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I shake my head, finally grabbing my own stack of pancakes and joining my companions at the tiny table. We only just all fit, but it's cozy. I'm so used to having a big dining table, that it feels like you are a million miles from your dinner guests. It's kind of nice to have the close space now.
"So, what's on your agenda for today?" Carmen asks, beaming at me.
I shrug, cutting into a pancake. "I might go for a walk into town. Check out the shops. It's supposed to be a nice day."
She nods. "It was so cold last night. The sun was a nice surprise this morning."
Jeremy points his fork at me, his brown hair falling into his eyes. "You should check out the lake. Don't let the stories scare you away. It's actually quite nice."
"Stories?" Chuck asks, raising an eyebrow.
Jasmine rolls her eyes, apparently used to the rants of Jeremy on this topic. He nods aggressively, putting his fork down.
"A few years ago a kid was killed there. Or, so they say. We think he just drowned. You know… typical teens drinking and doing stupid shit. Anyways, there's a rumor it's haunted. But honestly, it's so nice to just hang by the water on days like this."
I snort at the possibility of being haunted by a teenager at the lake, but it does sound like the perfect thing to fill my time today.
Chuck reaches under the table, his fingers caressing my leg. "Why don't we all go?"
Jeremy's blue eyes light up like a kid at Christmas, while Jasmine rolls hers. "Yeah, I'm in," she says.
I look at Carmen who grins back. "Of course! I don't have to work until tomorrow, so hell yes."
"Then it's settled," I reply. "We're going to the haunted lake."
"This is your haunted lake?" I ask incredulously, looking around at the shameful pool of water.
I suppose coming from "privilege" warps your perception sometimes.
The lake, as Jeremy had framed it, was actually a small body of water on the edge of town. It was more like a mudhole, with shrubs surrounding it.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Jer answers, his eyes bright.
I snort, giving Chuck a look. He grins at me, giving me a small nod.
"It's a pit. Where's the water?" I tease.
Jeremy pulls off his shirt and starts making his way through the mud, as if about to present us the world's best holiday destination. The mud splatters up his pasty white legs, until he finally reaches the edge of the water.
"This is heaven, whether or not you believe it, Ry. The water is warm… ish. Warmish, and… and over there," he points towards a rusty old lifeguard seat. "That's where the kid fell off."
It's all starting to make sense to me now.
"Right… let me guess, he was drunk, and didn't realize that the water was low, broke his neck and drowned?"
Jeremy pouts, glaring at me. "Well, that's one theory, yes. The other one is he was pushed."
Chuck clears his throat. "I guess the common denominator here is … the water was low?"
Jasmine bursts out laughing, kicking off her shoes. "In Jeremy's defence, the water is usually higher. It's just been low the last few months because of drought. It's not usually this… muddy."
I swear I see admiration and love appear in Jeremy's vision as he looks at Jasmine. Rookie mistake, Jaz.
"You'll grow to love it. I promise," Jeremy says, throwing his arms out. "Just don't come here after dark. Or you might get spooked."
I kick off my shoes, pulling the waistband of my shorts up. "Unlikely. I've seen too much shit to get spooked by the paranormal. In fact, it would probably be the least scariest thing to happen to me this year."
Carmen reaches over, rubbing my arm gently. "You still haven't told us what happened. Something must have happened to make you leave home so quickly. We nearly thought you weren't coming after the initial meet."
