Blueberries & Cigarettes
|6|
»— ⊷ ☩ ⊶ —«
"Hello?" I bent down and peered over behind the warrior angel statue, I squinted my eyes to see clearly and I saw someone, that look nothing a like statue from every roof of this castle.
It was— him.
Just sitting down, chilling, leaning over the warrior statue, and drinking his cup of coffee.
"Oh, hi." Cam's green eyes widened as acted surprised to see me. "What you doing here?" It's so annoying to see him with that sarcasm.
How-
I blinked in confusion. Okay, did he get up here first before I did? How did he get up here so fast? And not to assume but if he was following me then— what does he want? And why?
"I was about to ask the same thing?"
He was softly smirking, "Wait, are you following me?" he asked as he was taking a bite of his croissant. As soon as I got a glimpse of his lunch, especially that coffee drink, my stomach began to tremble from hunger.
"Following you? No." I heard myself scoff as I irritably shook my head. Why did I sound so defensive about this? "But, are you?"
"How adorable of you to assume I followed you when this roof has always been my place to chill ever since I got here— first."
"Okay, how did you even get up here?" I asked since I didn't see him walked out that door in my sight.
"Oh, there's a shortcut."
I looked around and shrugged my left shoulder with my lips pouted. "A shortcut? What- did you fly or something? I don't see any shortcut here." Okay but what if there's a secret passage door here somewhere although this is castle after all? Is there even one?
He smiled, bit his bottom lip in amusement, nodded, "Hmm— Maybe? cause it was easy to get my way here than running up the stairs like you did," and he pointed to the door that I went through.
"Sure." I looked away and firmly bit my Hershey's chocolate bar, and I could still smell the coffee he was drinking from his cup, which made me immediately crave a cup of coffee.
"Look, I don't really mind if you were following me—"
"Whatever pleases you, just keep dreaming." I scoffed.
Cam smiled amusedly, got to his feet, and spun around the warrior angel between us. He sat down and set the paper bag and tumbler down next to me. "Care for a coffee?"
I wanted to ignore him as I raised my knees up and focused on my empty page of my journal over my thighs. "I think your stomach needs a fill." Cam said as he pulled out an another cup for coffee and poured the drink from his tumbler, grabbed a freshly wrapped croissant from the paper bag, and went little closer before handing it to me.
I heard myself groan before I looked up at the food and said, "I know, you don't need to remind me." since I couldn't hold my hunger any longer, I had an urge to take his offer.
He teasingly said, "Skipping meals is bad," and downed some of his coffee. He added, "Oh, it's all good and clean, don't worry."
I sighed as I grabbed the croissant and he set the cup of coffee down next to me. "Thanks." I slightly muttered.
He just smiled faintly and nodded.
"Espresso. Where did you get all of this?" I said as tasted it and was completely impressed.
"In the office."
My lips curled in amusement as I said, "Wow." I wanted to ask him how he did it, and I thought it's cool that he was able to steal some goods, but I am too stoic to strike up a conversation ever since of the incident with the shadows back there made me feel anxious and furious, and now I'm mentally worn out.
Cam and I were sitting between the warrior angel statue and gargoyle, with the paper bag between us, ALONE at the rooftop. Which is surprising when I don't feel uncomfortable around him— on the contrary, I feel comfortable.
As I feel— familiar with this feeling.
Okay, I need to stop thinking about that.
Cam also bought a lot more than just a coffee and delicious croissants, he opened the paper bag and took the goods out; a pack of potato chips, popcorn and muffin but I still don't know where he got this box of blueberries which I love.
"Enjoy." Cam said, setting the water bottle next to me before leaning back against the statue of the warrior angel, his legs crossed, and he gazed up at the sky.
About the view around the castle. I can really see the whole place, the green grasses on the ground, a garden, courtyard, cemetery and forests and especially the amazing view from the sky. I can see almost the whole world from up here. It's kinda... beautiful from up here.
I wanted to sketch these views but when I looked back at him. I had an urge to make a piece for him. My pencil between my fingers twitched over the paper. I sighed and looked down and drew a light circle for margin. Then when I returned my gaze, he spoke up-
"Hmn, you're not scared of heights?" he looked down at me, gazing on my eyes. Unlike Cam, he wasn't too stoic to strike up a conversation.
"I'm not scared of anything," I said, despite the fact that thinking about shadows makes me uncomfortable rather than scared, as I began to realize. I took a bite of croissant and looked away, then gave him a quick glance because I don't want to make eye contact at this moment when we're both alone.
