"You''re pretty Incredible yoursell, Austin, Cameron replied.


    Austin''s ying skills were already way beyond the average for someone his age


    Beingplimented-especially by Cameron-made Austin''s smile grow even wider.


    Elijah''s lips pressed into a thin line as he watched themugh together.


    After evening study hall, they had about an hour of free time, and that time was nearly up


    Cameron, Austin, and Elgah waited until the other students had filed out before slowly making their way the music room.


    "How long have you been ying piano, Cam? Aintin asked, curiosity lighting his eyes.


    "Years," Cameron replied vaguely.


    Elijah snorted, "You''re only eighteen. Can''t be that many years."


    Cameron just smiled. ''How do I even exin this?'' she thought. ''Those thousand-plus years I stole-how do I count those?"


    The three of them had barely stepped into the hallway when Milena burst out of the shadows. "Cameron"


    Cameron was instantly speechless. She knew that voice too well, well enough to feel that automatic wave of disgust.


    "You guys go ahead," Cameron told Austin and jah,


    But Cameron also knew that even if she walked away, Milena would just follow, shameless as ever. "Yo nting her feet.


    The boys exchanged a look before nodding and turning to leave. But they didn''t head back to the dorms. Instead, they walked just far enough to be out of Cameron''s sight before stopping. By unspoken agreement, they both turned to watch from a distance.


    "Why''s Cameron''s sister looking for her?" Austin whispered, confused. "Aren''t they, like, not even rted anymore?*


    Elijah shot him an icy look. "How the hell should I know?"


    Austin mped his mouth shut.


    Growing up in theplicated Fraser family had made Austin hyper-aware of other people''s emotions. He''d picked up on Elijah''s hostility toward him almost instantly.


    "I wasn''asking you," Austin muttered. "Just thinking out loud."


    Elijah gave him onest cold nce before falling si


    silent.


    Meanwhile, Cameron crossed her arms, eyeing Milena impatiently. "Make it quick. I don''t have all day"


    "My dear sister" Milena''s usual haughty demeanor had vanished. Her voice came out soft and pleading


    All the other students had returned to their dorms/it was just the two of them here, so Milena didn''t have to worry about anyone overhearing and discovering Cameron''s secret about disguising hyrself as a boy.


    "Shut up." Cameron''s face twisted with disgust/"Milena, don''t y the family card. The DNA test results are in. What gives you the right to call me that?


    Milena stood there,pletely stunned. Talk about getting the cold shoulder, she thought. Her carefully crafted nice-girl act crumbled instantly.


    Her face darkened. "Cameron, do you have to be so heartless? Fine, Mom and Dad aren''t your biological parents, but they raised you for 18 whole years. Now you want to send them to prison? Did your conscience get thrown out with the trash?"


    Myclence?" Cameron smiled thinly. "That''s riching from your Mana. Where was your conscience ye


    your dad?


    "your dad might have treated me like garbage, but he gave you everything. Funny how you weren''t Daddy''s little girl yesterday, but new ying that role with me?" Milena was speechless. Just the mention of the check made her blood boil.


    "Cameron, you''re absolutely disgusting," Milena shouted, "Using Dad like that to force Mom to give up the check,"


    Cameron''s lip curled with contempt. ''Disgusting? Compared to the Wace family, I''m practically a saint, she thought.


    "Let me break this down for you, Milena, Cameron said. "One, if you''re here hoping I''ll drop the charges-not happening. Two, if you want that check- definitely not happening. And three, we''re nothing to each other anymore, so get lost." Cameron turned to walk away, but Milena lunged forward and grabbed her arm.


    "Cameron, please! I''m begging you. Don''t do this to me. I was your sister for over ten years!" Milenia''s voice cracked.


    "Dad and Mom are in jail, you''ve taken the check, we''ve lost the house and thepany. How am I supposed to survive? Are you trying to destroy me?"


    Milena clung desperately to Cameron''s arm.


    "Let Go." Cameron''s eyes dropped to Milena''s hand on her arm, her expression ice cold.


    "Cameron, please." Milena begged. "Just give me the check, okay?"


    "Release my arm, and I''ll tell you how to survive," Cameron said tly.


    Milena reluctantly let go.


    With a disgusted frown, Cameron pulled a sanitizing wipe from her pocket and meticulously cleaned the spot where Milena had touched her,


    Milena stared in disbelief. "What a drama


    a queen, she thought.


    Cameron flicked the used wipe into a trash can several feet away with perfect uracy, then fixed Milena with a frigid stare.


    Milena felt a chill run down her spine under that gaze. She slowly extended her hand. "So, the check-


    "I''m obviously not giving you the check," Cameron said.


    "Cameron, you''re going back on your word again." Milena used.


    "Your memory must be failing you. I said i''d tell you how to survive," Cameron replied with a smirk...


    Milena frowned, "What way?"


    "Grab a bowl, squat under a bridge, and beg. Some kind soul might toss you a dor or two. You won''t starve," Cameron said coldly


    Milena''s jaw dropped in shock.


    Without another word, Cameron turned to leave


    "Cameron, you''ve gone t


    too far!" Milena shouted, lunging toward her.


    Cameron,pletely out of patience, swung her foot around and kicked hard-


    "Ah!" Milena screamed as she crashed to the ground. She tried to get up, but a sharp pain shot through her stomach, pinning her down.


    09:54 Sat, 31 May


    Cameron just walked away


    Milena clenched her fists, having through pritted teeth, "Cameron"


    Cameron strode confidently with one hand in her pocket, her pace quick and purposeful. The starfish earring on her right ear caught the streetlight, gating as she moved


    When Austin sad Elijah spotted Cameron returning, they rushed back toward the dorm.


    Austin broke


    oke into a fit after just a few steps.


    Elijah gave him a cool nce but stopped walking anyway


    Cameron caught up quickly. "Waiting for me?" she asked.


    Elijah nodded. "Yeah. Everything okay?"


    "Everything''s fine," Cameron replied,


    Austin coughed violently.


    Cameron turned to him with concern. "Austin, why are you coughing again?"


    "Wasn''t he off those meds? Cameron thought.


    Getting Cameron''s attention made Austin smile. "Cam, I''m fine. Just ran a little too hard back there."


    Cameron nodded, and the three of them headed back to the dorm together.


    The next day, after morning study hall, Cameron asked Brody for the morning off.


    She had something important to take care of, something that absolutely needed to


    be handled before her SATS. Otherwise, things would getplicated.


    AD