The angel and the lightning rod

Phase 1

"Then what?" he asked impatiently. "You want me to swap with someone?"

"What?"

"For that whole camp happening. Do you want me to swap with that Luke guy?"

"Hell, no."

He scowled. "Do you want me to secretly swap with some girl when we're there?"

"Dude, no. Don't be weird. I don't give a shit who I'm in a tent with."

Obviously, that confused him. "Then what are you doing here?"

"Getting to know you," I blathered. "I have manners."

"Oh, piss off."

I ignored him. "Anyway, I thought you said you wouldn't go."

"Nah..." He ate his tangerine. "I don't like promises."

That was something I recognized.

We overlooked the bike path below us and the park across the street. Nate stared intently at a tree, but I couldn't see what was so special about it.

I found the silence uncomfortable. "I'm Stuart."

"No shit," muttered Nate.

"You knew?"

"You're always shouting the wrong answers in math class."

"That is not true," I demanded.

"It is true. You don't have a clue in there. But it's okay. You can have as much hubris as you want."

"Well," I muttered astonished.

Who even used that word, "hubris"? I liked it a lot.

"Thanks."

While Nate mockingly watched my reaction, he put a tangerine in his mouth. "You're welcome."

Did I have hubris?

"So should I come with you then?" Nate asked.

"If you insist," I muttered, still thinking about my behavior in math class. "You could help keep Lucas and all those other misfits of my back."

He nodded. "I think I'd be an expert at that."

I really wasn't very good at math, I realized. Most of the time I had failing grades and an average of a D. It had never occurred to me, but now that I thought about it, I was never actually right when I shouted an answer.

Ah, well... "I think I'm good at English."

Nathaniel's smile had a bit of an evil glint. "I'm not surprised. With your books..."

Someone had paid attention to me... Not that anyone would have to look very hard, I almost always carried a book with me. Even while sitting there I had a paperback in my back pocket. I tried to secretly stash it away somewhere so Nate wouldn't notice.

Nate handed the last bit of his tangerine to me and pulled up his legs. "You be careful with me. I attract trouble. "

I stared at him for a second and wondered how. Nate had eyes like chestnuts. He didn't look at all like someone who had enemies.

"How can I help it when they force me in a tent with you?" I asked.

He shrugged and lingered a little. "Touché... Well, I'm going home."

"Now?" I exclaimed.

He nodded in a distracted kind of way. "Lots of shit to do if I have to go camping."