"You are going to have to control your teenage hormones." The warden said to Lucie the next morning at breakfast.
Lucie's head shot up. "What are you talking about?"
"Mr. Sir told me you were kissing Caveman in front of his office yesterday. First it was Squid and now Caveman. Who'll you be kissing next?"
Lucie didn't respond, but suddenly became very interested in the scrambled eggs on her plate.
"Those boys don't need a distraction. They're here for a reason and that reason is not to have a summer romance."
Lucie shoved the eggs around on her plate and again did not respond.
"Is that clear?"
"Yes ma'am." Lucie mumbled.
"I think it's time for another hole."
"Already?"
"Yes. You'll dig tomorrow." The warden said, standing up. She shoved her chair under the table and looked back at Lucie. "What are you going to do today?"
"I thought I'd go visit with the guys."
"Keep your lips to yourself, then."
"Aunt Lou, you make me sound like a –"
"I don't want to hear it, just do it."
"'Afternoon, Hot Lips." ZigZag said nodding his head at Lucie.
She ignored the nickname and nodded back at him. "Where's Squid?"
ZigZag gestured toward a hole off to the right of them. "He's sitting in that hole over there, taking a break."
"Thanks."
She walked past Magnet who grinned widely at her, X-Ray who said, "'Sup, Hot Lips?", and Zero who smiled and said, "Hey, Lucie."
She peered down in the hole and saw Squid sitting in the bottom, leaning against the side with his eyes closed. She quietly lowered herself into the hole and squatted down in front of him.
"Squid." She whispered. He didn't respond. She reached out and softly brushed his brown hair off his forehead. Squid stirred and finally opened his eyes.
"Hey, Luc. What are you doing here?"
"Just came out to talk to you."
He sat up and smiled. "Really?"
Lucie nodded and sat down in the dirt beside him. "We kind of got cut short last night."
"Yea, and we were just getting to the good part." He smirked and Lucie giggled.
"I'd like to pick up where we left off." Lucie heard herself say.
"I think that can be arranged." Squid put his hand on her face and pulling it to his. He kissed her softly and then it became more intense. Lucie moved closer to him and put her arm around his stomach, pulling him closer to her. She suddenly couldn't control her actions. It was as if someone else had taken over her body and was controlling her every move. Squid moved his lips from Lucie's lips to her neck and then back up to her lips, and soon they were in a full-blown make-out session.
"Get a room, you two."
They quickly pulled away from each other and looked up to see ZigZag, Magnet, Armpit, and X-Ray standing over their hole laughing.
"Man, can't ya'll mind your own business?" Squid snapped at them.
They all laughed and X-Ray said, "We figured something like this would be going on down there, so we had to come check it out."
"Ok, you've seen. Now can you get lost?"
They guys walked away laughing and making comments to each other.
Lucie chuckled. "I think they, uh, ruined the moment."
"Yea, you're right." Squid said shaking his head. He took her hand and smiled. "That was really nice, though."
"Well, now that we've gotten that out of our systems, I think we can finish our discussion."
"All right. You start."
"Okay, first of all, what's your real name?"
"Alan."
"Can I call you that?"
Squid hesitated, and then nodded. "Sure. You can call me whatever you want to."
"Okay, Alan, we were talking last night about how I didn't trust you and about how you remind me of my ex-boyfriend. And I was thinking about that last night after you left. I have a really strong attraction to you and have ever since that first day I came here. But I'm wary of guys like you because I was with one and he hurt me. I've been thinking since then that I needed to go for the good guy now, thinking maybe a good guy wouldn't break my heart. That's why I have a hard time trusting you."
"But I'm not Jake."
"I know you aren't. But when I look at you, I see him."
Squid's face changed from soft, sympathetic face into a frown. "You see Jake when you like at me?"
Lucie nodded and sighed. "I'm trying not to, but I can't help it."
"Is that why you keep kissing me? You wish you were kissing him and I remind you of him?"
"No, that's not it. At least, I don't think so."
"You don't think so? Lucie, you are the most confused person I have ever met." He stood up and brushed the dirt off his pants.
"I'm trying to figure things out, Alan, but it's hard." She stood up, too.
"Why does it have to be so hard though? Just let this Jake guy go and move on."
"It's not that simple! I was in love with him."
By now, their voices were loud enough for the other guys to hear and they had all stopped to watch and listen. Armpit rolled his eyes. "Here we go again."
"And apparently you still are and you're using me to try to pretend you're still with him."
"That's not true. I-"
"Just forget it, Lucie." He pulled himself out of the hole and picked up his shovel that was lying at the rim of it.
Lucie let out a frustrated cry and kicked the dirt wall. "You're impossible!" she yelled after him.
"All y'all ever do is fight." Magnet said to Squid as he walked by his hole.
"Yea, and then they make out." X-Ray said laughing.
Squid ignored them and immediately started back digging his hole.
Lucie had climbed out and was quickly making her way back to the warden's cabin. She shook her head as she walked and clinched her fists. "I am so over bad boys." She told herself. She glanced back at Caveman who was digging as if nothing had happened. She knew he probably knew that she and Squid had made out in that hole and that he was probably mad at her. She had, in fact, told him the day before that he was the guy she needed. She knew deep down that he was the type of guy she needed. And she liked him, she really did. A part of her was attracted to his boyish charm, his innocent face, and his sweet personality. But another part of her was attracted to Squid's bad boy attitude, his charming ways and the sheer mystery of their relationship.
She stopped again to look back at Caveman. He looked up at her, too, as if he knew she would be looking at him. She smiled a little at him. His shoulders dropped a little, as if he were giving up and he turned his attention back to the task at hand. Zero came up behind him and patted his back.
"Don't worry about it." She heard him say to Caveman.
Lucie turned back around and headed for the cabin. She planned to stay in that night and not wander to the wreck room like she usually did. She had to get in bed early. Tomorrow would be a digging day.
"Your sure you have a way?" Lucie heard her aunt's voice say when she walked in the door.
"Lou, I'm positive. I just have the make the arrangements. Just give me your word and the arrangements will be made." Mr. Sir said.
Lucie ducked back behind the wall into the foyer.
"No, you let me know when everything is settled and then I'll promise."