More dreams of Cameron came. I don't know why or how, but for the past couple nights I had dreams of him and me canoodling-yes i said canoodling. I feel like as long as I say canoodling I can pass it off as a little occurrence that wasn't very important, but as soon as I say it was very heated make out session with someone my friends and boyfriend don't like, it became serious. And I really didn't want it to be serious.
I was still dating Jack, which came in handy when my dream-self remembered spontaneously and felt icky, allowing me to breakout from the dreams. The feeling didn't leave when I woke up either, it remained throughout the day too, so I was basically completely turned off by my super hot boyfriend whenever I saw him.
Along with icky feeling, I also felt so awkward and weird around Cam, which meant I was uncomfortable 24/7! Yay! I just wish it didn't make mine and Cam's pact to stay honest with each other so difficult to maintain. Whenever he asked what was wrong, since I would do things like cringe when he touched me, I had to quickly change the subject so I wouldn't lie. And let me tell you, coming up with various random subjects and things to point out throughout the day was very hard to do after the hundredth time.
Luckily for me I didn't have to deal with Alyssa on top of this. If her and Jackie's group hadn't been severed from ours, I'm pretty sure there would've been some very obvious glares and comments in my direction-which I don't deserve. After I talked to Jackie and filled her completely in on that night, I fail to see how I'm the bad guy. Jackie said that since Alyssa thought he was coming onto me (another girl on a painfully long list that he's come onto in front of Alyssa), she needed to save her ass and came up with that lie that night of the party. I understood that I guess, but what she didn't understand was that I'm no threat. She deserves him and I'm not trying to come between them, so she can stop hating me.
But if you're not threat, then what are those dreams you've been having about Cam? My brain asks and I groan. My inner voice has been such a bitch lately. Jackie suggested a nice round of shots later this week to get me out of head, but I declined. I know everyone planned on getting shit-faced while the kids were gone to the space-camp-thing, but I wasn't. I only planned on observing.
Apparently there's gonna be a party every night they kids are gone, which means three parties all in a row. One at Dillon's, another at Aaron's, and the last one at some guy's named Sam Pottorf who I don't really remember. All their parents had gone to some resort in the Bahamas together, which meant that the boys would have no trouble throwing the party and getting away with it. I know that should make me feel more at ease but it doesn't. I think it actually makes me more worried since they'll all think they could get away with more stupid stuff. I mean three nights in a row? Is that really smart?
The sun was getting really low in the sky as I walked back to my cabin from Taylor and Aaron's where we were all hanging out. It was really pretty the way the sun set, looking like it was diving into the water, letting orange and red ripples in its wake. This time of day was definitely the best with its beautiful colors and cooler temperature. It was amazing.
But it was almost too amazing, taking up all my attention and nearly making me walk in on someone in my cabin having an argument. I stopped as I hit the first step and waited to see if I was needed in there or if I should just eavesdrop from under the window.
"What the hell is going on between you two?" I heard a girl ask and really tuned in for the answer.
"What do you mean?" A boy asked in return.
"What do you think?" The girl, who I recognized as Alyssa, replied. "One moment you're mad at her then the next you're best friends! What could've changed so quickly, Cameron?"
Cameron and Alyssa arguing? I've never seen them actually argue besides when they did playful banter. And I had feeling neither of them were being playful right now...
"We talked," he answered and I could picture Cam shrugging. If I knew Alyssa, I know that his laid back answer only made her more furious.
"You talked!" She boomed. "About what? What did she say that could've possibly flipped your entire view around?" At those words I became incredibly nervous. Was he gonna rat me out? Tell her that I revealed her secret? Was there a point to even hide it anymore?
I heard murmuring and realized I could only hear them when they were shouting or had their voices raised. If I stayed out on the porch steps there was a good chance I'd miss a lot of the conversation. Moving swiftly, I stepped off the porch and as quickly and quietly as possible, made my way under the always open window. Thank God I got really hot at night and never closes that thing!
