Read Online Proof of Forever by Lexa Hillyer - Free Book Online

that it didn’t even occur to her to get a tray for dinner.
    â€œI guess not. Mind if I just have a bite or two of yours?” She reaches over his tray and grabs his plastic fork, skewering a slice of pepperoni straight off his pizza. It leaves a gooey trail of cheese behind, which Andrew doesn’t seem to mind. He never seems to mind.
    â€œThey didn’t have any pineapple,” he says apologetically. “I know it’s your favorite.”
    Luce stares at him for a second, midchew. She
still
orders her pizza with extra pineapple. Usually she likes how Andrew tries to take care of her. No one else ever does—people always assume Luciana Cruz doesn’t need help.
    But this feels wrong—shouldn’t there be those heady, crazy sparks between two people when a relationship is just beginning? Shouldn’t she be harder to read? What always felt wonderfully comforting and easy now feels
too
easy, like a downshift, or when they make those crappy PSATs that are way too unchallenging to be the real deal.
    â€œSo I heard the Orange team would have come in first place, if it hadn’t been for the Ricky thing,” Andrew says, going for a giant bite of his pizza.
    â€œYeah, well, we wouldn’t have won anyway, after I botched the whole baton pass. I was pretty, um . . . distracted, I guess.”
    Andrew finishes his pizza in one final bite, his Adam’s apple bobbing like he’s a snake downing a mouse. It always amazesLuce how quickly boys can put away food.
    â€œApparently the pain was so bad, Ricky actually started crying,” he says. “It’s broken, I think. Jade and Mark had to practically carry him to the infirmary.” Luce knows that Jade will go on to transfer to a performing arts high school for her senior year—she’s always had a flair for drama. In fact, she’s always had a flair for being at the center of
other
people’s drama.
    Andrew finishes another bite of pizza. “She got the merit badge right on the spot.”
    Luce’s heart stops.
Jade got the merit badge.
    He registers the look of complete shock on Luce’s face. “Hey, what’s the matter?” he asks, touching her back lightly. “Should I go get you some salad or something? You probably shouldn’t skip dinner after relay day.”
    â€œNo, no, I’m fine, it’s not that, it’s just—” Luce pauses, trying to figure out how much to tell him.
    â€œJust what?”
    â€œJust that I was kind of hoping
I’d
get the merit badge this year, is all. I really,
really
wanted it.”
I need it in order to undo a cursed photo booth incident and bring me back to the present!
“What am I gonna do now?” She starts to feel queasy. Briefly she toys with the idea of telling her mom. After all, if there’s one person who understands the mysterious workings of Camp OK better than anyone else, it’s her. But then . . . would her mom get mad? Would her mom even
believe
her?
    It’s too loud in the dining hall; too hot. Zoe said they had to be super careful—they had to act exactly like they did the firsttime around, but here she is, failing already.
    What can it mean? Will we ever get back to our real lives, or will we be caught in a time loop forever, permanently paused at fifteen? Will we have to start over from here?
The sounds of campers shouting and laughing and the clang of trays being slammed down onto tables and milk cartons being punctured by straws all converge into a single wave of sound, threatening to drown her.
    â€œI’m sure you’ll get a different badge, Luce,” he says gently. “You get one every summer. ‘I do what I can to honor the values Okahatchee has taught me’
and all that. Right? So don’t put so much pressure on yourself.”
    Luce gapes at him. “You remember that?” He just directly quoted her acceptance speech—the one she has