She shrugged. "A little bit."

"Why?" Kevin was curious and also still pretty dizzy, so he wasn't sure where he was going with this.

"I don't know, it just makes me feel self-conscious I guess."

"You have no reason to be self-conscious."

"Yeah, right."

"Seriously. Why would you think you do?" He seemed genuinely puzzled.

"Um, well, first of all, I look like a sand fairy, as you said earlier. I have no makeup on. I don't even have any shoes on right now, since they're making my feet sweat and smell bad."

Kevin smiled. She was shy. Something in him liked to tease her about it. He liked getting her riled up, even when he was feeling like c.r.a.p. In fact, now that he thought about it for a second, it was kind of making him feel better to spar with her.

"I like sand fairies."

Candi snorted but said nothing.

"What? I do, I think they're cool. And cute." He was purposely egging her on now.

"Shut up."

"No." Let's see how far I can push her today.

"Yes," Candi said firmly, seeming surprised herself a little at her serious tone.

"Why?" Kevin answered her with a challenge in his voice. Now things were cookin'. This was just what he needed. He missed rugby. On the pitch he could issue challenges and then follow them up with some good, bone crunching tackles. He'd just have to settle for a little harmless flirting here on the island.

"Because, that's why." She was getting cross now.

"'Because' is not an answer. Tell me why I can't like sand fairies."

"Stop being stupid."

"Okay, now them's fightin' words, girl. Come on over here and say that." He was trying to decide if he'd be able to stand without falling over. He braced his arms behind him, getting ready to stand up.

"Get your big, lazy b.u.t.t off the sand for a change and come on over here." She never expected him to take her up on her challenge or have the energy to do it, but suddenly he was up and standing over her. She looked up at him to see him grinning mischievously.

"h.e.l.lo, little sand fairy. The island troll has come to collect his toll."

She squeaked and jumped to the side, scrambling through the sand to get away from him. He heard her giggle as he let out a roar behind her.

"No! Get away from me!" she yelled, racing down the beach.

Kevin tried to keep up, but he was too weak from his stomach issues to make it very far. He felt his stomach lurch and his vision went gray around the edges. He fell into the wet sand and tried to catch his weak and shallow breath.

He could hear her coming back. "Oh, beautiful sand fairy, why do you try to escape my clutches? I just wanted a little kiss on the cheeeeeek." He could see okay now, but his head was spinning, spinning, spinning ...

"You're delirious. This is what you get for being dehydrated and sick, running around like a maniac. Come on." She reached down to help him up. "I'll help you back to the shelter. You need to eat something and drink more water before you pa.s.s out again."

Kevin accepted her help, but refused to be put off. He felt like he'd drank a few too many beers. It's probably what made him keep talking and saying things he was normally too cool or wise to say out loud. "I really do think you're cute, you know; why is that so hard to believe?"

"Because you, Kevin Peterson, don't date cute sand fairyish girls. You date supermodels."

"Pfffft!" was his inelegant response. "Supermodel, p.o.o.permodel. They're all the same, no fairies, no magic."

"Man, what is it with you and the fairies today, anyway?" Candi shook her head. "You don't seem to be the fae fan type."

"I don't know. When I was younger, I used to read that kind of fiction stuff. Lots of dragons, elves, fairies. It reminds me of this island, like a secret world." He held his finger up to his lips conspiratorially. "Shhhh, don't tell anyone."

"Ah-haaa. So the big, bad rugby stud is a fantasy nut. Don't worry your secret is safe with me. Don't you know that fantasy is cool now?"

He got a slow, drunken grin on his face. "You just said I'm a stud."

"I also said that fantasy is cool now."

"Yeah, but I was reading that stuff way before it was cool. I wouldn't want to damage my rep as a stud and all." He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Candi unceremoniously deposited him in the sand near the fire pit and started organizing the wood again. "Yeah, your rep. So valuable here on this middle-of-nowhere, s.h.i.t island."

Kevin acted shocked at her profanity. "Naughty, naughty, using those bad words. What would your parents say?"

"Screw 'em." Candi was too cranky right now with Kevin's empty flirtations to think about what she was saying.

"Ha!" he agreed. "That's what I say. Screw 'em all."

He stopped talking for a second to take another appraising look. "I don't know why you think it's so crazy that I'd be checking you out. I've noticed you in school before, you know."

"No you didn't, don't lie."

"Seriously, I'm not. You have this purple fuzzy sweater thing you wear sometimes ... " His eyes went off into the distance as if recalling a particularly fond memory.

"Oh my G.o.d, shut up."

"But now that I think about it, I think I like you more in what you're wearing now."

Candi looked down at herself. Her long, green shirt hung off of her like a rag. Her once white capris were covered in smudges and who knows what else.