"Oh?" Cam sat up straight, moved his leg closer to his abdomen, and rested his arm over his knee, looking at me with his green eyes in interested. I wonder if he was really gazing at me at all or at the view of that pretty cumulus clouds and forests behind me.
"Why would I? I know how life goes. Life's a meaningless."
I shook my head, I closed the journal and put it back on my bag.
"Can't disagree with that." He smirked and watched the garden with some people around. "Life's a bitch."
"And I agree with that." I pointed him and he laughed softly. I finally grabbed my coffee and took a two sips and tasted the richness flavor and it made my energy boost and calm down my nerves.
I took another bite of my croissant. "I mean, if I cared about life so much, I wouldn't be here with my stalker." I teased and shrugged childishly before jumping down on the next layer of the rooftop, standing near the edge, and leaning my shoulder on the principal angel statue while eating my croissant.
Cam's lips curled in amusement as he grinned at my silly joke, "Just a friend. Not a stalker." he explained, gesturing his hands to prove his point.
"Hm.. Friend." I pursed my lips and scrunched my nose, acting as if I was still thinking about that word before exchanging it, then when I straightened my spine, I almost slipped from the small piece of rock I stepped into as I wanted to walk towards him and take a seat, but I propped myself up with my elbow over the concrete next to me.
"Jesus! Be careful, (y/n)," Cam jumped down and extended his hand, his eyes fixed on me intensely.
I sniggered, "I am." and walked back to the gargoyle statue, stepping to the plate of it to make myself climb back the first layer of the rooftop.
Cam shook his head and brushed his dark hair through the back of his head as he watched me return to my seat.
I was amused by his reaction, it was adorable. I lowered the croissant and grabbed the water bottle, it was awkward that he only brought one, and though he didn't mind because he thought I needed it more than he did.
He looked up at me while I was busy admiring the view, walked over, and rested both of his arms on the concrete next to my thighs. He took two blueberries from the box and popped them into his mouth briefly.
"Take some." he said as he pushed the box closer to my thigh. I looked down at him, and he smiled faintly before taking another blueberry.
"Thanks, my favorite," I said as I picked three pieces and placed them in my mouth before closing my bottled water after a sip. Wow, "my" bottled water. "Water?" I asked, sheepishly raising the bottle in front of him while he looked around. He looked at the water, then back at me.
"I'm good. It's yours," he said, and smiled with his nose wrinkled. Okay, he— looked so cute doing that.
"All right, it's better to stay hydrated than dehydrated," I said as I took a sip of water, and I noticed Cam looking at me with intrigue.
"Why?" Cam teased. "Do you really want to share it knowing both of our lips will touch with that thing?"
My stomach lurched and my cheeks burned from blushing. "Ew. Gross." I gave him a grim expression, but I ended up smiling anyway, just because it was funny when he said that out of nowhere.
"We may never know it's actually dangerous for us." he said, leaning against the concrete.
"What?" I laughed softly and he looked over his shoulder, at me and he shrugged.
"Because we might die for it, or you might die for it, from such unknown saliva-health-issues, and I'll be the one to blame."
Saliva health issues? Stop, I wanna laugh so loud and just that I slightly snorted like a child "Eww—What? It's not like you always smoke and take drugs— right?" I stared at him purposely while holding my laugh. But did he mention blaming himself? Why though?
"There's only one thing I do to keep myself sane, and it's not drugs." Cam replied grimly with a tiny smile, shrugging and looking away.
"You smoke?"
"Do you?"
"No."
"Okay. Good."
"Hmm.. I've been thinking about to try it."
"Don't."
I laughed it off and wanted to ask why, but then I averted my eyes when I asked this instead, "But— do you ever think about quitting smoking?"
Cam looked back at me again, this time straight to my eyes, he was examining me like I was unreadable or readable book at the same time.
"Why do you want me to?"
"I don't care but— it's bad for you."
"Aw, she suddenly cares about her stalker." He took a cigarette box from his pocket, took one piece, placed it on his bottom lip, and when he was about to light it with his little silver box lighter with a snake symbol printed on it, he looked at me while covering his mouth to light the cigar, then he looked away from me just to exhale it through his nose.
I rolled my eyes and looked at his back; his dark hair is smooth, and he has a tattoo of something over his nape that I couldn't see clearly because of the collar of his leather jacket and a shadow from the angel statue covering it.
