How to Ruin a Summer Vacation (Ruined Series #1) (17 page)

It's not as easy as one might think, especially when that statement comes from a guy who is on the other side.

My own life and the way I've pushed Ron away flashes before my eyes and I feel a little sick. I do have a family here in Israel, maybe I should act like I care about them. If Avi and Tarik can care about each other, maybe I can find

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a little piece of my heart to love Ron. And
Safta.
And, dare I even think it, Snotty.

I mean, Osnat.

But what if they disappoint me?

I watch as Avi and Tarik shake hands and slap each other on the back. A smile crosses my face. Because I know, even if they don't, they would protect each other with all of their power even if face to face on the battlefield. Both of these guys have pure, true spirits.

Peace between the Israelis and Palestinians? Who knows? Anything is possible. Maybe, just maybe, the friendship between these two strong-willed guys is a sign of hope for the future.

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CHAPTER 28

There's a lot to learn by venturing off the beaten path.

"How did you meet Tarik?" I ask as we're driving back to the hotel.

"Let's just say I helped him when he needed a friend, and he did the same."

"I'm glad you took me to meet him," I say.

"And I'm glad you're here with me," he says, then adds, "I knew you wouldn't believe me if I told you not all Israelis hate Palestinians. You're the kind of girl who needs proof. You shouldn't rely on television so much."

"I don't trust people in general."

"I bet if you did it would open your
eyes
to a more colorful world out there."

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"Probably. But at least I don't get let down too often because I already expect people are going to disappoint me."

He slows the car and stops it on the side of the road. Then he turns to me. "I want to thank you."

Suddenly my mouth is dry. "For what?"

"For making me remember there's a world out here worth living."

"How did I do that?" I ask.

"You're the first person to make the pain of my brother's death bearable." He kisses me, right here in the car on the side of the barren desert road. "When I'm with you, I'm whole again."

I smile, inside and out. But I'm embarrassed so I look down and finger the heavy silver chain hanging from his wrist.

"You want it?" he asks.

"If you want to give it to me," I say back shyly.

He takes it off and fastens it to my wrist.

"It's like you're telling everyone you're mine," he says. "At least for now."

I lean toward Avi and recapture his lips with mine. Like before, his kisses are drugging me and I'm feeling dreamy and lightheaded.

Before I realize it, I'm lying on top of him. I can feel his hard body under me, the warmth and strength of his muscles beneath mine.

"We should stop," he says.

I nibble on his ear and say, "Uh huh."

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He throws his head back and moans. "I mean it, Amy. We're in a rental car on the side of the road."

This time I lick a path from his earlobe to his mouth. "Uh huh."

"You want to wear me down, don't you?"

"Uhhuh."

I like the way I make him feel when we're together. I also really like the wild sensations running through my body right now, too, as I move my body against his.

When I feel him start to give in to my hands and mouth, I stop and sit up. I mean, we're in public and anyone could just peek in the window. Would the windows steam up if we continued? I didn't think it could get hotter in the car than outside, but I'm feeling pretty toasty even though the air conditioning is on.

He licks his lips slowly and opens his eyes. "I can't move."

I laugh. "Did I make you forget to be angry all the time?"

"Definitely."

"Good. I can do this forever if it'll make you happy."

His fingers move to my shoulder and he slides the strap on my tank down. "I wish ..." he says, leaning his head forward and lightly kissing my shoulder.

I know what he wants to say. I want him to say it, but then I remember our little agreement. No getting too involved.

Too bad, I'm already so into him it's scary.

But I know he would regret it if we did go too far. And we are, in fact, parked on the side of a road. "If you don't

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stop kissing me like that, I'm going to rip all your clothes off," I say.

A little moan escapes from his mouth and he leans back. "I'm crazy about you."

"Good. Remember that when some pretty Israeli girl hits on you after I'm gone. Now let's get back to the others, or I really am going to follow through with my threat."

A half hour later, when we turn onto the road leading to the hotel, Avi says, "So what's the story with your parents?"

He asks me this loaded question and I turn toward the window. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Why not? Lots of parents get divorced."

