Even though my mum was angry with me, she still loved me. “Did you have breakfast, Violet?”

I shook my head. It still hurt. A strange thought crossed my mind. How did Dave know my head was sore?

“Your head must be pounding…” he had said. Did I tell him that? No. I didn’t.

“We can stop for some food. There’s a cafe nearby—” Mum started.

“Did you notice anything weird about Dave?” I said.

“Who’s Dave?” Dad asked. He seemed to have softened.

“That camp guide back there. The one we just left.”

“Honey, that was Kasper.”

What? “No, mum. That was Dave. Kasper and his brother, Siya, own the camp. They were out with the groups today.”

Dad shrugged. “All we know is he’s the one who called us this morning and told us to come get you because you were having a hard time with the students, and you got caught cheating in one of the games.”

It all fit now. Maya was an accomplice. Dave was the hunter! Didn’t they say he was new?

“Dad, stop the car! We need to go back.”

“We are not going back,” Dad said, in a final tone.

I didn’t know what to do. Siya and Kasper could be out there somewhere, bruised. Or worse…I knew what I had to do. I unlocked my door and swung it open.

My mum screamed and my dad kept steady so the car wouldn’t swerve.

“Please,” I pleaded. “I have never been more serious in my entire life. Trust me this once. I don’t want to jump, but I will if I must.”

“Close your door, Violet,” Dad said in a panic. “We’ll go back.”

I sighed with relief as I shut the door, and he made a U-turn. My parents were furious. But they were saving the lecture until after I did whatever I had to do because they could see my panic.

Once we got back to the camp, I noticed the campers had returned. It must be lunch time.
I found Joel and he seemed surprised to see me. I asked him if he had seen Kasper or Siya.

“Yeah, they were with us in paintball. But I don’t know where they are now. How come you’re still here? Dave said you went home.”

Out of the side of my eye, I spotted Maya. I dashed past Joel and pulled Maya into a corner.

“I know everything, Maya,” I told her. “Now tell me where Kasper and Siya are right now or so help me God I will tear your hair out.”

She widened her eyes. “Listen, crazy girl. I don’t know what you’re talking about. I haven’t seen Kasper and Siya all day.”

“What? Joel said that they were with you for paintball.”

“Evidently, your friend is lying to you.”

“No! You’re the one that’s lying. You hit me over the head and told everyone I wasn’t feeling well so they went on without me. You’re working with the hunter. I saw your yellow boots.”

“Seriously? I have no clue what you’re saying. Dave told everyone that your parents were coming to fetch you, that’s why we left without you. Come to think of it, Kasper and Siya weren’t around for dinner last night either. And as for my boots, I lost them a few days ago. Ask everyone. I’ve been looking for them all over.”

Could I have been wrong? Why was Joel lying?

Looked like I wasn’t such a great detective after all. Maya was a pain, but I sensed she was telling the truth. Which meant that Kasper and Siya didn’t return from the woods last night. I had to go find them.

“Maya,” I started. “I’m sorry. For everything. I wish I could go back and change the first day we met. You seem like a cool person.”

Maya was taken aback. “What’s gotten into you?”

“I’ll explain later. Right now, I have to go.”

“Wait,” she called. “Can I help?”

I didn’t want to endanger anyone else. “I’ll be OK. I’ll see you soon.”

I sped off to the place in the woods that I’d last seen Kasper and Siya and saw them both tied to a large tree.

“I’m so glad I found you guys!” I started to untie them.

They kept thanking me, but also saying that I should leave right away.

“I’ll leave once I know you both are fine,” I said.

“I thought I took care of you!” Dave said from behind me. Kasper and Siya broke the remaining ropes now that they were loose and stood in front of me as protection.

“Don’t you dare touch her!” Siya raged.

“I only wanted you two,” Dave said. “She got in the way. And when I saw the argument between you and Maya, the idea came to me to make her your prime suspect and to get you to leave. Two birds with one stone.”

They had framed Maya! “Too bad your plan didn’t work,” I spat. “It’s not that easy to get rid of me.”

Dave laughed. “We’ll see about that.”

“We’re sorry we did this to you,” Kasper said to me. “We shouldn’t have involved you.”

“It was my decision,” I told them. “There is nothing you need to feel bad about. Now go show this guy who’s boss!”

Kasper and Siya closed in on Dave.

“Two against one doesn’t seem fair, does it?”

Another voice! Another twist! Joel walked out from the bushes.

I can’t say I was surprised. I’d suspected him back there when his story didn’t match Maya’s.
Kasper and Siya gave each other a knowing look. Kasper tackled Dave and Siya went for Joel. The four of them got into a tussle and I looked around to find an object that I could use as a weapon.

After some time, Kasper had Dave pinned down. Distracted by the fact that that his partner was defeated, Joel lost focus and Siya managed to tackle him. The wolf brothers tied up the evil duo with the same ropes from the tree.

“What will happen now?” I asked.

“We’ll have to question them, find out what they know, if there are any others,” Kasper answered. “We’ll handle it from here.”

“Thank you for all your help,” Siya said, giving me a hug. “We couldn’t have done it without you, Violet.”

I beamed, knowing I’d be back next year.

***

My parents let me stay the remaining week after Kasper and Siya vouched for me. Maya was so touched by my apology that she announced to everyone that she had made up the rumours of my cheating. My mum and dad still gave me a hardcore lecture for threatening to jump out of a moving vehicle, but once they saw that they were being unfair by not listening to me, they softened up. My dad said he was proud of me for learning so much during my stay here!

When the time came for us all to go back home, we shared a heartfelt goodbye and Maya promised that we’d share a room again next year. I almost teased her again but bit my tongue. Hey…baby steps.

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