Chapter Seventeen
I flipped open my phone and saw a text from my mom. Be safe and have a great time! Don’t forget to text me when you get to the trailhead so I know you made it. Love you!
Courtney whipped around. “Let me guess. That’s your mom.”
I smiled. “How’d you know?”
Courtney shook her head. “I can’t believe she almost didn’t let you come. Good thing I got my mom to finally convince her.”
“I know.” I feigned relief even though I was secretly hoping I could get out of the whole thing.
I’d had trouble sleeping last night, imagining a bear attacking our tents, clawing its way inside and eating me alive.
I hadn’t told anyone besides Beth for fear of sounding lame. Especially not Courtney.
I tucked my phone back into my pack as we reached the end of the lake.
The CD mixer changed to Avril Lavigne, and I grinned as Courtney sang off key to the lyrics of “Don’t Tell Me.
” Behind me, Emma and Gigi stopped singing.
Instead, they began to argue over who was the hottest actor: Josh Hartnett or Orlando Bloom.
Beth turned to Courtney. “Did you know it’s supposed to rain on Monday? The weather guy predicted a downpour starting early afternoon.”
Courtney patted Beth’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, mother. We’ll be driving home by then.”
I gazed out the window as Beth turned off the 101 onto Sol Duc Hot Springs Road, debating what I would tell the school board when they interviewed me next Tuesday.
After Emma’s mom had sued the school, the school board had launched its own investigation into who’d planted the dish soap in the locker room.
Fortunately, they’d been unable to prove who was responsible, so nothing had come of it so far.
While Emma had been on the bench at our state championship game, Courtney had been scouted by the Elliott Bay University volleyball coach.
Last month, Courtney accepted a full-ride volleyball scholarship to EBU, even though her parents could’ve easily paid the tuition.
Courtney’s parents were EBU alumni, and Courtney often bragged that they were some of the school’s biggest donors.
Without an offer to play for EBU, or any other major university, Emma enrolled in Peninsula College, a community college in our neighboring town of Port Angeles, where she’d gotten no scholarship but a spot on the team. And she’d have to take out loans for what her financial aid didn’t cover.
I still felt sick over lying to Emma about what Courtney and I had done, knowing Emma’s chances of someday playing pro volleyball were now next to nothing.
I’d said as much to Courtney after we’d learned we’d be formally interviewed about the incident.
I can’t lie to the board, I’d said in the passenger seat of her Mazda Miata when we’d driven to Subway on our lunch break.
“What if they find out?” I’d asked her. “We have to come clean.”
Courtney had slammed on her brakes at the red light. “I’m not going to let you ruin yourself for no reason. We’ll say that we can’t be sure it was Bryson and Jake. Just that it was two guys. That way, no one will get in trouble for what happened—including you.”
Now, as the van wound along the narrow road, I stared at the thick evergreen forest speeding by.
Courtney’s plan to deal with the board actually made a lot of sense, and we’d agreed to stick to the same story during our separate interviews next week.
I spotted a cottontail rabbit sitting tall along the side of the road and imagined myself in front of the school board, running through my preplanned answers.
Wondering if they would see the lie on my face.
“Eww!” Gigi exclaimed behind me. “Kevin Federline? Seriously? He’s so gross.”
Courtney skipped to the next track as we passed the sign for the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort. “My Happy Ending” started to play, and Courtney turned up the volume.
I pulled out my phone and used the number keys to tap out a text to my mom.
“Take this right.” Courtney pointed out her window.
Beth slowed. “I don’t think that’s a road.” She lifted her printed MapQuest paper from the center console. “The Sol Duc Trailhead is another mile up this road.”
“No, trust me. This is where we want to go. It’s where my brother went with his friends.”
Beth gripped the steering wheel with both hands, craning her neck to see down the unmarked side road. “I don’t think—”
“Just do it!” Courtney shouted. “This is it, I promise.”
Beth hit the brakes and turned onto the narrow dirt road. “This seems more like a Forest Service road. I don’t think we’re supposed to be driving on this.”
Gigi giggled at something Emma said in the back, seemingly oblivious to our turn off the main road.
Courtney leaned back in her seat. “Relax. There’s a trailhead up here. You’ll see.”
Beth motioned toward a huge evergreen on Courtney’s side of the van. “See that spruce tree? It’s probably over five hundred years old. Some of the Sitka spruce trees in the Olympic National Park are estimated to be over a thousand years old.”
