AN: So it's official... I suck at updating. Erm, I know that I keep saying I'll update quicker but honestly, school has pretty much taken over my life. But hopefully I can get some updates in soon because I have a few breaks coming up. And sorry to all about the long wait for Kiss My Sass. Juggling two stories was way too much for me to handle and I didn't realize that until too late. But look out for a Kiss My Sass chapter coming your way soon. I hope you guys didn't give up on that story because I have some good stuff planned!

::

Colorblind

::

"Massie, are you okay?" Cam asked her at breakfast the next morning.

Massie swallowed her coffee back in a loud gulp and turned to Cam, a somber expression on her face. "Can I ask you something?"

Cam put down his bagel. "Sure. Ask away."

Massie sighed. She didn't know how to gather up all the jumbling thoughts in her head and form them into one cohesive sentence. Her inner ramblings were - to say the least - a mess. Finally, she found the words closest to what she was feeling, and they slipped out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"What am I doing here?"

Cam stared at her, his expression confused. Then he blinked once, twice, and three times, until the confusion in his eyes turned into a smile. "Massie, that question was retarded."

"Cam," Massie sighed, disappointment washing over her even though she knew Cam wouldn't understand. "I'm being serious here. Why am I here?"

"Well..." Cam pondered for a moment, and then a brightness lit up his face. "You're here because you want to spend more time with your best friends. It's summer vacation before Junior year, and you're gonna kill it."

Massie's heart fluttered in her chest, reminding her of her killer crush on Cam last year. There were still remnants of it within her now, and seeing him in all his six-foot, tan and toned glory, Massie couldn't help but fall just a little harder.

Cam was such a gentleman. He was all kinds of amazing, and kind, and caring - the total opposite of Derrick. Cam made Massie feel wanted and special because whenever he talked to her, his eyes made her feel like the only person in the world. Massie was happy to be around Cam, even if he made her palms sweat and her cheeks red.

"Massie?" Cam asked, waving a fork in front of her eyes.

Massie snapped back from her daydream, back into Alicia's ultra-sleek kitchen, and her blush payed a visit full force.

"Massie?" Cam asked again. "You okay? You seemed a little spacey."

"Sorry." Massie shook her head. "Just have a lot on my mind, I guess."

Cam set down his fork on his now empty plate. "If you want, we could take a walk to... you know... clear your head and stuff."

"Cam," Massie said, looking at him incredulously. "I'm up at 7:30 eating breakfast with you already. I am not going to take a walk with you. It's too damn early."

Cam laughed heartily. "It's actually not that early if you think about it."

"I have never woken up before 12 during summer vacation before, and I've never eaten breakfast before that time either."

"Eating at 12:30 isn't breakfast anymore."

Massie huffed and crossed her arms, pushing away her uneaten toast. "Whatever, Mr. Know-It-All."

Cam turned her face with his hand so that she was looking at his straight in the eyes. "Hey," he whispered softly. "I meant it as a joke."

Massie immediately softened. "It sounded like you were making fun of me."

"I would never make fun of you." Cam frowned, but instantly smiled again. "I'm glad I could share your first pre-noon breakfast with you."

Almost growing warm immediately at the sound of Cam's words, Massie smiled and her appetite came back again. She bit into her toast, her whole body buzzing with happiness. "Yeah, who would've thought that the Cam Fisher has to teach Massie Block that eating after 12 isn't considered breakfast anymore."

Cam smiled and patted her bare knee, a gesture obviously meant to be friendly, but Massie took it as so much more. To her, his simple touch meant comfort and acceptance. And if she weren't so happy at that moment, tears would've pricked her eyes because she finally felt accepted by a boy.

"Oh!" Massie exclaimed. "I forgot to apologize for Derrick's behavior two nights ago. What he did to you was totally uncalled for, not to mention extremely rude."

Cam waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. It was just a misunderstanding."

"I don't want to be the reason for destroying a friendship."

"Massie, Derrick and I are cool. We worked it out yesterday. And I also talked to him about the way he was treating you."

Massie froze. "Oh. Okay." She felt like choking.

"Yeah. Everything should be fine now. He shouldn't bother you anymore."

"Thanks," Massie sighed. If only he knew that her life just got a hell of a lot more complicated.

::

Massie ended up taking a walk, but Cam didn't come with her. She needed to take this one on her own and have some reflection time.

She strolled through the warm sand of the beach, feeling the small sand granules rub together between her toes. The small crash of the waves upon the beach did not sound inviting like it usually did. Blurred memories of her underwater adventure drifted through her mind, and Massie shuddered. She took a few steps away from the water, just in case it decided to reach out a salty hand and pull her in again.

Then she remembered the way Derrick's lips felt against hers. Even if he was only performing CPR, it was like a kiss, except unintentional. Massie didn't like the direction her mind was drifting towards, but it was inevitable. She was going to have to think about her semi-kiss with Derrick someday - sooner or later - and that meant now.

He saved her life.