Yeah, only my parents were never married to begin with. Try telling that story to your peers at school. I always feel they think my mom just slept with a random guy in college and got pregnant. And the sucky part about it is, it's not far from the truth.

"Tell me about
your
parents," I counter. "I never hear much about them from Ron or my aunt and uncle."

"There's not much to tell. My mom works as a teacher on the moshav and my father is your uncle's partner. Okay, your turn."

I take a deep breath. "My parents were never married and I should never have been born. I was, shall we say, a mistake. A very big sixteen-year-old mistake."

There, I said it. My face is hot and my eyes are watery. I'm holding myself together as best I can under the circumstances. I've thought about my life and what a mistake it

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is about a million times. I've never actually voiced it aloud before.

We arrive at the hotel and Avi parks the car in the parking lot. "I'm not a very religious guy," he says, "but I know there's a very important reason you were born."

"You sound like a rabbi," I say.

"No, I'm just a sheep farmer."

"Avi, you are SO much more than that and you know it," I lean back in the passenger seat and sigh. "I don't want today to end."

He flashes me one of his dazzling smiles. "Me either."

I look into his eyes and he holds my gaze for a long minute. We don't say anything more, there's no words that can say what I want to say to him. Or are there? "Avi--"

"Shh," he whispers, covering my lips with his fingers. "I know."

I reluctantly get out of the car and head for the lobby of the hotel.

The rest of the gang is waiting for us.

When I spot Snotty ...make that Osnat ...sitting alone in the corner, I go up to her. "I'm sorry I said you wear short shirts, tight pants, and have a sorry excuse for breasts."

Osnat shakes her head in confusion.

I shift my feet and look at the ground. "I mean, you do wear tight pants ...and your breasts are smaller than mine. But they're lovely breasts. And I'm sure it's the style in Israel to have tight pants."

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Her eyebrows are raised as she says, "Are you trying to apologize to me? If you are, you're doing a lousy job."

I open my arms out wide and say, "Give me a break here, I'm not used to being all gushy and apologetic."

Osnat stands up and says, "I'm sorry I said your breasts sag. Your sagging breasts aren't bad, either." Then she holds her hand out for me to shake it. "Truce?"

Wait just one itty-bitty second.

"You never told me my breasts sag!" I say, ignoring her fake truce.

"Not to your face, I didn't," she admits.

I guess I deserved the insult. And I'll keep to myself I've called her Snotty almost since I met her.

We both start laughing hysterically and everybody else is looking at us like we're mashed potatoes. Two mashed potato cousins.

"Can we go for a walk?" she asks, bure.

We exit the hotel and start walking aimlessly in the parking lot.

I kick a rock down the road as I walk. "I didn't want to come to Israel this summer," I say. "And I didn't want to like anyone here."

She kicks the same rock, continuing its journey down the road. "And I was shocked Ron had a secret daughter. I guess in some way I was jealous of you."

Me? A
secret
daughter? Being thought of as a secret sure beats being thought of as illegitimate. "Believe me, you

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have nothing to be jealous about. At least you have parents who love each other."

"But Ron has the best job ever. You must be so proud of him."

Okay, so you're probably wondering what Ron does for a living. All I know is he's in the security business.

"It's no big deal," I say. After all, everybody's in the security business these days.

Osnat pulls my shoulder back and stops me from walking. "Are you kidding?" she says. "My mom told me he's been hired as a consultant to the Director of Homeland Security in the U.S."

What? I didn't know that. I guess I never even asked him. I've been too busy being pissed off at him for not being Superdad.

"Yeah, well, he doesn't talk about it much."

"He probably can't because it's classified."

I'm having a hard time thinking of Ron as a super-security consultant hired by the U.S. government. After all, I'm used to thinking of him as the Sperm Donor.

Osnat turns to me and says, "You didn't know what he did until I told you, right?"

"I wouldn't be called a daddy's girl, if that's what you mean," I say. "In fact, I'm not close to anyone in my family. My mom's kind of in her own world and Ron isn't exactly the best father. I don't even have a cousin who likes me. Well, Besides your brother, but he can't even speak English. If he did he probably wouldn't like me, either."

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"You aren't exactly the funnest person around," Osnat says.

