"Mom, MOM! Why are we on a plane? You know I hate planes! Why would you to this to me?" a voice of a boy screaming echoed everywhere on a plane.
"Look, Sweetie. Sit." said an older woman who was actually the boy's mother. The boy didn't pay attention to her though. He bounced around, rebelling the fact that they were on a plane. "Sit, Damian! It is just a plane."
"It's one of the things I really hate, Mom! I thought you loved me!" the boy screamed harder.
"God, Damian, I do!"
"Then why?" the Irish boy screamed harder.
How the heck she could get out from this situation. They were on a plane! She needed to explain this to her son as understandable as she could.
They were flying to America―Dallas, Texas, exactly―to meet her son's psychiatrist. Every time they were on a plane, Damian always screamed loudly even though he knew exactly why they were on a plane.
His mom started to get frustrated at her son, not angry though. She guessed that was just the risk for having a son with ADHD. It was a really nerve-wrecking thing to do, parenting her son. It neededpatience, persistence, and consistency. But sometimes she just got depressed. Still, she didn't want to give up on her son.
Damian fidgeted on his seat uncontrollably, waiting for his mom to answer his question. He yelled at his mom, he needed her attention. "Mom! Mom! Answer me!"
They started to get some judgmental looks from other passengers. So the woman told something that popped out to her mind. "Damian, do you know why they are looking at us?" his mom's voice serious. Damian shook his head, somehow afraid.
"Well, that's because if you make another noise, we'll be thrown from this plane, which is flying up on the sky, and then we'll be scattered into pieces, and die. Do you want that?" the woman asked.
Damian shook his head again. "No, of course, Mom. I really am sorry."
"It's okay, Damian. Now, if you hate something, just close your eyes, okay?"
"Okay, Mom." he answered. He did close his eyes as his mother said. Soon, he drifted to a peaceful sleep.
The moment Damian opened his eyes, he wasn't on a plane anymore. He was on a hotel lobby. He recognized this from the smell. He knew the smell of hotels by his heart. He went there too much.
He was oddly alone though, no receptionists, no security guys, no one. That made Damian really bored. He didn't know why he got bored easily but that was just himself. He knew his mom was probably talking to someone at the hotel's restaurant, because that was what she always did when they got off from plane. So he needed to find something, or someone, to kill time.
As God heard Damian's pleading thoughts, a boy was seen from Damian's seat. He was looking down, playing with the hem of his cardigans. Wait why does that boy wear a cardigan? He thought.
He got up from his seat then took a little closer look at the boy. He was blonde, with a glasses, big one. And he was skinny. Not that it was bad, he's just skinny. He actually looked older than Damian, who was 7 going to 8. Well, Damian didn't care. He needed someone at this time. Like, anyone. So a nerdy boy could do. He walked to the boy bravely.
Cameron felt nervous, being alone with another kid made him somehow nervous. Everyone at the hotel was going to lunch, including his uncle. But he realized he wasn't alone. He saw a boy, not far from his seat, sleeping. He knew the boy wouldn't harm him or anything but it was just Cameron's personality to take everything from the negative's side.
And now the boy woke up. Cameron looked down quickly, as if he could disappear if he did so. Cameron really hoped the boy didn't notice him and would just go find his mom. He didn't though, he got up and walked to Cameron. This made Cameron wanted to die! He couldn't handle the pressure.
"Hey, you!" the boy screamed.
"Um…" Cameron glanced up and looked to his right then left as if he was confused. He then pointed himself with his point-finger making sure if the boy was actually asking him.
"Yeah, you! No one else is here…" the boy trailed off.
"Uh-huh." Cameron said.
"Hey, do you want to play something? I'm bored." asked the boy as he took a seat next to Cameron. The little nerd shifted uncomfortably. He shook his head disapprovingly, saying no to the boy politely.
"Why? Are you sick?"
