“My entry to what?” As Lilith tore open the envelope, Luc shot Cam a cheesy thumbs-up and disappeared out the classroom door.
Cam leaned forward as she unfolded the contents: a single sheet of paper. He was desperate to read it, to be ready to perform triage for whatever trauma the devil meant to unleash on Lilith. He had leaned so far forward that the girl in front of him glanced over her shoulder, wrinkled her nose, and shoved his desk back a few inches. “As if, pervert.” Cam felt her study his skin, the age spots near his forehead. “Ew. How many times did you fail freshman year—fifteen?”
He ignored her. He watched as Lilith’s fingers began to shake, and the blood drained from her cheeks. She rose from her seat, grabbed her things, and bolted out the door.
Cam bolted after her, ignoring Mrs. Richards’s threats about suspension, expulsion, a letter to his parents. He caught up with Lilith in the hall and took her by the elbow. “Hey—”
She whipped his hand away. “Back off.”
“What happened?”
“He warned me about you.”
“Who?”
“Luc.” Lilith closed her eyes. “I’m so stupid.”
When she thrust the paper at Cam, he saw it was a printout of his email to Ike Ligon, along with the lyrics to “Somebody’s Other Blues.” The only thing that wasn’t included was the bio Cam had written, the words that had made him cry.
“You stole my lyrics and entered them in the contest,” Lilith said.
Cam took a deep breath. “It’s not that simple.”
“Isn’t it?” Lilith asked. “Did you or did you not go through my journal, take my lyrics, and enter them in this contest?”
How could he explain that he had done this to help her? That Lucifer was trying to drive a wedge between them? He watched her face twist with disgust. “I know it was wrong—”
“You’re unbelievable!” Lilith shouted. She looked like she might strangle him.
He tried to take her hands. “I did it for you.”
She pushed him off again. “You did not just say that. And stop touching me.”
He put his hands up in surrender. “I sent the lyrics in as you, not me.”
“What?”
“That song is brilliant,” he said. “And you said yourself you weren’t going to enter the contest. It’s such a big opportunity to get your music out there, Lilith. I couldn’t let you pass it up.”
She stared at the printout. “Luc said—”
“You cannot listen to Luc, okay?” Cam said. “His goal in life is to try to turn you against me.”
Lilith squinted. “And why is that?”
Cam sighed. “It’s hard to explain. Look, you have every right to be mad at me, but please, don’t let it get in the way of your music. You could win this, Lilith. You should win this.”
Cam realized then just how close they were standing. Inches separated their shoulders. He could hear her breathing. Lilith had so much pain in her eyes. He would do anything for her to be the happy, carefree girl he’d once known.
“You promised to back off,” she said.
Cam swallowed. “I will. But please, just think about what I said. You’re too talented not to try.”
Lilith blushed and averted her eyes like someone unaccustomed to compliments. He could see all the little things that made up who she was—the ink stains on her hands, the callouses on her fingertips. She was a huge talent, a bright star. Her music was the one thread that connected her to the Lilith he’d fallen in love with so long ago, which was why he had to make her understand that his intentions in entering her lyrics in the contest were good.
“Lilith,” he whispered.
The bell rang.
She took a step backward, and Cam could tell the moment between them had passed. Her body was tense again, and her eyes full of hate. “Why should I take advice from someone who would do something so low?” She snatched the printout from his hand and rushed away as doors opened and students spilled into the hall.
Cam banged his head against a locker. So much for asking her to prom today.
“Ouch,” Luc called as he casually walked past. “And just when I thought she was starting to warm to you. It’s almost like there’s an invisible force working against you at every turn.” The devil’s throaty laughter echoed in Cam’s ears long after Luc had disappeared around the corner.
At lunchtime, Cam found out from Jean, who had found out from Kimi, that Lilith had received another note in third period, this time from the office, which mysteriously excused her from class for the rest of the day. Cam was supposed to take some joke of a calculus test in fourth period, but he had no hesitations about skipping.
He cut out the back exit, slid onto the motorcycle he’d picked up the day before, and made for the rough side of town. Soon he was knocking on Lilith’s door. In front of the garage was a battered, grape-colored minivan, its back door open.
“What the—” Lilith said when she answered.
“Everything okay?” he asked.