“I don’t think I can handle the truth if it’s ugly.”

“Yeah, I get that.” She stays there with her head on my shoulder. “You wanna know a secret about me?”

My mouth turns up in a grin as I look down at her pretty face, a little afraid to know but intrigued all the same. “Sure.”

“I’m totally in love with Mr. Simms.”

“What?” I say a little too loud, and she sits up, putting a finger to her lips. “Shhh, dummy.”

“Mr. Simms? The math teacher? He’s old.”

She smacks my shoulder and scoffs. “He’s twenty-five.”

“You’re eighteen.”

She shrugs like it’s no big deal and hooks her arm through mine, laying her head back down, probably trying to get warm because it’s cold out here. “Nothing has happened. He won’t let it, but I still want him. It has to be a secret, me wanting him, even though nothing has happened. I walk around the school sometimes just feeling it, the weight of that secret.”

I see what she’s doing now. A secret for a secret. Lifting that weight a little for both of us, and I hug her body closer to mine. “You sure nothing happened?”

“Yup. I tried. And tried. He admits he wants me too, but he won’t risk his career for it.”

“That’s probably smart on his part.”

Her small shoulder shrugs again, and I feel her pain. Feel this isn’t just a stupid crush and that she really has feelings for him. How that happened, I don’t know, but they’re real. I can feel it.

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah. Me too. But whatever. We’ll get through it, Camden. We’re both so damn close to getting through it.”

I nod my head, knowing exactly what she means.

We both have the same goal.

Finish high school, and then hopefully get what we truly want.

8. Camden

EIGHT

CAMDEN

“What’s this?” I look over at Kingston, who’s standing by the desk in my room as he holds up the application I was working on.

“College app. You still haven’t started to apply?”

His scowl only deepens, and I know this is a touchy subject for him. “Hell no.” He puts it back down on my desk carefully, like it’s about to detonate, and then flops down on my bed next to me. “You really are?”

“Yeah.” I don’t want to sugarcoat it for him anymore. I want out of this town. I want out so badly, I can taste it.

“What will you do with a college education?” He lies on his side, his head propped up on his hand.

“I don’t know,” I answer honestly. “Something. Anything. Everything.” All the possibilities run through my mind, and I think I’m smiling.

But he’s frowning. “What about Kensley?”