The Pros and Cons of Josh Being a Jealous Ex:

Pro: It means Zach and I are basically dating

Con: Josh is being really clingy

Pro: I suppose life has gotten more interesting now

Con: Josh is actually stalking me

Pro: I think Zach is actually jealous of Josh

Con: Josh is constantly asking me about Zach and it's really annoying

Cammie practically slammed her lunch box on the table, making most everyone there jump. Guessing from the looks that she received after the action, there was no question as to what she was so angry about.

"Guess who joined the table?" Grant started with a grin. Bex grabbed him as soon as the words left his mouth. She squeezed his arm in warning.

"Grant don't-"

"It's Mrs. Goode!" He jested. He broke out into laughter and was in return so busy laughing that he was rendered completely unable to dodge the bag of chips that Cammie threw in his face.

He stopped laughing and a pout covered his face.

"Ow…"

"How did this rumor even start?" Cammie demanded. "I mean it could have been Tina…"

"No, Tina doesn't start rumors. She just spreads them," Macey dismissed. Cammie huffed and glared at her food. Despite her hunger, she couldn't bring herself to actually eat anything she was too distracted.

Oh god, what would Zach say to her? Surely, he knew about it, and it didn't make it any better that he had been called to the office at the beginning of Latin so Cammie didn't have a chance to talk to him about it.

"Here he comes," Liz warned. Cammie gulped and began to shove her food into her mouth, afraid to look in Zach's direction. To her dismay he took a seat next to her, bumping her shoulder.

"How's my beautiful girlfriend today?" He teased, so sincerely that Cammie choked on her food. "Woah, woah, relax Gallagher Girl."

To Cammie's dismay, the choking did not cause her to die. Rather than that she was able to compose herself and look at Cammie.

"You heard the rumor too?" She asked.

"Yeah, isn't it ridiculous? A boy and a girl start to get close and they must be dating," he mumbled. He shook his head and dug out a bag of chips. "I hope this isn't bothering you too much. I know how much you hate to be in the spotlight."

Cammie stared at Zach, noting the worried look on his face as he chewed a chip. He wrinkled his nose and looked down at the bag. He set that bag aside and then pulled out a bag of M&M's putting one in his mouth, instantly looking a little more at ease. But not much.

"It's not bothering me too much," Cammie stated. Half the table snorted, barely holding back their laughter, but the lie made Zach smile a little.

"Good, good," he sighed, looking a little determined. "I'll try the best I can to get everyone to stop talking about this, but it'll be hard."

Cammie smiled and tentatively placed her hand on Zach's hand which was lazily laid on his knee under the table. His fingers intertwined with hers.

"It's okay," she assured. "I don't mind the talk."

Cammie was going to say more, but at that moment someone slid into the seat next to her. In her surprise Cammie pulled her hand from Zach's and faced the newcomer, barely containing the urge to hit the unwelcome addition.

"Josh?"

"Cammie! I brought you a cupcake," he said with a smile. He handed it to Cammie and she scrunched her nose, laughing a little nervously.

"Than-"

"It's your favorite," Josh interrupted. "Chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream frosting and of course, chocolate sprinkles."

Cammie squinted her eyes at Josh, somewhat suspiciously.

"What do you want, Josh?" She said sternly. He gave her an innocent look.

"Well, it occurred to me that since our breakup we hardly spend any time together. Whatever happened to 'we can still be friends?'" He asked. Cammie resisted the urge to stuff some more food in her mouth. She didn't want to have this conversation in front of her friends. Especially, not in front of Zach. Nevertheless, she didn't see any way to stop Josh now.

She remembered how he was when they dated. He was so incredibly stubborn.

"Joshua, you know why we stopped dating. You're much too clingy, and you push me out of my comfort zone for your own needs," Cammie listed off, a heavy sigh filling the air before and after the statement. "You'll have to understand that I still need my space, so please go sit somewhere else."

This time Josh let his expression remain evident. His face was pressed tight, and his fingers were tightened into tight balls.

"Of course," he snapped back. He got up, and left the table, in his rush leaving his cupcake behind.

"Cammie, you handled that well," Macey commented. Cammie deflated from the defensive stance she hadn't even realized she was in and pushed the cupcake further from her with her index finger.

"I'd hope so, I've been practicing that conversation in my head every day since we broke up."

