“Sad? Maybe it’s karma.”
Tabitha blinks away the water pooling in her eyes. “You mean about how she’s been treating you at school?”
“Doesn’t exactly make me sympathetic toward her.”
“I wanted to talk to you about this when I brought up your mother’s picture.” She shakes her head. “Oh my gosh, I had no idea how much that hurt you. I truly am sorry Camila brought it into school. She’s just so broken these days. I’m never able to reason with her.”
My eyes narrow at her. How could she not know that image would hurt me?
Tabitha motions at Mrs. Garcia and her daughter. “That’s Cammy’s new step-mom and step-sister over there. Her parents’ divorce absolutely crushed Cammy. She’s so angry and bitter these days. She just wants someone to lash out at.”
“And I’m the easy target,” I mutter.
“Mhmm.” Tabitha nods. “Camila’s dad is buying rundown property in Logan’s Point to redevelop. He took Cammy on a tour. She said she was walking through this abandoned building and found flyers from the previous business. As you already know, it was where your mother worked.”
I crack my knuckles, the heat of anger growing inside me. “She’s angry at her dad for leaving her family. In retaliation, she attacks my family. My mother’s not even here anymore to defend herself.”
“I’ve asked her to stop,” Tabitha says, her voice shaking. “But it just makes me a target. That’s why I’m so grateful to have Kai. I can tell him what’s really going on, and he protects me at school by letting me sit at your lunch table.”
My skepticism meter runs high. “That was protection for you? All you did was say snooty comments to me.”
Tabitha’s bottom lip wobbles. “You thought I was snooty?”
“Yes. All those digs about me letting my grades slip and not putting in any effort.”
“I didn’t mean to sound harsh,” she murmurs, clutching the space on her chest over her heart. “Sometimes things just come out of my mouth in that tone. I don’t even register it anymore.”
I fold my arms across my middle. “You should listen to yourself more often.”
She nods. “I will. And I want you to know Cammy doesn’t have your mom’s picture anymore.”
I stiffen, waiting for something worse to drop.
“I mean, she has the crummy picture on her phone,” Tabitha says nervously. “But it didn’t spread because she didn’t have the original.”
I frown, not following. “Where is it?”
“I took it.” She sighs heavily. “I was meeting up with Kai that Sunday, and he always raves about you. I just couldn’t let Camila taunt his best friend with the image. So, I took it before I left for the skatepark.”
My mouth hangs open as her words cement in my brain. “You did that?”
She nods humbly. “I knew the photo on her phone wouldn’t blow up because it was low quality. She expected to take another photo with better lighting. She suspects I took it, but I’ve played dumb.”
“No wonder she was so frosty to you in the halls.”
Tabitha shrugs. “She’s annoyed I’ve been ditching them. Plus, I’ve stopped agreeing with the nasty things she says.”
“Maybe it’ll rub off on her.”
“I just hope I can stop talking like her. It’s automatic, and my parents always snap at me for it. They’ll tell me I’m acting like a brat, and half the time, I don’t even remember what I said.”
I smirk. “My aunt calls me a brat too.”
“It was too bad we lost the video link with her. Do you think you can get her back?”
“Hopefully. The storm is messing with their internet. But maybe I’ll ask Milo to take a look in case it’s something else.”
“Or I could ask Kai,” Tabitha suggests. “He’s handy with computers.”
