Starbird

Chapter 38

Mom yawned as to confirm Aunt Susan’s thoughts. “We were just going to order pizza,” Mom said, going over and giving Aunt Susan a hug.

“Nonsense! I’ll let you get settled and rest. Maybe take a shower, because you stink, Philip.” I smiled at my aunt teasing Dad. “And I’ll make dinner. I went shopping and everything.”

“That sounds great, Sue. Cam, can you help?” I tried not to glare at my mom, because like her I was tired and wanting a shower.

“Camo! I didn’t even see you there!” She came up and gave me a bear hug. It was her trademark among the family. Big hugs and orange hair. Oh yes, I mean orange.

“Hi, Aunt Sue.”

“Oh look at you. You’re like a woman! You must have all the hot guys running after you.” She nudged me, similar how she nudged Dad, except this time it wasn’t funny. I thought I had a hot guy running towards me, but he ducked left while I just stood there baffled.

“You should have seen her, Sue! Those foreign boys loved her,” Mom teased and I was ready to pick up the closest ming vase and hurl it towards the marble floor.

“Oh right! I saw that article about you and a certain British superstar. Oh, what was his name?” Liam something…” She poked my side twice as if it was all cute and innocent.

Shoot me.

“Hawthorne,” I muttered. “And we weren’t dating.” I noticed my jaw clenching and I tried to stop it. “Just friends.” I was hoping the bitterness wasn’t as noticeable as I thought.

“Well that’s unfortunate. He was gorgeous. You two look good together. But anyway! We can talk about all this at dinner. Go get cleaned up and rest. Dinner will be ready in an hour or so.”

I didn’t waste a moment. Grabbing my suitcase and jacket, I raced up the hardwood stairs, taking a quick right down the hallway towards my room in the corner. Flinging open the door, I dropped my things to the floor, rushed to the adjoined bathroom and cried.

I actually cried.

And I felt like I couldn’t stop.

Those foreign boys loved me? Were they purposefully out to torture me? Because the one I wanted to love me didn’t. He didn’t care. And I cared way too much.

I choked on my sobs and I felt the snot streaming out of my nose. Yeah, feast your eyes, boys, on the beauty that is Camille Everett.

This was pitiful.

I am pitiful.

I bit my finger to try and contain the tears. My eyes were squeezed shut as I tried to stop my voice from echoing.

“Cammie?” Hearing the voice, I tried scrambling to get my emotions in check.

Stop crying, stop it. Stop it right now.

“Sweetie, what’s wrong?”

My mom stared down at me, concern etched across her face.

There was no feasible way to hide the blood shot, puffy eyes and tears and snot now.

“I - I don’t - know,” I tried saying through sobs. I didn’t want to tell Mom this. Ever. It seemed so trivial.

“You wouldn’t be crying like this if it was just PMS or something. Come on, you can tell me.” Mom sat on the floor beside me, handing me a Kleenex to get my face in order.

“Boys are dumb,” I said.

Mom didn’t look too surprised. “You’re just now discovering this?”