Delinquent Camp

Chapter Six

Rhyson shrugs. “What you did, sticking up for Scarlett, that was really nice. Not a lot of people will do that. At least, not for her.”

This time I shrug as I stare at the ceiling. “Even though I don’t know her very well, I consider her one of my friends here.”

“Speaking of friends,” he grunts, removing the cloth and dipping it in the water again. “What’s with you and Ember?”

“What are you talking about?” I gently run my fingertips along my bruise before Rhyson reapplies the damp cloth.

“It’s just…” He trails off, avoiding my eyes.

“What?”

“Nothing.” He shakes his head, his dark hair falling in front of his eyes so I can’t see them. “Never mind.”

“No,” I insist, sitting up. “Tell me.”

Rhyson drops the cloth in the sink and leans back against the counter, shielding his face from me. Leaning back in my hands, I stare at him intently, waiting for him to speak. He shakes his head again, then stares up at the ceiling, thinking.

“She’s just not the kind of person you want to get involved with, Gemma.”

His words send a chill up my spine, like I already know what he’s saying. Slowly, he turns towards me, his cold eyes meeting mine.

“There’s a lot about Ember that you don’t know.”

“Like what?” I ask quietly. Curious, I cautiously swing my legs over the counter until I’m sitting straight, my feet hanging a foot above the floor.

“Just trust me, Gemma.” He continues to meet my gaze, but there’s something in his eyes that I know I have to trust. Normally, I’m not one to drop things. However the way he’s looking at me makes me keep my mouth shut.

For several minutes, I sit beside Rhyson in silence. Neither of us say anything, too caught up in our own thoughts. As much as I like Ember, there has always been something a bit off about her. I haven’t been able to place it, but I always pushed the thought aside, knowing having her as a friend is better than the opposite.

“Want one?”

I blink a few times, coming back to reality as I turn to Rhyson. He’s staring up at me, holding out a pack of cigarettes with one of them outstretched farther than the others. Giving him a small smile, I take one and place it between my lips.

“Thanks,” I murmur, after he lights my cancer stick. He lights his own and shoves the lite back in his pocket. “New lighter?”

Rhyson nods, staring up as he blows smoke rings out of his mouth. “I managed to convince Danny to give me one,” he smirks, and I nod knowingly. “So, tell me about the life of Gemma.”

I turn to him, flashing a grin. “Nope. You’ll have to wait until tomorrow night. Or, I guess, technically tonight.”

He frowns, flicking his cigarette ashes into one of the sinks. “And why is that?”

“Michelle’s making me share at the campfire in exchange to get out of swimming,” I smirk, leaning my head back against the mirror. “So it’s your turn to go tonight.”

“Okay,” he smiles, walking away from the counter. When he reaches the other side of the bathroom, he turns around to face me and leans back against the wall. “What do you want to know?”

I think for a minute, letting my many questions float to the surface. When I decide which one I want to know the most, I put out my cigarette in the sink and drop my hands into my lap.

“Why did you get sent here?”

Rhyson runs his fingers through his hair, smiling. “You would ask that first, wouldn’t you?” I grin as I wait for him to continue. “Well, there are a lot of reasons. But if I have to pinpoint the one thing that got me sent here, it would be the fact that I stole a police car.”

I raise my eyebrows at him. “You stole a cop car?”

Rhyson laughs lightly. “And crashed through the window of the police station.”

“On purpose?” I ask, my curiosity peaking.

He shakes his head, staring at the floor. “Let’s just say I was making my big getaway, and between handcuffs and the fact that I had to turn off all the lights to be stealth, I didn’t put the car in reverse.”

“Well aren’t you a dumbass.”

Rhyson and I jerk our heads at the sound of someone else’s voice. There, standing in the doorway to the bathroom, is Ember.