by Joanne Rock
My mother had taught me that it took a lot of courage for a boy to ask a girl to dance, so never turn down an invitation lightly. Still… Devon? A longtime member of Warriors’ Warden who could probably dance with any girl here? I shot a glance behind me to make sure Kayla or Corinne—two more Divas—weren’t standing nearby. Maybe he meant to ask one of them?
“I don’t bite.” Devon grinned. “Much.” He winked and held out a hand.
Still I waited. Debated. Where was Seth during all this and why didn’t he care that another guy wanted to dance with me? My eyes flitted across the room and found Seth pouring a drink, oblivious.
The ache in my chest helped make up my mind. Apparently, Seth didn’t care one way or another since he was more worried about keeping things a secret than he was about being my boyfriend.
“Sure.” I took his hand and smiled, hoping my braces didn’t blind him more than the spinning disco ball overhead.
Devon tugged me closer as we wound through the other couples. We passed Julian and Brittany and stopped next to Alex and Eli.
While Eli’s back was turned, Alex made a dramatic show of shrugging her shoulders—a gesture I loosely interpreted as, “Who knows why Warriors’ Warden boys would ask us to dance?”
Which made me think … what if they only wanted to prank us? A new kind of nervousness mingled with the usual dance jitters. I’d die if Devon had only asked me to dance as some kind of joke. Self-consciously, I adjusted my glasses.
“You look nice tonight, Lauren.” Devon wrapped his arms around my waist like one of those monkeys you win at a fair, the kind with the Velcro hands. He’d definitely done this before. Probably with lots of girls.
“I’m rocking the leftover poison oak look tonight.” Just thinking about it made me want to scratch. I was so out of my league with Devon. I was a small fish who wanted no part of his big pond. “So what’s up with asking me to dance? We’ve barely talked before.”
He ran a finger down the side of my cheek. “Then I need to make up for lost time.”
I caught his hand and pushed it away with a frown. “You are such a flirt.”
“And that’s bad because?” he asked, a little too smoothly.
Ugh. How many times had he tried these lame lines on other girls? And why couldn’t this be Seth and not Devon?
With Seth, I was special. Or at least, I had thought so before the whole DL order on our relationship. But at least I was pretty sure that Seth hadn’t kissed anyone else besides me.
“Flirting with one girl’s okay. But hitting on every girl and her mother is messed up.” Devon even crushed on the older counselors—even thirty-two-year-old Susannah, a woman seventeen years older. Once he’d asked her to sit with him at a bonfire and she’d handed him a S’more instead. Susannah rocked.
“You say messed up. I say fun.” He flipped his bangs out of his eyes and a couple of younger girls by the window whispered and pointed, their eyes aglow. But I wasn’t feeling it. My heart belonged to a boy with amber eyes and a love for biology. “Let’s have fun.”
His grip tightened on my waist. Not enough so that a counselor would say something, but enough that I felt it.
Ick.
“No.” I shuffled back a step, but his sandal stepped on my flip flop, checking my momentum. My arms flailed and he steadied me.
“Whoa.” His dark eyes landed on mine and held. “Careful.”
Confused and a little breathless, I clutched his forearms, glad I hadn’t taken a spill into the paper marigolds nearby.
A shadow loomed over me suddenly, the light from the disco ball cut off by a set of square shoulders.
“Everything okay, Lauren?”
Seth. He’d finally remembered I existed. And absurdly, I was pissed.
“Hi,” I huffed, as Devon shifted me away from Seth.
I peered over Devon’s shoulder and noticed Seth’s frown.
“Everything’s fine,” I snapped, though nothing was fine when Seth wouldn’t claim me as his girlfriend.
“Dude.” Devon stared Seth down. “Find your own dance partner already.”
Or, just tell him we’re together! I tried this out as E.S.P., shouting the message to Seth inside my brain.
But either he didn’t hear or he didn’t care because he turned on his heel and walked off the dance floor.
Way off the dance floor.
As the music came to an end and Devon released me, I realized Seth was heading for the big double doors. Was he leaving? My anger turned into panic.
