I didn't have to imitate anyone, though. I could read each and every note.
A shout wasn't enough to break the trance-like daze the sun had sent Ruth and me into, but it got our attention. We lifted our heads and looked toward shore. Scott and Dave were playing Frisbee with some of the campers. Scott waved at us, and Dave, distracted, missed a catch, and landed in the sand.
"Dave," I said.
"Do-able," Ruth said.
"Agreed. Scott," I said, watching as he dove to make a catch.
"Hottie," Ruth said. "Of course."
I raised my sunglasses and looked at her from beneath the lenses in surprise.
"Really? He used to be Do-able."
"He's my summer fling," she informed me. "If I say he's hot, he's hot."
I lowered my sunglasses. "Okay," I said.
"Besides," she said. "That whole thing with lighting the Feds' van on fire? That was kind of cool. You might have something with the whole dangerous-guy thing."
"Rob," I said, "is not dangerous."
"Please," Ruth said. "Any guy who drives a motorcycle as his main form of transportation is dangerous."
"Really? Is that better than a guy with a convertible?"
Ruth shrugged. "Sure."
Wow. I leaned back, digesting this. My dangerous boyfriend was driving up to watch me perform at the concert that night. So was my family. I wondered what would happen if I introduced Rob to my mother. Frankly, I couldn't picture my mother and Rob in the same room. It was going to be very—
I felt something brush against the hand I was trailing in the water. I screamed and yanked my fingers away, just as Ruth did the same thing.
Two snorkel-fitted heads popped up from beneath the water and promptly began laughing at us.
"Ha-ha," Arthur cried, pointing at me as he treaded water. "You screamed just like a girl!"
"Like a girl," Lionel echoed incoherently. He was laughing too hysterically to speak.
"Very funny," I said to them. "Why don't you two swim over to the deep area and get a cramp?"
"Yeah," Ruth said. "And don't bother calling for us, because we won't come fish you out."
"Come on, Lionel," Arthur said. "Let's go. These two are no fun."
The two heads promptly disappeared. I watched the ends of their snorkels slice the water's surface as they headed back to shore. The two had become fast friends, once Shane was out of the picture and Lionel no longer spent every waking moment in fear of being tortured.
As I'd predicted, Shane's ability to play the flute had mysteriously disappeared shortly after the Wolf Cave incident, and though it was too late to get him into any self-respecting football camp, several had offered him scholarships, based on his size alone, for the following summer. Mr. and Mrs. Taggerty were not, it was rumored, happy about this, but what could they do? The boy was, according to more than one coach, a natural.
Off over in the direction of Wolf Cave, a cicada began its shrill call—one of the last ones I'd hear, I knew, before they all sank back into the ground to hibernate until next summer.
"So did Dr. Alistair ask you to come back next year?" Ruth wanted to know.
"Yeah," I said, with some disgust. "I suppose so he can supplement his income again by ratting me out to the Feds."
"How'd you know it was him, anyway?" Ruth asked.
I shrugged. "I don't know. I just did. Same way I know they're still monitoring me."
Ruth nearly lost her balance in the inner tube. "They are?" she sputtered. "How do you know?"
I pointed out toward the trees on the side of the lake closest to us. "See that thing over there, glinting in the sun?"
Ruth looked where I was pointing. "No. Wait. Yeah. I guess. What is that?"
"Telephoto lens," I said, lowering my arm. "Watch. Now that he knows we spotted him, he'll drive to some other spot and try again."
Sure enough, the glint disappeared, and far off, we heard the sound of a car engine.
"Ew," Ruth cried. "How creepy! Jess, how can you stand it?"
I shrugged. "What can I do? That's just the way it is, I guess."
Ruth chewed her lower lip. "But aren't you … I mean, aren't you worried they're going to catch you one of these days? In a lie, I mean?"
"Not really." I tilted my head back, letting the sun warm my neck again. "The trick, I guess, is just never to stop."
"Never stop what?"
"Lying," I said.
"Isn't that going to be hard," Ruth asked, "now that … well, you know? Now that your powers are getting stronger?"
I shrugged. "Probably." It wasn't something I liked to think about.
"Hey," I said, to change the subject. "Isn't that Karen Sue over there, on that pink inflatable raft?"
Ruth looked, then made a face. "I can't believe she's wearing one of those headbands in the water. And is that Todd she's with? He is so not Do-able. Did you hear him rehearsing that piece he's playing tonight? Bartok. What a show-off."
"Let's go tip them over," I suggested.
"You've got to be kidding," Ruth said. "That's so …"
I raised my eyebrows. "So what?"
"So childish," Ruth said. Then she grinned. "Let's do it."
And so we did.
About the Author
Jenny Carroll
Born in Indiana, Jenny Carroll spent her childhood in pursuit of air conditioning - which she found in the public library where she spent most of her time. She has lived in California and France and currently resides in New York City with her husband and a one-eyed cat named Henrietta. Jenny Carroll is the author of the hugely popular Mediator series as well as the bestselling Princess Diaries. Visit Jenny at her website, www.jennycarroll.com