Chapter 30
I’m swooning at the thought of seeing Kai today. Seeing as I need to wait until this afternoon, I figured I’d pass some time with retail therapy. It is Kai’s birthday, after all. I wanna find him something. But what do I get for a guy like Kai?
Hmm. Maybe I should’ve asked Drew for suggestions before leaving the house. Not that they’re that much alike, but it’d be a start.
As I walk along the pavement outside the strip mall, I can’t help smiling at the memory of being at the arcade with Kai.
Maybe I could do something cute like buy tokens for another arcade date?
If I knew what video game he was currently playing, maybe I could buy credits for it?
Are they even called credits? Are they game specific, or console specific?
Ugh. I’m out of my depth with this.
My phone buzzes in my clutch purse. I dig it out and read the screen, “Cammy calling.”
I hit decline. Nope. Not today.
Just as I’m about to slip my phone back into my clutch, a text pops up from Cammy. "We can see you."
I gulp, swiftly looking up and scanning my immediate area.
“Over here!” her voice calls out.
From the other side of the road, Camila and Yvette cross the street to meet me.
Yay.
“Did you just decline my call?” Cammy accuses, hands on hips.
“No,” I rush as they land in front of me. “I hit the wrong button. I was about to call you back before you texted me.”
“Uh-huh,” Cammy drawls. “So, what are you up to?”
I shrug. “Just shopping.”
“Like, duh.” Cammy laughs. “Oh, and by the way, I have no desire to go back to Cynthia’s.”
“Why’s that?”
Glee fills her expression. “Daddy bought me the red dress yesterday.”
“Oh.” I slouch with relief. “You must be so happy to have it in your wardrobe.”
“It’s so beautiful, I’ve barely taken it out of its dress bag,” she gushes. “Will you come back to my place to see it on me?”
My goodness. Wasn’t it enough that I went to the store six times to see her wear it? “Ah, I would, but…”
“But, what?” Camila’s hands grasp her hips. “You want to alienate me further?”
“Alienate? When did I…”
“I can’t believe you’re doing this to me,” Camila accuses. “You know what I went through yesterday.”
“I do? Your dad bought you the dress. What’s the big deal?”
“My dad, Tabitha!” she yells. “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe you’re so heartless. My dad left me. Left me. And you don’t even care. How could you do this to me?”
“Camila, this didn’t happen yesterday. For goodness’ sake, he’s remarried. He just got back from his honey…”
Camila gasps, and her hand winds behind her and I swear my heart stops beating. She’s going to slap me again.
I then notice there's no bandage. A brand new acrylic nail hides the ugliness of Friday's gym lesson.
Both Camila’s hands rush forward, and when I jerk backwards, they don’t connect with my flesh. Instead, they cover Camila’s face as she hunches over, shuddering and sniffling.
“Oh my gosh, Cammy,” I say, disturbed.
Yvie plants her hand on Camila’s back. “Cammy, are you okay?”
“I’m not okay!” Cammy yells, reefing her hands off her face. “I’m not okay with my dad replacing me.”
I rush toward her, clutching her shoulders. “I know, Cammy. I know it’s hard.”
She shakes her head. “You don’t even care.”
Her tears pull at my heartstrings. “I care that you’re upset.”
She gently peels my hand from her shoulder, sandwiching it between hers, in a move so vulnerable it renders me speechless. “Do you?”
“Of course. I always have.”
Yvie smiles at me. Her eyes sparkling with hope that our friend group is gluing itself back together.
“But you don’t want to hang out with me,” Camila sputters. “You’re choosing a boy over our friendship.”
The thought of Kai pulls my heart in another direction. What friendship is she talking about?
“Please, Tabby,” Camila whispers. “Whenever times have been tough, you’ve made it better. We talk about clothes and makeup, and somehow the world is less crappy. Can’t we do it again?”
I hiss in discomfort. “You really want me to come over to your house?”
“Can’t we make my dress perfect? It’ll be fun, right? You have a good eye for what jewelry to pair with my new purchases.”
I don’t like all these compliments. I’ve known her too long. The more frequently she says something good, the more certain it is she’ll completely tear me down.
“Please?” she continues, pouting. “I feel like we haven’t hung out in ages.”
Every fiber in my being screams at me to say no. “You really want me there?”
She tugs on my hand. “Yes, silly. I miss you.”
She misses me? Am I hearing this right? What exactly does she miss?
“Tabby,” her voice is soft. “Things have been so off lately. You were always by my side, but now it’s like I only have Yvie.”
“Hey,” Yvie squeaks, offended.
Cammy’s eyes round with her pout. “Will you come with us? I bought new makeup this week, and I feel like nothing is the right shade. I need your help, but you’re never around. Why do you keep ditching me?”