"Thought you were my friend." I mimicked him, as I finished my croissant and took another sip of coffee.
Cam scoffed and chuckled softly before returning my gaze. "So, what happens if I quit smoking?" he asked, taking a sip of his own cup of coffee.
"Like now?"
He simply shrugged his right shoulder and smiled before exhaling the smoke once more
"How should I know?" I gave a puzzled look.
"What will you do to me if I quit?"
He smirked softly and glanced at his cigar between his fingers, he turned around and leaned over with both of his arms resting next to my thighs again as I began to notice we were so close to each other and all I could feel nothing but comfort which why I had a puzzled look on my face.
Cam looked at me with softened eyes, as if he was searching for my response.
I gulped after taking another sip of my coffee, licked my lips, and tilted my head to the side, and a nervous laugh escaped from my mouth, as if I had just had the worst mental block ever.
"I don't know what to answer to that question— yet."
Cam raised his brows and grinned, "Yet?" he asked, before lowering the cigarette next to his lap.
"Okay, by the way— why are you so nice to me?" I change the subject just as my heart starts racing from the way he looked at me, so I had to ask this random question. But like? We just met and are already acting as if we've known each other for a long time.
Cam returned the cigarette to his bottom lip and exhaled before pushing it on the concrete to put out the fire as he finished it. "Probably because there's a new cute girl in school and I need more cool friends." he shrugged.
"Where are your other cool friends?"
"Busy being cool."
"Do they even exist?"
"Hey, don't look at me like I'm some loner kid, cute girl." he said a little sarcastically.
I blushed and shook my head in disbelief, saying, "You know... you kind of remind me of someone." I just had to let out my thoughts.
He returned my stare with seriousness. "Someone who?" He smiled, but his eyes remained serious.
"I don't know— I mean, like you just— looked familiar. I don't know, never mind." I waved him off, and I couldn't believe I was starting a conversation.
"So you're hanging out with me because I remind you of someone else—" He clenched his jaw and glanced on his foot as he finished his sentence "-someone you know?"
My cheeks flushed as I raised my brow and almost stammered, "What? Aren't you hanging out with a girl just because she's cute?"
"It's the truth." He stated and averted his gaze, and now I couldn't feel my cheeks from blushing.
"Well— I was just saying you look familiar, but I don't think I've ever met anyone who looked like you, which is strange."
"And here I am.." He looked back at me teasingly.
I rolled my eyes and changed the subject again, saying, "I really admire staying at a high place like this." I looked around, admiring the shape of clouds, the forest, and the garden from below. "Because, you know, not to sound cheesy— it just feels like I'm really on top of the world, as if I'm flying and can see everything."
"Pretty accurate." Cam blinked his left eye from the hard breezed swayed over us including my hair.
"You can just see the whole world, one world it is, but see all the people down there, they have their own," I sighed amusedly.
Cam turned his head without looking at me, and he frowned slightly, as if he had heard what I said before. "What's your world like? " He asked.
"Probably there's nothing good in mine," I tapped the cup of coffee, gazing into the distance.
"What made you think of that?"
"Mine's cursed," I shrugged as I sipped my coffee.
Cam looked up at me, as if he could relate and was searching for words carefully as he tried to say something.
"I believe so." I added.
"Everyone's cursed," Cam said, not looking at me. "We're all going through some stuff that can also hurt us without us knowing sometimes, so, yes, everyone is, but that doesn't make you a bad person." He took another sip of his coffee.
I returned my gaze to Cam, examining his features, even just his side profile. He almost looked like a painting, with a nostalgic view behind him, and if only I could draw that in my journal. I set my cup of coffee beside me, held my knees and I scrunched my nose "Gosh, this is getting dramatic." I joked as I gave a little laugh to lighten up the mood and reminding myself that this is just a friendly lunch break.
"Oh, kill me," Cam said with a soft chuckle, which made me smile and shake my head.
I rolled my eyes slightly and changed the subject for the final time, "How long have you been here at this academy?"
He gulped before speaking up, "They expelled me last spring— then they brought me back yesterday." He then grabbed his croissant and took a bite, licking the crust over his lower lip.
"Hm, welcome back," I said as I popped some blueberries in my mouth.
Cam smirked faintly, turned to face me, rested his temple on his fist, and asked, "So, how did you end up here?"
