Tala flushed. I could feel an evil grin split my lips. "He's bffs with Lockhart, Tal," I said. The speed with which she raised her head could beat Usain Bolt's top record. "Benjamin Lockhart?" she gasped. She had a lot of crushes, but Benjamin Lockhart was her perfect ten. "Caleb," Cameron provided. "Oh, right. Of course. I knew that." Of course she knew that. She had a crush on Caleb too. "I know Ben too," Cameron added. "He's good." Tala grinned at him. Nothing could break the ice for her more than the topic of her favorite boys. "I know, right?" "Have you been friends a long time?" Cameron asked, reaching for my drink and opening it, then his. I glared at him, pretending that there wasn't a surge of pleasure at his simple action. This is the part where I tell you that he is taking care of you. I don't know if I want someone to take care of me. I'm not used to it, but I think it feels...good, I told the voice in my head. Tala nodded, chewed on her bottom lip as if she was contemplating on something then, "Want dirt on Kar?" Cameron brought his drink to his mouth and sipped, hiding his grin, but didn't say anything. "Bish, I know all your secrets too," I said before Tala could say anything. "So zip it if you know what's good for you. How come you haven't been going to classes lately?" She lost her smile, face falling. "Kar...I need to tell you something." "What? She pulled the tab on her drink, glugged at it like a thirsty camel. She looked at me for a second, her eyes unsure and anxious, before taking a long drink again. I frowned. "Tala, I'm freaking the hell out. Spit it out." She swallowed noisily. "I'll give you some privacy." Cameron got up. "I'll be close by if you need me." I turned to look up at him, straining my neck. He tipped his head down, and the way his eyes slowly dropped from my eyes, to my mouth, to my neck, then back up to my eyes again made my stomach clench. I could feel the intensity and heaviness of his stare. I was aware that my mouth was at the same level of his stomach. Suddenly I had a picture of him fisting my hair and... I saw his throat working, as though he felt and thought the same things I did. "It was nice to meet you," he told Tala. His voice sounded deeper than normal. Tala blushed. The tips of her ears were redder than her face and I wondered if mine were the same. I cleared my throat as soon as Cameron left. "Okay, spill." But she just gulped her drink again. "Stop giving your drink a blow job. Just tell me. What is it?" I demanded. "Just so you know, I give good head"—she had never—"and I'm gonna have hundreds of gorgeous lovers—" "Because you give good head." "—and they will be crazy about me and, Kar, I'm...leaving." I blinked slowly, once, twice before I registered what she said. "What? Leaving?" I looked at my phone to check the time. "Now? You still have half hour before your next class." I studied her face, feeling like I was missing something. It was the same feeling as arriving at the bus stop at the exact time on the schedule, but I wasn't sure if the bus already left or it just hadn't arrived yet. "No, not for my next class." She took a long, deep breath, like she was preparing herself for heartbreak. "I'm moving to the Philippines with Ma. For good." My heart fell to my stomach. I knew that there was a possibility of this happening. Tala had mentioned it once when I came by her house weeks ago, but there was no mention of it again. Suddenly details from the past few weeks suddenly bombarded me. When she started missing classes, when she wanted to hang out more than usual, when her mom started spending more time with her sisters. I should have seen the signs and should have badgered her for more information, but I didn't because...I was too busy with my own life. I used to know everything that was going on to the people who mattered to me most, and now it seemed that wasn't the case anymore. Tala used to tell me everything. Did she feel that she couldn't anymore? "When?" "In a few days." A few days. I stared at her. There was a lump in my throat that prevented me from uttering all the things I wanted to ask, wanted to hurl at her. "Say something," she said, eyes pleading. But I couldn't. I felt duped. Tala had been the closest friend I've ever had in my life. And now she was leaving. She was leaving me too. Another memory I'd be adding in my box. It was like being given a whole glass of cool water when your throat was desperately parched. You hold the glass in your hands, and it feels heavy, feels like it's filled to the brim. But when you raise it to your lips and drink, the glass breaks and the water pours out. And there is nothing you can do but bleed from the broken pieces. And you leave with your throat still parched and your hand wounded. I pushed my chair back, grabbed my things and walked out of the cafeteria. My movements were punchy as I opened my backpack and grabbed my keys. I was about to open my car door when a big hand clamped around my wrist. I looked up and found Cameron's intense blue eyes searching my features. His beautiful face was impassive, giving me no clue as to what he was thinking. "Kara," he said softly. I was used to people looking at me with pity when my vulnerability was exposed to them, and that pity made me confrontational and angry. But there was no pity in Cameron's eyes, and I had no idea why that made my chest tighten, made my knees weak. "Kara." I closed my eyes when I felt him pull me against him, and I let my cheek rest against his chest. "I'm here."