Chapter 8

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" The brown haired teen said rudely. She got up and dusted off her faded jeans and shot the blonde beauty a death glare.

"Sorry." Cloe said feeling irritated. She bent down to snatch her loose leaf pages, hoping to not aggravate her any further.

"It wasn't her fault!" Sasha scoffed, placing her hands on her hips.

"Well!" Mecca said dramatically, squinting her glittering eyelids. She stared deeply into the blonde's eyes. "Wait, aren't you…Cloe?"

Cloe didn't answer. "And you're Mecca?" Why did she just ask that anyway, she knew darn well who this person was, didn't she?

Mecca smiled sassily and examined her. "Hmm…you're not nearly as pretty as Cameron described you." She let out a fake giggle. Cloe felt a little insulted.

"Okay, who do you think you are?" She demanded.

"What?" Mecca was surprised. "Don't tell me he didn't tell you!"

"What are you talking about?" Jade asked suspiciously.

"I'm his girlfriend." Mecca replied. The Bratz let their jaws drop. No way!

"No you're not!" Yasmin said, becoming confused.

"Sorry, but I am. So just deal with it, bitch." Mecca said smugly and trotted off to class, jerking her narrow hips back and forth.


It was currently lunch time and the Boyz were socializing while munching on cheesy nachos and tacos.

"Well, did she have hips like Shakira?" Dylan asked Koby, who shook his head. "That's what I thought." He crunched on his taco shell.

The Bratz drop their trays onto the table beside them. They don't look happy.

"Where's Cameron? Cloe has to give him a piece of her mind!" Sasha said, slamming her milk box into the table. A bit of it splashed onto Koby's cheek.

"He just left." Eitan said, taking a sip of his juice. Dylan groaned, staring at Sasha oddly.

"What?!" The Bratz groaned. Why does this always happen?

"Where the heck is he all the time?" Cloe wondered, taking a seat next to Koby. The rest of the girls slipped into nearby seats as well.

"Cloe, what did you do?" Dylan asked playfully. Jade gives him a sour look and dumps her tray of nachos over his head.

The Boyz laugh while Dylan scrapes of the sticky cheese. "What, I was just…playin'."


Cameron sighed as he strolled through the lonely halls. He wasn't feeling so thrilled about anything, it was sort of depressing. If only he could see Cloe, then maybe things would even out. He felt a dimness sweep over him; he turned to see a girl.

"Hey Cami, can I come over?" Mecca asked sweetly. "I need you to help me with my homework."

Cameron rolled his eyes. "Please Mecca. I'm busy, maybe some other time." Mecca bit her lip, feeling desperate.

"But Cami…I'll pay you."

"No thanks." Cameron said and brushed himself away from her.


Cameron opened the screen door and stepped into the living room. He noticed his father was sitting on his chair, with the newspaper blocking his face. Cam's mom approached him, while drying a dish glass.

"Oh, you're here honey," was all the woman said.

Cameron tilted his head a bit and crashed into the couch. "Yeah, I am." He gazed back up at her, confused. Why wasn't she talking a lot, like she always would?

"What's up?" Cameron asked.

His mother took a deep breath and looked at him straight in the eye. "Cameron. I'm going to tell you something, and it's not something good."

Cameron gulped. What exactly did she mean by that, he wondered intensely. "What is it?"

His mother stared down at her gloved hands while she spoke.

"Your father…lost his job."

Cameron felt pressure stabbing into his head. "What…dad?"

"I'm so sorry, son." His father finally pulled the newspapers out of his face. He seemed pretty torn down. His dad loved his job, a lot. He just couldn't understand how this could've happened. I guess now isn't the time to be complaining, he thought.

"No dad, don't worry about it." Cameron said solemnly, looking down in his lap. "So, you're getting another one, right dad?"

"I really wish I could answer that Cameron." He said sorrowfully. "I'm going to try, but it won't be easy."

And then, another thought shot up to him. "What about prom?" Cameron asked. "How am I supposed to buy my stuff?" There was no way he'd go wearing some old rag he had hiding, squished into an empty crack five years ago. He shook his head from the horrible image.

"Oh Cam, I'm sure you can use your own money to pay for them." His mother said soothingly. She looked at him thoughtfully, placing her hand onto his shoulder. Some soapy suds remained on his shirt.

Cameron forced a smile, his eyes still remaining on the carpet. "Yeah, except I don't have any." He whispered.


Cameron entered his bedroom, dropping his book bag onto his bed. He glared up at his dirt bike poster against wall in the dim light. He clenched his fists and gave his dresser a brief punch. The dresser tilted a bit as pain shot up his arm. Cameron let out a little moan, clutching his arm. He noticed a purple bruise developing, how very unmanly. How many things can go wrong in less than a week? His eyes eventually fell upon his telephone.

