Prep School Experiment (7 page)

“Mine, mine, mine,” Kaitlin said. “I see one of mine.” Her voice lilted in a way Rhys hadn’t heard since this trek started. She tossed aside several bags, dug into the pile and hugged a brown leather tote to her chest. After the hug, she unzipped the heavy zipper and dug out a large jar of pistachios and a chocolate bar. “Godiva.”

Everyone joined her, and Kaitlin divided the food. Chocolate. Nuts. Energy.

Rhys threw his shells through the open door. They landed with soft pings on the metal of the trailer. “We need a drink.” He shook the salt around in the bottom of the empty pistachio container.

“Surely some kid shoved a bottle of water into his checked bag when he found out he couldn’t take it through security,” Elena said. “I know I did.”

Rhys got up and continued digging. He tossed aside someone’s high heels and strappy dresses. Like anyone needed that in Alaska. “We’ll probably find liquor. Don’t drink it. The alcohol will lower your body temperature. But, save it if you find it. I’ll make us a nice contained fire.”

Kaitlin crushed some of her clothes to her chest. “If I promise to show you something really cool, will you two guys turn your backs for a minute and let me change?”

She wanted to change clothes? Girls.
Rhys lowered his voice. “How about Elena and Thane turn their backs and I help you?”

Kaitlin grinned and slapped him on the arm. He liked that her face had lost the fear. He turned away to give her some privacy. He towed a big camouflage bag toward a wall. Thane and Elena joined him and he tried to keep his mind off the rustling Kaitlin was making as she changed behind them.

“Brr,” Kaitlin said. Rhys was dying to turn, but he didn’t.

Thane drew his attention back to the bag. They netted two knives, a first aid kit, a silver survival blanket, and a sleeping bag.

“Thanks, guys, I’m good now.” Kaitlin now wore a peach-pink snowsuit and matching headband. She brushed her hair and clipped her curls into a fancy clip. Her grin was huge and she waved a small pink tube and threw it at Elena. “Lip balm.”

Elena squeezed the gel onto her finger and passed the tube to Rhys, who stared at the gooey sparkle on his finger, but didn’t protest as he smeared it on his lips. Not his favorite way to get a girl’s cherry lip gloss on his mouth.

Kaitlin pulled out a coral-colored sleeping bag from her bag. “Now we have two.”

Even in the limited light, he could see her blush. Rhys looked at the blanket, wishing he really was camping with Kaitlin. Somewhere in Texas. Somewhere warmer. A slow smile spread over his lips. “It’s kind of girly, but I’ll share with you.”

“We will be missed,” Elena said. “It may be safer to wait The Scientist out than to risk the climb back immediately. At least one night of solid rest.”

“I can make a snow-resistant fire with some of this equipment we’re finding.” Rhys held up Kaitlin’s cordless straightener. “Is this butane?”

Kaitlin snatched her appliance away. “Maybe. Let’s check the other bags first.” She stuffed it back in her bag, and then dragged a yellow bag with a dragon pattern over to one of the walls.

Rhys unzipped the next bag.

Yes.
He clapped his hands together. He freaking loved science. “Our deviant schoolmates have hooked us up.” Rhys held up his find.

Fireworks.

“As soon as it’s dark, we’ll set these off.”

***

Kaitlin tilted her head back into the blanket. Blue, red, yellow, and green lights sparked above them. Someone would see this. The search crew would see this. A rush of happy relief filled her.

Rhys dusted off his hands. “That’s it. We’ll look for more in the morning. And do this again tomorrow night if we have to.” He crawled in beside Kaitlin and pulled the cover up where it had slipped off her leg. The final white light flared and a moment of brightness revealed the three freckles that lined up on the top of his right cheekbone. She loved those three freckles. She knew she should be more scared, stuck down here in this cave. But, something about Rhys made her feel safe.

Her thoughts proved true. The rescuers came before dawn and got them to the top. When they got back to the school, they were hustled into the clinic to be checked out and then sent to change before meeting with the director. Fed, showered, and dressed in clean sweats, they sat together in his office and summed up everything in the private meeting.

“We’ll have the vitamin stocks destroyed immediately.” The horrified director rubbed his temples and then looked each of them straight in the eyes. “Here’s where it’s up to you. I won’t stop you from telling your story—I couldn’t. But please recognize that the scandal will end this program. Destroy all the good we’re doing.”

