Chapter 10 #2
“It’s not the first time something strange has happened,” he said. There were dark circles under his eyes. “You know, I heard stories about the camp…but I never thought they were real. But I hear voices at night, or in the rink when I’m alone there. Sometimes I feel like someone is following me.”
“You feel like?” the police officer clarified. She looked skeptical. “What are you saying, Mr. Chaudhry?”
“He’s saying the place is haunted,” said the gruff old man sitting with his arms crossed.
“Hank, please,” Laurel said, looking distressed.
Drew glanced at Gabriel, but Gabriel’s face was unreadable.
“The camp isn’t haunted,” Don said sternly. “There’s no such thing.”
“Yes, there is,” Gabriel said, drawing disapproving looks from both his parents.
“Now’s not the time, Gabe,” Laurel said.
“I’m not saying camp is haunted,” Gabriel began.
Hank cut him off. “It is.”
Stu Chaudhry crossed himself.
Don and Laurel both looked very worried. “Look, Stu,” Don said, “I’m sorry about this unfortunate prank. I’m sure there are some campers who’ve heard of the different stories, and they came up with this idea. We’ll figure out who it is, and there will be consequences.”
“There are cameras in the rink, aren’t there?” Gabriel asked.
“Yes,” Stu said sharply. “And they don’t show anything. No one went into the rink today. It was locked until I got there.”
Silence hung in the room for a moment.
Drew wanted to ask what the stories were that they all kept referencing, but he knew now wasn’t the time.
“Look, I’m sorry,” Stu said, “but if this place is haunted, I can’t keep working here. I was doing you a favor, Don, and I wish I could keep doing the favor, but I’ve got to think about my family.”
“You’re quitting?” said Laurel.
Stu looked miserable. “I have to. I’m sorry. I hope you figure this out.”
He stood and left.
They were all silent in the room for another beat, and then Don sighed.
He looked very tired, and much older than Drew knew him to be.
“This isn’t good,” he said. “Some campers, or even counselors, must’ve gotten into the rink and pulled this prank.
We should talk to the counselors first.” He looked at the officer.
“I’m sorry he called you, Claire. This shouldn’t have involved you. ”
“I don’t know,” she said. “If it’s vandalism, we’ll want to write up a report.”
“I don’t want there to be anything in the news about this,” Don continued.
“That won’t happen, don’t worry,” Claire said. “I’m sorry this happened. I’m going to take a look at the rink, if that’s okay. I’d also like to take a look at your camera footage. It’s a good thing you have that, at least. Maybe we can find something.”
“I’ll go with you,” Laurel said. She nodded at Don. “You rest. Gabe, thanks for coming.”
“Is there anything I can do?” he asked.
“It’s your day off,” Laurel said. “Take the rest of it. Tomorrow we’re going to interview the counselors.”
“If you can think of someone else who can be our boys’ coach, let me know,” Don said dejectedly.
Drew cleared his throat, and everyone looked at him.
“I’ll coach,” he said simply.
“Drew…” Gabriel said softly. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I know,” Drew said. “But I want to.” He turned to Don. “I’d be happy to coach, and you don’t have to pay me to do it.”
Claire, the police officer, looked at him with interest. “Who did you say you are, by the way? I don’t think we’ve met.”
“I’m visiting for the summer,” Drew said. “I know a few things about hockey, and I’d be happy to help out.”
Laurel and Don exchanged a look. Drew wondered if Don had told Laurel who Drew was.
“Please let me help,” Drew said. “Like I said, you don’t need to pay me.”
Don looked extremely relieved. “Thank you,” he said. “That’s very generous of you.”
“Drew,” Gabriel whispered. “Thank you.”
Drew nodded. He wanted to help out. And, thinking about the Tarot reading from Gabriel, maybe this was part of his new beginning.
He wanted to help, and he wanted to be of use.
He had enjoyed his time relaxing and resting, but by now he was getting bored.
He needed something to do. If the Ackermanns needed his help, even if they wouldn’t ask for it, he wanted to help them.
“That’s very kind,” Laurel said. She stepped forward and shook his hand. “Let’s talk later. We can figure out the details.” She nodded to Claire. “I can show you around the rink if you’d like.”
They left, and the older man, Hank, was soon to follow. He shook his head as he left and muttered something that none of them could hear.
“He’s always so grumpy,” Gabriel said when Hank was gone.
“He’s one of the few people here who actually believes the stories about the hauntings,” Don said. “I think he’s mad we don’t believe them.”
“If you don’t mind me asking,” Drew said, “what are the stories about the hauntings? Is there a ghost at this camp?”
“No,” Don said, at the same time that Gabriel said, “Yes.”
Don gave his son a frustrated look. “The camp isn’t haunted.”
“There’s definitely some otherworldly shit going on here,” Gabriel said simply. “Haven’t you heard voices in the woods? Haven’t you had objects move on you when you weren’t looking? The door in cabin eight that opens on its own?”
“That’s just because the camp is old,” Don said.
“The figure that people see on the lake?”
“Optical illusion.”
“The story of Frozen Fred?”
“A local legend that got popular because it was nice and alliterative,” Don insisted.
Drew had plenty of questions about everything they had both said, but he sensed that now wasn’t the time to ask them.
“Haunting or not,” he said, “I’m still happy to coach.
And I mean it, please don’t pay me. I can be a volunteer for you.
I don’t need the money, and if you paid me, that might interfere with my contract.
I don’t want there to be any legal issues or assumed conflicts of interest. Please let me volunteer as your coach. ”
“Okay,” Don said. He looked visibly relieved. “You really are a godsend. Can we talk more about this later? I have to go do some damage control now and make sure rumors aren’t spreading.”
“Do you need help with anything?” Gabriel asked.
“No, enjoy your day off.” Don glanced quickly between Gabriel and Drew, like he had a question he wanted to ask, but he said nothing. If he knew what they had been doing or had a suspicion, he didn’t indicate it. “Drew, thank you again.”
They shook hands. “Happy to help.”
When Drew and Gabriel were back outside in the hot afternoon air, Gabriel touched Drew’s arm. “You didn’t have to do that, you know,” he said.
“I know I don’t have to,” Drew said. “I want to.”
“You’re a good person.”
“I try to be.”
Gabriel looked up at the sky, and Drew looked at Gabriel.
They had been so close to being naked together before Don’s call interrupted them.
Drew still buzzed with the electricity of their kisses.
He wanted more, and he wanted it even more badly than he had earlier.
He’d had a taste of it—literally—and he wanted everything, now.
“You have the rest of the day off, right?” he said.
“I do.”
“Come back to my place, please. I want to finish what we started.”