"What do you mean you talked about stuff?" Alyssa scoffed. "Cam, c'mon I'm one of your best friends. I just wanna know what could've convinced you that she's capable of being your friend and won't leave you as soon as Jack and Jackie come calling." Her tone of voice completely shifted from rage to kindness in a matter of seconds. Even I was lulled by her voice.
Cam sighed and I heard the springs of the mattress move, suggesting someone sat down. "Cass told me that the night of their party you were supposed to tell me she couldn't go, and, well, you didn't," Cam said and I heard Alyssa gasp.
"What?" Is all I heard and my stomach twisted in knots. I had no idea how much he would tell her and I wouldn't be surprised if he told her everything.
"Cass said that you were supposed to tell me some bullshit lie that was would convince me it was ok, but really she didn't wanna go because of you."
"Because of me?" Alyssa said in faux confusion. "Why because of me?" I became a million times more nervous with that question and began praying that Cam wouldn't answer her question. If he did then I'd be-
"Because you're in love with me," Cam told her and I felt my heart drop and shatter like fallen glass. My back slid down the wall of the cabin until I hit the ground. He told her. He actually told her.
Now she'll think you're a backstabber. And honestly, you are. You sold out someone else's secret just to save who? Cameron? The one who snitched on you without thinking twice?
No. This wasn't right. I had a reason!
"She said I'm in love with you!" Alyssa screamed and my heart jumped. I grabbed at my chest and covered my mouth. No no no.
"Is she wrong?" He asked and I added my other hand over my mouth. Stop, Cameron, stop! I wanted to yell. Maybe if he left this all alone we could forget this ever happened? Maybe we could all just pretend nothing was said? But surely asking questions wasn't gonna make this go away. Just let it go away!
"Wrong to tell you?" She shouted. "Yes! Yes she is! Just because I'm not friends with her doesn't mean she can do this!"
"So she's right then?" Cam asked, but Alyssa ignored him. I heard paced walking and could easily imagine her fuming; her face nearly the color of her hair.
"Where the hell is she, Cameron? I swear to God when I find her-" She seethed and I didn't wait to hear her finish the sentence. Panic began coursing through my veins along with adrenaline and I found myself running in a matter of seconds.
Twigs and leaved crunched under my shoes as I sprinted around the outer ring of the cabins. The wind pulled at my hair and pushed against my face, causing the tears that had begun falling to trail at a backwards angle.
It wasn't my fault. It just slipped. I didn't mean to. It was bound to come out anyways. I'm really sorry. Like really sorry. It was a complete accident. I couldn't handle the pressure. The heat of the moment was just too much for me. I was scared Jack was gonna leave me. It wouldn't happen again.
"Cass?" I heard, but didn't look up. I was sobbing in front of the door and didn't have the strength to look up. I was so stupid, betraying a friends like that. She'd probably hate me now and she completely deserves to. This is what I get for trying to please everyone like always. And no surprise I just ended up screwing it all up. "Babe, what's wrong?" Jack asked picking me up and holding me against his body.
"I fucked up," I cried, burying my face in my hands. Jack walked me farther inside and I heard Johnson say that he would leave us alone.
"How? What happened?" Jack asked as soon as the door shut behind Johnson. We took a seat on his bed and Jack moved me onto his lap. "You can tell me. You know that right?" He moved my hands from my face and I felt the warm air against my tear stained cheeks.
"I know," I told him, wiping my face. "I'm just overreacting and needed someone to hold me."
"And I'm that someone?" He asked with a smile and it was contagious. I found myself smiling and even laughing a little.
"You're definitely the person," I say, wrapping my arms around his neck. Jack's smile shrinks and his eyes go a little wider as if he was stunned by my words.
"I am?" He says, holding me closer so I could feel his whole body against me clearly. I reveled in the feeling for a second and the corner of my lip turned up into a smile.
"For some weird reason you are," I shook my head.
"Yeah, weird because I don't even like you," he said before throwing me off his lap and onto the mattress.
My mouth fell agape, shadowed by a smile. I punched Jack in the arm and he bent down over my body, planting a soft kiss on my lips. "Well I don't like you more," I told him, before he kissed me again.
