The Super Jerk Trilogy (Now 3-in-1)

15. when the party's over

{Zachary}

I watch the new girl that Cam brought with him – Jocelyn, or something like that. She seems pretty relaxed around Trevor and Sarah, but I can tell there's something she's still uneasy about. Then again, being held prisoner by someone like Dad for a long period of time would make anyone uneasy. Including me. Cam's still pretty closed down about her too.

   "Earth to Zach," Ellis says, coming up next to me. "Everything okay?"

   "It's that girl Cam brought back." I see her sit down next to Sarah while Trevor stands next to them, showing them something on one of the desktop screens. "I can't figure her out."

   "Did you want to?" He raises an eyebrow. "None of us really know anything at this point."

   I shrug. "Honestly? I dunno. The name Jocelyn sounds awfully familiar, though. Like I've heard it somewhere before."

   He shrugs too. "Rings a bell, yeah. But I don't trust my memory either."

   Right then, Kaelie, followed by Cam, come out of the entrance capsule. That's pretty advanced technology they have. I wonder who thought of it. As she joins us, Ellis puts an arm around her, and all of a sudden I remember what Sarah said about the spontaneous kiss the other day.

   "Looks like you two have hit it off," I start, looking between them.

   "What gave you that clue?" Ellis winks and kisses the top of Kaelie's head like he's been doing it for months.

   "Well..." I make a show of thinking hard. "Sarah said..."

   Kaelie slaps her forehead. "Dammit. Campbell. I knew I shouldn't have told her."

   With that she's gone, and I give Ellis a knowing look.

   "So you know about the kiss, huh?" He rubs the back of his neck, like he's embarrassed. His dark skin makes it hard to tell if he's blushing. "I didn't even mean to do it...something just came over me."

   "Blame Sarah," I say, glancing over and seeing Kaelie in a heated conversation with her, all whispering and finger-pointing. Girls and their secrets. "She's always up on all the juicy gossip."

   Ellis grins. "I don't mind it. I thought she'd be fine with it, actually. That's why I did it. But...you know, obviously she didn't want anyone to know we're dating now."

   I raise an eyebrow. "So it's official? You two are a couple?"

   "I think so." He glances over at her again. "Once she remembered we should have been doing homework though it was like...do not touch."

   Cam joins us just then, and he seems agitated by the way he keeps shifting his weight. "Guys, we have a situation over here."

   We stop talking long enough to see what he means. I haven't even noticed that the girls weren't busy anymore, and now I seem to be under Jocelyn's intense gaze, eyes narrowed.

   "You," she says, her fists curling. "You're related to him, aren't you?"

   I don't even have to ask who it is. I already know. "Yeah, I am."

   "Why are you here?" she asks, and then turns to Sarah. "What is he doing here?"

   "Jocelyn, just listen–" Sarah starts, but Jocelyn's already on her tirade.

   "I did not leave one Green to come back to another!" she shouts, advancing on me. "Your father's a cruel and evil man, and he'll stop at nothing until he has what he wants! All the Greens are the same! You're here to spy, aren't you? Or to do his dirty work for him!"