Drinking Life (Keeper of the Water Book 1) by Kevin George Page A

only one who moves quietly.
    The cheery tone in my voice is fake, maybe too fake. It’s rare I have to hide my anger toward someone I talk to. This must be how Cassie feels most of the time.
    “You startled me,” Mom says.
    “Oh, I’m sorry,” I lie.
    “That’s okay, I’m just glad it wasn’t Cassie,” Mom says. “I am thirsty. What have you got?”
    “Lemonade,” I answer. “Just squeezed it myself. I know it can get warm in here.”
    I hand her the small paper cup and she thanks me. A part of me feels guilty for lying but that’s apparently not a trait I got from her – if I’ve gotten anything from her. She takes a sip and her lips pucker. Oops, did I forget to add the sugar?
    “It’s strong,” my mother says.
    “How did you meet Celeste?” I blurt out. So much for being subtle in finding answers.
    My mother turns back to her work but can’t hide the fact that she’s nervous. She’s so bad at hiding her emotions that I’m disappointed with myself for not figuring out the truth sooner.
    “On a trip,” she says simply.
    I give her a moment to elaborate—to give any details—but she doesn’t. I can tell she feels uncomfortable and doesn’t want to talk. This is how she acts on the rare occasion that Cassie says anything to her.
    “And Daddy was there with you?”
    “What’s with the questions?” she asks. She shuffles some of the papers but her hands visibly shake.
    “Just wondering,” I say. “I was thinking how strange it is that Celeste and Cassie always come with us whenever we move.” Mom doesn’t respond after a few seconds so I continue. “It’s just that Cassie is so miserable here.”
    “That girl is miserable anywhere, she always has been.”
    “But not so much the last time in Colorado. She had a lot of friends at our last school,” I say. “Seems weird that Celeste would take her away from that.”
    “You know the business wouldn’t survive without her expertise,” Mom says. “And when your father was younger and the business was just starting, he used to push some of our tourists too hard during the hikes and rafting trips. He didn’t understand how people weren’t as used to the elements as him—strange since he’s married to me. Besides, Celeste is like a part of the family now.”
    “And Cassie? She’s a part of our family, too?”
    Mom frowns as she nods. She somehow forces down the rest of the lemonade before crushing the paper cup and tossing it toward the tiny trash can. It’s only a few feet away but she’s not even close to getting it in. To make matters worse, she nearly trips while picking it up and throwing it away. Mom has had enough working for the day and we head out of the trailer together. I walk halfway to our cabin with her before stopping.
    “I think I’m going to take a ride to The Outdoor Super-Store and see what kind of special shooting arrows they have. Do you want to come with me?” I ask.
    I can’t stop myself from inviting her, from bluffing when I know I shouldn’t. The last thing I want is for her to come along; that would ruin my well-laid plans. But this gamble is as close to a guarantee as possible. The Outdoor Super-Store is my father’s favorite store in the world and he and I spend hours there just looking around. But Mom has never once come with us.
    “You go have a good time. I have some things to do around the house,” she says.
    I make a show of patting my pockets. “Must’ve left the Jeep keys in the trailer. I will see you later.”
    I rush into the trailer even though the keys are in my back pocket, along with an empty plastic sandwich bag. I reach into the trash and take out the paper cup, securing it in the bag. I don’t watch much TV but I feel like one of those crime scene people collecting evidence.
    I drive almost half an hour to the big shopping center where The Outdoor Super-Store is located. But I have no desire to browse the newest tents and oars and camp stoves. Instead I walk into the