The Order of the Poison Oak Russel Middlebrook 02 by Brent Hartinger

Author:Brent Hartinger [Hartinger, Brent]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Gay & Lesbian, Social Issues, Dating & Sex, Emotions & Feelings, Juvenile Fiction, Sports & Recreation, Homosexuality, Camping & Outdoor Activities, Friendship
ISBN: 9780060567323
Google: BaRChrqmEXkC
Amazon: B004AYCT8S
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2006-01-31T11:00:00+00:00

I can honestly say I felt horribly guilty about spying on them and violating their privacy like that. Unfortunately, if I’m going to be completely honest, I also have to admit that if I had that evening to live one more time, I would do the exact same thing all over again.

* * * * *

The next day, Saturday, the whole camp went on a field trip to a nearby logging camp. More specifically, an old logging camp that had since been turned into an open-air museum. If I were to describe the whole field trip, you’d be as bored as the kids (pretty darn bored). So I’ll try and stick to the non-boring parts, which, rest assured, have nothing whatsoever to do with logging.

The first interesting thing happened on the bus on the way there. Em sat next to me, and at one point she leaned close to me and said, “I like him.”

I sat back from her a little, mostly because I was worried about my breath. “What?” I said.

“Your friend Gunnar. He’s cute.”

I could only stare. “Are you kidding?”

She laughed. “Why would I be kidding?” I glanced at the kids and counselors sitting around us. Gunnar was on the other bus, but I couldn’t be sure someone wouldn’t overhear us and tell him what we’d been talking about. Bad breath or not, I leaned in toward Em. “What about what happened at the boathouse?” I whispered. I didn’t want her knowing I’d eavesdropped on them, so I added, “Gunnar told me what happened.”

She shrugged. “It wasn’t anything.”

“What about how he fell in?”

“He just slipped. It could’ve happened to anyone.”

“You really believe that?”

She was looking at me like I was bonkers. “Uh, yeah.”

Em liked Gunnar. How was this possible? For her to like him after he’d made such a fool of himself, she had to he in violation of at least several laws of physics.

Em twiddled with her hair. “Does he like me?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “It never really came up.” “Do you think maybe you could...

“What?”

“You know. Get us together again?”

Em wanted me to set her up with Gunnar again? This was incredible! All his life, he’d wanted a girlfriend, and now one was falling right into his lap! And a great girlfriend, no less.

“Wait,” I said, remembering. There was no way Gunnar would let me set him up with her again. He’d been absolutely clear about that. “No,” I said.

“No what?”

“Em, Gunnar’s barely even talking to me now. Because of the first time I tried to set you guys up.”

“Well, when he does talk to you again, would you tell him I like him? I’d do it myself, but I think he’s avoiding me.”

“He is avoiding you. He’s avoiding all girls. He thinks he’s cursed or something.”

“Come on, Russel. I really like the guy!”

“But—”

“Will you at least talk to him? How could that possibly hurt?”

I thought about this. She had a point. It couldn’t hurt to at least talk to him.

* * * * *

I didn’t have to wait long for a chance to have that chat.

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