Ashley pushes his hand away with a groan. “No more. I’m going to puke.”

“Fine.” He lifts the shot glass to his mouth.

“Haven’t dared you yet!” Kyle objects, waving an arm haphazardly in the air.

“Fine. I dare me to kiss Freckles.” Eric dives down to plant his mouth on hers, spilling half his tequila over the rocks in the process.

“That doesn’t count, jackass,” Kyle mutters, but he’s grinning, as am I, because Ashley hasn’t pushed him away. “Finally,” he murmurs, his stomach muscles tensing as he sits up, his hand gripping my head as I slide downward. “Let’s get this over with. I’m getting cold, too.”

We collect the empty bottles.

“Man, we drank a lot,” Kyle murmurs, chuckling and stumbling a touch. “Thanks, Piper, for bankrolling all this.”

“Whatever.” I didn’t even think; I just handed my card to him. I also filled his car up with gas and picked up our burger tab. It felt good to do that.

It takes three times as long to climb the rocky hill. Ashley and I are on our hands and knees, laughing, by the time we reach the top. “I just want to sleep now,” I moan, inspecting the scratches on my palms from the thorny branches and rocks. I’m going to feel them tomorrow.

Eric stumbles over to the edge of the cliff. “I can’t believe we only have one week left here.”

“Careful . . . You’re drunk,” Ashley warns. “I don’t want you falling off.”

Eric turns to grin at her. “Aw, you finally admitting that you care about me?”

“No.” She giggles, her cheeks flushing.

And then Eric leaps over the edge, his “Yahoo!” following all the way down to a splash.

“Shit!” Kyle rushes to the edge, stepping carefully as he peers over. “You crazy asshole!” he bellows.

“Jump!” Eric coaxes from below.

Ashley and I both sigh with relief.“So I can climb back up that hill? Hell no.”

“Lame!” comes the response.

“Remember, you’re a shitty swimmer. Just get back up here.” Kyle backs away from the edge, stumbling a touch. “This is going to take a while.” He more falls than sits on the boulder. “I drank too much.”

“We all drank too much.” I hunker down next to him. Ashley falls into him on the other side. We lean against one another while we wait.

“I think I’m going to pass out,” Ashley moans. “Or puke. One of the two. Or maybe both.”

“Hurry up, Vetter!” Kyle hollers.

Silence answers.

“Eric?”

Nothing.

“Fuck . . .” Kyle stumbles to his feet and heads for the rocky pathway down. “Hey! Eric!”

“I’m coming . . . I’m coming . . .” comes the answer between ragged breaths. “This was a really bad idea, wasn’t it?”

Kyle laughs. “Yeah, you’re full of bad ideas, asshole.” He watches with his arms folded over his chest, as his drunken best friend scales the treacherous path.

It’s another few moments before we spot Eric’s curly blond hair crest.

“Ugh. Finally. Can we go now?” Ashley pulls herself to her feet.

“Good things come to those who wait, Freckles.” Eric stands and grins, his arms outstretched, his chest heaving with his exertion.

He sways backward and stumbles to catch his balance.

And then he’s gone.

“Eric!” Kyle yells, scrambling for him.

“Kyle!” I choke out. Ashley and I rush toward the top of the path in time to see Eric tumbling head over heels, over and over, bouncing off the rocks. Kyle tries in vain to catch up, skidding and sliding down the path while somehow managing to stay on his feet.

Eric comes to a stop in a sprawled heap at the rocks on the bottom. Even in the dimming light and with my impaired vision, I can see his leg is bent all wrong. Crimson seeps out all over his skin.

He lets out a bloodcurdling scream.

“Eric!” Ashley cries out, looking ready to run for him, tears pouring from her eyes.

“No! Ash!” I grab her arm. I think I’m going to throw up.

Kyle is halfway down the hill, his eyes wild with panic as they flit between his friend on the rocks and us.

“What do we do, Kyle?” I cry.

“Uh . . . Okay. Go and get Darian now. Tell her Eric fell and we need an ambulance. Tell her where we are.”

I nod, grabbing Ashley’s arm.

I run as fast as I can.

Darian’s face is carved with worry as she marches toward us, the air ambulance climbing higher in the sky, two state troopers in conversation nearby, six counselors including Christa lingering near the trees, their expressions filled with horror and shock.

“Is he going to be okay?” Ashley manages through her sobs.

“Well, his leg and arm are definitely broken. That’s all we know right now. I’m sure it helped, having all that alcohol coursing through his veins,” Darian says.

I avert my gaze to my feet to avoid her glare. Regret weighs down on me. God, we are so stupid.

“What were you guys thinking, going out there?” she admonishes. “How much did you drink?”

I steal a glance to my left, to Kyle. His jaw tenses.

What will happen to him if the police find out that he used his brother’s ID to buy the booze?

“I know you’ve all been drinking. I can smell it on you. And there’s a pile of empty bottles lying here. Where did you get the alcohol? In town? Who bought it for you?”

Kyle bought it, but I paid for it all, on my credit card. There’s a record of it, and now Eric is badly hurt and there are cops hovering. What will happen to me?

I swallow my rising fear. “I’d like to call my father.” As much as I dread that conversation, if there’s a way out of this, he’ll know it. Plus, he’s going to find out anyway. About this, about Kyle . . .

Darian sighs. “That’s a very good idea, Piper. Let’s call all your parents. And you can pack your things while you wait for them to come and get you.”

“Is that him?” Kyle murmurs, his fingers laced within mine as we sit beside each other at a picnic table under the pavilion, watching headlights approach up Wawa’s long, winding road at one A.M.