Page 68 of Bring me Back

She was a little thing, Delilah, even smaller than me. Her manicure was perfect, her hair shaped around her face and her nose was the cutest. She hugged herself, swallowing and asked. “Did she talk to you?”

I didn’t need to ask who. “Yeah.”

Delilah nodded, looking down. It broke me a little how fragile she looked just there. I’ve been reminding Daniel she was just a kid, but I only truly saw it right then that she looked exactly like her sixteen years old of age.

“She told us you were great and you should pursue theater.”

Delilah's stare changed, turning fierce and strong. “I know you hate me. And there’s no reason for you to help me. But I really need this.”

I did not hate her, still, I didn’t correct her. Katie changed my life for the worse; she changed the person I was and how I saw myself. But Delilah? I wasn’t sure if she was cruel or ignorant. I wasn’t in the mood to ask which, so I said nothing.

“I need all the help I can get. Not having Mrs. Carr here fucks my plans a little bit.” She laughed to herself, brushing her hair with her hands, making the perfect golden waves a little wild. “Pandora is a big deal.”

I could tell Pandora was a big deal. I knew nothing about theater but I could see the program was good. I wondered if any of the kids were taking it seriously, and my answer was just there in front of me. Five-foot nothing, blond, mean, and hated my guts.

When I said nothing, she rubbed her temple. “Never mind.”

Her hand was on the knob when I spoke again. “We’re going to talk to your mom. I don’t know how much she’ll care for it, but we’re going to do like Pandora asked.”

Delilah looked back at me, staring hard like she was ready for me to announce I was messing with her.

“Can you tell me something, though?” I asked.

She shrugged.

“What does your mother want you to do?”

Her shoulders relaxed. She tried hard to bite back a little smile, but I saw it. “Law school.”

A trained lawyer? Delilah? No thanks. “Well, let’s make sure that doesn’t happen.”

The last day at Camp Nightfall passed in a blur. From breakfast to lunch, the kids rehearsed non-stop. After lunch, they had a session with Pandora. Normally, it was the time Dan and I had to relax, but he was called by another teacher to help with a falling tree blocking a track in the woods. By the time Daniel was done, the kids were back from Pandora’s rehearsal and they were more than ready to relax for a couple of hours. Some of them wanted to go for a last dip in the hot spring, but some didn’t. We decided to divide and conquer. I stayed behind with about a handful of students, and Daniel brought the rest for a swim.

I gathered my craft supplies outside, and put them on top of a picnic table. Nova followed me, with a book in her hands, which she devoured as I worked, proving to be a great companion. The rest of the kids stayed around doing other things, some on their phones and a couple of girls—Olivia and Emma—even asked to help me glue a few small stones to their own wings.

In the last four days, I forgot to be anxious. Between seeing Ryan again, kissing Dan for the first time and being the responsible adult at a camp full of teenagers… I forgot to be that Hallie always with her guard up. I relaxed in the sun, finishing the things I had to finish as the warm breeze brushed my cheeks.

By night, I was ready to be back in Bluehaven. I was feeling stronger than I ever was, and I was ready to go back to town and live my life.

The lights were out. The cool sheets between my legs were a constant reminder of how muggy the air inside the cabin felt. The girls were all sleeping now. I could hear their breathing slowing down and turning heavy. The silence was so comforting, I almost jumped out of my skin when my phone vibrated under my pillow.

Daniel:Come out. Bring a swimsuit.

I rolled my eyes, even if he couldn’t see me. And then I texted back.

Hallie:Dan…

Daniel:Let’s go, Cricket, I’m waiting.

That made me pause. Was he outside waiting for me?

My fingers hovered over the phone. I should’ve texted telling him to go to sleep. But no. I sat up in the bed, careful like the girls could awake just by the rustling of my sheets. My feet found the floor, and I waited a little longer to see if anyone moved. They all seemed to be sleeping deep, or they werethatgood of actors. So I dared to move again, to reach my duffle bag and take a swimsuit, shorts and a t-shirt.

I got dressed slowly, half expecting to be stopped by someone, but eventually I sneaked out of the cabin and the girls didn’t stir.

The door moaned opened, and I almost shushed it. I went on my tiptoes, afraid of the sound of my flip-flops. Going down the porch, I scanned left and right, trying to find Daniel. I was almost certain he was messing with me until a pebble landed just by my foot, coming from the shadows.

My eyes narrowed. I went one step further to investigate. Another pebble came from the darkness and landed just a hair from missing me. My lips curved. “So you woke me up to throw rocks at me?” I asked.

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