FIFTY-ONE
CAMERON
Ispin around. A teenage girl is standing in the doorway to the changing room, her phone already outstretched. “‘It’s limited edition!’”she parrots, laughing. “God, you’re always on my feed. My friends are going todie.” Her phone camera shutter clicks.
Summer goes blank. It’s like all of the light inside her shuts off, and she’s suddenly a mask. She plasters on that sparkly smile that I hate.
“Hi!” she says sweetly. “It’ssonice to meet you! Um, would you mind not taking pictures, please?”
The girl ignores her completely, snapping away. “We can get a selfie too, yeah? Ihaveto put this on my story. You’re, like, an icon.”
“Um—”
Alec is suddenly at the girl’s elbow. “She said no,” he tells her flatly.
“Aye, learn some manners,” Fraser snaps. “What’s wrong with you?”
The girl snorts, tapping at her phone. “Um, okay? You can’t stop me from taking pictures. We’re in a public place? Hey, whatare you wearing that dress for? You look like you’re going to prom.”
I don’t take my eyes off Summer. She’s still smiling brightly, but I can see her chest rising and falling rapidly. She’s shaking slightly.
I put a hand on the small of her back. “Come on.” I herd her back into the cubicle, pulling the curtain shut behind us. Summer flops against me as I pull her into my arms.
“Sorry,” she mumbles. “I’m so?—”
“Shh.” I hold her tightly, feeling her quiver. “She’s a shit. Most people are.”
“I don’t mean to get upset,” she mumbles into my jumper. “I just…forgot for a second. It’s going to be like this when I get home, isn’t it?” Her voice gets choked, and she tilts her head up, blinking furiously. She’s trying not to cry.
“Cry. It’s okay. I don’t mind.”
She shakes her head furiously, curling her hands in her dress like she can forcibly clamp down her emotions. Irritation burns in me. Has everyone been so cruel to this girl that she really thinks she doesn’t get tocrywhen she’s been publicly humiliated?
“Summer. Let yourself cry. It’s okay.”
“No. I’m overreacting. I just need a sec—” She tries to turn away from me. I grasp her closer, holding her head to my chest with a cupped palm.
The cubicle curtain gets yanked open, and Fraser and Alec step inside. “She deleted the photos,” Alec says shortly. “Are you all right?”
Summer pulls away from me. “What? How?”
“I can be persuasive.”
She lets out a short laugh. “Oh my God. You used your sheep-dom voice, didn’t you?”
“Aye, she practically rolled over,” Fraser says, pulling her into a hug. “God, what a wee brat. I could’ve strangled her.”
Alec’s phone beeps. He checks it. “We’re due to do those deliveries. I’ll reschedule,” he declares, tapping out a message.
“What?” Summer says. “No, go do your work. Sorry, I didn’t mean to get in the way with my drama.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re upset. That’s more important.” He slips his phone away.
“But—” she protests.
“Summer. We’re not doing the deliveries today. Tell us what you want to do next. You want food? More shopping? Want to go home?”
Fraser nods. “We should have a coffee break. I bet you’ll be wanting one of those coffee-flavoured milkshakes with the skooshy cream, right?”
