Chapter Thirty-Three:
Bad Luck
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You could say I was mad. Just a little.
How could you break up with someone and then afterwards tell them you love them? What was he thinking?
When morning came the next day, I was more than happy to get out of that house. I got up, got dressed before he was even up, and started walking to school. I decided against breakfast since that would make it easier for him to catch up to me and I needed to get to school before him.
The sky was clouded over when I walked out the door of the Bridges' residence. It was probably going to rain so I was happy I went with skinny jeans today. I had to be as quiet as I possibly could since I got up at 6:00 to get ready. I knew Callie and Ella were still asleep in her room and didn't want to disturb them or wake up the monster that slept on the couch last night. I brushed my hair and and pulled it up into a bun to make it quick. I didn't even brush my teeth. Nope, I stuffed my toothbrush and toothpaste in my bag and planned on brushing them at school.
Call me stubborn, it would match me perfectly.
I unlatched my arms from around my torso and grabbed my phone out of my pocket to call Emma. I had to rant to someone before it all came out to someone who didn't need to know about my problems.
"Hello?" Emma's sleepy voice answered. I almost forgot it was only 6:30. Oh well, she'd be getting up soon anyway.
"Hey, Em." I said through gritted teeth. I've never seen myself so mad before.
"Sophia? Are you okay?" Emma replied, her voice more alert. I clenched my fingers around my phone and walked faster.
"Yeah. There is." I grumbled.
"What?" She asked in an almost scared voice. This was very unusual of me.
"It's nothing important. Cameron. Yeah, it's about him." I didn't even want to say his name. That's how mad I was.
"Okay, I'm almost done getting ready so I'll meet you at school and we can talk before class." She shuffled her phone around and I could tell she was getting ready now.
"Okay" was all I could say before hanging up. My normal response would have been "No don't go to school early for me!" or "No It's okay". But I didn't care at the moment.
I reached the school just as it turned 6:45. I must have really been walking fast. Emma kept her word and was waiting by my locker when I got there. I stomped up to her and twisted my lock to unlock my locker.
"What's up?" She asked me, biting her lip nervously.
I didn't want her to worry. My best friend. So I took a deep, deep breath and let it out through my nose. My temper was controlled now.
I turned to her with a blank expression.
"He broke up with me." My whisper came out strangled from the force. If I didn't whisper, I would scream.
"What? Why?!" She exclaimed so loud that I was taken aback. She's never that loud. She must have noticed too because her face turned blood red and she covered her mouth. We were both discovering sides of ourselves we weren't used to.
"Evidently I'm moving. And he thinks it would be better for both of us. I don't get it. And then you know what he said right after that?" When I looked back at her and away from my locker, her face was ghost white, all blush gone.
"Oh my gosh." She said under her breath. "Sophia! I told him that! I just wanted to know and I didn't want to ask you because I just... I didn't want to make you uncomfortable. You know," she twisted her fingers together nervously, "I thought you'd want to tell me later." She sputtered.
"It's okay, Emma. I know you asked him. It's fine. I found out that way and I haven't talked to my parents to figure out what the heck is going on yet." I rushed.
"I fe at fault here." She had a sick looking expression that made her look like she could puke.
"No! Don't. Seriously, if he felt that way this time then he would've felt the same way when he found out later. No worries." I reassured her. She nodded her head but I knew she wouldn't forgive herself.
"What did he say to you?" She asked suddenly.
I cocked an eyebrow. "What?"
"What did Cameron say to you after he broke up with you?" She explained more.
"Oh. He told me he loved me. Still." I said as if it didn't matter. But it did. It really, really did. Emma's arms were around me in a second and it didn't take me long to hug her back. She's a real friend. And here came the tears stinging at my eyes. I didn't want to let them fall.
"It'll be okay. He'll come around. I know he will." She told me as she rubbed my back comfortingly. I nodded my head and wiped a tear out of the corner of my eye before it could roll down my cheek.
"I don't know if I want him to." I said in such a low whisper that I'm positive she didn't hear me. I don't know how true those words were, so I didn't want to say them out loud again.
"Here he comes. And he looks kind of mad." Emma told me in a warning tone. I quickly let go of her embrace and turned to my locker to close it and lock it.
"I'll talk to you later. All right?" Emma asked me as she started towards her locker. I nodded my head and tried to look happy even though I could taste a salty tear touch my top lip. I scowled at myself.
The hallways were beginning to full up now and more students were flowing through the halls to there classes for the last day of finals. It was a gloomy day for everyone. Bittersweet, really.
I spun around to head towards my first finals class but ran into someone. Just a stranger and it made me jump. I didn't see Cameron any where. I thought Emma said he was coming? I thanked the good lord above and stared walking along the wall to go to class.
