Camilla

twenty-two

G I L L I G A N

Camilla progressively gets less aggressive as the week moves on. She starts smiling more often and telling kids to fuck off less when the got to close to her in the hallway. On Thursday, she had started offering subjects to talk about and I knew it was because she was excited about the match.

Which happens to be tonight.

I'm excited to get to watch her kick some ass again. She looks so carefree while delivering punches to people's abdominal regions. 

That's a weird thing to even think, but it's Camilla. I'd be concerned if the words Camilla and carefree weren't followed by violence.

I've never seen her smile as bright as she does after winning a match.

When it's 6:00, the doorbell rings and my mom pulls open the door before I can get there to answer it first.

"Mae!" Camilla's holding Mae, but when Mae reaches her arms out for my mother, Camilla doesn't hesitate to hand her over and Mom takes her willingly, kissing her cheek.

"Hi, Sophie!" Mae grins.

"You guys better get going," Sophie says, glancing up at me and Camilla before looking back down at Mae with a big smile etched onto her face. "I bought stuff to make cookies."

Mae made a noise of excitement. "Bye, Cami!" she waves Camilla off, dismissing her sister easily.

Camilla rolls her eyes but smiles anyway. "We'll try to be back before eight, Sophie."

"Take your time, kids. A date should never be rushed."

I keep myself from rolling my eyes at my mother. I mean, she's under the impression that we are dating, but it's not true, which makes it kind of hilarious to hear. 

It doesn't mean I don't want to date her, though. 

Camilla's the strongest person I know. Mentally and physically. I mean, yeah, she's rough around the edges, but that's one of the best parts about her.

I'm pulled out of my daydreaming when Camilla grabs my hand, pulling me toward the door. "Alright," she smiles at Mae and my mom. "See you guys later."

Camilla opens the door, and I close it behind us.

"This is going to be one hell of a night," Camilla tells me, squeezing my hand tighter before letting go to open her car door.

"Someone's ready to kick ass," I tease, walking around the car to get in the passenger seat.

Once we're both buckled in and she's driving toward the arena, Camilla answers. "Damn straight."

[+]

Camilla's grinning victoriously with a new stack of cash when we leave the arena that night. "Fuck yeah!" She yells into the dark.

She looks down at the money in her hands and then splits it into two piles.

"Here," she says handing me one half. "You deserve this, too."

I back away from her. "No way. You earned that. I didn't kick some thirty-five-year old's ass."

Camilla takes a step closer, rolling her eyes. "Well, no shit. But you're here for me. Whenever I need you. And I think that you deserve a little something for that."

"Jesus, Cam," I laugh, shaking my head. "I'm not taking that money. If you want to thank me, buy me a gift or something. Don't just hand me five hundred dollars."

She brings her hand back down to her side, shoving the two stacks of money back into one. "Fine. But it's going to be the best god damned present you've ever received."

I laugh. "And when it sucks, I'll pretend to like it."

She rolls her eyes and shoves me playfully. "Fuck off, Dashner."

I snort at her and get in her car, closing the door. Camilla gets in and shuts her door a few seconds after.

We continue on like that, teasing each other with half-hearted insults until we go to my house.

I open the front door right after saying, "Eat shit, Flores," so she can't retort with anything without my parents hearing.

Instead, she punches me inconspicuously before stepping into my house with a wink directed at me.

The punch, though I will never admit it, hurts like a bitch.

I close the door behind us and almost run straight into Camilla because she stopped right in front of the door.

My mom's holding Mae and has lifted up her shirt to reveal a bruise the size of a fist right in the middle of her stomach.

My heart drops the minute I see it.

"You mind explaining this?" She asks, directing the question to Camilla. Anger is apparent in her eyes. 

I look over at Camilla, her mouth hanging wide open and her eyes wide with fear. Camilla look up at me, her face full of guilt so intense it makes my whole body go rigid. If a single breeze were to blow, it would knock me over. 

She says two words next, and I know I'm about to hear something I thought I was ready for but now I don't know.

"My mom."