Zenon's Game Chapter 24

Things were tense between us. We've had a lot of fights in our short time together, but this one was real. Zenon had turned back into the unapproachable Greek god that I used to watch from the house next door.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay?" I asked Axel, as he was getting into his car, "We need an ombudsman."

New word... it's going in all my school essays. Henceforth, the ombudsman...

"You managed to mess things up right after I told you not to underestimate him."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"I'm telling you not to judge before you know the whole story. With the way Zenon acts, it's easy to think he doesn't have feelings. You hurt him."

"How? He doesn't even like me."

"You two make a good team. He had your back, didn't he?" Axel asked me.

Axel didn't know about the grizzly bear or our late-night convos, but he knew Zenon well enough to guess something like it. And what Axel didn't say - but what was left in the air between us - is how I didn't have Zenon's back. I should have.

"We're having a party for the campers tomorrow night. If you're free, you should come," I invited him.

"Sounds incredibly lame," he said, reminding me of our difference in social status.

He goes to parties with people our own age.

It made me wonder whether Zenon was going to attend. As counselor, he was meant to. But as Zenon... one never knows.

Axel's characteristic smirk returned as he fired up the engine. "You'll figure it out, Candace. You'll pull something crazy out of the bag and Zenon will cave."

I was grateful for Axel's faith in me, but I wasn't sure if I had acted wrong. Zenon dumped Tamara. That's the only fact I had. It sounded like she really liked him, and he didn't seem too hung up over their beak up. 

I've seen a lot of girls go in and out of his house over the years. So I am not convinced of Axel's version of the truth.

He talks a good game, but I'm watching how Zenon plays.

It was night time and I'd turned the lights off in the campers' room, so they would fall asleep. After all the drama today, I wished I was 8-years-old again. When everything was clear cut and morals were clearly defined.

The bad guys were bad and the good were... Disney princesses.

I was about to turn in myself when I heard noise from the campers' room. I turned the lights back on and saw Malik jump under the covers. Alicia ran to her bed but didn't make it before the lights turned on.

"What's going on here?" I asked, "You should be sleeping."

A girl giggled. A couple others followed.

"Malik is learning how to dance," Tony told from his bunk bed.

The kids ssssh-ed him. Tony didn't say more.

Then I felt a tall, strong body behind me. "Tell us why."

The giggling and sssh's stopped as soon as they heard Zenon's voice.

Us.

I liked the way it sounded. And I really liked how he still said useven when he's mad at me.

"Nothing," Malik said at the same time as Alicia revealed, "He likes a girl."

A pillow flew across the room and landed on Alicia's bed.

She ignored it, "Malik wants to ask her to the dance tomorrow, but he doesn't know how."

"Everyone go to sleep," Zenon said, "Malik, come over here."

Malik crept out of his bunk-bed as nine pairs of eyes watched him. He joined us at the door. Zenon switched the lights off and brought Malik into the living room with us, while the rest of the campers went to sleep.

Both Zenon and I had seen the older boys bully Malik for trying to play sports with them. That's why I agreed with what Zenon was about to do. Or at least, I think I did. I wasn't exactly sure what he had in mind.

"How are you going to ask her out?"

"I get too nervous to speak with her," Malik answered, looking between Zenon and me.

"How will she know you like her if you don't speak to her?" I asked.

He shrugged and stared down at his shoes. "I don't know. I've tried to every day, but I don't have the words."

"You don't need words," Zenon answered and opened the front door, "Come on"

"You can't go out," I argued, "He doesn't have his shoes and it's past his bed-"

The pleading look Malik gave me was enough to silence me. I let him go with Zenon and I went over to the window to see what they were doing. I guess if anyone could show him how to get a girl, it would be Zenon.

Outside, a half moon hung in the night sky. Zenon knelt down to Malik's height and was saying something to him. Then he pointed at the bushes and Malik walked towards them.

Malik inspected the different flowers and finally pointed at a rose. I looked back at Zenon and was surprised that, this whole time, he was looking at me. His blue gaze hit me like a bolt of lightning. I was suddenly grateful for the distance - the window - in between us.

Malik pointed and called out Zenon's name, which pulled him out of his fixed gaze. Zenon went over to Malik and I had to look away. I didn't like where my emotions were taking me. We were supposed to be helping Malik express his feelings... not work on building mine.