CAM KNEW the perfect time to confess his feelings to Nini (even though she pretty much already knew them) was opening night. He felt more than confident. In fact, he knew it would have a good outcome as long as she wanted something from it.
"You think she'd even like it?" Cam asked, tossing the paper ball up at the ceiling. He was lying on his bed, Ashlyn sitting at his desk. "I mean... it's stupid."
"A love letter from eighth grade?" Ashlyn's eyes flickered between her brother and the letter in her hands. He winced, flinching backwards.
"Right," he grumbled, sitting up and grabbing the letter out of Ashlyn's hands. "It's stupid."
"No!" she exclaimed, smiling. "It's not. She's gonna love it."
Cam raised a suspicious brow. "You sure?"
"Positive."
+
Cam couldn't help himself— he arrived back at East High a couple hours before the show was set to start, and he was surprised to see Miss Jenn already lingering inside the gym. She jumped when the door shut, and he flinched back.
"Sorry!" he said, holding his hands up. "Didn't mean to startle you."
"Cameron!" she exclaimed, looking somewhat brightened. "You're really early!"
"I know." he said, shrugging a little, "I just... I didn't know what do with myself all afternoon."
"Let me guess; opening night jitters?" she suggested, tilting her head at him.
"Something like that." he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm just a little off, and it's my first ever musical, so-"
"I understand the stress you're under. All I can tell you is what my director told me the night somebody sneezed a blueberry muffin onto the stage during a regional production of South Pacific. Use it."
"Okay..." he drew out, his eyes shifting around.
"Besides, if you're the only actor with opening night jitters we are in excellent shape." just as the words left her mouth, the door behind them opened again, and Nini entered the gym.
"I d-didn't know anyone would be in here." Nini said nervously, gripping her backpack a little tighter.
"Welcome." Can motioned around awkwardly, his heart racing in his chest. "You, uh... you nervous?"
Nini bit her lip. "Little bit. I just realized this morning this is the first time I've been cast as the lead on purpose."
"But it won't be the last." Miss Jenn assured her, winking. She turned to Cam. "Tell her the muffin story."
He tilted his head, squinting. "Do I have to?"
"Listen, I'm going to run." Miss Jenn held up her hands. "I'll see you in a couple hours for pre-game. Just take a second, both of you and... soak in the stillness."
She exited the gym, leaving the two costars to stare at one another with stupid smiles on their faces. Suddenly, a sand bag fell on the stage.
"Sorry!" shouted someone from above. "I think that was me."
"Okay, how many people are in here?" shouted Nini, frowning. She looked back down at Cam. "Do you want to..."
"Yeah, sure." nodded Cam, following her out into the hallway. Once the door closed, he leaned up against it, sighing out. "I can't believe I'm doing this. It's... insane."
"I-I was just thinking the same thing." she said, nodding. "A-About me, of course." he laughed gently, swallowing thickly as he pushed his hand into the pocket of his sweatpants. "Hey... that other night, in the theater, i-in that room, I..."
"Listen, that..." Cam saw the anxious look on Nini's face, and his heart fell. "I mean, I get it. No worries, I-I get it. It was a... tough day. I mean... we-we're all in a really weird... place-"
"Ye-Yeah, totally weird. It's cool." Nini crossed her arms. The hand that was reaching into her backpack retreated, and Cam furrowed his brows together.
"We're... We're cool, right?" Cam asked, leaning his head forward. "Because... I don't not want to be good with you."
"Yes. Yes, totally cool." she sounded vaguely British. "Cool."
"So, so... so, I'll see you before the show?" he wanted nothing more than to tear the note in half.
"Yes."
"Good luck tonight." Cam offered a reluctant thumbs-up, watching as she walked away from him. As soon as she rounded the corner, he slapped himself in the forehead, groaning.
+
The show was bound to start any minute, and Cam's heart was racing out of control. He felt sick, and was sitting, bent over, pretty much the entire time. The only one that could offer him any support was Ricky.
"I'm really nervous, too." he admitted, rubbing his hands together. "I mean, am I really cut out to play Ryan?"
"Yes!" Cam assured him, putting his hand on Ricky's shoulder as he stood up. "Yes, you are. I promise. I mean... you've been doing absolutely amazing so far, and," he put the black fedora on Ricky's head, "the fedora suits you."
