The angel and the lightning rod

Phase 1

We went camping, with tents and the entire senior year. Everyone got grouped into pairs to share a tent, and a note appeared on the bulletin board with the final word on who we would be forced upon. Of course hardly anyone was happy.

"Who is Nathaniel?" I wondered out loud.

"That's that lamo without parents," replied Luke, a guy who'd probably call me his friend. "Oh, shit ... Him."

A short fellow further down the mass of students slammed his fist on the inside of his elbow to show his middle finger to Lucas, only without actually showing the middle finger. That way no one could accuse him of anything. He had to be a seasoned offender.

He walked away.

Lucas said something to me, but I didn't listen. I went after the boy. Nathaniel appeared to be good at sneaking away in the crowd and disappeared from my sight pretty quickly. But I was good at shoving and being antisocial and found him again.

"Wait," I called after him. "Nathaniel."

Annoyed, he turned around. "My name's Nate. Or Lamo, whatever you like better." He wanted to walk away again.

"Hey, I didn't say you're a lamo. Who even uses that word? The fucker next to me said that. I don't even know you." I was walking alongside him now, waiting for his reaction. It took a while.

"I'm not even going, so you can ask someone else."

Not going? Was that even an option? "Why not?"

"Why would I?"

How would I know? "Because I'd be all alone in our tent if you didn't."

My answer almost made him smile. Almost. "Are you scared? Do you need me to protect you?"

"No," I laughed. "Although if you're there, all I have to do is get away faster."

Nate shot me a foul look. In a corner of the schoolyard he stopped. On my left was the gym, on Nate's side was the fence around the schoolyard. He let his bag slip from his shoulder and flung it with one arm on the roof of the school.

"Well, take care." Supple as a cat he climbed the fence, lifted himself onto the roof of the school and disappeared.

I stood there, completely stunned. Then I climbed after him.

Once I managed to get onto the roof - with great difficulty; Nate had made it seem so much easier than it was - I saw him calmly peeling a tangerine on the other side of the building, his legs dangling over the edge, overlooking the park next to the school. I dropped down next to him.

"Did anyone see you?" he greeted me mistrustingly.

"Course not. I'm like a ninja."

He gave me a piece of the tangerine. "There are two kinds of people, I think."

"I doubt that."

"Hush... One kind gets angry if I did what I just did. The other type thinks I'm much more interesting all of a sudden. "

That annoyed me. "I am a combination," I stubbornly claimed, even though I fitted exactly into the latter category. "I don't let anyone insult me."

"When did I insult you?"

"Just now," I insisted, although I couldn't remember what it was exactly that had insulted me.

"So... did you come here to take revenge?"

"No..."

"Well, then."

Meanwhile Nate chewed like a madman on his tangerine. I wondered what he was trying to prove. Once his mouth was empty, he gave me one hell of a hostile look.