make us a nice contained fire.”
Kaitlin crushed some of her clothes to her chest. “If I promise to show you something really cool, will you two guys turn your backs for a minute and let me change?”
She wanted to change clothes? Girls. Rhys lowered his voice. “How about Elena and Thane turn their backs and I help you?”
Kaitlin grinned and slapped him on the arm. He liked that her face had lost the fear. He turned away to give her some privacy. He towed a big camouflage bag toward a wall. Thane and Elena joined him and he tried to keep his mind off the rustling Kaitlin was making as she changed behind them.
“Brr,” Kaitlin said. Rhys was dying to turn, but he didn’t.
Thane drew his attention back to the bag. They netted two knives, a first aid kit, a silver survival blanket, and a sleeping bag.
“Thanks, guys, I’m good now.” Kaitlin now wore a peach-pink snowsuit and matching headband. She brushed her hair and clipped her curls into a fancy clip. Her grin was huge and she waved a small pink tube and threw it at Elena. “Lip balm.”
Elena squeezed the gel onto her finger and passed the tube to Rhys, who stared at the gooey sparkle on his finger, but didn’t protest as he smeared it on his lips. Not his favorite way to get a girl’s cherry lip gloss on his mouth.
Kaitlin pulled out a coral-colored sleeping bag from her bag. “Now we have two.”
Even in the limited light, he could see her blush. Rhys looked at the blanket, wishing he really was camping with Kaitlin. Somewhere in Texas. Somewhere warmer. A slow smile spread over his lips. “It’s kind of girly, but I’ll share with you.”
“We will be missed,” Elena said. “It may be safer to wait The Scientist out than to risk the climb back immediately. At least one night of solid rest.”
“I can make a snow-resistant fire with some of this equipment we’re finding.” Rhys held up Kaitlin’s cordless straightener. “Is this butane?”
Kaitlin snatched her appliance away. “Maybe. Let’s check the other bags first.” She stuffed it back in her bag, and then dragged a yellow bag with a dragon pattern over to one of the walls.
Rhys unzipped the next bag.
Yes. He clapped his hands together. He freaking loved science. “Our deviant schoolmates have hooked us up.” Rhys held up his find.
Fireworks.
“As soon as it’s dark, we’ll set these off.”
***
Kaitlin tilted her head back into the blanket. Blue, red, yellow, and green lights sparked above them. Someone would see this. The search crew would see this. A rush of happy relief filled her.
Rhys dusted off his hands. “That’s it. We’ll look for more in the morning. And do this again tomorrow night if we have to.” He crawled in beside Kaitlin and pulled the cover up where it had slipped off her leg. The final white light flared and a moment of brightness revealed the three freckles that lined up on the top of his right cheekbone. She loved those three freckles. She knew she should be more scared, stuck down here in this cave. But, something about Rhys made her feel safe.
Her thoughts proved true. The rescuers came before dawn and got them to the top. When they got back to the school, they were hustled into the clinic to be checked out and then sent to change before meeting with the director. Fed, showered, and dressed in clean sweats, they sat together in his office and summed up everything in the private meeting.
“We’ll have the vitamin stocks destroyed immediately.” The horrified director rubbed his temples and then looked each of them straight in the eyes. “Here’s where it’s up to you. I won’t stop you from telling your story—I couldn’t. But please recognize that the scandal will end this program. Destroy all the good we’re doing.”
Kaitlin’s stomach twisted. “You want us to lie?”
The director didn’t answer.
Thane said in a tight voice, “I’d rather none of it come out.”
Rhys’ eyes took on a wild gleam. “Me
Kaitlin crushed some of her clothes to her chest. “If I promise to show you something really cool, will you two guys turn your backs for a minute and let me change?”
She wanted to change clothes? Girls. Rhys lowered his voice. “How about Elena and Thane turn their backs and I help you?”
Kaitlin grinned and slapped him on the arm. He liked that her face had lost the fear. He turned away to give her some privacy. He towed a big camouflage bag toward a wall. Thane and Elena joined him and he tried to keep his mind off the rustling Kaitlin was making as she changed behind them.
“Brr,” Kaitlin said. Rhys was dying to turn, but he didn’t.
Thane drew his attention back to the bag. They netted two knives, a first aid kit, a silver survival blanket, and a sleeping bag.
“Thanks, guys, I’m good now.” Kaitlin now wore a peach-pink snowsuit and matching headband. She brushed her hair and clipped her curls into a fancy clip. Her grin was huge and she waved a small pink tube and threw it at Elena. “Lip balm.”
Elena squeezed the gel onto her finger and passed the tube to Rhys, who stared at the gooey sparkle on his finger, but didn’t protest as he smeared it on his lips. Not his favorite way to get a girl’s cherry lip gloss on his mouth.
Kaitlin pulled out a coral-colored sleeping bag from her bag. “Now we have two.”
Even in the limited light, he could see her blush. Rhys looked at the blanket, wishing he really was camping with Kaitlin. Somewhere in Texas. Somewhere warmer. A slow smile spread over his lips. “It’s kind of girly, but I’ll share with you.”
“We will be missed,” Elena said. “It may be safer to wait The Scientist out than to risk the climb back immediately. At least one night of solid rest.”
“I can make a snow-resistant fire with some of this equipment we’re finding.” Rhys held up Kaitlin’s cordless straightener. “Is this butane?”
Kaitlin snatched her appliance away. “Maybe. Let’s check the other bags first.” She stuffed it back in her bag, and then dragged a yellow bag with a dragon pattern over to one of the walls.
Rhys unzipped the next bag.
Yes. He clapped his hands together. He freaking loved science. “Our deviant schoolmates have hooked us up.” Rhys held up his find.
Fireworks.
“As soon as it’s dark, we’ll set these off.”
***
Kaitlin tilted her head back into the blanket. Blue, red, yellow, and green lights sparked above them. Someone would see this. The search crew would see this. A rush of happy relief filled her.
Rhys dusted off his hands. “That’s it. We’ll look for more in the morning. And do this again tomorrow night if we have to.” He crawled in beside Kaitlin and pulled the cover up where it had slipped off her leg. The final white light flared and a moment of brightness revealed the three freckles that lined up on the top of his right cheekbone. She loved those three freckles. She knew she should be more scared, stuck down here in this cave. But, something about Rhys made her feel safe.
Her thoughts proved true. The rescuers came before dawn and got them to the top. When they got back to the school, they were hustled into the clinic to be checked out and then sent to change before meeting with the director. Fed, showered, and dressed in clean sweats, they sat together in his office and summed up everything in the private meeting.
“We’ll have the vitamin stocks destroyed immediately.” The horrified director rubbed his temples and then looked each of them straight in the eyes. “Here’s where it’s up to you. I won’t stop you from telling your story—I couldn’t. But please recognize that the scandal will end this program. Destroy all the good we’re doing.”
Kaitlin’s stomach twisted. “You want us to lie?”
The director didn’t answer.
Thane said in a tight voice, “I’d rather none of it come out.”
Rhys’ eyes took on a wild gleam. “Me
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