I laughed as I adjusted my grip underneath Anjolie’s armpits. “All I know is that we have to get out of here before we all get caught,” I said. Then I smiled at her. “My name’s Olive,” I said.
Harper nodded and adjusted her grip on Anjolie’s bony legs. “Nice meeting you,” she said, still smiling.
The two of us dragged Anjolie all the way out of the club and across half the parking lot. When we got to Cam’s car, I flung her onto the hood and pressed her cheek against the cool silver metal. She tried struggling but quickly stopped because “the metal felt like snow” or whatever drunken slur she said.
Harper waited outside with me, twirling her dark hair around a finger. “This was fun,” she said with a giggle. “I didn’t know that in one night I would see the boss get drunk, a normal human drag her out like trash, and my brother and Cam get into a fight. It was just so eventful!” She giggled again.
“I’m used to taking out the trash,” I said, shrugging my shoulders. Then I climbed up onto the hood and sat down on Anjolie’s back. She groaned loudly as she tried to struggle. Harper joined me on Anjolie’s back, giggling the whole time.
“You’re funny,” she said. “And really cool. Have you done all this before?” she asked, popping a stick of gum into her mouth. She twirled the gooey, pink substance around with her red-nail-polished finger.
“No, never,” I said with a chuckle. “Just last month I was freaking out about whether or not I’d be able to say ‘here’ in class.” It was true. Not too long ago I’d been so shy, worried about who I would talk to in the classes I didn’t share with Cameron or Hudson. Now here I was picking fights with Anjolie of all people in a bar filled with alcohol and dangerous Gray Eyes. Man, was I changing.
Harper giggled. “It’s a good thing you have such a great guy to help you with these experiences,” she said. “I mean, we’re only young once, right?” She giggled.
I laughed, too, wondering how lucky I was to finally get out of the house and become, well, me. In less than a month I’d completely transformed — for the better. Now all I had to do was overcome this trash that lay underneath me.
As if hearing my thoughts, Anjolie moved underneath us. “You know what?” she mumbled against the car’s smooth surface. “I’m kind of glad you treated me like this, Olive.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re glad that I rescued you from the club instead of gouging your eyes out?” I asked.
“Not because of that,” she said flatly.
I sighed. “Why, then?” I asked, not caring to converse with a drunk. It was hard enough talking to everyone at the football games.
“Because now I get to tell Cameron what a crazy freak you are,” she spat, writhing underneath me.
“You’re the crazy freak, Anjolie,” I said flatly. Harper giggled and blew out a bubble with her gum.
“Just shut up,” Anjolie said. “Don’t you realize how bad of a situation you’re in right now? Once I tell Cameron all of this crap, he’ll dump you like he should’ve done earlier when you poured that pie on my shirt.”
“You did that?” Harper asked, gaping at me.
“It was an accident,” I said. It really was. I guess it didn’t seem like it, but I hadn’t seen Cameron’s foot there and the pie just flew out of my hands. In no way was I trying to hurt Anjolie. It was just luck that it happened that way.
“You’re a terrible girlfriend,” Anjolie continued, shimmying underneath us, still trying to free herself. “Cameron needs someone better than you. Someone who listens and respects him. Someone who can relate and understand him. You’re not the one that can do that for him. I am.”
She’d said it. I knew this time would come and I was oddly ready for it. For some reason, I didn’t feel shocked about it. I felt satisfied. She’d just answered the question running through all of our minds since day one.
“Are you trying to tell me that you’re better for Cameron than I am?” I asked flatly, already knowing the answer. Suddenly I felt exhausted.
“No duh, I am,” she screamed. “I am way better for him than you are. And what you did today just confirmed that you suck.”
“And what you said today just confirmed that you suck,” I said bitterly, finally realizing what was going on. Anjolie is indeed trying to get with him and all I could do was watch.
Anjolie struggled some more, slobbering all over the hood of the car. “Get off of me!” she yelled, pounding her small fists onto the car’s hood. “I’m more powerful than you think!” Her weak threat was drowned out with a moan. “I’m gonna throw up.” She groaned louder.
