Camilla

three

- C A M I L L A -

"What took you so long?" Taylor asks as I sat down with my lunch tray. It's filled with the same thing I usually eat. A nice salad and some vegetables. 

"Oh," I look up at her and grin mischievously. "I wanted to meet Gilligan."

Taylor instantly stills and sucks in a breath. She looks at me seriously, and I have to refrain from laughing at the expression she wears on her face. "You didn't, like, hurt him, right?"

I scoff at her and pick a carrot up off my tray, throwing it at her. "Of course not. You know how I am, though. I want to know everyone's name. And his was worth the trip." Not because of what the name was. More so because of his words. And perhaps his reactions. 

Taylor lets out a loud sigh of relief and picks the carrot up from her lap where it had landed and then sits it on the table next to the lunch she'd brought from home. Her family is amazing. She's an only child, and they sure do treat her like one. 

"I did scare him a little bit, though," I smile at the memory.

"Cami!"

"Come on, Taylor. You know who I am."

She puts her head down on the table but brings it back up a second later. "Yeah. And I love you for who you are. But you also know who I am."

I do. She's the biggest rule follower in the book. The person who moves to the side of the hallway when someone else is passing. She's the one who holds the door open for anyone and everyone, even if the line is a mile long. Taylor's got the biggest heart, and I've got no heart. Funny how that works.

"How did we become friends?" I ask her after a moment.

She smiles at me. "We're friends because we have nothing in common." Taylor rolls her eyes dramatically and I laugh. I wouldn't trade her for anything. I like to think we've got kind of a good cop-bad cop thing going on. 

We're both quiet for a moment, and I watch as her eyes catch on something behind me. I turn to see what's got Taylor's attention. I'm only a little surprised to see that it it's Gilligan.

He's walking toward our table at a fast yet hesitant pace, like he kind of wants to run away but since we've seen him, he feels like he has to continue on his merry way toward our table. I narrow my eyes. 

"Hey, Gilligan," Taylor says, smiling. She waves at him. I roll my eyes and then spin to look at him again. 

He smiles back at her but then looks at me.

"What?"

The lunchroom becomes quieter as more people take in the scene that's playing out. They're expecting me to do something, like throat punch him or kick his ass back to wherever he came from.

"What the hell, Camilla?"

I sigh, already kind of bored with the conversation. The conversation that just started. "Yes, Gilligan? Did someone pick on you?" I make a pouty face. "You need me to beat someone up?"

Gilligan's eyebrows furrow like he's trying to figure me out, but other than that he ignores my jibe. "You felt the need to stop me in the hall just to get my name earlier?"

I went over the scene in my head again. "Yep, sounds about right." I crack a grin, but it's not a nice one. He flinches a little. "I needed it."

He sighed and closed his eyes as if he was exasperated. "Why?"

"It's for my hit list." Whispers start to flutter around the cafeteria, and I know I just started the next rumor. 

"Very funny. What's the real reason?"

Taylor spoke before I could, knowing I was fed up. "You looked at her today in English. People don't usually, like, look at Camilla. They tend to avoid her eyes."

"Why?" Gilligan asks, tilting his head.

"Isn't it fucking obvious?" I burst. "I'm kind of an asshole. A lot of these people think I'll beat their asses if they so much as make eye contact with me."

"Well, would you?"

"Depends on the mood," I shrug, looking around at everyone watching, though their eyes are carefully placed on Gilligan. "See what I mean?" I point at a cluster of people. He turns. I watch as he realizes that every single one of them is looking directly at him.

"Jesus," he breathes.

"Do you have any more questions?" I'm being sarcastic, but that doesn't seem to register in his brain. 

Gilligan shrug and then shakes his head.

"Great. Then kindly fuck off, please," I scowl and then spin back around to face Taylor.

I hear his steps start to retreat, slowly like he doesn't know what to do or where to go.

"Wait, Gilligan! Why don't you sit with us?"

This, of course, comes from Taylor. I clench my fists, hoping he'll say no. I really don't want to deal with this today. Today of all days. 

I feel Gilligan's eyes on my back. "Sure," he says, and his steps begin moving closer again.

"Bitch," I glare at Taylor.

She shrugs, not taking it to heart, which is probably for the best. She's obviously not a bitch. She's just too nice for her own good and I'm pissed and annoyed at the moment.

Gilligan sits down next to me instead of Taylor. I notice he's brought a lunch from home, too. Great. So everyone has a functional family but me.

"Do you have a death wish or something?" I snap.

He shrugs, unzipping his lunchbox nonchalantly. "I'm not afraid of dying."