Glow (24 page)

She nodded, her shoulders slumping slightly.

“I think I drank too much wine,” she mumbled. “I was feeling kind of dizzy and I took the wrong path and then . . .” She waved feebly in the direction of the fence and the edge of the bluff.

“And then I snapped at you,” Dylan finished, his mouth slanted. “I'm sorry.”

Their gazes had met and held. A silent peace was made. He stepped closer and put his arm around her shoulder.

“Come on. Let's get you inside.”

*   *   *

THE
jarring incident was soon forgotten. Alice had never been so reluctant to leave the peaceful haven of the castle and the heaven of Dylan's arms as she was that Monday morning. She'd have gladly curled up in bed with him for many days to come, basking in the newness and sensual delight of their mutually acknowledged love. It was difficult to pull herself out of her daydreams and resume her routine at camp. Although something
did
happen at breakfast that certainly sent a jolt of reality and euphoria through her.

She was standing alone at the coffee station, waiting for the pot to finish brewing and praying for an extra-strong pot. Someone spoke behind her.

“How is it that you always manage to come out on top?”

Alice spun around at the sound of the quiet, bitter voice. Brooke stood there, looking glamorous and beautiful, despite her casual camp attire. Brooke Seifert was the only person Alice knew who could do her hair and put makeup on for a hot summer day filled with rigorous activity, and still look disgustingly gorgeous and put together at the end of it all.

“I'm assuming that's a rhetorical question,” Alice mumbled, staring at the coffeepot with quiet desperation. She hadn't even had caffeine yet. How was she supposed to deal with Brooke?

Despite the fact that she'd told Thad she'd try to get to know Brooke better and give her the benefit of the doubt, she hadn't really lived up to her promise. It'd just been easier to stay away from both Brooke and Thad for the past few days, although the avoidance hurt much more in Thad's case than in Brooke's.

She did a double take when Brooke shoved her cell phone in front of Alice's face. Startled, she stared at the image on the screen.

“You haven't seen it yet?” Brooke demanded quietly, obviously recognizing Alice's shock. “All the managers are crowing about it, although Kehoe doesn't seem too pleased,” she added with bitter triumph. Her victory was short lived. An uncertain, sullen expression came over Brooke's face. “I suppose you put them up to it?”

Alice laughed abruptly. She grabbed Brooke's phone, peering closer at the photo. “Oh my God. That's
awesome
.”

Dave came up behind them, grinning. “Is this your first time seeing it? Everyone is talking about it. They sent out texts with the photo this morning. They somehow got most of the managers' phone numbers, plus most of the counselors'. At least one kid on every team got one, too, so the photos are flying around with the speed of light. Hilarious. Nice one, Alice.”

Someone called out to Dave, and he walked away.

“There's more. Next photo,” Brooke said through a tight mouth.

Alice took another long look at the first before moving to the next, however. The photo was of an iron goat perched on a stone pedestal—obviously Camp Wildwood's legendary Bang. The area behind it was dark and empty. It was clearly the dead of night. Around Bang's neck was tied the Red Team's iconic flag. The goat was wearing sunglasses that Alice immediately recognized as Judith's knock-off Cartiers. Beneath it, three hands held up in the V for victory sign: one large, light brown, clearly masculine, another feminine, paler with long manicured nails, the last small and delicate. Alice suspected she knew to whom all the hands belonged.

Alice swiped her finger on the screen. Her grin widened. This was
priceless
. Now the common area around Bang was filled with people. The photo showed Noble D, Jill Sanchez, and Judith surrounded by several other teenagers and adults, most of them wearing sweatpants, shorts, T-shirts, and pajamas. They were strangers to Alice. This must be the Camp Wildwood staff and kids. D and
Judith appeared to be passing around pizza boxes, Jill handing out cans of soda. The girl's mouth was open as though she was talking, and she was grinning.

Jill?
Talking to strangers with what looked like genuine enthusiasm?

The caption underneath the photo read:
How to make trouble and friends at once, Camp Durand–style
.

Alice barked with laughter, unable to stop herself despite the fact that she knew Brooke would find her pleasure annoying.

