Overtime For Love

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“But I know me being there is a problem. She dropped out of school for the summer because of me. She can’t work her extra job because of me. She had to accept the charity that sent me to this camp. Add to that, she’s always trying to act like everything is cool. Like taking me to a movie or a trampoline park.”

“What’s wrong with making you happy?” Isaiah leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. He turned his head to look at Cory. The boy seemed so downcast he wasn’t sure if anything he said would make him feel better, but he had to try. “If your aunt didn’t want you there, I’m pretty sure you would know it. If she’s trying to make you feel comfortable, that’s a good thing. It means she loves you and she wants you to be happy. I’m pretty sure this is her first crack at taking care of a teenager. She’s got to get used to you just like you have to get used to her. Maybe think about that whenever you’re feeling frustrated. And don’t freak out over the babysitter thing. Once she feels confident you can take care of yourself, I’m sure she’ll let you stay home alone while she works.”

Cory’s lips pursed and his brow furrowed while he thought about that. Finally he said, “I just don’t want her to decide I’m not worth it and kick me out.”

“Then you may want to cut back on the attitude and not get angry when she’s trying.” Cory looked a little sick, so Isaiah reached over and playfully hit his shoulders. “Don’t worry. I doubt your aunt will kick you out. Seems like she kinda likes you.”

Cory relaxed and smiled. “Yeah...she’s cool. When she’s not trying to not make me feel like a baby.”

“So, take it easy on her. Just a little.”

“I will.” Cory looked across the gym. His body stiffened.

Isaiah followed his gaze. Another kid in camp, a boy named Kirk, had walked over to talk with Denise and her friends. Kirk was more outspoken than Cory and that had made him one of the instantly popular kids in the camp.

“You know,” Isaiah said slowly, “when I was your age, I was afraid to talk to a girl I liked.”

Cory glanced at Isaiah out of the corner of his eye. “Really?”

Isaiah nodded and felt a little flattered by the disbelief in the boy’s tone. He guessed he really didn’t resemble the awkward kid he used to be, even if he still felt that way at times. “Yes.”

“When did it get easier for you to talk to girls?”

“Who said it got easier?” Isaiah said. “I just had to learn that nine times out of ten, if I was respectful and just approached her with no hidden agenda, she would at least listen to what I had to say.”

“You mean she didn’t laugh at you? Because, girls will laugh at you now if they think you’re being corny. Things are different from the way they were back in your day.”

Isaiah winced and put a hand over his chest as if wounded. “My day wasn’t that long ago.” Cory rolled his eyes, a gesture Isaiah decided to ignore. Everyone over twenty seemed old when you were thirteen. “All I’m saying is, if you like a girl, just talk to her. You don’t have ask her to be your girlfriend or anything like that. If she likes basketball...talk to her about that.”

Cory sat up straighter and watched Denise and Kirk. Denise had just turned her back to the other boy, which meant Cory probably didn’t have to worry about him as a potential rival. “What should I say about basketball?”

“Start with ‘hey,’ then ask her who her favorite ballplayer is.”

Cory looked at Isaiah. “Why would I ask a girl that?”

“Because you like Denise and if she’s in a basketball camp, then she probably has a favorite basketball player. Don’t worry. She sneaks looks at you, too.”

Cory’s face brightened up. “She does?” His deepening voice momentarily returned to the squeak of childhood.

Isaiah fought back a smile. He didn’t want Cory to think he was teasing him. “She does. Just walk over and say ‘hey.’”

“Even with Kirk and her friends over there?”

“Especially with Kirk over there. Don’t show her you’re intimidated by another man. Girls don’t like that.”

Cory nodded and watched Denise and Kirk. “Don’t be intimidated.” He took a deep breath and stood. He shook out his hands and shoulders, then jumped down the bleachers. He looked back at Isaiah over his shoulders. “Oh, and Mr. Isaiah?”

“Yeah.”

“Auntie looks at you, too. So, you know, if you like her, you can just talk to her.” Cory smiled, then strode across the room with a show of confidence that impressed Isaiah.

Isaiah leaned back on the bleachers. So Auntie Angel looks at me. A smile broke across his face. He shouldn’t care. Bridget was coming. That’s who should be on his mind, but that wasn’t what kept his mood up for the rest of the day.

Chapter 6 (#u0ed1f828-c386-5ae5-9246-cc65ac397f7a)

Angela arrived at the center well before five thirty. Everything had worked out for her at the end of the day. No issues with volunteers, but her boss had called a meeting to talk about possible late hours due to a group coming in to cross-train from another state. The idea of another change to her already packed schedule made her cringe, but until the change actually happened, she wouldn’t worry.

Angela entered the center and found Keri at the front desk. “Hey, what are you doing up here?” Keri was usually running around handling more important things while the teenage workers and volunteers handled signing the kids in and out for the day.

“Just covering for one of my guys while he cleans up something in one of the classrooms.” Keri said with a smile.

Angela was happy to see her wary expression from earlier today, when she’d interrupted Angela’s conversation with Isaiah, was gone. She didn’t want Keri to have a reason to question Cory’s participation in the camp.

“How did Cory do today?” Angela asked as she signed her name and the pickup time beside Cory’s name in the notebook. “He was in kind of a mood this morning.”

Keri shook her head. “No problems at all. All of the players think he’s doing a really great job.”

Relief washed over her. She’s spent the day worrying about Cory. She still had no idea what had put him in such a bad mood earlier that day. She didn’t know the best way to get him to confess without sounding like a nag. Was she supposed to nag? This entire parenting thing was so new to her. She wanted to do the right thing, but knowing what was the right thing was harder than she’d expected. “Good to hear. Well, I’ll go get him.”

Keri nodded and Angela walked to the gym. She took Keri’s statement that Cory had a good day to mean whatever had been bothering him was no longer a factor—unless she was the problem. Sure, she’d argued with him about staying home alone, but that was because she’d never forgive herself if something happened to Cory while she worked nights at the club. Eventually she’d have to trust him. He would be fourteen later this summer. Nate couldn’t always babysit and she’d be damned if she called her aunt to help. As much as she worried, she had to face the fact that she was playing single parent right now and would have to trust Cory alone no matter how much the idea scared her.

Cory wasn’t in the gym. She asked one of the camp volunteers and was directed down a hallway, where Cory was apparently helping to put away the basketballs. When she found the storage room, another counselor told her Cory had gone to the locker room with another kid. To that point, she would’ve waited for him in the lobby, but she didn’t doubt Cory would take his time talking in the locker room and she’d be twiddling her thumbs forever.

She stopped outside the boys’ locker room and pushed the door slightly open. “Cory, you in there?” she called without going in. The last thing she wanted was to freak out a bunch of boys by entering their domain.

The sound of a locker slamming shut and the echo of music was her only answer. The song was one Cory listened to constantly. Something about a girl being a crowd pleaser. There weren’t a bunch of voices raised in conversation. Which meant if Cory was in there, he wasn’t with a group of kids and probably hadn’t heard her over the music.

Angela glanced down the hall, took a deep breath and shielded her eyes as she stepped into the locker room. “Come on, Cory, we’ve got to go.”

She rounded the corner and stopped just short of bumping into Isaiah yet again. He held out a hand to stop her from colliding with him. He was in the same athletic shirt and basketball shorts from earlier and had a duffel bag over one shoulder. Almost running into him had brought her dangerously close to his body. She was so close her knees turned to Vaseline and her heart decided now was a damn good time to flutter.