Summary: We weren't normal. Far from it. We were seven kids. Seven best friends. At least, we are on the outside. It doesn't take much to look just below the surface to figure out that what we really are on the inside- is complicated. And it only took me 17 years, and one mysterious boy to figure that out.
AN: Well hello there. Been awhile, sorry about that guys! So. New story. Let's hope I don't die from stress over not being able to update all my stories eek. So sorry this wasn't up by Christmas, it was supposed to be my Christmas present to all of you! I was just so busy with relatives and such I couldn't find the time. So, Merry Christmas if you celebrate and if you don't I wish you a simple happy holidays and a happy new year.
So the story kinda just jumps right into things, and I'm sure you'll be confused about some things but that's good for me, cuz it means you'll just have to stick around for the next chapter :p So, please review and tell me what you think! Oh, and btw the boy Matt in this story is the fictional character "Nick" created by Fanfoctioners lol, I just thought I'd throw a new name in the pot.
Anyways, disclaimer blah blah I'm not Ally Carter.
Enjoy :)
"Lord have mercy on you Cameron, if you are still asleep by the time I get to your house I will personally shove your face into a bucket of ice water. Love ya babe!"
I groaned, hearing the voicemail play on my phone. I opened my eyes and blearily looked around the room, noticing that light was already shining brightly through my windows. I grabbed my phone off my desk, calling her right back.
"Thank god you're awake, I was beginning to worry I would have to call Grant." Macey joked half heartedly, although, knowing her, she probably already had. How do I describe Macey McHenry? Maybe I'll just let you see for yourself.
I pinched the bridge of my nose and rubbed my eyes, yawning before answering. "Yeah yeah. So why is it that you're waking me up at-" I paused to glance at the clock on my wall, "Eleven on a Saturday?"
"Oh, I thought Bex texted you last night. We're going to Carver's party tonight."
I leaned forward, putting my elbows on my knees, and throwing a hand over my mouth. "Macey McHenry, is going to Cocaine Carver's party?" I gasped, is my best surprised voice.
"Shut up, you know he has the best setup in town." Macey laughed, and so did I. It was true, he had a huge house and his mom and dad went on vacations all the time or something. Anyways, every year he throws a huge ass party the saturday before school starts back, and this year, we're seniors.
"Is Josh going?" I asked, my interest level rising immediately. Macey snorted.
"I wouldn't know, I mean he is
boyfriend after all." I could practically hear the eye roll. She didn't even try to hide the fact that she loathed him. "Or, wait lemme guess, you guys broke up again but then got back together all in the span of an hour." I sighed in frustration.
"You know it's complicated Mace, you could try to be a little more supportive." My voice taking on a bit of a defensive edge. I stood up, fiddling around with something on my desk as I looked out the window longingly.
"Oh honey, I'm always supportive of you. Just not of you two." I sighed, turning away from the window and grabbed some clothes formafter my shower.
"Yeah whatever. Just get the others and get over here, okay?" I snapped, annoyed now.
"Kk. See you soon."
"Bye."
I threw my phone onto my bed and continued to the bathroom. But before I could make it, my doorbell rang. I grunted, but hurried down the stairs to answer it.
I took them two at a time, jumping onto the floor and sliding all the way to the door. I threw it open, a huge smile already on my face.
"Grant!" I laughed, throwing my arms around him in a hug. He laughed too, but probably more because I was actually awake.
"My my, Cameron Morgan awake before noon. I thought I'd never see the day."
"Yeah, Macey called." I said, my face falling slightly. "Hey Grant do you think me and Jo-"
"Uh sorry I can't stick around, I gotta go check on Matt's drunk ass. I just came on behalf of Macey to make sure you're awake." My face fell more, hearing this news.
"Is it getting bad for him again?" I asked in a small voice, not really wanting to know the answer. Grant didn't answer, but just slightly shook his head. "Tell him we love him, okay?" I said strongly, trying not to let my voice crack. Grant gave me a small nod, before turning and setting off towards Matt's.
I headed back upstairs, with absolutely no hope of regaining happiness today.
As I watched the water pour down the drain, I thought about how much today is going to suck.
"Ouch! Liz you burned me again!" I yelped, reaching up to touch my smoldering scalp.
"Sorry! You know hot tools aren't my thing!" She cried, moving the barrel dangerously close to my face.
"Oh bloody hell give it to me!" Bex snapped, grabbing the curling iron out of Liz's hands. I breathed a tiny sigh of relief. Bex might scare me a lot more, but there's nothing I am afraid of more than Liz with a curling iron.
