A NEW LIFE

Chapter 2 ~ In darkness and in light ~ pt 3

Cam's mother noticed the huge rips the second he came in fpr the evening. "Camden Waters. What in the world have you been doing?"

He immediatly went to the cutting board to help with dinner. A little kissing up never hurt. "I tore them."  "Well I can see that. But how? You were just working in the garden." He cincentrated on slicing the eggplant the way Mom liked best. "I did it on puroose." He snuck a quick look at Arial Waters' raised eyebrows. "the kid next door... I could tell they don't have much money. And she could tell we do. I wanted to make her more comfortable."

Arial smiled. "Another bird with a broked wing Cam?" His answering grin was relieved... and appreciative. For all the grif she gave him over flea-bitten pets, Arial was proud of her son's stores of compassion, and he knew it. It was nice, especially when his father expressed- not disapproval, exactly, but concern- that the trait would make it difficult for Cam to succeed in the future that was maped out for him. Never mind that Cam still questioned if he wanted that particular future. that thought was one he reraly expressed out loud.

Cam spent a lot of his days with Destry over the next month, helping her clean the long-closed-up house while her mom job hunted. She wasn't bad company, for a kid. She seemed too grown-up sometimes, more cybical the an elevan-year-old had any right to be. He didnt realize why at first- not until one rainy night before school started. Cam was late getting home from the movies, and he stoped by Destry's house before heading to his own, hoping she'd give him an alibi.

It took a long time before anyone answered the door, and then it was Beverly.  Cam could smell the alcohol on her; his nose rinkled in distaste.  But he asked politely, "Is Destry home, Mrs. Adams?"  Her eyes focused on him with some effort.  "You know... I dont know. Probably at the library, like always."  Cam looked out at the beating rain. He hadn't enjoyed the walk homw; surely Destry hadn't braved it, just for a new book.  Beverly was already backing into the house again. "I'm sorry, Camden, but I have company. I'll tell Destry you came by. 

He sloshed to his house,  worried less now about getting grounded for missing curfew and more about where Destry might be. Cam stopped before he got to the front door; he’d win a few brownie points by taking his wet, muddy self in the back. He ran around the side of the house and vaulted up, over the side railing onto on the porch, nearly squishing Destry where she sat in a patch of shadow. “ Des! What the heck are you doing here?”

She'd looked equally startled to see him, and hesitant to explain why she was sitting in the dark, wet and shivering. it took the threat of involving his parents to ring the reluctant confession from her:  Destry didn't want to go home. “I just… I don't like mom's new boyfriend. I don't like the way he looks at me. And she's been drinking too much to...to…” she didn't finish, sleeping at her eyes with one wet hand. 

“ Does she drink like that a lot?” “ not too much.” 

Destry was a good liar even then. Cam didn't realize how often ‘ not too much’  happened until months later. she grabbed his hand, face scrunched up with worry. “ Cam? Please don't tell your folks. They’ll tell someone else, and I'll get taken away from my mom. There's no other family for me to go to. I'll end up in foster care.”

He almost refused, but Cam had friends in the system. Sometimes, foster care wasn’t an improvement. “I won’t say anything. But what are we going to do? You can’t stay out here all night.”

“He’ll go home soon. And I like the rain.”

Cam shook his head. I have a better idea.” 

Fifteen minutes later, he was unfurling the rope ladder out his upstairs window. Despite his generally agreeable nature, Cam’s parent’s had been surprised how little protest he raised when they grounded him for a week. He’d apologized quickly before bolting for the stairs. 

Destry clambered up, stopping Frequently 2 clutch the rungs and rest her head against the house, shaking. Pam watched anxiously, wishing he'd know about her fear of heights, wishing Destry I told him herself. As soon as she got within Arm's Reach, he grabbed her and pulled her up, over the Sill. Destery crumpled into a little pile on the floor, face pale. But she shook her head when cam urged her to sit on the bed instead. “ I'll get everything wet.”

 he gestured to his own dripping clothes and tossed her a towel from the adjoining bathroom. ”Get dried off, Des.”

 That became the first of many times through Cam’s bedroom window. Destry preferred the stairs, but she’d swallow hard and firm her chin and scoot up the ladder if she had to. Cam never minded the visits, any more than he minded watching out for Destry. the skinny kid next door became one of the most important people in his life. Of course, more sleep would be nice. With that thought, Cam deliberately shut down both his memories and his concerns and pulled the blanket tighter. He went to sleep with the sound of the shower and Destry’s tuneless humming in his ears.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you for reading let me know how it went and I'm going to try and do a update every other week, and longer chapters but I don't know (about longer chapters)