The Girl Behind the Cameras

Chapter 7

That night at dinner was unusually tense. Usually there was some common ground between Cameron and I, but today I wouldn't look at him and he knew it. Paisley was off in her own unimaginable thoughts and my mother was paying no attention to us at all.

"How was school today?" Cameron asks aloud and looks between the two of us.

"Fine." I answer shortly. I knew I couldn't stay mad forever but I didn't want to quit just yet.

"We got to finger paint today." Paisley says loosing all interest in her food. "I drew the ocean but it's not dry yet so I can't bring it home."

"That's great." Cameron tries to continue the dying conversation. I stand abruptly from the table and push my chair back with my legs. 

"Done so soon?" My mother asks.

"I'm not hungry." I answer monotonously.

"Go shower then." She answers back. I climb the stairs to my room and lay on my back in my bed. My phone buzzes continuously and I look down to see who is calling.

"Hey." I answer quickly on the phone.

"Hey," Trey answers. "You know how Paisley and Dylan are meeting Thursday?"

"Yeah."

"My madre said she wouldn't mind if you two cake over after for dinner. Dylan talks about Paisley all the time and mamá thought she should meet her." I hear Trey laugh over the phone.

"I'll talk to Paisley and my mother but I'm sure that would be fine if it isn't any trouble for your mother." I never liked people worrying about my Well being or stressing about company.

"Mamá doesn't mind. Promise." Trey answers.

"Sure but I'll have to get back to you on that tomorrow. Mother is in an unidentifiable mood and I wouldn't want to bother her." I answer simply.

"Consider it. Mamá makes the best croquetas." Trey says in an attempt to make up my mind.

"I'll think about it." I chuckle over the phone and then look at the time. "I'm going to go shower. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." I hear over the phone and then I press the red button on my screen.

•••

That night I lay in my bed in the dark and my door creaks open. I look over, but I can't see who it is since the lights aren't on at this hour.  until the door is shut behind them.

"Sky?" Paisley's voice projects quietly across the room as she makes her way to me. She has an old worn out bunny in her hand that she got for Easter one year.

"Yes, Paisley?" I ask and sit up in my bed.

"I had another nightmare." She mutters and stands by my bedside. Paisley usually goes to my mother for this sort of thing but with nightmares, my mother was always too busy doing other things; she had also always came to me since she was very little.

"Come here." I say quietly and lift my covers. She crawls into her bed and I tuck the covers around her. I'd learned Paisley didn't like to talk about it. I used to ask her, but now I knew better. She just wanted to know that somebody was there for her.

"Can I just stay in here all night?" She asks quietly. Some nights she would end up in her own room by morning but sometimes she was too shaken up.

"Sure. Just go back to sleep. I'll fight the nightmares off." I promise her and cause her to giggle. I gently nudge her toward me and soak in the warmth of her and her stuffed animal.