Cammie POV
The next morning I woke up to the alarm clock screaming at me.
I turned onto my side and felt a weird pulling feeling. I reached up to my forehead and pulled off a stick note.
"Hey Cam, you and Zach got back late last night so we decided not to wake you up early. You might miss breakfast but Bex was going to snag a muffin for you. -Macey."
I sat up slowly and stretched.
I touched my lips and smiled. Last night was so amazing…it was perfect….all because of Zach.
I stood up and pulled the alarm clock out of the wall, that annoying beeping noise getting on my nerves. My eternal clock said it was six-thirty so I decided to grab a quick shower.
When I got in, I stood under the hot water and let everything just run off.
The worry of the Circle, the fear of Catherine getting to Zach and me, the pressure of school just rinsed off and down the drain. I carefully sat down and pulled my knees to me.
The water ran down my hair and over my body, which was shaking slightly. Imagining how everything just went away made me think about it…and it scared me.
I usually don't get scared.
I remember one day when I was ten clearly.
Zach and I were at the park near our houses on the little gymnastics bars they set out there.
"Zach be careful," I warned, sitting on the rubber ground next to the gym bars. "I'll be fine Cammie," he rolled his eyes and then backed up. At ten he looked like a thirteen year old with abs, full lips, and brilliant green eyes. Even though there were ten different girls staring at him, he only smiled at me. "Love it and learn how it's done Cammie dear." At full speed he ran and then at the last moment did a flip. He went about five feet in the air and then landed perfectly on one bar. He giggled as he almost fell. I clapped and laughed as he jumped off next to me. "You're turn Cammie-bear," he waggled his eyebrows. I laughed and then said "Let me show you how it's done Z." I went back about twenty feet and then took a deep breath. Then I started running. The wind blew back my hair, the adrenaline pushed me forward, and the chance to show Zach up was so tempting! I seemed to go in slow motion. Finally I was at the gym poles. I flipped three times in the air and landed perfectly on the pole…or so I thought. Fire spread up my ankle and I screamed in pain. People all turned and stared as I fell. Strong arms caught me and my head hit a rock hard chest. "I've got you Cammie," he mumbled into my hair and then placed me on the ground gently. "Where does it hurt," he asked calmly. I reached down painfully, tears threatening to spill from my eyes, and pointed to the middle of my ankle. He grabbed my foot and leg carefully and examined it. I sucked in a whole bunch of air at the pain. "Yeah Cam, you broke it." "Thanks Captain Obvious." He smirked and pulled his phone out of his back pocket. "Joe, are you at home?" He frowned and I guessed Joe wasn't. "Cam broke her ankle." Pause. "We're at the park." Pause. "I'll do it. Just come home when you can I guess, I'll take care of her till then." He hung up. "He's not at home and he can't come home until eight." "Can't we just go to your house," I asked. "Umm," he started down at my ankle uncomfortably, "I'd rather go to your house." "Okay," I said slowly, noting his awkwardness. "Come on Cam," he smiled, making me forget his reaction to my question, "let's go home." He slid his arm under my back and one under my legs and stood up. He held me bridal style and then bounced me in his arms a little to get used to the sudden weight on his arms. "You're surprisingly light," he noted as we walked past the people with their mouths dropped open at the sight of how easily Zach picked me up. "Thanks," I slid my arms around his neck and laid my head on his shoulder. After about six seconds of silence Zach mumbled "I shouldn't have challenged you to do that. I should have known something bad would have happened." "Zach, you didn't know anything was going to happen. I'm usually really good with gymnastics," I frowned. I am really good at gymnastics. I was at a level most people get to when they are recruited for the Olympics at the age of ten. I've never fallen, never hurt myself, and never messed up a routine. "I think it was the bar," I said after a while. "It's because you had on shoes. If you had taken your shoes off you would have stuck it without hurting yourself." He held me tighter to him as two teenage boys walked past. "When we get inside, I'm getting you ice and confining you to the couch." I didn't say anything. I just kissed his cheek and watched his entire face go red.
That was the last time I had ever been scared.
I was afraid when I fell. I was afraid I had done so much worse to myself.
Now I had something much scarier to be afraid of.
I was afraid of my boyfriend's mother.
Catherine was trying to kill me.
She killed my dad.
She wanted me dead.
I pursed my lips together and held in the scream of anger I wanted to let out so badly.
Why me?
What did I do to deserve this?
"Why," I yelled out loud.
That's when I finally noticed the water had gone cold.
Just like my heart for Catherine.
"Why," I mumbled and reached up to turn the water off.
