According to You
A/N: So, this is one of the ones that are random haha. I think this will end up pretty good, but we'll see. And I'm sorry if the POVs confuse you. Anyway, it's kinda, maybe, sorta based off of the song According to You by Orianthi. At least, that's what I was listening to when I thought of it. And to any Josh lovers, I'm sorry! I don't hate him, but it fit! Please review and enjoy.
I walked alone down the hallway toward the elevator that would take me to Sublevel Two. The thing is, when you're taking a different path and moving against a current of eighth grade spies in training, it's not that easy. I was suddenly knocked off balance by a girl I didn't notice coming at me. And it gets worse.
I fell right into the person I'd been trying to avoid since a few weeks after Josh and I had gotten back together. He would ask questions. And he knew me. He would know of something was wrong. And that would lead to him freaking out and that would lead to me defending my boyfriend of two months. But there was no way I could run away now without the risk of making the questions worse.
"Hey Cam! What have you been up to?" Zach sounded cheerful enough as he pulled me to the side of the rushing hallway and we started walking to class again.
"Oh, I've been good, great actually! How about you? I haven't seen you in awhile." I cursed under my breath. Why the heck would I say that when I was avoiding him on purpose!
"Same here, and I've noticed. Are you okay?" And there was the question. It was starting. Zach reached down to grab my wrist so we could duck into another hallway and I couldn't stop myself from flinching. It was only a miniscule wince, but Zach was a spy, as he often reminded me when I asked obvious questions. One small movement was all it took.
"Cam, what's wrong? You're hurt aren't you?" Zach stopped amidst the girls and I felt one or two crash into us as he grabbed by notebooks from me and gingerly took my wrist again.
"Zach, I'm fine!" I cried out, pulling away from him.
"Gallagher Girl, you aren't fine!" he said back in the same even tone. His emerald eyes were boring into mine now, something that I hadn't experienced since I started avoiding him. I knew if I lied he'd be able to detect it, so I did the next best thing. I pulled my notebook and wrist away from him and blended into the sea of girls.
3rd Person POV
As Cammie disappeared, Bex, Liz, and Macey appeared beside Zach. He looked over at them helplessly, knowing they had heard the whole exchange.
"She's not okay, is she?" he whispered as he turned to the three girls. But Bex, Liz, and Macey just stared back at him.
"Zach," Liz finally spoke. "We've already had that argument with her many times before. Nothing you say will change her mind." Liz's voice was small and timid, more so than usual and Zach instinctively wrapped an arm around her, trying to comfort her.
"We have it every time, and even when we put her on lockdown she gets out and then defends it when she returns," Bex chimed in, but she seemed dazed as she stared in the direction Cammie had gone. It was like the British Bombshell was talking more to herself than to Zach.
Zach looked up as Bex spoke. He looked like he had a lead. And he was going to follow it.
"What argument, Baxter?" he said in a crisp voice as Liz stepped away from him. Bex opened her mouth to answer, but Macey cut in.
"That's something Cam has to tell you on her own. It's not our place to tell anyone." At that, she glared daggers at Bex and Liz before continuing. "I can tell you she's sneaking out to meet him again tonight." Macey turned away as she said the last word and Bex and Liz started following her down the hall. However, spy instincts first, Zach heard Liz whisper something to the two.
"I'm worried about Cam." He didn't say he could blame her. Obviously she was acting weird. Even Bex seemed dazed. Something was wrong, very wrong.
Cammie POV
And it was starting again. Just as I thought I was in the clear and put my hand on the door knob, I heard my three best friends step behind me.
"Cam, he treats you like dirt!" Bex said minutes later as we came to the same point we had the last million time I snuck out.
"He loves me!" I retorted, instantly defending him. I knew he loved me. He did all of it because he loved me.
"Cammie, do you see this? You can stop Zach from seeing it, but you can't stop us!" Macey's voice was raising as pulled up the sleeves of the jacket I had on to expose bruises. And that wasn't all, but I wasn't letting her go any farther.
"He's helping me train! And if I hurt him, I'd never forgive myself. He doesn't know how to do what I do!" And it was true. He was defenseless against me, so I just let him go.
"Now are you through?" I asked with an eye roll. They begrudgingly nodded.
"Cammie, be careful." I turned back around at Liz's small voice and gave her a small smile as I nodded before heading out the door.
I knew exactly where I was going as I went through the routine I had gone through every other night for two months now. But when I got there, something I hadn't planned was standing in front of me.
Zach was leaning against the entrance to my passageway, my way to him. I groaned as he pushed himself away from the wall to stand in front of me.
"What the heck is wrong with you?" I almost smiled. Zach never ever cursed in front of me. Heck was about as bad as it got.
"What do you mean?" I asked innocently, wringing my hands together like I had just gotten caught with my hand in the cookie jar. And maybe it was true. I didn't want Zach to know about any this. He didn't know how much I wanted to talk to him, but I couldn't.
