Read Online The Summer of Our Discontent by Robin Alexander - Free Book Online Page B

and fattening. Bugs the size of minivans flew around, and there was a really big one in the cabin next to her. Faith knew it had the ability to sting; she’d been stung many times before.
    Earlier that evening, she could feel evil green eyes on her when she sat at the fire with the kids. The few times she glanced Rachel’s way, she caught her cold stare. She was fairly certain that if Rachel could’ve put her on a stick, she would’ve roasted her like a marshmallow.
    Rachel sneezed again, and this time, Faith said, “Curse you.”
    “Shut up.”
    She sat up, peered into Rachel’s cabin, and could just see the top of the book Rachel was holding. “What’re you reading?”
    “How to dispose of a body in a campground.”
    “Can I read it when you’re done?”
    “No,” Rachel said with a sniff. “I need it to refer to. How tall are you?”
    “A fraction of an inch shorter than you but far more powerful. While you’re hoisting doughnuts, I’m working a real job.”
    “Yes, playing horseshoes at the station and stuffing your face with biscuits must be so exhausting.”
    Faith tossed her sheet aside. “That sounded like another barb. That’s not the civility you’ve been preaching.”
    “How much do you weigh? I need to factor that into my formula.”
    “You figure it out.” Faith got up and opened the door to her bathroom. Either the person who designed it was rail thin or had a wicked sense of humor. She looked up at the rusted spring above her head that would assure the door remained closed and held it with her foot as she tried to back in toward the toilet. The door slammed on her head, pushing her backward and down onto the commode before she’d even gotten her shorts down. She pushed it open with her foot and tried to shimmy out of her shorts only to have it slam on her knees. In the privacy of her bathroom, Faith released a long litany of profanity.
    “‘Son of an ass-licking bitch dog,’ I am certain, falls into the category of prohibited language,” Rachel whispered loudly as Faith emerged from the bathroom and climbed into bed.
    “I can say whatever I want when pissing with my knees under my chin. Don’t listen next time.”
    “It was kind of hard to avoid. You scared the owls out of the trees above.” Rachel’s light went off, and it became very dark. “What’d you do about the cockroaches?”
    “What roaches?”
    “The giant ones that live in the pine bark and like to keep you company in the chill of the night.”
    “You can’t make me any more miserable than I already am.”
    “Oh, yeah? Turn on your flashlight and aim it at the ceiling.”
    “Mother of frickin ’ pearl!” Faith was out of the bed and cabin in half a second.
    “Would you two shut up?” one of the other chaperones yelled out.
    Rachel’s door swung open, and Faith shined a light all over her cabin. “Why don’t you have them?” she whispered and shined it in Rachel’s eyes.
    “Get that light out of my face or you won’t need one the next time you go to the bathroom. I’ll shove it so far up your—”
    “Potty mouth, explain why you don’t have cockhorse bugs in your cabin.”
    Rachel shielded her eyes. “You obviously smell better to them.”
    Faith’s light moved all around the cabin until it stopped on a can of bug killer by the door. “I’m taking this. It’s either that or we’re gonna be sharing that wafer of a mattress you’re lying on. And, baby, I kick like a donkey.”
    “Smell like one, too,” Rachel whispered as Faith walked out. She lay there with a grin on her face knowing what was coming next. The first blast of that spray would draw all the roaches out of their hiding places. Faith’s yelp was confirmation that she had many unwanted roommates. Rachel sighed contentedly. “Good night, asshole.”

Chapter Twelve

    Faith awoke with dew on her face and the smell of bug repellent on her skin. She’d sprayed herself so thoroughly before she spread her sheets out on the picnic