My eyes popped open around 7 a.m. to the sun shining in my eyes. I couldn't help but reminisce on what had happened the night before with Cameron. He had been so polite, and had been very protective of me, which was something I had never expected from him. Cameron had always seemed like the type of person to not care at all, but from the events from last night, I would infer that that is not the case. He cared a lot.
I rolled over to face Kylie. She was still sleeping, typical. I pulled myself out of bed and walked downstairs and into the kitchen.
"Goodmorning!", Gina said smiling. "how did you sleep?"
"very well thank you." I said returning the smile.
She returned back to whatever it was she was doing. I assumed she was doing laundry, considering she was standing by the washing machine. I found it funny how neither Cameron, nor Kylie, ever helped her do household chores. My mom would always make me do everything by myself. it suddenly hit me. My mom. I pondered the thought about telling Gina about my mother. I loved my mother, but sometimes it would be nice to be able to tell someone the treatment I endure at home. I knew she needed help, and so did I.
"Gina?", I spoke weakly.
She walked back into the kitchen and stood in front of me from across the bar. Her eyes were light, and a small smile grew on her face.
"yes dear?", she said.
I panicked. What if they sent my mother to prison? Or worse. What if i was sent to live in a foster home? I did not want my life to change drastically. Other than the slight abuse I encountered at home, I enjoyed my simple life here in Chino. I decided not to tell her and quickly snapped out of my thoughts.
"Nevermind, I forgot!", I lied.
"Well if you remember, you know where to find me!", she chuckled. She grabbed the laundry basket of folded clothes and climbed the stairs, taking the other two children their clothes. Gina was like a 2nd mom to me, and I knew I could tell her anything. But i did not want to risk having to live with a foster family, or my mother going to prison.
I wanted to speak to Cameron as soon as possible. More or less, I just really wanted to see him. i knew hanging out with him around his sister would be an absolute mistake, so I refrained from trying make contact with him while she was around.
Kylie had a dentist appointment around 3. I looked at the clock to see that it was now 2. I bit my lip, I knew Cameron would not be tagging along with Gina and Kylie to the dentist. I can just play sick, I thought. I would be a terrible best friend for this. But it was either hangout with Cameron, or go with Kylie.
I chose the obvious better answer.
To hangout with Cameron.
The drive to her dentist was about an hour away, so I knew they would be leaving any time now. I quickly jumped into Kylie's bed when I heard her foot steps headed towards her room.
"mack, Were leaving.", she said walking over to me.
"Hey Kye, I dont think I'm gonna be able to go I don't feel so well."
She looked at me with concern. "Well", she stated,"You can stay here, we shouldn't be but maybe 2-3 hours."
I nodded, and she left the room. I let out a heavy sigh. When I heard her front door shut, I sat up relieved that she had believed me. I immediately felt guilty for lying to her, but my main priority was seeing Cameron. Little did I know he had been standing in the door way the entire time, and when I turned to see him standing there it startled me.
"You played that one off well.", he said clapping. He laughed and sauntered into the room.
"Almost as good as you?", I remarked laughing.
He smirked, and leaned up against Kylie's dresser. "Nah not even close.", he teased. He had a sarcastic, yet charming demeanor about him which I admired. I had always fallen for the bad guys, yet I had failed to realize that Cameron was probably the baddest out of them all. He glanced down at his hands, and rubbed them together, before looking back at me.
"You're kinda cute when you're being a smart ass", he said giving me yet another smirk.
I felt the heat rise to my cheeks once again, and i broke the eye contact between us, before letting a smile grow on my face. I couldn't help but smile when he made small comments to me. They were a small portion of what I lived for.
"well", he said standing straight up and walking towards the door,"I think you stayed here so you could see me."
Indeed I had, but I wasn't going to let him think that.
"So conceeded", I taunted.
He chuckled,"You are correct on one thing about me. Wanna come to the kitchen with me?"
I nodded and followed him down to the kitchen. The house was unusually quiet. I guess Kylie and I were just extremely too loud all the time to notice the silence. Cameron walked to the fridge and opened it to grab two cokes out of it. One for him, and myself. I quietly thanked him and sat down at a bar stool, while he stood across from me, sipping on his coke.
"So what are your parents like? I mean not trying to intrude, but I've noticed Kye never stays at your place, and you're always here." He asked setting his coke down.
