Title: How College Sitcom Cliche of Me.
Fandom: The Glee Project.
Pairing(s?): Cameron/Damian, maybe others as time goes on?
Summary: Never has a stereotype sounded so appealing to Cameron, but why did it have to be… him? Boy, this is going to be awkward.
Rating: T; subject to change.
A Mr. Cameron Mitchell woke up bright and early one September morning, the late summer sun beaming through the blinds of his bedroom in his parents' northern Texas home. His room, however, was oddly empty. Posters of his favorite bands had been taken down; his guitar was snug in its case instead of resting idly on its stand in the corner; even the clothes that occupied the floor were missing.
Suitcases were piled neatly besides the bedroom door, ready to be dragged to whatever destination the blonde had in mind. The place in question was California's own nocturnal city, Los Angeles. Cameron was returning to the very place where he'd easily had one of the greatest experiences of his life: competing on The Glee Project.
The memories and friends he'd made during the competition were life-altering, and despite Cameron's leaving his flesh and blood, he was excited. He'd finally be able to make a living on his own in the same city that had changed him as a performer and a person. Moving in with his best friend wasn't too bad of a perk, either.
That's right; Damian McGinty, the adorable underdog with the accent capable of making any girl swoon, was Cameron's roommate. He had needed a place close to Glee's film studio, what with the new role, so the nerd had cooked up the brilliant idea of buying an apartment for him with some of the ten thousand dollars he'd won in the Fan Favorite competition. However, after living in such close quarters for so long, it'd have been almost uncomfortable to be apart. So Cameron suggested to move in with Damian, and the Irishman accepted the offer immediately.
Damian had arrived the week before, so the blonde had been receiving texts and tweets from him all week, describing how amazing the place was and the basic layout: a spacious living room, a basic kitchen, and a bedroom and bathroom big enough to share comfortably. It already sounded like home to Cameron, so the sooner he stepped off that plane in LA, the better.
Dark blue eyes glanced at the alarm clock sitting on the otherwise-barren nightstand; 8:25 glowed green in the increasingly bright room. Cameron stumbled out of bed to stretch, yawning. He made his way to the kitchen; the smells of breakfast wafting through his nostrils drew him to the table where his parents were already seated.
His mother greeted him with a kiss and a smile as she pushed a plate of food his way: waffles slathered in maple syrup, eggs scrambled like he liked them, and crispy bacon, accompanied by a mug of coffee, all of it hot and fresh. "Ready to go out and see the world, Robert?" she asked, using his first name.
Cameron resisted the urge to roll his eyes in good humor at the name and nodded earnestly as he ate. He savored the last time he would get the opportunity to taste his mother's cooking for a while. "It's bittersweet, but I think it's time spread my wings, y'know?" he mused, taking a swig of the coffee.
His father glanced up from his morning paper, giving a smile tinged with sadness. He couldn't believe it was time for his only son to leave home. He was twenty-one, though; he couldn't stay forever. "Right, and you'll come visit every so often? Can't have our only child abandoning us when we raised him better than that."
The blonde gave a small chuckle. "Of course, Dad. I couldn't do that to you guys." He finished his breakfast and gave a quick hug to each parent before retreating to his room.
He had to hurry if he was to catch his flight on time. He stripped off his wifebeater, swapping it for a clean one and a blue plaid, long-sleeved button-down. Dark skinny jeans and a white cardigan came next, then his favorite shoes and thick horn-rimmed glasses. A quick brushing of teeth and hair later, he was finally ready.
He gathered his suitcases, attempting to juggle them to save multiple trips, as he took one last glance at his empty room. The reality of leaving finally hit him; he was leaving the memories of growing up behind to make new, adult ones. He accepted that he had to face new obstacles and knew he was ready. He gave a half-smile as he turned around, making his way to the garage to pack his bags in the trunk of his car.
His parents followed him out to help him carry the luggage and pack it away, then each gave their son one last hug, these longer than the ones from breakfast. His mother's eyes filled with tears as she wrapped her arms around Cameron's thin waist, trying not to let the sobs threatening to escape rack her tiny body. Even his father had to hold back a few tears.
"I'm proud of you, son. I really am," he muttered as the blonde parted from him with a sad smile to wipe stray tears away.
"I love you both. Don't ever forget that I love you with all my heart." He ran long, thin fingers through his sandy locks as the slam of the trunk door closing echoed in the garage.
He gave one final goodbye before taking a seat in front of the steering wheel. The engine turning over was the last sound heard before Cameron was off to start his life.
So this was my first attempt at something outside of my comfort zone of Total Drama Island, and I have just adored The Glee Project since the beginning. Of course, the Dameron pairing caught my eye, and I'd been dying to write for it and have something worth posting. I actually wrote this last September, and it was posted on Tumblr, but I decided to share it on here as well. I hope I haven't massacred anything too badly, since this was pretty much my first time writing Cameron. Hope you enjoyed.