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I pressed a palm to his forehead and shoved him back into his own seat. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“You said your willy was wet. Looks pretty dry to me.” He shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Thanks,” I grunted and twisted around, two hands clamped behind my neck and my eyes staring straight up at the rusted ceiling as I counted in my head.

One, two, three…

“For what?” Alvin asked from behind me. Called it. That was something else about growing up next door to someone. You knew how to get under each other’s skin.

“I almost forgot how annoying you were. Thanks for fucking reminding me.”

“You’re welcome.”

I held back my smirk. I wasn’t lying. It was fucking annoying that no matter how messed up the situation, Alvin found a way to make it into a joke. It was his superpower and my kryptonite ʼcause it was hard to hate someone who seemed to get off on it.

We both knew that was a lie, though. My former best friend was as soft as they came on the inside. He was just used to the hate. He got it from everyone, including his parents.

Including me.

I tried to force down the lump forming in my throat. I was not gonna let myself feel guilty for what happened between us. He was the one who ruined it. Things were great before he went and…

Nope, not going there.

The bus hit a large bump, sending my ass flying up out of my seat just as the giant sign welcoming us to Camp Dix materialized overhead.

“Fuck me…” I muttered under my breath.

“Remove that stick from your ass and I just might…” Alvin muttered back.

“Might what?” I looked over at him, and he shifted higher like he was surprised I was talking to him again. To be honest, I was just as surprised.

I guess some habits were hard to break when they were staring you in the fucking face. Their eyes all glittery and hopeful, as if they knew you knew they would put it all behind them if you just had the courage to ask.

“Never mind.” Alvin shook his head, snatched up his backpack from the floor, and stood. “You’re cute when you’re stupid, DeeDee.”

“And you’re cute when you shut the fuck up.”

He paused, blocking me from stepping into the aisle. “So you admit you think I’m cute?” He quirked a curious brow.

This time, I was the one shaking my head. “What? No… That’s not what I meant…”

“That’s what ya said, though.” He grinned and stepped aside so I could shove past him.

I didn’t look back again as I descended the stairs two at once. The humidity hitting me in the face like a pair of sweaty tits.

Speaking of…

“Hi, I’m Darius. And you are?” I extended a palm to the woman standing in front of me with a clipboard in one hand, a whistle around her neck, and a scowl I had every intention of fucking off her mouth given the opportunity.

Alvin had already messed up my chances of getting with Jaclyn Bradshaw with that stunt he pulled in my bedroom. Her parents had forbidden her from hanging out with a thug, despite the fact I’d never been in trouble a day in my life. That was something he didn’t understand. Something he’d never understand. We came from two different worlds. I didn’t have the luxury of getting Daddy to bail me out and I didn’t have the cash to do it myself.

I could feel Alvin’s eyes boring into my back as the woman’s lips curled into an almost-smile. Yeah, I was not about to let this fucker cockblock me for the rest of the summer.

“There’s an awful lot of vagina for a place called Camp Dix,” Alvin grumbled, shoulder-checking me on his way towards the main cabin.

“Thank god for small miracles,” I called after him, and watched his spine stiffen.

It was a fucked-up thing to say to a preacher’s son whose old man spent years trying to pray the gay out of him. Then switched to using his fists when that didn’t seem to work. But I was a fucked-up guy, and Alvin needed to remember that and stay far the fuck away from me.