Read Eternal Spring A Young Adult Short Story Collection for Free Online Page B

grabbing her rolling suitcase and
bags.
    I grabbed my suitcase full of dirty laundry and went out the
door of our cabin for the last time.
    “You know what, Emma?” Sophie asked. “I had fun this week.”
    “Me too. We should come back.”
    Her upper lip curled in disgust. “Are you nuts?”
    I was a little nuts.
    We passed Ian's cabin just as he and Scott came out. I
smiled at him, and I could tell he was smiling back despite the bandana
covering the lower half of his face. I could see the smile in his eyes. Instead
of avoiding me, he walked along beside me.
    Rolling our suitcases on the pea gravel path was a bit
awkward. Scott and Ian carried their duffels easily. They didn't walk ahead
though. Sophie chattered to Scott about all of the things she would do when she
got home.
    As we walked, Ian caught my hand and threaded his fingers
through mine. I squeezed, and he squeezed back. The thrill of his touch chased
away my fatigue.
    I could see our parents standing near their cars in the
parking lot, and I knew this was my last chance.
    “Wait,” I said.
    I stopped, and he stopped and turned toward me.
    Sophie and Scott were a few feet away.
    “Promise you'll text,” I said.
    He nodded.
    “I'm so glad Sophie got busted for sneaking out with her
boyfriend.”
    He tilted his head to one side in confusion.
    “Never mind,” I said. Then I did the bravest thing I've ever
done. I put my free hand on his arm and stood on my tiptoes as I leaned in to
kiss his cheek, right above the paisley on his bandana. His cheek was a little
scratchy and warm. Heat rose in my face as I met his eyes.
    He put his arm on the small of my back and tugged me into a
hug. The hug made me wish I never had to leave Camp Cauldron.
    He released me and walked me across the lot and over to my
car. Sophie and Mom were already talking, and I was sure Sophie had ratted me
out.
    “Mom,” I said. “This is Ian, and he can’t talk right now.
But it isn't his fault. That he can't talk, I mean.”
    “Nice to meet you, Ian,” Mom said. She shook his hand.
    Then Ian loaded our giant suitcases into the minivan. He
waved goodbye, paused for a second, and actually bowed toward me and Mom . He walked over to the SUV, where a man and woman
were doing a pitiful job of hiding their curiosity.
    I waved at them as the woman hugged him, and then I climbed
into the van.
    I hadn't been anywhere this soft, cushy, and high tech in a
week, and every muscle in my body relaxed as I sank into the seat. Sophie had
her head down and was texting already.
    “So,” my mother said as she started the engine. “What have I
missed?”
    I didn't answer. I closed my eyes to keep the memory fresh.
I couldn't fight my grin as the van crunched the gravel under its tires, and we
pulled out of the camp.
    Through the fabric of my khaki shorts, I felt my cell
vibrate.

 
 
    AUTHOR’S NOTE

 
    For more magic, more kissing, and a cute guy who doesn't
have fish lips, check out Zoe's story, Stirring Up
Trouble .

 
    ***
    Juli Alexander writes
young adult romances and romantic comedies for teens. In “Camp Cauldron,” Emma
shies away from her magic, but Zoe has a passion for potions in Stirring Up
Trouble . She’s searching for a substitution for toad slime and hopes to
cure disease. In the April 2012 release, The Karma Beat , Jen, a genie, risks getting
banished to the other realm. And in May 2012, Ally deals with unpleasant realities as a teen with divorced parents in My Life as the
Ugly Stepsister . http://www.julialexanderauthor.com
    Back to Table of Contents

 
 
      Barre Hopping at Midnight
    By
    Amanda
Brice

 
    Life sucks when your boyfriend is a vampire.
    Fine, he’s not really a vampire. And if we want to get 100%
technical, he’s not really my boyfriend, either. Sorta kinda maybe. But not
really.
    I don’t know.
    It’s complicated.

 
    Jackson leaned in closer, mere millimeters away, two-hundred-year-old
ebony eyes locked on Robyn’s green ones with such