As Cameron's mom smothered him with her arms in their doorway, Kith hung back, balancing her backpack, while tugging at the bottom of her blue hoodie. Shoving her hands in her pockets, she pressed against her stomach, as if that would make the fetus behind it go away. Attempting to hide behind one of the side mirrors, she surveyed the neighborhood, the area that had basically been her second home.
Everything still looked the same. All the cookie-cutter, suburban homes were still there. If she went down the road, the stop sign would still be there. If she made a left or a right, she'd be on the main road. If she traveled fifteen minutes more, she'd be home.
"Kith?" Nora finally noticed her pressed against the side of the car.
"Hi," forcing a smile, she walked forward. As his mom went to hug her, she sucked in her stomach as much as possible, all while keeping that smile.
"What are you doing here?" Still smiling, Nora pulled back and studied her curiously. "Not that we mind having you. Austin's not here right now."
"Oh, that's okay," Kith said quickly.
"She lives with me, Mom," Cameron reappeared, bags slung across both shoulders like some forest warrior.
"What?"
"Yeah," he said it like it was nothing. His tone was probably what made her stop. "She had something going on at home, so... she lives with me."
"Aren't you still in high school?" Cameron's mom inquired, eyes shining with interest. Kith had known an interrogation was coming. She'd known it since giving into the idea that she would have to stay at Cameron's house for the break.
If his mom thought she was going to learn anything, get any answers, she had another thing coming. Cameron didn't know, so his mom wouldn't either. It also didn't help that she had a gleam in her eye that said she would tell a whole bunch of other people if she found out either.
Why she lived with Cameron was her business and her business only.
"Yes," Kith nodded.
"That's right," she nodded slowly. "You and Austin are both graduating this year. Speaking of which, you two are supposed to be having that joint graduation party. Did you forget?" Her tone changed to one with a more teasing undertone.
"No," Kith shook her head and scrunched her eyes up for a second. "Um..." Staring at the ground, she shifted her feet and ran through a list of suitable excuses. "I don't really think I want a party anymore. I'm just not... into that."
"Why?" Now his mom sounded concerned, like there was something deathly wrong with her for not wanting a party. "You guys decided this your freshman year."
"I know," Kith conceded. "Maybe, but I don't think so."
"Come on, Mom," Cameron interrupted. "Let us inside."
"You're staying?" She looked at Kith strangely.
"Yes, she's staying. I just told you she can't go home," Cameron answered for Kith, edging his mom backwards until all three were inside the house. The house smelled normal. There were no signs that a grand, national holiday was forty-eight hours away. "She can stay in my room. That's how we live at school."
"What happened with your parents, Kith?"
"I'd rather not talk about it," Kith said in her smallest voice, desperately wanting her to just leave them alone. She asked too many questions. She'd never been like that before. Cameron's mom looked like she wanted to dig further, deeper, but Cameron glared at her to quiet down and move aside.
"Come on," he said over his shoulder, rearranging the bags in his hand. He'd brought a lot of stuff for just a week's stay, probably because laundry was free at his house. Kith didn't need directions. She knew exactly which room was his. It was right down the hall and around the corner from Austin's. Pushing the door open with his foot, he dropped his bags down, turned around, and spread his arms wide. "Welcome home."
Kith deposited her backpack onto his bed and looked around. This room was slightly more put together than his room at school, but not by much. At least there was a sense of organization. It probably wouldn't last, but its existence was comforting. The bed was made, red sheets tucked tight around the corners. The tan carpet was free of debris and clothing. The desk wasn't littered with cans, papers, and wrappers. Sun shone through the two windows positioned nicely around the room. The navy blue curtains were drawn just so matching patches of sunlight streamed onto the floor, warming the carpet in those exact spots.
"Sorry about Mom," he apologized.
"I told you she would ask questions," Kith answered, unzipping her backpack. Her other bag was in his truck. The only good thing about being at his house was being back in the school district. His house was in perfect walking distance from the school, which meant she didn't have to wake up early and take public transportation to get around. That knowledge was her bright side of this entire vacation. Although, she was still dreading when her high school closed for the break.
"How will you cope without partying every night?"
Smirking, Cameron unzipped one of his bags and dumped a pile of dirty clothes onto the floor. Squatting down, he started sorting things, tossing whites in one direction and colors in another. "Someone has a sense of humor," he commented.
