Camilla

twenty-seven

C A M I L L A

I'm not surprised when I'm late for class. Of course, I'm glared at as I step into the classroom fifteen minutes late, but I don't mind much.

It's a good day.

That's kind of scary, though. The fact that I'm having a genuinely good day. I can't remember the last time I've actually been truly happy. And it feels good. 

Right now, Mae is at Gilligan's house with his mom. His dad is talking to the police, getting the report or whatever the fuck filed for my mother. Mr. Dashner told me he'd prefer it if I stay for dinner at his house tonight, just so I wouldn't be in danger when the police show up later. He told me they'd be taking Mae and I's statements soon after.

Everything is going great, which is a sentence I never thought I'd say. 

When lunch rolls around, Gilligan walks me to my locker, holding my hand the whole way. It's hard not to smile around him. But I still don't want other kids fucking with me. I'll still beat their asses. 

Gilligan is amazing. And the way he looks at me. I love it.

And when I feel my heart clench, I know loving him isn't too much further away. I mean, having no one to love in your life must make it easier to find someone to love, after you've accepted that they're a good person. That they're genuinely good. That they have no intentions of hurting you.

The second the hallway we're in is quiet and void of other students, I reach up and wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him deeply. Expressing as much emotion as I can.

He grunts in surprise before kissing me back, and I smile against his lips.

Soon I pull away, sucking in a deep breath.

He doesn't say anything, just laughs breathlessly.

I wink. "I know. I'm fucking awesome."

Gilligan rolls his eyes at me, and then I turn to face my locker and toss my bag inside it.

When I shut the door,Gilligan's staring at me, a small smile on his face. I can tell he's lost in thought even as I grab his hand and pull him along with me to the cafeteria.

Taylor is already sitting at the table when I push open the lunch room doors, and I watched as her eyes immediately zone in on Gilligan and I's hands.

She looks at me with surprise written on her face and, of course, a bit of smugness.

I flip her off.

She just laughs. Gilligan and I approach the table and sit down, and that's when Taylor speaks. "So, you're a thing now?" She switches her gaze from me to Gilligan rapidly.

He looks over at me and grins, squeezing my hand from under the table.

"Yeah," he sucks in a breath, and I can tell he's feeling just as giddy as I am at the moment. "We are." The smile on his face is contagious, and I find myself and Taylor smiling at him.

"But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop being an asshole to you," I say.

He laughs. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

G I L L I G A N

Camilla stays over for dinner that night.

Mae is super happy about that because it means my mom and her will be making cookies. But I can tell Camilla is worried. I would be too, of course, if I had no idea what was going to happen in the next day or so. All through dinner, I can feel her leg bouncing up and down as it rubs against mine. I try to comfort her as best as I can, but with Mae there, speculating, I know Camilla wants to keep our touching down to a minimum.

After dinner, my dad takes Camilla to his study to talk about what is likely to happen with their mother. I know most of it. She'll have to go to court, for multiple reasons. Camilla will have to see her mother again there, as well, and I can only imagine how hard that will be for her. Maybe not in a sad way, but in an angry, I-want-to-kick-your-ass-to-Africa way. 

Camilla is strong, though, and I know she prefers this over having to put Mae in the path of her mother.

When they come back out, Camilla looks a little more relieved and less worried than she has been when she first stepped into the house.

It's around ten at night when my dad say it's safe for them to go home. He knows that if there were drugs there like Camilla had said there were, then her mother will definitely not be home.

"Thank you," she smiles, and hug my dad before hugging me.

"It's not a problem," he waves her off. I can tell he's uncomfortable by the number of thanks she' given him.

"I'll text you when we have a court date," he says to her as she picks a sleeping Mae up from off the couch.

"Sounds perfect. Goodnight, guys. See you all tomorrow."

Camilla smiles and kisses my cheek before heading out the door.

I watch her from out the window until her taillights disappear.

I don't know what it is about her, but she's got my heart in a mess.

A big old fucking beautiful mess.