Part 1 (2/2)

I smoothed my fingers over the arm rest as Emily took off. I didn't bother leaving Grandma a note. She knew where I was going. At least, she would until I got out of range. At some point, and I still wasn't sure where, she wasn't able to read my thoughts anymore. It was a realization I'd stumbled upon three years ago when I'd gone off with a friend without telling Grandma, only to return and find her frantic with worry. It was the same for me. Once a person was a football field or so away, I couldn't read their minds no matter how hard I tried.

It was a thrilling feeling of escape that coursed through my body as we drove out of town toward the coast. Emily whipped around a curve and I fell into the door, laughing. Excitement followed Emily wherever she went. The world was a movie, and she was the star. At the moment she was pretending she was some hot spy and being chased by an equally hot guy. Of course she'd never admit how many times she invented movies in her head and she'd probably kill herself if she realized I knew.

”Where should we go?” I asked, a secret smile playing on my lips.

”Lakeside!” she said.

Lakeside was a diner near the Ocean. Half the teens worked there after school, the other half hung out. There wasn't a lot to do in our small town, but years ago the students had quickly taken over the restaurant as their own.

”So get this, Trevor suddenly has to study Sat.u.r.day night.” Emily glanced briefly at me. The wind was blowing her hair around her perfect face. But while my hair was getting stuck in my mouth, whipping me in the eyes and wrapping around my neck in a chokehold, she somehow managed to look like a model in a print ad.

”What do you think?” she asked.

I thought, no, I knew Trevor was seeing someone else from another school. But I also knew how Emily wanted me to answer. I shrugged, not quite meeting her gaze. ”Maybe his parents are on him about his grades.” Emily didn't want to know he was cheating. Most people didn't really want to know the truth.

”Yeah,” she seemed relieved. ”That's what I figured.”

Emily couldn't stand the idea that someone would dump her. No, Emily dumped boys, boys didn't dump her. But she was worried that was exactly what was happening with Trevor. I was no psychologist, but I'd seen enough episodes of Oprah to wonder if her need to be adored had something to do with the fact that her parents were never around.

”Still, if he keeps this up, I just might dump his a.s.s. G.o.d, what does he expect? Doesn't he know how many people would go out with me?”

She was arrogant, but she was right. I'd read enough h.o.r.n.y teenage minds to know that 99% of the school's male population wanted Emily. The other one percent were gay.

She followed the road that ran along the coast. The ocean was rough, the winds and weather making the waves crest into white peaks. It was a volatile life we lead here on the coast, and more than one fisherman drowned every year under the unrelenting power of the ocean. Despite the danger, I loved the feeling, the energy that surged from the waves...that secrecy of not knowing what was there underneath the water.

”I swear Kevin was checking me out the other day.”

For a moment I thought I'd heard her wrong. That the roar of the ocean had made me hear something she hadn't said. But no such luck, her thoughts were as clear as my own. My heart lurched, even as I forced my smile to remain in place.

She was looking at the road, but she was wondering what I was thinking. ”If Trevor doesn't get his s.h.i.+t together, maybe I'll go out with Kevin.”

My heart thundered painfully in my chest, my palms growing damp. The urge to shout out No! bounced around my skull. But I didn't move, didn't dare move for fear she'd read something in my gestures.

She slid me a sly glance. ”You don't still have a crush on him, do you?”

Yes. ”No,” I somehow managed to get out, although my voice sounded strangled.

”I didn't think so.”

She wanted me to feel horrible, less than her, she loved it. Knowing she could get any guy she wanted, knowing I couldn't, made her feel special. Still, I was her friend because for the most part, we had fun and as pathetic as it sounded, being her best friend made me feel special. And so we used each other. Believe me, the irony wasn't lost on me.

The gray clapboard sided diner came into view, perched there on the edge of the sea, looking ready to tumble down at the first sign of a storm. Emily pulled into the parking lot, gravel crunching like boney victims under the wheels of her perfect car.

Although school had only been out an hour, the lot was already half full. And there was Kevin's black SUV. A guy I hadn't even had a chance to start a relations.h.i.+p with because I'd already lost him to Emily. And that's how it was; I was friends with girls who were popular because I knew what they wanted from me. I knew exactly what to say, when to say it. But while they got the boys and got to be prom queen, I stood cheering on the sidelines.

