“Hunter,” I say, “is there Internet here?”
He looks up from his backpack.
“Yeah,” he says, “but you have to use the computers in the Main House.”
“There are computers here?”
He chuckles. “Sorry, I probably should have mentioned that earlier. Yeah, there’s a computer room. First door on the right in the hall.”
I smile. “Awesome.”
Hunter smiles too, for some reason, and then goes back to digging through his backpack.
I head over to my desk and grab the phone. I put it in my pocket.
“I’ll be in the computer room,” I say. “See you later.”
“Okay, sure,” he says.
I leave the cabin and head to the Main House. There are a couple kids playing soccer or something in the middle of the field, so I walk around behind them.
I go inside of the Main House. The lounge is empty, as it always seems to be. I go to the hall and stop at the first door on the right. A little wooden plaque saying “Computer Room” is hung on the door. I never noticed that this door has a label on it before. Do the others too?
The door behind me on the left has a plaque that says “Nurse’s Office.”
I walk further down the hall. The door next to that says “Infirmary” and the one on the right says “Classroom 1.”
There’s another one labeled “Classroom 2” next to that. Across from the second classroom is that door that leads to Li’s hexagon room and next to that is Li’s office, which are not labeled. Across from Li’s office is another door that isn’t labeled.
I wonder what’s in that last room and almost feel tempted to try the knob, but what if someone’s in there and then I have to explain myself? No thanks.
I head back to the computer room and open the door. It’s a very small square room with a large square table in the middle that has four computers and chairs—two on each side. No one is in here, thank god.
There’s a small window on the back wall. I sit at the computer closest to the door on the left because I don’t want to be too close to the window. There’s a square monitor sitting next to the computer. I press the on button, tapping my fingers on the desk as I wait for it to boot up.
It goes straight to the desktop without a login screen. I open up the Internet browser and log in to my email account. I press “Compose” and type quickly.
Ron,
You haven’t been caught yet right? Lol
I made it to the camp and it’s true—there is someone here who can remove gifts! But it looks like it’s going to be a while before I can leave. She’s making me do three tasks first. I’m on the second one now.
One of the kids in the camp died this morning unexpectedly, and my second task is to investigate it. We think it may be one of the giftists (people who hate gifted btw) in the town nearby, where you said you’d be. Just wondering if you have any info, like any rumors of someone who’s gifted in that town? We think this person may be able to kill from a distance so stay safe and don’t get into any trouble.
DON’T GET INVOLVED WITH THE GIFTISTS.
Just let me know if you’ve heard anything and what you’ve been up to. I’ll check my email every day. There are computers here, woohoo!
Miss you.
Chrys
I hit send and then pull the phone out of my pocket. I turn it on.
It’s already at 68% and it’s been off this whole time.
I type out a text to Ron that says, “Check your email. No charger so I keep phone off.”
I send it and stare at it for a couple seconds.
“Yeah cuz you forgot your charger dingus. I’ll check,” pops up from Ron.
Laughing, I power down the phone. Looking back, I should have taken the charger but in that moment, it was the last thing I on my mind.
I open a new tab and type “news about gifted” in the search bar. Just like old times. I find myself doing it on impulse.
As I press enter, the door opens. I snap my head in that direction, my body tense and my breath held.
Ana Maria walks in, holding that sea slug plushie in one arm. Her hair drapes over the backpack on her back and down over her shoulders, ending just near her knees.
I release my breath slowly.
She closes the door behind her and sits down at the computer next to me with a huff.
“The kids in my cabin are so annoying!” she says, taking off her backpack and putting it down on the floor. “They keep asking me to heal all their dumb little cuts and bruises. They’re acting just like the idiots back home. I thought things would be different here.”
“Yeah, well, reality doesn’t usually live up to expectations, kid,” I say.
“Why do they hurt themselves so much anyway?” she says.
I shrug. “Because they’re kids?”
“You know, they say you killed that boy.”
“I didn’t.”
“Can I stay in your cabin instead? I heard there’s an extra bed there.”
“Uh… which cabin are you in now?”
“Two.”
“Jeez, Li put you in Adrien’s spot?”
“Elise did. She said the other cabins are full besides ten, but there’s no adult supervisor in there so she put me in two. But I mean, you’re practically an adult.”
“Look, no offense, but I’m not a huge fan of kids. I don’t have the patience to watch a kid all day.”
“Well luckily for you, I don’t need much watching.”
“There are two boys in my cabin.”
“So? There are two boys in mine too—three, if you count the supervisor, James. Come on, please? I can’t be with those kids. They’re so annoying!”
“Whatever. I don’t know. Ask Li about it.”
She beams. “Awesome sauce.” She leans over to look at my computer screen. “Whatcha
