I didn't have to ask. I didn't have to ask him what he knew. What I did have to ask him is, "How do you know?"
With the smirk gone from his face he practically whispered, "I asked around. After what happened on the street I had to know who you were, where you came from."
I knew that tears were eventually going to stream from my eyes so I braced for impact.
He continued.
"All I had to do was ask my neighbor, Mrs. Clark, and I had my answers."
The wave of salty tears hadn't arrived yet, so I let him continue.
"All she had to say was your last name, and I knew."
He looked like he was waiting for a response, so I said, "What did she tell you?"
Now it looked like he might cry. Both he and I knew exactly what she said, but he said it anyway.
"That you were in a car accident, three years ago."
The tears had arrived, but bravely, he continued.
"That your mother and sister died… but you survived."
I was a couple seconds away from sobbing, when he said, "And that it was a miracle you can even stand, much less be able to be a normal teenager.”
I had lost my grip. These memories, and these horrid moments are not talked about in my household. Me and my father only speak about the simple things. The weather outside, and what were having for dinner. Nothing else, because we both cry ourselves to sleep every night, and we would rather make our days together happy, because when the sun sets, were both almost unable to function. We don’t talk about how we miss my mom and sister every second of every day. We don’t talk about how my father had to watch me heal from the mangled mess that the car crash left my body with. We don’t talk about those things.
I had been crying for what felt like an hour, when suddenly I felt one arm wrap around my shoulders, and the other around my waist. Reluctantly, I turned around and let him hug me. Outside of my family, Cameron was the only one to know this. He was the only one to know why all I’ve been doing for the last three years is surviving. Why for the last three years I had to watch my every move because it could land me back in a hospital. He knew why I had moved to this town, why I had scars and burn marks all across my body. Why I don't let people in... until now.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"You don't have to be."
"But I am."
I let him hold me about two minutes more until we were both startled by the bell ringing.
I had skipped the whole class. Breaking Cameron's embrace I went to see what my schedule said.
'2nd period Study Hall'
I let out a sigh of relief that I hadn’t accidentally skipped something important on my first day. I thought about if I could get out of here without making eye contact with Cam.
He wouldn’t allow it.
I turned around and he was staring at me, with what I just noticed to be deep sea green eyes.
"I’ve got to get to class," I said wiping my face clean and gathering my things. Cameron didn't say anything until I had almost left the auditorium.
He ran after me and whispered in my ear, "Meet me here tonight, please."
With a nod of my head, I agreed and headed to third period.