"Come on Liz you can get dressed in here with me!" Macey called from my bedroom. Liz grudgingly stepped out of my bathroom, probably dreading just as much as I was actually going to the party.
"Come on Cam. It'll be fun. And I think Josh'll be there..." Bex, the ever mind reading best friend spoke to me.
"Like you're happy about that." I snapped, avoiding her eyes in the mirror.
"What? Where is that coming from?"
"Whatever. I think my hair's done now." I said curtly, standing from the chair and stalking out of the bathroom. I saw Bex raise an eyebrow in the mirror but she didn't comment.
"Alright, let's get this party started!"
"Every year, same wannabes, same whores, same sad people." I wrinkled my nose as we walked up to the party, the smell of cheap alcohol filling my nostrils. Say what you want about high schoolers going to parties but at least we don't drive.
"Oh come on, let's go!" Macey yelled, grabbing our hands and pulling us forward. We passed several people already making out in the front yard, one of whom was Tina Walters, although I didn't recognize the guy she was with.
"Get some Tina!" Bex yelled, just before we all ducked into the house, snickering.
"I for one am going to get drunk." Macey deadpanned, walking off in search of booze I guess.
"Come on, let's go find Grant." Bex grabbed me, pulling me through a crowded living room full of people grinding on each other, with blasting music that almost burst my ear drum.
"There he is!" I shout in Bex's ear, and point towards the back of the room where he's standing with Jonas and two girls, one with fake blonde highlights, and even faker boobs.
"Is it possible to get surgery at 17?" I wondered out loud, seriously questioning the moral scale of the doctor who gave her those.
The other girl I recognized as Eva Mendez, and I was glad to see she was in a much more modest outfit, and didn't look like a whore. I was sad to hear she'd been hanging with that crowd, she was really sweet.
"Cammie! Bex! You guys know Courtney right?" I could hear the venom in his voice as he introduced us to Ms. Fake boobs, and the look on his face looked like he wanted to die. Obviously, she wasn't very nice. Eva, on the other hand, just stood off to the side and I wondered if Courtney had even bothered to introduce her to Grant.
Wait a minute.. Courtney. Courtney Bauer! I didn't even recognize her, holy shit she really must have gotten a lot of work done this summer or something, she looks completely different. Bex must have already put two and two together, because the next thing I know she's speaking.
"It's nice to meet you fake boobs- I mean Courtney. " Bex said, a devilish grin on her face. Courtney looked outraged, but couldn't form a comeback to save her life. She just stood there flapping her mouth open and closed. It kind of reminded me of a fish.
"Hey Eva." I added casually, trying to take the focus off of the glaring match occurring between Bex and Courtney.
"Um, Courtney let's go get something to drink. " Eva murmured, tugging her friend away.
"Well I need a drink if I'm going to survive this night, so I'll leave you two alo-" I turned around to tell an already making out Bex and Grant. "Alone." I finished flatly, noticing Jonas had already slipped away somewhere. Probably going to find Anna, or maybe Liz. I never know with that boy.
I wandered through the house, almost getting wedged between two people practically dry humping on a wall, before finally finding the kitchen. I grabbed a red cup (cheesy right) and filled it to the top with beer.
I leaned my head back and chugged all of it, standing upright and shaking my head, slightly disoriented but not nearly as bad as I would like. I poured myself another, and set off to find Josh. Or Matt. Maybe both.
It was Matt I found first. He was sitting outside on the old swing set, head down but clutching his beer like a lifeline.
I walked up to him quietly, stopping before he noticed me. Which wasn't very hard because no one ever notices me.
"Well, you look like you could use a drinking buddy." I said, a sad smile on my lips. He looked up, and for a brief second I saw relief flash in his eyes, before sadness and anger swirled into them again.
"Yeah. I could."
I sat on the empty swing next to him, both of us swinging in silence, lost in our own thoughts. We both watched intently as a drunk guy stumbled after a girl into the backyard, before disappearing behind the shed. Everyone knows what happens behind the shed.
"How bad was it last night, Matt?" I asked quietly. I looked over at him, the shining lights from the house casting a dull gleam across his face, and illuminating probably the only thing he didn't want me to see.
"Oh my god!" I jumped up, and grabbed his chin, leaning his head back, so that the light could be cast over the left side of his face, which was entirely blue and purple. "Matt..."