He looked at the boy seriously. Why was this boy talking to him? He looked cute though, with his blue eyes, and kind of chubby cheeks. Oh and the way he talked made Cameron lost. It was just really magnetic.
"Say something? I feel like being with a statue." the boy spoke.
"Uh sorry. My mom told me not to talk with strangers while I'm here." Cameron answered hesitantly.
"Well, I'm Damian McGinty. I'm originally from Ireland." he spoke.
Cameron nodded. Not really sure what to do. Should he introduce himself? What if the boy kidnapped him? That was really impossible. Oh, and Ireland, that was why he sounded really good.
"Okay, you're supposed to be introducing yourself too instead of nodding." Damian spoke.
"W-why would I do that?"
"So we're not so strangers anymore and you can play with me! Come on!" Damian poked Cameron.
"Um, hello, Damian. I'm Cameron Mitchell."
"Hello, Cam― Can I call you Cam?" the Irish boy asked.
Cameron nodded. Cam nodded a lot. Damian thought.
"Cam, would you play with me when now I'm not stranger?" proposed Damian. Cameron almost laughed hearing this. Why was Damian so cute? He held his laugh though, not wanting to creep his new friend.
"But… you still can't be trusted." Cameron answered.
"Oh come on, Cam! I'm a couple years younger than you, what are you afraid of? I won't do anything bad to you! Promise!" Damian begged.
He had a point though. So Cameron gave in. He didn't know why, but he felt safe and free with Damian. He didn't feel shyness anymore as he used to. "Fine, what do you want to do?"
Then a crowd of people came in to the hotel. Lunch time was over. And Damian's mom could be seen not far from them. She was with a man. They walked to where Cameron and Damian sat.
"So remember, Mrs. McGinty. Promise him what he want but do still have the strength." the man spoke.
"Okay, Dr. Mitchell. Thank you for your time."
Damian and Cameron accidentally heard their conversation and got confused.
"Is that your father?" Damian whispered.
"No. My uncle. Is that your Mom?" Cameron whispered back.
"Yeah! How did you know?" Damian said somehow suddenly excited.
Cameron rolled his eyes as he smiled. And before they knew it, the two grownups had arrived to their seats.
"Hey, sweetie Damian, let's go to our room, okay?"
Damian pouted. "Don't call me that, and I don't want to."
"Why? Aren't you tired? You love hotel's room." his mom asked confusedly. Well her son had ADHD. It made sense that he was restlessness. But still.
"No, I really want to play with Cam, Mom! I love him too." Damian answered.
Cameron coughed. Was he serious? Cameron waved his hand hesitantly to Mrs. McGinty. "Uh, hi Mrs. McGinty."
"Oh, you made friend, Damian!" said Mrs. McGinty excitedly.
"He's Cameron Mitchell, Mom. I don't think he is good with words." Damian said needlessly.
"Or he just doesn't understand our accent." Mrs. McGinty told her son.
"Or he's just shy." said a man, who Damian recognized as Cameron's uncle.
Cameron shot a crazy look toward his uncle. His uncle chuckled lightly seeing Cameron like this.
"What?" Damian said.
"Nothing, Damian." Cameron defended himself.
"So, Mom, can we play? Cam is your friend's nephew." asked Damian.
"That man is your psychiatrist, Sweetie, and no you still can't. You need to take a rest after our flight."
"But I already did!" Damian yelled loudly.
"Damian, please don't talk to your mom like that. It is extremely rude!" Cameron spoke bravely.
"Okay, Cam." Damian looked down guiltily.
Mrs. McGinty gasped at the scene. Did that really just happened? Damian heard a simple advice from his new barely friend? What had they done in such a short time that mad Damian obeyed something?
"Tell you what, Damian. If you take a nice rest tonight, we will meet Cameron again. Cameron, do you stay here too?"
"Yes, Mrs. McGinty. With my uncle, who is Damian's psychiatrist." answered Cameron.
"Okay, then it's settled, you can have your journey with him tomorrow, Sweetie."
