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Trina and Kent banter back and forth, teasing each other, and I get the impression they are trying to make me laugh.
“What’s going on?” Kent gestures to the main cafeteria door where there’s some kind of buzz happening as people gather and make noise.
“Who knows?” Trina rolls her eyes. “Probably some stunt from one of our resident social media influencers.”
Kent straightens up with a grin. “Not quite.” Then he puts his hand to his mouth and emits a piercing whistle. “About time you showed up for this semester, fuckface!”
Now Trina is also grinning. “Turn around, Cam.”
I’m curious enough to cooperate and an instant later I gasp.
Ben isn’t dressed in the school uniform. He’s wearing jeans and one of the hooded sweatshirts I bought him for Christmas. It appears he hasn’t shaved in a few days and he looks older, more like a man and less like a high school boy. Maybe that’s just from the exhaustion of everything he’s faced lately or maybe it’s because he’s been forced into adulthood with no possibility of turning back.
He’s fending off greetings and eager hands while searching over the heads of the crowd. My breath catches as I stand up and wait for the answer to the question that privately haunts me in my bleakest moments.
Are you still mine?
He shifts and our eyes meet. The smile that lights up his face is the answer to any question I have and the source of everything I want.
I don’t care who is watching.
I don’t care who talks.
I run straight into his arms and wrap my legs tightly around his waist. Our mouths collide with a thousand promises and we kiss until we’re breathless while cheers and whistles echo around us.
Mr. D wades through the crowd with irritation and blinks when he finds me and Ben embracing at the center.
“Welcome back, Ben.” He offers a handshake. “When you get a free moment, come down to my office for a chat.”
Ben nods. “Yes, sir. Is it all right if I catch up with you tomorrow?”
“Yes, that’s fine.” The principal is about to walk away but then he stops. “Camden, in light of your last article in the Bulletin I’m sure you have some important matters to discuss with Ben. If you need to use this afternoon in order to settle some business related to the school newspaper, I can excuse you from the rest of your classes.”
I try to look serious but the smile on my face won’t let me succeed. “Yes, in fact I believe I need to conduct a follow up interview.”
“Good. I look forward to reading it.”
As soon as Mr. D steps away, Kent and a squad of the other BMA jocks surround us in order to offer Ben fist bumps, backslaps and bawdy comments.
Trina shows up to pull her boyfriend away and she gives me a wink, mouthing the words, “Call me later.”
Ben slides an arm around my shoulders and breaks the news to his buddies that he’s not sticking around today.
“Lead the way out of here,” he whispers in my ear and I hug him around the waist.
On the way out I catch a glimpse of Todd Bellinger’s sullen face as he watches me march out the door with Ben. This might give me some satisfaction if Todd were at all relevant but he’s not.
I left my coat in the newsroom so we need to make a stop but once we’re there I throw my arms around Ben and block the exit.
“You didn’t tell me you were coming back today,” I accuse. “I didn’t even know you were in the state.”
“I came straight here.” He runs his hands over my body. “I wanted to surprise you.”
“You succeeded.” I kiss his neck and he holds me tighter. “Where should we go? The next bus to Devil Valley doesn’t show up for a couple of hours.”
“We don’t need to ride the damn bus ever again. I have wheels.”
“Your mom’s car?”
