Confident by Demi Lovato
Picture of Ajax

Keenan tracked Lee down right before dinner was being served barbeque style by Ajax. It wasn't hard seeing as how everyone was mulling about the camp sight, doing something or other.

The girls were trying and failing to start a fire, Aurora seemed to be taking a nap in the chair in front of her tent, Ajax was cooking with Luna attached to his side, and Aiden was the only guy nice enough to help the rest of the girls start a fire, with his back turned to his brother of course. Keenan lifted himself up into the back of Lee's truck where Lee and Ivan were currently lounging, a case of beers between them.

"What's up man," Lee asked, raising his hand for a high five.

Keenan grabbed his hand and used it to sink down across from him. "I feel like I haven't seen you around much. Been hiding from me huh?" Keenan swiped a can of Coors from the already half empty case, waiting for Lee's reply.

It never came.

Keenan looked up to his friend to find Lee awkwardly scratching the back of his head with red cheeks.

"What is it man," Keenan asked, actually feeling concerned. He felt bad that he was too busy with his own stuff that he never bothered to stop and catch up with his best friend of all people.

"He like goth girl," Ivan said, lifting his can to his lips then crushing it in his fist like the Hulk he was.

Keenan caught Lee roll his eyes irritably. "She's not goth."

"She has cuts yes," Ivan asked, picking up another beer.

"You're getting goth and emo mixed up dude," Lee argued and snatched the beer from him. "And this is my beer."

Keenan chuckled, earning a glare from his best friend. "Looks like someone is protective of little cotton candy head over there."

"Fuck you guys," he growled and stood up, ready to jump off the back of the truck and probably run into the arms of Willow.

"Hey man stop," Keenan said, grabbing his ankle. "We were just kidding."

"I wasn't," Ivan murmured.

"Shut up Hulk," Keenan growled, glaring at the large Russian boy who was twice his size.

"You guys are assholes you know that," Lee grumbled, reluctantly sitting back down.

"We wouldn't be friends if we weren't." Keenan smiled at his best friend.

Sure Keenan was the most popular boy in town, everyone wanted to be his friend and he had plenty in Ajax, Aiden, Ivan, and even Kasper who cared more about his current love than most things but he liked Lee the best out of everyone. Whereas the rest of the guys on the trip were a lot like Keenan- i.e. likes stealing things from anywhere they can, loves starting fights, and are competitive as hell- Lee didn't like doing any of those things. It was a wonder that he even came along on this trip, but of course Keenan had to beg him for years to go.

Keenan knew that if or when he fell off the tracks Lee would be the only person there to help him back up. Every tainted heart needed a golden one around them.

"So care to share some details," Keenan asked Lee, kicking his foot with his own and giving him a pointed look. "Is she as crazy as she looks?"

Lee chuckled, running a hand up and down his forearm. "I would rather not share anything with you guys. I want it to be between me and her, you know?"

Ivan's eyes got wide and he punched Lee in the arm playfully, although Lee ended up groaning and falling to his side. "You like her yes? Not her body but her um..."

"Heart," Keenan spoke up.

"Yes," Ivan yelled, his eyes wide with excitement. "You like her heart?"

Lee grunted, "Your fists are made of steel."

Ivan looked down at his hands confused, testing out their strength by punching the side of the truck. He didn't even flinch when his knuckles made contact with the steel.

Keenan could only laugh at his friends. After taking a large gulp of beer he said to Ivan, "So how was Alice? I meant to ask you that."

"Great," Ivan said, a large smile spreading across his lips. "I like wild cats, not yappy puppies like Nyla."

Keenan and Lee shared a confused look.

"Do you mean Nora," Lee asked, his brows furrowed together.

Ivan's eyes sank. "Yes."

Keenan and Lee both let out a loud laugh. "I've never heard that kind of analogy before. A yappy puppy," Keenan asked between gasps for breath. "Is that supposed to mean she's bad?"

