"Do you regret kissing me?"

I thought about it. As weird as it was, kissing your best friend, I had enjoyed it. More than enjoyed it. I wouldn't mind having more. I wouldn't mind Zach being my boyfriend.

From best friend to boyfriend.

I shook my head and smiled slightly.

"No."

He grinned.

"I don't either."

And with that, he cupped my cheek with his hand and pressed our lips together once again.

Cammie's POV

After we kissed for a bit, I pulled back, our cheeks rosy, our lips bruised. My heart was beating a gazillion miles an hour, my body was pulsing with it.

But I was exhausted, so I closed my eyes and yawned. He pulled me down in a laying position and laid my head in his lap. I curled my body up and went into that half-awake hale-dream state where you could still hear things, but you didn't really comprehend them.

His hand was repetitively stroking my hair, twirling the ends around his fingers. His hand soothed me, making my breathing even. I focused on his gentle touch, and the slow sound of my heartbeat. He was texting someone on his phone, while trying to read a book at the same time.

"Hey man," I felt Zach's body move a bit as he and Grant did their little handshake. "What's up with Cam? Why's she sleeping?"

"She's exhausted, for some reason," Zach said, still stroking my hair. I heard him put his phone in his pocket, and his book into his backpack.

"Your lips look kinda puffy, man. Did you put on Bex's lip-plumping butter again?" Grant guffawed. I knew if my eyes were open, Zach would've blushed a bit. I was getting more awake by the minute, focusing on their conversation. I smiled a bit at the memory.

The incident with the lip-plumping butter...let's just say Zach didn't show his face for about a week, which resulted in me and Grant getting worried about him, checking up on him, and then screaming because his lips were about twice their size.

"I thought it was chapstick!" He had protested, but not to be heard, because Grant and I were peeing ourselves on his front porch.

Even though he would deny it later, because 'No one will know of this incident, you hear me?'

"Umm...no. I was kissing...someone."

I blushed at that.

"Who! Why did I not get notification?" Grant plopped down on the other side of Zach.

"I don't know if she...wants to make it official yet. Plus, it was like, twenty minutes ago." Zach mumbled awkwardly.

"Just tell him," I grumbled, sitting up. My hair was all over my face, eyes puffy.

"Hey, Cam!" Grant chirped.

"Hi Grant," I did a mini-wave to him, and Zach brushed the hair out of my face.

"Cam and I kissed." Zach spurted out, his hand still behind my ear, tucking my hair behind it for me. I blushed and looked down at the ground, Zach bit his lip and looked at me, and Grant did a double-take and stared at us, eyes huge.

"Well, it's about time!" Bex said, coming up and smiling, her arms linked through Liz's and Macey's. Tristan and Jonas were on either side of the three girls, grinning from ear to ear.

"Yea, the sexual tension was killing me," Tristan huffed, plopping down on the other side of me, tossing his backpack into the little pile.

"There was no 'sexual tension'!" I exclaimed. He just shrugged, snickering.

"There is none!" I looked at Zach, and our expressions mirrored each others'. Flustered, our cheeks pink, eyebrows pulled together. "Right?"

"Right," he agreed. Then, simultaneously, we stuck our tongues out at our friends. They rolled their eyes and laughed.

"So are you two dating now?" Jonas asked.

We looked at each other.

"Dunno, we just kissed like, twenty minutes ago," I said. Did he want to date me? Did he want to be my boyfriend? Who would want to date a girl whose father would probably kill him once he found out about their relationship?

I sighed, biting my lip, thinking about all of the things my father would say about this. Zach took my hand, knowing exactly what I was thinking.

He sent me a look, saying, 'Tell them now.'

I looked up, eyes wide. Our friends stared back at us, confused.

I shook my head harshly.

"No!"

"Either you tell them, or I will," Zach threatened.

"Zach!" I pleaded with him through my eyes, squeezing his hand. My hand was shaking, nervous at the thought of spilling the secret.

