The Super Jerk Trilogy (Now 3-in-1)

2. deja vu

{Cameron}

Great. Just great. First Tsunami has to one-up me at my own game, and then he has to try and flirt with Sarah too, because he's got such a big head and an ego to match. I could thrash that guy. At least, that's what I'm thinking about as I'm waiting for Kaelie to get out of her introductory comp class.

"Hey, Kaelie!" When I see her I run to catch up. "Wait!"

"Cam," she says, with a smile and sideways wink, but she doesn't stop walking. "This is a first, you being excited to see me."

"Yeah, hey, listen. It's about Sarah. She called me last night."

"That's what's working you up? Listen, if you ever need a girl to hang out with, you got me right here."

"No, no. She's got a Zach problem."

Kaelie's brow furrows. "A what problem?"

"Tsunami, you know...Zach. Just my luck that he'd be going to school with Sarah." I curl both my fists, imaging Zach's face in my mind and wishing I could punch it.

Realization dawns on her face. "Oh, Zach Green? The mayor's brat?"

"Yeah, that one. I just found out he's been flirting with Sarah."

"I'm not sure if I should be repulsed that it's Zach or impressed that it's Campbell." She sighs. "How'd she find out it was him, by the way?"

"His stupid business card. He actually has it embossed on there." I roll my eyes. "Like he's super important or something."

"He's got a big ego, I'll give him that. Bigger than mine." She shrugs.

I'd have to agree with that. Back in high school, Kaelie was one of the meanest people I'd ever known. Like a Mean-Girls, thinks-she's-the-leader-of-the-Plastics kind of mean. I was careful to never have her and Sarah in a room together, because it almost always ended up in Sarah being bullied. But when the Red Knight came along, and decided he'd turn all our lives upside-down, Kaelie reached out to me for help. I only knew he was responsible for the deaths of her parents, but that was it. Long story short, we'd run him out of town again. But it was anyone's guess as to how long that would last.

"And how'd she do?" Kaelie's eyebrows go up.

"She rejected him. Blew him off. But with Zach, that won't last long. He'll keep coming back until she gives in." I wished he wouldn't. That was what was most annoying, that he didn't know when to quit, and didn't seem to realize that no means no. Once again, I could've punched that guy in the face, the first chance I get.

"Will she?" Kaelie leans sideways and waves, probably at Ellis coming from his class.

"Hard to say. Either he cracks first, or she does."

"Well, there's one thing you can do, then," she says, right as Ellis joins us, panting from his run across the quad. "Have a little one-on-one with Tsunami. See what he has to say."

"You know what, I never thought of that," I say, because I haven't.

She gives me another wink. "That's what I'm here for, Cam."

I find a text from Trevor on the way to my car. Guess what your fishy friend did to my nose.

Zach did something to your nose? I answer.

Yeah. He broke it when he punched me.

Impressive, actually. Did you hit him back?

He's typing for a long time, the three dots in the thought bubble blinking. Yeah, we exchanged some blows. But the worst part was that he asked Campbell out, I think. And he called her "Babe". Tactless, in my opinion.