Courtney groaned. “Okay, Einstein. No more nerd talk on the trip, okay? I feel like I’m back in botany class.”
We kept driving uphill.
I leaned forward. “Are you sure there’s a trailhead on this road?”
Courtney pressed the sole of her brand-new hiking boot against the dash. “Yep. This will get us started farther up the Sol Duc River where it’s better for rafting.”
“Hey, did you guys know that Bryson and Jake are getting expelled over Emma’s ankle?” Gigi asked. “They aren’t even going to walk at graduation.”
“Yeah, I heard.” Courtney placed a hand on her thigh, her green-painted nails matching the color of her cargo pants. “That’s old news, Gigi.”
My jaw dropped open. “What?” I whirled around. “But Courtney and I haven’t given our statements yet. We aren’t totally sure it was Bryson and Jake.” My gaze faltered between Gigi and Emma. “I mean, what if it wasn’t?”
“It was,” Courtney said, her voice firm.
“Yeah.” Gigi nodded. “Courtney gave her statement earlier this week.”
“But . . .” My heart dropped into my stomach. I turned to Courtney, confused. “I thought we were both talking to the board on Tuesday.”
“Oh, yeah.” Courtney ran a hand through her hair. “I asked to speak with them sooner. And I told them what we saw, Palmer. Bryson and Jake. They have already gotten away with hurting Emma for way too long.”
“Serves them right for doing that,” Gigi said.
My eyes met Beth’s in the rearview mirror. “But they—”
Courtney whirled around in her seat, shooting daggers at me with her ice-cold gaze.
“You were right,” Beth said, braking the van to a stop.
I looked out the windshield to the small dirt parking area where the road dead-ended. A weathered trailhead sign leaned to the side beside a narrow path at the edge of the forest.
“See! There it is.” Courtney touched Beth’s arm with the back side of her hand. “I told you!”
The van doors slid open. I grabbed my heavy pack and stepped outside. Hearing the Sol Duc’s rushing water made my pulse race. The air was cooler against my legs than when we’d left Sequim.
I slung my pack over my shoulder, grimacing at the weight of the two-person pack raft Courtney had insisted I carry.
She’d bought three of them for the trip.
Before leaving, we drew straws to decide who would carry them first, and I lost, along with Gigi and Emma.
But Courtney promised to take turns when the weight got to be too much.
Beth lifted the trunk door. We each grabbed a broken-down paddle and helped each other stick both ends into the straps of our packs. I heard a soft pssst and turned, expecting to see one of the others applying bug spray. Instead, it was Courtney misting herself with her blue perfume bottle.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Beth warned. “That’s going to attract mosquitoes big time.”
Courtney rolled her eyes and tucked the perfume bottle into her pack. “It’s better than smelling like sweat. Or that disgusting bug repellant you put on in the van.”
Beth cast me a look before turning back to Courtney. “Suit yourself. But don’t complain to me when you’re covered in bug bites tonight.” Beth sighed. “I’m tired already,” she added as we moved toward the trailhead.
Courtney turned, shaking her head at Beth. “Oh, stop. You’re not even packing a raft.”
My gaze followed Courtney as she continued toward the trail.
I was still stunned that she went behind my back to accuse Bryson and Jake after assuring me she wouldn’t.
Now, the board would ask me to validate Courtney’s story on Tuesday.
But how can I lie knowing it will ruin Bryson’s and Jake’s lives?
I took a deep breath, which my heavy pack made difficult, and tried to dispel the betrayal I felt. I couldn’t confront Courtney about it now. Not with Emma and Gigi present.
When Courtney got to the trailhead sign, she spun and reached into the side of her pack. “Guys, I have something for you.”
As we gathered around her, she withdrew four shiny red pocketknives. She glanced at each one before handing them out to us, starting with Beth.
“I had them engraved.” Courtney handed me mine, and I avoided her gaze as I took the knife from her palm.
I flipped it over in my hand. Palmer Montague 2005 was engraved in cursive on the side.
“Oh, thanks, Court,” Gigi gushed beside me.
“These are so cool,” Emma said, taking her knife. She turned to Beth, who was struggling to open her blade. “Here.” Emma snatched Beth’s knife out of her hands. “Open it like this, otherwise you’ll get cut.”