Harper and I immediately hopped off of her, putting major distance between us and her. “That is totally sick.” Harper shuddered.
I sighed and watched as Anjolie slid off of the hood and onto the ground, landing on hands and knees as she puked her brains out. Recalling some of the reality TV shows I’ve seen, I went over to her and held back her hair. Even though watching her puke this close up was completely disgusting, I knew that I was doing the right thing. Taking the hint, Harper walked over and rubbed her back comfortingly.
Finally, Anjolie finished her major binge episode and fell backwards away from the vomit, exhausted. Her silvery, blond hair sprawled out all over the asphalt, resembling several lightning bolts shooting through a night sky. She moaned once but then fell completely silent, her eyes closed, her breathing quiet.
“She’s out cold,” Harper confirmed, sucking on her gum.
I shrugged, rolling my eyes at the irony. She was such a wimp. How could such a weak little girl be the boss of some of the most dangerous people in the world?
I peered at Harper, my eyes frustrated. “How is she the boss?” I asked, voicing my concerns. “She’s so weak!”
Harper chuckled, twirling her gum once more. “She wasn’t supposed to be,” was her only response to my blunt question. She stared down at Anjolie, a tiny flick of sympathy shining in her gray eyes.
At first, I didn’t think she’d continue explaining, but she surprised me by chucking out her gum and looking at me with serious eyes. “Being the boss of the Gray Eyes isn’t something that people can compete for,” she said, shrugging her slim shoulder. “The position has been owned by her past generations — from way back, her kin have been the boss of us since we started this whole thing.” She looked down at Anjolie again, crossing her arms. “Her dad died when she was still young, and, well, she was the only one up for the job. She’s weak, but…” Harper looked back up at me again. “She has to do it.”
I looked down at Anjolie, watching as she slept peacefully on the cold asphalt. It was true — people really did seem at peace when they were sleeping. “I didn’t know that,” I said, crossing my arms as well. There was so much stuff about that girl that I didn’t know, stuff that I didn’t want to know. I didn’t need to start feeling sorry for her. She was an idiot. That’s all I needed to know about her.
Harper just shrugged, giving me a slight smile. “We wouldn’t expect you to know. She probably doesn’t even know about that.” It was silent before she cleared her throat and clapped her hands together. “Well, just so you know, I don’t even think that being the boss is all that hard, anyway,” she said, coming to stand near me. “So, you have to clean someone else’s mess if they don’t do it. So, you have to report to the devil himself. So, you have a lot of stuff to deal with.” She rolled her eyes dramatically. “But the boss still gets all the powers, gets the most free days, and gets the most respect. To me, being the boss should be an honor, really.”
I laughed, nodding at her words. “I know. She makes it seem as if it’s the worst job in the entire universe,” I added, rolling my eyes, too.
Harper held her palms out to the sides and up to the sky, looking at me with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. “I know! Seriously?” she exclaimed, her face holding an expression of surprise. “She’s so dramatic about it! Like, think of it this way: people get hired to work at a manufacturing company. They have to work a hu
ndred hours a week and get paid practically nothing. And they all work to become manager because the manager gets more benefits, even though working at the company is hard work for everybody.” She gripped my shoulders. “She’s whining about being the manager while all of us workers are trying to get by with nothing!”
I laughed at her exclamations. “You’re so right,” I agreed, taking in her analogy. Harper was on the ball with that one. Who whines about being the manager? Last time I checked, that job was good.
Harper joined in with my laughter and we just stood there, laughing at anything and everything. We didn’t even notice when Aspen and Cam showed up.
“Did ya kill her?” Aspen asked, sighing as he motioned to Anjolie’s motionless body. Frowning, he scooped up her tiny wrist and pressed a finger to her vein. I could see that his face was littered with a few bruises here and there. But nothing too serious.
Cam just shoved him in the shoulder. “She’s passed out, you moron,” he said. Then he looked up at me and smiled. I quickly surveyed his pretty face for any cuts or bruises that he might’ve gotten during his fight with Aspen. But he was fine, except for the cut on his eyebrow and the bruise on his chin.