"Are you kidding? I have a lot to offer," I say. "For example, I can show you how to put on makeup so it won't look overdone and won't smear. I'm a whiz when it comes to hairstyles, I can even French braid hair. And I can beat most people I know in tennis. What have you got to offer?" I ask, putting my hands on my hips as I wait for an answer.

"I can ride a horse bareback and I'm really good at dancing. And I'm a great person once you get to know me," she says, absolutely certain she's won me over.

I can imagine riding a horse bareback isn't much different from riding in that Jeep on the rocks, but it does have merit.

"And?"

"And I can tell you Avi has changed since he met you. He smiles now ...something rare since his brother died. I guess I don't mind you've gotten together since you make him happy."

We hug and I feel lucky to have a cousin who can ride bareback. And to be a friend, too.

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CHAPTER 29

The threat of taking something away makes us appreciate it more.

Two days later, all seven of us are back in the Jeep heading back to the moshav. I'm anxious to see Ron and tell him I want a fresh start.

We all enter Osnat's house and it seems like the whole neighborhood is crowded inside. And they all have their eyes glued to the television screen. I see my little curlyhead cousin Matan and
Doda
Yucky. I don't see Ron or Uncle Chime.

The mood is definitely somber.

"What's going on?" I ask. I can't understand the newscaster who is obviously covering a very important story.

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The house erupts with Hebrew, everyone explaining to Osnat, Ofra, Avi, Doo-Doo, O'dead, and Moron what they're so upset about. Except I don't understand any of it.

"There's been a bombing," Avi explains to me after listening to the others. "In Tel Aviv."

"Where's my dad?" I ask in a panic. "Where's Ron?" I need him now more than ever.

Avi pulls me into an embrace. "Amy, it'll be fine."

Tears fill my eyes and I say again, this time directing the question to
Doda
Yucky, "Where is he?"

I don't get an answer and I feel bile rising to my throat. I pull back from Avi 'cause I want to throw up.

"Your
aba
drove to Tel Aviv with Chime to deliver some meat to some restaurants there," she explains.

"They're fine, right,
Doda
Yucky?" I say, crying fully now and not caring a bit.

Tears are running down her face, too. "I don't know. There's a lot of confusion. After one bombing, people ran to help ... a second bomber ..."

"Ohmygod," I say.

I may not know Ron well, but I definitely know if people were hurt, he would be one of the first to run and help. The second bomber ... I can't think about it.

"We don't know where they are," she says. "The cell phone isn't working."

Going into Osnat's room, I frantically rummage through my backpack. In one of my jean pockets I fish out the Jewish star
Safta
gave me. The diamonds are shining back at me, almost as if telling me I'm a Jew just like the rest of my

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family. We've survived thousands of years even though we've suffered through most of them, I remind myself.

Walking back into the main room, I put my hands over my face. I don't want anyone looking at me right now. I feel so helpless. How many people were injured or died today? I feel sick just thinking about it. I try to push the image of Ron's body lying in the street out of my mind. But what if he's dead and I wasn't there to help him? I need strength because I think I've lost all of mine. I put my hands down and my gaze rests on Avi.

I need him.

I need him so much I don't know what to do with myself.

"Avi," I say as I run into his chest and hold him tight. "Please don't leave me; I don't think I can handle this without you."

"I'm here," he assures me in a soft voice as he strokes my hair. "And I'm not leaving."

That's right, he lost his brother in a bombing. He must be rehashing the pain of his own loss. We can help each other through this.

Holding out the necklace to him I say, "Will you put this on me?"

We wait the longest hour of my life as Avi and I sit by
Sofia
in her room and avoid watching the news report. She tells me about her childhood in Israel and her experience when she first came to what she calls 'the holy land'. She's scared, I can tell. The loss of two sons would devastate her.

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When the phone rings, I jump up and run to the kitchen.

Doda
Yucky is on the phone, and she looks directly at me as she answers it.

My heart is racing.

"Amy," she says, and I lean against Avi for support as I'm preparing for bad news. "It's your
mudder."

My
mudder!
I hurry to the phone and clutch it to my ear. "Mom!"

"Hi, sweetheart. I heard on the news there's been a bombing in Israel. I'm just calling to make sure you're okay. Jessica called and she's worried, too."