"Shut up, man." laughed Ricky, his face brightening as he saw the way Cam's nerves had faded.
"We've got mystery flowers, people!" yelled Carlos, coming into the back.
"Those are massive." EJ said from the corner of the room, typing away on his phone.
"Why mystery?" chuckled Big Red, turning deep red.
"There's was no card, so, I'm guessing it's dealer's choice. But, if I had to bet I would say it's for our leading lady." he gestured to Nini, who put a hand over her heart and smiled at Cam.
"Oh, it's... not from me." Cam held his hands up in surrender. "Sorry."
"It's okay." she waved a dismissive hand, shrugging,
"Half hour!" someone shouted, and Cam looked up, panicked.
"Okay, last touches, anyone?" Kourtney called out, holding up her palette. "Speak now, or forever hold your face!"
"Why?" Seb queried, turning around to look at her curiously. "Where are you going to be during the show?"
Before she could answer his question, Miss Jenn paced into the room. She was smiling widely. "My beautiful babies, let's gather round for some housekeeping! First of all, who brought Versailles?"
"No one knows." shrugged Carlos, standing up.
"Well, I suppose we'll just have to share, then. Oh, and speaking of sharing most of you know that our dazzling Taylor had to leave under family circumstances," Ricky's face fell, and Cam put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Gina sends her love and support to all of you, but unfortunately she's on the East Coast and won't be able to make it to tonight's performance And so, I have asked Kourtney to fill in, in her stead."
Cam grinned brightly, giving a thumbs-up to Kourtney, who beamed back at him as everyone else around them began cheering loudly for her. He was very proud of her— she deserved it.
"So, now, what I would like to do is please think of a word or phrase from the show that expresses where your head is, or your goals for tonight If anyone wants to share?"
Big Red cleared his throat. "'You're my guys and this is our team.'"
"What if you want to try something really new, and it's a total disaster and all your friends laugh at you?'" Ricky said hesitantly, elbowing Cam, who rolled his eyes.
"Uh... 'I don't want to be the school's freaky genius girl again.'" he said monotonously, and Nini stifled a laugh.
"'Do you ever feel like there's this whole other person inside of you just looking for a way to come out?'" Nini voiced, sounding uncertain.
"'Do the romp and strut your stuff!'" exclaimed Carlos.
"'My shower head is very impressed with me,'" grinned Kourtney— Cam was beginning to grow tired of the quotes.
EJ knocked his shoulder into Ashlyn's. "'I'm proud to call you my sister.'"
"It's close enough." she said, shrugging. "'My nail beds are history.'"
Seb shrugged with a grin on his face. "'Sharpay's kind of cute, too.'"
"'So is a mountain lion but you don't pet it!'" the rest of the group echoed. Cam sighed in relief when no one else spoke up.
"And I'll just say, no matter what happens tonight," Miss Jenn breathed out, smiling proudly, "we're all in this together. Okay, Wildcats, take a moment to settle your nerves If we had a curtain, it would be up in twenty minutes!"
There was an outburst of nervousness and excitement through the group, and Cam had to sit down to regain his composure.
"Hey," EJ said, grinning at his younger cousin. "You got this. I'm putting all my confidence in you."
"Must've been a daring thing to do." snickered Cam, rolling his eyes. EJ grinned, grabbing his jersey from the girl that handed it to him. "You've got it, too, Chad."
EJ gave him a thumbs-up, and before they could exchange anything else, Cam was called over by Kourtney to quickly fix his makeup.
And then, Ricky raced into the room, looking absolutely ecstatic. Cam raised a brow curiously.
"My parents are here together!" the curly-haired boy, pointed out towards the crowd. "Also Big Red can't use a soundboard to save his life."
"Wish I could say I'm surprised." said Nini quietly, coming up beside Cam and rocking back and forth on her heels. She looked over at him, and Cam couldn't help but raise his brows at how beautiful she looked. "You ready?"
"Oh, well, you know." he shrugged, but said nothing else.
"Hey!" Miss Jenn exclaimed from the doorway. "Troy and Gabriella are on in thirty seconds!"
"Oh, lovely." grumbled Cam, paling. Nini giggled, taking his hand and leading him back into the gym. She squeezed his hand gently before they emerged onto stage and did their part.