Before I could even say anything to him, he pressed his lips onto mine for a brief moment, and then took my hand in his, intertwining our fingers. “Sorry about all of that,” he whispered, giving me a shy smile.
I smiled back at him, shaking my head. “You should only apologize if you didn’t win,” I said slyly, eyeing Aspen once more. He now had his hand on Anjolie’s belly, ear pressed to her chest, “hearing” for a heartbeat.
Cam scoffed as he watched him also. “You know I won. We got kicked out afterwards though. It sucked ’cause I wanted to see all the blood I got out of him.” Cam smiled again, this one cocky and not shy like the one before. I smiled and rolled my eyes.
“Let’s get out of here, guys,” Harper said, opening up the car door and hopping into the backseat.
Cam kissed me once more before releasing my hand and heading to the driver’s seat. I sighed and turned to help Anjolie again, but Aspen held out a hand to me.
“I got her,” he said, and scooped his hands under Anjolie’s neck and knees, picked her up, and carried her to the backseat of the car.
I then joined them in the car, sitting up front with Cam. “Alrighty, we’re out,” I said, running a hand through my hair.
Cam gave me a private smile and then pulled out of the parking lot.
****
“Someone’s gotta clean up this car tire,” Cam said as we drove down the dark streets of Los Angeles. “It’s all covered in vomit.”
Harper scoffed. “It was Anjolie’s fault; let her clean it up,” was her response to Cam’s comment. She was sitting directly behind me at the window, sucking on a lollipop.
Cam groaned with annoyance. “Of course it was her fault. She’s always messing up stuff.” He looked back at Aspen. “How about you clean it up. You got her drunk.”
Aspen, who had Anjolie lying on his lap, cuddled up to his chest like a small child, rolled his eyes. “She’s a lightweight, Sloane. Cut her some slack.” He was combing a hand through her locks, his arms wrapped tightly around her.
“Whatever dude,” was Cam’s dismissive response.
We drove some more in silence, the rap music providing a steady backdrop for our pensive thoughts.
It was only when Anjolie said, “Life sucks,” did everyone snap out of their thoughts.
Aspen smiled widely at her. “’Ello, govna!” he greeted through grinning teeth.
Anjolie looked up at him and, noticing her intertwined position with him, shoved him forcefully away and slid into the middle seat, all in one second. She scratched at her head and frowned, staring at the floor and saying nothing else.
Harper caught my eye in the rearview mirror and rolled her eyes, making a “kill me now” expression. I hid my laughter. She then glanced at Anjolie. “Now why does life suck, Anjolie?” she asked calmly, as if she were addressing an old war veteran.
Anjolie just shook her head and shrugged. “It doesn’t even matter,” she said, her words still incredibly slurred. She was still drunk. Of course.
And when she started to cry, no one was surprised.
“I’m in love with Cameron and he has a stupid girlfriend,” she cried, burying her face in her hands. We all watched as she sobbed, offering no consolation whatsoever. We all knew this was coming; it was only a matter of time.
“I knew it, you little freak,” I said harshly, unable to contain my anger. I was right all this time. She was trying to get with Cameron all along and Cameron didn’t even see that. “I knew you were lying.” My eyes burned into her bowed head.
Anjolie sniffled a little, looking up and glaring at me. “I was not trying to ‘get at’ Cameron,” she said, air-quoting with an eye-roll. “He was just there, okay! I didn’t know I’d fall in love with him!” Her eyes were burning with anger as she slurred her words.
“Oh, whatever, Anjolie,” I said, rolling my own eyes. “I knew you had the hots for him since Day One!” I glared at her as well. “HE’S MY BOYFRIEND, ANJOLIE!” I yelled, pointing to my chest. “But you just had to go off and steal him away.” I stared forward and crossed my arms, huffing as I glared out the windshield.
Aspen chuckled a little. “Whoa, whoa, wait up, chick,” he said, leaning forward and placing a hand on the shoulder of Cam’s seat. “That other guy’s your boyfriend, yet you’re kissing all up on this guy?” he asked, pointing a finger at the back of Cam’s head. “That’s kinda messed up, Sweet Cheeks.”