"They have to know sooner or later, Cammie. Let's just get it over with," he sighed.

"You're pregnant?" Macey exclaimed, looking at my stomach.

Zach looked at each other, then back at Macey, then back to each other.

And then burst out into fits of laughter.

"No!" I cackled. "That's not it. It's...it's much worse."

My frown was back again, laughter gone.

"Go on." Zach nudged me, pulling me closer.

I shook my head.

"Want me to say it, and you show them?" His tone was gentle, alluring, sweet. I just wanted to lay back down on his lap and fall asleep to his voice.

I didn't move. He took that as a yes.

"Well," Zach cleared his throat awkwardly, glancing down at me. I was glaring at the floor, tugging at the sleeves of my cardigan.

"I...Cammie's dad..."

"My dad hits me." I blurted out. Then I smacked my hand over my mouth, eyes wide. Tears were forming in my eyes at my friends' expressions, and I looked down again.

Liz chuckled nervously. "What did you say?"

"My dad is abusive." I sighed. Zach gently took my hand and rolled the cardigan sleeve up, and then smeared away the concealer with his thumb, showing the bruises and cuts. I hid my face in his shoulder, crying. It was a good thing not a lot of people hang out around our tree, or that would be very bad...and embarrassing.

For a minute, everybody was completely silent, even me.

I was crying silent tears.

Then, Liz broke down and started crying, too. My head whipped up from Zach's shoulder, and I ran over to her, capturing her in a hug. Sobs wracked through my body, shaking me.

"Why didn't you tell us?" She wailed, squeezing my tightly.

"I didn't know how," My voice cracked, and I hid my face in her neck, the scent of her hair comforting me. Bex and Macey were fighting tears, but I think they were still in shock.

"I can't believe it," Bex took a shaky breath. "Your...your dad?"

"Yea. My dad." I sniffled, wiping the tears off my cheeks. Tristan, Jonas and Grant were staring at me, but their eyes held anger. Anger and disbelief and pure shock.

"I...I would rather you have been pregnant, Cammie-bear," Grant said glumly.

I half-smiled. "Me too."

For once I didn't yell at him for calling me Cammie-bear. The term of endearment filled me with love, and I needed some of that.

"We'll get through this, Cam." Macey said reassuringly.

"Get through what?" Tina Walters, gossip girl of the school, bounded up. Our eyes widened.

Oh, god.

"My...um, my uncle. He just died in a car crash yesterday." I quickly lied, walking back over to Zach.

"Oh, Cammie, I'm so sorry!" Tina wailed.

"Don't tell too many people, alright?" Zach growled. Didn't bother saying 'don't tell anyone', because we all know it's gonna spread through the school like a wild-fire.

"I swearsies!" She laughed. "I'm sorry for your loss, Cammie! Bye!" She blew us air-kisses, and then bounded away. I rolled my eyes.

"That girl..." I muttered.

It felt like a gigantic weight has been lifted from my heart. My friends finally knowing my big secret was a huge relief to me.

The bell rang, and we all stood up and grabbed our backpacks. Zach, Grant and I had every class together, which was good for me now, but also very...rough. Lots of shoving and cussing and 'dudes' and 'man' and 'what's ups?'. I didn't mind, though. It was kind of cute, actually. They still acted like they were in 8th grade.

Zach slid his hand through mine and we walked into the school, leaving behind our tree. People were looking at our intertwined fingers, questioning looks on their faces. No one confronted us, though. I had pulled my cardigan sleeve back down right before Tina got there, but I kept tugging at them to make sure nothing was showing.

"You're fine," Zach muttered through his teeth. He kissed the top of my head. "I'll tell you if...anything's showing."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and gave him a big hug.

"Thanks...for everything," I whispered.

"Anytime, Cam. I swear. For the rest of my life, I'll protect you." He whispered back.

