Page 7 of We Thought We Were Invincible
“Hey,” a boy said, walking up next to her. Tony Andrews. “You're looking good tonight, Callie.”
When I didn't respond, he took it as a cue to keep going.
“If you want to hang out with me, I promise you won't need pants.” His friends laughed nearby. “Come on.” He stepped forward and grabbed my arm, pulling me out of the water.
A shiver ran up my spine as a breeze lifted the hair on my arms. It snapped me out of my embarrassment, and I tried to twist my arm out of his grasp. When that didn't work, I kneed him in the leg and he let go.
“What the hell,” he yelled, his words slurred. His friends had backed away, offering no help.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Morgan run off. So much for being friends.
“Leave me the hell alone,” I snarled.
“Cat's got bite.” Tony laughed.
“Come any closer and I'll show you how hard I can bite, and not the way I know you're thinking.”
Tony Andrews had always been a jerk, but now he was a drunk jerk.
He reached out and tried to grab me again, but I spun out of his reach.
“Hey asshole,” someone said behind Tony.
He turned into Jamie's fist.
3
Jamie
“Jamie!” Morgan Cook came running up to where I'd been sitting with a few girls from school, playing my guitar. “Do you know where Colby is?” She glanced behind her nervously and that was when I heard it.
“Callie,” Tony Andrews' unmistakable douche-like voice cut through the music. My eyes met Morgan's pleading gaze, and my fingers stopped their strumming.
I brushed Amelia off, who'd had her hand on my shoulder and her chest pressed against my arm. A moment ago, it'd been making my night, but now I shoved my guitar at her and jumped to my feet. Before I knew what I was doing, I'd stormed across the beach, my fist connecting to Tony's face with a loud crunch. He hadn't seen me coming. I ducked a return punch and then tackled him to the ground. I wasn't nearly as wasted as Tony and had the upper hand, but he still got a few good hits in. People came running from the bonfire to see what was happening, but all I could hear was the anger rushing in my ears. I wanted to kill the dude for touching Cal, or trying to. My mind briefly registered Callie pulling on her sand covered jeans and backing away.
Others moved in to break up the fight, but I was on a roll, not stopping until my buddy Eric pulled me away.
“What's your damage, Daniels?” Tony snapped, wiping blood from his split lip.
I stepped close, looking him in the eye. Despite the size he had on me, I refused to be intimidated.
“Leave Callie the hell alone.”
Backing away, I looked around. Callie was gone.
“She went that way,” Morgan told me, her mouth hanging open in the same shock the rest of our classmates were showing.
I took off the way Morgan had pointed.
“Ass,” Tony said to my back. I let him get away with it because Callie was more important. The noise from the crowd disappeared amidst the crashing of the waves, and I knew why she'd come this far. Callie would never admit it, but the two of us understood each other. We always had. We may not exactly be friends, but that was by no choice of mine.
I found her sitting in the sand with her knees pulled up to her chest. Her small body trembled as she reached into her pocket and pulled out her sopping phone.
“For Christ's sake.” She threw her phone in the sand.
I watched her as she sniffed and buried her face in her arms. What was it about that girl that had me punching people and leaving girls like Amelia behind? I'd felt that way for years, not like she'd notice.
She froze as if sensing me.
