by Joanne Rock
“You’re right.” He nodded, his eyes trained on the faint crescent moon riding low on the horizon. “So you think there’s really any meteor activity left?”
I puzzled over our weird exchange and would have traded anything to go back to that moment in the woods when we understood each other perfectly. Because right now, I felt like I’d missed something. Like I’d hurt him somehow and didn’t know how to fix it.
“Seth.” I didn’t follow him. I needed him to look at me so maybe we could find that connection again. So maybe I’d know what he was thinking.
He looked at me, but he was several yards back up the path and it was too dark for me to figure out his expression.
“Seth! Lauren!” Bam-Bam’s voice echoed in the gloom. “Time to head back!”
“Looks like we wouldn’t have gotten too far anyhow.” Seth walked toward me and my breath caught, both from the sight of his shoulders rolling with his lazy gait and from his words.
We wouldn’t have gotten too far.
I wondered how far that might have been.
If only he’d reach out his hand again. Touch me. I hoped for it so much that I realized I was still holding my breath.
“Come on.” He tugged my ponytail gently as he strode past. “I want to stop by our table to make sure you get to keep that flag. You earned it, Bat Girl.”
My scalp tingled from that hair pull and happiness skipped over my skin.
“Bat Girl?” I hurried to catch up with him. “I didn’t have any tools besides my wits. If I’d had a Bat-a-rang, I would have knocked Buster’s arm down before he could have clothes-lined you.”
“You wouldn’t have used a Bat Taser?” He lightly poked my shoulder and shuddered like he’d zapped himself.
“I wanted to win, not knock Buster senseless.” I gave him a small shove, glad to be walking beside him. To see him smiling out of the corner of my eye. “Now, if I’d had a Bat lasso, I would have just snagged the flag with that and saved us all a lot of trouble.”
“And if you’d had your Spidey-senses, you would have avoided that patch of poison oak you just touched.” His teasing tone turned serious as he pulled my hand back from some brambly bushes and squinted in the dim light at it.
When he let go, I shoved it in my shorts pocket, careful not to touch any other part of my body. As soon as I got back to the cabin I’d give it a good scrub and hope for the best. I’d had it before and looked like some creature dragged from the bottom of Lake Juniper. Or Mars. Definitely not the look I needed to get Seth’s kiss. Plus, Siobhan’s patience with my dare was over. She’d be pissed when she learned I still hadn’t sealed the deal.
We got back to the picnic tables where both counselors—Bam-Bam and Susannah—were giving us a warning glare. Guess we needed to step up the pace.
“Hey guys!” Seth called to his friends who were already heading toward the boys’ cabins. “Who has the flag?”
Vijay held up his arm. “Got it!”
“Dude, can you bring it here?” Seth jogged toward him and met him halfway. “I want Lauren to have it.”
I got a lump in my throat. That was about the sweetest thing I could imagine … aside from holding Seth’s hand.
“Hurry up, ladies,” Susannah called to Alex and Siobhan, who were trying to catch a firefly over near the mess hall. Or, possibly, they were stalling so I could have this last minute with Seth.
“Here.” He jogged back, holding out the bandana. “It’s pretty impressive that you did it without any gadgets.” He wound the bandana around my wrist a few times and then tied it. “Night, Lauren.”
He held the knot on the bandana for an extra second and I got weak in the knees.
“Night, Seth.”
He smiled before he turned to join his friends. It took me a minute to float back to earth.
“Geez, Lauren,” Alex grumbled at me when she and Siobhan reached my side. “One of these days, you’re going to have to take advantage of these chances I give you to kiss Seth, okay?”
“I know.” Because I didn’t want that kiss for the dare anymore. I wanted it for me. “And I’ll do it at the bonfire tomorrow night. It’s the perfect moment.”
Chapter Four
The next night, I slathered more calamine lotion on my itching legs and wallowed in the disaster that was now my life.
“Lauren, hurry!” Piper rushed by me to the mirror, hairbrush in hand. “We’re leaving for the bonfire in five minutes.”
“So what,” I mumbled, my stinging face buried in my hands. “I’m not going.”
“What?” the group chorused. Siobhan’s pencil snapped.