"You have an amazing voice." Cam said, his voice shaking slightly. Nini gave him a comforting smile as he continued. "You're a singer, right?"
"Just the church choir is all." Nini replied with a small shrug. "I tried a solo and nearly fainted."
"Really?" Cam raised a brow. "Why's that?"
"I took one look at all the people staring only at me and the next thing I knew I was staring at the ceiling." the crowd laughed and Nini let a small smile cross her face. "End of solo career. But you sounded like you've done a lot of singing."
"Sure, lots." Cam nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, my shower head is very impressed with me." the crowd laughed, and Cam turned a slight pink.
"Oh, gosh!" Nini feigned shock, looking out towards the crowd. "Sounds like the fireworks have started. Can you hear them?" there was silence for a few minutes before the quarter buzzer went off, making Nini and Cam jump back in shock.
"At least he's trying." whispered Cam, covering his mic as he grinned at Nini. Within a few minutes, their first scene together was done, and they were heading back to the rest of the crew.
"You were amazing!" Nini gushed, putting a hand on Cam's arm. "Like, totally... just-"
"Oh, you're one to talk." he retorted, making her blush deeply. "Think you're a better Gabriella than Vanessa Hudgens herself."
"Okay, sure." Nini rolled her eyes as they reentered the backstage, where Kourtney was practicing her dancing. She looked tentative, and Carlos was half-grimacing, half-smiling.
"How's it going?" Nini asked when they entered, and Kourtney whined.
"I think she's getting it!" exclaimed Carlos, waving his hands at Kourtney, who frowned.
"Oh, my God, there's like a hundred parts," she groaned out.
"Yeah, that was two counts of eight, but keep drilling it, though."
"I don't know about this." sighed Kourtney, sitting down on the bench. Nini looked back at Cam, who was being motioned out to the hallway to change.
"Good luck, Kourt." he winked at her. "You'll do great." she groaned again at his words.
+
"You know what, dude?" sighed Cam from beside EJ as they "walked" down the "hallway." In actuality, they were just moving in place against a moving sheet. "Can't make it tonight. Gotta catch up on homework."
EJ's eyes widened, looking at Cam in disbelief. "What? Hello, we're only on the second day back I'm not even behind yet, and you know I've been behind on homework since preschool." the audience laughed.
"That's hilarious." Cam said dryly, patting EJ's shoulder. "Catch you later." he headed backstage, leaving EJ to gaze at the audience.
"Homework?" EJ mumbled, raising a brow. "There's no way..."
When Cam and EJ arrived back with the rest of the crew, Kourtney was practicing her split. She couldn't go down that far, and she was grimacing. Cam and Nini exchanged worried glances.
"Carlos this is as far as I can split." she whimpered out, sounding close to tears. Cam sighed quietly, crossing his arms.
Suddenly, Miss Jenn ran into the room, her eyes widened brightly. She was overly excited. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for Stick To The Status Quo. This is our biggest Act One showstopper and you're all going to kill it because I love you. Any questions?"
"I have a couple hundred." Kourtney raised a quick hand.
"Wait, how is the Taylor dance break going to work?" Seb queried, tilting his head to the side. "Gina's tray-ography is really complex."
"I can run to the pit and have the orchestra cut that part!" offered Carlos, but there were echoes of disbelief and disapproval as he said so.
"Or we could just have Gina do it!" Kourtney exclaimed, sounding thrilled. Cam turned towards the doorway, and there indeed was Gina. Nini tensed up beside him as a bright smile grew on his face.
"Gina!" everyone shouted, running towards her. "How did you get here?"
"A friend bought me a last-minute flight back." she responded, smiling at Cam, who grinned back. "I was going to drop off these cupcakes and then hide in the gym and cheer you guys on."
"Gina." huffed out Kourtney, shaking her head. "No one in the gym wants to hide more than I do right now."
Gina examined Kourtney's outfit. "Wait, are, are you playing Taylor?"
"I was, and it was nice and now it's your turn to save me and do the dance." Kourtney clasped her hands together. "Please. I'm begging you."
Everyone, including Gina, turned towards Miss Jenn. Gina raised a brow, "Can I?"
Miss Jenn looked like she was debating whether or not she could give Gina the green light, but then she beamed. "Of course. You can do the curtain call together. Let's hit the halls, people!"
