Free Camp Confidential 05 - TTYL by Melissa J. Morgan Page A

“Oh,” he said. “I don’t know her.”
    Jenna’s mom looked over her newspaper. “What’s wrong with Helen?” she asked, folding the paper and setting it down on the empty chair next to her.
    “I don’t know, she was out yesterday,” Jenna lied, feeling a guilty blush creep across her face. Helen didn’t really exist at all—it was just the first name that came to her mind. “And so was Tanya, who you also don’t know, Adam,” she added, deepening the lie. “On Friday,” she continued, “they were at school but they were coughing a lot.”
    “Did they go to Nicole’s party?” Adam asked in his best innocent voice. He put down his spoon and stared right at Jenna.
    She narrowed her eyes. “I don’t know, Adam. I wasn’t there,” she said pointedly. Before anyone could ask her any more questions, she noisily took a big bite of cereal and chomped on it loudly for way longer than she needed to. As soon as she swallowed, she immediately shoved another spoonful into her mouth.
    But her mom didn’t get the hint. “I didn’t know Nicole had a party, Jen!” she said. “When was it?”
    Jenna’s mouth was full, so she couldn’t respond, but Adam’s spoon still rested on the table. He crossed his arms. “It was last Saturday,” he said. “Everybody at school was talking about it, about how fun it was and stuff.”
    “That’s too bad you had to miss it, sweetheart,” Jenna’s mom said consolingly.
    Jenna swallowed. “Yeah, whatever, it’s fine,” she said. “Adam, let’s get going, we’re going to be late.” She shoved her bowl away from her, and stood up quickly.
    “Do you need a ride?” her mom asked. “Steph and Matt left already, but I can drive you if you need me to.”
    “That’s okay, Mom,” Jenna said. She started walking toward the door, but stopped and thought for a moment. “Actually . . . maybe I do want to get a ride. I don’t know if being out in the cold will be good for me.” She coughed again, more gently this time.
    She looked over at Adam, who was slowly shaking his head at her. He could always tell when she had something up her sleeve. Narrowing her eyes, Jenna added, “I hope Helen is back in math today . . . we were going to work together on a project.”
    Their mom stood up from the table and began clearing away the breakfast dishes. Jenna walked through the living room and into the entrance hall, where her shoes and backpack were. She knelt down to slip on her sneakers and tied the laces into double knots. As she was straightening up and sliding her backpack onto her shoulders, Adam walked into the hallway.
    “Are you faking?” he accused her.
    “I’m not!” Jenna replied defensively. She pushed her hair out of her eyes. “I am feeling sick.”
    “That was the worst cough I’ve ever heard in my life,” Adam said. He bent down to put on his sneakers. “If this is just another prank—if you’re trying to get out of going to Dad’s so you can go to Nicole’s party—well, I don’t think it’s gonna fly. Mom wasn’t born yesterday.”
    “I’m not!” Jenna exclaimed angrily. “I am feeling sick!”
    The jingle of their mom’s car keys floated in from the living room. Jenna lowered her voice. “Anyway, just stay out of it, Adam,” she said. “I don’t feel well and you’re making me feel worse.”
    Adam stood up and put on his backpack. “You’ll feel even worse if you have to stay home all weekend and Mom doesn’t let you go out on Saturday because you’re sick,” he pointed out. “Just wait.”
    “Wait for what?” their mom said, entering the room. She shrugged her black trench coat on. “Ready?”
    “Nothing, Mom,” Jenna said. “Yeah. I’m ready.”
    “Me too,” Adam said. “Let’s go.”
    Their mom walked out the front door, and Adam and Jenna followed. Jenna let the door slam softly as she closed it. She walked down the driveway and got into the backseat of her mom’s SUV.

    Jenna didn’t talk to her brother on