“They gave the kids at Camp Wildwood a
pizza party
?” she blurted out incredulously.

“After they snuck into camp unnoticed and took their pictures of the goat, proving they could have stolen it
if
they wanted to,” Brooke said, grabbing her phone back abruptly. She looked mutinous as she met Alice's stare. “I know you must have set them up to it. It could have easily had the opposite effect, you know. All the managers could have been as pissed as Kehoe is. How did you know they wouldn't be?”

“I didn't for sure,” Alice said, shrugging. “The kids wanted the adventure and the challenge, and I thought they should have it. They
are
supposed to be here to have fun, you know. I just wanted to make sure they did as respectfully and safely as possible.” She nodded at the phone in Brooke's clutching hand. “They came up with all the other brilliant ideas.”

“Brilliant,”
Brooke spat. Alice's spine straightened, until she noticed that despite Brooke's bitchiness, tears pooled in her eyes and her lower lip trembled. Alice's acidic retort evaporated on her tongue.

“What's wrong?” Alice wondered, confounded by the other woman's show of vulnerability. Brooke was always in control and smug in her superior knowledge and position. Alice had been intimidated by her from the first moment she laid eyes on her. To
see Brooke on the verge of tears shook her a little. “It's not a big deal, Brooke. They're just kids, having a good time.”

“It
is
a big deal,” Brooke corrected in a hushed, but harsh tone. “I can't win when it comes to you. I can't beat you because I can't figure out why everyone is so determined to act like you're
special
when you're really just a grubby, smart-mouthed, low-class—”

“Whoa,” Alice interrupted angrily. She pointed at the other woman in a menacing gesture. “Stop right there.”

Brooke inhaled shakily. A tear skipped down her cheek. “No matter what I do, I can't beat you. If I don't make it as a Durand manager, it'll all be because of you.”

Alice gaped at her in disbelief. “Because of
me
. That's ridiculous. First off, there's no reason you shouldn't make the cut. Everyone knows you're a top runner. But if you
didn't
make manager, it'd be because you're more worried about yourself than you are your kids.”

Brooke's expression broke. Several more tears fell down her cheek. “That's not true,” she exclaimed shakily. “Do you really think that? I care about my team. A lot.”

Alice stared, seeing the other woman's genuine dismay at the idea that someone thought she was selfish when it came to her team. She exhaled sharply, resisting a strong urge to roll her eyes. Suddenly feeling awkward, she turned back to pour her coffee. Jeez, she hadn't even had a single sip of coffee yet, and she had to deal with not just a regular Brooke, but an
anguished
Brooke. God help her.

“I don't really think it,” Alice mumbled grudgingly, ripping the paper on a sugar packet and pouring it into her steaming coffee. “I've watched you. You're really good with them. They like you. My student team leader, Judith—you know, the one in the Bang pictures—thinks you're brilliant, the perfect example of feminine leadership. Compassionate. Strong. Put together. Always unruffled,” Alice said, scowling. It was a truth she'd sworn she'd never
confess to anyone, let alone to Brooke, of all people. But it was a fact. During the first week of camp, when Judith and Alice had been grinding against each other at every turn, Judith had made a few pointed remarks within Alice's hearing about Brooke's superior pedigree and education in comparison to Alice's. Now that she knew Judith better, she didn't think the girl had been doing it solely to annoy her because she knew Brooke was Alice's nemesis, either. Judith really did respect Brooke.

When Brooke didn't speak after Alice had ripped open her fourth sugar packet—she didn't even take sugar in her coffee—she glanced sideways warily. Her eyes sprang wide in alarm.

Brooke was totally unmasked. She stood there, all traces of smugness and superiority vanished, her expression open, unguarded, and undone. Her tears had smeared mascara onto her cheeks. Alice hastened to pull some napkins from the dispenser. She handed them to Brooke.

“Here,” Alice said uncomfortably. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean—”

“You didn't
have
to say that about Judith,” Brooke sniffed, wiping her cheeks. “Everyone at camp knows how much Judith defied you at first. It was sort of . . . well,
entertaining
to watch, to be honest,” she added a little regretfully. “I thought she was going to kick your ass a few times.”

“Me, too,” Alice admitted.

