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“Oooh.” Kristen pouts her lips. “Shy or morally repressed?”
“Callie is not into guys,” Katura says.
“Oh-ho-ho!” Zach grins at me.
“Since when?” Ty cocks an eyebrow at me.
I roll my eyes.
“Since the guy who ruined it for her,” Katura interjects.
“Stop,” I tell Katura.
I told her my story about the night of the Block Party. No names. No details. It was during those two days at the Transfer Center when we shared some things. Silly chatter. Girl talk. Katura is good about making others talk when she is so straightforward herself.
“It’s ok, it happens,” says Kristen. “The first one is a test-drive.”
“Yeah.” Now Katura is staring at me, all beer-sparkly eyes and a half-smile. She grows cockier by the minute. Mouthy, too. “Her first guy was when she was spiked. She doesn’t remember a thing. She hasn’t dated anyone since.”
“Kat!” I snap, but it’s too late. And my stomach turns at the words.
“Oh, man,” Kristen whispers. “Tough luck.”
I am mad. My face is on fire because Ty and Kai know what she is talking about.
I try not to look. But when I glance at Ty in that awkward silence that follows, he is suddenly too serious and flicks a glance at me from under his eyebrows, then takes a gulp of beer and stares back at the fire.
I really, really try not to look at Kai. The conversation resumes, but my heart is beating fast. Blood is pounding in my ears. I am angry, and embarrassed, and upset. And I finally glance at Kai.
He is staring at me like he wants to murder me. I know that if I don’t look away, I will cry.
So I rise from my seat as calmly as I possibly can, set the cup down, and without saying anything, start walking away into the darkness.
“Hey, girl, what’s up?” Kristen’s voice chases me. “Come back!”
Fuck you.
I don’t listen. If I say something, my voice will break.
It’s dark, but I sort of know where I am going, and I stomp through the darkness, faster and faster, toward the dim solar light that hangs on the door to the bungalow that’s assigned to us.
Someone’s footsteps follow.
They are loud and approaching fast.
I am at the door when I turn around and see Kai storming toward me, like a fucking devil, his eyes blazing.
I want to tell him to chill it when he pushes me with his broad chest against the door and puts his hands on each side of my face.
“Oh, yeah?” His voice is like an animal growl.
This is hate.
This is evil.
His eyes are narrowed and shooting poison. He lowers his face to mine and hisses, “Is that what you tell people, petal?”
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