Cameron and the Girls Read Online Free Page A

fresh and open for the new voice, and talk is distracting. The crowd of kids pushes us farther into the cafeteria. We bump close, and I feel a tingling in the spot where we touch.
    â€œYou were,” she says. “I saw you.”
    Griffin wags his tongue at her. “He wants you, that’s why,” he says.
    â€œYou’re disgusting,” says Nina. She looks at me. “I mean him, not you.” Then she hurries to catch up to the line forming by the trays.
    After I get my plate, I sit down and roll up one sleeve to look at the spot where Griffin elbowed me. It’s made a bright red ring. I rub at it and look around. Nina is sitting by herself. But she disappears when Griffin stands in the way making faces while he balances his tray. I try to laugh but can’t.
    Cam, I want you to know that I’m here just for you. I think you’re a great guy.
    â€œBut who are you?” I whisper.
    I’m whoever you want me to be. I’m your girlfriend.
    And there is a peace to what she says. I feel calmer immediately. Giddy calm. When Griffin finally sits down, I inch away from him.
    â€œWho’re you talking to, man?” he asks.
    â€œI don’t want to talk right now,” I say. I know it’s not good to say that, and I know that keeping to myself is one of my symptoms, but sometimes I just can’t stand communicating with anybody. And Griffin has a problem with keeping his mouth shut.
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    After school, on the bus, I’m sitting by myself again, but I’m not feeling all that alone now. Maybe it’s the new voice. I jump when Beth taps me on the shoulder.
    â€œCameron? What are you doing?”
    â€œNothing,” I say.
    â€œYour lips were moving. Who were you talking to?”
    â€œNobody. Please shut up.”
    But Beth is not satisfied. She kneels beside me. “You’d better start taking those pills again,” she says. She pets my head, but I knock her hand away.
    â€œMom’s going to be looking for you,” she says.
    â€œCan’t you all just leave me alone?”
    â€œDo you want to hear what Mom asked me or not?”
    I consider this for a moment and then nod.
    â€œGood,” she says. “She thinks you’re not taking your medication.”
    â€œGood for her.”
    â€œDon’t worry,” says Beth, digging into her pocket. She pulls out my meds and holds the little plastic bottle between her thumb and forefinger. “She was looking for it, but I found it before she did.” She tosses it to me. “You might want to hide a few of those before she gets hold of it.”
    I jam the bottle in my pocket and then take a peek at Beth. “Thanks,” I say.
    â€œYou know you could take those once in a while and still conduct your little scientific—whatever—experiment.”
    â€œYou don’t understand.”
    Beth scrunches up her lips and then raises her eyebrows. “Listen, Cam, you were mumbling to nobody just then. Remember what I said about embarrassing the family?” She stands up and heads back toward her seat, but I yell after her.
    â€œYou haven’t been talking to me today, have you, Sis?”
    She stops and studies me again. “What do you mean?”
    â€œMaybe through telepathy or ESP or something.”
    â€œGeez,” she says, looking around at the kids who heard me ask it. She puts a finger to her lips and shakes her head before finding her seat.
    â€œWell?”
    But the conversation is over for her. I have to learn not to push people too far.

Six
    I put a bunch of pills in my pocket and sneak the bottle back into the upstairs bathroom. And just in time, too, because before it’s lights out, Mom comes up and starts rummaging in there. As I slip into bed, I can hear her popping the top off the bottle and shaking it. In another minute she’s in my room.
    She plants her hand on my forehead and keeps it there. “We should talk about this