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A gull flew over her before diving into the water. Lucas swam back to shore and Blaze took his turn jumping off the tree trunk.

How much trouble would they get in if they skipped their chores and swam here all day? A lot, she was sure. She’d give the guys another fifteen minutes before she insisted they row back. She didn’t want to jeopardize their invitation to return next summer. It wasn’t worth it.

She didn’t know how long she floated while the guys messed around before she sensed someone nearby. Lurching up, she saw Blaze treading beside her. He cocked his head for her to follow. He swam to the canoe and lifted himself up, arms folded over the side, his legs dangling in the water and back exposed to the sun. Olivia went to the other side so the canoe wouldn’t capsize. Facing him, she rested her chin on her fists.

“I wish we didn’t have to go back tomorrow,” Blaze griped.

“Me either,” she said.

“Who’d you get for first period?”

“Ms.Keenan.” Class schedules were mailed this week and Olivia asked Charlotte to open hers when she spoke with her mom last night. She’d crossed her fingers all summer hoping she’d get Ms.Keenan. She was younger than the other teachers and cooler, too. She didn’t lecture. She taught English class like a book club. Olivia had never participated in a book club, but her friends said Ms.Keenan sat them in a circle and they discussed books. She even encouraged her students to act out the scenes. Her class was the only thing about school Olivia was looking forward to. That and cross-country. She was going to try out for the team if Charlotte and Dwight didn’t make her babysit Lily after school like they did last year. Her parents pretended they had money, but Olivia knew that wasn’t the case. Dwight wanted Charlotte to sell more homes. Charlotte wanted him to pick up more winery clients. She even overheard her father smash a chair when Charlotte learned Grandfather Gilbert never wrote her back into his will. Olivia has no idea why. Her mom wouldn’t tell her when she asked once. She’s never met her grandfather. She heard he was sick for a long time, but he must have been a mean person to do that to his own daughter.

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.

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