“Thanks.” Devon took my hand, distracting me. “Can I get you a drink or anything?”
Before I could answer, the music shifted to another slow song as the music instructor’s voice came over the sound system.
“This next dance is ladies’ choice,” she announced from behind the makeshift deejay booth made of a picnic table and what looked like an old screen door. “Girls, pick your partner.”
Alex hurried past me, nudging me as she headed for the opposite side of the room.
“Don’t forget your dare,” she whispered in my ear. “Kiss Seth.”
Devon must not have noticed.
“Easy choice, right?” he asked, still holding my hand.
But just because something was easy didn’t make it right.
“Sorry.” I slid my fingers free, glad he’d made me see how special Seth really was. Worth fighting for.
Devon might be cute and, sometimes, charming. But he didn’t have a clue that I loved meteor showers or kissed me when I looked my worst. He didn’t know the scientific name for every plant and animal at Camp Juniper Point or give me credit for winning Capture the Flag, when I hadn’t really done all that much. Mostly, he just wasn’t Seth.
“Hey,” Devon called, his fingers brushing my arm as I turned out of reach. “Wait up.”
But I hurried away. Toward the one guy I wanted to be with. The guy I’d kissed on a dare and the one who had my heart on a string.
“Seth!” I dodged some junior campers wrapping each other in crepe paper like mummies.
The slow song started and he was almost to the main doors.
“Seth!” I called louder, bumping into Nick Desanti, Kayla’s rejected friend. “Sorry,” I mumbled, feeling guilty since he’d looked sad all week.
I didn’t want that to be me or Seth. We were happier together, right?
Picking up speed, I caught his arm as he reached for the oversized wrought iron door handle.
“Hey.” I nearly tripped into him but caught myself just in time. Was there a world record for clumsy? If so, I’d earned it. And oh God, I’d forgotten how nervous I should be until Seth looked at me with distant eyes. Not smiling. I swallowed hard. I had to know how things stood between us one way or another. If we were taking things public.
I cleared my throat and felt my face heat. “Would you like to dance?”
Looking over my shoulder, I saw him scan the mess hall. “Would you mind if we sat this one out?” He glanced toward the wall where all our friends stood staring at us. Alex whispered something in Vijay’s ear that made him grin.
At least Seth hadn’t said no. That was good. On the other hand, he didn’t want to dance with me. Ouch.
“Okay.” I followed him as he veered away from the dance floor and headed toward the garden labyrinth.
“Have you done this yet?” he asked over his shoulder.
I shook my head, eager to go inside, to have some private time with Seth.
“Careful of the Daucas carota.” He pointed toward a curtain of delicate white flowers made from tiny bits of fuzzy pipe cleaner and twisted green wire.
“Queen Anne’s Lace?” Some of my nervousness eased at our old game.
He smiled at me while a couple of senior campers stepped out of the maze holding hands.
“Wow. You’re getting good at this.”
“I had a good teacher.” I smiled up at him. “Whoever made this has mad skills with a pipe cleaner.”
Seth lai
d a hand on the small of my back as we stepped into the green world at the heart of the dance’s Secret Garden. Cardboard blades of grass as tall as our heads divided one narrow corridor from another while dim light filtered through sheets of thin crepe paper. Some sections were full of leaves and dried flowers that the younger kids had glued to the cardboard for craft projects to identify the local flora. Other spots were painted with gorgeous butterflies and birds thanks to the talents of some of the older, more creative kids. I inhaled the delicate floral smell, feeling like this was a real garden. If only we didn’t have a real secret.
I was about to ask Seth the name of a yellow bird when he stopped. Turned.
And kissed me.
His mouth settled on mine, warm and minty. My eyelids fell shut and relief and happiness mingled as I relaxed into him. He still liked me.
His fingers traced my cheekbone and drifted down to my jaw. I tilted my head into that touch, needing to feel wanted. Cared for. This week had been so stressful, worrying the whole time about what I meant to him.
“I’ve been dying to do that,” he admitted softly as he eased back. “It nearly killed me to see you dance with Devon.”