Depressed, I barely listened to her happy chatter as we made our way up the rickety steps to the front porch. Emily was so caught up in her own conversation, she didn't even notice the gray rat scurry across the steps. Every time we came to the diner, I was amazed it was still open. I'd expected the Health Department to shut the place down long ago. But if they shut it down, we'd have no place to go and that's why the city left it alone.

”Hey! Cameron, I need to talk to you.” Annabeth came rus.h.i.+ng across the deck where she'd been serving drinks to students brave enough to sit outside in the wind. She stuffed a couple dollars into the ap.r.o.n tied around her thick waist. Her pink sweater clashed with her red hair, and she'd never exactly been called gorgeous. Still, she was friendly and had soft brown eyes and a wide smile that always made me want to smile back. I liked her the moment we'd met in fifth grade. I'd been a new student and she'd been the first to talk to me. For that, I'd always be grateful.

”I'll wait for you over there.” Emily hated Annabeth, not because she didn't think Annabeth was popular or pretty enough. Nope, Emily was jealous because she didn't like the fact that I spent time with someone other than her. She was also jealous that Annabeth was a genius at math and science while Emily could barely pa.s.s. I'd tried to explain this to Annabeth, but Annabeth couldn't possibly believe the most popular girl in school would be jealous of her. Of course I couldn't tell her that I knew it for a fact.

”What's up?” I asked.

We leaned against the railing; I huddled deep within my jacket. The sun was setting, sending brilliant reds and oranges s.h.i.+mmering across the waves. When the sun set, the temperature dropped fast and I was eager to get a booth inside.

”I've met someone.”

I snapped my gaze toward her, more than surprised. As far as I knew, Annabeth had never dated anyone. ”Who?”

George Miller she thought right before she said the words. ”George Miller.” A man popped into her mind, an image she'd conjured. Tall and thin, with dark hair, brown eyes...actually kind of cute, but older than her. Definitely older and she was nervous that he was older. She didn't want anyone to know.

”How old,” I blurted out before I thought better.

Her round face grew red and I knew she was wondering why I'd brought up the topic. Frantically, she tried to decide what to tell me, I could almost taste her nervousness. Twenty-five. ”Twenty,” she squeaked.

You'd be surprised how many people lie and how often. It was common, but still, it annoyed me because we were friends. I nodded slowly, wondering if I should call her out on her lie. Even a person without my abilities could tell she was fibbing. But I could sense Emily's impatience from across the porch. She was about ready to interrupt and that would hurt Annabeth's feelings.

”That's cool,” I said.

She grinned, relieved I didn't question her further or focus on his age. ”Yeah, gotta work, but do you want to meet him? He's inside.”

No! I nodded. Not really. What creepy twenty-five year old would go out with someone who wasn't even seventeen yet? ”Yeah, sure. In a bit.”

She briefly clasped my hands, her fingers cold. ”Okay great! See you in a minute.”

”Can't wait,” I lied.

I watched her as she walked inside. Annabeth was only sixteen and looked even younger. Her mom would freak if she knew her daughter was dating someone nine years older. I didn't mean to be rude, but what would a man twenty-five years old want with Annabeth? Something was off and I was definitely worried.

”What'd she want?” Emily muttered bitterly as she came to stand next to me.

”Nothing.” I sure as heck wasn't going to tell Emily so she could mock Annabeth.

”Hey, ladies, what's up?” Trevor strolled out the door, that arrogant smirk on his face that only the captain of the hockey team could get away with. He leaned over to kiss Emily. What an idiot, he actually thought he could juggle two women and they wouldn't find out. Okay, so maybe my opinion of Trevor was influenced by the fact that he thought my b.r.e.a.s.t.s were too small for his liking. Although I'm happy to report he'd still ”do me,” as he'd thought the other day. As if he'd ever have the chance.

With a huff, Emily turned her head to the side. She was playing hard to get. She wanted him to beg and plead. I rolled my eyes. This could get nauseating real fast.

”What did I do now?” he asked with a sigh.

She snapped her head toward him. ”Where were you last night?” She placed her hands on her hips; she meant business. ”I called you, I text'd.”

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