Chapter 7 – Unwanted Passengers
The morning sun spilled over Willow Creek in wide golden bands, catching on dewdrops clinging to the grass and the roofs of parked cars. The air smelled faintly of damp earth and coffee drifting from the diner across the street.
Mira sat cross-legged on the curb outside the bus station, her black backpack wedged between her knees. She was grinning in a way that made her cheeks ache, but she didn't care, today was the day. After weeks of scheming, lying, and dodging suspicion, the plan was in motion.
First to arrive was Zoe, pulling a pink suitcase so massive it looked like it could double as a tiny apartment.
Mira raised an eyebrow. "We said pack light."
Zoe huffed, brushing a curl out of her face. "These are my essentials."
"How many days do you think we're gone?" Mira teased.
Zoe smirked. "Enough days to regret not packing an extra jacket. You'll see."
Next came Leo, swaggering toward them with a battered cap pulled low over his brow and aviator sunglasses hiding half his face.
"What's with the spy gear?" Zoe asked.
"Stealth mode," Leo said simply. "Less chance my uncle's friends spot me."
Ash arrived quietly, as always, with a single duffel bag slung over his shoulder. He gave a short nod to everyone before taking a seat on the bench.
Jayden was last, stumbling down the street with his own duffel, looking like he'd been awake all night.
"You okay?" Mira asked.
"Couldn't stop thinking about it," Jayden admitted. "Running the plan through my head, making sure there weren't any holes."
Mira flashed him a confident smile. "There aren't. By this time tomorrow, we'll be on Mirage Island, living the dream."
They almost believed her.
---
The "camp" bus was due at 9 a.m., supposedly to take them to the docks where they had catch the ferry. In reality, it was just an old yellow school bus that the group had paid a local driver to "borrow" for the weekend. The bus's faded paint and squeaky door gave it an almost cartoonish charm perfect for keeping up the illusion.
The group was halfway through checking their bags by the curb when a voice called out behind them.
"Well, well, if it isn't the little 'campers.'"
They turned to see Windy leaning against a lamp post, arms folded, that annoying smirk plastered on her face. Her cheer squad fanned out behind her like backup dancers, their matching white hoodies spotless despite the dusty sidewalk.
"What do you want, Windy?" Mira asked, already bracing for trouble.
"What do I want?" Windy's smirk widened. "Oh, nothing much Just to tell the principal that I overheard you five scheming about a trip that sounds nothing like a school camp."
Zoe's eyes widened. " No You wouldn't."
Windy tilted her head. "Oh, I would, And I will unless, of course…" She drew out the pause until it was unbearable. "…you let me and my girls come along...No questions...No complaining, And you treat us like part of the group."
Leo laughed bitterly. "You? Part of the group? That's like letting a fox guard the chicken coop."
Windy ignored him, pulling out her phone and scrolling like she had all the time in the world. "So… are you going to agree? Or should I call the principal right now?"
Ash's voice was tight. "Fine."
"Fine?" Windy raised an eyebrow. "No, no..I want it on record. Say it loud and clear"
Mira clenched her fists. "Fine. You can come."
Windy beamed as if they just invited her to the Met Gala. "Good choice.. Oh, and don't worry I already covered for you..
"Covered us?.."
"Yeah.. I told Principal Harris that we're all headed to a big cheerleading rehearsal out of town. He seemed thrilled you were making new 'extracurricular connections.'"
Jayden groaned. "You lied for us?"
Windy winked. "Call it… a down payment on future favors."
---
The driver, a stocky man with a trucker cap, leaned out the bus window. "We leaving or what? I've got a schedule."
Mira shot the others a look, They could argue but that would mean revealing too much something they absolutely could not risk.
So, they boarded.
The bus smelled faintly of gasoline and lemon air freshener. Mira and Zoe grabbed the middle seats, Leo and Ash sat across from them, and Jayden took the very back.
Windy and her crew claimed the front rows like a royal court, filling the air with perfume and nonstop chatter.
---
The ride to the docks took nearly two hours. At first, the group tried to talk strategy in low whispers.
"She's going to ruin everything," Zoe muttered.
"Understatement," Leo grumbled.
"We could still try to ditch them at the docks," Ash suggested.
"And explain why?" Mira countered. "No way."
Windy, overhearing just enough to be smug, leaned over her seat. "You're not plotting to ditch us, are you? That would be… rude."
They shut up after that.
---
Jayden spent most of the ride staring out the window as the scenery shifted from suburbs to winding coastal roads. The ocean finally came into view, a deep, endless blue stretching toward the horizon. But all he could think about was Lisa.
What if she saw the flyer? Or read the flyer? What if she told someone?
His stomach knotted, and he pressed his forehead to the glass.
---
When they finally reached the docks, the smell of saltwater and diesel hit them immediately. Gulls wheeled overhead, their cries sharp against the hum of boat engines.
And there, far out in the hazy distance, was a dark smudge on the water.
Mirage Island.
It was smaller than Jayden expected—just a hump of green rising from the sea, but there was something strange about it. The air above shimmered faintly, like heat waves over asphalt.
The group's excitement flickered back despite the unwanted company.
They walked down the pier toward the small ferry they had arranged through a "friend of a friend" who didn't ask questions.
The captain, a leathery man with sun-bleached hair and a cigarette tucked behind his ear, eyed them lazily. "You the camp kids?"
"Yep," Mira said quickly.
Windy stepped forward, smiling like she just won a contest. "We're with them."
The captain shrugged. "Long as you pay, I don't care if you're the Queen of England."
Windy pulled a wad of cash from her pocket. "We're covered."
---
As the ferry chugged away from the dock, the five friends huddled near the back rail.
"This is bad," Zoe whispered.
"This is a nightmare," Leo corrected.
"She's going to cause trouble," Ash said quietly.
"She already is trouble," Mira muttered, rubbing her temples.
Jayden swallowed hard. "We just… make sure she doesn't ruin it."
---
Windy, meanwhile, was at the bow, hair whipping dramatically in the wind as she filmed a selfie video for her followers.
"Headed to camp with the cutest little island backdrop," she said into her phone. "Can't wait to bond with some old friends." She looked over her shoulder at the group and smirked.
---
The closer they got, the stranger the island seemed. The shimmer above it was more pronounced now, the air around it almost humming a sound so low they could feel it more than hear it.
By the time the ferry slowed, all conversation had faded.
Windy and her cheer squad were still too busy posing for Tik Toks to notice, but Mira's group exchanged wary glances.
Something about Mirage Island felt… awake.
Like it was watching....
---