little disclaimer over here: the actors you see in gifs like these ⤴are not the cast for this book's characters
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Let them be them. Let us be us.
—unknown
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I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
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AUDREY
The jarring ringing of the school bell signaled the beginning of lunch period. I had been just taking my time at organizing my books and belongings in my locker—innocently, not bothering anyone—when I felt a precipitous shove from the side.
An energetic and radiant meteor of my best friend had bumped into me full force, intentionally, with a squeal.
"Ow!" I turned to an exultant Syd, who was performing a freaky dance. "What's gotten into you, Syd?"
"Hear this out, hear this out: Your submission to the National Geographic Photography Contest has been accepted!" She literally shrieked, jumping up and down and flapping her arms. People were staring at her, weirded out, but she regarded them with zilch attention.
"Accepted? Is that—is that cool? That's cool, right?" I asked, wanting to be happy for her but not really having a clue of what she was talking about.
"Duh!! There were only fifty slots from the whole state!" She finally stopped the jumping, thankfully.
"Oh?! Yeah, that's big, congrats! You're really going places."
"The winner gets considered for an actual permanent contract deal, do you understand what that means? I could easily drop out of high school right then and there!"
"But you'd never do that to me." Not a question, but a statement.
She dropped her head backward, mouth agape. "Oh my gosh, imagine if I make it!"
"Aw, I'm so proud of ya, babe. Your talent deserved to be seen," I gave her a half hug, "make sure not to forget about me when you become all famous though."
"I'll try my best. Can't promise anything," she quipped, not containing her grin. "Well hey, what about you? Got any news? It's been some time since we laste talked."
"Oh, well, not really, not anything particular. I mean, I did get a boyfriend yesterday but apart from that—"
"You what?" She squeaked.
I burst into giggles. "You and Cameron got together?" I nodded, still giggling.
"Well, finally. It was a pain watching you guys being just friends."
I suddenly froze, my eyes popping open. "Syd, wait. It just hit me. That actually makes me a girlfriend now."
Syd glazed me over with a deadpan glare. "No, really? I thought that made you an ostrich."
"I'm serious. I've never been a girlfriend before," I uttered, nervousness making its way into my voice.
"Yeah, I know. So?" She checked the time on her watch.
"I don't know what to do— I mean, what if I screw up? Like, I don't have a girlfriend manual or anything—"
"Aud, there's no such thing as a girlfriend manual. You're not a vacuum cleaner. Stop saying stupid stuff."
"Yes but—"
"Audrey." She grabbed me by my shoulders. "I love you so so much and you're the academically smartest person I know but, honestly, sometimes you say things that make me wanna slap your face. Wanna know what it is you really need to do? You need to chill." Her eyes jumped above my head.
A pair of hands appeared from behind to cover my vision. They were soft hands. A wide smile paralyzed my lips the moment my nose recognized Cameron's cologne. My boyfriend's cologne, I played in my head, the collocation feeling unusual yet stirring. I pulled his hands off my eyes, turning around.
"Hi, princesa," his voice was deep and his grin wide. He leaned in and kissed the side of my head. Yep, it was gonna take my sensitive heart a while to get used to all these gestures.
He seemed to have grown more handsome since the last time that I saw him. Was that even possible? "How's my gorgeous girlfriend doing? Haven't seen you around at all today."
"Hi, Cam," I cheeped.
"Hey there, Cameron," Syd said. "Do me a favor and tell your gorgeous girlfriend to stop being such a neurotic overthinker." She looked quickly at her watch again. "Crap—it's almost time."
"Where're you going?" I asked, taking my lunch bag out of my locker and closing it.
"Meeting."
"Another one?"
"Yeah, I know—it gets annoying from time to time but I've to keep it up. It's my best shot for college applications and whatnot."
"Well, not your best one if you win that contest. . ."
"Let's better not jinx it with that," she began taking steps backwards, getting nearer to the stairway.
"What contest?" Cameron stepped in.
"It's. . ." she winced, looking at the stairs to her side she probably needed to desperately run through now, "I'd have to explain it another time. But hey, I've an idea! We could all go out on a double date together one day. What'd you say? You know Dominic, right?"
He contemplated. "Well, I don't really know him. . ."
"So you'll get to! It'll be fun," she gave us a thumbs up, satisfied with her idea, before glancing one last time at her watch. "Okay, I'm officially late now. Peace out!" She called out, already sprinting through the stairway entrance.