It was a still a strange concept to her. Out of all the people witnessing that day, Derrick was the one the stepped forward and saved her. Maybe he was a licensed CPR professional or something, but that didn't seem like him. Everyone was out of their comfort zones that day. Especially Massie. The whole time she was recovering, she didn't feel like it was she herself, lying under the suffocating blankets, breathing in the suffocating air.

Massie shook her head. She was not to think about those dark thoughts anymore. From now on, she was only going to be happy, no matter how hard it be. She was going to reflect on how she felt and turn it all around for the better.

Though there wasn't much to reflect upon, Massie felt a heavy weight lingering over her shoulders. It felt like she was being angry for all the wrong reasons, and feeling frustrated for all the wrong things. It was deep, gnawing feeling that she was doing something terribly wrong.

But Massie couldn't put her finger on it. What could have possibly made her feel so guilty? She hasn't killed anyone, or lied to anyone... but she has screamed terrible words to a certain terrible someone.

Could it be? This uncomfortable feeling was her guilt towards treating Derrick like shit? As if he didn't feel the same way about her. Massie just didn't understand why she had to be such a rational person. She knew that no one deserved her hate, but if there was someone out there that did, Derrick was the closest possibility.

Yet somehow, it just felt wrong to be angry with him. It felt... strange, as if he didn't deserve her anger, and that she should be angry with herself.

Massie didn't like this feeling. But she couldn't shake it.

"Hey!"

Massie whipped her head back, pulling out of her inner ramblings quickly, and plastering a smile on her face. Alicia was running towards her in 6-inch espadrilles, her long black hair billowing gracefully in the breeze.

"Alicia! What's up?"

Alicia caught up to Massie, out of breath. "How... are... you?" She breathed?

Massie laughed. "I'm fine. What's with the rush?"

"You disappeared for like two days!" Alicia's eyes widened with worry. "The girls and I have been worried sick. Claire and Kristen went into town to look for you, and Dyl went to the south part of the beach."

"Alicia!" Massie gasped. "I did not mean to cause so much trouble! Oh my god, I am so sorry! I just needed some time alone... I didn't mean for this..."

Alicia smiled and placed a comforting hand on Massie's shoulder. "It's good, Mass. We were just looking out for out best friend."

Massie's smile grew infinitely brighter as she pulled Alicia into a tight hug as all the dim thoughts that clouded her mind cleared away and the sun finally shone through.

::

"Thanks for the awesome day." Massie crashed through the front door with her hands full of bags as she tried to wave to her friends with her full hands.

"You deserve it." Dylan winked.

"We should have outings like this more often," Kristen giggled.

Alicia flipped her hair out of her eyes, which were bright and filled with excitement. "We have the whole summer for that, girls. Now say bye to Massie. All that shopping has gotten her tired and saggy."

Massie gasped. "I am not saggy."

"The bags under your eyes say otherwise." Alicia smirked and led the girls away.

But Claire lingered behind. She smiled tightly and took a step closer to Massie. "If you need anything, anything, know that I'll be here for you. Just give me a call."

"Claire..." Massie was speechless. This was so sudden. "Thank you."

"I know that Derrick's been giving you trouble and I just want you to know that I - that the girls and I have your back."

Massie dropped her bags and pulled Claire into a tight hug. "You're amazing."

"And so are you. Remember that, okay?"

"You are truly the best friend I've ever had."

Massie could feel Claire's smile, even if she couldn't see it. "Best friends don't let each other hurt. And I'm not going to let you hurt, Massie.

Claire pulled away slowly. "Love ya."

"Love you more," Massie replied, a laugh bubbling against her lips.

Claire flashed her a peace sign and then disappeared into the darkness after the rest of the girls.

Massie felt warm as she closed the door shut softly. She was so lucky to have friends like Claire. They were literally one in a million.

Feeling as if she were walking on a cloud, Massie went upstairs and took a relaxing shower. The bathroom was filled with remnants of the accident the day prior, but Massie ignored them. All the scars didn't hurt as much when she pretended they weren't there.

After showering and changing into a comfortable pair of shorts and an oversized t-shirt, Massie padded to her room and flipped on her iPod, picking one of her and the girls' favorite songs. The fast beat of the song Good Girls Go Bad flooded her room, putting Massie in an instant mood for dancing.

In the spur of the moment, Massie grabbed her hairbrush and began using it as a microphone. She danced around her room, jumping on her bed, whipping her wet hair, and just letting loose all of the tension from the past eleven days.

She was finally having fun. And not just fun that lasted for a few hours. This fun reached deep inside of her heart and filled her with the brilliance of the shining sun. Massie felt like she could take on the world. She had the four best of best friends by her side and they were going to conquer the world.

When the song finally ended, Massie was out of breath, but she was smiling. She set her hairbrush back down on her dresser and flopped down on her bad. The house was silent, just how she liked it. The echoes of her previous dance party still floated around her head and it was nice to know that they were all kept to herself.

Suddenly, a strange sound came from next door.

Massie sat up straight. She thought she was alone. She must've missed the sound of someone coming in while her music was blasting.

The strange sound came again, only louder. It sounded like someone crying.

