Camp Payback by J. K. Rock Page B

help. Those were the kinds of girls who got purple flowers. Me—I was the one people ran from. Now it was Javier’s turn.
    Javier’s mouth quirked. “I’ll decide what I need.” He put a firm hand against my back and led me to a secluded spot. “You attract more than problems.”
    I looked up into his large brown eyes, loving the red and green fireworks reflecting in their depths. “What else do I attract?” I breathed as we climbed a little higher up the hill, farther away from the campers.
    His white teeth flashed in a devilish smile that got my pulse tapping.
    “Me.”

Alex
    My heart backflipped.
    Or at least, something in my chest lifted and lightened. At the same time, I was struck speechless, unable to think up a comeback for his sweet words. Usually, I don’t know when to shut up, but with Javier, I felt tongue-tied. It seemed like saying anything would only shatter this beautiful moment.
    “Here.” Javier gestured toward the gnarled roots of a tree perched on a low cliff overlooking the lake. We were just far enough away from the rest of the group to give us more privacy. “Let’s have a seat up there. Gollum won’t see us. I hope.”
    I hesitated. It was the same place Vijay and I kissed for the first time. But then, as a parachute of red and indigo light popped over our heads in a gorgeous burst of color, I decided I didn’t want to waste a second of this time being stupid about the past. I was enjoying the now with a boy who’d just admitted he liked me.
    Sitting beside him on the exposed tree roots, I reached for his hand and rested mine on top of his.
    “I’m sorry about your mom.”
    His jaw flexed as another flash of fireworks cast shadows on his face. “She’s going to be out in another forty-five days. She’ll be all right.”
    I’d meant I was sorry for him , but it seemed sweet he was more worried about her.
    “Still…Vijay is an idiot to announce it to the world.”
    I wanted to know what she’d done to wind up in jail but couldn’t bring myself to ask.
    “Pretty much.” He stared down at my hand over his while the scent of smoke drifted toward us. “When I’m done here, I’ll go upstate to pick her up, and we’ll try to start over. I can get out of foster care for good once she’s got a job and settled. Then I’ll be able to help her adjust to normal life again.”
    “I’ll bet she feels lucky to have you.” With a twinge of guilt, I couldn’t help but picture myself if my mom or dad got carted off to jail. I’d feel bad for them—my mom, at least—but I wouldn’t miss them. Not even a little.
    “For almost eighteen years, I’ve done nothing but hold her back, so I’m not sure she feels lucky.” He glanced my way, a half-smile kicking up one cheek. “You remind me of her in some ways.”
    “Really?” Maybe some girls wouldn’t want to be compared to a guy’s mom. But he obviously cared about his, so it was kind of cool.
    A thunderous boom made the kids on the beach squeal. I edged closer to Javier. He didn’t make a move to touch me, even though he had a perfect opportunity. Now that I knew he was attracted to me, why did he hold back?
    “You’re brave and strong. And you don’t take crap from anybody.”
    I laughed, but a pinch of worry twisted my gut. “Strong… as in I come on too strong? My personality is too strong? I’ve heard those before, believe me.”
    “No.” His answer was firm, and all of the sudden he squeezed my hand. Tight. “You stand up for yourself even when it’s not easy. And you stick up for other people, too.”
    Once again, Javier left me at a loss for words. I had to swallow a ball of emotions welling up in my throat because no one ever saw me like that. Definitely not my family. Maybe some of my camp friends used to, although this year they were all too busy worshipping Yasmine.
    The troubled boy beside me—in spite of his secrets and his determination to stay away from me—made me feel more special than anyone