Floating (boyxboy)

Mishaps and mistakes -20-

I snorted. Noel was an enigma. "I'll help you, but you have to actually try," I said giving him a pointed look. I leaned closer and whispered. "We can't just kiss the whole time."

"Why's that?" He said, quirking brow. As he said that, the bell rung. He groaned. "I'll see you later," I did a glance around to make sure we were still alone and I gave him a quick kiss, then scurried off to my next class.

The rest of the week flew by unsettlingly fast, and soon it was Friday night. I felt jittery, but this wasn't a good kind of jittery, like the way I had felt before my first date with Sebastian. This felt the way that standing on the edge of a diving board for the first time did, terrifying and unknown. All the same, I had to get through this.

I was wearing jeans and my old Panic! at The Disco shirt I found in the back of my closet paired with one of my homemade beanies. I glanced at myself in the mirror. I looked decent I decided. I made my way downstairs and went into the kitchen. My mom was scooping a chunk of lasagna on Mia's plate, and she certainly looked the part of the good girlfriend tonight. Her hair (fake or real, I didn't know) was in a neat braid and she wore a pink cardigan and dark jeans. When she saw me she gave me a bright smile. I sat across from her, and while my mom chattered with Mia I dished out my own food and my mother's. I found myself wishing that Sebastian was sitting where Mia was.

"So," Mother said as she sat down at the table. "How are you Sar-- Mia, sorry," She corrected.

"It's fine, can call me either. I'm doing good how about you?" She said with a smile. I found my mind flitting to the drugs on Mia's dresser and how different she had been when we were alone. She was an amazing actor, I was realizing as she spoke to my mom. The spent the next few minutes eating the hot lasagna.

"When did you two start talking, and how come you didn't tell me you were dating?" The question was directed at me with a quirked brow. The question had an edge accusation.

"Well I uhm--" I started, but Mia cut over me cleanly.

"Cameron and I talked at church and sometimes my dad invited him over for dinner. We have been dating almost a month," She said beaming at me. I offered her a small time, and her eyes seemed to say yes good. Keep up the good work.

I glanced at my mother who was nodding in affirmation. "I'm okay with this of course, just make sure to let me know sooner when your wedding rolls around," She said with a laugh, and Mia giggled.

"We're just trying to focus on finishing school first," Mia said grinning. I found myself thinking that this was probably how things should have been. We could have dated, been a good couple. Maybe we would have gotten married in a small church and visited my mother on holidays...

"Cameron?" My mom snapped her fingers and I jumped.

"Ma'am?"

"Next time just tell me, you know I love Mia and her family." She gave me a soft smile and I nodded. For once she didn't correct me for not issuing a verbal response. The rest of the dinner went by smoothly, and Mia helped rescue me when it came to relationship questions. Once we were done eating, I walked her to her car.

"How do you do it?" I said, wrapping my arms around myself to protect myself from the biting cold. "How do you lie so easily?" I followed her over to her side of the car and shrugged.

"You just gotta act like it's real. Like you really believe it." Shrugged and I looked down at her cupped hands. I followed her eyeline and I saw she had a cigarette laying on the bed of her palms. She sighed and her breath came out in a big wispy puff. She pocketed the cigarette and muttered, "You have to lie to yourself," She said it more to herself it seemed than me.