A Parthan Summer by Julie Steimle (best books for 8th graders TXT) 📖

a hand to his head. “Oh, boy…”

“But that’s not the complete dream,” Zormna whispered.

Jeff nodded. “I know. It’s just…”

Zormna leaned against the branch that was keeping her balance. “It has become completely real.”

They both sat there for a while, both of them feeling overwhelmed. But then Jeff peeked at Zormna and whispered, “But I will keep to the promise I made in that dream. I am going to protect you. It is what I am here for.”

Zormna lifted her eyes and sighed. “So my life really is in your hands?”

But the way she had said it made him laugh, for in the dream that was what she had told him—all serious-like. It was real. She really was the one he was born to protect.

“You know, though, Jafarr,” Zormna added, “It is difficult to put my life in the hands of a man who won’t forgive me.”

Jeff straightened up. He looked away, instinct telling him to deny her remark and to get defensive and snide about it. But she was right, and he lowered his head again. “Ok… I’ll work on that.”

Zormna blinked at him, surprised.

“But…” Jeff blushed. “Please forgive me if I slip up and fall into old habits. It takes a bit to let go of that kind of thing, considering…..” He rubbed the back of his neck where his extensive scars peeked out.

She chuckled, nodding. And she relaxed as if a huge burden had been lifted from her chest.

“And I’ll forgive you for slipping up and calling me Jafarr,” he added.

Zormna blushed, nodding again with a broader smile. Honestly, that smile was breathtaking. He almost slipped out of the tree.

“Woah!” Zormna reached out and caught his wrist.

Jeff grabbed a branch, laughing.

“You two get out of that tree!” An irate voice shouted from below. 

Both Zormna and Jeff peered down. The tennis coach stood at the base of the tree, fuming.

“Get down this instant!” he demanded, pointing to the ground.

Zormna sighed with a look to at Jeff. “This conversation isn’t over.” 

Without another word, Zormna swung and flipped out of the tree, landing well on the ground.

Several people nearby clapped.

Likewise, Zormna dramatically bowed with a playful smirk that was meant to look cute. She certainly had learned to play the part. Jeff chuckled at it.

The tennis coach grew furious, as well as pale with fear. “Are you insane? You don’t just jump out a tree like that! You could have broken your leg!” 

Jeff laughed from above as he slowly climbed down.

Hearing the laughter, the tennis coach shouted up, “You get down here immediately!”

Obediently, Jeff let go of the branch. He dropped where he was, bending his knees to cushion the fall. The counselor stared at him for a few seconds and then up at where Jeff had been in the tree. He had dropped several feet, unharmed.

Jeff smiled for a moment as he glanced into the man’s eyes, though the coach the continued to gape. “Coach Forrester? Are you ok?”

Zormna leaned in and peered at the man also, a little concerned at his dazed look. She waved a hand in front of his eyes.

Snapping out of it, the coach shouted, “Are you crazy? You could have been killed! The both of you!” 

“Nah.” Jeff laughed, sure he was ok. And he walked back towards the gravel parking lot to go to his cabin. “It’s like jumping from the Metro.”

Zormna peered after him with a smirk then shook her head. “He probably has….”

The coach hadn’t heard her, but he did see her turn to leave also.

Zormna had barely made it past the gravel lot when Maya and Miss Betiford reached her. They, like many others, had also witnessed her leap from the tree.

“Are you okay?” “Are you hurt?” came their cries.

 Zormna brushed them off. “I’m fine. It is nothing new.”

But Maya pulled Zormna aside, her expression going from shock to fury. “You should never be so reckless. You should never take your safety so lightly, Zormna. You could have been hurt, maybe even killed.”

“Give me a break,” Zormna laughed, shaking off Maya’s hold. “Other things would be more effective in killing me.”

Maya regained her grip on Zormna’s arm. “Zormna, this is serious!”

But she shouldn’t have. Zormna’s amused expression transformed into one that made Miss Betiford take a step back. Maya looked likely to shake Zormna, but Zormna appeared like she would break the gymnastic intern’s neck.

Jerking her arm free, Zormna snapped with bite. “I said, I’m fine.” 

Maya reached for Zormna a third time. 

Jerking out of reach, Zormna sounded deadly, “Don’t touch me.”

Recoiling, Maya stepped back. Her eyes followed Zormna as the tiny blonde stomped up the hill toward her cabin, every eye on her. The small crowd that had gathered hushed, so utterly stupefied at how Zormna Clendar had changed from playful imp to someone likely to kill if pushed any further.

Miss Betiford sidled up to the gymnastics intern and sighed. “I should have told you, she’s rather sensitive. Apparently she has had a rough life.”

Then she walked back to the lakeshore to serve as a lifeguard. But Maya continued to stare up the hill after Zormna.

*

The morning and afternoon passed, while signs of Zormna and Jeff were scarce about the camp. Some had seen Jeff take off for a walk around the campground, staring at birds and leaves and bugs, while carrying that book with him yet still not opening it. A few located Zormna walking alone near the northern edge of the lake, picking at the water with a stick. Hours later, someone spotted both at separate ends of the camp, but sitting quietly, just thinking. The one who saw Jeff said he looked like he might be a Buddhist monk. His legs were crossed and his eyed were closed. He seemed to be reaching for nirvana or something. 