“They share the same body so they’re practically the same person,” Harper offered, sucking on her lollipop. “Kissing him is like kissing the other guy.”
Chapter Forty Eight
Cam
Kissing him is like kissing the other guy.
Harper’s words would not escape my mind. It was as if my brain had recorded it and pressed repeat over and over again. As I drove them all to my house, I couldn’t get over the true meaning of those words.
Olive and Cameron were a couple. Boyfriend and girlfriend. And I was coming in between that. What was I doing?
“Oh, excuse me, Cam,” Aspen said, jumping out of my car. “But when were you going to tell us that you were the King of L.A.? Or is it the founder of television? Or maybe, just maybe, you are the true president of the United States. I think that’s it.”
“What are you talking about, Aspen?” I asked flatly, not wanting to engage in conversation with a drunken douche bag.
Aspen just gaped up at my house, rubbing his eyes exaggeratingly. “Your house is bigger than the whole country of Hawaii!”
“State,” Harper corrected, helping Olive carry Anjolie out of the car. “Hawaii is a state. You’re such a dummy when you’re drunk, brother.” She rolled her huge eyes and grabbed Anjolie’s legs.
“Whatever,” Aspen said, running up to my front door. Without waiting for me to unlock the door, he picked the lock and barreled inside. I reminded myself to beat the crap out of him again for doing that.
The rest of us piled inside and then upstairs to my room. Dad and Mila were due back any time tonight so I didn’t want to have to explain why they were here.
After marveling at my room and everything inside of it, Harper and Aspen decided to make their leave. “We have to pay a hundred a night at our hotel. Might as well use it to our advantage,” Harper said, swiping dirt off of her bright blue, extremely-high heels.
“You live in a hotel? What about your parents?” Olive asked Harper.
Harper stared outside at the moon. “My parents are busy tangoing with God right now,” she said.
Mine and Olive’s eyes shot open in shock. “They’re dead?” I asked.
“When you’re a Gray Eyes, you don’t have that great of a life expectancy,” Harper said with a frown. “You should know that Cam. Everywhere we turn, someone is gonna wanna kill us. It’s inevitable.”
I nodded, knowing exactly what they meant. Gray Eyes weren’t lucky enough to live past thirty-five, let alone have a family. With every illegal thing we did, we always had a target on us, we were always hunted. That’s how Anjolie’s parents died, how almost every other Gray Eyes had died. Aspen and Harper’s parents dying shouldn’t have been news to me. But it was for Olive.
“I’m so sorry!” she cried, standing up and wrapping her arms around Harper’s pale, white shoulders. “So, so sorry.”
Harper smiled and hugged back. “That’s okay! Asp and I have been on our own forever. We’re used to it.” She pulled away and squeezed Olive’s shoulders. “Let’s hang out more, okay?”
Olive nodded and swapped numbers with Harper. I looked to where Aspen was and rolled my eyes, seeing him busy playing with Anjolie’s locks. Anjolie just sat lazily on my bed with a doughy look in her gray eyes.
“Aspen! Let’s go,” Harper called, swinging her leg outside my window and climbing out. Aspen nodded drunkenly and flung himself out the window after his sister. Olive and I laughed when we heard a loud thump and a drunken howl of pain from down below.
“He’s okay!” we heard Harper call.
Olive laughed again and then shut the window. When she finished, she walked over to me and sat down on the couch spot next to mine. Her fingers immediately intertwined with mine.
“Did you have a nice night?” I asked her, kissing her on her soft cheek.
Olive nodded, kissing me on my cheek. “I had a great dance. I honestly think I’m ready to compete on those dance shows now.”
“Not quite,” I laughed, pulling her closer to me.
“But you could teach me, couldn’t you?” Olive asked, tracing her fingers slowly in my hair. She had no idea how great that felt.
I nodded, staring down into her big brown eyes, seeing the little flecks of gold and green splashed around the pool of brown. I even saw some red sprinkled in there. Just staring into her eyes, I felt as if I could see into her soul and read everything there was to know about her. I felt as if I knew her, really knew her and that feeling made my heart hurt.
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