"Really, Mom?" asked Damian happily.
Mrs. Mcginty nodded. "Awesome, mom! Let's go to our room! Bye, Cam!" said Damian as he pulled his mom's hand. Mrs. McGinty smiled motherly to Cameron and left.
"Bye, Damo." Cameron said barely audible.
"Look at you, Robert. Already calling each other nicknames. What has got in to you?" Cameron's uncle spoke jokily.
Cameron blushed and looked down. "I don't know."
The whole day, Damian couldn't sit still. He ran around his hotel room, imitating a flying bird by making wings with his hands, and told his mom everything about Cameron.
They barely did nothing that afternoon, but Damian felt somehow special around Cameron. Cameron did not talk much, but when he did, he had this indescribable pride. Damian loved it.
And the way Cameron dressed? It stunned Damian. He dressed odd, in a totally good way. His nerdy look and his messy hair made him look different with other people there. And if they talked, Damian could totally forget he had this ADHD on himself.
His mom was confused. Since when exactly Damian had become such controllable? If Cameron was mentioned, Damian would obey everything he was told to do. And it never happened before. It was odd.
Cameron felt the same. He felt odd. He had shifted from his position on bed a thousand times. He couldn't stop thinking about Damian and what were they going to do tomorrow. But he slept anyway at the end. And so did Damian.
The next morning, Damian ran to have breakfast, where he would meet Cameron. They both smiled as they saw each other.
"Hello, Cam!" said Damian excitedly.
"Hello, Damo!" said Cameron, replicated the expression. But he suddenly changed his expression as soon as he realized what he had just said. "U-um."
"Damo? Wow! I love it, Cam! No one calls me that!" Damian said as he patted Cameron's shoulder.
"Thanks, Damo." Cameron blushed.
The two grownups who saw this smiled. They asked them to stop talking and have the real breakfast. And when breakfast was over, they were left at Cameron's room to play.
"So, Cam, what are we going to play today?"
"I don't really know, Damo. You tell me?" Cameron asked hesitantly.
"I have no idea. I usually get bored less than 5 minutes with something." Damian answered.
"Makes sense." Cameron whispered.
"What does?" Damian asked confusedly.
"Oh nothing, it's just my uncle told me everything last night." Cameron said, avoiding eye contact.
Damian looked at Cameron, wondering what was the cute nerd talking about. Cameron cleared his throat and then explained.
"U-m last night my uncle told me that you had ADHD. And he told me how your mother didn't want to meet at hospital to consult because well, you hate hospital." he paused. "You're not angry are you?"
Damian laughed. "No why would I? I'm actually thankful I don't have to explain why I'm such a babble. I actually don't know." he laughed again.
Cameron laughed too. This was nice. Laughing with friend, which he barely had due to his shyness. "So you're okay with ADHD?" he asked.
Damian frowned. "I don't know. I sometimes forgot I have ADHD. Especially when I'm with you." Damian blushed.
Cameron rolled his eyes. Damian saw this and laughed. "Hey don't roll your eyes. It's the truth!" he said.
They both burst into a big laugh. Then Damian realized something.
"Cam, you're not so shy anymore now, but why were you? I mean when we first met. You barely wanted to talk to me. And don't tell me I was stranger." Damian smiled as he asked the question.
Cameron fidgeted. He wasn't sure he wanted to tell his new best friend the truth. But he felt he needed to. He could trust Damian enough, couldn't he? Considering Damian was being so nice, and had changed drastically after they first met? Okay, so the truth was the answer.
"Listen, Damo." Cam said, tone serious. "Don't freak out, okay?"
"I won't." said Damian as he eagerly smiled wanting to hear Cameron's story.
"I'm going 10 incase you haven't known that." Cameron began. Damian nodded along. Then Cameron continued.