Kaitlin’s stomach twisted. “You want us to lie?”

The director didn’t answer.

Thane said in a tight voice, “I’d rather none of it come out.”

Rhys’ eyes took on a wild gleam. “Me too. Though some authority has to go after The Scientist.”

“We haven’t seen him. But, that’s what we’ll do. We’ll tell the authorities that he went crazy and forced the other coordinator down the hole. We’ll tell the students that you were weather-delayed and that the two coordinators were shifted to another campus due to a staffing shortage.”

If this made the national news, it would make the rounds in Manhattan, and tie back to her family. Her parents would hate being the focus of gossip. Kaitlin said, “I’ll go along with your story, because my parents would hate the spectacle.”

The director nodded. “Good. Remember. Bad storm. You sheltered at the hangar. Hiking back, you fell into the hole where the rescue coordinators eventually found you. The other two coordinators left after they were sure you were safe. Everyone stops the vitamins. Deal?”

“Deal,” Elena said.

“Okay. Get some rest. We’ll see you in class in the morning.”

Something about having it all settled made the exhaustion hit her harder. Kaitlin groaned. On the trudge back to the dorm room, she leaned against Rhys. Inside, Elena and Thane collapsed onto Elena’s bed. Kaitlin fell onto her own with Rhys beside her and slept.

This was the first time Kaitlin had ever had a boy in her bed, even if it was only because they’d fallen asleep. She tried to keep her breathing even.

Rhys.

Her heart rate picked up and washed away the tiredness and body aches caused by yesterday’s climb. What should she do? Should she get up and brush her teeth? Lie quietly until he awakened? She moved an inch and the mattress shifted.

Rhys’ arm dropped over her waist.

She stilled.

Rhys was amazing. Since day one when she’d run to him and told him about their being 98% matched as soul mates, he’d been wonderful. He’d watched her dance with such fascination in his expression, like she really intrigued him. And it wasn’t just the crazy heights her jumps achieved or the speed she’d picked up on the experimental drug. It seemed to be
her
who fascinated him. Even when she danced small graceful motions, he watched avidly.

Rhys.

She shifted her head and stared at the strong curve of his lips. Not too thin. Not too thick.
Perfect. Rhys.

“Kaitlin!”

Kaitlin’s eyes flew open to the sound of a familiar voice. Mom? Here? No way.

Mom stood in the doorway, wearing her favorite Italian gray suit with a cream silk blouse. Dad stood beside her. His black power suit was impossibly out of place in Alaska.

An unfamiliar couple appeared behind them—a woman with a man in a wheelchair. Elena jumped out of bed and threw herself at them.

The man patted Elena’s shoulder. “They reported you kids missing, and all the parents came straight away.”

They hadn’t been missing exactly.

“Missing,” Rhys drawled and sat up. The mattress shifted toward him.

Kaitlin didn’t look at Rhys and felt her face heat. She was in bed with a guy, and from the way her parents were staring at her they didn’t realize that it was because they’d fallen asleep.

What would they believe?

She pinched the sheet between her fingers and blurted out, “We fell asleep studying.”

Silence.

More heat filled her face.

Get up.

Staying here would only make this more awkward. She crawled out of bed and went over to hug her family. “Mom. Dad.”

“I’d better go find my own parents.” Thane escaped.

Mom went along with the study-excuse, even while knowing it was a lie. “Grades are the reason you’re here. You’re setting an example for the nation.”

“Yeah, we fell asleep studying,” Rhys said in a dry voice. But, he didn't openly call her on the lie.

Another couple pushed into the room. Rhys climbed out of bed and embraced the lady. He ignored the guy, who was most likely his stepdad, given that all their parents were showing up.

Rhys’ stepdad snorted and said to Elena’s parents, “Good thing we followed you, or who knows how long it would’ve taken us to find that boy. Nothing ever changes, eh, boy? Musical beds.”

Musical beds?

What did that mean?

Kaitlin wasn’t sure she wanted to know, and she didn’t have the guts to look at Rhys to find out.

“What time do they serve up lunch? I don’t know what time it is here, but it’s lunchtime in Texas.” Rhys’ stepdad spoke in an overloud voice, like he was talking over other people or the TV, though no one here was competing with him.