"Yeah, isn't it odd that he chose now to talk to you like that? Since the breakup you guys have been more of acquaintances than anything else," Liz added thoughtfully. She was thoughtlessly rolling a carrot between her fingers, eyes focused on Cammie. Cammie nodded her agreement and was about to add her two cents into the conversation when Zach did it instead for her.

"It's not all that odd. He's obviously just jealous," Zach stated. Bex scoffed.

"Boys, they only ever want anything when they realize they can't have it," she grumbled.

"That's not true," Grant defended. "I want that cupcake on the table, and no one has told me I can't have it yet."

Cammie slid the cupcake towards Grant and he made an excited whoop as he began to devour it.

"Knowing Josh, he'll quit in a few days. He isn't generally very insistent on these kinds of things," Cammie assured. The entire table hummed, and the subject was quickly changed to another mundane topic.

To Cammie's dismay, she realized quickly that she was wrong about Josh this time.

Thanks to the rumor that she and Zach were dating, Josh was ridiculously clingy. He showed up everywhere that Cammie and her friends went, and whenever he caught her alone, he liked to point out how stupid it would be to date Zach in the first place.

His pros and cons list included, how the girls at school would (and were) reacting, and how Zach would inevitably break her heart and then the girls would become even more unbearable. Already they wouldn't cease to whisper behind Cammie's back in the hall, write stuff on her locker, and try to keep Zach from talking to her whenever they were around one another. Sure, after a week or so the bullying was beginning to die down, but not fast enough.

When Cammie left her house, nearly a month after the whole ordeal had begun Josh was standing there, just as he had for the last week or so, holding a bag of food.

"They're serving lasagna today at school, and I know you don't really like the schools-"

Cammie pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I pack my lunch every day," Cammie grunted.

"Yeah but-"

"Josh I can't stand much more of this," Cammie warned. Josh rolled his eyes.

"Stand much more of what?"

They were walking now, heading towards school. Cammie watched the trees of the park somewhat sourly.

"You, the girls," she insisted. "I mean, you've become unbearable and the only reason that I've put up with it is because-"
Cammie stopped herself from going any further and instead just sighed.

"Whatever."

"You're stressed," Josh said softly. "Here, have my jacket."

Josh put his coat over Cammie's shoulders, and she would have rejected it, but she found that she didn't really have it in her too. So instead she just lowered her eyes to the sidewalk. For the last couple weeks, she'd had to keep this stupid act up. The plan was simple, and (fairly) easy to execute. All Zach and Cammie had to do was stop hanging out as much. Stop eating lunch together and forget walking to classes together. Zach would spend more time with other girls, establishing that he was not dating Cammie, and Cammie spent more time with Josh, letting the public believe what they wanted to about that.

Cammie hadn't wanted to do it and had initially insisted they not execute the plan at all, but Zach was adamant.

No matter how hard Cammie had tried he had noticed how much the attention had bothered her and so here she was.

The worst part was not being able to talk to Zach anymore.

Speak of the devil- when she entered the school hall she heard him laughing. He was talking to a small patch of girls, all who practically clung to his words. Cammie looked away from the group, remembering to somewhat keep up appearances. Just as she looked away Tina made an appearance.

"Cammie!" She said excitedly. "Oh, it's so good to see you."
"Hey Tina," Cammie replied. Tina eyed Josh, who had grabbed Cammie's wrist and was glaring at Tina as if the innocent teenager was some sort of threat to Cammie.

"As soon as I heard the rumors I had to know if it was true," she said excitedly. "Sadly, I've come to discover that it isn't true. So, I've been trying to correct everyone. Honestly, it's becoming old news. Now everyone's talking about you and Josh."

"Not much to talk about is there?" Cammie said flatly. That would have easily convinced most people to drop the subject, despite how utterly unconvincing and unthreatening Cammie knew she was being, but it didn't convince Tina. She crossed her arms.

"Uh-huh. Josh, can I borrow Cammie?" She asked. When Josh didn't move she flipped her hair and shifted her weight. "Please?"

Josh grumbled under his breath but left, and Tina dragged Cammie into the bathroom. Before Tina said a word, she began to check every bathroom stall. As she did that Cammie sat on the sink counter, dropping Josh's jacket off her shoulders.

Tina turned to her.

"Okay, no one is here. Spill the beans, would you?" She demanded.

"There's nothing to spill. I never liked Zach the way everyone assumed I did and we especially never dated. Besides I think I'm starting to like Josh again, isn't that great?" Cammie said. She tried to be a little more convincing this time, recognizing that Tina could crash this entire operation. She even gave Tina a little bit of a smile.

