Free Summer of Yesterday by Gaby Triana Page B

you mean? You live in Fort Wilderness too?” Who knew so many people spent the summer here?
    â€œNot all year, no. But they always need extra help during peak season, so my brother and I applied to River Country, and we got the jobs. Which brings me to another question. Why haven’t you told your family yet about what happened to you? I still haven’t seen you with anyone. It’s really strange to see guests on their own, especially kids.”
    Kids? I know he’s older than me, but it’s not like he’s not a kid himself.
    â€œI was afraid you’d notice that.” Maybe this was a bad idea to come and meet him.
    His eyes soften. He gets that look again, where’s he’s not an employee at the moment, just a friend. He leans closer to me across the table. “Do they know you’re here, Haley?”
    If I say no, his sense of cast member responsibility might kick back in, and he’ll try to get me reunited with my nonexistent family. If I say yes, he’ll want to see them.
    At that exact moment a steaming pepperoni pizza is set on the table between us, along with two metal plates. Thank God the American pioneers of the Ol’ West knew how to make pizza, because I am starving! “Let’s eat!” I reach for a slice.
    But Jason’s expression looks like he thinks he’s figured it out. “You could eat this whole pizza pie, couldn’t you?” He checks under the table, then back at me. “You swiped those sandals, and you could use new shorts. Haley, I promise I won’t tell anybody. I’m not a cast member right now, okay? Who let you in?”
    Who let me in? I chuckle and put down the slice. “It’s not what you think. I’m not a runaway. My parents know I’m here.”
    â€œYeah? Then where are they?”
    â€œOkay.” I watch the swirling lines of steam rising from the melted mozzarella. “Promise me you won’t freak out.”
    â€œYou mean flip out.”
    â€œWhatever.” I play around with the Parmesan cheese shaker. “Consider this one of my dad’s experiments. Kind of like a dare. What happened was, we got into an argument. He said I didn’t appreciate him, my little brother and sister, so they left. Without me. Like, teaching me a lesson.”
    â€œThat sounds unusually cruel.”
    â€œIt’s not. My dad is always doing stuff like that. He wants to show me what it’s like to get along in the world without him. He’s just trying to get me to understand. Now I have to figure out where I’m going to sleep, how I’m going to eat without any money. See? Teaching me a lesson.”
    â€œBut you suffer from seizures. No father would do that.”
    Crap. He’s right. This lie totally sucks! Modify.
    â€œYou wouldn’t think so, but they didn’t leave Disney World. They just moved to the Contemporary for the rest of the week. He’s waiting to see how long before I give up, go back to him, beg for forgiveness, you know? But I know he’s keeping an eye on me. Fact, I saw him a little while ago. He doesn’t know I saw him though.”
    Please, Jason. Please buy this whole story. It’s gotten way better! And part of it is true.
    He winces, points to the pizza, and says, “You’re not eating. Sounds fishy, Haley. But I guess some parents are modern like that. What are you going to do? Seems like he’s right. You can survive in the campground without a roof over your head, but you can’t survive without cash.” He serves himself, then digs in. “I mean, let’s face it. This is Disney.”
    He’s right. And I feel like Pinocchio for stretching this lie as far as it will go. But Dina did say I could get anything I wanted by using my looks. Maybe I need to use that advantage now.
    I pick up the slice again and try not to shove the entire thing down my throat, as hungry as I am. “Right, so I was