Um, okay?
I play it cool and give her an amused look. It’s wiped right off when a blast of searing pain shoots up my balls and up to my fucking soul. I hunch over, confused about to say something until a small yet strong fist knocks me straight in the face.
“What the fuck?!” I yell.
“Jesus Christ, is your face made from steel?!” she screams back like this is all my fault. She says something else, but I tune her out, trying to see where the fuck to go from here.
Managing to open the eye that wasn’t hit, I find that she’s no longer here. Since when does Kamila use physical violence? I can’t go to class with a bruised eye, especially on the first day. My mind finally forms a coherent thought, and I start heading towards the health center on campus. Fucking Morales women man, just when you think they can’t get any worse.
Chapter Five
KAMILA
“You did what?!”
I hold a finger up to my left ear. “Jeez, Em, I’m right next to you.”
After hitting Cameron, I went to the nearest bathroom to check on my hand. It seems fine, just some bruising and minor swelling. Nothing Cameron won’t have himself.
Rafael taught me how to throw a decent punch without breaking someone’s nose or breaking anything of my own, but I was shown the moves and strength in the self-defense classes I took in the summer. All Cameron will have is a small bruised eye, which I didn’t find to be a massive deal. In fact, I felt pretty numb towards the whole situation. That was until Emma walked in while I was icing my fist on the couch. She saw the ice pack and immediately panicked. Then, an odd pang of guilt hit, along with a massive wave of anxiety.
“Kami, he could’ve told somebody. A professor or nurse at the health center. He could report you for assault. What were you thinking?”
She’s right. I didn’t think it through. It was over two years of pent-up anger that I was never able to unleash until today. And I amneverone for physical violence.
“I know. I know I didn’t think about all of that. It just happened.”
There’s a long pause on each of our ends.
“Em, what do I do if he reports me?” My question comes out just above a whisper. My head feels heavy, full of concern while finally processing what I had done. “I can’t get kicked out, getting this degree means everything to me.” I smack myself. “Shit. Why did I let my emotions take over like that.” I sprint up from the couch and pace the room.
“Babe, I know what he did was wrong and how it affected you and your sister, but you do have some self-control. You’re very expressive, and there’s usually nothing wrong with that, still you can’t resort to violence.”
What did I do?
“I think you’re going to have to speak to him ASAP.” My brows furrow. “As in tonight,” she finishes.
My body stiffens at the thought of being alone with him.
“What? Why tonight? How do I even find him? I don’t have his number anymore, not even in my old cell. I have no idea if he lives on or off campus and even if I did, I can’t go alone. He’s never been violent, but what if he loses his temper like Davi?—”
Em grabs my shoulders. “Okay, Kami, first of all, calm down and take a deep breath. You’re talking faster than me.”
Breathing. Yes, I should do that.
Inhale and exhale. Repeat. Deep inhale and strong exhale.
My head bobs, letting her know that I’ve settled down.
“Okay, secondly, I think you should do it tonight so that you can apologize,even if you don’t mean it, and save your ass from getting reported. Thirdly, you won’t be going alone. I’ll be with you, and we can call Levi or Jake to tag along. And finally, you forgot that we know someone with multiple connections to the higher-ups in Driscoll.” She smiles and takes her phone out of her pocket. From this angle, I can’t see her screen or who she's trying to contact. After a couple of seconds, she dials a number and puts it on speaker. They pick up on the third ring.
“Hey, Em babes, what’s up?” Jake’s voice echoes.
“Ew, don’t call me babes,” Em says disgusted. “Listen, I need a huge favor.”
I chime in so Jake knows that it’s going to be me that’ll owe him one. “I, Kamila, need a huge favor.”
Jake’s voice lowers. “Are you guys okay?”
