Anywhere But Here (28 page)

I ran down the stairs. I quickly changed into my pajamas and brushed my teeth.  As I climbed into bed, I fought savagely to keep Camille away from me.  It worked as exhaustion claimed me quickly and prevented me from feeling the slow trek my tears made down my cheeks.

A dull ache throbbed in the back of my head the next morning and my sinuses were horribly clogged. I dragged my body out of bed and hit the shower immediately.  The steam from the hot water helped clear my sinuses
- reducing the thudding in my head enough to where I felt as if I could function.

After I dressed and nibbled on a piece of toast – enough to appease Aunt Franki – I was out the door, eager to see Fin and chase away my dismal mood.

“Good morning,” Fin greeted as I approached my locker.  His smile fell when he noticed my dour face.  “Hey, what’s up?”

“Oh,” I said as I twirled the combination lock, turning my back to him.  “Sinuses.  Ugh, they are horrible today.”

“Hmm,” he said as he leaned against a neighboring locker.  “Maybe you should see a doctor.”

My thro
at constricted at his words, my mind immediately shooting to Roberta.  Did he know about her?  Had Gina spoken to him this morning before I arrived?  My hand trembled and I nearly dropped my Spanish book.

“Er, nah.  I…um, usually just take some over-the-counter stuff and it helps,” I hedged.  “I, um, didn’t have any this morning.  I’ll have to stop after school.”

“Go to the nurse,” he suggested.

I slammed the locker and faced him, hugging my books to my chest.  I attempted a smile and it felt like it was there, firmly in place.  “I’m fine, honest.”

He was skeptical but took my hand anyway as we began our morning journey through the halls. I squeezed his hand, conjuring a jolt of happiness that gave me the shot I needed to give him a genuine smile.

He pec
ked my cheek when the bell rang, winking before dashing off to his class.  I entered mine feeling slightly uplifted and able to ignore everyone else.  My mind was busy trying to absorb lessons while Camille and Fin danced in the background, vying for attention.  Things remained this way until lunch when I was able to release a breath it seemed as if I’d been holding the entire morning.

I grabbed a
few items from the lunch buffet before settling at the usual table.  I opened my carton of milk and lifted it to my mouth when I caught Gina out of the corner of my eye.  She was sitting with her group of friends talking quietly but gesturing with her hands as if illustrating an important point. I tried to be nonchalant as I snuck glances her way, wondering what she was talking about and if it involved me in any way, but was distracted as soon as Fin dropped beside me. He pressed a quick kiss to my temple.

“How was your morning?” he asked.

“Fine,” I shrugged.  The others, including Grant, joined us shortly after, making it even more difficult to spy on Gina.

The mood at our table was light – everyone in high spirits due to it being Friday, and the laughter was infectious.  Except for me. I forced it whenever anyone looked at me but I was so obsessed with figuring out what was going on with Gina that I hardly heard anything anyone said.

If Fin noticed, he chose to keep it to himself, not only at lunch but also as we walked to Creative Writing together.  Gina was still whirling in my mind when Fin distracted me by mentioning the dreaded family essay we were supposed to complete by Monday.

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” I winced as we took our seats.

He chuckled as he opened his notebook and grabbed the pen from my hand.  “You really haven’t started on it yet?”

I shook my head, avoiding his eyes. 
I dug another pen out of my bag, looking up only as the teacher walked into the room.  I jotted down notes as he talked while making several treks around the room, tossing a dry erase marker in the air, catching it deftly. When the bell rang, I rolled my eyes as he sternly lectured us to complete our essays and hand them in on Monday.

“Guess you won’t be coming to the game S
aturday night, huh?” Fin teased, tangling our fingers together as he escorted me toward my Study Hall classroom.

“Is it at home?” I asked.

“Yep.”

“I’ll be there,” I said as I stopped in front of the door and rolled to my toes to kiss his cheek.  “See you later.”

