“I have to get my things,” Ford said, crossing between Shannon and Marty, as if interrupting the line of fire. “Come on, Shannon. You haven’t even started to pack.”

“Like I care about some stupid hike,” Shannon snapped, but she stomped over to her own bunk and out of Marty’s way.

Marty hesitated, watching as Ford swept a number of loose items lying on her bed into a backpack. Ford didn’t take the EpiPen but seemed to intentionally push it aside.

“I’m good,” Ford said, straightening. “You ready, Shann?”

“I suppose,” Shannon said scornfully. “Like, there’s no way out of it, is there?”

The two of them turned in unison and walked past Marty as if they’d suddenly become invisible, another familiar occurrence. They had no idea why Shannon didn’t like them. Well, they knew why Shannon didn’t like them, but not the reason beneath the dislike. From the minute they’d introduced themself and said their pronouns, Shannon had had issues. The why didn’t really have anything to do with them. But there it was. When Marty was alone with just Ford and Shannon, or Shannon solo, Shannon’s comments were even nastier. Marty sighed.

Not like they hadn’t heard it all before, and sometimes worse. They glanced back at their bunk to make sure they had everything and then, for some reason, back at Ford’s, the bottom bunk across from theirs. They picked up Ford’s EpiPen, slid it into their back pocket, and walked out the door.

Chapter Ten

Chase rounded the corner to the facilities building and paused. Sarah sat on a plain wooden bench adjacent to the staircase leading up to Chase’s temporary sleeping quarters, which she’d yet to use.

“Morning.” Chase sat down beside her, cradling the cup of coffee she’d snagged from the kitchen, and waited for Sarah to say her piece. She’d been a player in a scene like this, in various forms, since her mom had died and Sarah had changed her life to come home and take care of her.

“I saw your Jeep,” Sarah said, “when you came in an hour or so ago.”

“Yeah,” Chase said, wondering which direction Sarah was about to go in. Reminding her that she’d been notably absent for the first week of camp? Even though she had good reasons for it, Sarah might consider it suspiciously convenient. Then again, there might be other topics on Sarah’s mind.

“Nat said you had a run-in with a bear last night,” Sarah went on in a quiet voice that didn’t give a hint as to where she was going.