Page 63 of Cruel Academy (Princes of Ravenlake Academy 2)

Where are you?

I haven’t heard from her until now. So, the sudden appearance of her name on my screen leads me to the obvious conclusion that my mom decided to call her mom after all.

My mom must’ve called Estefania’s mom to check on my story, realized I was lying, and Estefania is calling to warn me.

“Shit,” I mumble without realizing it.

Caleb looks over. “What?”

I ignore him and fire back a text.

Going camping. Did my mom talk to you?

My leg shakes as I wait for her response. After everything I’ve had to deal with over the last few years, being grounded should be the least of my worries, but I don’t want to disappoint my parents.

Luckily, a reply comes within thirty seconds.

I haven’t heard from her. What’s going on? I just wanted to know where you are. Thought we could meet up. To talk.

Relief fills my chest, and I ease back in the leather seat with a sigh.

“What is up with you?” Caleb asks, a tinge of annoyance in his voice.

“I thought my mom knew I lied, but it’s fine.” I chuckle softly at my own paranoia. “Everything’s fine.”

Caleb shakes his head like he isn’t quite sure what to do with me and turns his attention back to the road.

He probably thinks it’s childish of me to be so concerned with what my mom thinks.

From what I can tell, he has free rein to do what he wants, when he wants. I’m sure he can’t relate.

Shoot. I want to talk to you, but I’m going camping with some people and cell service is bad. Call tomorrow?

The three dots showing Estefania is responding appear and disappear three times, and I keep checking the bars in the top corner of my phone to make sure I haven’t lost service. It would figure that the first time my best friend messages me in months, I’m in the middle of nowhere.

I lift my phone towards the ceiling of the car just in case there is slightly better coverage up there.

You’re camping? You are friends with people who camp now?

I know what Estefania is thinking, and I want to explain everything. I want to tell her that I haven’t replaced her with new friends, and I have definitely not morphed into the kind of person who likes to camp.

But the story of how I came to be sitting in Caleb Wilson’s truck on my way to an outdoor freaking slumber party with him and his friends is way too complicated to fit into a text.

Especially when I have spotty coverage and might not be able to get it all out.

It will have to wait.

Just an overnight thing. It’s a LONG story. As soon as I’m back in civilization, I’ll call you. And don’t worry, I will not get in the lake.

Estefania has had a longstanding vendetta against lakes ever since she fell in one at a middle-school cookout and got an ear infection from the dirty water.

I want her to laugh at the inside joke. To confirm, in even a small way, that we are still friends. I want her to know that I haven’t forgotten her or abandoned her.

But before she can respond, the bars in the corner of my phone disappear.“No Service”appears in its place.

I drop my now-useless phone in the cupholder. “What are we supposed to do if there’s an emergency? What if you burn your face off trying to start a fire, and we can’t call 911 to come save you?”

“That’s part of the fun,” Caleb says smoothly. Then, he glances over at me and lifts one brow. “Plus, it’s late August in Texas. I doubt we’ll be cold. Even if we are, I have better ways of keeping warm.”

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