I never really talked about my parents to anyone. Especially not about my mother. Cameron leaned onto the bar, staring at me intently. I wanted to tell him about everything. About how my mother was pretty much, a terrible mother, and how my dad, just never stuck around. My dad had left me behind with my mother, and I had only been 7 years old. I had begged him not to leave me with her and he reassured me he would come back to get me. Although he never did.
"I, don't really know how to tell you", I said nervously.
Cameron stared at me confused. He furrowed his eyebrows, and took another drink of his coke, then set it back down again. "Well just start from the beginning!", he said smiling.
I gave him a weak smile back before gaining the courage to tell him about my family. I took a huge swallow of my drink, and then set it down on the bar.
"When I was 7, my dad actually left my mom and I. They fought over "parent" things, such as bills, my schooling, how I was being disciplined, So hes not really a part of my life anymore.", I stated.
"If it makes you feel any better, my dad left when I was 7 too. Except, my mom walked in on him sleeping with another woman in her bed."
"you're kidding." I said in shock. He slightly laughed before continuing.
"No I'm serious. She kicked him out after that, burned the bed, and used his credit card to buy her a brand new California king bed, and then returned his card.", he chuckled.
"See this is why your mom is my favorite!", I said smiling.
He threw his coke can into the trash, which I assumed he had finished. He came back to the bar and leaned over it once again staring at me intently.
"What about your mother?", he said,"Why do you never talk about her?"
I cringed at the thought of her. I loved my mother unconditionally, but she had refused to give the slightest care in the world about me. I felt hurt, just thinking of what to say about her.
"She.." I started but my mouth stopped,"we just don't get along well."
I stared down at my hands, not wanting to have this conversation any longer. She did way more than just not get along with me, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to tell Cameron that or not.
He nodded. "I see. I guess you could already tell me and mother don't get along either, we have something in common there as well." he laughed.
"Your mother is a lovely woman Cam." I said defending her. Gina really was. She had raised both of her kids, by herself, and still managed to do her job as a real estates agent. She was very successful, and I was quite upset that Cameron couldn't see just how lucky he was.
"She's a complete bitch." he said wrinkling his face up.
I was offended now. He didn't know what having a "complete Bitch" as a mother was like. He didn't have to do chores, and even if he did they were not strenuous, or pointless. He did not have to constantly be blamed for things he didn't do, or be punished when there was no one else around to blame.
"You are an ungrateful bastard." I scoffed. How could he not see how lucky and blessed he was to have Gina? Although she did ground him often, he deserved it most of the time.
"What? What did I do?" he asked innocently throwing his hands up.
"You don't know what having a "complete bitch" for a mother is like. You should be grateful you have Gina to look out and take care of you. You are so lucky to have her and you're too much of a selfish spoiled brat to see it."
His face turned from confused to shocked and appalled. I stood up from the bar and went back upstairs to Kylie's room, leaving him in the kitchen still in shock of what had just happened. I stared at the ceiling, consumed with my own thoughts. How could I have been stupid enough to fall for her brother? I had forgotten who he truly was. He was just like all the other guys, I had ever fallen for, and I was stupid to think he would've been any different.
I waited for his presence to appear at her door, but he never did, giving me the reason to believe he was indeed, just another guy like all the rest.
Before I could go over the thoughts in my head once more, there was a loud knock on her door.
"Mack, it's me cam." he said sounding concerned. "I get it now."
"Really? Because I don't think you do", I said slightly annoyed.
"No, I do get it. But I just don't get why you dislike your mother so much." he said with sadness in his voice. I heard him lean his back against the door and slide down it so that was now sitting on the floor.
"Cameron", I said,"You wouldn't understand." I pulled my knees into my chest and laid my head on top of them.
"I could try." He remarked.
I walked over to the door and unlocked it letting him in. He stood up came inside, and shut the door behind him. I was unsure of how to tell him my mother was abusive, so I decided just to show him. I pulled up the sleeve of my shirt, revealing my arms, covered in bruises. I Then pulled my sweatpants up, showing him the bruises and scars on my legs. The look on his face was somewhere between pure horror and concern. He balled his fists up, trying to contain his rage.
"I'm calling the police. well get this settled right now." he said coldly.
"Cameron", I said grabbing his arm."please don't. I know this sounds crazy but I truly love my mother, and I wouldn't want her in prison, or for myself to end up in a foster home."
"Mackenzie, you have to tell someone. She can't keep doing this to you. it's unfair." He said.
"Cameron..." I Pleaded. "Please."
He nodded. "Makenzie, I really Like you, but we can't do this if I have to watch you suffer."
Cameron stood up and walked out the door shutting it behind him. He just didn't understand. He never would.