Curious, Massie pressed her ear against the creamy wall. There was a lot of rustling and banging coming from Derrick's room, and then suddenly... that cry-like sound again. It was definitely female and it definitely didn't sound like she was happy.

All the blood drained from Massie's face. Was Derrick hurting a girl in his room? Unable to control herself, Massie sped over to Derrick's room and flung open the door.

The sight in front of her eyes was almost blinding.

Derrick had a girl pressed against the wall, his hands roaming all over her bare stomach; her shirt had ridden up to her chest. They were literally eating each other's faces and the girl was moaning like no other.

Massie cleared her throat. "Excuse me?"

Derrick whipped around, a deer-caught-in-headlights look on his face. The girl beneath him flushed deeply and yanked her shirt down, which didn't even do much considering it looked like she was wearing a napkin for a shirt.

"What the FUCK?" Derrick roared.

Massie backed away, her hands up. "Sorry to intrude... but it literally sounded like someone was dying over here."

The girl blushed even deeper and buried her head into Derrick's shoulder.

"No one's dying, as you can obviously see. Now get the fuck out."

"I wish I could, but the walls are thin. Even in my own room I can hear you guys getting it on like dogs."

Derrick grimaced. "You nosy bitch."

"As if I wanted to hear the dirty sounds of your pleasure!"

"You can get the hell out of this house-

"Where the fuck would I go-

"Anywhere but in my sight-

Massie seethed. "Fuck off. I don't take pleasure in seeing you either!"

Derrick moved away from the random girl and stepped closer to Massie. "You're embarrassing me in front of Olivia. I would like to you to leave this room, now." He turned back around and took the girl's hand. Even though his tone was calm, there was a significant undertone of threat. Massie chose to ignore it though, and decided to provoke Derrick a little further. Might as well finish what has already begun.

"So the slut has a name?"

Derrick dropped Olivia's hand, and turned to face Massie slowly. His eyes were burning. "What did you call her?"

Massie smirked. "I called her a slut."

Derrick clenched his fist. "You have no right-

"I know I don't even know her, but do you? You probably picked her up from a bar for an easy fuck! That's disgusting. Both of you are disgusting!"

"Are you kidding me right now?" Derrick's voice cracked up an octave. "You are a bitch, Massie Block. You think that everything I do is bad. Well guess what? I bet your precious Cam is hooking up with some chick in a bathroom stall right now, right where I left him. He went with me to that bar where I picked up this slut named Olivia. What are you gonna say now?"

Massie took a step closer. "Do you know what I'm going to say? Do you fucking know what I'm going to say, Derrick?"

"Spit it out!" Derrick threw his hands up, exasperated.

"Cam is a totally different person. You're rude, dumb, disgusting, and downright fucked up. Cam is sweet, kind, and smart. You two are two different people, so different that I don't even know ow you even became friends."

"Keep your disgusting fantasies to yourself."

"Only if you keep your bitches to yourself!"

Derrick's eyes flamed up again. "Do not call her that! I fucking told you her name is Olivia and she's a fucking human for god's sake, you filthy bitch!"

Massie's anger flared. "Oh! OH! Okay! I see how it is! So this whore you picked up from the bar is so much more human than me that I can't call her a slut, but you can call me a filthy bitch? Wow, Derrick, I didn't realize I stood so low in your standards." Massie smiled sarcastically. "You don't seem to get anything, do you? You don't know the first thing about being a human!"

Suddenly, Olivia stood up. "I have had enough of this! You guys fight like an old fucking couple. And you," Olivia pointed at Massie. "You'll be more of a bitch than I'll ever be." Then the blonde haired girl stormed out of the house, carrying her six-inch heals in her left hand and her purse in her right.

Derrick and Massie did not speak until Olivia closed the door behind her.

"Look what you fucking did-

"I help you, that's what-

Derrick raised his voice over Massie's. "Do you always have to fucking ruin everything?" He slammed the door behind Massie and caged her in with his arms, pressing her against the door. "Haven't you realized that your friends only became your friends after you stopped being so ugly? Haven't you realized that all your friends always try to do things your way because they feel bad for you? Everyone here fucking feels bad for you! That's why you're even here in the first place."

Massie spat in Derrick's face. "You don't have a fucking clue!" She yelled. "Now get off me before I scream!"

But that only pushed Derrick to step closer. They were almost chest to chest. "Take a good hard look, Massie, because right now you're fucking blind! Those people you call friends don't care about your shit at all. They only feel bad for you because in truth, you have no friends."

"You're a fucking liar!"

Derrick shook his head. "Believe me. Alicia talks to Josh and he tells me everything. They're all super annoyed that they had to drag you along. You're just like an anchor to their party boat, weighing them down with your stupid problems that no one gives a fuck about."

Massie couldn't take it anymore. The blood had been boiling in her veins for too long. In the tiny space she had, she reeled her fist back and punched Derrick straight in the nose. He screeched in pain, and staggered backwards, covering his throbbing nose. It wasn't a punch, more like a strong push, but it was enough to get him away from her.

"You fucking bitch!" He cried out.

Unable to think of anything, Massie flung the door open and ran to her room, locking her door just in case.

She had just dug her own grave.