"I guess it couldn't hurt…"

He picked it up, dialing a number into it. "Uh, hey Mecca. I've changed my mind."

"Ooh super!" A high voice squealed on the other end. "I'll be there in five minutes!"


"Thanks so much for giving me a 200 bucks." Cameron said to the spoiled brat and began flipping through the bills. "Wow, that's a lot. You really didn't have to."

"Oh, shut up." Mecca said playfully. "It was nothing; I get a lot of these things anyway. It just piles up so quickly collecting dust and all."

Cameron leaned comfortably into the couch, thinking of what she had said. "You must feel kinda secure to have all that money, huh?"

Mecca rolled her eyes and tilted her head. "So what do you think about Cloe?"

The question was taken by surprise. Why would she be interested in her?

"I'm not sure." He admitted. "I hardly ever get to talk to her anymore." He bit his lip. "And sometimes…it feels like she's avoiding me."

"Aw, poor thing." Mecca said sweetly with a pinch of sarcasm. She walked into his room, noticing that his internet was on. "Cam, can I use your computer?"

Cameron arched an eyebrow. Didn't she need help with homework? Well did it matter? She did give him money. "Oh, okay. Just don't mess with anything."

Mecca gasped dramatically, her hand touching her heart. "I would NEVER!"


Cloe's eyes brightened when she saw her message machine blinking with a message. She pressed the button.

"Hey, it's Cameron. Sorry I couldn't get to you earlier. I had something to take care of. Well drop me one, when you get this. Bye."

Cloe instantly picked the receiver up and dialed his number. The line was busy…odd. He probably was on the internet, Cloe decided. Unfortunately, he still had dial-up services. Wait, he was on the internet now so she could send him an email. She went to her room and snatched her laptop.

To her amazement, she already had a message from him. She read it silently to herself:

Cloe,

I don't know how to say this but I think we should move on.

You've been very great to me, don't get me wrong.

But I'm dating this other girl and she's just everything I've always wanted.

I'm sorry Cloe, but I'm just not into you anymore.

It feels like you don't really like me around either.

Cloe shut her laptop and stared up at the ceiling, feeling dizzy. "What?" She couldn't believe what she just read. I just don't understand…


"Come on, Cami! Lighten up and give a hug!" Mecca said all sugary when she noticed Cameron looking so down. They were standing by their lockers as usual. Cameron just wished he could just disappear, that way she could never find him. It was like she would all up in his life more and more each day. She even changed all her classes to match his. It was creeping him out

"What?" Cameron choked out. "Mecca…" Couldn't she just give him a break?

"Please…" Mecca had to have her way. "Just do it, or I might want my money back."

Cameron felt his chest beating faster. He needed that money, she couldn't go and take it back. As much as he hated it, maybe just a quick one will be enough before anyone suspects anything. He put his right arm over her shoulder and leaned in.

"How could you?"

Huh? Cameron turned around, sweat dripping down his forehead. Please, don't make it Cloe who just said that! Please!

Too bad, it totally was.

Cameron stepped away from Mecca. He had to think of something fast if didn't want to crush her heart anymore. Teenaged girls and boys had feelings more fragile than a toothpick. "Cloe no! It's not what it looks like!" Wait, that kind of sounded like the movies.

"Just save it for the soap operas." Cloe said, struggling to remain calm. "You don't have to explain anything. I don't even know you anymore."

Cameron couldn't believe it. Did she actually think…"What?"

Cloe squinted at him, still keeping her distance. "I got your email."

"Email?" Cameron was so lost. He noticed people stopped to stare at them. "What are you talking about?" He felt his cheeks flushing. Cloe just crossed her arms. She probably thinks I'm an idiot or something, he thought.

"Cloe, listen to me." He tried again. "You don't understand."

"Yeah, you're right." Cloe said. She felt herself growing fatigue. "I don't understand you, I guess I never will."

Cameron felt like he was totally missing something. He let out a tired sigh. "I wanted to tell you…can't we just talk?"

He stepped closer to the blond, to comfort her. She immediately backed away as if he were some cockroach.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Cloe shouted angrily, a tear dribbled down her pale cheek. "I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" She ran down the halls until the crowd blocked her out of sight.

Teens and a few teachers just stared at Cameron pitifully, he felt so devastated. It was pretty silent after that.

"Hmm…who's been tying knots up in her hair?" Mecca said, attempting to make him smile. He just hung his head low and stared at the tile floor.