_____
"Where's Alyssa?" I asked Jackie when I got back to the cabin. I spent as long as I could with Jack before Johnson came back whining about how tired he was and how he needed sleep and how our make out noises would only keep him up and blah blah blah.
"I don't know. She was gone before I got here," Jackie shrugged. "Why?" Her voice was filled with pure curiosity and I knew I could get away with a quick lie right here. She suspected nothing so I could give her nothing as an answer.
"I was just wondering," I lied, laying out on my bed, "since it was getting late and all." Truth is I wanted to know how long I had to live. The secret was out thanks to Cameron and once she sees me she'll want to kill me for telling Cam without her permission.
"Oh ok," Jackie replied from her position on her bunk. She was sprawled out on the bed with her head hanging off the mattress and her feet sliding against the wall, she looked incredibly young. Although Jackie was pretty short and was often mistake for a fellow camper by new kids, this was different. She always held a mature look, but as she hung off her bed, she looked as old as her ten year olds.
Flashbacks of my sister and I on our old bunkbeds came to mind. Carson would always sit like that on her top-bunk and I had a tendency to shake the bed, which wasn't a good mix. These tendencies eventually led to a hospital visit and the taking apart of our bunkbeds, so luckily for Jackie I had my own separate bed and wouldn't be shaking her's anytime soon. I chuckle at the image of my sister falling, but stop when Jackie talks. "And where were you this fine evening?" she asks with a smirk.
"If you know the answer, why do you ask?" I roll my eyes as I fight a smile. She loved asking me where I was when she knew exactly where. If I wasn't with all my friends or just Jackie, I was always with Jack. We had endless conversations and jokes and I loved spending time with him, so of course I'd spend every moment I could with him.
Jackie loved that I loved spending time with him because she said that every moment Jack and I were together, the more likely she would be a sister-in-law. Every time she said that I wanted to remind her she's wasn't actually related to Jack, but she was just so happy I couldn't bring myself to do it. Maybe I should remind her that I would only be here for the summer and planned on never coming back and just rip off the band aid... No. I could never hurt her like that. Like you hurt Alyssa? My conscious asks, but I shove away the thought.
Jackie squeals, getting all the confirmation she needed with my one reply. "I knew it!" She laughs as she kicks her feet. "OTP!"
"Isn't that only for celebrities?" I raise an eyebrow and she huffs in response.
"It's for whoever the hell I want it to be, Callan!" Jackie tells me and I put my hands up in surrender.
"If you say so." I wasn't about to fight with her because that was a guaranteed loss and I didn't like losing. That's why I commonly avoided fights with Jackie in general. She was accustomed to get her way and if she didn't get it, she fought hard until she did.
Yeah. She was cool like that.
"Now let me sleep, Cass," she said moving to lay right in her bed, "I need my booty sleep." I stop and scrunch my eyebrows together in thought.
"Booty sleep?" I question. "Do you mean beauty sleep?" I laugh at her silly mistake, but she shakes her head.
"I meant what I said and I said what I meant," she sticks her nose in the air. "I'm already beautiful, but what I don't have is an amazing booty. I got a great one," she tells me, "but not an amazing one... Yet."
My eyebrows go up and I snicker, "whatever you say, Jay." I didn't think booties-I mean butts, work like that, but again I'm not gonna argue with Jackie. "Good night."
"Night, Babe!" She calls out before turning and facing the wall.
The sun burns through my clothes, scorching my skin as I sit and watch Cam and the kids play soccer. Right now I wish nothing more than to have a breeze or a tent or an indoor soccer field, but the camp has none of those things and I'm forced to suffer. I've burned up really badly and have been applying sunscreen every five minutes just to make sure I won't burn anymore. Cam asked if I wanted to play with them, but I couldn't risk sweating off the layers of sunscreen I applied, so I just promised to keep score instead.
It was now 3-2 and into the forty-something minute and I'm pretty sure the sun was about to turn me into a dried up raisin soon. "Cass," someone said from what sounded like a few feet behind me.
