worst behavior

em

When we reached the clearing where I hung out with my friends, I laid down in the matted-down grass and shut my eyes to the sun. Sam sat down beside me quietly. I could tell he was trying to process what had happened.

"Emily?" he asked. I heard the nerves in his voice without looking at him.

"Yes?"

"Your parents."

The question brought me to sit up, although I avoided his eyes. I studied my nails, pressing my mouth into a flat line before answering Sam. "My parents," I repeated. "What about 'em?"

He studied me tersely, bringing his knuckles to his lips. "Well, I don't know," he said. "I guess you know all about mine and how spoiled I am. But I've never heard a word about yours. Which is hardly fair."

"Well, I can't really help you there."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't know them."

Sam blinked rapidly. "Huh?"

I folded my hands, attempting to hide my discomfort. "They left me with my Nan as soon as they could, and moved away. That's all."

Sam quickly came closer to me, his face a mask of seriousness as he struggled to find the words to say. "What? But, Em, I...why? Why did they leave you?"

I shrugged, avoiding his eyes as they searched my face. "Some people aren't as lucky as you are, Sammy. You've got parents that love you. My parents," I sighed, "they prefer to forget I exist. They were young when I was born, and they sure as hell didn't want a kid. So, they live in California now. On to bigger and better things, just like everyone else." I shrugged my shoulders, casting an apathetic look at Sam's concerned expression. "People leave, Sam. I'm used to it."

He stared quietly at the ground for a few minutes. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't realize. But I appreciate you telling me. I guess understand why you were-"

"I'm not bitter."

"Of course," he agreed quickly. He side-eyed me. "Sorry." I simply shrugged in response, sliding onto my back again with my eyes shut.

After a while of lying there under the sun, I told Sam, "We should go back. She's probably looking for you."

He gave me a blank look. "Who?"

"Karina...the girl you took home last night?"

"Right. Okay," he agreed. "Let's go then."

When he offered me his hand to help me up, I studied him. My eyes bored into his bright blue ones until he averted them uncomfortably. "What?" he asked defensively.

I stared at him for a moment longer, trying to decipher how he could forget about the girl he'd been lusting after for two weeks, the girl who was now sleeping in his bed. When all his face betrayed was confusion and discomfort, I sighed and took his hand.

When he pulled me up, an intense look came into his eyes. Once I was standing, he knotted his hands in the curls at the back of my neck and kissed me roughly before pulling away. A really good, charged kiss. A kiss that meant maybe his night with Karina wasn't everything he hoped.

I gave him another look when he finally pulled away. "You're a weird kid, Sam," I told him, smirking before I walked away in the direction of my house. "But I'm glad I know my benefits are still in effect."

A/N don't forget to vote!