My Dearest Enemy

11| playing god

❝Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. But anger is like fire. It burns it all clean.❞

— Maya Angelou 

E L E V E N

My conversation with Eli the night before lingered in my mind. The thought that I'd once been surrounded by friends, that people were drawn to me, sounded so foreign. It was like he'd been talking about a completely different person, someone I'd crossed paths with in a past life but only faintly remembered. If that girl had existed within me at any point, we'd parted ways long ago.

So what about the remnants of her left behind still called to people? And how could I wrench it out of me and shut it off? I didn't want or need people to try to get close to me. I was fine just the way I was.

Sensing someone beside me, I snapped out of my trance.

"Cami, is it?" Vince eased himself into my periphery. "I finally found out your name, which you so rudely refused to tell me the other day."

I jerked my padlock. "Unless you're the US government, you're not exactly entitled to that information."

He grinned. "Look, I feel like we got off on the wrong foot. Can we start over?"

I swung my bag off my shoulder and stuffed a book inside. "Sure. I'd be happy to go back to the point in time when neither of us was aware of the other's existence."

"I don't think it's possible for me to ignore the existence of someone like you."

"Well, that makes one of us." I smiled back, shutting my locker and walking off.

He immediately dashed in front of me, blocking my path with an outstretched arm. "Honestly though, what can I do to get on your good side?"

"Well, first, you can stop always getting in my way."

He narrowed his eyes curiously, a smirk playing on his lips. Pulling back his arm, he held his palms up. "I'm sorry. I promise I'm not trying to upset you. I just —"

"Thought you could somehow sweet talk me into going out with you? Not interested. But I'm sure you'll find some other poor girl to harass in the next thirty seconds, and to her I send my condolences."

"Cami!" I turned away from Vince to find Mira speed-walking toward me. "You took US History last year or something right? Do you mind if I borrow your notes? I swear Mr. Kirkland is the driest lecturer on earth and I keep falling asleep in — " Pausing, she stole a brief glance over my shoulder. "Uh, who is this and why is he staring at me?"

Jaw slack, Vince stood gaping at Mira, his lips parted. "Sorry, I..." He trailed off and started again, fighting to compose himself. "I don't mean to....I mean, you're just...incredibly beautiful. Do you know that?" He bounced a finger off his temple. "What am I saying? Of course you do. How could you not know that?"

Mira turned to me, unfazed. "Again I ask, who the hell is this?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but Vince shifted from behind me, extending a hand out to her. "Vince. I'm a friend of Cami's." I blanched at the bold claim.

Mira cast a critical glance my way.

"Whoa, we are not friends. I practically just met the guy two seconds ago."

She was slow to accept Vince's handshake. "Mira."

"Mira," he repeated, tasting each syllable. Slowly shaking his head, he said softly, "How is it I've gone this long without noticing a girl like you?"