I turned around to see Alyssa walking towards me. Instantly her words went through my head: Where the hell is she, Cameron? I swear to God when I find her...
I had somehow been able to avoid her for three days; the fact that she stayed at Mahogany's helping immensely. Yeah I was surprised when I woke up and saw that she wasn't there, but I felt more joy and gratefulness so I had nearly forgotten I was surprised.
And now I was surprised once again. Surprised that Alyssa wasn't running after me with an axe threatening to sacrifice me to a god for the foul deed I had committed-and foul deed it was. I had come to terms with my mistake, but Alyssa doubtfully did.
She now stood in front of me and I looked up at her from my sitting position on the ground. My reason for sitting instead of getting up and facing her, being that if she decided to punch me, I would have a shorter fall from here than I would if I was standing. Yeah I was that sure something was gonna go down. "We need to talk," she stated once she reached me. I gulped.
"O-ok," I managed out while bobbing my head like a crazy person. Staring up at her and her flaming red hair was like staring at the sun and I quickly needed to look away. I wasn't prepared to die. I didn't even get to get payed!
Realizing I wasn't gonna get up, Alyssa sat down. I sat quietly as she sighed and stared out at the game. "I know you told Cam," she continued to stare and my heart began racing. "About me liking him..." She added when I didn't respond. She had probably thought I didn't know what she was talking about but it was the opposite. I knew exactly what she was talking about and I was petrified and silent because of it.
"Alyssa-" I began but she put up a hand, stopping me.
"I just wanna say a few things before you do," she tells me and I shut my mouth. I owed it to her, revealing her long kept secret and all. Not even her so called enemies straight out told Cam that she liked him. Fuck I'm a horrible person. "First I wanna tell you how wrong it was for you to tell Cam without talking to me about it," she said and I went to defend myself, but stopped when she shot me a look. "I didn't plan on telling Cam until after we graduated college, and I still didn't really wanna do that either, but it's too late now. He knows just like everyone else, which leads me to my second point," she stops and I swear my heart does too. Without warning Alyssa's arms go around me and I move to defend myself. My arms partially block her's from mine as she pulls me into a hug? "Thank you," she says still hugging me. Hugging me? She was hugging me wasn't she? This wasn't some secret British chokehold disguised as a hug rigjt? What the hell is going on?
"You're thanking me," I thought out loud, "but for what?" I ask and I realized I was not hugging back. I know I couldn't afford to be anymore rude but I was genuinely confused. Shouldn't she be trying to drop an anvil on my head or something super devious? Shouldn't she hate my guts?
"For telling him when I couldn't," she pulls away. "If you hadn't, I probably wouldn't and I wouldn't feel this free!" She smiled. Hesitantly I smiled back. "I feel like some weight has been lifted off my chest and I didn't even know it was there! We talked it out yesterday and my life didn't fall apart as I always thought it would! Actually it did the opposite," she laughed.
"It did?" I questioned. Fear still ran through my veins as I felt something wasn't right. Can she just be mad and make me feel more secure?
"Yep," she grinned, staring out at the field. I followed her stare to see it set on Cameron standing around midfield. As if he felt our gaze on him, he turned and smiled at Alyssa, waving as well. Alyssa waved back as cheery and chirpy as ever and I immediately knew why she was acting this way. She was in love and she was finally honest and accepting of it. But there was one other key component: Cameron.
"Are you two..?"
"Dating? Yep," she said, answering her own question. "Well not exactly, since we have our first date on Wednesday." Her eyes were almost as bright as her hair and somehow I know she has never been happier than she is right now in the moment.
"Oh," I state and feel something in the pit of my stomach. Jealousy? Really, Cass?
"But I couldn't have done this without you!" She smiles and hugs me once again. This time I wrap my arms around her too, but my face doesn't match the rest of my body as it refuses to even crack a smile. "Thank you!"
I stare off into the woods and grit my teeth. "No problem."
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Thank you absolutely everyone for reading this story!! The amount of reads is so crazy to me but I couldn't have done it without QueenUnicorns ! Thank you so much❤️