"I'm not leaving this bathroom until I hear the truth," Tina insisted. "I won't tell anyone, but I need to know. I mean come on it must be miserable not to be able to talk to the guy you like anymore."

"I talk to Josh all the time," Cammie replied.

"Cammie. Seriously. I can get you and Zach some alone time if that's what it takes. I have a teacher who owes me a favor, just tell me the truth."
Cammie sighed.

"Okay, fine."

And so, Cammie explained everything to Tina. It didn't feel all that good to share the basics of an operation with an outsider but cornered in the bathroom made Cammie feel like she didn't have much of a choice.

When she finished Tina was seated on the sink as well, facing the mirror, touching up her makeup. She hummed thoughtfully when it became clear that Cammie had finished telling her story. She, however, didn't respond in any other way. After a while, Cammie couldn't stand the silence.

"Well?" Cammie asked, a little irritated. "Do you have advice for me or what?"
Tina cracked a smile and she glanced in Cammie's direction.

"I think you need to talk to Zach. The way I see it he'll go above and beyond to do what he thinks will make you happy. No matter how long you guys do this unless you convince him you don't mind being in the spotlight if you get to spend time with him you guys can never be proper friends, much less boyfriend, and girlfriend," Tina explained. Cammie scrunched her nose and murmured a curse.

It didn't make her feel any better.

"You're not going to tell anyone about this right?" Cammie asked finally. Tina gave Cammie a genuine looking quirk of her lips and shook her head.

"Not if you don't want me to. Your secret is safe with me," she assured. Cammie smiled back at her and glanced down at her phone.

"We are severely late for class," she chuckled. Tina giggled a little as well, hopping off the counter.

"I'm surprised Josh didn't break in to come to check on you," she joked. Cammie rolled her eyes.

"I hope Zach is having more fun with his fangirls then I am with Josh," she murmured. Tina stifled a laugh and Cammie shot her a curious glance.

"What?"

"Cammie, you've seen those girls. They're ridiculous. If he isn't miserable he isn't human."

They both laughed and walked out of the bathroom. Cammie wasn't surprised to see Josh leaning against the wall. His face was a little red, and near the end of their relationship, the look on his face would have meant Cammie would be yelled at. Cammie flinched a little remembering the first (and last time, she had not taken being yelled at well) he had done that to her.

Cammie rolled her eyes at and started towards class. Josh rushed to catch up to her, and he opened his mouth to speak. Cammie cut him a glare.

"You shouldn't have waited for me," she said firmly. Josh crossed his arms and fell in step with her.

"Are you really surprised that I did?" Josh asked. Cammie sighed softly, shaking her head.

"Not at all."

"What took you so long anyway? Was Zach in there?" Josh muttered.

"Really, Josh? Again?" Cammie deadpanned. Josh said something in defense of himself, but Cammie didn't hear a word of it. She hated every second she was with him and it was like the end of their relationship all over again.

Except then she was easily able to break up with him. Now, no matter how much she told him off he wouldn't leave her.

"Tell the teacher I'm not feeling well," Cammie finally said. "I guess I'll just see you at lunch."

Josh stared at her, his eyes narrowing in her direction. To cover it a little bit she coughed and gave him a small smile.

"Seriously."

Josh nodded his head once and disappeared back into the classroom. Cammie teetered outside the door for a moment, just to ensure that Josh didn't turn around to follow her. Once she was sure he was gone she sighed heavily and began to slowly loiter down the hall. One foot fell after another, but she never went any faster then she needed to.

She was happy to finally get a chance to herself.

Regrettably, it didn't last long. She turned the corner and there he stood. He was all alone, for the first time since the two of them had gotten each other into this mess.

"Zach," she stated softly. Zach turned to her, clearly deflating a little bit. He looked just as he always did, except around the eyes. She could tell he was tired.

"Cammie," he replied, his voice just as soft as her. They gave each other small smiles, and fell in step with each other.

"I'm sick of this," Cammie admitted after only a short moment. "I mean really. I can't keep it up much longer. Josh is driving me crazy."

"The rumors are still floating around," Zach replied.

"I don't care about the rumors anymore," Cammie blurted. She turned and faced Zach, probably looking a bit more desperate then she wanted to. "I never get to see you anymore and not only that, but I have to deal with Josh. I miss getting to know you. For a while, school felt like less of a chore, but now I dread coming in every day."

Zach looked a little surprised but didn't say a word in response. He slid his hands in his pockets and looked away from her, clearly lost in thought. Cammie didn't put up a fight waiting for him to build a response and her patience was well rewarded.

