Purple Sharpie

Twenty-seven: Josh

I shoved at Brennan, ending up knocking myself over like a reverse bowling pin.

"Nice..." A voice came from behind us, a voice that made the hamster running my heart charge into overdrive, even with the violent sarcasm in it.

"Oh be quiet." I said, bumping Cammie with my shoulder. "Make me." she grinned. "Maybe I will."

Brennan made a gagging sound. "Can you guys stop? I had breakfast this morning." The only person who didn't laugh was Reemee, who shuffled along, unnaturally quiet.

I caught up to her, slinging my arm around her shoulder in the way that always made her smile when Brennan did it. "Hey." I said, like a secret. "You okay? That was funny."

She looked at me with wide eyes. She had pretty eyes. She shrugged, smiling and putting her arm around my waist. I hope Cammie doesn't think I'm with her.

"Just tired. You know, with Cammie over and everything. She has even more energy at night than in the day. It's ridiculous." Then she smirked up at me. I found myself imagining Cammie at one of those sleepovers like in movies.

Then I mentally shook my head. "You sure?" I was asking if she was sure if she was okay, but there was an undertone of whether Cammie could have any more energy than she did now.

At this point, Cammie herself was almost hopping around Brennan and talking more quickly than should be quite possible. Even more impossibly, Brennan was returning the nearly caffeine-induced attitude and riveting the brown-haired girl's attention for long moments at a time.

"Well," Reemee nuzzled her head in my chest. "I am now."

Despite the lack of sound in the flush that blazed up my neck, Reemee could probably hear it in my heartbeat.

It's not like Cammie likes me back anyway.

And I held the girl that wasn't Cammie close until we got to the school.

________________

When we did, the flush was for a different reason. At some point, Cammie had looked back while she had been talking to Brennan. Something changed in her face, and even though she kept the same energy, she grabbed Brennan's hand.

I effing knew it.

Some best friend. The teeth-gritting thought was directed at the back of Brennan and his movie star face.

I probably would've thought more, but then Brennan looked back suddenly. "Quick! Act natural!"

Ree sprang away from me and I looked up to see the principal stumping over to us, his eyes storming.

Is he angry at us or is it just difficult to walk that fast on such short legs?

It seemed to be the first. "Warner? Morgan?" Reemee and Brennan's eyes eyes bugged. At the same moment, they raised their hands.

"Currently present." Brennan said, his voice breaking the slightest amount. Reemee grabbed his hand.

Somehow, I didn't feel anything like sadness or betrayal. I just thought, This is quite the game that we're going to play.

Like Scrabble, but with less possibilities and more drama.

"I need to talk to you in my office. Right now."

Brennan looked at me, a mock scared look on his face.
Reemee looked back at Cammie with a real look of terror on hers.

And the two of them were swept away in the sea of people.