My eyes darted to Jackie, who balanced on one heel, stretching her hamstring. Maybe she’d understand? Let me off the hook from facing Seth and going through with this dare? I looked like the Bride of Frankenstein, not a girl on the hunt for her first kiss. But Jackie’s face was set, as were the rest.
“Guys. I’m hideous.” I scratched at my right ear. How had poison oak reached there? But the infirmary nurse said severe cases even spread inside your body. I shuddered and raked my nails behind my neck. It could be worse. Especially if I had to face Seth. Not like this. Please. Not this way.
Trinity slid into bejeweled flip-flops, the amethyst-colored stones matching her gauzy tank dress. “Lauren, it’s not that bad. Besides, I already did your chart. Your stars are aligned. Tonight’s the night.”
I snorted and held out a red-splotched arm. “Does this look like my chakras are working?”
Siobhan tossed her pencil pieces in the wastebasket and turned, a movement as crisp as her starched yellow polo shirtdress. “Consider this a test of Seth’s feelings. If he’s really into you, then it won’t matter what you look like.”
“Are you serious?” I pulled at the constricting white-splattered navy tank top I’d managed to both shrink and bleach during an earlier, distracted laundry run. But who could focus with a body that felt like it was on fire? And if that wasn’t enough, I’d dropped my glasses and bent the frames when I stepped on them. They perched crookedly on the tip of my reddened nose.
What a mess.
“It matters to me,” I choked out over the thickness clogging my throat. Maybe the rash was spreading there too. But the tears pricking the backs of my eyes told a different story.
Alex’s mattress squeaked when Piper jumped behind me and grabbed a handful of my hair. “I’ll give you a French braid so you’ll feel pretty.” She began brushing.
“Pretty awful,” I moaned, but my eyes closed as she lifted the heavy weight from my burning neck. The breeze through our windows cooled my irritated skin and I relaxed against my friend’s knees.
Why was this happening tonight, of all nights? I’d already botched two attempts with Seth. Was this nature’s way of saying three strikes and you’re out?
The screen door squealed open. “Girls, time to head out. And Lauren, I’ve got this for you.” Susannah glided over and knelt. She held a bowl that smelled like maple syrup and oatmeal. Hope buoyed my flagging spirits. Was she going to let me stay behind? Have me eat some kind of weird concoction as a consolation for missing the bonfire? Whatever the gelatinous, lumpy gray mixture was, I’d taste only gratitude.
“What is that, Susannah? Ow—” My head snapped back at a sharp hair pull from Piper.
“Sorry.” Piper tugged even harder. “It’s snarled.”
I stayed still, imagining the attractive bald patch left by her kamikaze grooming. Lucky for me, Susannah was letting me off the hook. I reached for the bowl.
“Where’s the spoon?”
“This is my Gran’s old rash recipe.” Susannah globbed the chunky mixture on my calves. “You use your fingers to apply it.”
I jerked away when her hands reached my face. “No.” Crap. She still wanted me to go to the bonfire.
“Hold still, I’m almost done,” Piper pleaded. I heard the twang of an elastic band. “Sheesh. Try and do something nice ….”
“This isn’t he
lping?” Susannah’s elfin face creased in confusion and my heart softened. It was nice of her to make this crazy remedy for me. Plus, my body was, miraculously, itch-free, the heat subsiding. Except for my face.
I cocked my head and offered up a cheek. “It is. I just don’t want to look like a monster.”
“Too late.” Jackie’s chortle was cut short by a sharp elbow from Alex.
“I think the red is going down already.” Susannah stepped back and studied me after slathering my forehead. “Now you won’t have to miss the sing-along. One of the other counselors will be playing guitar.” She was trying to be casual about Rob and I willed myself to return her smile as a glop of goo fell from my ear onto my lap … the perfect accessory to my nightmare look. If I was in a cartoon, I’d name it, The Attack of the Killer Kiss Virgin.
“Lauren’s aura is less—ummmm—violent.” Trinity rubbed her temples and assessed me. “I mean violet.”
Alex smoothed a wayward strand into her side ponytail and pulled a pink tank top over the white one that matched her cut-off jean skirt. “As good as new,” she said firmly.
