Sarah
"Hey Sarah." Cameron's voice is sounding through my receiver and I'm surprised that she'd call me.
We don't talk that much outside of class and when we do talk it's mostly about me having trouble with Jack. We have seen each other once or twice, but our friendship haven't really kicked off.
"Hello Cameron." I say slightly astonished but with a happy voice.
"Can I help you with something?" I continue when she doesn't say anything.
"Not really, I was just wondering if you'd like to hang out or something." She answers with a small laugh.
"Oh." I say with a little laugh of my own. "Sure, I'm not up to anything special so that'd be great." I tell her honestly, anything to get away from the house, to get me away from Jack.
"Awesome. Are you free now? We could go to the mall or something?"
"Yeah sure, I'm free and that's fine with me, I'm in need of a new bag anyways. The one I have is starting to fall apart."
"Alright, shall I come and pick you up?" Cameron asks and it sounds as if she's getting ready to leave.
"That'd be sweet."
"Okay, I'll text you when I'm at yours, see you in a few."
We say our goodbyes and hang up. I decide to attend to my looks while I wait for Cameron to show up, my hair is a complete mess and I barely get it done before a loud honking sounds.
On my way down the stairs I meet Jack, who actually looks at me properly for the first time in weeks.
"Where are you going?" He wonders, stopping midway and looking up at me.
"Out." I answer him courtly without stopping, I pass him without a second glance.
"But I thought we could spend some time together." I hear him call out after me and I stop at the bottom of the staircase.
"What?" I say with disbelief and turn around.
Jack's looking at me as if this is a completely normal suggestion, I can't say that I look the same.
"What do you mean what?" He says when I remain silent.
"I mean as in what?" I emphasize and gesticulate with my hands. "Where's this coming from?"
"Well I just thought that we'd hang out or something, I don't fucking know." Jack drags a hand through his dark hair, he's starting to look troubled now.
"I'm not interested, bye." I almost snap and turn around. Before Jack even reacts I'm out the door and jumping into Cameron's car.
~
"I just don't get it, all of a sudden he wants to hang out when we've barely spoken for over two weeks." I take a spoon of my ice cream and shoves it in my mouth.
The vanilla flavor dances around in my mouth before going down my stomach. Up till now I've told Cameron about Jack's weird behavior today and complained about our current relationship status, again.
She has dutifully listened to all I have had to say and now slowly leans over the table we're sitting at.
"Sarah, the thing about Jack is..." She starts, wearing a slight frown.
"He's never really had any friends." She continues and I open my mouth to tell her wrong. He's got a whole bunch of friends, what's she talking about?
Before I can speak Cameron holds up a hand to stop me.
"When I say friends I mean real friends, someone he can open up to. He always had a terrible relationship with his parents and stopped turning to them for comfort at a young age. Don't ask me why because I don't know. Why do you think he was so pissed over the sessions with your mum? He's not used talking about himself and his troubles and definitely doesn't like to open up. Except to you." She says with a light sigh and my eyebrows shoot up.
"I don't think just how much you know about Jack, Sarah." She continues with a shake of her head.
"But I barely know anything about him!" I say confused.
"Yet you know more than most of his friends does." Cameron says with raised eyebrows.
"That's because they don't care." I defend myself.
"Exactly! Unlike you, they don't give a flying fuck about him and I think that you caring so much intimidates him. It brings him out of his comfort zone and makes him unsure of how to react."
"But that's still not an excuse for his behavior!" I exclaim angrily and gather a few glances from tables nearby.
"I never said it was, I'm just trying to enlighten you to why Jack behaves like he does." Cameron says calmly, looking patiently at me.
"You know what? You should have a talk with my mum, you've got the skills to become a shrink."
"I thought they were called psychologists?" Cameron asks amused.
"Oh whatever! You both mess with my brain so I can call you whatever I like." I say and shake my head, as if though it'll help clearing out all my thoughts.
"But what do you mean? Should I try and talk to him or what?" I say with a sigh, rubbing my eyes and feeling helpless.
"Maybe that'll help, I'm not sure. I've never had that kind of relationship with Jack that you do." She says and I feel my mood drop even more.
How am I supposed to handle all of this without any guidance?
"Maybe I should just stop caring, then it'll all be solved." I say gloomily, moving around the spoon in my empty cup.
"Please don't. Jack needs someone who cares for him."
"Then why don't you take my place? You obviously care for him." I say with a bit of jealousy.
"Because I'm not the one he has feelings for." She says with a warm smile and I almost stop breathing.
"Oh stop." I say blushing like a mad man.
"I'm just saying. Besides you like him back and don't tell me otherwise, it's obvious." Cameron holds up her hands in defence.
"All I'm trying to tell you is not to give up on him, alright?"
Still blushing I let my gaze drop towards the table. Moving around my spoon yet again I mumble quietly. "Yeah, alright."
And Cameron gives me a satisfied grin.
On the ride home I sit quietly in Cameron's car. She's telling me something that happened to her recently, but I'm too fed up in my own mind about what we talked about earlier to pay her any attention. She wants me to give him a chance but I don't know if I'm up for that, he's just so damn complicated to deal with.