"I hate it too," he admitted. "I hate it so much. I just…"

He looked a little unsure of himself but picked back up after a moment.

"I want you to be happy. I thought this would do it."

"I'm happy when I'm with my friends, and you're a friend that I am not willing to lose," Cammie insisted. She smiled and cocked her head, trying to imitate a look that she had seen on his face a hundred times. "If I can't talk to you who will give me free coffee?"

Zach laughed- a genuine laugh- and put his hand on the back of his neck.

"That's true. I've got to admit that life without my Gallagher Girl is pretty pathetic."

Cammie tried not to dwell on the fact that he had called her his Gallagher Girl, but only because the mere thought that those words had left his mouth at all made Cammie's heart beat so loudly that she couldn't hear anything else.

"Look at us," Cammie giggled. "We barely went a couple of days without each other and we haven't been friends for very long at all."

"I guess that's how you know we've got something special," Zach agreed. Cammie looked up at him, her smile matching his. He held out his hand for her to take. "So that's it then. No matter what the rumors are we are going to stick together."

Cammie nodded and gave his hand a firm squeeze.

"Absolutely."

Josh was packing his things, getting ready to leave school that night when he noticed Zach in the doorway of his classroom. Normally the sight of Zach wouldn't bother him, but this time there was something weird about it.

The way Zach was looking at him it was as if he were trying to pick a fight.

"Josh," Zach called flashing him a smile. "You mind if I bother you for a second?"

Some of the girls in the class giggled at the sight of Zach, but other then that no one found it odd that he wanted to see him.

Josh found it odd.

He knew that if he went with Zach then he would be risking a walk home with Cammie. Then again, maybe that was for the best, he could tell that recently Cammie was pretty angry with him. He should probably let her cool down a bit before he resumed walking her home.

"Sure."

Zach wound him through the falls of the school, leading him to the gym. There was a lack of students there that bothered Josh a bit so he decided to loiter near the door, instead of following Zach further into the gym. Zach stopped about halfway across the gym floor, just standing there.

Again, Josh was hit with that uneasy feeling.

What did Zach want from him?

"I have work tonight so if we coul-" Before Josh could even finish, Zach was speaking.

"What do you want with Cammie?"

The words echoed across the wooden floors, and Josh actually shivered.

"I should be asking you that," he said jokingly. Zach didn't laugh.

"I suggest you answer my question."

Josh opened his mouth, his body beginning to break into a cold sweat.

"I-I-"

"Because if I didn't know any better, I would think that you wanted to date Cammie all over again."

"Maybe I do!" Josh agreed, trying to sound stronger then he felt. "What's so wrong with that huh? I should be allowed to want to date her."

The laugh that emitted from Zach's mouth could have been one from a horror movie. The speed that Zach exhibited to get into Josh's face, could've been that of a supervillains', and the strength he exhibited when punching the wall next to Josh's head, was so impressive that Josh could feel the vibrations run through his entire body.

"Cammie doesn't like you. Why is that so hard for you to understand? If she says no, she means no. If she tells you to stop, then you need to stop, and if she asks you to leave, you should leave."
Josh was stunned into silence, unable to argue for his own behalf. Unable to even think properly. Josh had never seen Zach like this, although, he supposed that no one (at their school at least) had before.

He was terrifying.

"If I hear that you've been talking to Cammie again and she doesn't want it you'll have to answer to me and next time, I won't be this nice. Do you understand?"

Josh whimpered.

"I said do you understand," he demanded.

"I understand!" Josh yelped, raising his arms in front of his face. Zach lowered his offensive stance.

"Go."

Josh took off without question.

"I think I might be in heaven," Cammie announced. She placed her hands on the lunch table and leaned forward. "I mean seriously, I think I'm in heaven. Josh hasn't said a word to me all day!"
Just as Cammie was speaking Zach was sitting down, joining their group unlike he had for the past while. He gave her a smile.

"Oh yeah?"
Cammie nodded, practically beaming.

"I was starting to think I'd have to break up with him all over again," Cammie announced. Bex laughed, wiping an imaginary tear from her eye.

"That'd be classic considering how it went the first time," she blurted. Cammie rolled her eyes and threw a carrot at Bex. Lix giggled and picked up the stray carrot, handing it to Grant.

He grinned and tossed it into his mouth.

"The first time?" He asked in between munches.