"Don't I get a hug too?" Grant whined, ruining the moment. Zach growled, but I laughed and opened my arm, keeping one around Zach's neck, standing on my tip-toes to be able to reach both of them. Grant joined the group hug, and we swung around for a bit, acting like children. I giggled, dizzy.

"Get to class!" A teacher screeched. We jumped, wide-eyed and guilty. The teacher had seen us hugging and spinning like pre-schoolers.

We started laughing, and speed-walked to home-room. We slid into our seats the moment the bell rang, smiles still plastered to our faces, and our teacher glared as us over her glasses.

We shrugged.

The teacher started taking roll, and I started zoning out. But then a scrunched up paper slid onto my desk. I sat in-between Zach and Grant, since there wasn't any assigned seating. I opened it up under the desk, looking up as I did so. I quickly flicked my eyes down, reading it.

You know, Cammie-bear, next time he hurts you, you can call me. Okay? I'll protect you. Doesn't matter what time it is, or anything. I'm pretty sure Zach feels the same way. We'll help.

I smiled softly at Grant, and got out a pencil.

Yea, after he...ya know...he usually goes to a bar or something. But I don't want you to confront him about it, alright? It'll just make everything worse.

With a flick of my wrist, it was sliding onto his desk.

"Cameron Morgan."

"Here," I raised my hand slightly.

I zoned out again.

A different paper got flung onto my desk.

I opened it. A different, familiar scrawl was on it.

What are you and Grant talking about...?

I snickered a bit.

We're planning out your murder, Zachy.

Oh, Cammie dear, if you kill me, who will be your knight in shining armor?

I rolled my eyes at his fake-sweet tone. I could imagine the way his voice if he were saying it, his eyes would get all big, his expression innocent, tone clear and non-corrupted.

Grant's was back again. I shoved Zach's aside for a second, not knowing how to respond.

How do you intend to stop this?

Stop the note-passing? Easy. Just throw the paper away.

You know what I mean, Cammie. Really.

It'll blow over, eventually.

You and I both know that that won't happen.

It will. It's probably just...a phase, or something.

Zach. Do you think it will go away if we do nothing?

Grant flicked it onto Zach's desk. He cocked an eyebrow, and opened it, getting ready to read his murder-scene. But his expression darkened once he realized what we were really talking about.

Like hell it will, Cam. We have to do something, soon.

Do what? There's nothing we can do if you guys want me to stay here with you. I'm willing to put up with my father if that means I can stay with you guys. You guys are my family.

What if one day, it goes too far? What if he kills you or something?

Grant was clutching his pencil tightly, jaw clenched.

Suddenly, the paper was snatched from our desk. I gasped sharply, dropping my pencil. The teacher, Mrs. Hawthorne, was standing there.

"Do not pass notes in my class!" She screeched. She started reading it.

"No!" Zach, Grant and I all jumped up at the same time, and snatched for the paper.

"You can't read that, Mrs. Hawthorne. Please." I begged her.

"Why ever not, dear?" She sneered.

"It's...it's a huge secret. A secret that could change both of our lives if you read it. You'll regret it. It's more than the 'latest gossip' in the school, or who 'hooked up' with one another last night at the party. This is serious. It's bad stuff," I pleaded with her through my eyes.

"Then you shouldn't have been writing it down on a piece of paper passing it to one another, am I right?" She sighed, handing us the paper back.

I let out a shaky breath and collapsed back into my chair.

"Dear god," Zach sighed out, sitting down and rubbing his temples. "That was close."

Grant sat down stiffly, taking the paper and tearing it into tiny pieces. He swiped it into his palm and threw it in his backpack, not the trash can.

The door suddenly flew open, banging against the wall. The whole class, including Mrs. Hawthorne, jumped at the noise.

And there stood my father.

He pointed at me, his drunken eyes furious.

He said one word.

"You."

I hope you guys liked this chapter! I really, really, REALLY appreciate all of the reviews. I'm not just saying that – I seriously love you guys so much. You're all supportive and sweet, and you guys are the best readers ever.[':

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