He laughed at her reaction. Then he crashed into the river with a clumsy half-dive, startling her further. She swam a few feet away to put some distance between them. As he scrubbed his hair and armpits, the sun burst over the horizon, sending light dancing across the surface of the water. It seemed to drip from his head, golden-bright.
After a quick bath, he emerged from the river. He pulled on his jeans and sat down on the shore. “You going to stay in there all day?”
Just until you leave,she thought.
He started eating a banana, unperturbed. Before he’d taken his second bite, two more men came down the slope. Full-grown men, unlike him. Sarai realized that waiting was a poor strategy. This bathing area would probably get busier now that the sun was up.
Shaking with unease, she rose from the water, aware that her wet garments clung to every curve. It was clear that he noticed, because he stopped chewing and stared. A bit of fruit fell from his open mouth. She hustled toward the tree and grabbed a pair of leggings from her backpack. Tugging them on, she added an army-green T-shirt to the ensemble. She considered fleeing the scene, but the two other men gave her pause. They’d noticed her also. If they thought she was with the boy, they’d probably leave her alone.
She collected her boots and a pair of fresh socks before joining him.
“You’re a girl,” he said in a shocked voice.
“Yes.”
“A girl alone?”
“What of it?”
He took another bite of banana. “You have bigger balls than I do.”
She put on her socks and gave him a closer study. His left eye was swollen, with a black, crescent-shaped bruise underneath. Despite the evidence of a recent scuffle, he looked harmless. And handsome. He had a crooked smile and a mop of dark hair. His casual attitude appealed to her as much as his face. He seemed…free, and fun.
She wasn’t used to freedom. Or boys. She was used to strict discipline, rebellious girls, and living like a prisoner-orphan. The past few days had been decidedly un-fun. She watched him eat with envy, a fierce hunger gnawing at her stomach.
“You want some?”
She didn’t have the pride to refuse. When he gave her the rest, she thanked him and devoured it like an animal.
“There’s plenty more at camp.”
She swallowed the last bite, nodding.
He stuck out his hand to shake. “I’m Hugo.”
“Sarai,” she said. “I mean, Sayra.”
“Which is it?”
“Sayra.”
“I didn’t see you arrive.”
“Where are we?”
“Mazatlán.”
“How long have you been here?”
“Two days. I had to rest because of this.” He pointed to his eye.
“What happened?”
“I was traveling with these two kids from Honduras. We were taking turns sleeping. I woke up and caught them stealing my money.”
“So you fought?”
“I had to.”
