Isaiah looked at Cory again. Angela had said he didn’t have to talk to Cory, but he wanted to know why the boy had been so rude to his aunt. Maybe it was something as simple as pining over a girl he liked. Isaiah stood. “I’ll go talk to him. He was giving his aunt a hard time earlier today. There may be a few things on his mind.”
“Isn’t his aunt that bartender at Sweethearts?” Will’s voice rose in interest.
“Yes.” Isaiah’s tone hardened. He gave Will a hard look.
Will only smiled and leaned back. “I thought so. You two talked for a long time the night we were all out.”
“And?”
“And is she the reason why you’re so concerned about Cory?”
Isaiah would have stepped in if any of the kids at camp had disrespected their parent or guardian in his vicinity. Yet, he couldn’t deny something else made him especially want to lend a helping hand in this case. “I’d help out no matter what and you know that. His aunt has nothing to do with this.”
“Uh-huh.” Will’s tone called Isaiah a liar.
“Bridget is coming to town in a few days. I’m not that kind of guy.”
Will’s smile grew. “Uh-huh.”
Isaiah ignored the teasing glint in Will’s eye and waved him off. He hopped down the bleachers and crossed the gym to Cory. Cory appeared to notice him, sitting up straighter and trying to look relaxed.
“I’m not doing anything,” he said.
Isaiah sat next to the kid. “I’m not going to give you a hard time. I just want to talk.”
“Everyone wants to talk,” Cory mumbled. He pulled on a shoestring and scowled.
“That’s because we care about how you’re feeling. If we didn’t care, we wouldn’t want to know what’s going on.”
Cory cocked his head in Isaiah’s direction. “We?” He sounded confused.
“Me and your aunt. You were giving her a hard time earlier today.”
Cory went back to pulling his shoestring. “I didn’t mean to.”
Isaiah tapped the boy’s side so that he’d look at him. “Then why were you?”
Cory dropped the shoestring and sat up. “She’s trying too hard,” he said in a rush.
“Trying too hard?”
Cory pulled on his fingers in a frustrated motion. “To act like I’m not a problem for her when I know I am. She’s treating me like I’m a little kid. Like she can’t be real with me. She just acts like everything is okay and when I offer to help she tells me to go play video games or something.”
“And that hit you this morning so you had to be rude to her?” Isaiah didn’t buy it. Something else had to be going on.
Cory frowned. “The other night I asked her if I could stay home by myself while she worked. I’m thirteen now. Most thirteen-year-olds stay home. Instead, she gets her friend Nate to babysit me every night she works late.” Cory said babysit as if it was an act of the highest treason.
A knot formed in Isaiah’s stomach. “Nate? Is that her boyfriend?”
Cory shook his head. “No, he lives next door and they’re friends. You don’t have to worry.”
“Why would I worry?”
Cory just gave Isaiah a look that said whatever. “Anyway, I know I’m a burden, but she’s trying too hard to make me think I’m not.”
Isaiah forced away thoughts of the nonboyfriend Nate and focused on Cory’s problem. “Maybe Angela doesn’t want to burden you with her problems. She’s the adult, you’re the kid.” When Cory glared, Isaiah held up a hand. “Last time I checked thirteen was still a minor. There’s nothing wrong with her not wanting to upset you.”
“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