I scurried to my desk once I entered the classroom, my mind a whirlwind of emotions and confusion once again.  I sighed as I slammed my books down and closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose.

“What’s the matter, Rena?” Gina asked, her voice predictably smug.

My head snapped up as a low moan escaped my lips.  “Nothing, now move along.”  I waved my hands at her as if shooing a pesky puppy.

A wide
grin stretched across her mouth, startling me more than I cared to admit.  She planted her palms on my desk, bending at the waist to leer at me.  “Aww, what’s the problem, huh?  Embarrassed that you’re seeing a shrink?”

I paled – could feel the blood draining from my face – but managed to swallow and keep a solemn expression.  “No, what I’m seeing is a psychopath right in front of me.  Now get away from me, please, so I can get some homework done.  I have a date with Fin tonight.”

Goading her was not the most brilliant thing I’d ever done but I just couldn’t resist.  The girl wouldn’t rest until my life was pure hell and I had to get my jabs in wherever I could.

Straightening, she
tapped her bottom lip with a manicured nail.  She screwed her face up in mock concentration while I managed to suppress another sarcastic remark.  “I wonder what Fin would say if he knew you were seeing a shrink.”

Producing a fake yawn, I
leaned back in my chair, my actions seeming bored.  But inside, my heart was pounding, beating my ribcage with a hammer, and my pulse raged.  I blinked slowly, stalling, taking the time to keep my temper in check.  The anger-demon reappeared suddenly and I wrapped its leash tightly around my wrist.

“Fin probably would care less if I was seeing a shrink, but, since I’m not, I don’t see how it matters,” I said, lifting a brow at her.

“I saw you talking to Roberta Simmons at the hockey practice last night,” she said, her cool façade slipping.  “Don’t deny it.”

“Why would I?” I asked, my pulse throbbing in my ears.  I managed a shrug and crossed my arms over my chest.  “Roberta Simmons knows my aunt.  She saw me sitting in the stands and sat next to me to ask me how Franki is doing.”

Her eyes narrowed as she considered me, searching for the lies in my eyes.  I held her gaze, my breath aching in my chest, anxious to come out in quick puffs.  “I don’t believe you.”

“I don’t care,” I said, my control sliding a bit.  It took all the strength I had left not to fall apart before her and admit that yes, I was a client of Roberta’s.  “I’m telling you the truth and if you don’t believe me then I don’t know what to tell you.”

“I happen to know that Roberta Simmons counsels teens with problems – like, alcohol abuse for example,” she said, that smarmy grin returning to her lips.

I leaned forward, my own ugly sneer on my face.  “And you would know that how…by experience?”

“No,” she said hurriedly, pressing a hand to her chest.  “I’m not that way.”  She looked down on me then, and more than just physically.  Her superiority grated on my nerves and nearly took precedence over my anger.

“Oh yeah,” I said through gritted teeth.  “You don’t need alcohol or drugs when you can get just as high on inventing stories about other people’s lives and trying to make them miserable.”  I held up a finger to stop her from speaking even though she was too enraged to say a word.  “Notice I said
try
to make them miserable.  You haven’t succeeded.”

She composed herself quickly. “I’m keeping my eye on you,” she warned, her voice low.

“Whatever, you stalker,” I said, relieved when she moved from my desk to her own seat, her friends eager to hear the details of our latest confrontation.

I kept my head bent over my desk and opened my Creative Writing notebook, wanting only to get a head start on the essay and get the stupid thing over with.

But my eyes kept darting to Gina’s desk where she sat, her head close with her friends.  I could only imagine the things she was telling them – the things she was accusing me of.  More rumors, I was sure, but this time, they were cutting too close to home.  I didn’t care if they all thought I was a drunk – I could deal – but I didn’t want them figuring out that I was indeed seeing a counselor.  Who knew how long it would take for them to do some research on me and find all the stories on Camille.  And then what?

