Chapter 4
As soon as the final bell rang, I hightailed it out of the school.
The lessons were boring, the teachers were boring, the students were boring, and I needed to get high just to endure another minute of it. My first instinct was to flee as fast as I could, but then I remembered my very own personal cheerleading chaperone.
“Saylor!”
Shit.
Speak of the devil.
Cameron found me in the middle of the hall as I was en route to the nearest exit.
As much as I wanted to pick up speed, I didn’t.
“There you are!” Cameron came around me and planted herself in front of me with a high-spirited smile.
I tried to match her upbeat personality, but I was sure my smile came out lopsided and as though I were constipated. “Here I am.”
“My dad just texted me. He’s on his way,” Cameron informed me. “Let’s go wait out front. You can tell me all about your day.”
The crazy thing was, I could tell she actually was interested in hearing about my first day and if I enjoyed the school or not.
At my old school, I would’ve ditched Cameron by now, or at least made her hate me with a few choice words. But there was something about Cameron that made me feel like a total dick when I used sarcasm. She was like a puppy. A blonde, happy puppy that you couldn’t be mean to.
I followed her out of the school and with the flow of traffic to meet her father at the carpool lane.
“So, how was it?” Cameron asked, leaning close, eager to know. That damn smile had to be infectious for most.
I could not do this sober.
“Oh, it was just grand,” I let out.
Cameron chuckled. “Okay, I know it’s not the fabulous Californ-I-A, but come on, it’s not that bad. Hey, maybe I could show—”
Her statement was interrupted by the arrival of a girl practically appearing out of nowhere.
“You got me for Boyd, right?” the girl, Black with pretty makeup and long hair that made me question the last time I’d had my ends trimmed, asked.
Cameron pretended to shake her head. “Sure, or, we could link up and study.”
The girl made a show to be dramatic and pout. And then she noticed me. “New girl, right? Navy, is it?”
“Saylor,” I corrected.
She bobbed her head. “Oh, right. Cute name. I wish my parents had been that creative with mine.” She turned to Cameron. “What the hell is Vanity?”
As pretty as she was, the name fit. She had blue and pink butterfly clips in her hair. Long lashes drew attention to her eyes, and her glossed lips made her smile stand out. Adding in her pointy nails and designer bag on her arm, it all made her namesake work even more.
Cameron patted her friend’s shoulder. “Relax, I love it. I mean, what if Saylor doesn’t even like the water?” She gently touched my arm. “No offense of course.”
I shrugged. “None taken.” I sized Vanity up. “You a cheerleader?”
Cameron snickered. “Only when Ebram’s on top.”
Vanity’s mouth fell open. “Cam!”
Cameron turned to me. “He’s a total skeeze, but she won’t get rid of him.”
Vanity rolled her eyes. “We can’t all date golden boys like you.”
From what I’d seen of Aidan Church in class, he definitely was an all-around decent guy. He probably wasn’t a football player because he didn’t want to hurt anyone, and being a mathlete was safer and more humane.
I totally favored his brother instead.
“Hey, you got a boyfriend back home, Saylor?” Vanity asked, giving me a curious onceover.
I shook my head.
“What’s your type?” she pressed further.
In a word? Trouble. “Have you ever seen The Lost Boys?” I asked, thinking of an old movie my mother loved.
Vanity wrinkled her nose in confusion while Cameron seemed to recognize the title.
I’d only seen it a couple of times, but right away, I admired the look and aesthetic of the men in the movie. Late-night party animals with a reckless streak? Sign me up.
“The lead actor and the group he joins are really cute,” I offered.
In another moment, Aidan was there and throwing an arm around Cameron.
This time I had Vanity to gag with me.
Vanity had the luxury of excusing herself while I had to stay and wait until the honeymoon was over.
Cameron leaned into Aidan, tilting her head my way. “We should set her up with someone.”
Not happening.
Back home, I’d never had someone as cute and cuddly as Aidan.
My first was actually older than me. I was sixteen and he was nineteen. Kevin was actually a friend of Danny’s—or ex-friend now.
We’d met at Danny’s favorite bar he liked to sneak us into. Kevin and I hit it off instantly. He liked all the same older bands as I did, and he could match my smart mouth and sarcasm with ease.
We weren’t in love or whatever.
My generation was so fucked-up and confused. None of us knew what love was. Our parents didn’t even make it.
With Kevin, I just knew I liked him a lot. I would sneak out and spend the night at his place, and we’d stay up smoking on his balcony and listening to our favorite songs and dissecting the lyrics.
My mom and stepdaddy dearest never found out, which was good. They each would’ve had a conniption a piece if they had known.