+
Gina was killing it, and although Cam had only been able to watch for a few minutes before going to get his costume changed, he knew she was outshining everyone on the stage.
"You good?" asked EJ, who was already wearing his Chad outfit. Cam was practically hyperventilating, it was the biggest scene by a mile— at least for him. He'd practiced relentlessly, and he knew he was ready, but it didn't stop him from panicking.
"I got it." Cam nodded, smiling as he thought of his parents in the audience.
"Troy and ballers in five minutes!" announced Carlos, with Ricky right behind him. Ricky looked pale and shaky, and Can immediately walked over to him, taking his jersey with him.
"Ricky, what's up?" he asked, putting a hand on Ricky's shoulder. Ricky turned to him, shaking his head.
"My mom brought her new boyfriend." he muttered through a clenched jaw. "I-I can't... do it..."
"It's okay," Cam assured him, trying to ignore the fact that Kourtney was ushering him into the changing station. "You've got it, Rick!"
Within a few minutes, Cam was bouncing a basketball off the hardwood— it felt natural. He'd spent hours upon hours in that same gym playing actual basketball, and he had the moves perfected. He didn't even mind that Nini was watching him from behind.
Just keep your head in the game. You got to...
Get'cha get'cha head in the game
You got to
Get'cha get'cha head in the game
Come on, get' ha get'cha head in the game
We got to... Get'cha get'cha head in the game
Let's make sure that we get the rebound
Because when we get it, then the crowd will go wild, Cam motioned to the audience before him, and they all cheered loudly.
A second chance got to grab it and go
Maybe this time we'll hit the right note, Cam clutched his jersey, leaning up against EJ before shaking his head.
Wait a minute, not the time or place
Wait a minute, get my head in the game
Wait a minute, get my head in the game
Wait a minute...
Wait a minute... got to
Get my, get my head in the game
I got to... get my, get my head in the game
Come on, get my, get my head in the game
I got to get my, get my head in the game
Behind him, Cam's "teammates" were attaching him to the harness he needed to finish the act. While Cam definitely had a fear of heights, they'd practiced. He was fine. He was lifted into the air, a basketball in his hands as he moved towards the basket in front of him.
Why am I feeling so wrong,
My head's in the game
But my heart's in this song,
She makes this feel so right,
Should I go for it?
Cam's eyes landed on the audience, and there he saw the state coach staring at him with furrowed brows— Cam's dad was beside him, smiling widely.
But the coach didn't look amused. He looked disappointed, and Cam could feel his future slipping away. Somehow, the ball landed in the basket, but Cam still felt confused— he didn't even know where he was.
I got to shake this, yikes!
Cam could hardly hear the music playing around him as he tried to remember the dance. Everything was foggy, and he could hear EJ hissing his name. He was a mess.
He stumbled back to the curtains where everyone was waiting for him. Carlos looked genuinely concerned. Kourtney was watching him out of the corner of her eye.
"Cam, are you okay?" Ashlyn approached them, placing a gentle hand on his arm. She was dressed fully as Miss Darbus, and looked like she was about to get on stage.
"I..." Cam trailed off, shaking his head. "Has anyone seen Nini? I can't... I can't do this. I feel like I need a miracle to face Act Two."
"Nini's in a quick change booth right now." Kourtney informed him, approaching the group. "She seems a little nervous."
"Wait, why, what happened?" Cam shook his head, his voice wavering. He needed Nini.
"I thought I was doing a good thing but I think it backfired." Kourtney sighed, pointing to a woman in the audience. "You see that lady with the clipboard out there?" Cam followed her point and saw the woman she was talking about. He nodded. "That's the dean from the performing arts school she was looking at."
"You invited her?" asked Cam, turning towards her.
"Cam, what happened?" Ashlyn demanded, looking worried.
"Dad invited the coach!" Cam hissed hoarsely. "He's here, and he's... judging me, Ash! You should've seen the look on his face! He looked disgusted!" his chest was heaving. "I need to see EJ."
He couldn't be there for Nini; it was her moment, and he was only going to drag her down. He needed someone stable to be there for her.
"You need to do the second act." Cam burst into the dressing room, ripping his jersey over his head and handing it to EJ, who looked confused. "As Troy."