I rested my cheek on the blank page of my notebook, a headache returning behind my eyes.  I could almost feel Gina’s gaze boring
into my head but I didn’t let it bother me.  I just wanted to close my eyes and wish this day away and forget it ever happened.  What had I ever done to the people at this school?  When I had first started, I'd left everyone alone and even fought off Fin’s advances.  I hadn't asked for him to be interested in me.  I hadn't wanted any friends.  Why, then, did everyone think it was their own personal duty to utterly destroy me?

I closed my eyes to stave off the impending tears.  If it wasn’t for Fin and Damon, I’d run home with my tail between my legs.  I’d drop out of school all together and just get my GED.

The tears burned hotly as I recalled my mother’s parting words the last time I’d been home.  I drew in a deep breath to stifle a shudder and squeezed my eyes tighter.

“Miss Hamilton?” Mr. Greene, the Study Hall monitor asked as he stopped before my desk.  “Are you all right?”

I lifted my head slowly and forced a neutral expression to my face.  “Yes.”

He didn’t look convinced.  “Do you need to see the nurse?”

I was aware that not only Gina and her friends, but everyone else in the classroom, was watching the exchange, straining their ears to hear what was being said.

“No, sir,” I said, shaking my head.  “I’m fine, really.  I’m just dreading this homework…that’s it.”

“Fine,” he said with a curt nod and shuffled away from my desk.

I didn’t dare look around the classroom but picked up a pencil and started scribbling in my noteboo
k.  None of the essay made much sense - just vague rambling about how perfect my family was. Pure fiction in other words.  I totally skipped over Camille, not acknowledging her existence at all.  It hurt as the guilt gnawed at my gut.  I hated that I was lying about her but I couldn’t stand to write about what a wonderful sister she’d been – and not been.

Mercifully, the bell rang.
I gathered my things quickly, cramming them into my bag, and raced for my locker.  I didn’t think I could handle another confrontation with Gina – not without totally falling apart.

When I spotted Fin near my car,
I slipped a cool mask over my face to keep him from pestering me about my latest dilemma.  As soon as I was close enough, he gathered me in his arms and kissed me hard on the mouth, regardless of the other students milling about the parking lot.

“What do you want to do tonight?” he asked.

“I don’t care,” I said as I felt some of my tension melt into a puddle at my feet.  “Do you have something in mind?”  A picture of the events that had taken place the night before on the sofa in his basement flickered in my mind and my cheeks heated.

His sexy smile was indication enough that he had a pretty good idea what I was thinking.  He kissed me again then removed my keys from my hand.  He unlocked my door and pushed my hair over my shoulders.  “Let’s keep it tame tonight – at least for a little while.”

My cheeks burned as I nodded.  “Pick me up around six, huh?”

“Sure,” he grinned.

***

“I’m going to have to start getting a little more creative with our dates,” Fin mused as we left the movie theater, hands linked.  The cold night air did nothing to quell the heat rocketing through my veins.  Being so close to him in a dark, intimate theater had wreaked havoc on my hormones and I had a sudden urge to knock him down in the snow and maul him.

“The movie was fine,” I said in a strangled voice.  “But what should we do now?”

“Are you hungry?” he asked as he opened the car door for me.  I shook my head.  He shut the door and climbed in on his side, starting the engine and letting it run.  “How about some coffee or something?”

I agreed. He drove us to a little coffee shop on the main strip.  It wasn’t too crowded, just a few of our classmates, so we were able to score a table easily. Fin left me sitting in order to stand in line at the counter to get our coffee. I gazed absently through the store to see who I recognized.  I was a little surprised to see Dayna seated at a table without Gina by her side but realized quickly that Dayna must be on a date – a guy I didn’t recognize was sitting across from her. I was hoping that meant that Gina wouldn’t come looking for her – they seemed to be attached at the hip at school - which also meant I could avoid that confrontation and relax with Fin for an hour or so before I had to get home.

“So, the game is at four tomorrow – hope you’ll come,” he said, his eyes nearly sparkling.  “We only have a few left before the playoffs.”