No wonder Jimmy Sunglasses wore those shades all the time. He was hiding the glaze of contraband prescription medicine and late night drinking. I thought he could be trusted, but now he was one person removed from the threat to my father. Possibly me and Kaylee too.

Clang, clang, clang. His clipboard sounded the wake-up for Tochoco cabin. Everyone rose to get dressed. Except me. I sat in the top bunk, hoping he’d ignore me.

“Kevin,” he spouted to the room.

I lay motionless, faking as if still asleep.

“Where you from, Kevin?”

My nerves felt like electric guitars. I sat up slowly.

“Huh?”

“I asked where you’re from?”

“Umm.”

“He’s from Hodgkins,” Pete spoke up. My heart froze. What was he thinking? Why did he want to know where I’m from? Did he see us out at their secret spot? Does he know about my dad?

“Pffft. Hodgkins?” Jimmy sauntered towards my bunk. Slow, deliberate steps.

“Yep,” Pete answered. Thanks, Pete.

“I don’t know how they raise kids in Hodgkins, but at Chokochakee we get up on time. We get to breakfast on time. We do everything on time.”

He hovered over me. His sunglasses were so black in the shadow of the cabin that I couldn’t see his eyes at all. His eyebrows were angled sharply down. His mouth was pressed tightly together.

“You deaf, dumb and blind?”

“No.”

“No?” He grins. And the next thing sent me flying. The shocking sonic explosion of an air horn two inches from my face. HARRRRR! My arms and legs snapped to life, sending the blanket into the air. I felt as if a wall of noise shoved me out of my bunk, as I plummeted to the floor.

“Nope. Not deaf. Dumb, maybe. But not deaf. Now get dressed. Time for breakfast.”