Chapter 16 #2
I should’ve voiced how I didn’t care what Dreux thought, but I didn’t. Instead, I hung back watching as Dreux and Bonham spoke in the distance. Bonham’s arms were folded and his posture read of being guarded. Dreux was as calm as ever as he talked.
“Hey.”
Shit.
Aidan was standing with us. Him and a kid I knew from English named Lane. Lane gave me a smile and a wave, but I was too distracted by the arrival of Cameron’s ex.
Cameron offered Aidan one of her sweet smiles. “Hi.”
Aidan looked around, taking in the attractions beyond the gate before coming back to Cameron. “You going in?”
Vanity stepped up beside Cameron, and I was quick to do the same.
“Yeah, we’re just waiting on Dreux and Bonham,” Cameron explained.
Aidan blinked. “Bonham?”
Cameron nodded. “Yeah, even the nonconformist took the night off.”
The comment made me snort. It fit Bonham perfectly.
Aidan’s face went blank as he found where his brother stood with Dreux. A muscle in his jaw tensed as he glowered at him. With Cameron, he let it go. “Can we talk for a sec?”
I wanted to tell him to fuck off, but it wasn’t my place. Thankfully, Cameron spoke up for herself. “Maybe later. I’m trying to have fun tonight, Aidan.”
He reached out, running his hand down her arm. “Me too. That’s all I want.”
Cameron took a step back. “Good. Maybe I’ll see you inside.”
The rejection was gentle, but the air was stiff as Aidan backed off. He turned to Lane and together the two of them entered the carnival grounds without another word.
I patted Cameron’s shoulder. “Good job.”
She blew out a breath and seemed to blush. “Yeah?”
Vanity made a face. “Hell yeah. He’s not sweet talking his way back into your good graces.”
Cameron looked between the two of us. “Right.”
I admired her strength for holding on to her resolve. It wasn’t easy to let go, especially when feelings were involved.
“Well, they didn’t kill each other,” Vanity drawled, causing us to look over and spot Dreux and Bonham making their way back. They were walking side by side and seemed to have come to an understanding.
“Everything okay?” I asked Bonham first. The ball was in his court whether to forgive Dreux or not.
Bonham gave a shrug. “Shit happens.” He looked back to Dreux, managing a smile. “As long as it doesn’t happen again. Going forward, we’re good. Right?” He held his fist out and Dreux bumped his against it.
“Right,” he agreed.
I breathed out a sigh of relief. Now the night could begin.
Dreux led the way to enter the carnival grounds. Vanity took in Dreux’s look and seemed to nod in approval. “God, I haven’t listened to OutKast in forever.”
Dreux flashed her an easy smile. “Forever? Forever ever?”
Vanity grinned, sticking her tongue out before repeating, “Forever ever.” The two of them chuckled at their inside joke, and at my confusion, Vanity deadpanned as her shoulders sagged. “Saylor, girl, come on!”
I didn’t get it and now I felt left out.
An arm came around me and Dreux was soon tugging me close under him. “Don’t worry, Van, I’ll fix her.”
Tossing him an annoyed look, I shoved him. But I didn’t pull away. Didn’t want to. Couldn’t explain the stirring in my belly at the feeling of being this close to him.
Vanity came by, cupping Dreux’s cheek and making a funny face. “The word is educate, Dreuy.”
From there we took off for fun. We started off as a group, going and trying a hand at a game where you had to shoot a squirt gun into a hole that filled a balloon. Cameron won that game, choosing a large stuffed lion as her prize in the end.
Vanity abandoned us when we bumped into Zion. I couldn’t blame her. He was cute and seemed like a much better guy than Ebram.
Cameron and I munched on funnel cake and deep-fried Oreos between games, while the boys ate chicken tenders and french fries. I should’ve eaten something with protein, but the funnel cake was all I needed with its sugary goodness.
We came to a booth where you had to throw plastic wicker balls into three baskets a few feet away. Dreux was on the baseball team, so throwing all five of his paid balls into the three woven baskets was easy for him. Bonham managed to only secure three out of his five balls into the baskets.
I wasn’t athletic, but I let Cameron pull me over to a small pool filled with water and yellow rubber ducks. The point was to toss rings onto them. You only had to ring one of the ducks to win a prize. How hard could it be?
Cameron went first, proving that it wasn’t as easy as it looked. The wind worked against her as the ring fell to the ground before even making it into the pool. Her next attempt saw the ring landing in the water at least. Her last try just nicked a duck before having the same fate.
Still, she laughed as she turned to me for my turn. “Okay, that’s not easy at all.”
I paid for three rings and went up to the line in front of the pool for my turn. “Here goes nothing, right?”
I figured it was all in the wrist, like a frisbee. So I took a stance and flicked my wrist as I flung the light plastic ring toward the pool. By some miracle, my ring went around a duck’s neck on the first try.
“Holy shit!” I jumped for joy as Cameron cheered.
“Winner, winner,” the host said as he tipped his head at me. “Choose your prize.”
Behind the pool was a wall of stuffed animals. None really stood out. I went with the large stuffed dog. It looked like a husky, which felt fitting since Horton High’s mascot was a husky.
The boys were at a booth shooting basketballs into nets. I took a moment to talk to Cameron, making sure she was okay.
“So, Aidan?” I brought up.
She rolled her eyes and managed to smile. “I’m hoping I can avoid him all night. The more time goes on, the more I feel right in my decision, you know.”
I squeezed her close in a side hug, trying to offer support and comfort. Emphasis on trying, which was hard to do with our bundle of stuffed animals we were lugging around. “Good. Hopefully in time he’ll back off and take the hint.”
Cameron fiddled with her lion. “I also don’t want to start anything weird between him and Bonham.
We’re just friends and he’s been so good with the tutoring.
I thought he’d goof off the whole time, but he’s taking it seriously and is really trying.
” She looked up at me, her blue eyes honest and genuine. “Plus, he says it’s working.”
Of course her tutoring was helping Bonham. I bet he hung on to every word she said.
“Now I know where to go if I ever need help,” I joked. I was never the best student in school—decent at most—but I knew that if I wanted to buckle down and take it seriously, Cameron was there to help.
“Hey.” Lane was standing with us suddenly, taking in each of our arms carrying prizes. He glanced at Cameron’s lion and monkey first before taking in my husky and shark. “Looks like you’ve got quite the bounty.”
His pale arms were empty.
“No luck?” I asked.
He looked down at himself and shrugged. “I’ve been on rides and eating mostly. Have you been on any?”