Shadow Lake Vampire Society - Wendi Wilson Page 0,30
climbing safety by the ropes course, fire lighting and containment by the fire ring, arts and crafts in the lodge, basic wound care at the health center, and CPR and Heimlich Maneuver here in the mess hall.”
A last minute crash course in all things summer camp. Thank God I already knew CPR, first aid, and the Heimlich. I didn’t think I’d be able to learn those with any skill at all in a quick round-robin rotation. The others had worked here before, so they probably already knew everything, too.
“Sarah, Analise, and Ian, you’re group one. Here’s your schedule,” Dean Purty said, handing Sarah a slip of paper. “Micah, Lars, Miranda, and Naveen, you’re group two.”
That left me and True, who smiled at me as she realized the same thing. We were bumping knuckles as the dean spoke up again.
“That leaves True, Piper… and Levi.”
As the words left his mouth, the screen door flew open. Levi breezed in, and the air whooshed out of my lungs. He stalked toward Dean Purty, snatched the schedule from his hand, and slammed onto a bench at the far end of the table from me and True.
He didn’t look happy. Actually, he looked extremely pissed.
But he was here. He hadn’t left, and something inside me snapped, releasing a boulder that I hadn’t realized was weighing me down.
“Oh,” True whispered, leaning in close with a mischievous grin, “this is going to be so much fun.”
Levi’s eyes flicked toward her and narrowed as his frown deepened. Had he heard what she said? No. There was no way. He was sitting at the far end of the long table, and she’d whispered the words into my ear.
With my next heartbeat, Levi’s face smoothed out. He slumped over, propping his elbows on the table, his face blank like he didn’t have a care in the world. I watched him as Dean Purty finished calling out instructions, his lazy posture and air of nonchalance suddenly getting on my last nerve.
I was tired of this wishy-washy act he was putting on—one day caring for my safety and the next acting like he couldn’t stand to breathe the same air as me. I was done doubting myself and my worth. Done fearing that he’d leave, and I’d never know why.
He wasn’t going anywhere. That much was obvious. And I deserved to be treated like a real person with real feelings.
I’d kicked a bully in the balls to stand up for a girl I barely knew. It was time to put that effort into standing up for myself.
True was right. This was going to be fun.
Chapter Twelve
I glanced down at the paper schedule in my hand and winced. Boating safety, fire starting and wound care? Not to mention tightening climbing harnesses around sweaty children and shoveling animal waste.
How bad did I want to keep this job again?
I turned my gaze to True as we walked to our first station, which happened to be the barn. She rolled her eyes in solidarity, but I knew she was giddy with the thought of me and Levi in the same group together. Oh, the drama.
I was decidedly not giddy. As we walked, I reminded myself I was done taking his dirty looks and nasty sneers. Bubbly Piper hadn’t worked, so today he was going to get Badass Piper. We’d see how he liked that for a change.
Casually, I watched as he headed up the path. Despite his size, he moved gracefully with long strides that made it hard for us to keep up. Or maybe that was on purpose. He hadn’t been too happy when we’d been paired together.
And why had the dean decided we should be thrust together? It was like he was testing him, putting him with the person he liked the least to see if he could handle it, but why? Was he being punished for something? Were they feeling him out to see if he would break?
And what would happen if he did?
I squared my shoulders and reminded myself that Badass Piper was in residence and she could handle it, no matter what.
I smelled the barnyard before I saw it. The day was another scorcher, already eighty degrees by nine-thirty a.m., and the heat only accentuated the smell of animal waste wafting from the stalls.
As we approached the big red barn, a slim creature stepped out, holding three shovels. He wore dirty overalls, a wife-beater, and a bandana over his nose and mouth, leaving only his beady eyes for me to scrutinize.