Crossing Over

Chapter 2

Andra's house was only ten minutes from what was the main part of town where she and Cameron had agreed to meet. As she slid into an open parking spot she glanced at the clock and saw that she had arrived with 5 minutes to spare. 

There was no sign of Cameron's Jeep parked anywhere. She toyed with the idea of calling him to see if he was close by but then thought better of it. Instead, she cranked up the Civic's  A/C and leaned back against the headrest. Her fingers drummed against the steering wheel in time with the song that was playing quietly on the stereo. Andra's mind began to drift with the music and her thoughts turned to the night she had seen the house for the first time and the story Cameron had told her.

He had picked her up at seven that night to take her to a bonfire being thrown by a few of his friends from school. She had agonized over what to wear for hours that afternoon, finally settling on a floral off-the-shoulder top and her ripped jeans. She knew that meeting these kids tonight could make starting school in August a little less awkward and she wanted to make a good impression.

Andra had been trying without much success to tame her thick mass of dark red curls when her mother shouted up the stairs that Cameron was waiting. "Coming! " she yelled back as she made one more pass through her hair with the brush before admitting defeat and grabbing her cellphone off the dresser. Slipping it into her back pocket she turned off the light and started down the stairs.

Warm light poured into the foyer from the kitchen and Andra could hear Cameron's voice deep and a little rough. She couldn't make out what he was saying but it was obviously funny because she could hear her mother giggling from just outside the door.

 Stepping into the room she saw them standing across from each other at the island in the center of the kitchen. Cameron was just polishing off one of the chocolate chip cookies her mom had made earlier that afternoon and by the look of satisfaction on her mother's face, she doubted it was his first.

Her mom had been on this whole Martha Stewart homemaker kick for several months now. Andra suspected that she had some guilt over the divorce and this was her way of making up for it but it wasn't helping. The stress of moving away from her friends was already a lot without her mother becoming some kind of Stepford mom to boot.

Watching her standing here now talking to Cameron like this Andra was reminded of just how little they had in common.

Andra was slim like her mother but the resemblance stopped there. Denise Morris was tall and slender with light blonde hair and clear blue eyes that seemed more suited to a Mattel commercial than shopping at the local Piggly Wiggly. She was several inches taller than Andra who had inherited her father's auburn hair and striking green eyes. It was difficult not to feel self-conscious next to her mother. She was more than just pretty she was gorgeous.

Cameron had been leaning completely relaxed against the counter but pulled himself up to his full height as she walked in. He was easily six feet and at just a little over five feet herself, she felt tiny in comparison. His dark hair hung a little long around his ears giving him a boyish look and the mischievous smile that accompanied it didn't do much to change that image.

"Hey," he said, "hope you don't mind but I haven't left many cookies for you."

Andra rolled her eyes in mock frustration. "A real walking human garbage disposal," she said.

He smiled at her and winked. "You look nice," he told her. "Are you ready to go?"

"Thanks. Yep, ready when you are."

Her mom came around the counter and patted Cameron on the back.

"You should come by for dinner one night," she said smiling.