After her parents received that news, they fired Lily’s nanny and had Olivia stay home with her instead. It wasn’t Lily’s fault, but she started to resent her little sister for taking up all her free time. Summer break couldn’t have come fast enough, and it had been wonderful spending these last six weeks thinking only of herself. She didn’t have to constantly worry about Lily. Mrs. Whitman watched over her.
Olivia lazily twirled her legs in the water. The sun scorched her back. “Who’d you get?” she asked Blaze.
He made a face. “Mr. Rivers.” He was old and crabby and five years overdue for retirement. Olivia pouted with him.
They compared schedules and sulked when they realized they didn’t share any classes. Last year they sat next to each other in fourth period science.
“This year’s going to suck.” Blaze rolled his chin on his arms, squinting against the sun reflecting off the metal boat. His nose was peeling, the new skin a bright pink.
A chill skipped across Olivia’s bare shoulders like a pebble across the lake’s surface. Her ears pricked. She lifted her head. “Where’s Lucas?” The lake had gone awfully quiet. She listened for his splashes and heard nothing.
Blaze looked behind him at the shore overgrown with brush. “He’s probably taking a piss.”
Olivia shielded her eyes with her hand and squinted at the shore. Usually she could see the guys when they peed. Much to her disgust, they didn’t venture too far into the bushes. She couldn’t see Lucas at all.
“I don’t see him.”
“Lucas,” Blaze yelled. “Stop dicking around.”
“Lucas!” Olivia shrieked. Her heart thumped fast. She swam to Blaze’s side of the boat to get a better look. “He’s not up there.” Where could he have gone? She didn’t see him wander past the log they’d been jumping off. But then she hadn’t been paying attention. “Go find him,” she told Blaze.
Blaze groaned an objection, but he swam to shore. Olivia hoisted herself into the canoe, almost tipping it over as she clambered aboard. She flopped into the hull like a fish and scrambled into the stern seat. Picking up an oar, she paddled toward shore, searching the water as she hollered for her brother.
The idiot was always joking around, and he’d been pranking them all summer. This was probably no different, but Olivia hated it. Even Blaze was getting annoyed with Lucas’s stupid stunts. They’d gotten into trouble more than once when Lucas made them late for dinner or forced them to stay out past curfew because they couldn’t find him. This time, though, she hoped he was pulling a prank and wasn’t on the bottom of the lake.
“Please be okay. Please be okay,” she chanted. He’d better not have drowned. Lily would be devastated. Olivia would kill him all over again just for dying on her. Why was he always causing trouble? The Whitmans wouldn’t invite them back if they constantly worried about Lucas.
“He’s not here,” Blaze shouted.
“He has to be. Where could he have gone?”
Blaze shrugged.
“Get in. Hurry.” She paddled to shore and Blaze climbed aboard.
“Look there.” Blaze pointed at the tree they’d been using as a diving board. “See if he’s under there.” He grabbed the other oar and they backpaddled around the tree. A spiderweb of brittle branches extended over the water and dipped below the surface like bony fingers.
“Do you think he’s hiding?” Blaze asked as they drifted by.
If he was, Olivia couldn’t see where. The space was too small and tight, even for a beaver. “Go look.”
Blaze glanced at her over his shoulder like she was mad. But she saw his fear, too. They were both starting to think the worst.
“Please,” she pleaded, trying not to cry.
Blaze set down the oar and dropped into the water. He sank below the surface and came up for air on the other side of the tree. “I don’t see him. He’s not here.”
He has to be. “Keep looking.” She wasn’t ready to give up. They couldn’t. She wouldn’t lose her brother.
Blaze took a deep breath and went below. Olivia stood in the canoe to get a better look. Legs braced, she balanced in the boat. Blaze came up for air again and again.
“Any luck?” she asked.
He shook his head and she started shaking. She felt sick and prayed out loud they’d find him alive. She’d never been so scared.
Blaze disappeared below the surface and she counted to thirty. It was the longest thirty seconds in her life before he surfaced beside the canoe. She released the breath she’d been holding and almost cried. Their eyes met.
“He’s not here,” he said.
“Don’t say that,” she cried.
“We should get my dad.”
“No! He’s here. He has to be. We can’t leave him.”
“Liv—”
A loud roar burst behind her with a wave of water. Olivia felt herself going over. She sank below the surface, kicking and twisting. A hand grabbed her under her shoulder, fingers digging into her armpit, hauling her up.
She gasped when she surfaced.
“You okay?” Blaze asked.
“Yeah.” She sputtered, wiping water from her eyes. Turning around, she looked back at the canoe. Lucas sat in the middle seat hugging his sides, laughing.
“Fucking idiot,” Blaze grumbled.
“You should have seen your face.” Lucas pointed at her.
“Where’ve you been?” she asked, her teeth chattering. She was still in shock. They’d almost lost him.
“Watching you doofuses freak out.”
“Asshole.” Blaze swam to the canoe.
“That wasn’t funny.” Olivia swam around the stern, hoping she was hidden from view. She was about to burst into tears. She really thought he’d drowned.
Blaze pulled himself into the canoe. “We’re late. Let’s go back.”
In their haste to return before anyone noticed they were gone, they forgot to put their life vests back on. Olivia paddled aggressively, throwing off their rhythm. She was furious with Lucas. This time he’d gone too far. Lily and Tyler were waiting on the dock. Mr. Whitman watched for them from the deck.
“We’re screwed,” Lucas muttered.
“It’s your fault we took so long,” Olivia hissed.
“There you are,” Tyler said when they were within earshot.
“We’ve been calling and calling and calling,” Lily added.
“Blame Lucas.” Olivia got out and stomped down the dock.
Lucas followed, giggling. “You should have seen your faces. Lucas! Lucas!” He mimicked Olivia.
“Not funny, douche.” Blaze was angry. But not as angry as Olivia. Blaze wouldn’t lose his summers at the lake. His parents owned the house.
“Lucas, where are you?” Lucas teased, dogging Olivia.
Olivia snapped. She tackled Lucas. They rolled in the dirt. Two years older, she was taller and stronger. She ended up on top and started swinging. Lucas tried to block her arms, but he was laughing too hard until her fist solidly connected with his jaw.
“Ow!” He howled.
“You could have died!” She hit him again.
“Get off, Livy. Don’t hurt him.” Lily tugged Olivia’s hair, trying to pull her off their brother.