"You'd know, except you're never around," she answered, smiling a tiny smile back at him.
"Well," shrugging, he continued sorting. "You're going to get sick of me, I promise. By the end of this break, you'll be thanking me for going out and getting drunk every night."
"Do you want the bed?"
"Are you crazy?" Looking up at her from his laundry, he stared at her curiously. "No. You take the bed. That's where you sleep at school."
"Yeah, but I was thinking maybe we could trade. This is your room, your house," she answered, removing some of the jeans she'd rolled up from her bag.
"No," he shook his head furiously. Standing up, he started rummaging through another one of his bags. "So... do you know where that guy lives?"
"What guy?" she asked stupidly.
"You know what guy," he kept his eyes trained on the contents of his bag.
"No," she answered a little too quickly, searching out a place for her clothes.
"If you don't want to tell me, I guess that's fine," Cameron sniffed and rubbed his nose. "I'd mess that guy's face up. That's probably the only thing he has going for him. He's obviously not that great of a person."
"You don't know him," Kith pointed out.
Cameron made a face at her. "I don't need to know him to know that he's an asshole," he said strongly.
"He's twenty, and in the army," she reminded him, mildly amused at his insistence. Sober and at his mom's house, he sounded vaguely like an older brother, a protective male figure. He was extremely keen on beating up a guy he didn't even know. A small dose of happiness welled up in Kith's stomach.
"Whatever," Cameron said. "You and I are cool, which means that I like you. He and I are not cool because he did you dirty. That means it's my job, as the guy, to beat this guy's ass."
"You're never gonna find him."
"He's lucky then," Cameron pantomimed punching and kicking the air. "'Cause I'd put him in the hospital."
This was their longest conversation, and centered on Cameron assaulting a stranger. He sounded like a douche bag, frat boy more than ever, but it was amusing. Cameron could do something besides drink and get laid. He could entertain.
"I'm going to get my other bag."
"It should be unlocked still," he said absently, planting his favorite blue hat on his head. "If not, come back and get the keys."
Exiting his room, Kith rounded the corner and walked a bit down the hallway, deep in thought. By the time she realized she wasn't alone, it was too late. Turning around, or even sprinting away, would've been too obvious.
Raising her eyes, she locked eyes with Austin, the recipient of her dodges and silent treatment for three whole months. In the same state of shock as her, he just stood there, probably wondering what she was doing in her house. Kith's voice died in her throat, but her mouth stayed open partially. Nothing came to mind. She couldn't say anything. Did she want to say anything? No, she decided. There was absolutely nothing she could say to him.
She'd grown up with the kid. They'd chased each other around on the playground, slept over each other's houses, played in the rain together. He was her date to the Winter Formal in ninth grade. Her dress was a teal color she considered perfect at the time. Looking back on it, she should've kept sifting through the racks. Austin wore black on black, black jacket with a black shirt. His tie was teal; that was how he decided he would match. They danced together during ever song, even the slow ones. All of their friends made fun of them, but they didn't care. They were having a good time and that was all that counted.
Heart cutting out the sounds of her vocal cords, she pressed herself against the wall, averted her eyes, and sped past. Even if he said anything to her, she decided she wouldn't say anything back.
Thankfully, the truck was unlocked, so she retrieved her bag without a hassle. Re-entering the house, she resisted the urge to creep around like a Russian spy. The halls were empty as she passed through them, but that didn't stop the hairs from standing up on the back of her neck and her arms.
His door was closed. Good, she thought to herself. She wouldn't have been able to look in anyways. If her door had been open, she would've locked her neck into place until it cramped. Back in Cameron's room, she threw her stuff down a little harder than intended.
"What's wrong with you?" Cameron turned around.
"Nothing," she mumbled, sitting on the edge of his bed.
"What happened?"
"Nothing," she said sharply.
Taken aback by her one-eighty in demeanor, Cameron turned back to his bags of clothes. He attributed her sudden anger to the fact she was pregnant. He'd seen on a number of shows that pregnant people had insane mood swings.
Kith was probably no different.
Glancing over his shoulder, he watched her and thought about saying something else, asking her another question. But she looked angry. So he kept his mouth shut and decided that she'd be happy again later.
Poor Cam. He doesn't knoq how to deal with Kith's mood swings.