The Secrets of Lake Road - Karen Katchur Page 0,100
She needed to talk to someone who wasn’t in her family.
“Jeff kissed me,” Megan said. “A proper kiss.”
Caroline nodded again and wiped underneath her nose.
Megan blabbed about Jeff’s tongue in her mouth. “He tasted kind of funny,” she said. “Like spit.” She shrugged. “I thought he would’ve at least brushed his teeth or used mouthwash if he knew he was going to kiss me, but whatever. What do you think? Don’t you think he should’ve been more prepared? I mean, I made sure my breath was fresh. What?” She gave Caroline the once-over, as though she was seeing her for the first time. “What’s wrong?”
“Can you keep a secret?” Caroline asked, and looked at the bedroom door to make sure it was closed all the way.
“Of course. Tell me,” Megan said.
“Well, to start,” she said. “I got my period.”
Megan nudged her and smiled. “That’s great. Oh my God, are you crying? You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s normal.” She crinkled her nose. “But you know, now you can officially get pregnant.”
Caroline rolled her eyes. “That’s never going to happen.” She wasn’t like her mother. She’d never end up a pregnant teen. “You have to swear not to tell anyone I got it. Promise me.”
“Who would I tell?”
“Promise.”
“Okay, okay, I promise. Is that it?”
“No.” Caroline started from the beginning, telling Megan about the times she had overheard bits and pieces of Billy’s name mentioned by Gram and her mother through the years and especially now after Sara had drowned. She told her how she discovered Billy had drowned when her parents were teenagers. She read about it that day at the Country Store when she had searched the old Lake Reporters.
“I remember. Boring,” Megan said. “What about it?”
Caroline told her how she had put two and two together, that Johnny was named after Billy and that he was really Billy’s son, not Caroline’s father’s.
“Holy shit,” Megan blurted.
“Shhh,” Caroline said. “Keep it down.”
“And you told Johnny?”
“Sort of.”
“Wow, that’s totally messed up.” Megan shook her head. “So, now what are you going to do?”
“I don’t know.”
There was a knock at the door.
Caroline grabbed Megan’s arm. “Promise you won’t say anything. Not until my family figures this out.”
Megan held up her hand. “I get it. You don’t have to worry.”
“Megan,” Mrs. Roberts said. “Jeff’s out front looking for you.”
Megan flung the door open.
Her mother started. “It’s late. I’m not sure you should be going out tonight.”
“Please, Mom. It’s summertime. And Caroline is out. She’ll come with me.” Megan looked over her shoulder at Caroline, pleading with her to say yes.
Mrs. Robert’s crossed her arms. “And what do you plan on doing?”
“I don’t know. We’ll think of something. Isn’t that right, Caroline?”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Mrs. Roberts said.
“Please, Mom. I promise we won’t get into any trouble.”
“Well,” Mrs. Roberts said, “as long as you two stay together.”
“We will,” Megan said, and pulled Caroline with her.
Mrs. Roberts followed them to the door. She touched Caroline’s shoulder. “Everything all right, dear?”
“Yeah,” she said. “Everything’s just super.”
* * *
Caroline dragged her feet a few paces behind Megan and Jeff, not wanting to tag along on their date or whatever it was they were doing. She’d split as soon as they were far enough away from Megan’s cabin and out of sight. She was trying to think of where she could go, since home wasn’t an option. But when they reached the ballpark, the Needlemeyer twins and Adam were waiting for them.
Ted held a flashlight over a sheet of paper that explained the rules and regulations for the big fishing tournament tomorrow.
Megan stepped back from the group and mumbled, “More boy stuff.”
“I’m totally doing this,” Jeff said about the tournament. “First prize is a hundred bucks. Who wouldn’t try for that?”
The boys nodded, an air of excitement surrounded them.
Adam tugged on Caroline’s arm. “Are you fishing tomorrow?” he asked.
“Nah,” she said, having made up her mind while talking with Gram. “Not this year. Besides, I’ll be too busy rooting for you.”
“Well, I know just the spot to catch the biggest trout anyone has ever pulled out of the lake,” he said.
“You do not,” Ted said.
“Yeah, I do.”
“Then show us.”
“I’m not showing you,” Adam said. “You’re the competition.”
“You won’t show us because you’re lying. You don’t have a fishing hole.”
“I do too,” Adam whined.
“Leave him alone,” Caroline said, although the boys ribbing had started lifting her mood. The familiar role of mediator was comforting, a sign something hadn’t changed. She gazed across the open field. Every few seconds the