Courtney put her hands on her hips when Emma handed Beth’s knife back to her. “I’m glad you guys like them. Now we’re ready for anything.”
Thinking the opposite, I slipped my knife into my cargo shorts pocket as we started toward the trail.
“I also got us matching T-shirts.” Courtney slipped off her pack and then unzipped the top. She reached inside and, starting with Gigi, handed out rolled-up pink shirts. “I thought we could wear them tomorrow when we start rafting.”
“Aww. These are so cute.” Gigi held hers up while I accepted my shirt from Courtney.
Senior Trip 2005 was printed in white letters on the front.
“There’s more on the back,” Courtney said, handing a shirt to Emma.
Gigi flipped the shirt around revealing the five of our names printed on the back.
“Sorry, I couldn’t get one in your size.”
I turned to see Courtney handing Beth a bookmark instead of a shirt. My jaw fell open.
“But I remembered how much you’ve always loved bookmarks,” Courtney added with a smile. “So, I got you one instead.”
Beth looked as shocked as the rest of us as Courtney waved it in the air. “Here, take it.”
I wanted to slap Courtney as I watched Beth begrudgingly accept the bookmark, which was already soggy on one side. “How could you not—”
Beth lifted her palm in the air as she flashed me a warning look. “Palmer, stop. It’s fine.”
I could read her eyes. Don’t make this worse.
“Thanks, Courtney.” Beth turned the bookmark over in her hand as Emma and Gigi looked on in stunned silence.
I glared at Courtney, wanting to wipe the look of smug satisfaction off her face.
“What?” she asked.
Her feigned innocence sent a bolt of rage up my spine. I stepped toward her. “What the hell—”
Beth squeezed my arm. “Palmer, stop. It’s fine.”
“Oh, wait.” Courtney pulled her phone from her pocket as if nothing had happened. “Let’s get a photo while we still look fresh.” She lifted her phone in the air. When none of us moved, she looked around. “Come on, guys. Get in closer.”
Emma and Gigi exchanged a look before huddling next to her. Beth followed suit and motioned for me to do the same. “Come on, Palmer.”
I took a deep breath, then squeezed in beside Beth.
“Beth,” Courtney said. “Hold up your bookmark.”
She had to have felt bad for being given a piece of paper instead of a shirt, but Beth obviously didn’t want to draw attention to Courtney’s slight about her weight, and I didn’t want to make Beth feel any worse than she already did.
“Smile!”
I forced a smile as Courtney’s phone clicked. She lowered the device to check the photo. Seeming to approve of it, Courtney returned the phone to her pocket.
“I’ll lead,” she said.
I followed behind Emma, with Beth at my heels, as we moved up the trail toward the sound of rushing water. I fixed my gaze on Emma’s short blond curls sticking out from her ponytail, dread weighing me down more than my pack. I was going to have to tell her the truth.
If I said nothing, Bryson and Jake would still get expelled—and lose their football scholarships—based on Courtney’s statement. They wouldn’t even be able to attend graduation.
I couldn’t let that happen. Dread welled in my chest, remembering the photo Courtney took of me with the dish soap. But I couldn’t let that stop me from telling the truth. Even if it meant facing consequences for something I hadn’t done.
I swallowed, knowing I was just as much to blame as Courtney was. I could’ve warned Emma before she stepped out of the shower. Instead, I stayed quiet, crouching behind the lockers while her ankle bone snapped. Then I lied about it.
Courtney would be livid—my statement would prove she was a liar too. But deep down, she had to know it was the right thing to do.
But Emma . . .
I watched her step over a log covered with mushrooms lying across the trail, recalling her face back in March, flushed with rage, when she shoved Jake onto the cafeteria table. She would never forgive me.
“Isn’t this amazing?” Courtney asked from the front of our line. “I feel like we’re the only ones out here.”
I pictured Beth’s minivan, the lone vehicle in the remote parking lot. Because we are.
Through a break in the trees, I caught a glimpse of the river’s white, fast-flowing water. My mind flashed to the teenage girl who drowned while inner tubing in the Sol Duc last summer after getting pinned beneath a logjam. It was the reason my mom almost didn’t let me come.
I dug my phone out of my pocket, realizing I’d never sent the text that we’d made it. My heart sank when I checked my phone. Two words were displayed in bold letters across my home screen.
No Service