Chapter 10

We had stopped by Chris's and Gordie's houses and were on our way to the field when we spotted the Cobras. They were hanging out in an empty parking lot, leaning against their cars and smoking and drinking. The boys crossed the street in order to avoid trouble, but I refused to be intimidated. I threw my shoulders back and kept my head up and I walked by Ace and his guys.

As I was walking by, Ace Merrill sauntered up to me; an unlit cigarette behind his ear and a beer bottle in his hand. I was afraid he'd be a drunken asshole, but I didn't let it show. "Hey, Delilah, where are you headed?"

I took the bottle out of his head and took a sip. "Gonna camp in the field with my friends," I told him.

He grunted as if he was unhappy about my plans.

"Thanks for the beer," I told him and continued walking. I knew he was watching me walk away in disbelief. The new girl just strolled in, stole his alcohol, and left.

"You owe me for that," I heard him call after me before returning to his friends.

That night was loads of fun. We started a fire and just sat there; talking and laughing. Gordie told us some of his stories including a scary one. The scary story freaked Verne out so much he spent the rest of the time looking over his shoulder and jumping at every single noise he heard. Someone had brought marshmallows so we scrounged around for sticks to roast them on. Well past midnight when we decided to go to sleep, we laid out our sleeping bags in a line. Teddy was on my left and Gordie on my right. Next to him were Chris and Verne, respectively.

It was quiet and I could hear others breathing when I closed my eyes. Teddy put his arm around my waist, but I didn't react. Instead, I pretended to be asleep. I liked having him close; it made me feel safe even if he is crazy. "You know," he whispered more to himself than to me. "If you wanna be with Ace, that's OK. Just be careful, and don't forget about me; your best friend."

I smiled to myself, glad to have his approval. I didn't plan on going around with Ace though. My parents made me move here because I got into too much trouble. Hanging out with a hood seemed like a step in the opposite direction. I wasn't sure if I was ready to go to school in two day either. I was more than okay with my little group of friends. The idea of dealing with a lot of new people made me nervous.