"So..." Cam matches my step as I'm walking towards my car after cheer practice. I look around to see where he came from, now that most of the school parking lot is empty. "If I take you to this upcoming homecoming dance, will you go to my party?"
I stop walking and search his eyes for any spark of humor, but there isn't any. This past week he's been nice and seems genuine, but then the mention of Zoey's name always comes up and brings me back to reality and he starts acting moody.
Last week on Friday, after the game Natalie poked fun at him and said she was surprised Zoey wasn't at this game too. He glared at her and took his annoyance out on me and told me he'll just see me on Monday.
"Are you asking me to go to the homecoming dance with you?" I ask to make sure.
"Yeah, we agreed I'd take you to all the stupid school events and you'll go out with me outside of school events." He shrugs, almost bored.
Right. That was our deal. This relationship isn't real.
I nod and start walking again, "Okay. When is this party?"
"The day after the homecoming dance."
We reach my car and I throw my bag in the trunk and walk around the car towards the driver's side. I lean my back on the door and I notice his eyes on my legs. I start to feel the blush creep up on my cheeks. Is he checking me out? While I'm sweaty from practice? His eyes finally travel up and when he meets my eyes, he smirks knowingly.
I clear my throat as I push myself off the car, "Okay. I didn't think I'd be going to homecoming so I guess I can go dress shopping now."
He smiles now and this is my favorite part of him, when he's nice. "Whatever you pick, you'll look pretty."
I smile as I meet his beautiful blue eyes. I really like nice Cam. It's easy to pretend this is real. Like if my feelings for him growing are real.
I hear Natalie squeal as she nears us and I hear Cam groan. I almost feel bad for him because I know Natalie can come off as annoying, but it's only because she thinks this relationship is real.
"You guys are my favorite couple!" Natalie links her arm with mine, I've noticed she does this a lot.
Cam rolls his eyes, "Aren't you suppose to be in someone's bedpost right now?"
Natalie frowns, "I was just at practice. I'm not a slut 24 hours of the day."
Cam's eyebrows shoot up exposing his intense blue eyes, "Oh so maybe 12 hours of the day, maybe?" He shrugs.
"Anyways." Natalie ignores him and turns to me, "I tried to catch up to you to see if you wanted to have a milkshake or something at the diner, but now that Cam's here... I'm assuming you guys are hanging out."
She unlinks her arms and I open my mouth to tell her, I'll go with her because I'm not hanging out with Cam. He of course speaks before I do.
He glares at me, "It's okay, Olivia. Go hang out with your slut friend. Hopefully, you don't turn into one for hanging out with her too much."
I frown, "Stop saying that about her."
"Would you like it if I said it about you instead?" He takes a step closer and I take one back.
I hate it when he gets moody. I hate myself for being too sensitive to this. Why can't I be like Natalie who ignores him?
I meet Natalies eyes, "Meet me at the diner."
Her eyes are wide as she nods and starts walking towards her car. I turn to open the door of my car without meeting Cam's eyes again. I don't want him to see how my eyes are starting to well up.
"Liv." He says softer, but I still don't turn. I've noticed he calls me Olivia when he's being a jerk and Liv when he's being sweet. "I'm sorry."
I shake my head and get in the car, but before I get to close the door his hand is gripping onto it.
"Please let go of the door." My words are barely audible as a traitor tear slips out.
He leans down and tilts my head up with his fingers and he's frowning his eyes showing regret.
"I'm sorry, Livy." He says softly again.
I shrug, "It's not like you need to be nice to me. This is fake."
He drops his hand and sighs heavily and tilts his head back while he mutters something under his breath. He meets my eyes again and grabs my hand as he pulls me out of the car. Before I know it, he has me wrapped in his arms. I close my eyes smelling his scent as my face is now pressed on his chest. My arms automatically go up and wrap my arms around his neck.
Why does this feel right? It should feel wrong.