"Now I know you're delirious."

Kevin became serious. "Really, Candi ... all joking aside. I know I've kinda been what a lot of girls might consider a dirtbag at school you know, focusing on getting laid and having fun." He had the grace to look embarra.s.sed when Candi shot him a scolding look. "I probably should've put more thought into who I was hanging out with. I kinda knew that then; I guess I just ignored it, blocked it out. But now we're here, and, well, things feel different."

"Yeah," responded Candi, bitterly. "I'm the only girl in town, so now you're suddenly noticing me. No thanks."

"Hey, that's not fair. I'm being honest here, and you're just shooting me down without even giving me a chance."

"Yeah, right."

"What do you mean, 'yeah right'? The more I say, the more p.i.s.sed you get. I don't get it."

Candi threw down the last pieces of wood she had in her hand and turned to face him directly.

"Kevin, I'm going to be straight-up honest with you right now because, what the h.e.l.l, we're stranded on a deserted island in the middle of who knows where, and all the high school bulls.h.i.t might as well be a million miles away."

"Good. Now we're getting somewhere. Give it to me, I can take it."

"Fine, you want to know what I'm thinking? Here it is: I've had a stupid crush on you for two years. Two frigging years. I've watched you s...o...b..r all over supermodel after supermodel. I watched you walk the halls with girls hanging on to your every word. I've listened to girls fight over you in the bathroom, for c.r.a.p's sake! You charm the pants off everyone you come near: teachers, parents, coaches. I never had a chance with you then, and to tell me I have a chance now, when I'm literally the only girl in your world, is frankly kind of insulting." She paused for a breath and then continued, "So there, that's it. The truth in all its ugliness. Now I'm going to go walk into the ocean and drown myself."

Candi stood to get up and start walking to the water, mumbling to herself.

"Wait! Don't drown yourself yet, sand fairy! You like me! You said it yourself! Come back here!"

Kevin came up from behind her and grabbed her by the elbow, spinning her around to face him. A clump of her knotted hair fell into her eyes. He tried to move it aside gently, but it resisted his efforts and kept falling back into her eye.

Candi broke away in frustration and started walking again. "I'm more like a sand beast than a sand fairy."

Kevin walked quickly to catch up to her. They continued on together, walking side by side down the beach.

"Okay, if you insist, sand beast."

Candi turned partway and punched him in the arm.

"What? I'm just trying to make you happy."

"Shut up."

"That's it." Kevin all of a sudden grabbed Candi in a bear hug and lifted her up and spun her around.

"Put me down, you troll."

"Not until you agree to give me a chance."

"No way."

"Okay then, I hope you like bear hugs."

"Put me down! Seriously, I can't breathe."

"I can't either. You've taken my breath away with your sand beastiness."

Candi started laughing in spite of herself. "G.o.d, you're annoying. Fine, put me down and we'll talk." She struggled a little before saying, "I know you know how charming you are. You're not going to be able to manipulate me like you do everyone at school."

"Just don't try to run. I'm getting my energy back, and I'll take you down like the cheetah takes down the weak-a.s.s antelope on the Serengeti."

"Okay fine, I won't run. I don't want you pa.s.sing out again."

"I'm putting you down now, so behave yourself."

"You behave yourself."

Kevin put her down. Candi stood staring out at the ocean, her arms folded.

"Look at me."

"No."

Candi felt Kevin lay his arm across her shoulders, pulling her to his side.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry for bear hugging me to death?"

"No."

"Sorry for sweating on me all night for the past two nights?"

"No."

"Well what are you sorry for, then?"

"I'm sorry I was so stupid and blind before."

Candi had nothing to say to that.

"Forgive me?"

"No."

"Okay then ... "

"Okay then what?"

"Okay, now I'm apparently gonna have to bear hug you into submission, since you won't see reason."

Candi yelped and took off running, laughing.

Kevin came up behind her huffing and puffing. He still was no match for her, since he hadn't eaten in about four days and was seriously dehydrated. He called out, "Just wait! I'll get you, little sand beast ... as soon as I get my ... energy ... back." He could barely get the last words out, he was so out of breath. "You're mean, stop running away from me. I'm weak. Aren't you supposed to be taking care of me or something?" He reached the campsite and collapsed in the sand where he'd been lying earlier.

"Come on, you need to get something to eat and drink, tough guy." She peeled him a banana and held it up with the remainder of their last bottle of water.

"Eat. Drink."

"Yes, boss."

"That's more like it."

They smiled at each other in companionable silence. A line had been drawn in the sand, and Kevin had stepped over to her side. It felt good for both of them, even if Candi didn't want to admit it. Their worlds had changed. The old world was behind them; this new world was going to be something else entirely.