"Are you okay?" EJ asked worriedly, and Cam was beginning to grow tired of the question.
"Fine." he muttered, rolling his eyes. "Just not good enough to help Nini get to where she wants to go... you need to do this."
"Wait, what are you talking about?"
"I'm screwing up out there, EJ, you saw me!" Cam exclaimed, motioning back to the stage. "I can't... go out there and ruin Nini's night because I'm a mess. There's someone in the audience who could change her life. She needs her best shot to impress them, and you're the Troy she needs right now. Will you do it?"
"Cam-"
"Go on." Cam pushed the jersey into EJ's chest. "Take it, EJ."
+
"There you are," said Cam's dad, coming out into the hallway where Cam was pacing. He was still wearing his final act outfit in case he mustered up the courage to go on. "Hey. Are you okay?"
"Fine, Dad." Cam said shakily, swallowing thickly. "I'm good."
"You don't look good." his dad chuckled uncomfortably, and Cam scoffed a little.
"Why did you have to invite the coach, Dad?" he asked, his throat stinging with the pain of held-back tears. "He... He looked..."
"I didn't realize it bothered you that much."
"He rejected me because of the show, Dad," hissed Cam, tears escaping his eyes as his voice cracked. His dad looked absolutely heartbroken as Cam leaned back against the wall, burying his head in his hands. "Oh, God."
"Cameron," said his dad, "you are the most talented kid of all time. I know you. He doesn't, and if he's going to judge you based off of your other talents, then that's his problem. You should just..." Cam's dad trailed off as the doors opened again, revealing the state coach.
Cam's face was wet with his own tears, and he quickly turned back against the wall until the coach retreated down the hallway.
+
"'SOS! Don't freak out but EJ is going on as Troy.'" sighed Nini, reading the texts that Cam had sent her. "'I am so sorry, but the coach showed up and I'm just so off. You deserve a real leading man out there in front of that scout, and I can't ruin your future because I'm an idiot.'"
"Well I guess that's sort of sweet in a really dumb way," shrugged Kourtney with a hopeful smile on her face.
"I need to talk to him." Nini was already dressed up, but her eyes landed on Gina, who was comforting Ricky. "I can't go on without him, Kourt. You saw me out there with EJ."
Kourtney sighed. "You need to be back before the last act, Nini."
"I-I know," Nini said dismissively, before standing up and going out into the hallway, where Cam was still pacing.
"Cam," she said quietly, and he turned towards her.
"Oh... Nini." he mumbled, playing with the sleeves of his tracksuit. "Please don't yell at me, I really can't..." he was cut off when Nini walked into him, wrapping her arms around him and embracing him tightly.
"I can't do this without you, Troy." she said with a smile. "I know you think you're a mess, but you should've seen me when I was with EJ and not you."
Cam swallowed; he was pretty sure he was making up the double meaning of her words. She stepped back, taking his hand in hers, the smile remaining.
"And I appreciate you... sacrificing your stardom for me," she continued, biting her lip, "but believe me, if that scout doesn't want me even if you look like an idiot, then I don't want her. I need to be out there with you, Cam."
"I don't want to hold you back." he told her hoarsely.
"You could never. I think we're late for our queue."
He smiled brightly at her, allowing her to seize his hand and pull him towards the gym doors. The audience inside was murmuring in confusion at the overly-queued music.
"You know the world can see us," sang Nini, and the light immediately shot over to them. "In a way that's different than who we are, creating space between us, till we're separate hearts..."
Cam glanced over at the audience and then back at Nini. "I'm really not there, Nini." he whispered.
"Then just look at me, Cam," she whispered back, putting a hand on his chest, "only at me." She brought his hand up to hers, and he swallowed thickly.
"But your faith it gives me strength," she continued slowly, before he joined in, "Strength to believe..."
We're breaking free
We're soaring, they ran up to the stage, hand-in-hand, and the crowd cheered for them as they walked through.
Flying
There's not a star in heaven
That we can't reach
If we're trying
Yes, we're breaking free
Cam's heart was thudding against his chest as he and Nini gazed at one another, although he completely forgot about the coach and the audience. It was almost like they didn't exist at all.