But around dinnertime, his friends found Jeff in his cabin. He was busy reading the book he had borrowed from Brian—The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. Jeff’s eyes were glued to the page of a chapter near the middle when his friends returned from the lake. Both of them were sunburned.

Glancing up from his book, Jeff smiled. “You two look like a couple of tomatoes.”

Mark limped to his bed and moaned as he lay down. Jonathan did likewise. Jeff started to laugh until Mark protested.

“Shut up, white boy! At least we’ve got color.”

However, Jeff merely leaned back with chuckles. “Well at least I knew I would burn if I laid out. You guys are going to have serious skin cancer in a few years.”

“Man, I think I have it now.” Moaning, Mark yelped in pain, sitting on his cot. “Ow! Ow! Ow!”

The boys had barely relaxed on their cots when they heard the dinner bell echo through the trees. Brian put away his envelopes and paper, gathering all the rather thick letters he had written that afternoon. He stood up to go, smirking at Mark and Jonathan though trying to hide it. They walked achingly down the steps.

 Jeff followed, book in hand.

Down the hill, they strode to the lodge over the worn path, joining the other boys of Pennington and Billsburg on their way. Monroe met them near the bottom.

Damon slipped behind Mark and Jonathan.

“So, Jon. How’s the weather going? Nice and sunny?” He jovially slapped Jonathan and Mark on the back.

Both boys shouted out in pain and jerked away from the Monroe wrestler.

“In much pain?” Damon smiled slyly.

Jeff immediately stepped in. “Bug off, Damon.”

The Monroe wrestler took a step closer to the bruised Pennington boy, shoving his chest into the Jeff’s face. 

“What were you saying, Jeffey boy?” Damon snapped back, coming even closer.

Jeff glared for a moment then turned away from the wrestler, gripping the book tightly in his hands.

Taking that as a weakness, Damon took his chance and shoved Jeff from behind.

Stumbling two steps forward, Jeff clenched his teeth. Holding his temper, Jeff continued his walk down the hill.

His friends stared wide-eyed at his unusual calmness, especially in regards to Damon Not that Jeff was rabid or anything, but that he never backed down from a challenge so quickly before. 

Damon shoved him again.

Jeff staggered a few more steps while shooting Damon a warning glare while bending the book in his hands to keep from exploding. However that only made Monroe wrestler more belligerent. Damon laughed to himself as he sauntered behind the Pennington wrestler one more time. Brian looked at Mark and exchanged glances with Jonathan.

“Get him!” the three cried out, leading the charge of the Pennington team onto the back of the Monroe wrestler. 

Jeff jumped out from the pile of boys, then stepped two more paces backward as the group slid down the rocky path together. Damon could barely stave off the sunburned duo and their cohorts. He only managed it when his own team stepped in.

Teams breaking apart, Mark yelled. “You keep away from Jeff!”

Damon wiped the dirt off his face with a curse back at them. “Why don’t you let Jeffey boy fight his own fights?”

Jeff frowned, staring at the book in his hands. Then lifting his chin, he said as if on a picnic, “Time for dinner. Shall we?” 

He immediately continued on towards the lodge.

His friends got caught in a half laugh when Damon angrily lunged after Jeff—but he was no fool for the attack this time. Jeff immediately turned around, punching Damon squarely in the face. The impact sent Damon directly backward. He dropped straight into the gravel-covered earth.

Stepping back, rubbing his knuckles, Jeff grumbled to himself, “There goes turning the other cheek.” 

Brian burst into laughter. “You were really trying!”

The rest of the Pennington team stared at Jeff as if he were nuts—but his tomato-colored friends cheered him. “Too cool!”

And they pulled him through the lodge doors. Only Jeff glanced back to make sure Damon stood up again.

Damon sat up from the dirt and wiped his bloody lip with his hand. His buddies crouched around him, trying to help him onto his feet, but Damon shook them off, yelling he was fine. Despite that, he did not get to his feet before the cheerleaders passed by.

The Pennington cheer squad stared as they strolled past, whispering among themselves with disgusted stares. Zormna was at the tail end with Joy, gazing at him. She shook her head with a derisive huff.

“What!?” Damon yelled at the passersby. 

“Idiot,” she muttered, and continued on.

But no one reported them, and dinner rolled into its usual fun. The director announced their night activity as hungry faces stuffed themselves.

But through the hubbub, the gossip, the cheers, the leers, the flirtatious laughter, a glance passed between Zormna and Jeff as if the noise filled hall was now silent and only they were in the room.

She smiled at him, nodding her approval.

He noticed her gaze as he looked up from his meal and smirked.

Her eyes twinkled in that wicked sort of way, also chastising him for being unable to give up fighting—despite the message of that church service earlier. But, Jeff merely smiled back with a shrug, chuckling. But then, their destiny wasn’t to avoid conflict. And they both understood that. And looking around themselves, they knew this moment was just a small breather before the real threat.

 

 

Chapter Twelve: Debugged

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where the body is, there will the vultures be gathered—Lord Bryce—

 

Rain. It rained starting the second week of camp and practices