Everyone nodded and Susannah offered me a hand up. My stomach twisted when I stepped off the porch and trudged behind the group. I was a creature from a low budget horror movie, except this freak show was my life. Would Seth be fine kissing a zombified version of me? I could only hope.
***
“Oh. My. God,” someone shrieked as we took our seats at the edge of the bonfire. Hannah and her friends laughed and pointed my way from the log beside ours.
Great. Maybe I should sell tickets.
“She looks like the Bride of Chucky,” sputtered Corrine, another member of Divas’ Den. She lowered her designer shades and squinted through false eyelashes at me. How crazy that a girl wearing sunglasses to a bonfire called me lame.
“Or something the cat puked up,” cackled Hannah, high-fiving her cabin mate, Brittany, whose vampire-replica contact lens glowed in the firelight.
“She’s a zombie.” Brittany’s waist-length blonde hair swung as she cocked her head and sneered. “A vampire wouldn’t be caught dead sitting next to one.” She scooted further down her log.
If the situation wasn’t already a joke, I would have laughed at her irony. Then again … I wasn’t entirely sure she meant it that way.
“Wannabe Bella.” Alex shot to her feet and fisted her hands. “We can totally hear you.”
“Duh.” Hannah smiled wide and arched a brow. “That was the point.” She swung a beige wedge sandal over her crossed knee.
I caught Alex’s wrist just as she lunged. “So not worth it.”
“It is to me,” she said then gave into my tug and sat down. “I’m ready to go all Momma Bear on them, but I know you don’t want any attention.”
I nodded at the mix of horror and laughter on the faces of the arriving campers. “Too late. But we’ve already gotten in enough trouble.”
Siobhan leaned in. “I’d clean mess hall tables all day if it meant I could wipe that smirk off Hannah’s face. She’s such a witch.”
“Not just to us though. Look.” I nodded to a slim dark-haired boy hesitating in front of Hannah’s group. He waved and smiled at Kayla, whose return smile faded at Hannah’s scowl. The redhead beckoned Kayla close then whispered something that made Kayla pale and turn away from her old friend.
“Poor Nick.” Trinity scraped a heart in the sandy soil with a stick then rubbed it out. “Weren’t those two best friends for, like—ever?”
“Divas don’t talk to guys like Nick.” Jackie tossed a stone in the air and neatly caught it with one hand. “He needs about thirty pounds of muscle and six more inches in height.”
“That’s stupid. And he’s cute anyway.” Piper spoke behind her hand in case anyone overheard her and made up a rumor that she liked him. We all nodded. Nick’s square jaw and deep dimples made him look like a pop star’s kid brother. Not that looks mattered. Why would Kayla listen to her new friends and turn her back on Nick? They had history. That should count.
The thought filled me with courage and I met Seth’s eye as he ambled out into the clearing, his easy, confident gait making my heart speed. If he really cared about me, a little face plaster shouldn’t make a difference. I returned his smile, warmth filling me at the light in his topaz eyes. Maybe Trinity’s prediction would come true. Maybe tonight was the night.
A shiver of anticipation hopscotched along my spine when the Wander Inn cabin settled on the log to our left, Seth was so close I could touch him. And oh, did I want to. He looked sexier than I’d ever seen him. His longish blond hair slid across his forehead in a way that looked messy but cool. And he was all lean muscle in a fitted white T-shirt that showed off his golden skin.
“Heard about the poison oak.” Seth’s concerned face looked adorable. “Sorry I dragged you off last night.”
Dragged me off? I would have followed him like a comet’s tail. But I kept my face neutral—grateful I’d swiped away the worst of Susannah’s sticky goo from my cheeks. “It’s fine.”
A guitar strummed and Rob the Hottie stepped into the light. I ignored the squeals erupting around me and turned to Seth. His piercing stare was fixed on me and I dropped my gaze. Busted.
When Rob hit the chorus of a Beatles song, I chanced another look Seth’s way and met his eyes again. But this time I didn’t look away. And neither did he. In fact, he raised his eyebrows and tilted his head toward the forest path that led to the beach.
