Unlikely Allies

"Not really," I said, kicking myself. I had made it my goal to fit into Rick's world as much as I could. Bitching about the cold weather wouldn't go a long way in helping my cause.

"Kimmie, there's nothing wrong with preferring a certain state," Rick said quietly.

"I want to fit in, in this state," I said looking down, not liking how vulnerable I felt.

"You're doing amazing," he said, reaching over to squeeze my hand. "You've adapted wonderfully to this lifestyle, better than most people thrown into the same circumstance," he added.

I flushed with pride at his words. "Thanks, Rick. It really is an amazing camp, and the kids are great," I said, letting my gaze linger on Lyssa and Qui

"Yeah, it's hard not to get attached," he said, turning serious as he followed my gaze.

"Everything okay?" I asked, puzzled by the sudden tension radiating off him. I wondered if it was because a boy and girl were sitting next to each other.

He sighed and lowered his voice. "I got a call from Alyssa's court advocate and the loony-ass judge has granted her father temporary custody again, effective immediately," he said grimly.

"What does that mean?" I demanded, not liking the sound of it.

"It means they're coming to get her tomorrow," he said, defeated.

"What?" I screeched, pissed beyond further words.

"Shhhhhh," he said, trying to quiet me down as everyone in the dining hall turned to look at me. "She doesn't know. Louise and I plan on telling her after di

Uncharacteristic tears filled my eyes. The judge was a moron. What the hell was he thinking putting her back with her father?

"That sucks ass," I said, not bothering to watch my language in front of him.

"I know," he sighed. "But it's our job to make it as easy on her as we can."

I nodded my head, knowing he was right. "We'll be there," I said.

"Good, I knew I could count on you," he said, squeezing my hand one last time.

I turned my gaze from his and found Mason studying us with interest. For the first time in days, I didn't glare at him. Right now, our apparent animosity toward each other seemed silly. We were insignificant in the whole grand scheme of things.

I pulled my gaze from his when Amy said my name on the other side of me.

"What was Rick saying about Alyssa?" she asked quietly.

"They're sending her back to her dad tomorrow," I whispered back.

"Mother of focking hell, are you kidding me?" she hissed.

"I wish," I said miserably. "Rick wants us to join him and Louise when they tell her."

"Of course, but dang it to hell," she said.

"I know. Hard-Knock Girl strikes again," I added.

The rest of the meal passed quickly as the three of us contemplated the impending unpleasant task ahead of us. When the meal was over, Amy and I headed over to Lyssa.

"Hey girlie, we need to talk with you for a few, okay?" Amy said.

She looked at us apprehensively and I tried to smile at her reassuringly, but it came out more as a grimace. Together we headed to Rick's cluttered office.

Amy and I perched on the small loveseat on the far side of the room with Alyssa sandwiched between us. Rick sat on the corner of his desk while Louise leaned against the wall looking like she wanted to strangle someone.

"Whatever it is, spit it out," Lyssa said in her usual abrasive way that I had come to realize was nothing more than a shield.

Without asking permission, I reached over and grabbed her hand. I expected her to pull it away in her normal sassy way, but she surprised me by gripping it hard in her own hand.

"Judge Lewis has awarded custody back to your father," Rick said, not beating around the bush.

"When?" she asked in a distant voice.

"Effective immediately. They're sending your court liaison tomorrow to pick you up."

"Oh, I guess I better go pack," she said in a dead voice, dropping my hand as she stood up.

"Alyssa, sweetie, do you want to talk about it?" Louise asked, leaving her place against the wall.

"Talk about what? The fact that my dad got custody once again? It's no big surprise, right? I'm the Hard-Knock Girl after all," she added, looking at Amy before heading out the door.

Amy groaned and dropped her head into her hands. Without thinking, I jumped off the couch and ran after her.

"Lyssa, wait up," I said, reaching her as she hit the trail for our cabin.

"Why?" she asked in the same belligerent voice she used the first day I met her.

"Because, I care about you," I said, reaching out to put my hand on her shoulder.

"You care about me? That's rich," she mocked, jerking back away from me. "You have two parents who want you, princess. You don't think we all see you strutting around on your high horse around here. Poor Kimberly feels bad for the orphans. Boo for you," she lashed out, striding toward the cabin door.

I stood where she left me, shell-shocked. Did everyone here really feel that way about me? I knew I was worlds removed from the pain they had suffered, but I didn't realize they all thought of me as a fraud.

"She's just upset," Amy said, coming up beside me.

I shook my head. "My mom always says there's a grain of truth in everything everyone says," I mumbled.

"Kimbe, she's just upset. None of us feel that way," she said, grabbing my hand to drag me off toward the bonfire that was blazing to life in the center of the campsite.

"Shouldn't we make sure she's okay?" I asked, trying to shake of the last of my hurt feelings. This wasn't about me. This was about the hurt little girl in our cabin.

"She just needs a little space. Hopefully, we'll get to see her again next summer if you decide to spend the summer with us again," she said, wagging her eyebrows at me.

"Are you sure?" I asked, shooting one last look at the cabin before I let her drag me away.

"I'm positive. Trust me, sometimes when you get a blow like this, you need time to pick yourself up and dust the disappointment off," Amy answered, making it clear she'd been in the same position before.

"This totally sucks," I said, kicking a rock as hard as I could.

She laughed harshly. "It's life. If I had a quarter for every time my life turned unpleasant, I'd be rich. Trust me, I know how Alyssa feels. She just needs a little time to get her shield back in place. It's tough to leave people behind that actually care about you," she added, clearly speaking from experience.

"I'm sorry," I said, slipping my arm through hers.

"Thanks, seriously though, I'm over my childhood drama," she said. "Come on, let's go see what kind of ruckus the others are up to," she added, sounding uncomfortable.

Pushing my concern to the back burner, I let her drag me to the group that was laughing and chattering happily around the blazing fire. I felt it was a betrayal to be partying while Lyssa was so unhappy, but remembered only Amy and I knew what was going on. We plopped down on one of the benches, watching the flames leap into the night sky.

Travis came loping up to us as soon as he spotted Amy. "What took so long?" he demanded.

"I had to do my nails," Amy quipped, flashing him her hand, which was fu