"I think you're forgetting the bigger picture bro," Lee pointed out. "Nora slept with Ivan!"

"When did this happen," Keenan asked, finishing off his beer and grabbing the last one.

"Last night," Ivan said, shrugging his shoulders like it was no big deal. "She took me to your car."

Keenan's body ran cold. "My car," he asked incredulously. When Ivan nodded his head Keenan bent over and gagged. After he was done, and when Lee was still laughing uncontrollably, Keenan yelled, "What the hell man? That's an expensive ass car! You probably ruined the interior!"

Ivan shrugged his shoulders.

Keenan grunted and hopped out of the bed of the truck, leaving his two friends behind to laugh at his misery.

He wanted to go take his car to the closest car wash but he knew that if he left it would be against the rules, even if he had every intention of coming back. Instead he sat on the ground next to Aurora's feet. She was still sleeping, her head resting on her hand that was placed on the flimsy arm of the foldable chair. Keenan realized as he looked at her that she didn't seem so fierce all the time when she was sleeping. He liked it.

So instead of nudging her arm to force her awake as his plan was he silently sat there, surveying his surroundings and thinking. Somehow his mind wandered off to college and what his life would look like after summer. He got accepted to USC which was his dream school for one reason: no one knew him there. Of course it also had a good football team, one of the best in the country, but it wasn't much like Alabama or Georgia, or Texas, southern schools which revolved around the sport. He got accepted into all of them of which his ever football loving father forced him too. The problem with the southern schools was that he knew people going there and people there have already heard of him. He didn't want that, he didn't want the kind of pressure he feels every day in Greenfield at college too.       

He just had one problem: telling his family that he would be moving across the country.

He figured he would tell them at the last moment possible but of course there was the fact that the signing would be recorded on live television, or that was his father's plans.

"I'm trying to get you press son. The more press you get the higher the possibility you'll be a first pick draft into the NFL," his father said time and time again.

Keenan loved football, it was his passion and he hated it when people thought it was his father's. His father grew up reading science books all day so he could be what he wanted to be, a doctor. His father was only helping him catch his own dream now but Keenan just wished that there wasn't so much pressure on him. It felt as if there was someone constantly breathing down his neck.

He wanted the game to be fun, not stressful. Was that too much to ask?

"Grubs up," Ajax yelled at the barbeque pit, causing Keenan to snap out of his thoughts and for Aurora's body to jolt awake. Keenan didn't realize how weird it was that he was sitting by Aurora's sleeping side until she pointed it out between a yawn. 

"I'm going to get you some food," he grumbled, pushing himself off the ground and heading towards Ajax.

Ajax filled up two full plates for Keenan, giving him a sly smile in the process. Keenan didn't notice what he meant until Ajax's eyes fleeted over to Aurora briefly. Keenan forced a smirk and nodded his head before turning his back on him and going back over to Aurora. He wasn't giving her food to get into her pants; he was giving her food because he simply wanted to. It was a nice thing to do wasn't it?

"Don't think too hard. Your brain might explode," Aurora spoke up when he got to her side again.

At that moment Keenan hated that Jesse chose Aurora of all people to be his girl on this trip. Any other girl would be easy but Aurora wasn't like any girl Keenan had ever pursued before. For one she had a boyfriend, Keenan made sure to stay away from those who were taken . . . until now, and two she was snarky, rude, and fiercely loyal to Jesse of all people. But she could also turn directions quickly, suddenly becoming your best friend if only for a little while.

Keenan realized that she was weirdly a lot like the boy he used to call a friend.

He ate his food in peace.

"Hey," India spoke up shyly, her face blushing pink as she approached Aurora and Keenan.

"What's up Gandhi?"

India smiled softly. "I was wondering if Jesse wanted anything to eat. If he doesn't eat now than Ivan will take his plate I made for him," she said, holding a plate stacked with food.

Aurora smirked. "He'll love that." She twisted around to unzip the tent. "Hey butt face, the pretty blonde is out here to feed you."