"As a kid, I never socialized. Not like many other kids, I told myself that studying was much more important than a social life. When my classmates invited me to parties or picnics I would prefer sulking in my closed room with a book and I would find different excuses to explain my absences. Then, I was named as 'The Snob', Damo, and it hurt. I was just so shy…" Cameron started to cry a little bit.
"And I feel bad about myself. I just do not know what to say most of the time. If I talk to someone I'm concerned I will say something wrong and embar rass myself. I found it's better not say any thing at all." Cameron sobbed harder.
Damian felt his heart broke. He had never seen someone crying. And it hurt him too. The sobs Cameron was making, the sad face of Cameron, he didn't know why but it hurt him too. But he held his tears. He wanted to be the strong person just for Cameron.
"No, Cam. Don't cry, shhh." Damian spoke as he hugged the crying nerd.
"I didn't know what to do, Damo." Cameron sobbed at Damian's neck.
"Look, Cameron. You need to stop crying and forget everything behind you. You can't feel worse about yourself." Damian said. He actually was super confused. How the heck he could be this wise? Well he didn't care why, he cared Cameron.
"If you ever feel shy, just remember me. I'm the one who is never shy. We're best friends. I need to learn to shut up, and you need to be more active. So we could imitate each other." Damian smiled.
"Okay, okay. Damo." Cameron pulled apart and smiled. He wiped his tears from his eyes. He actually enjoyed hugging Damian, because the Irish boy smelled really good. "I'm sorry if I'm boring you or something, Damo."
"No, not at all. I will never get bored with something I love." Damian smiled. And of course, Cameron couldn't stop himself to smile back.
"Hey, Damo. Do you want to play with karaoke machine my sister just bought for my uncle?" Cameron said excitedly.
"Sure! I've never really sung before, but everything with you seems cool." Damian grinned.
Cameron then quickly turned on the machine and started shuffling songs. The first song came up to the screen was 'Lucky'. They laughed at this awkward song. They were still very young and didn't really know what a term 'love' meant, but they sang it at the top of their lungs.
I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Lucky we're in love in every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday
Damian looked at Cameron who was singing beautifully. Then Cameron shifted his view from the screen to the bewildered looking boy next to him. They felt this kind of urges that told them to do something. They were so close! And they were singing a love song together!
Cameron unconsciously leaned in. And Damian did too. Damian raised his hands to cup Cameron's cheeks. They got closer and closer, and closer, and then…
Their lips touched. Yeah. But Cameron quickly looked away, resulting their lips brushed against each other. And they both felt something really good. It was electric. Their hearts pumped so hard. Like being on a roller coaster. Like drowning on a pool. Nothing could ever describe the feeling.
Damian looked down, a bit disappointed. And a bit guilty, though. What just happened?
"What just happened, Damo?" Cameron asked hesitantly. Though he sounded serious.
"I-I don't know, Cam. It just felt right, to, you know. Do that." Damian stuttered.
"Yeah, but we can't do that."
"We're friends. I get it. But then, it felt really good, Cam. Didn't you feel it?" Damian asked.
"I did, Damo. And I really want to try it again. But we can't. Maybe when we're older and sexually prepared?" Cameron asked.
"Honestly, Cam, I don't know what sexually prepared is, but it sounds good. We can totally wait to do that." Damian smiled.
Cameron laughed at this. Seriously, can Damian be more cute?
"U-uh, Cam. Speaking of older. I'm going back to Ireland tomorrow. My appointment with your uncle is over." Damian said, looking sad.
"Oooh, don't be sad, Damo. Our parents will let us contact each other, won't they? I mean mine will probably happy if I ask to, considering I don't really have much friend." Cameron laughed.
Damian laughed too. "Yeah, you're right. So guess this is our last day?"
"Yeah and we'll make it memorable."
Damian smiled.
"Oh yeah, Damo! When we're older, we need to sign up for a singing contest together, because we sounded really good!" Cameron said as he laughed at his own proposal. It made Damian laughed really hard too. Damian liked the idea.
"Sure thing, Cam. Sure thing."