Ash Over Seas

I knew it was only a matter of time. The entire next day it was like a ticking time bomb as I waited for Cammie to finally make her move—to call me out.

Anyone could tell it was inevitable by the subtle, but bitter glances she shot me throughout the entire day and the way she constantly chattered away to her friends in hushed, urgent tones. She’d even gone so far as to ignore Jacob from what I’d seen, who was also apparently avoiding me. He’d made a point of ignoring me any time I tried to so much as speak with him, and I hadn’t made eye contact with him once since I’d walked through the front door.

I guess it was all for the best if he was mad at me. At least my plan was working.

I just hadn’t realized how much it was going to blow.

It wasn’t until 6th period gym that the bomb finally detonated.

I had been feeling slightly better that morning despite my now rocky friendship with Jacob. At least well enough to try to play in gym. I slung my backpack to the floor and began stripping into my gym clothes. I pulled on the green cotton shorts and oversized grey t-shirt, stuffing my bag in the locker and slamming it shut just as Cammie swept into the room.

Here we go.

“So,” she spat bitterly, cocking her hip and crossing her arms threateningly over her chest. I supposed she was trying to intimidate me, which amused me seeing as I could easily throw her through the wall, sick or not. But of course I couldn’t do that.

“Just friends, eh?”

“I don’t know what you're talking about Cammie,” I said tiredly, even though I knew she wouldn’t drop it. I just really didn’t want to do this right now.

“I thought you didn’t like him?” she sneered and took a step closer.

“Look, Cammie, he kissed me. I didn’t have anything to do with it, okay?”

“Bullshit. You're just a stupid fucking whore. You and your prissy accent, I bet you’ve screwed half the boys in this school already.”

I rolled my eyes. I was really not in the mood for this, but I wasn’t going to let her get to me. “Look, after it happened I told him not to do it and he’s ignored me all day. So I don’t see what you're so bloody worked up about.”

She scoffed, her lips twisting into an ugly expression. “I bet,” she spat. “If I kissed you, I’d probably be too disgusted with myself to even come to school the next day.”

“Well, lucky for you, you’ll never have to worry about that,” I said boredly as I leaned against the lockers, waiting patiently for this to end.

“Just stay the fuck away from him, okay?”

I shrugged. “I’ll do whatever but I have no control over what he does. If he comes to me that’s not my business,” I replied as I whisked by her and left her, fuming and bitter in the locker rooms as I made my way down to the bleachers in the gym.

I quickly found Quil, Embry and Jacob along the wall and pulled up a seat between the second two, even though Jacob was still staring determinedly at the scoreboard on the wall.

“So Thistle just called me out for yesterday’s antics,” I mentioned idly, knowing that Quil and Embry had likely already heard all about it.

“Say what?” Quil asked, frowning at me.

I chuckled wryly. “She just called me a whore and threw down the gauntlet in the girls’ locker room.”

“She called you a whore?” Jacob asked, speaking to me for the first time all day.

After I’d gotten over the initial shock I nodded and shrugged dismissively. “Yeah.”

He began muttering fiercely to himself, shaking his head as he let it fall into his hands, his fingers pulling at his roots in frustration. I glanced at Embry, who threw me a grimace as guilt bubbled up in my stomach again.

Within the next ten minutes the rest of the class had arrived, we had been told we were playing soccer, and then we had been split into our separate teams.

From the start of the first whistle Cammie had been—for lack of a better word—on my ass whether I had the ball or not. She had been more than pleased when we’d been placed on different teams, sneering at me from her side of the court.

Fifteen minutes into the game and I was as tired as a normal human would be, though I tried to hide that fact from the shape shifters. I probably should have just sat out again.

Cammie had passed the ball to Jake—yes, he was on her team; something she was also very pleased about—who had then lost it to Embry, who had crossed it swiftly across the gym to me.

As expected, Cammie was on defense and positioning herself to meet me head on. I dribbled it easily, dodging past the other team members and toward the angry girl. The moment I was in range she lunged forward, kicking at the ball between my feet. Her ankle collided with my own and her leg twisted with mine. Had it not been for my vampire agility I would have tumbled to the floor right with her. Instead, I stumbled a few steps forward as she hit the waxed floorboards with a thud, her lungs emitting a shriek of pain.

“You fucking bitch what the fuck are you doing!? You broke my ankle!” she screamed.

I choked on a laugh of shock as my hand flew to my mouth to hide the smile breaking through. I glanced over to the pack, all sniggering to themselves—Jake included—with ‘holy shit’ expressions lighting their eyes.

Embry stumbled over, slinging an arm over my shoulders and giving me a discreet ‘nice work’ as the livid girl was carried away to the nurse by two of her friends. The teacher blew the whistle, abruptly bringing the chatter to a halt as he ordered that the game continue on.

“It wasn’t my fault, though,” I explained to Penny and Seth as I lounged back in one of the library chairs at Study. “She charged me and her ankle got caught.”

We were watching as Cammie had limped into the library with her English class to work on some project they’d been assigned. Jake had followed behind her, flashing me a small smile and I’d assumed he’d forgiven me.

“Well, at least she’ll know not to cross you,” Penny grinned, eyes alight with the excitement of sharing stories. The girl had a gift for them.

Seth waved as Jake broke away from his class and sauntered over to our table. The smug grin that had been plastered on Cammie’s face dropped and twisted into an angry scowl.

“I hate to say it,” Jake smiled, shaking his head at me. “But nice work. She’s knocked down a few pegs now.”

I scoffed. “Not enough to take her off her pedestal.”

“I don’t think anyone could accomplish that,” Penny chuckled, smiling softly.

“True,” he nodded.

“I thought you liked her, anyway,” I added subtly, ignoring the warnings from my stomach.

He chewed his lip. “I dunno. She’s generally a nice person and I don’t want to be mean to her… she just… doesn’t understand that I don’t like her the same way.”

I nodded. “She’s watching you like a hawk,” I pointed out, raising my brows.

“She’s claimed me for our project on Shakespeare,” he grumbled, glancing over to see her striding purposefully over to us, chin held high.

“Jakie, I found the copy of Hamlet we needed. Come on, we need to get to work,” she said sweetly, laying on the flirt as she ran her fingers lightly across his chest. I had a feeling her definition of work was slightly skewed.

I glanced at Seth and Penny, both with brows raised at her forwardness. I shook my head sadly as Jake did nothing once again. Damn him and his manners.

She latched her fingers around his large hand and began pulling him away from the table, smirking triumphantly.

“Bye, Jakie!” Seth teased as the tall boy was pulled as far across the room as possible. “Don’t worry about it,” he added, turning to me. “He’d never do that to you.”

I frowned. “Do what to me?”

“Get with Cammie,” he said simply.

“He can get with whoever he wants,” I said, peeved at the fact that people were still implying we were anything other than friends.

“But… you wouldn’t care if he dated someone else?” Seth asked, shocked.

Okay, yeah I would.

“Why does everyone keep assuming we’re together!? Jake and I are friends. That’s all.”

“B-but—“

“But what?” I bit. “Why is everyone so intent on us getting together? Honestly, what are you playing at?”

“Not playing at anything,” he mumbled, focusing his eyes on the table.

I sighed in frustration, grateful that neither of us seemed to want to continue the conversation and Penny had taken it upon herself to examine her nails determinedly.

I raked my hands through my hair, allowing my angry thoughts to buzz around my head, and when the dismissal bell finally rang, I had never been so relieved to depart.