I blinked and swallowed, trying to find the right words. Voices approached as a few laughing girls made their way through the maze. Seth pulled me behind him, guiding me out the other side of the labyrinth. For a moment, I caught a glimpse of the dance before he headed for the kitchen’s dark entrance.
Shoving through the swinging door, we entered the end of the food prep area near the walk-in freezer. The lights were off, but moonlight shone through a window nearby, making everything shades of gray.
A soft moan startled me and I froze.
We hadn’t noticed Madison—another Divas’ Den girl—when we first walked in. But I could see her plastered against a boy in the far corner of the kitchen, her skirt dangerously high thanks to his roaming hand.
Seth steered us to the other side of the freezer where we wouldn’t be overheard. Still, the vision of Madison and her hook-up lingered. I hadn’t even known she had a boyfriend. Was this some random thing or was she like me, keeping things a secret? And if so, did she hate it as much as I did?
“Is this better?” Seth threaded his fingers between mine and dropped onto a wooden bench near an empty coat rack.
I nodded as I sat beside him.
“What’s wrong?” He tipped my chin up to meet his eyes.
“I only danced with Devon because you didn’t ask me.” I took off my glasses to clean them. Or maybe so I didn’t have to see rejection in Seth’s eyes. “I didn’t know what to say to him when you’ve made it clear that … you know. You don’t want anyone to know about us or think we’re boyfriend/girlfriend.”
My voice trailed off at the end, hurt making the words stick in my throat.
He was quiet for so long, I put my glasses back on, hoping I’d see some sign of what he was thinking.
“It’s not that I don’t want to be your boyfriend, Lauren.” His voice was serious. Intense. He sounded older somehow. “I just don’t want either of us getting hurt.”
“How will we get hurt?” I blurted. “I thought we liked each other.”
“We do,” he said slowly.
“So if we are … you know … a couple, other people won’t ask either of us to dance.” I glanced at our fingers, taking some strength from the way he held my hand.
“But once everyone knows about us—” His hand slid away from mine and he stood.
“What’s so bad about that?” I stood too. No way was I letting this go now that I’d brought it up.
“It’s bad enough when people break up.” He turned around to face me, his jaw tense. “But when everyone else knows about it and it turns into this big, public humiliation….”
I wondered if he still had the folded newspaper article that featured the story of his mother abandoning him at daycare. It had made local news because they’d originally thought she’d been kidnapped instead of running away. When I’d spotted it in an open bureau drawer one summer, he’d told me it was the only picture he had of her. His father had thrown out the rest. Could he be afraid that if we didn’t work out, we’d be Camp Juniper Point’s feature story for the summer? It must be why he wanted the secrecy.
“I would never do that to you.” I put my hand on his cheek, remembering how good it had felt when he’d done the same to me. “I would never hurt you that way.”
As soon as I said it, my conscience chirped. What about the fact that I’d first kissed him on a dare? But I’d done it because I wanted to. Plus, technically, he’d been the one to kiss me …
“Me either,” he promised, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and crushing me to him. “I don’t want to hurt you, Lauren. I’m—ah—I’m ready to tell everyone.”
Happiness replaced the tightness in my chest. My head fit beneath his chin, my cheek against his soft, blue polo shirt. He smelled like campfire and laundry detergent and I never wanted to leave this spot.
Seth cared about me and I cared about him. We were a couple.
He stroked my hair and kissed the top of my head.
I smiled as my heart beat in time with his.
“So … would you like that dance now?” he asked.
“Definitely.” I peered up at him and he kissed me, his lips warm and soft and perfect.
“Let’s do this.” He linked my arm through his and we stole through the kitchen door back out into the noise and green lights of the Secret Garden.
Pausing by the refreshment stand, he made a point of holding my hand. Then, together, we walked toward our friends in a statement they couldn’t miss.
Siobhan was the first to notice. She grinned and grabbed Alex’s arm, pointing at us.