My thing with Kevin did hurt, though. I won’t lie.
I’d never been a romantic. Never fantasized about having a boyfriend. But then I let Kevin in and was open to it. My first kiss was his. My first time, too. I tried to act like it was no big deal, but I really liked him.
One moment we were together and it was us against the world, and the next Kevin was with some new girl.
He never spoke to me or directly ended us. It was something that was just obvious by the way the guys and I’d walked into the bar one night and caught Kevin with someone else.
There was no text, no phone call, no apology. Not even goodbye.
I never cried. I never let it show.
But Danny—man, did I love Danny—he took it upon himself to kick Kevin’s ass over it.
It wasn’t love, but it was something like it.
Still, Kevin and I, we weren’t half as nauseating to be around as Cameron and Aidan.
He had his arms around her and she was leaning up on her toes as she draped her arms around his neck.
The googly eyes were enough for me to look elsewhere.
Dreux was down the sidewalk, shaking hands and slapping five with a few equally muscular boys—jocks.
Cameron was finishing up with Aidan, giving me a perfect opportunity for snooping.
Cameron was friendly, like super friendly.
Some kid had to read a report in English in front of the entire class, and the whole time they read their hands were shaking.
Most of the kids were laughing at the girl, except Cameron.
She had her hands clasped together, a big smile on her face, encouraging the girl as she looked really into her report.
“You ready?” She was suddenly nudging me.
I folded my arms, trying to find a way to ease into my snooping. “What’s up with Dreux St. Julien?”
Cameron’s blue eyes flickered off into his direction where he was getting into some SUV. “Dreux? He’s nice, real sweet. Total green flag. He’s good friends with Aidan.”
So the guy was a real snooze fest.
“Interesting,” I let out. “He’s my neighbor.”
Cameron elbowed me, winking a little. “How convenient.”
The scowl that marred my face proved to be humorous as Cameron started laughing.
“Hey!”
Bonham was coming over. Head up high, confidence, and swagger. He was a walking bad decision that I could not wait to make.
Cameron recoiled as he got closer and this seemed to only amuse Bonham.
“Whatever Cameron said about me…” he began, his green eyes taking me in. “…she was wrong. I’m not so bad.”
I studied him like he was appraising me. “That’s a shame, I was hoping she was right.”
The corner of Bonham’s mouth curled up mischievously. “What’s a guy gotta do to get your number?”
I leaned close, trying to keep my cool. “Impress me.”
Bonham squinted just a little. “I don’t usually chase, but for you I may be willing to make an exception.”
I feigned a gasp as I touched my chest. Like I was honored. “Touched, truly.”
I left him standing there as I rejoined Cameron’s side.
I wasn’t too sure how I was going to play my Bonham card, but having him somewhat interested was a start.
We made it to her father’s Sorento where Cameron was nice enough to open the passenger door for me.
“You sit up front since we’re dropping you off first,” she insisted.
I slid in next to her father, who also was the friendly type. Must’ve been in their blood.
He tipped his baseball cap covered head toward me. “Howdy.”
I managed to offer a genuine smile. “Hello, Mr. Camburn.”
“Call me Larry,” he told me as he started up the car once Cameron was seated and buckled in the back. “You’re practically family.”
Right, because he knew Scott.
“You and Scott pretty close?” I wondered.
Larry focused on the road as he began for my house. “Yeah, I’ve known Scott for years. We grew up together.” For a second he appeared thoughtful. “Although you are quite the surprise.”
Scott probably held a pristine reputation around Meadow Grove. What a rude awakening I was.
“You’re telling me,” I agreed.
It was one thing to know I had a father out there somewhere, but it was another to be shipped to live with the guy. Really, what was my mother thinking? She had to be high off the fumes in her kiln or something.
Larry set the radio on a modern rock station, which I greatly appreciated as I glanced at the scenery out my window.
In a way, it was kind of embarrassing not to know a single thing about my own father. If I was embarrassed, I knew for certain Scott had to be. How was he explaining my arrival to all his friends?
“You and Scott should come over for dinner sometime,” Larry offered ten minutes later as he was pulling up in front of Scott’s house. “It’d be nice to get to know you.”
Both Cameron and her father came off nice and warm. There was no way not to be polite to these people.
“I’d like that.” I tucked some hair behind my ear, feeling awkward. “Does Scott have a girlfriend?”
And if he did, would she know about me? Accept me?
God, this was all so fucked-up.
I didn’t do awkward and uncomfortable situations, because that’s exactly what this entire move was: awkward, uncomfortable, and foreign.