We got into a steady routine. We woke up at five thirty every morning to go into town. We, well, part of my group, were there to help teach the kids how to read and write. It was going to be a really big job because the literacy rate it really low. The differences between here and Genovia, where children are taught to read and write when they are four, are so incredible. I cried the first night...and that first night was the first REAL conversation I had with Joshua....
I had gone into the woods behind our little compound. There was a lake that was completely surrounded by trees that hid me rather well. Everyone else was sitting around a campfire laughing and talking about the day's events. I sat alone, crying. "Hey, you okay darling?" Joshua asked coming behind me.
I was shocked that he called me darling. I gave him a confused look. "Darling?" I said with a slight laugh.
"I tend to get pet names for the girls here. You look like a darling," he explained easily with a laugh. "Why are you crying? You know, crying won't change anything."
I thought about telling him about my life that I was heading to in Genovia. But I thought he might think I'm selfish. "It's just so..."
"Different from Genovia?" he guessed.
How'd he know where I was from?
"Huh?"
"I read your basic information..." he started, "I have to get to know about all the people in my group," he explained. "It said you were from some country called Genovia."
I nodded, "Oh, well, kind of. It's a weird situation."
"We have all summer to hear about it," he said, staring at me. Our eyes locked for a minute. It kind of reminded me of Michael for a second. He leaned against a tree.
"So, how old are you?" I asked, wiping away my tears. I felt like such a baby.
"I'll be twenty one in two weeks," he said, starting to carve into the tree.
"That must be exciting," I said with a smile.
"I am really excited. We'll be dying that day though. You know what I mean? Like, it's only going to get worse heat wise."
I nodded. "Are you going to get to do anything special for your birthday?"
He shrugged. "Maybe my friends will do something. I don't know. I don't really like those kinds of things." "What are you doing?" I asked, standing up and looking at the tree. "Putting in my name," he replied.
"Joshua's Tree," I said with a grin.
"Everywhere I go I do this," he explained, blowing the dust away from the tree. "

"Where else?" I asked.

"Well, in my families back yard, for one. I did that when I was really little. Then we went to New York's Central Park and I carved one there....Let's see....Scotland, Ireland, Iceland-"

"Iceland?" I asked quickly.

"Yeah. My dad had to work there for a little while. We travelled a lot for him so that's how I got around to Europe."

"I love Iceland, I wanna go there someday," I explained the whole deal about my doing a report on it.

"Maybe I'll take you there one day," he said with a wink.

What a flirt! "You wish," I said, curling up at the bottom of the tree. "Where else?"

"Greece, Spain, Italy...none in Genovia though," he said with a wink. "I never thought there was anything worth my while there."

I offered a half smile. "I don't know if there is anything-"

"I'm talking about you," he said with a laugh. I shivered. I was NOT used to such blatant flirting "Well, someday, when I'm old, I'm gonna go on a big roadtrip to find all my Joshua Trees."

I smiled, "Maybe I'll join you."

"If I let you," he said with a wink, "My gorgeous wife Britney Spears might not like that," he explained.

I smiled. "Shoot, I can't beat Britney."

"She isn't really all that pretty. I think you are prettier...more real, ya know?" I shivered again.

"You cold?" he asked.
"A little...maybe I should head back..."
"No. Let's stay out here a little longer. Take my sweatshirt," he offered, grabbing my wrist as I tried to walk by him.
"Thanks."
"No problem darling," he said mimicking a southern accent.
"Don't do that."
"What?"
"Use a southern accent. I like your British one," I explained.
He blushed, "Well, okay then."
We stayed there for about another two hours, talking about the mission and about the types of music we liked. "I can play the guitar a little," he started, "Not well, but fairly well. Enough to get a girl to make out with me."
I laughed. "I'm sure on this trip you'll have plenty of volunteers for that job."
"What, a make out partner?" he asked.
"Yup."
"Anyone in mind?" he teased.
I rolled my eyes. It was pretty easy to talk to him. He flirted without being obnoxious. "So do you act like this with all the girls?" I asked as we left the woods.
"Like what?"
"Like a sweet caring guy, and not a player?"
He turned red, "That's how I appear to everyone?"
"Well, you are always surrounded by girls."
"But I don't go chasing after them."
"I bet you never have to worry about finding someone to be with."
"Yeah, and you do?" he teased.
I looked at him and then walked away.

"You seemed to get awfully touchy when I mentioned you finding someone to date," he said the next night in the woods.
"Well, I do have that problem."
He looked kind of surprised. "You do? But why is that? Are Genovian guys really weird? They don't see a gorgeous girl when she's right in front of them?"
He had a way with words. "It's not that....I live in New York, you see. I'm Genovian by birth, but raised in New York by my mother."
"Oh, that wasn't in the packet..."
"I wouldn't think it would be," I said under my breath. Of course Grandmere would fail to mention my mother. "Well, there was this one guy, but..."
"He didn't like you?"
"He...I have no idea to be honest with you. He was my best friends older brother."
"Those are pretty difficult to deal with. I promise you, I will help in any way possible to get you over him," he said with a mischievous grin.
I laughed, "Oh really?"
"But of course. I will work you to the bone. You won't even remember his name by the end of this summer!"
I laughed, embarrassed. "Oh, right. Of course."