Free Fire And Ash by Nia Davenport Page A

something going on between Derek and Miranda over my shoulder. I hear him murmur something deep and then her laugh airily and I do not turn around to see what they are doing.  
    “You know you have a room,” she says dryly.
    “But pools are much more fun.”  
    Without looking behind me I know Derek’s smile matches the smugness in his voice.
    “I can punch him for you, or drown him,” I offer.  
    “Can you drown her?”  
    I consider it. I seriously consider it. And I wonder why the idea is so appealing to me. Miranda turned into a bitch with a capital B after we parted ways, but I’ve never felt the particular way about it that Becca does.  
    Cassie’s eyes widen in shock. “You look like you are actually considering it.”  
    “We used to be friends, but we’re not anymore. It’s a long story. She’s one of those Cheerleader types I told you that everybody flocks to.”
    “In that case, no thank you. I do not want to join when school starts up.” The way Cassie’s nose wrinkles in disdain for what she assumes is Miranda’s mean girl treatment of me is endearing.  
    Miranda would never be so bold. She knows if I decide to be too nice to kick her ass, Becca definitely will not. I try to   stay on my best behavior and might slip if I’m provoked enough whereas Becca only operates in one of three modes: bad behavior, worse behavior, and hellish behavior.  
    Our former BFF is more of the passive aggressive type. She tosses around fake smiles, calls me Ashley and her Rebecca even though she knows we both hate being called by our full names, whispers something low enough for us not to hear to her brainless minions as we walk by, notices a boy that one of us likes or might like and hooks up with him out of spite.  
    “Come on. Let’s go ruin Derek’s fun,” Cassie grins at me devilishly as she gets up from the table. “Follow my lead.”
    “What’s your name again? Kaime right?” Cassie innocently asks Miranda as we step into the pool.
    I swallow a smile loving where this is going. “No,” I correct her. “Kamie is Derek’s friend from yesterday who came over for a swim. I see how it would be easy to confuse them. They both have brown hair. But Kamie’s is blonde at the roots just like Jasmine’s is who came over the day before that.”
    Cassie does an oscar worthy job of looking confused. “Are you sure Ash because I thought it was Michelle who came over yesterday not Kamie.”
    “No Cass. Michelle came over the day before yesterday after Jasmine left remember? And Kamie came yesterday. She was supposed to come early but got here late and then Derek had to call Laura and cancel on her so they wouldn’t end up over here at the same time.”
    “Oh that’s right?” Cassie smacks her hand against her forehead sounding every bit like the stereotypical dumb blonde, even though she is anything but. Cassie is bubbly and perky but she is a far cry from an airhead.
    “Sorry,” she says turning to Miranda. Derek has so many girls coming and going that it is hard to keep you all straight. “What’s your name? I promise not to forget it again.”
    Miranda’s face is a bright shade of crimson that matches her skimpy bikini. When Derek opens his mouth to say whatever he is about to say to smooth things over she slaps him across the face. He stares after her stunned as she climbs out of the pool in a huff and marches out of the back gate.  
    “You two are so not funny,” he spits when Cassie and I double over in laughter.  
    “I told you to get a room,” Cassie says unapologetically. “No one wants to see you suck face with some random girl you picked up. And you have the audacity to complain about Ash coming over. At least Ash is my friend and I actually know her.”
    Her words in defense of me leave a hollow feeling in my stomach. We have become fast friends in the last month and it is not missed on me that I have been deceiving her about who I am the entire time. And if she knew the