The Beginning | Experiment S #1

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

       "So, where's Romeo?" Marshal asked as he sat down at the table the rest of us were at, minus Cam. After second period, he told me he had to go to his locker to get his wallet. Mom and Dad started giving us an allowance, mainly so we could pay for school lunches.

       "Who?" I asked.

       "I think he means Cam," Avery said. "You know, because of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet? Cam doesn't really talk to anyone but you. In fact, I don't even think he has said a single word to me yet, not even a hello. It's like he's an outcast, but not a bad outcast that ends up turning into a criminal. A good outcast that just doesn't like talking to people. He could have social anxiety, so I don't judge. He's just t--"

       "Avery," Abby interrupted. "We've talked about this. The less words, the better."

       "Right, "Avery said. "....What was I saying?"

       "You were talking about Romeo," Marshal said.

       "Oh, right!" Avery said. "Yeah, Cam is Romeo."

       "Why?" I asked.

       "Didn't you hear what I was saying?" Avery asked.

       "To be honest, no," I said. "I tuned you out. No offense."

       "None taken," Avery said. "It's not your fault. It's my fault. I tend to go on and on and on and it's completely understandable that people tune me out."

       "Avery, you're doing it again," Abby said.

       "Right," Avery said. "Sorry."

       "That still never answered my question," Marshal asked. "Wherefore art thou, Romeo?"

       "You do know what wherefore art thou isn't asking where he is, right?" Theo asked, though in a quiet voice. That was one thing I noticed about him; he tended to talk in a quiet voice most of the time. "It's asking why he's Romeo, like why he has to be part of the family Juliet's is feuding against."

        "Lame," Marshal said. "Come on, man, I just came from my English class. I don't need to have another lesson."

       I stood up from the table. "I'm actually going to go find Cam. He is taking a while."

       I walked away from the table, looking at the line to the cafeteria to see if Cam was there first before checking his locker. He wasn't there, so I headed in the direction of his locker. Cam was there.

       But so was Kai and his annoying friends, and judging by Cam's expression, he was going to snap any minute. If Cam snapped, nothing good was going to come out of it.

       I walked over and grabbed Cam's arm. "Come on, just leave it," I said.

       "What?" Cam asked as he looked at me. "No. I'm not going to let them think they own this school and can boss people around."

       "Of course I can," Kai said. "What are you going to do about it?"

       "You know what I'm going to do about it?" Cam asked, about to move forward and even making me loose my grip on his arm, but I was fast enough to grab his hand.

       "Cam, don't," I said. "He's just looking for a reaction."

       "Yeah? And he's getting one."

       "You should listen to your little girlfriend, Campbell," Kai said. "You don't want to get expelled again, do you?"

       "It will be worth it," Cam said.