinous goo coating her hands.

  Every time she moved, she got a fresh waft of disgusting condiment smell. She squeezed out a giant handful of shampoo and washed the oily mess from her hair. She still smelled it, though. It was in her pores and clinging to her hair. She washed her hair twice more and scrubbed her entire body with a loofah until her skin was pink.

  When Courtney was sure she’d gotten rid of all the repulsive gunk, she stood under the water until it ran cold, then shut off the tap. She slipped a hand outside of the curtain to grab the towel she’d hung on the hook. Her fingers struck cold tile. Courtney stuck her head out, searching for her towel. Maybe it had fallen on the floor, or maybe she’d put it on the next stall over.
>
  But her towel was nowhere to be seen. Realization struck like a hammer. This was a double prank.

  “Riya Johnson!” Courtney called.

  Riya and Delores appeared at the end of the shower stalls. A couple of other girls joined behind them seconds later. Courtney’s green-and-blue-striped towel was hooked around Riya’s index finger and tossed over her shoulder.

  “What?” Riya said, voice dripping with false innocence.

  The girls behind her giggled.

  “Give me my towel.” The words were deep and threatening, a growl.

  More faces appeared behind Riya until Courtney was sure every girl in their cabin stood in the bathroom with nothing but a thin sheet of vinyl between them and her naked body. It was too early for Becky to have returned from whatever the counselors did every night in the cafeteria, so the closest counselor was the one keeping watch outside the cabins and wouldn’t hear her if she called for help.

  Riya looked at the towel over her shoulder like she’d just realized it was there. “Oh, this?” She extended her arm.

  Courtney rolled her eyes. “Give it to me.”

  “I say make her come get it,” Delores said.

  A couple of girls standing behind them voiced their agreement, but Riya froze. The smile fell from her face, and her chest rose sharply. Her gaze traced the edge of the shower curtain.

  Courtney’s hand slipped on the vinyl, and she took a step back.

  “No. I have a better idea.” Riya had recovered, but her voice wasn’t as strong as it’d been seconds earlier. “I’ll toss it to you.”

  Courtney raised her eyebrows. If she knew Riya—and she did—there was a “but” coming, or an “if.” A big one.

  A smirk curved one half of Riya’s lips. “After you sing ‘I’m a Little Teapot.’”

  Courtney groaned.

  This was war.

  Chapter Six

  Riya woke early again to a completely silent cabin. She’d lain still for a couple of minutes, listening for the sound of Courtney waking. The past four mornings, she and Courtney had gotten ready alongside each other in utter quiet and walked to their respective practices without trading a single word. Courtney had found a way to ignore or snark at her every other time of the day. When they hung out in a group with Colt, Courtney spoke only to her friends. Despite Colt’s gallant efforts, most of her and Courtney’s communication consisted of trading pranks back and forth and the resulting shouts and promises of revenge.