“Ditching you?” I echo. “I’m not…” Cammy’s hand trembles as she holds mine, and it causes me to gasp. “Cam, are you okay?”
She sniffs. “I wish you were still my friend.”
The statement causes dizziness to rush through my head. “I… I…”
Her eyes redden, making her mascara look heavy and too dark. “Do you hate me?”
My heart crushes against my ribs. “You think I hate you?”
“Why else would you be ignoring my texts and making excuses not to hang out?”
“I’ve just been busy studying.”
Cammy scoffs. “You’re just like Yvie. Ditching me for a stupid boy.”
“Hey,” Yvie protests again.
“Cammy, I don’t hate you,” I murmur.
I just wish I had the old Cammy back.
“Then why won’t you come back to my place?” Cammy says, sniffing again as her eyes grow glossy. “You always say no.”
Seeing her upset raises my anxiety, and I blurt, “Okay, let’s take you home.”
Yesterday, Camila was wound so tightly outside of the pizzeria. But then she spent the afternoon and into the evening with her dad. He obviously put a lot of effort in and it’s mellowed her out. There’s actually something really sweet about her today.
She misses me.
She wants to hang out.
I’ve told Kai about how good she used to be. My heart flutters. Could I be getting the old Cammy back?
When we get to Camila’s house, there’s a For Sale sign in the front yard.
“Cammy.” I gasp. “What’s going on?”
Cammy shrugs. “Mom’s just showing Dad she means business.”
“So, is it a legit sign or not?” Yvie asks.
“Yeah, the real estate agent put it up yesterday,” she replies. “Just in time for Dad to drop me home.”
“Whoa. Your mom ambushed him with it?” I ask.
“What was my mom meant to do?” Cammy asks, her eyes reddening against her dark eyeliner. “Dad took me to Logan’s Point, which reminds her of his new marriage. She had to make him see us again.”
I clutch her hand and softly say, “He sees you. He spent the afternoon with you.”
Her reddening eyes brighten, and her mood lifts with a smile. “Oh my gosh, Tabby, come with me. You gotta help me make this dress look even more killer.”
Cammy hurries me into the house by the hand, and Yvette trails behind, unsure how welcome she is.
Kai told me Camila has to get over her father’s new marriage. Accept it and move on. But I know Cammy. She idolizes her dad, and she’s a clone of her mom. Of course, their breakup tore her down. It destroyed her identity, and she’s clawing to put the pieces together by acting out for attention.
In her bedroom, I comb through her jewelry collection, pairing teardrop crystal earrings with a chunky pewter bangle. I then find a long chain necklace with a matching crystal pendant, and compare it against a chunkier necklace, wondering which would look more dynamic.
“Cammy, how low is the neckline again?” I ask, draping the necklaces against my palms.
Cammy pulls the red dress from its dress bag and drapes it in front of her. “Devastatingly plunging, darling,” she says with a giddy laugh.
I laugh with her and then hang the necklaces against the dress. “Hmm. Maybe the chunkier necklace?”
Cammy nods approvingly. “I trust you.”
I smile at her, noticing the redness reducing in her eyes.
The glossiness is still there, so the threat of her tearing up is still a real possibility.
She’s enough to handle when she’s plain angry.
I remember the nights her dad was packing his stuff.
She’d wail so hard she couldn’t speak for days, and she’d hurl perfume bottles at the walls.
It’s best to avoid her crying at all costs.
“I still can’t believe Dad made Mrs. Fisher invite that skank and her mousy daughter to the society events committee,” Camila says with distaste. “He even said to me, he thought it’d be a way for me and Mom to bond with them. Girls, I almost vomited in my mouth.”
“So, they didn’t replace you and your mom?” I ask tentatively.
Cammy rolls her eyes and picks up Cinnamon after she runs into the room. “Mrs. Fisher told Mom, she thought it’d be best if we excused ourselves, as not to attract a scene.”
“That’s basically kicking you out,” I reply, “but putting it all on you.”
“Yeah, but she couldn’t directly do it,” Cammy says, cuddling her poodle in her arms. “Daddy and her husband work closely together. Couldn’t rock the boat too much.”
Yvie snorts. “I didn’t think anyone cared about exes. Like, old news. The husbands only care about the new, shiny wives.”
I suck in a rapid breath. Yvie, you idiot.
“I’m important,” Cammy snaps at her, dropping Cinnamon to the ground with a thud. “I’m my dad’s number one priority. If they make me upset, my dad will destroy all progress on the Logan’s Point redevelopment plan.”
“Okay, okay,” Yvie squeaks, raising her hands in defense. Cinnamon whimpers and darts out of the bedroom. “Sorry. It’s just, me and my mom still go to the country club. We hear things. You and your mom haven’t had membership since…”
“The divorce!” Cammy yells. “I know, Yvette!”