Burned Ones

Chapter 07

Cameron.
15 years old.

Walking outside of my two year holding cell, the sun felt brighter. I knew it wasn't actually. But it still felt like it. It was warmer than I remembered, even though I'd been outside plenty while I was locked away. My skin was finally soaking it up now that I was free.

Well, sort of free.

Free from juvenile detention.

I took a left after exiting because that was the quickest way to the bus stop. I still had a few dollars left in my wallet from the night I was arrested so I figured I could afford to take the bus to get me closer to Melkin instead of having to walk the entire way. I hadn't had one visitor during my stay so the chance of my dad showing up wasn't something I was going to hold my breath for.

I was clasping my watch around my wrist when there was a shout. A "Cam!" that had my head jilting upwards. Then, Alex was barreling toward me with his arms stretched wide. I looked around, trying to see who took him here and found Annabeth coming up behind him. Still, I searched for others, for my dad, for my uncle, for someone else who was going to rat me out.

When Alex reached me, he hugged me tightly, locking my arms against my body as he tried to squeeze the life out of me. I wiggled one of my arms free and hugged him back because if he was even hugging me at all meant no one must have been around to get mad at us for it. My stomach swam with uneasiness and regret at the fact that thought even had to enter my mind in the first place.

"I missed you," he said into my chest.

I ruffled his hair, "That makes one of us."

Alex punched me in the chest as he pulled away. He was nine. It didn't do much but it did more than normal nine year olds could probably do. It meant he'd been training. I didn't like that. I didn't want him to wind up in juvie a few years from now.

Annabeth stood in front of me for a moment before I tugged her in for a hug and she returned it.

I sniffed the air and pulled away. "Why do you smell like you bathed in gasoline?"

"Is that what that is?" Alex asked immediately. "God, I thought she just stepped in something."

Annabeth glared at Alex before answering. "It's nothing, don't worry about it."

I looked at the two of them. Both of them had grown, Annabeth more so than Alex and both of them had more definition in their arms. Alex's hair was shaggier, like he hadn't gotten it cut in a bit or was trying to grow it out. Annabeth's hair looked like it was the same length as always, pulled back into a ponytail. It was weird, seeing them standing there in clothes I hadn't seen before, well most of the clothes I hadn't seen. Alex was in one of my old jackets but everything else on them looked new and why wouldn't it be? It had been two years for them. I was still in the same clothes I was arrested in two years ago, despite them being smaller on me than before.

"How are you guys?" I asked, desperate for something that was the same that I could cling to.

"We got you these!" Alex threw a bag at my chest. "And Annabeth had a boyfriend."

"I don't," she said quickly.

I stuck my head inside of the grocery bag, poking around at the new video game cases inside. There were at least five still in their packaging. "These are for me?"

"Yeah," Annabeth answered while Alex nodded. "They all came out while you were away."

Away. Not locked up, not arrested, just away. Away for a little bit but now I got to be back.