Delinquent Camp

Chapter Thirteen

“Yup,” we say at the same time.

Michelle starts the car and soon we’re going down the street. I don’t know how long it is before I feel my head start to grow foggy, tiredness and drugs taking over. Suddenly all my pain is gone and all I want to do is sleep.

“This isn’t a very comfortable bed,” I mumble, struggling to move.

“You’re not in a bed, Gemma,” Michelle says, checking on me in the rear view mirror.

“Yes I am and it’s not comfortable.”

Rhyson says something to her that I don’t catch. Instead, I’m staring out the side window, watching all the bright stars speed by as we go down the road.

“I feel like I’m in Star Wars.”

“What are you talking about?” Rhyson laughs and I turn to glare at him.

“All the stars are going by so fast, like when they hit hyper drive on the spaceship. Then they all zoom past.”

“First of all, I think you mean Star Trek. Second, there are no stars, just the city lights around us. Third, we’re not going that fast, Gemma.”

I continue to glare at Rhyson, his eyes reflecting the stars. For a moment, I’m lost in his eyes. Then, I’m lost staring out the back window, watching as the bright stars go by us so fast that they stretch into lines.

“You’re really pretty.” I grin stupidly as I look back at Rhyson. “Almost as pretty as the stars.”

“Why thank you, Gemma,” he laughs, brushing a piece of hair out of my eyes. “You’re really pretty too. Prettier than the stars.”

His compliment goes through one ear and right out the other. Before I know it, I scrunching the t-shirt on his shoulder up, trying to make it look like a pillow. Smiling, I close my eyes and lean down on his shoulder. It’s not yet as comfortable as I want it; his arm keeps getting in the way.

“No,” I whine, sticking out my bottom lip. I open my eyes and jerk straight up, grabbing Rhyson’s arm. “Like this.” I lay back down on his shoulder and put his arm around me. For a moment, I feel like I fit perfectly, as if we are puzzle pieces made to fit each other.

He smells like cigarettes and clean clothes. I even think I smell a hint of cinnamon, but before I can figure it out, I feel myself drifting off, feeling like I’m at home, sleeping next to an amazing guy.

“Gemma?” Rhyson whispers, stroking my hair. “Are you okay?”

“Wake me up when we get to the Death Star.”

~~~

“Gemma, it’s time to get up.”

I snuggle my face deeper into Rhyson’s shoulder, a smile spreading across my lips. I don’t want to ever wake up, but rather to stay just like this forever.

“Gemma, you’re going to miss art class.”

“Rhyson, not now,” I murmur, whining as I turn onto my stomach, hugging him.

Suddenly I’m being shaken so violently, I almost scream. My eyes instantly fly open and I jerk upright, the daylight blinding.

“What the f-“

I stop mid-swear, coming face to face with not Rhyson, but Danny. He’s looking at me intently, his eyes curious but his jaw tight, as if he’s not happy. Looking around, I rub my eyes with my good arm and try to remember what happened. Looking down at my pillow, I realize I hadn’t been hugging Rhyson, but instead just my bed.