His hand repeatedly rubs up and down my back, "Fake or not. You don't deserve to be talked to that way. I know you're not a slut. You're the nicest person I've ever met. I need to watch my mouth around you more."
I nod as another tear slips out. "Thank you."
He leans back a little, not enough to let go of me, but enough to look down at my face. He wipes my tears with his thumb and meets my eyes. My heart flutters, I'm in his arms. He's touching me. Those intense blue eyes hold me hostage and his eyes cast down to my lips. He brushes a strand of my hair behind my ear. My fingers slowly travel up to feel his hair beneath my fingers. He takes a sharp breath and drops his forehead to mine.
"I promise, I'll try to be nicer." His voice is low and sincere. I feel him hold me a little tighter.
He's definitely going to kiss me and I don't have a voice to say no. I want him to. At this moment I do want him to. This is special enough.
"Get a room!" Zach yells over the parking lot as he's walking to his car with his duffle bag over his shoulder and Thomas is right next to him glaring at us.
I let go of Cam and I can feel my face getting hotter by the second.
He chuckles softly and pulls me in by my arm, "Come here." He kisses me on the corner of my lips and leaves them there a little longer than just a peck.
Literally could swoon if I knew it wouldn't embarrass me!
He pulls back and meets my eyes. A slow smile creeps up on his face.
"We said no kissing." I want to glare at him, but a small smile breaks out, betraying me.
"It was an innocent kiss, I swear... I'll see you tomorrow at school, Livy." He smiles turning around walking over to his car.
He should really see a doctor. He switches moods rather quickly. But, I'll take his sweet side any day.
I get in the car and drive to the diner. I smile, knowing I was really close to feeling Cam's lips. In a special way. Maybe I'm just crazy. This whole fake relationship is leaving me confused about what's real and what's fake. I'm not good at this.
I text my mom I won't be there for dinner after parking the car. I go inside and see Natalie already sitting in a booth.
"Hey, sorry if I caused anything between you and Cam." She eyes me sympathetically.
I shake my head, "Don't worry about him. We already made up." She smiles now, but I do want to ask her something that's been eating at me. "Can I ask you something personal?"
She shrugs and chuckles, "Sure. Seems like the whole school knows my personal life anyway. Ask away."
I smile and hope she doesn't get offended, "The first party I went to. You and Cam seem to be into each other when he took a body shot. Did anything happen between you two?"
She sighs in relief, "No. I mean the times he or I tried, Zoey always wedged herself in. That day of the party... I was the first to make a move and try, but only to make Zach jealous and Zoey got there and saw me hugging him and she literally shoved me to the side and told me to get lost. She can be... aggressive. I'm not surprised, Cam doesn't want to be with her."
My eyes widen. He does want to be with her. On his terms. I've never gotten into an altercation and I don't want to.
I try to change the subject only because the thought of this Zoey causing any problems is already giving me anxiety.
"You really like Zach." I smile.
The waiter comes over and we order a burger with a milkshake and fries.
Once the waiter leaves she smiles at me, "I swear, he's so close to asking me out. But, every time I give in to his sexual needs he thinks he can just ignore me for a few days. I hate that part. That's actually why I asked you to join me at the finest diner in the Bay Area."
She says the last sentence like if she's promoting the place and although this is a really nice diner in the Bay Area, I can see she doesn't care too much about it.
"So ignore him too. Next time he calls for his sexual needs... Whatever that is. Stop waiting for him. Let him do the waiting... Or maybe you'll see he's full of it and move on."
The waiter comes back with our milkshakes and tells us our burgers will be right out soon. Natalie takes the cherry from the top of her milkshakes and when she's done chewing she meets my eyes with her bright light blue ones.
"I think I will do that. It's time I see if he really likes me or is only using me. All the girls on the team tell me to just answer him whenever he calls, but it kills me every time knowing what's going to happen after we have sex."
I tilt my head, "Why didn't you tell them that?"
She sighs heavily, "I have. I don't think they're out for my best interest. Part of me thinks they just want me to stay popular because I'm the cheer captain." She shrugs and stirs her milkshake with a spoon.