"You have your best friends worried sick, you're breaking the promise you made to your mother by a long shot, and we haven't had a real conversation in months! I'm sick and tired of you sneaking around and I want to know what the heck is going on with this guy and why everyone is so worried. And I want to know why you winced." Well, he had basically laid it out in black in white. But there was no way I would answer any of those questions.
"Well, it's really none of your business…Blackthorne Boy." I instantly regretted calling him that when I saw the look of hurt on his face, but I wasn't backing off now. Josh would kill me I didn't get there soon. Not literally, but still. "So, I'll see you around."
With that, I backed into my dark passageway. Zach couldn't see my eyes anymore, but I could see his for a split second. And in that second, I saw something in them. Something that almost made me turn back. But I didn't. I kept going.
3rd Person POV
As the wall clicked back into place, obscuring Zach's view of Cammie, the three girls appeared next to him once again.
"What are you doing here/" Zach asked without even turning around.
"We're afraid," Liz volunteered the information, but it wasn't enough.
"Zach, we have a really bad feeling about tonight. This is the anniversary of the night Cam broke Josh's heart. We want to follow her and see if we can finally talk some sense into her before she gets really hurt," Bex explained as she handed Zach a rope and grappling hook.
"But why would she get-" Zach began but was cut off by Macey.
"If you come with us, you'll see for yourself. And maybe she'll listen to you." At that, Bex and Liz started through the passage but Macey turned back for a moment. "She always talks about you."
That was all Zach needed to hear. Cammie needed him. He quickly ducked into the passageway behind Macey and closed it behind him.
Cammie POV
According to you, I'm stupid, I'm useless,
I can't do anything right.
According to you, I'm difficult, hard to please
Forever changing my mind.
"Hey Josh," I called cheerfully as I walked into his private lounge at the club. He looked up at me from the couch he was sitting on clicked off the television.
"Hi," he replied before coming over and pressing his lips to mine. "You know," he seemed to think for a moment. "You're lucky to have me. No one else in this world would put up with you. Go get me a drink." I nodded, knowing all of it was true. After all, I'd heard it a million times before.
I walked to the mini-bar and pulled out a can of soda, not checking the label. I headed back over to the couch and handed it to my boyfriend, but as soon as he took it, he threw it on the ground, hitting my shin in the process.
"Can't you do anything right? This is root beer!" He yelled before pushing past me to get a drink himself. Josh hated root beet. Of course I'd pick out the can that was root beer and not notice.
I sighed and sat down on the couch as Josh picked up his cell phone and started talking.
"Hey, hot stuff," I heard him say, my heart stinging a little as he spoke that way to another girl. But I was starting to think. "No, thank goodness she didn't wear a stupid dress. She looks terrible in those. She was late, but at least she didn't wear it." A tear sprang to my eye. Zach had always loved when I wore dresses.
I'm a mess in a dress
Can't show up on time even if it would save my life
According to you, According to you
I started to think maybe I'd been too hard on Zach. I tuned out Josh's phone conversation as I drowned in my thoughts. Zach always complimented me before I started avoiding him, always brightened up my day. I definitely had to apologize when I got home. Maybe I could even tell him what was going on…
But according to him I'm beautiful, incredible,
He can't get me out of his head.
According to him, I funny, irresistible,
Everything he ever wanted.
Everything is opposite,
I don't feel like stopping it so baby tell me what I got to lose.
He's into me for everything I'm not
According to you.
I remembered a year and a half ago when Zach had kissed me in front of the whole school, faculty and all. It was the day I knew I had made a fourth friend for life. And in my business, that was amazing.
I glanced down at my bruise covered wrists. My jacket was hanging by the door, so were in everyone's view now if they happened to glance. But none of Josh's friends ever questioned it. I never questioned it. He was just helping me train, wasn't he?
Accoding to you, I'm boring, I'm moody,
And you can't take me any place.
According to you, I suck at telling jokes
Because I always give it away.
I'm the girl with the worst attention span,
You're the boy who puts up with that.
According to you, According to you.
And then I thought about my friends. Josh was still on the phone, the droning voices told me, so I was free to think. I felt terrible for yelling at them, but Josh loved me. Why couldn't they see that already? Suddenly, I heard a snapping in front of my face and before I could react, there was a painful stinging on my cheek.
I looked up, torn away from my thoughts and mind.
"What is wrong with you? Did you hear anything I just said? Good gosh Cam, do you ever listen? You have the attention of a squirrel," Josh dropped down beside me on the couch and pulled me roughly towards him, his hand tightly gripping my bruises and causing me to wince as he started kissing me again.
Is it wrong of me to think of Zach's kiss while kissing my boyfriend? Because that's what I was thinking. And I felt horrible for it. Josh loved me. Right?
