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 athousandyears 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?”
“Itwas,” 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.
