Sunkissed, Kasie West [best authors to read TXT] 📗

hold of a section of the ribbon and tried to rip it in two by sheer force. It didn’t work. While Clay and Maricela took turns trying as well, I searched the ground for some sort of tool that might help us. I came back with a rock.

“I got this,” I said, shooing them aside. I wedged the sharp edge of the rock beneath the ribbon and tugged, breaking it with a snap.

“Nice.” Clay grabbed the balloons and tugged them the rest of the way free. “Now you can add forest ranger to your resume.”

We all turned back toward the lake and canoe. “Better yet, I’ll use this as an answer to a college essay question,” I said. “Describe a time where you saved a tree from the perils of humankind.”

Clay shook the three balloons in his hand at me. “You would be so prepared for that question.”

“I know!”

“Hold up a minute, you two, I want to see something,” Maricela said, and she split off to the left, toward a big boulder fifty feet away.

“You think?” Clay asked.

I was obviously not privileged to whatever information came from their shared history. So when we came upon a group of rocks forming a messy circle, I had no idea why they both laughed.

“What is it?”

“I don’t believe this is still here,” Maricela said. She toed a rock back into place. “Last summer, a bunch of us did a moon circle.”

“What’s a moon circle?”

“I’m not sure what it is officially, but for us, we came out on a new moon, sat in this circle, and made promises. The new moon is supposed to represent a do-over. A chance to set new goals or whatever.”

“You believe in moon powers?” I asked.

“I believe in putting positive thoughts into the universe, and whether it’s the moon that helps me achieve those goals or the energy of the thought itself circling my brain, it makes no difference.”

“It worked, then? The goals you made last year were achieved?”

“You know what? They were. I’m coming back here on the new moon because I have a few wishes that need granting.”

I wondered what she was referring to. Cosmetology? Her mystery boy?

“What promises did you make last year?” I asked.

“That’s between me and the moon, girl,” Maricela said with a smirk.

“Everyone’s was different,” Clay said, catching Maricela’s eye. And for a second I wondered if Clay was Mari’s mystery guy. But that was the first real shared look I’d seen this whole time, so I doubted my own suspicions.

She squatted down and moved a few more rocks back into the circle. “When’s the next new moon?”

“I don’t know,” Clay said. “We’ll have to look it up.”

“Look it up?” I asked. “How? Google does not exist here.”

She smiled. “We actually go into town on our day off.”

“Lucky!” I said.

“Your parents won’t let you leave camp?” Clay asked as we headed back toward the canoe.

“You know, I’m not sure. I haven’t asked them. My guess is no. I think they picked this camp on purpose. To get us away from social media for a summer.” I was almost positive it was because of Lauren. They may have been proud of her creativity, but I was sure my parents wished she was on her phone less.

“So that’s what you miss most about life outside of camp?” Maricela asked. “Wi-Fi?”

“Considering this camp is pretty posh, what else could I miss?”

“In-N-Out,” Clay said.

“Dairy Queen,” Maricela said.

“Chipotle.”

“Five Guys.”

“You both sound hungry,” I said.

Clay pushed the canoe into the water and held the handle as Maricela and I climbed in. “That’s because it’s almost dinnertime,” Clay said.

He was right. The sky was turning gray and I had a small moment of panic as I wondered if we’d actually missed dinner altogether. And because I wasn’t hungry, I knew it had nothing to do with the food and everything to do with the dinner entertainment.

That suspicion was solidified when we reached the docks on the opposite shore and Brooks was standing there watching us. My heart doubled its speed.

Brooks held up a walkie-talkie. “I got a report about life jackets left out.”

Clay hopped out of the canoe. “Really? Someone tattled on me? I’m here. We had a civic duty to perform.”

Maricela reached up for Brooks, who offered her a hand out. “Aren’t you supposed to be playing right now, rock star?” she asked.

He held his hand out for me now. I took it and stepped first onto the seat and then onto the dock, the canoe shifting a bit with my movement, causing me to pitch forward. Brooks caught me by the elbow as I stumbled to standing. “You okay?” His breath tickled the hair by my ear.

“Yes, thank you.”

To Mari, Brooks said, “Yes, I’m heading to play right now. Just had to check this out first.”

“I’m going to be able to answer the tree saver question on the college essay now,” I blurted out, still flustered from the tingling by my ear.

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing,” Maricela said, hooking her arm in mine. “I’m going to walk this girl to dinner.” She patted my hand as though she understood the effect Brooks could have on people. I needed to get myself in check.

“Hey, Avery!” Clay called before we got too far.

I turned.

“Happy birthday.” He handed me the half-deflated balloons.

I laughed. “You’re so thoughtful.”

My eyes flitted to Brooks and he mouthed, “Tomorrow? Six a.m.?”

I gave a quick nod and as my chest expanded with happiness, I decided that getting myself in check was overrated.

“Where are you going?”

My hand was on the knob of the front door and I whirled around with the question. Dad sat at the table in the breakfast nook. I hadn’t seen him. It was early—six in the morning. I’d assumed nobody would be awake.

“You scared me,” I said as my nonanswer. I was not good at lying and I’d been having to do it more often than not lately when every night at dinner my parents would