I've never seen Natalie sad. This is a whole new side of her. She always seems so happy and confident. She seems so crushed right now.
"Natalie, you know it's okay to do whatever you want, right? Popular or not, you're still human with real feelings."
I'm a hypocrite. I'm sitting here telling Natalie she has real feelings and she should do what's right and here I am. Being Cam's fake girlfriend knowing damn well I'm growing feelings for him. Even before I was his fake girlfriend I found him attractive, I knew I'd grow feelings for him.
She smiles, "You're a good friend, Olivia. You're a real friend."
I smile too now and the waiter brings out our food. She vents a little more about Zach and how she's been at his beck and call since sophomore year. Glad she doesn't ask about Cam because I wouldn't know what to tell her. We don't have a history like her and Zach.
*
Penelope and I are walking to our next class when Natalie comes to us crying.
"I quit, Olivia. I can't be cheer captain anymore." She fans her face, I'm assuming to dry her tears that are flowing at a fast pace from her eyes.
I frown, "There's a game tonight. What happened?" Her eyes wander around the hallways where people are looking at us now, "Come on. Let's go outside."
I link my arm with hers and Penelope widens her eyes, but follows too.
Outside I turn to her, "Okay. Tell me what happened."
She wipes her tears with the back of her hand, "Sandy... So remember when I was going to ignore Zach last week? I did... He called Sandy and she went over his place..."
"Shit," Penelope mutters. She does something I'd never think she'd do, she wraps her arms around Natalie who willingly hugs her back. I join them in the hug and let her cry it out.
"That was my best friend." Her sob is muffled somewhere in our hug. We let her cry it out some more and I see Cam turn the corner of the building and smile. I shoo him away with my hand, I don't want him being mean to her. Especially right now.
He frowns when he notices and rolls his eyes and walks away. I pull away and I meet her eyes as she links her arm with Penelope.
I smile, "Does this mean we can take this stupid uniform off?"
She laughs softly, "Hell, yeah. I don't want anything to do with this... But, are you sure you want to quit too because of me."
I shrug, "I wanted the experience, I didn't care for how long I had to do it. And it was a good experience because of my cheer captain. She won't be there anymore so why stay there any longer?"
She chuckles softly, "Coach is going to hate us. But I love you for that."
I smile and text Cam not to show up at the game tonight.
*
On Monday, everyone was looking at Natalie and talking about her, quitting. I hated every minute of it. I wanted to defend her, but I hated altercations. She seemed to stand her ground though. She's very good at that.
During lunch, she walks with me and Penelope to the spot Cam loves to hang out at during lunch.
As we start to eat our chicken wraps, Cam sits next to me and Austin sits next to Penelope. Then I notice Vince lay down on his back on the grass.
I chuckle, "Tired much?"
He turns his head to look at me, "Nah. Just not in the mood to sit."
Natalie chuckles, "Mood A.F." She agrees with him.
His eyes shift to her and he smiles as his brown eyes meet with hers.
Austin laughs and I look over at him touching Penelope's hand with his finger again. He then takes a bite of her chicken wrap. I narrow my eyes. I still haven't gotten the chance to ask her what's really going on with them.
Cam leans into me, "Are the rumors true?"
I turn to him, "What rumors?"
He points to Natalie who's now talking to Austin and Penelope, "You and your friend quit the cheer squad."
I smile, "Yeah, I guess."
He smiles, "Good. I hate those stupid football games. I was so happy when you told me I didn't need to go, but I was kind of bummed that I didn't get to see you again this whole weekend."
"Good thing you were only kind of bummed out. And you hate everything." I poke fun at him and his eyes shift down to my lips before meeting my eyes again.
"Not everything, Livy." He smiles as his intense eyes burn right through me.
I'm starting to really like him calling me, Livy. No one calls me Livy besides him. It's always just Liv with my family. I so wish this was real and he felt for me what he feels for Zoey.