But according to him, I'm beautiful, incredible,
He can't get me out of his head.
According to him, I'm funny, irresistible,
Everything he ever wanted.
Everything is opposite,
I don't feel like stopping it so baby tell me what I got to lose.
He's into me for everything I'm not
According to you.
It was almost as if Josh had sensed my wandering mind. Apparently it was time to start spy training again. He pulled away from me and shoved me to the floor, causing me to land on a fairly new bruise and let out a small yell. I knew I couldn't fight back, or I'd kill him. So I just laid there. I let Josh do what he wanted. Verbally and physically assault me. It happened every time. I was used to it by now. Sure, I'd have a million painful reminders in the morning, but he loved me. No one else ever would. And certainly no one as amazing as Zach ever would.
Josh grabbed my hair after a few long minutes and threw me against the wall before coming to stand over me, causing me to curl into a ball. He aimed a perfect kick at my stomach that knocked the air out of me and raised his first.
Then we both heard it. Glass broke, a girl screamed, two dark figures pounced on Josh and makeup was being shoved at me.
I need to feel appreciated,
Like I'm not hated, oh no.
Why can't you see me through his eyes?
It's too bad you're making me dizzy.
I let Macey put two whole products on me before I jumped up. Liz was recording everything on that tricked out watch of hers. I guess spy training paid off for Josh because he was actually holding his own against Bex and…Zach. Zach had come. Even after what I said to him, he hadn't abandoned me. He was there and I could see everything clearly now, even though my feelings would never be returned.
Everything Josh called me, it was a truth that pertained to him, not me. He didn't love me and I didn't love him. And everything Zach had used to say. He had actually meant it. Josh chose that moment to glare up at me and at that moment I shot him an icy Macey-like stare that could kill if Dr. Fibs's looks-can-kill contacts weren't still in the developing stage. And he knew that I wasn't his slave anymore.
But according to me
You're stupid. You're useless,
You can't do anything right.
That distraction was all Zach and Bex needed. Zach connected a perfect uppercut with Josh's jaw and Bex swept his legs out from under him before pouncing and taking him in one of her choke holds.
Zach turned to me and as if my night couldn't get any weirder, it did. Mr. Solomon, hot Mr. Solomon climbed in the window and held up a very official looking Roseville Police Badge. He shot Liz a wink and I didn't even want to know how she had gotten one of those. Bex retreated to Macey and Liz and they all looked back at me as they held the rope that had brought them here. Mr. Solomon was leading Josh down through the club in handcuffs (yeah, hard to believe he even had a pair of handcuffs on him). And then they saw Zach staring up at me. With a nod and small, my three best friends swung out of the mission they had just completed. Without me. To rescue me more form myself than Josh. And tears came to my eyes at that thought. I was so stupid. Maybe one thing Josh had said was true…
"Gallagher Girl?" Zach said hesitantly as he moved within a few inches of me. I looked over at him, trying to blink away my tears. "It's okay to cry, you know," he added after we stared at each other for a couple minutes.
"No, it's not. It's not worth crying over him or anything true that he said." I walked toward the window and looked out in the distance. I wrapped my arms around myself as a breeze blew through the broken glass.
"Are you okay?" Zach had appeared behind me and wrapped me in a hug. I just nodded, still staring straight ahead. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, sounding more hurt than mad.
"I-I didn't want to get in the same fight with you as I did with the girls. I wanted to keep one of my best friends," I admitted begrudgingly.
"Cam, you…" Zach trailed off in disbelief. "You could never lose me, Gallagher Girl." I smiled through the tears in my eyes. Zach rested his chin on my shoulder and I winced horribly.
"Sorry!" he cried. "When we get back to Gallagher, you're letting me clean you up, no arguments," he smirked as I turned to look at him.
"But Zach, almost everything he told me was true. No one will ever love me. Especially no one as amazing as you." I turned away again, pulling out of his grasp. He was silent and I knew in my heart it was true. Josh had been right about that.
"You're right, Gallagher Girl,: Zach said, causing my breath to hitch as I felt the familiar prick behind my eyes again. "No on as amazing as me can love you because no one is as amazing as me." I wasn't sure where he was going with this…
"You are amazing. Everything Josh said you weren't, you aren't are. And someone as amazing as me does love you. You want to know who?" Zach smirked again as I turned to him out of curiosity, wiping my eyes quickly.
"Who?" I asked, smiling at his boyish expression.
"Me." And as simple as that, he kissed me, bringing back that day in the Grand Hall.
But according to him, I'm beautiful, incredible,
He can't get me out of his head.
According to him, I'm funny, irresistible,
Everything he ever wanted.
Everything is opposite,
I don't feel like stopping it so baby tell me what I got to lose.
He's into me for everything I'm not
According to you.
A/N: So how was that? I hope you liked it. I think the characters were a little OOC, but I have a twist in the next one I think. Please review?