"Hey," He grabbed my hands and pulled them down and away from his face, "it's okay. It's not like it's much worse than any other night." He shrugged, letting his head hang down again.
"C'mere." I mumbled, holding my arms out for him to hug me. He buried his face into my hair and squeezed me tights, while my face was pressed up against his hard chest and the smell of his cologne made me feel dizzy.
"I'm always here you know." I said, my voice muffled from being pressed against him.
Suddenly I felt my legs give out beneath me, and would have fallen if Matt's arms hadn't already been around me.
"Whoa Cam, I think you've had a bit too much to drink." Matt grinned, and just like that our serious moment was over. I giggled, turning away from him, suddenly feeling shy.
"To our miserable excuses for lives." Matt said, lifting his bottle towards my cup and we both laughed as we clinked them together.
"I'll drink to that." We were silent again, as we stood in our corner of the yard, and observed.
I do that a lot, just stand in the background. I don't like being center stage, with a huge spotlight on me. I hate attention actually. And I prefer when people don't notice me.
"Get down!" Matt hissed, grabbing my hand and yanking me down.
"What the fuck?" I sputtered, laying on my stomach next to him in the grass. He clamped a hand over my mouth and motioned with his eyes, over by Carver's garage. I followed his gaze, and what I saw caused me to wish I never had.
Tina Walters was slinking out of the shadows, holding onto none other than my boyfriend. Josh Abrahms. They both wore ridiculous grins on their faces, and could have had a sign saying "JUST HAD SEX" and been less obvious. Josh stood smiling as Tina ran her hands all over him.
"Cammie," Matt started, but I couldn't listen. They had all warned me of this, hadn't they? I'd been given plenty of opportunity to stop this- this whatever this is that Josh and I have. But I didn't. I put my faith in him blindly, believing the words that he snuck into my head late at night. I trusted him.
"Well fuck." Were the only two words I remember saying before jumping up and sprinting away, sticking to the shadows. I don't remember thinking, all I wanted was for the horrible scene in front of me to go away.
I think I managed to pick up another bottle, and somehow also managed to down it in the span of a few minutes, willing the alcohol to help me stop the tears I could feel building up. If I could get completely smashed, then maybe I could just forget everything. Maybe everything would just stop.
"Here baby, have another." The face of the person handing me the drink was blurred, but I managed to slur out a thank you. I raised the glass to my lips, only to cough when the burning drink went down my throat.
"Vodka." I coughed, holding the bottle at arms length.
"How bout you come dance with me Cammie."
Everything was suddenly to loud. I couldn't think.
"Hey Cammie, wanna go upstairs?"
I need to breathe. I can't breathe.
"You look like you could use a good time Cam."
They closed in on me. I needed to get out of here.
"Come on Cams, have some fun."
That little word confused my brain.
Fun.
That's what I wanted wasn't it? That's why I came to the party.
"Fun..." I said uncertainly.
"You and me Cammie, we can have loads of fun." Somewhere in the mind the voice registered as Carver's. The boy who was throwing this party.
Bad. This is really bad.
Girls who have 'fun' with Carver... that's not me. I'm not one of those girls.
"Whaddaya say Cams?" He pressed closer, I could feel his hot breath, which reeked of cheap beer, on my face.
Suddenly someone shifted, and I caught sight of my reflection in a mirror hanging on the wall.
I sure as hell
like one of those girls.
My makeup was smeared, and though I knew it was from crying other people would interpret that as "whore" makeup. All black and messy.
My hair had leaves in it, and there was some mud on my shirt. I knew that was from laying in the grass with Matt, when we had seen- No, don't think about that. But other people would think that's from a session out behind the shed.
That's the problem with people these days. They judge you on assumptions.
"Come on Cammie." I felt Carver wrap his arms around me, and I struggled to stop him. "Let's have some fun." He whispered, pressing his dirty lips against mine. I pushed against his chest, trying to pull away, but his other hand was behind my neck, ensuring I couldn't escape.
"Get off of her!" There was a shout, and suddenly Carver's body disappeared from mine. Now he was sitting on his sorry ass with a bleeding nose.
"Well come on then!" Mystery man who saved me turned and pushed his way through the crowd. I followed him until it registered that we were outside, standing on the sidewalk.
"Wait." I said, causing mystery man to turn around.
I blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
"Who are you?" I wondered, before everything turned black and I felt my body crash against something hard.
AN: Aaaaaaaaaand cue the drama! So, please review they make me oh so happy and encourage me to update faster :)