My heart hammered. Did he want to go on another walk? Spend time alone with the creature from Lake Juniper? I nodded and the flash of his crooked smile made my pulse leap. Luckily everyone was too entranced by Rob’s deep baritone to notice our silent exchange. But how to escape? Especially now that Susannah had rejoined our group? She sat on the pine needle-littered ground in front of us, her lilting voice rising with the others as they sang along with Rob.
I slid a sideways glance at Seth, who pulled his collar from his neck and pantomimed looking overheated.
Right. The perfect excuse.
Leaning forward, I whispered in Susannah’s ear. “My rash is really burning. Do you think I could go back to the cabin?”
She glanced over her shoulder and studied me, her eyes round and worried. “I’d hoped Gran’s cure would help so you wouldn’t miss the bonfire. It’s always such a treat when Rob plays.” She sighed, sent the handsome singer a long stare, then stood. “But I’ll walk you back.”
Seth mouthed “Later” and tipped his head toward the lake again.
I chanced a quick nod then hurried after Susannah. Ten minutes later, after convincing my cabin leader I was tired and just wanted to sleep, I was alone and back out the door.
In too much of a rush to change, I practically flew to the dock. I’d spent all year at school thinking about this moment, hoping Seth liked me as much as I liked him. And now … I was so nervous I couldn’t think straight. Was I making a huge mistake to head out into the dark with him when I looked like this? Tonight should have been my big chance to take things to the next level. In my dreams, I would have looked my best. Instead … I hated to even remember what the mirror had showed when I left the cabin.
When I pulled up short on the beach, my flip-flops sank into the cool, gritty sand. I peered out from the shadows and my heart sank. He hadn’t come. A bird call from a distant tree went unanswered and silence reigned. It made me remember something I’d read in a Ray Bradbury story this year— “That’s life…always someone waiting for someone who never comes home.” Was my life like that? Always waiting for a kiss that would never happen? But then a familiar broad-shouldered guy stepped under the dock light.
Seth.
I must have said it out loud because he turned, his amber eyes glowing as warm as the fire we’d left. His gold-tipped hair and bronzed muscles shimmered in the night like a beacon. My lungs collapsed at the sight of him. My chest in a vise.
He jogged over, his slow, easy smile jumpstarting my heart.
When his hands laced in mine, I trembled.
“You made it.” His eyes searched mine.
“Of course.” Seth was magnetic. My feelings for him drew me closer.
“I’m glad.” His smile widened. “There’s something I wanted to show you.” We walked hand in hand to the edge of the dock and sat, my nerves surging at the electric brush of his skin against mine. “Look.”
I followed his pointing finger skyward and gasped. Wow. Meteors. “Sporadics,” I murmured, my eyes drinking in the pinpoints of light streaking the onyx sky.
“Not a shower, then,” Seth said, the warm rush of his breath against my temple making me shiver.
“No,” I cocked my head and studied the bolder flashes, trying to think over my drumming heart. “But better because they’re unpredictable. And—” Oh. God. How could I speak coherently with his thumb sweeping the inside of my palm? “Um. They’re the only kind that reaches earth.”
Seth’s fingers grazed my jaw and tipped it his way. His light eyes searched mine. “I like down to earth.”
Suddenly I was a combusting meteor entering the atmosphere of this strange, new world of Seth and me.
“Usually you see more of them before sunrise than after sunset.” I babbled and pushed up my crooked frames. “The motion of the earth as it revolves around the sun with the leading edge, the morning side, encounters more meteoroids than the trailing edge, the evening side. We are really lucky. Maybe we’ll even see a shooting star.”
“Shut up,” Seth said.
I blinked at him in surprise. “No. Really. It’s entirely possible because—”
“No.” Seth cut me off, his voice sounding younger and more uncertain than I’d ever heard it. “I mean, shut up.”
And with that, his lips captured mine in a kiss that was tender and sweet. His arms drew me close and I could feel his rapid heart beating against my chest and smell his clean outdoor scent. He ran trembling fingers through my hair, his mouth slanting against mine, the pressure firmer now, more insistent. My body felt limp and aware at the same time, every nerve ending screaming to attention. And somehow--miracle of miracles-- my braces behaved. No poking wires or knife-sharp edges to interfere with a kiss that grew longer and deeper.
