Page 61 of The Bleak Beginning

“I love the smell of the forest when it rains,” she says, inhaling deeply. “It’s so…alive.”

I nod in agreement, breathing in the earthy scent of petrichor. The forest did seem more vibrant in the rain, colors deepening and leaves glistening. As we walk, I find myself noticing details I’d overlooked before—the intricate patterns of lichen on tree bark, the delicate unfurling of fern fronds.

“Hey, I want to apologize again for breaking your camera. When I borrowed it, I had every intention of returning it.”

Right after I got the footage of Bishop’s glitter-covered face and posted it all over school. But I left that part out.

“It’s really alright, it wasn’t mine.” She shrugs, completely indifferent. “I doubt they’ll notice it even went missing,” she adds casually.

I feel a twinge of guilt at Sutton’s words. Not only had I broken someone else’s camera, but I’d also potentially gotten her in trouble. I open my mouth to apologize again, but a sudden flash of lightning, followed by a deafening crack of thunder cut me off.

Sutton jumps, her eyes wide. “Whoa, that was close!”

“Too close,” I mutter, picking up the pace. “We need to get out of here.”

We hurry to get back on the trail, the rain now coming down in sheets. Our path is becoming slick and treacherous, mud squelching beneath our feet. Another bolt of lightning illuminates the forest, casting eerie shadows among the trees.

We made it back to my dorm, tucking ourselves safely underneath the arched deck below the front entry.

“Wanna come up?” I offer, shaking out the excess dampness from the base of my jacket. Sure, I didn’t have the best option for a room right now, but at least it was warm…and mostly dry.

“Nah,” she says. “I think I’ll head back to my own room; I have some homework I need to catch up on before class Monday. Besides, Oliveri isn’t too far from here, and the rain isn’t that bad with my coat.”

Oliveri? So that’s the dorm she lives in.

Good to know, in case I ever have another flash flood in my room.

As we prepare to part ways, she pauses and looks back at me with a hint of hesitation in her expression. “Remind me again, what were you planning on using the camera for?”

I hesitate, caught off guard by her question. I hadn’t actually told her why I needed the camera in the first place, just asked if she knew where I could borrow one.

“For…research,” I answer vaguely, hoping she wouldn’t press further.

Extortion. Humiliation. Amusement. All three more accurate words, but she gets none of those.

But the pile of glitter on the other hand? Yeah, I’ll totally confess that I snuck into the art building and removed every last speck of sparkle I could find.

Sutton raises an eyebrow, clearly not buying my flimsy excuse. “Research, huh? Must be some pretty interestingresearchto risk borrowing and breaking someone else’s camera.”

I shrug, trying to appear nonchalant. “You know how it is. Sometimes you’ve got to take risks for…science.”

She stares at me for a long moment, her eyes narrowing slightly. I can practically see the gears turning in her head, trying to piece together what I’m really up to. Finally, she seems to come to some sort of decision.

“Well, whatever it is, I hope it was worth it,” she says, then pauses. “Just be careful, okay? You never know who might not have your back.”

With that cryptic warning, Sutton gives me a small wave and heads off into the rain, leaving me standing there with a mixture of guilt and unease churning in my stomach.

I stand there for a moment, unsettled by her parting words. Does she know something? Or is she just being cautious? I shake my head, trying to dispel the paranoia creeping in.

Helpful, I decide. She was being helpful.

A tingling sensation floods my chest, but I ignore the discomfort, rubbing away my doubts with a swipe of my hand, and head inside.

Chapter 12

Sylvester

Itoss my duffle bag over my shoulder, shaking out the excess water from my hair as I step out the natatorium, not that it matters much. Altair is a never-ending cesspool of rain.

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