"It's a long story." That was all I wanted to say as I didn't want to say more but— from the way Cam looks at me, he's so willing to listen on every word I say. I let out a heavy sigh and continued, "Maybe I'm not what everyone thinks like I am something good?"
"Like how not good?"
"A very very bad than good." Yeah, like I accidentally killed someone last month.
"That's something— hard to believe."
What does he mean by that? I scoffed and shook my head slightly in response to his reaction. I joked, "Yeah, just like no guy asked for my number in this school today."
"Nah. I'm sure there's a line of guys at this academy competing for your attention."
I cocked my head, remembered Daniel and his friends from a while ago, and narrowed my eyes at him, teasingly asking, "And here you are."
Cam blushed as he raised his hand in surrender gesture, "I'm just trying to make friends with new kids." he said almost defensively.
He grinned and shook his head as I teased him before he defended himself. Then I looked down at him, leaned over a little, and looked into his green eyes, which were examining mine. "How do you know guys will be interested in me in that way?"
Then he looked back, his eyes softened, and he tilted his head, "Maybe you're more than just the new girl at school, (y/n), there's something about you."
Okay, wait— was he still teasing me?
"Something about what? Like I'm cute?" I scoffed, mocking him. "But isn't Luce the new girl too though?... Hm?"
"Sometimes we have no idea how our actions affect other people (y/n), and maybe you have something like that— but you're rebellious, aren't you?... Hm?"
He ignored my latest question, instead he was explaining as if he knows who I am. He locked his gaze on mine. My heart was pounding loudly when he gazed at my lips before returning to my eyes.
Our eyes locked, the world behind us beginning to fade, and just the two of us alone in this moment. This odd moment of familiarity. Something about the way Cam looks at me tells me to remember a— something I need to remember.
I was the first to look away from his gaze, frowning from the strange sensation and my heart racing from the way he looked at me. What is he doing to me?
I shook my head to exchange thoughts on my mind that would only keeping me feel confused, and I clapped my hands to get the crumbs off my palm, not intending to break the intense eye contact with Cam, who was also looking away and sucking the tip of his fingers after eating croissant. I returned the box of blueberries to the paper bag and drank the entire bottle of water until it was finished. Cam noticed me grabbing my bag and wearing it as I prepared to leave. "Hey, I have to go study— wait actually, someone invited me to this soccer tryout, I wanna check that out first."
"Sounds more fun than the first one," he stated as he easily propped himself up with both of his palms to lift himself and sit next to me on the concrete.
"Yeah, and— hey, thanks again for this free lunch, I don't know why you're so nice like you know me personally," I said with an amused-puzzled smile, and I let out a tiny laugh as I stood on my feet. "Well, see you Cam."
He talked to me as if he knew my life or what I'd been through, which was odd and funny. Sometimes having a heart-to-heart with a stranger isn't so bad.
But is Cam really stranger to me?
"Don't mention it." He smirked softly before picking up the box of blueberries from the paper bag and saying, "Take this with you." He looked up and handed it to me.
"You sure?"
"I'm sure it's your favorite, and you must take this." he chuckled a little nervously.
I blushed in embarrassment that I could have asked why, but— this was so unexpected, not just this but everything that has happened today, and I know I just met Cam, but deep inside he seems so familiar, and he's actually soft than his tough looks which is more unexpected. I scoffed and grabbed the box, "Okay, thanks, Sherlock." I didn't notice a soft giggle escape my mouth as I took a step backwards to the exit door, my cheeks flushing.
[▶️]
Cam teased with a sarcastic warning look, "Just don't share it with your Daniel." So, Cam and the guy I was talking to back there seemed to know each other very well based on their exchanged glances.
"A-ha, my selfish ass would never." I scoffed and made my way to the door, turning and giving him a last smile and a wink, giving a, Alright, see you later. Cam just chuckled softly, his cheeks flushed, and he waved his hand before I opened the door and went downstairs.
Cam rested his back on the angel statue and pulled this old pocket watch from his right pocket, which had a chain clipped around his belt, shaped rounded and colored silver with a snake and little roses pattern around it, it looked vintage. He flipped it over and there were initial letters with a "+" symbol between their first letter names. He caressed it, opened the watch, it's broken and no longer works because it's so old with a little crack in the side, but it's still beautiful and looks the same, and it means so much to him. This was more than a gift, it was a memory he'll never forget.
He will never forget that time.
Cam cast a long glance at the door where I exited, his smile fading and his expression turning sorrowful.
...
»— ⊷ ☩ ⊶ —«