"Oh, I know this story!" Jonas piped up. "Josh didn't realize that Cammie had broken up with him and so she ended up having to do it, what was it? Three times?"

The entire table burst into laughter, Cammie leaned back, only then noticing that Zach's knuckles were bandaged. She tilted her head.

"Zach? What happened to your hand?" She asked softly. He tilted his head her way, acting like he had forgotten about the injury.

"Oh, nothing really. I was running, and I fell. Scratched it up pretty badly," he admitted. Concern riddled Cammie's face, but she tried not to ask more about it.

"You should really be more careful," Cammie teased. Zach laughed, looking at her surprisingly fondly.

"Don't worry. I will be."

Cammie smiled and returned to her food. Their friends had started to speak amongst themselves, leaving Cammie and Zach in their own bubble. He smiled at her.

"You have a club meeting, today right? Don't they usually run pretty long?" He asked thoughtfully. Cammie nodded.

"Generally."

"Let me walk you home then."

Cammie considered turning down his offer, but she had really missed hanging out with him so instead, she nodded.

"Sure."

They walked mostly in a comfortable silence, and Cammie watched thoughtfully as their shadows appeared and disappeared with the lights of the street lamps. She wasn't upset that they weren't talking.

She enjoyed just being in his presence.

They finally got to her place and they both slowly came to a stop in front of her place.

"Thank you for the walk, Zach, I'll see you at school," Cammie said in farewell. He gave her a short wave and she turned, beginning to head into her door.

"Hey, Cammie?"

Zach's words stopped Cammie in her tracks, and when she turned around to face Zach she was met with a shy boy, kicking the dirt with his left foot and running a hand through his hair unsurely. She smiled at the sight and ever so slightly cocked her head.

"Yes, Zachary?" She teased. When his eyes met hers, the look he gave her was oddly serious. She had become quite used to Zach nearly exclusively being a prankster. He almost always had a joke in mind or a prank in hand. Seeing him like this was so out of character Cammie got a little bit of backlash.

"I know that those rumors about us dating just died down and everything," he stated. He began to close the distance between them as he spoke, and Cammie couldn't control the way that she backed into the nearest object. Her hands touched sharp bark- a tree.

Despite her best efforts, Zach easily closed the space in-between them, his eyes sparkling with a look she hadn't really seen in him before. It wasn't mischief.

"You okay Gallagher Girl?"

That nickname. Cammie could hardly stand to hear that nickname leave Zach's mouth recently. It made her face warm, brought her palms to a cold sweat, and made her heart beat relentlessly against her chest and all because he had come up with a nickname for her.

"Yeah, 'course," she assured. He smiled at her fondly, and his hand gingerly touched her cheek. When she didn't flinch out of the touch his hand caressed it.

"Good, cause I've really gotta admit I do want to date you. Thought I'd ask you more eloquently, but I'd love it if-"

"Yes," Cammie blurted before she could even consider her words. She didn't regret it when she saw the way that Zach's grin grew. He dropped his hands to her wrists, smiling wildly.

"Really?" He asked.

"Yeah," she said again, this time even more confidently. "Of course, I will, yes, yes! Just tell me when and where and I will be there."

"Great-"

The smile on Zach's face grew and it made Cammie nearly giddy. He released her from his grip, smiling so largely that she wondered how he was properly focusing on anything.

"So… I'll see you then?" He asked. H shoved his hands in his pocket and began to back away, heading his way home

"Of course," she agreed. "I'll be there."

He laughed, a sound that warmed Cammie's heart and then- because he wasn't paying any attention- stumbled into a telephone pole, tripped over himself, and quickly settled himself.

They both laughed a little at the action as he waved in her direction.

"See you, Cameron."

"See ya."

It wasn't until Zach had finally disappeared from her sight that something occurred to Cammie. The smile dropped from her face and she pushed herself off the wall.

"Wait! You never said when the date is!"

Author's Note:

Hey there Gallagher Girls (and possibly boys)! Sorry, it took me a gazillion years or so to get out this chapter. I'm transitioning from high school to college so it's been a hell of a summer. (So much to do, so little time.) Anyways, just was going to say the og plan for this story was to make at a five chapter extravaganza but if you guys want I am considering going more into Zammie's relationship in this story. It might not pan out, and I won't do it if you guys don't think its a good plan but I'm considering it. Anyways, I'm going to try to be a better updater ;) Expect chapter five by this time next week (hopefully sooner!) and to all of you guys starting school good luck! Or as the Koreans say it: 화이팅 (Fighting!)