India giggled softly, trying to hide the blush threatening to cover her cheeks.

"Jesse, I'm calling you," Aurora said, poking her head in. "Oh," she said shortly, making India's body tense. That didn't sound like a good 'oh' to her.

Aurora turned back to face India, a look of confusion and concern etched vividly on her face. "He's not in there."

India scrunched up her nose. "He's not? Where else do you think he would be?"

"He'll probably be back soon anyways. Why don't you just wait for him here," Keenan suggested.

Aurora leaned over to hit his shoulder, making his wince and whine, "Ow! What was that for?"

After giving Keenan a pointed look Aurora turned back to India. "I would check in the woods for him. He won't come back unless someone searches for him."

"That's a horrible idea," Keenan protested. "India, don't do it. The woods are dangerous! You could get lost!"

"She'll scream if anything happens." Aurora rolled her eyes and sank back into the chair.

"Don't worry Keenan I think I know where he is anyways," India said, excitement eating at her. She spun on her heel and headed for the woods. 

"What the hell Aurora," Keenan growled, turning to glare at her. "She shouldn't be on her own!"

"I think you aren't giving her or Jesse enough credit. She is eighteen now after all right, and smart as hell? I think she can find her moping boyfriend in the woods."

Keenan nearly growled, "He's not her boyfriend."

Aurora's eyes nearly popped out of her skull. "Oh my gosh," she whispered, staring indigently at Keenan. "You like her don't you? This all makes so much sense now!"

Keenan shot to his feet. "What? India? No, never! She's my friend, that's it!"

Aurora stood to her feet to face him down. Jabbing him in the chest with her finger she said, "You could have fooled me Lockhart. You really wanted to kiss her the other night, you got mad when Jesse had the chance too, and you've hated him this entire time! Don't forget that you brought India on a camping trip for an entire week and are sharing a tent with her!"

Keenan grabbed her shoulders sternly and said through clenched teeth, "I do not feel that way for India. Don't make false accusations."

Aurora raised a brow. "Well someone is touchy about the subject."

Keenan sighed and sat back down, followed by Aurora who ignored her chair and sat next to him on the grass.

"You would be too if someone jumped to conclusions about you."

"What's so wrong about liking India? She's smart and really pretty. I just don't think she knows it. Hell she could rob Alice of all she has."

Keenan smirked. "Someone sounds jealous."

Aurora turned to glare at him. "I am not. I'm perfectly fine with the way I look."

"Somebody doesn't like it when people make false accusations about them now do they," Keenan asked Aurora with an amused smile. Aurora rolled her eyes and continued to eat her dinner. While she ate Keenan became distracted by what she said earlier. She was fine about how she looked. Keenan had to admit that she had a nice body with her clothes, he couldn't imagine what she looked like without them but it wasn't the shape of her body that got his mind reeling. It was the confidence that Aurora had in herself, something that Keenan had always looked for in a girl but had thus far not found in any teenage girl he had met.

He didn't know if they even existed.

Keenan bit his lip as he stared at Aurora, not her legs or her chest, just her. He was stuck staring at her, trying to figure her out for minutes until Aurora noticed and snapped at him.

"Do I have something on my face or do we have a problem?"

Keenan swallowed, quickly glancing back down at his food. He hadn't touched it for a while and suddenly he didn't have much of an appetite.

"Well," Aurora snapped, poking him with her plastic fork.

"I was just remembering something from when I first saw you," he spit out. Keenan winced as if his reply hurt him. It did. How could he say something so blunt and . . . flirtatious without thinking twice about it?

Aurora licked her lips, narrowing her blue eyes on the squirming quarter back. "What about it?"

"You said you were named after the Northern Lights," Keenan stuttered while mentally kicking himself in the shins. What was wrong with him? "Have you ever seen them in person?"

Aurora gaped at him, her eyes taking him in in a different light. "I'm surprised your teeny weeny brain can remember that far back.

