American Honey

“Laney,” I say, desperate for her to just look at me. She has it all wrong.

“Piss off, Kam,” she growls.

She’s gone after that.

“Fuck!” I punch a locker.

What was I saying about it not sucking to be Kamdyn Ellis?

FUMBLE!

***

I’ve tried everything.

Cards, flowers, candy. Nothing works. Laney has officially cut me off. It’s been over a month, and she’s barely spoken three words to me.

Chem is worse than Chinese water torture. Sitting half a foot away from the person you love, and them not giving you the time of day is cruel and unusual punishment.

Life has been fabulous lately. I lost my girl and the ability to play football. Why doesn’t the universe just take my hands, feet, eyes, and ears and call it a day. This mundane, slow death is agonizing.

Laney comes into first period and sits next to me in her usual seat. She drops her book bag on the table, pulls out her notebook, and looks straight ahead. Not even a glance in my direction.

“Hey,” I say.

“Hey,” she responds coolly, just to be polite. That is what our relationship has become—a series of distant pleasantries. I watch her out of the corner of my eye as Mr. Johnson lectures about chemical reaction and mass conservation. I’m not hearing a word. The only chemical reaction I’m interested is the one that happens when Laney is in my arms. She jots down her notes diligently, her dark hair hiding most of her face. I want to reach out and tuck it behind her ear just so I can see her.

“Lemon,” I whisper. She ignores me. “Lemon, can we please talk?”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” she responds harshly.

“I think there is.” She keeps her eyes forward, unrelenting. It makes me crazy. “Laney, I miss you.”

That gets her attention. She stares at me with those bold blue eyes. I wonder if that put a chink in her armor. But she only scowls. “Then you should have thought about that before you went into the storage room with Darla.”

“I didn’t choose to go in, she grabbed me. And nothing happened, just like I told you a hundred times.”

“I wish I could believe you, Kam.”

“Why can’t you?”

“Because leopards don’t change their spots. And I can’t be with someone who cheats on me. Call me possessive, I like what’s mine.”

“I am yours. And I would never cheat on you. That’s not who I am.”

“I don’t know who you are.”

Ouch.

I shake my head furiously. “You are the only person who knows me.”

Laney frowns. “Just leave it alone Kam. It’s over.”

It’s hard to accept. Defeat never comes easily to a competitor.

Chapter Seven

Graduation is two weeks away.