Cam threw one arm around me as we sauntered to lunch. "So, hey. I've been wanting to ask. To what extent do you know Dominic?"
"To the extent of being friends." I suddenly noticed what this was about, a ghost of a smirk making its way to my lips.
"Just friends?"
"Indeed, Cam, just some very good friends. Don't tell me that you're jealous already, just one day into this relationship."
"Not jealous. Just protective of what's mine, that's all," he tightened his hold of me, fortifying his point.
"Well, unlike me, you've got nothing to worry about at all in that aspect."
"Unlike you?"
"Mhm. You know how many girls in this school are after you? And—I mean it's not like I'm gonna ask you about the ex-girlfriends and not like that matters to me at all either—"
"Wait wait wait. What makes you think I've ex-girlfriends?"
"Well. . ." . . .your level of hotness and charm? "Don't you?"
"Not really, no."
"No one from New York?"
He didn't sound keen on delivering his next phrase. "I mean sure, there was something but that something is among the things I regret most in life. In the list entitled 'stupid New York phase'. But I assure you, Audrey Dahlia, what I feel towards you makes that kind of questions distinctly trivial."
I pretended not to be wholeheartedly affected by his last phrase. We took a picnic bench outside. It was a pleasant sunny day— a perfect opportunity to avoid the cafeteria crowds.
"I like the lunch bag," he pointed at it, smiling. It was overall white with a lying-down Garfield and the quote 'love me, feed me, never leave me' in black font above him. "You always bring your own food?"
"Most times, yeah."
"Mind if I leave you for a minute and grab something real quick? I'll be right back."
"Course I don't," I assured him with a smile, getting my lunchbox out and taking a seat.
I was about to take a bite of my veggie wrap when I sensed someone from behind walking towards me.
I don't know what Scarlett could've possibly been doing in this area of the school. "Oh hey! Didn't see you here. I heard you and Cameron got together. Congrats!" Her tone was smeared with sickishly fake sweetness.
I sighed in annoyance. "What the heck do you want, Scarlett?" I snapped, not even looking up at her.
"Oh no, nothing, sweetheart. Just stopped by to remind you to be careful, cause you're making yourself the enemy of quite a few girls from our school. Girls, who are. . .mmmm how should I put it. . .more appropriate to your boyfriend's standards? And just so you know, I did warn you." She had lowered her tone for that last phrase and I finally looked up at her leering doll face. She flipped her hair and sashayed away.
Cam had appeared with his tray just in time to catch sight of her. I saw his jaw clench. He sat on the bench opposite me and gestured at her with his head.
"What did she want?"
I shrugged. "To remind me that a lot of girls hate me for dating you."
He tutted and his hands formed into two fists. "It's been one day. One freaking day. Why can't they just leave people alone?"
"Hey, chillax," I placed my hand over his clenched fist, and watched his eyes lift up to me suddenly. It was a strange sensation, realizing how easily I could affect him—someone so cool and tough on the outside. As if I was the only one who owned the key to unlock this hardened exterior and get to his vulnerable side. "Let's not waste our time on them. They're not worth it."
He let out a deep breath. "You're right."
My eyes fell on his tray, which contained a plate of nuggets with a side dish of vegetable fried rice, a ramekin with sour cream, and a cup of apricots in syrup. He lifted a nugget to his mouth. "Want one?"
I shook my head.
"Why not? They're good. I must say, this school's cafeteria offers actual quality food. Doesn't come close to anything they served us in New York. Maybe it's to do with its small size."
I swallowed. "I'm vegetarian."
"Oh. I didn't know that. How come I didn't know that? See, there're so many things about you that I don't know and that's not okay. That needs changing. What kind of boyfriend does that make me?"
"One with overgrown hair," I couldn't contain my impulse of brushing his toffee locks away, feeling their silkiness.
"I know." He raked his hand through it. "I keep forgetting to get a haircut."
"Don't cut it too short though—I like it slightly shaggy. It makes you look cuter."
". . .cuter?" He questioned, skeptically. I provided him with a smiling nod and tried not to burst out laughing. What guys didn't realize was that taking themselves too seriously was what made them look even cuter.
"Anyway, moving on. Wanna go out this weekend?"
I frowned, pouting. "Why only this weekend? It's so far away—let's go out tomorrow."
He chuckled, a tinge of unexpectedness notable within it. "Tomorrow's fine by me. I just thought you're the kind of person who plans everything out in advance."