Oh, we're breaking free
This is truth
We see it coming
Both of us breaking free
Soaring
Flying
There's not a star in heaven, Cam was surprised when Nini put her hands on either side of his face, resting her forehead against his as he wrapped his arms around her waist. He'd never felt so close to someone, and he never wanted to feel so close to anyone else again.
That we can't reach
If we're trying
Yes, we're breaking free
Breaking free
We're running
Climbing
To get to the place
To be all that we can be
Now's the time
Now's the time
So we're breaking free
Oh, we're breaking free
You know the world can see us
In a way that's different than who we are
Cam was brought back to reality when he and Nini let go of one another, the crowd cheering for their performance. It didn't feel like much of a performance to him, and he would do it all over again if he needed to.
They only had a few minutes before they needed to rejoin everyone else on stage for curtain call, although they watched as everyone else was given their moment to shine.
"Hey, can I... ask you something?" Cam raised a brow at Nini as EJ jumped across the stage.
"Can it wait until after we bow?" Nini laughed, grabbing his hand.
"Oh, yeah..." he said, before Nini tugged him out on the stage. Everyone around him was cheering loudly, and he grinned to himself as he bowed. When Nini bowed, he backed away, allowing her to have her time.
He went through the choreography before Nini grabbed him again, pulling him back to Miss Jenn as they handed her a tray with an apple on it. She beamed at the sight.
"You know what to say." Nini shouted out over the music, smiling.
"Is that the last apple?" shouted Miss Jenn, and the crowd began cheering loudly for her again.
"Can't believe how much I enjoyed this." said Cam, who couldn't believe he'd ever been hesitant about doing theater.
"Honey, wait till you see what I picked for the spring musical." Miss Jenn laughed, slapping him on the arm.
+
"So, who are the flowers for?" Seb asked, and Cam looked up as his sweatshirt fell on his torso.
"Everybody hold!" Carlos held up a hand as he dug through the basket. "We've got a card, people. 'To Ashlyn, because you get me.'"
"Cam! EJ!" she gushed, putting her arms around them. "Really?"
"I didn't write that." EJ laughed, holding his hands up in surrender.
"Yeah, no," Cam shook his head, grinning, "not my doing."
"I did." Big Red raised his hand up tentatively. Ashlyn turned a bright red and began smiling uncontrollably.
"Okay, if you guys stay in here any longer your parents are going to riot in the lobby!" Kourtney laughed as she entered the room. Cam cleared his throat.
"Hey." he approached her slowly. He needed to talk to her. "Have you seen Nini?"
"She's packing up." Kourtney winced. "That boarding school person took off and I think she's taking it pretty hard." Cam nodded, before heading off to the dressing room. Just like Kourtney said, Nini was swiftly packing up.
"Hey, superstar." Cam grimaced at the greeting, and Nini quickly turned around. "There you are."
"Hey, superstar." she teased, and he rolled his eyes at her before setting his bag on the seat beside him.
"Shut up." he grumbled, making her giggle. "I was wondering where you went."
"Oh, yeah." Nini gestures to her things. "Just making sure I have everything I need."
"Sorry that stupid teacher... lady left." Cam said quietly, swallowing thickly and resisting the urge to kiss Nini. "She doesn't know what she's missing. That... school is missing out on the greatest singer since Beyoncé."
"No, it's okay." laughed Nini, waving a dismissive hand.
Cam raised a brow. "You sure?"
"I don't know." sighed Nini, leaning back against the desk. "I mean, I kinda wanted to go, but maybe it's just for the best. I mean, I love East High." Cam nodded; it wasn't like he was upset Nini wasn't going. "Oh, what was your question?" Cam furrowed his brows together, humming. "The question you were going to ask me before we bowed?"
"Oh-Oh..." Cam stammered, laughing nervously. "I... you know... was just going to say... was going to ask... what happens now?"
"What do you mean?" Nini queried, tilting her head and taking a small step forward.
"I've... never been... I've never done anything like this before." he reiterated. "Never done a show or anything, so, like, what happens now, y'know?"
"Usually the theater kids cry and then we go to Denny's and eat out our sorrows." she joked, and he grinned.
"No... I mean, now that it's all over..."
"Well, it's like basketball season." Nini explained, playing with her hands. "Which you can focus on now. Just... like normal."
"Good way to put it." he nodded slowly, sighing out.