At the same time I can't stop thinking about him and do wish that things could go back to the way they were before. I wish that he'd taken my talk with him seriously and started to take us seriously. Still he did the exact opposite thing and now here I am, torn between giving him another chance or just completely give up on him.
"Well here we are." Cameron's voice brings me out of my daze and I notice that we've arrived back home.
"Thanks for the ride and for today." I tell her as I start to gather my stuff and exit the car, but stop midway with one leg inside and one outside of the car door.
"Do you want to come inside?"
"I'd love to." She answers kindly and too exit her car.
We walk up the front lawn side by side and I start to take out my keys from my bag.
"I don't think mum is home and Jack... well, you never know." I say with a shrug and Cameron laughs.
"I don't mind." She says carefree.
"Okay then, welcome to my home." I say as I open the front door and let Cameron proceed through it. We both get rid of our jackets and shoes and then I give her a quick tour of the house.
Having a hard time deciding what to do we finally end up in front of the TV with a plate of cookies in front of us. We don't get our peace and quiet for long though, soon Jack enters through the front door and first walks pass the living room but stops and walks back when he registers that Cameron's seated next to me on the sofa. Once he's walked back into my view he just keeps looking at us
"Can I help you?" I finally say, starting to feel irritated with him standing there. Cameron turns to see who I'm looking at and smirks when her gaze meets Jack's.
"Hey Jack." She says almost flirtatious and I furrow eyebrows, a hot-blooded feeling spreads through my chest. They're supposed to be just friends.
Who am I trying to fool? Cameron was right, I do like Jack a lot and it is obvious. I'm way too attached to him and what goes on in his life.
"What the fuck are you doing here?"
I frown at Jack's rude tone, but Cameron seems unbothered.
"I'm here to see Sarah." She informs him calmly and smiles my way.
I return her smile a bit insecure and then look back at Jack with rather big eyes. I don't know why but I feel as if I've done something bad, like I've stolen his friend.
"You're here to see Sarah? Yeah right." Jack seems highly skeptical and I raise my eyebrows in surprise.
"Now why is that so hard to believe?" I ask accusingly.
If he wants to be a dick, fine let him, but I'll definitely bite back. For the first time since arriving Jack looks my way and actually acknowledges that I'm in the room.
"Why would you two hang out? You've got nothing in common!" He exclaims and seems rather upset by the fact that Cameron and I seem to be friends.
"Actually we do, now we're trying to enjoy ourselves so could be so kind and leave?" I snap and turn my way towards the TV, I've had enough of his rude behavior.
"Alright, whatever." I hear Jack mutter and then he leaves.
"That went well." Cameron says with a look my way and we both start to laugh.
~
Jack
"What the fuck are you playing at?" I growl as soon as I get close enough to Cameron.
I've asked her to meet up with me at one of our town's playgrounds. I needed to see her in private without anyone listening, especially Sarah. I find her sitting on a swing.
"Hello to you too, Jackie." Cameron greets me calmly, swinging herself lightly back and forth with her feet stuck on the ground.
"Don't call me that and cut the bullshit. Why the fuck were you at our place earlier?" I snap at her, having no control over my anger.
"I told you before, I was there to see Sarah. We've started to become rather close actually." She says casually, picking at her nails and I feel my heartbeat increase.
"Why the hell would you hang out with her? What are you playing at, Cameron?" I ask her furiously, kicking a nearby swing.
"Believe it or not, Jack, but I actually like Sarah and, unlike some, am not just using her to get something I want." She says seriously, giving me an icy look.
"Be that money or anything else. Just because you feel guilty of having used Sarah, that's your damn problem, and let me tell you; she's about to give up on you. Her patience is running up and I honestly don't know why you're acting like a complete asshole. Sarah's one of the better things that's happened to you, yet you just throw her away like trash."
"How easy do you think it is to have Daniel constantly watching over my ass and bugging me about her? He makes it such a big fucking deal! Besides there never was anything between me and Sarah."
"You can keep on denying that, but everyone else has noticed things going on between you two. Why do you think Daniel's been nagging you about her so much?" Cameron snaps irritated and I feel like snapping back at her, but I don't find the right words. Actually I don't have a proper answer to that question at all.
"Whatever!" I finally say after a moment of silence and kick the swinging set.
"Just stay the hell away from her, I'm trying my hardest not to fuck up more shit and I don't need you to mess with everything." I tell her and drag a hand through my hair.
"Sarah doesn't need to be part of my shitty life, no matter how much she wants to."
Cameron keeps quiet and just studies me with an intense stare. "You're afraid she'll find out." She finally mumbles and I look away.
"I don't know what you're talking about." I mutter and keep clear of her scrutinizing gaze.
"What do you think will happen when she does find out? Will she cry? Throw a fit? Feel deceived and maybe hate you forever?" Her voice is drenched with venom.
"You're scared shitless of loosing her and that's why you're pushing her away, at least then it's your own choice." Cameron drawls.
"You don't know anything." I say cockily, trying to seem unbothered.
"Maybe not, but I'm telling you: you're making a mistake."
"Like I said, whatever." I mutter and make myself ready to leave.
"Look, if you don't have anything better to tell me then I'll leave now." I tell her and Cameron just shrugs, which is my queue to go.
"See you around." I hear Cameron call out from behind me, but I don't bother answering.