rested his hand on the nape of her neck. At his touch, something rushed through her, immobilizing her.
Then her brain engaged. This was none of Cam’s business. She’d known from the moment she saw him that he was the kind of guy who hurt people. She took her fury out on Chloe’s head, tugging her braids harder. “Go away, Cam.”
He didn’t.
You’re better than this,
his hand seemed to be telling her.
Cam didn’t know the pain and stress and humiliation Lilith had to deal with on a daily basis. He didn’t know her at all.
“What?” she demanded, turning to look at him. “What do you want?”
He nodded toward Chloe. “Kick her ass.”
June dropped her cell phone and leaped at Lilith, but Cam slipped between them and held her back. June bit his arm like a piranha.
“Let her go!” Kara screamed at Cam. “Principal Tarkenton? Somebody? Help!”
Lilith didn’t know if Tarkenton was in the cafeteria. It was hard to see much beyond the tight circle of twenty or so students that had gathered around them.
“Fight! Fight! Fight!” the crowd chanted.
And then—suddenly—it all just felt so stupid.
Fighting Chloe wasn’t going to change anything. It wouldn’t make Lilith’s life better. If anything, it would make it worse. She could be expelled, and they could find an even worse place to send her to school. Lilith loosened her fingers and let go of Chloe, who slumped to the ground, rubbing her scalp.
Kara, June, and Teresa rushed to help Chloe up.
“Honey, are you hurt?” Kara asked.
“How’s your strumming hand?” Teresa asked, lifting and flexing Chloe’s guitar-playing hand.
Chloe reared up, baring her teeth at Lilith and Cam. “Why don’t you two run away and start your worthless lives together? I hear a meth lab calling your name.” She touched her temple and winced. “You’ve got top billing on my shit list, Lilith. You’d better watch yourself.”
Chloe and her band stalked away. The crowd dispersed slowly, disappointed that there hadn’t been more of a fight.
Lilith stood next to Cam, not feeling the need to say anything. She should have just let Chloe’s insults slide off her like she did every other day. Her mother would be furious when she heard about this.
Cam pulled Lilith against the nearest cafeteria table to let a few students walk past. But when the students were gone, he didn’t let her go. She felt his hand on the small of her back and, for some reason, she didn’t flick it off.
“Don’t let the bitches get you down,” he said.
Lilith rolled her eyes. “Transcend girls who think they’re better than me by pretending I’m better than them? Thanks for the advice.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Cam said.
“But you just called them bitches.”
“Chloe is playing a role,” Cam said, “like an actress.”
“What are you doing, Cam?” she said, feeling tired. “Why egg me on to fight Chloe? Why try to cheer me up now? Why pretend to be interested in my music? You don’t know me, so why do you care?”
“Did it ever occur to you that I might
want
to know you?” Cam said.
Lilith crossed her arms and looked down, uncomfortable. “There’s nothing to know.”
“I doubt that,” he said. “For example…what do you think about before you fall asleep at night? How dark do you like your toast? Where would you go if you could travel anywhere in the world?” He stepped closer, his voice dropping almost to a whisper as he reached out to touch her face below her left cheekbone. “How’d you get that scar?” He smiled a little. “See? Plenty of fascinating secrets in there.”
Lilith opened her mouth. Closed it. Was he serious?
She studied his face. His features were relaxed, like he wasn’t trying to persuade her to do something for once, like he was content just to stand next to her. He was serious, she decided. And she had no idea how to respond.
She felt something within her stir. A memory, a flash of recognition, she wasn’t sure.
Then her brain engaged. This was none of Cam’s business. She’d known from the moment she saw him that he was the kind of guy who hurt people. She took her fury out on Chloe’s head, tugging her braids harder. “Go away, Cam.”
He didn’t.
You’re better than this,
his hand seemed to be telling her.
Cam didn’t know the pain and stress and humiliation Lilith had to deal with on a daily basis. He didn’t know her at all.
“What?” she demanded, turning to look at him. “What do you want?”
He nodded toward Chloe. “Kick her ass.”
June dropped her cell phone and leaped at Lilith, but Cam slipped between them and held her back. June bit his arm like a piranha.
“Let her go!” Kara screamed at Cam. “Principal Tarkenton? Somebody? Help!”
Lilith didn’t know if Tarkenton was in the cafeteria. It was hard to see much beyond the tight circle of twenty or so students that had gathered around them.
“Fight! Fight! Fight!” the crowd chanted.
And then—suddenly—it all just felt so stupid.
Fighting Chloe wasn’t going to change anything. It wouldn’t make Lilith’s life better. If anything, it would make it worse. She could be expelled, and they could find an even worse place to send her to school. Lilith loosened her fingers and let go of Chloe, who slumped to the ground, rubbing her scalp.
Kara, June, and Teresa rushed to help Chloe up.
“Honey, are you hurt?” Kara asked.
“How’s your strumming hand?” Teresa asked, lifting and flexing Chloe’s guitar-playing hand.
Chloe reared up, baring her teeth at Lilith and Cam. “Why don’t you two run away and start your worthless lives together? I hear a meth lab calling your name.” She touched her temple and winced. “You’ve got top billing on my shit list, Lilith. You’d better watch yourself.”
Chloe and her band stalked away. The crowd dispersed slowly, disappointed that there hadn’t been more of a fight.
Lilith stood next to Cam, not feeling the need to say anything. She should have just let Chloe’s insults slide off her like she did every other day. Her mother would be furious when she heard about this.
Cam pulled Lilith against the nearest cafeteria table to let a few students walk past. But when the students were gone, he didn’t let her go. She felt his hand on the small of her back and, for some reason, she didn’t flick it off.
“Don’t let the bitches get you down,” he said.
Lilith rolled her eyes. “Transcend girls who think they’re better than me by pretending I’m better than them? Thanks for the advice.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Cam said.
“But you just called them bitches.”
“Chloe is playing a role,” Cam said, “like an actress.”
“What are you doing, Cam?” she said, feeling tired. “Why egg me on to fight Chloe? Why try to cheer me up now? Why pretend to be interested in my music? You don’t know me, so why do you care?”
“Did it ever occur to you that I might
want
to know you?” Cam said.
Lilith crossed her arms and looked down, uncomfortable. “There’s nothing to know.”
“I doubt that,” he said. “For example…what do you think about before you fall asleep at night? How dark do you like your toast? Where would you go if you could travel anywhere in the world?” He stepped closer, his voice dropping almost to a whisper as he reached out to touch her face below her left cheekbone. “How’d you get that scar?” He smiled a little. “See? Plenty of fascinating secrets in there.”
Lilith opened her mouth. Closed it. Was he serious?
She studied his face. His features were relaxed, like he wasn’t trying to persuade her to do something for once, like he was content just to stand next to her. He was serious, she decided. And she had no idea how to respond.
She felt something within her stir. A memory, a flash of recognition, she wasn’t sure.
Similar Books