"Is that it?" she asked, and he nodded once. "Great job tonight, Cam. I'm... proud of you." she began walking out of the room, and Cam squeezed his eyes shut, his heart beating quickly as he balled his hands into fists.
"I love you, Nini!" he shouted, making her freeze in the doorway. "God... I am in love with you, Nini. I've been in love with you since the day I met you, okay? I... I need you to be around to be me, and these past few months have been the highlight of my high school years because I can't escape you, and I don't want to!" Nini was staring at him, her eyes wide and jaw dropped in admiration. "I love the way you used to draw on my hand in class, I love your stupid British accent when you get nervous, I love the way you hate math, I love... everything."
"Cam," she whispered, her voice cracking. She was smiling so wide that her face hurt.
"And I don't really know what happens tomorrow or in a minute when you walk out that door, but I know that I want us to be an us. I want to be yours Nini, and I want you to be mine! God dammit, Nini, I love you more than I have ever loved anything ever. And I don't want it to go back to the way it was if you don't... I'm just... I'm not ready for it to be over. For us to be, I mean. And if that means doing another musical, then fine, I'll sing in front of a million people!"
"I get to pick the musical." Nini laughed out, her eyes watering.
"Okay. Fine, that's fine, it's all fine I just... I don't want this to be just be a showmance, really I want it to be the real thing. I... need it to be the real thing. I can't wait around for you to pick me. I want you... I can show you-"
"Cam, you know in musicals when people burst into song when they've run out of things to say?" Nini asked rhetorically, and he paused, his hands at his sides.
"Y-Yeah?" he raised his brows tentatively.
"Sometimes it's easier to just kiss." she shrugged, and Cam let go of a breath he'd been holding in.
"Oh, yeah, totally," he sighed out, and Nini giggled before running into him, her hands on the side of his face as her lips finally landed on his. She felt just as desperate as he was, her lips continuously meeting his, and Cam could confirm it was the best kiss he'd ever had.
When Nini broke away from him, she reached into her backpack and pulled out a small bag, putting it in Cam's outstretched hand. He raised a brow at her. "Hey, wait. What's this?" he asked.
"Open it." she leaned forward, biting her lip.
He did as she told him, pulling out dog tags that read To Freaky Callback Boy on one side and NSR on the other. He grinned sheepishly. "Oh, wow." she laughed at him as he placed it over his neck. "I always wanted a necklace, and, you know, this is perfect, because it makes me feel better for buying you this." he handed her a small box, and she beamed at the sight, opening it. Inside was a guitar pick.
"'To Freaky Math Girl.'" she read aloud, smiling.
"And..." he pulled out the folded piece of paper that had been waiting patiently in his pocket all day— in fact, it'd been waiting three years. "This is a letter I wrote in eighth grade. Please... don't read it aloud now, or in front of anyone. I'd probably die of embarrassment. It's for your eyes only."
"Well," Nini blushed deeply as she took the letter, biting her lip. "Now you're 2-1, so I have to give you something."
"Fair trade."
She leaned up and pressed her lips to his again, placing her hands flat against his chest as she did so. He could feel her smiling into the kiss, and she hummed happily before falling back down, her forehead against his.
"You're a good kisser," she said, British. She placed a hand over her mouth.
"You're bloody brilliant, too," he whispered in return. Nini giggled before kissing him again, and again.
"Knock, knock," Kourtney's voice broke them apart, and Cam rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. She was grinning. "Nini, your moms are asking for you and I think your grandma wants pictures."
"Got it." Nini replied, and Kourtney quickly exited the room. "I should probably..." she pointed towards the exit, and Cam nodded.
"Oh. Yeah, yeah. Go 'head." he waved her away, although Nini grinned up at him.
"One more." she kissed him gently (twice more, actually). Cam grinned as they pulled apart. "I have to milk my boyfriend for all he's worth."
Cam felt giddy at the new term, and he laughed awkwardly, turning red. "Okay, okay I'll catch up, got to get some of this makeup off."
"Okay." Nini giggled as she exited the room, nearly running into the wall as she did so.
jack
please give me hate comments i deserve them i literally finished this chapter about five months before i even published the book LMFAO
if anyone is still alive ily im sorry i do this all the time😭😭 REMIND ME PLEASE IM SO SORRY