“We’ll get you something soon, hon,” Rhys’ mom said.

“I don’t want no Alaskan fish. You know I don’t like seafood.”

“I’m sure they have something you’ll like,” Rhys’ mom said. She was dressed similarly to his stepdad: blue jeans and a T-shirt. Hers were as tight as his were baggy, and Kaitlin could smell her pungent perfume from here. Rhys didn’t resemble her at all. She was slim like he was, but she had an olive complexion, dark hair, and brown eyes.

Kaitlin introduced Elena to her parents, and then thought,
Suck it up
. She’d done nothing wrong. She beamed at Rhys. “Mom, Dad, this is Rhys.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Hildebrandt,” Rhys said.

“Doctor,” Dad said stiffly, in the voice he used to correct his staff when they got something wrong.

Shame at her father’s snobbishness engulfed Kaitlin.

Rhys’ stepdad elbowed Rhys. “Ooh, Dr. and Mrs. Hildebrandt. Get the names right, Rhys.”

“Actually it’s Dr. and Dr.,” Mom said, deepening Kaitlin’s humiliation.

Rhys’ stepdad’s dark eyes sharpened as he eyed Kaitlin. “Better be careful there, girly. Trying to trap Rhys is a no-win situation. He’ll knock you up and leave you smack dab back at the trailer park, mooching off of us.”

Oh.

Rhys reached for Elena’s favorite lamp, the clip-on light that got left on most of the time. He was going to throw it.

“No,” Elena said and dived for him. “Not that one.”

Elena wrestled for the lamp and Kaitlin touched Rhys’ other arm, moving close. “Rhys. Please,” she whispered. His bicep was rigid. “Please don’t,” she said. The tension under her fingertips eased.

Blue lights flashed above the doorway, signaling for everyone to convene in the amphitheater.

***

Rhys crossed his arms over his chest and listened as the director fed the student body the same B.S. mixed with half-truths that he’d told their parents: the team consisting of Rhys, Kaitlin, Elena, and Thane had gone off school grounds for a competition in bad weather. After school officials lost contact, they’d reported them missing. The parents weren’t to worry because two chaperones had stayed with the students at all times.

A number of students had snickered over the last bit as if they didn’t believe the coordinators stayed with them.

Their mockery grated because the reality had been so much worse.

The director ended the tale with a flat-out lie. “The two coordinators would have loved to meet you, but they’ve already been reassigned, given the incident.”

The truth was that one coordinator was presumed dead and the other had run off.

Mom and Stepdad #4 swallowed the story straight up because it was told to them by someone in authority. They said good-bye and headed back to the airfield.

Elena’s and Thane’s parents lingered as if they suspected there was more to the story. But, Elena and Thane held firm to the lie that “all is well here at the boarding school." They each had their reasons. Elena wanted her parents to have the stipend that came with her being here. Who knew why Thane was staying? Reputation? Pride? To be with Elena?

Weird.

Rhys had to stay until after the election, plus things were interesting here. Kaitlin was interesting.

Kaitlin was the most likely of the four of them to cave and admit the truth. But she didn’t. Rhys didn’t know her reasons.

Kaitlin’s mom and dad made a special point of meeting with the boarding school director privately. After that meeting, her parents walked Kaitlin back to her room. Rhys followed them and moved in to listen at the door, ignoring the other students’ curious gazes as they walked past.

“We left New York and came straight here as soon as we heard you were missing. Then, we get here and find you in bed with a boy.” Kaitlin’s mom spoke with an educated New York accent.

“We fell asleep.” Kaitlin’s voice squeaked.

“You were in a contest and you came in last.” Kaitlin’s mom sounded disappointed. “And then you somehow you were delayed for
two
nights before returning?” Her doubt came out loud and clear.

“None of this sounds right,” her dad said. “None of it. Why don’t you try the truth?”

Rhys wished he could see their faces. Kaitlin was probably flushed, and her parents probably leaned close as they interrogated her.

He eased the door open a crack.

There was a solid minute of silence, and then the story burst from Kaitlin, fast and uncontained, like a guilty volcanic eruption. “Two teachers forced us to go for a hike. The science teacher had been drugging us, and he wanted to see how we’d perform.”