Brooke swallowed thickly. “And you brought her around completely. She adores you now.”

“Oh God,
no
,” Alice insisted emphatically. “Judith worships no man or woman. She prefers to be on the adored end of things.”

Brooke smiled shakily. Another tear fell down her cheek and she wiped it away quickly. “There's nothing wrong with a woman knowing what she wants.”

“No. I guess there's not.”

An awkward silence fell.

“Well . . .” Brooke inhaled and wiped her cheeks one final
time. Alice could almost see her willfully knitting together her fraying ends. Not for the first time, she admired Brooke. Maybe they'd never be the best of friends, but Thad had been right about one thing: Brooke had her moments.

“I'm sorry for jumping all over you like that,” Brooke said briskly, tossing the napkins. She met Alice's stare levelly. “I panicked for a few minutes when I saw the photos and heard the rumor about how much the managers admired the Red Team's stunt.”

“I don't think you have any reason to panic.”

“I still think there's a good chance we'll beat you tonight,” Brooke said, her chin tilting up.

“Maybe. I'll be fine with that, as long as my kids feel okay about themselves. It might be time for them to deal with some disappointment, anyway. They're getting a little cocky with all their wins,” Alice said, suppressing a smile and not succeeding.

“Imagine that,” Brooke said, her arch look reminding Alice of the Brooke of old. But then she gave Alice a small, genuine-seeming smile before she turned away.

Brooke was gone before Alice realized that neither of them had mentioned Thad. Alice was glad he hadn't come up. Maybe both of them had realized intuitively that Thad was too weighty of a topic to withstand their unexpected, delicate truce.

*   *   *

THAT
night at the bonfire, her kids were flying high. The entire camp was buzzing with the word of Judith, Jill, and Noble D's exploit at Camp Wildwood. Terrance was telling anyone who would listen that Judith, Jill, and D were the chosen emissaries from the Red Team because they were three of the more upstanding, rule-abiding kids, and therefore under the night supervisor's radar. He assured people that the entire team was involved in the venture, though, and had agreed on the three campers to represent them.

“We all chipped in for the pizza, and it was my idea to tie the Red Team's flag around the goat's neck,” Alice overheard Terrance bragging to the Gold Team's student leader as darkness fell and a couple managers started to shout for them to take their seats.

Alice started to sit down on the beach between Judith and Matt Dinorio when someone spoke from behind her.

“Alice? A word please before things officially get started.”

Alice noticed Judith's concerned expression when they both turned to see Sebastian Kehoe standing behind her.

“Sure,” Alice said.

Kehoe nodded in the direction of the woods. The sun had just slipped beneath the horizon, leaving the western sky a brilliant blend of magenta, orange, red, and gold, but the woods were dark. Kehoe paused just inside the shadow the tall trees cast onto the beach and faced her.

“I suppose you know what this is about?” Kehoe asked.

“Um . . .” Alice blinked. The light from the western sky gleamed red in his glasses, although his face was cast in shadow. “Bang?” she asked hesitantly.

He looked grim. “I'm
not
happy about your little spectacle. I've made it clear around camp that while Camp Wildwood forays have been condoned if not encouraged in the past, we were putting a damper on the idea this year. Now your kids have gone and made it seem even more glamorous and desirable to break the rules in subsequent years.”

Alice swallowed thickly. “I didn't think there was any real danger in it, sir. My kids knew they'd have to be respectful. I wasn't encouraging theft. I made sure they understood that.”

Kehoe's mouth clamped together in a tight, straight line. “I suppose you had some advice from a certain former Red Team member? Some instructions from another Durand
maverick
?”

A chill passed over the surface of her arms. He was referring
to Dylan, of course. He really
did
suspect their involvement. Or possibly, he more than suspected.

But he was wrong to think Dylan had given her the idea. She raised her chin.

“No. Any ideas I did plant with the kids were mine alone, and they came up with the rest. The whole photo as a symbol of the claiming of the goat versus actually stealing it was their idea. So was the pizza party, which personally, I think was brilliant. It was a gesture of friendship, and it went a long way to mend any bad feelings that happened between Camp Durand and Wildwood last year.”