Keenan glared at her, instantly getting his cool back. "I was trying to make decent conversation for once and you just have to go and ruin it! Can't you be nice for one second?" Keenan scrambled to his feet, ready to storm off but stopped when Aurora grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"Wait, I'm sorry," Aurora whispered. "I just don't open up to people easily and I don't want to make any friends."

Keenan looked down at her. "Because you're leaving back to Canada the first chance you have right?" Aurora nodded her head, her bright blue eyes darkened by an emotion that racked Keenan's insides.

Keenan sighed and sat down next to her again. "What's so wrong about making attachments here?"

"Because I don't want anything holding me down to this stupid town."

"You're only going to make it harder on yourself living here if you don't try to make the best of it. Having friends will make Greenfield not so bad."

"I have friends," Aurora muttered. "I don't need any more."

"But you don't have any here," Keenan pointed out. "Look I'm not saying friendships have to be a life-long thing because they don't. You can forget about all of this as soon as you move away but if I were you I would make the best of what I have and start creating fun memories."

"It's not that easy," Aurora whispered, absent mindedly plucking pieces of grass.

"Because you don't want anyone to know of your dyslexia," he whispered for Aurora's benefit.

Aurora's bright blue eyes snapped up to meet Keenan's with a soft glare.

"You want to know something," Keenan whispered, leaning in close to her with a small smile. "I already know about it and I hear I'm a pretty cool person to hang around."

Aurora giggled. "Who told you that, your mom?"

Keenan softly glared at her but not able to hide his amusement he quickly let his smile show.

...

India happily hummed a song under her breath as she followed the path through the woods. Only a couple days ago she would have rather dissected a frog than venture alone into the woods with not much of a sense of direction but things had changed since then. That change came in the package of a blonde haired blue eyed boy whose favorite color was black and thought his soul was the same shade.

India found it ironic that a boy who saw the world with such negativity had such a happy impact on her life daily since she met him, well minus a few bumps in the road.

She was never one good with boys, that was always Luna's forte but here she was falling or one of the most beautiful people she had ever laid eyes on, and he was falling for her too. Or well she thought so.

By the time she had stumbled across Jesse lying on the grass by the river the sun was minutes from disappearing beyond the horizon all together. He was looking at the river passing by as he leaned up on his elbows, a thoughtful look on his face.

India stayed hidden behind a tree truck, admiring the view of his half naked form. Once again it was obvious that he had gone swimming and ditched not only his shirt but his pants as well, leaving him in only his matching black boxers. India stared at him for what was probably considered longer than normal and bordering on stalking. Actually she passed stalking five minutes before but she just couldn't help herself to the free show in front of her. She knew without a doubt that he belonged in a magazine, possibly above teenage girls' beds in poster form. Not real life form.

She was going to let herself be known by calling out his name, she really was, but then he sat all the way up, revealing a back full of scars and she barely comprehended the gasp that passed her lips. Jesse didn't though.

He twisted around so fast that India was momentarily worried he broke his back.

Of course he broke his back. Do you not see it?

"India," Jesse whispered, fear lacing his voice as his big blue eyes stared up at her from a far.

India had to swallow before she could speak again. "H-how. . . what happened to your back?"

Jesse looked down, looking completely heart broken. They were both silent and unmoving for a minute or two before Jesse swiftly dove for his shirt and threw it over his head. He didn't say anything as he yanked his pants off the grass as well and made a break for the trees in the opposite direction. India caught up to him barely before he was gone forever.

She grabbed his elbow, halting him in his steps. She knew that if he disappeared behind the trees than he might never come back out again. She only had to look at his eyes to realize that.

"Jesse," she whispered softly. He winced as if her voice physically punched him in the gut. "Don't leave." She lessened her grip so she could trail her hand down until her fingers wrapped tightly around his limp ones. "Please," she begged.

After a couple minutes his fingers came to life and squeezed her hand back.