Alex howled in approval so that everyone else turned to see what was going on. Trinity, Jackie, and Piper blew exaggerated kisses our way. Seth’s friend, Julian, hooted and clapped. Eli wrapped his arms around himself and turned, his hands sliding up and down his back like he was making out with someone. But what else would I expect from Eli?
They were all glad for us. Maybe they’d guessed about us all along? Seen this coming? Regardless, I could have floated away like one of the helium balloons bumping along the ceiling.
As Seth turned me in his arms to dance with me, I stared into his amber eyes and hoped I would never let him down.
Chapter Six
“Get a room!” Jackie heckled from behind when Seth pulled me off our hiking trail and snuck another kiss. I grinned at her over my boyfriend’s shoulder and a thrill shot me through me that yes, I could say that now. We’d been official for two weeks, but I still felt surprised every time he held my hand or kissed me before the counselors noticed.
Seth squeezed my waist and we raced back in line as our camp director, Gollum, rounded the bend.
“What’s the holdup, people?” His tomato of a face was pulpy red.
“Just enjoying the view.” Seth shot me a meaningful look that made me giggle. Siobhan and Jackie doubled over and made exaggerated gagging sounds as they passed us.
We scampered further up the trail, hoping for a dark nook or a wide balsam fir to sneak in another kiss. So far, we’d managed four and I hoped for number five before we reached Tennent Mountain’s summit. Seth’s lips made me feel as lightheaded as the elevation, but I couldn’t get enough.
The smell of pitch permeated the crisp air, the cooler temperature a welcome escape from the July heat. Dark fir trees flanked the deep, rutted path like tall sentinels, silent witnesses to every snuggle Seth and I managed. Being near each other was irresistible. PDA was off limits. But we couldn’t stop touching as we trotted in and out of the sunshine leaking through the boughs, slowly putting more distance between us and the camp director bringing up the rear of the twenty-person hiking party.
Birds called in the echoing wilderness and I wanted to sing with them, my heart soaring higher than my feet could carry me. I glanced at Seth’s profile, struck b
y the way his hair flopped across his forehead, the slanting of his eyebrows that were a shade darker than his sandy hair, and the golden gleam of his eyes when they flitted my way. I glanced over my shoulder, saw nothing of Gollum, and twined my fingers in his reaching hand. I was here to appreciate natural beauty, but Seth was all I could see, hear, or think about.
“Having fun?” Seth helped me leap over a mud patch and onto a rock.
My hiking shoes slipped a bit on the mossy stone and he snaked an arm around my waist. I looked up into his warm gaze. “Definitely.”
We stood there, grinning like idiots, until a throat cleared loudly in the hush.
“God. You two are sickening.” Alex’s gum snap rousted a bird from the ferns. It flew squawking into the gloomy thicket, its agitation matching Alex’s. She put her hands on her slim hips and tapped her foot. “Susannah sent me back to see what was keeping you and to check on Gollum.”
“He’s a couple minutes behind us.” Seth looked over my shoulder. “So it looks like the coast is still clear.” He pulled me close and pressed his lips to my forehead. I flushed warm at the contact and swayed on my feet, wishing we could be alone.
“Gross,” groaned Alex. “We’re eating lunch at the Black Balsam Knob clearing so hurry if you want any brownies.”
“I’ve got all the sweets I need,” Seth said and waited until Alex huffed away to join my laughter. “I think she thought I was serious.”
“Weren’t you?” I batted his arm and jumped to another rock. “Maybe I’m too sweet for you to handle.” I leapt further up the trail to another boulder. “Or too fast.”
I made it only two jumps farther before he caught me around the waist and swung me, my giggles so loud Gollum hollered from below, “You two had better not be up to any tomfoolery.”
Tomfoolery? I clamped a hand over my mouth at the crazy word but Seth’s laugh set me off. We sprinted to Black Balsam Knob and burst into the bright clearing. The sudden light stung my eyes and we halted at the edge of the tree line, waiting for my glasses to tint.
Seth pulled on a pair of black-framed shades. The wind ruffled his hair, the color high in his cheeks and his left dimple popping in a broad grin.