"I'm ...I'm okay," I say, barely able to make the words out through my sobs. "But ... I was traveling and Ron was in Tel Aviv ...and we haven't heard from him and I'm freaking out. I don't know what to do. We're waiting for a phone call but..."

"Oh, no. This is terrible, I never thought--"

"Mom, I got to get off the phone in case he calls."

"Okay, okay," she says in a panic. "I'll hang up. Call me back when you hear something ...anything. Okay? And you stay put. I need you to come back to me in one piece."

"I will, Mom," I say.

When I hang up, the phone rings again. I hand it to Osnat, who's as anxious and scared as I am.

"Ze aba!"
she screams to the crowd after talking to the person on the other end of the line.
"Hakol beseder!"

Avi picks me up and twirls me around. "They're okay!"

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I can't believe it. I go into
Sofia's
room and tell her the good news. I learn from
Doda
Yucky that Uncle Chime and Ron had stayed at the bombing site to help the forty-plus wounded.

There's a lot of hugging and rejoicing even though we're all full of sorrow for the poor souls whose lives were lost today in the bombings. It's a strange thing to be happy and sad at the same time. I don't know how Israelis deal with it all the time.

Avi waits at the front entrance to the moshav with me, along with Mutt. The little guy is lying next to me, almost as if he's my protector.

"I can't believe what happened. This has been such a nightmare," I say. "I almost lost my father. Before I really even knew him." It's too scary to think about.

Avi says thoughtfully, "But you get a second chance."

I lean against him. "Yeah, I do. And from now on I'm going to make every second count."

"Me too," he says, and gives me one of his amazing kisses to prove it.

When the gate opens and I see headlights from a car, I stand up. The car stops and my daddy, whose shirt has blood splattered on it, hops out and pulls me into his arms.

"Are you okay?" I'm staring at his stained shirt.

"Don't worry, I'm fine."

"Aba,"
I say to him in Hebrew. "I love you so much."

"Oh, Amy, I love you, too."

I pull back and wipe my tears with the back of my hand. "I'm so sorry I didn't say it before. I know I've been treating

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you badly. I want you to be a big part of my life now. I want to be Jewish, too. And I want to learn Hebrew. Can you teach me?"

"Slow down, I cant catch up with you. I'm still basking in the 'I
love you, Aba
part." I see his eyes getting red and watery. "I never want you thinking I didn't fight to be with you, sweetheart. I screwed up real bad in so many ways."

He wipes a tear streaming down his face and I'm dumbfounded.

"I was hoping this trip to Israel would change everything. I don't want to lose you to Marc. You're
my
daughter, not his," he says as he embraces me.

He's crying like a baby. So am I.

"I thought I lost you," I say as we walk back to the house, letting Uncle Chime drive back all by himself.

Avi has left us alone, too, giving me and my dad privacy.

"I lost you a long time ago, daughter. I'm glad we've finally found each other."

"Do you think you could find room in your apartment for me?"

"You mean it? I'd love for you to move in with me. For a year. For weekends. Forever. I'll take whatever you want to give."

"If you're not too busy with the Director of Homeland Security, that is."

He chuckles and puts his arm around my shoulder. "I always have room in my house for my number one girl and don't you ever forget it."

"You sure you don't have a girlfriend?" I ask.

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"Not anyone important enough to bring home to my daughter."

"I think you need someone ... to take the edge off of you."

"And who should I thank for taking my daughter's edge away? Or maybe I don't want to know."

"He's been a perfect gentleman."

"Who? Doo-Doo?"

"Can you see me with a guy named after feces?"

"His real name is David."

"Huh?"

"Doo-Doo is a nickname for David."

Stupid nickname if you ask me. "It's Avi."

Ron's face is serious now. "He's eighteen years old, Amy. And he lost his
brudder
..."

"I know all that. We've helped each other during our trip and I... I love him."

My dad's jaw tightens and the muscle in the side of it starts to twitch.

"It's not like
that.
He respects me and I respect him. Maybe too much."

"I have to get used to having a teenage daughter," he says.

I look at him straight in the eye. "No. You have to get used to me."

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