Heat Lightning

Chapter Fourteen

It was seven a.m. when everyone woke up. We had to be prepared for the parents when they arrived. Lauren and I were getting dressed, and Alison was outside.

"Oh, this is going to be a great day!" Lauren exclaimed as she put on her shoes.

I was in a cranky mood. "Ha!" I yelled. "It's going to be . . . awful!"

"Cheer up, Jenni! You're seeing Cory all day today, and his relatives might win custody any time," Lauren reminded me.

"Oh, I know," I admitted and let out a big sigh. I looked up at the ceiling and stared through it while I proceeded to ruminate. "I'll try to cheer up," I decided.

We walked outside onto the porch into the bright sunshine. The warm air hit us, and there was a beautiful breeze. Alison was sitting cross-legged in the grass, chatting with another camper.

"Let's get going," Lauren suggested. "Flagpole meeting!"

At seven-thirty, I found myself standing across from Cory in the circle. I really liked his outfit today. The white ¾ sleeve top with green and grey piping and faded blue jeans did his body right. His hair was now sun bleached at the tips. I wished I were standing right beside him so I could see his bright blue eyes. His arms were so golden tan. What if some other girl tried to steal him? He looked so damn good I felt I didn't deserve him. He was so hot!

As we were heading to the dining hall for breakfast, I spotted Cory lingering in the entrance. My heart skipped a beat. What a hunk! I decided I would pass him and head straight to the ladies' room to primp, then I would look at my best when I interacted with him.

Why was I starting to feel nervous? I walked in with Lauren and Dale, ready to coast past Cory when he grabbed my arm. "Where did you go after flag break, I was looking for you," I blurted to Cory. Damn. Big mouth!

Cory looked puzzled. "I was looking for you, too. I have something I want to give you."

"You do? I mean, I...um..."

"Uh, we'll be waiting for you guys in here." Dale motioned toward the dining tables, and Cory nodded.

We found a single bench surrounded by flowers and sat down together.

"Jenni, I want you to have this, and keep it, as long as we're together. It's mine."

Cory handed me a gold chain with a cross pendant on it. The cross was studded with six diamonds. I'd seen him wearing it around his neck before almost always. Even in the water.

"Oh my gosh, Cory!" I exclaimed. "Are you sure you want me to have it? I mean, it's yours!" He'd already given me the turquoise pendant, so I was surprised to be getting a second one.

"Of course," he said softly. "It's one of my most personal possessions, but that's why I'm giving it to you."

I handed the chain to him, and he put it around my neck. I felt truly touched. He must really care about me on some level if he'd given me two pendants, one of them being a personal item he regularly wore. He must actually have feelings for me. I felt like I didn't deserve this kind of happiness. It was almost too good to be true. But I had to allow myself to be happy with it.

Listen, you're allowed to have happiness, I told myself. Don't ruin it! You're not a horrible person. Sometimes I thought that because I made bad decisions, it made me an awful person and that everything I got involved with would go wrong. But my therapist told me I was a valuable person, that negative behavior doesn't mean a person is terrible as I initially thought. You have to separate the action from the person.

"Thank you very much, Cory," I said, giving him a long hug. Then we kissed a soft romantic kiss that gave me chills from my head to my toes. I tried to think of what the therapist told me. I was a worthy person who deserves happiness.