And he thought right. I was that kind of person. But, somehow, being with Cameron made me want to forget about it all; about whatever plans and rules I've been holding onto up to this point.
Being with Cameron made me feel carefree. The kind of carefree that pushes you to jump right off the highest cliff into a lake, not even checking if it had water beforehand.
"Where to? You've somewhere specific in mind?"
"Oh, I don't care where to go as long as it's with you so," he came out with matter-of-factly. I was so unused to such remarks my chest was already swelling again.
"Well same," I wasn't quite sure if he caught that, "but how about the movies?"
"Sure. The movies sounds great. Uhm, do you have a favorite genre?"
"Whatever but not a musical, please." I crossed my legs.
He raised his eyebrows. "Don't like musicals?"
"Uh, no? Have you ever been in a situation when you're talking to—what looks like—a mentally sane human being and right in the middle of the conversation they suddenly start singing? Or maybe even worse— dancing! Or singing and dancing! Like it were the most ordinary thing in the world! Then comes the part when, instead of running far far away, the passerby in the background all join in for a collective flashmob. Just fantastic. Wow," I marveled.
Cam had been chuckling as I passionately argued my point of view. "You'd make a good movie critic."
I made a short, scoff-like sound. "I'll consider it."
I was shaking breadcrumbs from my hands when Cam asked me, thoughtfully. "Will you come with me to my locker a second?"
"Sure." I gulped some water from my bottle as we stood up and walked inside. We found ourselves enjoying a rare privacy provided to us by the spacious emptiness of the hallways. It was contrastingly nice to have a break from all the curious stares.
I watched Cam unlatch his locker padlock with interest. "What are you fetching anyway?" He took out a miniature plum-colored jewelry box.
He looked like he was containing a burst of a smile. "It's a. . .little gift for my princesa." He popped the lid open. My hand shot up to cover my mouth. Inside of it lied a gold-plated crescent moon necklace.
"Wow. Cam, it's. . .lovely," I lifted my eyes to his. "Thank you," the words danced out of my mouth.
"You like it?"
"I love it."
"Can I put it on?"
"Yeah, of course." I spun around collecting my hair out of the way, my back facing him as his dexterous fingers fastened the necklace chain. My own fingers toyed with the pendant, its surface sheeny and protuberant. "Why a moon?" I found my lips letting out.
"Because it's just like you. It hides in the dark but brings light to everyone around. And even when it's far from full, it still shines. It always shines. Its beauty is of a mysterious kind." I turned around, my wide eyes finding his and melting into them. "Like yours." His soft-spoken words flowed like pure spring water, with all its coolness and placidity.
I was speechless, stupefied. Cameron didn't know about the buried scars of my past—yet he spoke the exact words aimed at their healing.
His profound facial expression shifted to a smug one. "But mostly, because it happens to be shaped like a C. So you could always carry part of your irresistible boyfriend with you." He winked.
I smiled. I seemed to do that a lot around him. "You know, before your latter remark ruined the moment, I was gonna ask if you secretly happen to be a poet or something. Cause I'd buy all your books and be your number one fan. You know how much I love reading."
"Mmmm no," he squinted his eyes, looking to the side and leaning towards me to whisper. "But you could still be my number one fan, regardless."
My smile seemed to get wider with each one of his comments. "It's such a shame that your cocky side overtowers your romantic one."
He closed the distance between us with a step, wrapping his arms around my torso. "Don't lie to yourself, princesa. You prefer that side of me." He was cornering me towards the door of an empty classroom.
He leaned in closer, the distance between our lips about to vanish. He had been half-right. I preferred both of the sides. I preferred all of his sides. No, screw that, I preferred him, in general.
His burning lips had already brushed against my tingling ones, and my eyes were completely shut, ready for the upcoming flight when a clear of someone's throat from behind interrupted it.
"Excuse me." Our heads snapped up and I jolted away from Cameron to face Mr. Barnard, who was trying to make it through to the Math classroom we were sort of blocking. "May I please pass?" I didn't miss the almost undetectable curl of his lips. We both stepped aside, Cam muttering a 'sorry', before clearing his throat.
My cheeks were red like candy apples when his amused eyes bounced to us. "I'm gonna pretend I didn't see anything but just so you know, the area around Mr. Capaldi's sociology room is perpetually desolate," he casually commented, the curl of his lips growing.
I was still wondering if it were somehow possible for the floor beneath to swallow me when the door behind him closed.
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