Cameron Larsen

“You should’ve just assumed. Anyone could be partially naked anywhere.” 

“Unfortunately, you weren’t completely naked, so, can you please stop complaining over something that didn’t even happen?”

Wait, what? The shorter brunette looked up at him with furrowed brows. ‘People are saying that about you? Why?’ It made her think about Kai and then Justin. Hearing that people were saying that about this guy did not make her happy. She remembered hearing hush jokes about her brother’s death and then people picking out kids in their halls who could be a killer. Knowing that her new classmates were, in a way, doing the same thing pissed her off. But, she didn’t show that on her face. ‘Dammit all. Why couldn’t my life be a Netflix show or something instead?’ she joked back, smiling a little. Yet as she thought about what happened with Ace and then her brother, maybe her life wasn’t far off from being like a tv show.

He wasn’t sure how she was going to react, but he didn’t expect for her to act concerned. “I don’t know, but honestly I couldn’t care less.” He said, meaning every word. He had never stopped to think why that rumor had started. It didn’t bother him at all, if anything, he sometimes found it funny. “Aren’t Netflix shows more intense than freeform’s?” He pointed out, he didn’t have much to compare, but freeform’s shows had a more chill vibe. “Maybe it is, you’re just in the not so great part, the next season might be better.” He said back, but even if he was joking, he was hopeful that things would eventually change for the better.

‘Right?? I feel as if I’m on some bad FreeForm teen show or something. It could be worse though; I haven’t been Carried or found any animal parts in my stuff, so at least it’s more so juvenile middle school stuff instead of something super horrific.’ Laughing slightly, she nodded as she knew how weird her request was. ‘Totally weird. But thank you. I really appreciate it. My dorm’s right this way.’ Nodding her head to the left, she soon began to lead the way.

He began walking along with her, paying attention to their surroundings. “I don’t know, some people in this school might tell you you are about to let a serial killer walk you to your room.” He pointed out, as if it was a normal thing to say out loud. He had heard that rumor about him more than once, but never bothered to do anything to stop it. “Maybe your life is not too far from a freeform show.” He joked, aware she might not find it funny.

“you’re a tough nut to crack, huh?” she asks, and a smile ghosts over her peach glossed lips. “what if i told you that i’m banned from great britain because i come from a family of enemy spies? and i just barely escaped a run in with the cops but not in enough time for math class–”

“You have a family of enemy spies, but you ask for my help instead of theirs?” He asked. “Not that smart of a move, if you ask me but I’ll help.”

“I shouldn’t have to lock the door, people should have enough respect to knock on the door.” 

“How was I supposed to know you were —Partially naked—in here?”

“It is pretty much the same people, but still, I have a good gut feeling about this place.”

”Is your gut trust worthy?”

Holly’s smile began to fade, her eyes growing wide… until he admitted his lie. She tried to glare at him yet her smile was proving it to be hard. ‘Not funny!’ Okay, it was and her face showed that she thought it was. ‘Some girls on the volleyball team took them from my locker. They’re trying to see if I’m Foxcroft VB team material or not, which is annoying but it’s not the worse thing in the world. But, my dorm’s close by, so I should be back to being fully clothed soon.’ Fidgeting a little, an eyebrow quirked slightly and a sheepish smile graced her features. ‘Would it be weird if I asked you to possibly come with me to keep a look out in case anyone comes our way and to warn me ahead of time? It’s totally weird, isn’t it?’

He liked that she could take a joke, it made him smile again.  He was not surprised when she explained the reason behind her being in only a towel, everyone in this school always seemed to be trying to prove they were better than the next person. “That’s stupid, it doesn’t prove if you’re team material or not.” She seemed to be chill about this whole situation, if they had done the same to him when he joined the baseball team he would have been anything but calmed. “Definitely weird.” He agreed, looking at her and then around, making sure they were the only ones around. “But come on, we better hurry.”

“I agree about it being too soon to definitely tell, but I like it here. It’s sort of a fresh start.”

“It’s pretty much the same people. it doesn’t sound at all like a fresh start.” He wasn’t letting it show all that much, but in a way he liked it here too.

“I think it does. It’s up for anyone’s interpretation what they think. Isn’t it good that it feels the same though? Changing continents was already a lot of change at once.” 

“Yeah maybe. Do you like it better here, then? I don’t know It’s still too soon too judge.” 

She nodded quickly, a silent sigh of relief escaping her lips. She smiled up at him and mouthed ‘thank you’, glad that he wasn’t going to embarrass her. Of course, she was doing a pretty good job at that already. Holly soon began to look around them, hoping not to see anyone else coming their way. ‘You didn’t happen to see anyone who were coming this way, did you? The fewer people to see me like this, the better. I really didn’t plan on this.’

He smiled back at the girl, even though he felt a little weird about it, both because he wasn’t really used to people smiling at him and because it was hard to forget she was only in a towel.  “Actually...” He began as his smile faded. “The whole baseball team will be walking this way any minute now.” He lied,  and waited a few seconds just so he could see her reaction. “Kidding, what happened to your clothes?”

Holly quickly shook her head with wide eyes, silently pleading. She really can’t have gossip going around about the new mute girl streaking around the school. That would not go well. ‘Please, please please please, let’s keep this quiet. I’ll get you food! Or books! Art supplies? What do you like? I’m completely going off on a whim here, but please, please don’t tell.’

Of course he was not going to tell, he was just messing around. Gossiping was surely something he didn’t enjoy. He stopped to think for a few seconds, before deciding he didn’t want any of those things. “You’ll owe me one.” He told the girl, only half meaning it. “If you stay here trying to convince me of not telling, someone else is going to see you and it will be a never ending chain.”

“Everyone else does. No offense.”

“Stop saying ‘no offense’. Who’s everyone else?”