The janitor's closet door was cracked open a little in front of me. I didn't think much of it until I was pulled inside by someone's arm. I didn't even have time to scream before the door was shut and I heard it click, indicating it was now locked. Someone had to see me get kidnapped in here! C'mon, why me?
Then the light snapped on and I was face-to-face with Cameron. It reminded me of the time after he found out I was his tutor. He warned me not to tell anyone, if I remember correctly.
"What do you want?" I asked quite bitterly. I kept my eyes on my shoes instead of his beautiful face.
"Do you know how worried I was this morning? I didn't know what happened to you!" He almost shouted at me. That was it. I was on fire now.
"Why do you care?!" I shouted back, letting my anger out. It felt good. Like taking your bra off for a shower at the end of the day. Great comparison, yeah?
"Sophia..." He started but I cut him off.
"No. Don't even start. I am so furious with you, Cameron. Just leave me alone and we'll be fine." I tried to walk past him but he blocked my way. Of course he did.
I crossed my arms over my chest childishly.
"I do care. You know that. And you also know I did what I did for a reason." He told me. It seemed sincere. But I didn't care about sincere right now.
"Do you realize what you're doing to me? Cameron, we were in this for the long run." I was now anything but a sobbing mess. "You broke my heart. You dumped me, and then said you loved me. What the heck?" I said through the thick tears. I was glad I didn't worry about makeup today.
"Don't say that." He shook his head, referring to the word dumped. His eyes were squeezed shut and I could only guess what was happening behind those lids.
"It's true. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have finals to ace." I said and shoved past him forcefully this time.
He didn't come out of that closet even after I'd gotten to the end of the hall.
*
"Hey." Emma greeted me.
"Hi." I replied glumly. I sat down across from her at our usual lunch table. She didn't look too happy herself.
"What's wrong?" I asked her, genuinely concerned.
"Adam and I had a fight. It was about you and Cameron. It's okay. We're okay." She reassured me. I quirked an eyebrow, not believing her at all.
"What happened?" I asked.
"It's really nothing. We just disagree on what you guys are broken up for. He agrees with Cameron, of course, and I agree with you. But the thing is, I don't think Cameron agrees with himself." Her words spoke to me and I had a glimmer of hope run through me. Maybe he really did regret ending us.
But did I?
I didn't reply to Emma's observation. I didn't know what to say, so I shoved a French fry in my mouth and let the voices all around us fill the pause in our conversation. I didn't feel comfortable nor was I used to speaking my true feelings to my friends.
I shrugged my shoulders more to myself and finished eating my food. I told Emma I'd talk to her later and went to dump my tray. School was almost over.
Thank The Lord.
*
When the last bell rang, I darted out of the classroom with the rest of the students from my class. I already had my books that I needed in my backpack and ready to go so I didn't have to make a stop at my locker.
I was avoiding any communication with Cameron and his attempts today made me feel like I would really have to worry about talking to him. I caught him staring at me multiple times during the classes we had together. Every chance he got he was at my locker. I was glad that I had all my books needed in my backpack.
I was not about to let my attempts come crashing down now.
Swiftly, I made my way down the sidewalk towards Cameron's house. Sadly, I had to live with him for a few days. But, maybe I could change that. Or at least speed it up.
I grabbed my phone out my pocket as I continued walking down the sidewalk. It only rang a few times before someone of the other line picked up.
"Sophia?" My mom asked, surprise in her voice.
"Hey, mom. Um, what's this about our house being up for sale?" I demanded. This was the core of my problem. Them not telling me caused Cameron to grow distant in the first place.
"I was just going to talk to you about that tonight. We have to move here for a while, Sophia. It's too hard traveling back and forth. Your father and I have both found jobs down here since we couldn't be at our old ones." I could tell she was worried about my reaction. "I'm so sorry you found out before I told you, honey. I hope you understand why we had to."
I sucked in a sharp breath and let out a shaky one.
"I know, I know, mom. Gas money and plus me being here alone... I get it." I said in a defeated tone. "So who's coming to get me then?"
There was a silence on the other line before she finally spoke up.
"I was thinking Cameron could bring you. With Matt being sick and having us with him at all times, I thought it would be easier to have him drive you." When she said his name, I flinched physically. She doesn't know about us.
I would have to travel to Tennessee with someone I couldn't stand at the moment. He made things so much more difficult. I couldn't tell my mom now, she has to stay with Matt, my sick baby brother. The one I should be thinking about right now. I just now realized how selfish I've been. And right now, I was willing to do anything for him. I was willing to put up with Cameron for a few days.
"Okay." Just as the word slipped from my mouth, Cameron rackety old truck pulled around the corner.
Speak of the devil.
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