didn't say anything to Lilith or Jason. I just marched over to Cameron and took him by the arm. Then I jerked him over to where I was standing with Lilith and Jason.
How was this possible? Had everyone in my entire house snuck out tonight?
"What are you doing here?" I demanded.
"Partying," said Cameron.
"If my parents found out you were here--" I started.
"If they found out you were here," he interrupted, "you'd be in deep crap too."
I narrowed my eyes. "Cameron, you can't be here."
"I'm here," he said. "Deal with it." He recognized Jason. "Hey, Jason, man! Good to see you."
"Hi Cameron," said Jason.
"Come meet some people," said Cameron to Jason.
"You can't just--"
Cameron silenced me with a look. Damn it. He had me. I'd have to keep his secret if he wanted me to keep his. I wondered how often Cameron snuck out. Cameron used to have a big problem with drinking before he came to live with us. He was my age, and he'd already been through AA. I did not think a keg party was a good place for a reformed alcoholic. But I guess he didn't have a beer in his hand, so that was saying something. I was the one who was drinking. Not Cameron.
Cameron led Jason off to meet some of his friends. I was left with Lilith.
Lilith came out to parties like this more than I did. "Do you see Cameron out a lot?" I asked her.
She shrugged. "I can't keep track of all your parents' foster urchins," she said.
"Does he drink?" I asked.
"Maybe," she said. Clearly, Lilith didn't want to talk about Cameron. "So, why'd you bring Jason?"
"He was trying to run away. I stopped him."
"Good!" said Lilith. "He can't leave."
"I know. He's like the most exciting thing that's ever happened in Bramford," I said.
Lilith took a drink of her beer, raising her eyebrows. "That's more true than you know."
What did that mean? "Anyway," I said, "I want him to have a good time, so he won't try to leave again. So, lay off him, okay, Lil? Sometimes you're a little much to take."
"Don't worry," said Lilith. "I'll leave him alone. I have to. I'm not allowed not to."
"What do you mean?" Lilith was sounding cryptic and weird. Maybe she was drunker than I thought.
"I mean, you said I'm not allowed," she said.
But I didn't think that was what she meant. "He's really interesting, don’t you think?"
"Fucking gorgeous is what he is," said Lilith.
"Yeah," I said. "I guess." I hadn't really considered whether or not Jason was attractive. I'd been too busy trying to figure out who he was. Plus, I was in love with Toby. It wasn't like I was scoping out other guys.
"Speaking of gorgeous," said Lilith, "Did you see Eric Nelson tonight without his shirt on? That boy is like a golden god."
I laughed. "But he's such a jerk."
"Who cares?" said Lilith. "As long as he's not talking, I could spend like an eternity with him."
"Is Eric your latest conquest then?" I teased. Lilith didn't really date boys. She sort of steamrolled them. But she might have met her match in Eric Nelson. He was pretty much a dick. He used girls like toilet paper.
"Maybe," said Lilith. "But, you know, it wouldn't be much of a challenge to bang Eric. He'd fuck anything in a skirt. If I go after Eric, I have to make him fall in love with me."
I laughed. "Good luck! I don't think that word is in Eric's vocabulary. And besides, since when was it in yours?"
Lilith shrugged dramatically. "I'm getting older," she said. "I'm a senior now. I'm developing mature feelings."
"Oh whatever," I said.
"Seriously," she said. "Besides, Eric would look so good in my prom pictures. He's beautiful. And those things will end up on my grandmother's refrigerator for like a thousand years. I want to be able to look at them when I'm old and fat with seven babies and say, 'I was beautiful in high school, and I had a beautiful boyfriend.'"
"Since when are you planning on having seven babies?" I asked. But I was thinking about my own grandmother--the one who was still alive. She
How was this possible? Had everyone in my entire house snuck out tonight?
"What are you doing here?" I demanded.
"Partying," said Cameron.
"If my parents found out you were here--" I started.
"If they found out you were here," he interrupted, "you'd be in deep crap too."
I narrowed my eyes. "Cameron, you can't be here."
"I'm here," he said. "Deal with it." He recognized Jason. "Hey, Jason, man! Good to see you."
"Hi Cameron," said Jason.
"Come meet some people," said Cameron to Jason.
"You can't just--"
Cameron silenced me with a look. Damn it. He had me. I'd have to keep his secret if he wanted me to keep his. I wondered how often Cameron snuck out. Cameron used to have a big problem with drinking before he came to live with us. He was my age, and he'd already been through AA. I did not think a keg party was a good place for a reformed alcoholic. But I guess he didn't have a beer in his hand, so that was saying something. I was the one who was drinking. Not Cameron.
Cameron led Jason off to meet some of his friends. I was left with Lilith.
Lilith came out to parties like this more than I did. "Do you see Cameron out a lot?" I asked her.
She shrugged. "I can't keep track of all your parents' foster urchins," she said.
"Does he drink?" I asked.
"Maybe," she said. Clearly, Lilith didn't want to talk about Cameron. "So, why'd you bring Jason?"
"He was trying to run away. I stopped him."
"Good!" said Lilith. "He can't leave."
"I know. He's like the most exciting thing that's ever happened in Bramford," I said.
Lilith took a drink of her beer, raising her eyebrows. "That's more true than you know."
What did that mean? "Anyway," I said, "I want him to have a good time, so he won't try to leave again. So, lay off him, okay, Lil? Sometimes you're a little much to take."
"Don't worry," said Lilith. "I'll leave him alone. I have to. I'm not allowed not to."
"What do you mean?" Lilith was sounding cryptic and weird. Maybe she was drunker than I thought.
"I mean, you said I'm not allowed," she said.
But I didn't think that was what she meant. "He's really interesting, don’t you think?"
"Fucking gorgeous is what he is," said Lilith.
"Yeah," I said. "I guess." I hadn't really considered whether or not Jason was attractive. I'd been too busy trying to figure out who he was. Plus, I was in love with Toby. It wasn't like I was scoping out other guys.
"Speaking of gorgeous," said Lilith, "Did you see Eric Nelson tonight without his shirt on? That boy is like a golden god."
I laughed. "But he's such a jerk."
"Who cares?" said Lilith. "As long as he's not talking, I could spend like an eternity with him."
"Is Eric your latest conquest then?" I teased. Lilith didn't really date boys. She sort of steamrolled them. But she might have met her match in Eric Nelson. He was pretty much a dick. He used girls like toilet paper.
"Maybe," said Lilith. "But, you know, it wouldn't be much of a challenge to bang Eric. He'd fuck anything in a skirt. If I go after Eric, I have to make him fall in love with me."
I laughed. "Good luck! I don't think that word is in Eric's vocabulary. And besides, since when was it in yours?"
Lilith shrugged dramatically. "I'm getting older," she said. "I'm a senior now. I'm developing mature feelings."
"Oh whatever," I said.
"Seriously," she said. "Besides, Eric would look so good in my prom pictures. He's beautiful. And those things will end up on my grandmother's refrigerator for like a thousand years. I want to be able to look at them when I'm old and fat with seven babies and say, 'I was beautiful in high school, and I had a beautiful boyfriend.'"
"Since when are you planning on having seven babies?" I asked. But I was thinking about my own grandmother--the one who was still alive. She
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