6:59
get all I’m a rebel on me, then I’d just have to see it through.
    Suddenly, his phone chimed as it vibrated on the dashboard. Both of our gazes flashed to the blinking screen.
    â€œAnswer it,” Cam said.
    â€œYou know,” I said, nodding at the phone. “It’s dangerous to keep a loose device on the dashboard. It could cause a serious injury if we were in a dangerous accident. But then again, it’s the quickest way to reach it, if not on this middle compartment thing here.” I felt myself beginning to blab — but I couldn’t stop. I desperately tried to stop my stupid mouth from moving, but sadly it couldn’t be done. “I think this situation is why they invented this middle compartment. It makes sense if you wanna put CDs or phones or drinks or—”
    â€œCan you just shut up and answer my phone?” Cam spat at me.
    My gaze flashed on him and widened. He was staring at me with blazing white-gray eyes.
    Not wanting to anger him any longer, I reached for his phone with shaky hands. What had I gotten myself into? I’ve never been treated so harshly by Cam in my entire life. Including the time when I accidentally shaved off his eyebrows! Now he was getting mad at me because I wouldn’t answer his stupid phone? What gives?
    As I touched the screen, a text flashed repeatedly. It was from someone named “Boss.” Did Cam have a job or something?
    â€œIt’s a text message,” I said in a dull voice.
    Cam sighed. “What does it say?” His fingers clenched the steering wheel as he sped down the highway.
    Dutifully, I opened the text message.
    He wants some money from Pedro , the text read. Get him some .
    Money? Why would his boss want some money? Was it possible that his boss wanted him to come into work and, I don’t know, work? Or was it something as ridiculous as robbing a bank?
    â€œYour boss wants some money,” I said, air-quoting around the word money .
    Cam stared at me for a long time. Apparently not believing me, he grabbed his phone from my hand and looked at it himself. Once he saw the text, a flash of recognition crossed his face. He tossed the phone back on the dashboard and stared straight ahead.
    As we drove, I made sure not to say another word. I really didn’t like being the butt end of Cam’s hostilities. Just this morning we’d been laughing and talking. Now he was bossing me around and calling me pet names. If he were my boyfriend, I wouldn’t have minded those names, but laced with amusement and annoyance in his tone, I didn’t much like the pet names at all. Or the way he kept snapping at me.
    It was only when we drove into a dark, wet alley — cliché but true — did my heart beat quicker. Cam stepped out of the car and headed down the long, narrow passageway.
    â€œWhere are we going?” I asked, jumping out of the car and going with him. Yes, yes, I know I'm screaming to myself, " Are you crazy? Stay in the car!" But it was scary sitting in an expensive car in the middle of nowhere in the dark with creepy gang members huddling at the street corner. I was much safer with Cam even if he weren’t acting like himself.
    Cam shot me a look of pure annoyance. “Get out of here or you will get hurt.” His words were like an icy whip, slashing at me with an incredible force.
    A normal person would take the hint and run. I mean, a crazy person would’ve been outta there in no time. But I stayed where I was, not knowing if I were out of my mind or just plain stupid. “No,” I said simply.
    Cam actually growled and then bolted back at me. He skidded to a stop, inches away from my face. Clenching my neck into his strong grip, he pulled me closer to him and growled again. I let out a tiny squeak.
    â€œYou must be mentally retarded or just plain insane if you think I’m gonna let you come with me in here,” he snapped through clenched teeth. “You get

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