A/N: Yes I know it has been a while and I'm sorry. I've had zero time and when I did I kind of forgot until a couple of reviews alerted me yesterday. I will say this might be my favorite chapter so far and I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 10

It was a fairly crowded night at Chance's. Many of the tables were full and there wasn't a seat at the bar. But the group of girls that Lucas had been friendly with were already perched on their bar stools. The brunette was already waving at Lucas and I saw Cady give me a smile, but then it all disappeared. Instead of a smile on her face, it was a sneer. I followed her gaze and she was looking directly at Cammie. But Cammie didn't seem to really care about the girls' whispers. She was looking around the bar, and she was looking afraid.

Lucas and Nick broke off to get started with drinks, and for a moment Cammie was completely out in the open. I hustled to cover her from one side, subtly blocking her from the leeches around the bar. When we got to a round booth, David scooted her into the middle. One guy started walking over but I gave him a hard look and he turned back around. Yeah, tonight wasn't going to be like the other nights.

Lucas was trying his best to get away from the bar, but my attention wasn't on him, or the girls. Drew was looking my way with an amused expression on his face. He gave a subtle nod toward Cammie and smirked. I shook my head just as Lucas and Nick placed the pitcher on the table.

"Camster, you are my guardian angel. That girl over there has been hitting on me for weeks but one look at you and she stopped." I risked a glance at the girls and all five of them looked annoyed.

"Yeah but now the only five girls in this bar probably hate me." She sounded bitter about the whole ordeal, but I knew she would be better off. Those girls weren't the type to play friendly.

"You don't come to this place trying to make girl friends. Besides, you have us." Cammie looked up at David and finally a wide smile crossed her face. She sat up straighter and leaned closer to David.

"Did Katie say yes?" Nick slammed his glass down on the table.

"What? You asked Katie out?" I sat in shock. For months he had been crushing on Katie, but I never thought he would really ask her out.

"Yes I did. We're going to the movies on Wednesday." He was trying to keep his cool but I knew this was a big deal. I gave him a high five and the whole table seemed to celebrate.

"Yeah. He spent two hours trying to figure out how to ask her out." David glared at Jonas but it vanished quickly.

Nick raised his glass in the air, "A toast to David. It took you two months to ask her out but you did it." They started into the pitcher and grabbed the vacant table while it was still available. I made my way over to the bar to get my Dr. Pepper, avoiding the end with the girls.

"Who's the girl?" Drew didn't even hesitate. He kept my drink on his side until he would get his answer.

"A new friend."

"Oh a 'friend'." He made air quotes and smirked. "Who's 'friend' is she? Lucas? Is that why he wasn't all over that girl tonight?" I rolled my eyes and reached across the bar but he moved it away.

"She's just our friend Drew. Nothing more." He looked over at Cammie and slowly slid my drink to me.

"But why? Does she have a boyfriend?" I shook my head.

"Already crushing on someone?" I shrugged.

"I don't think so." Drew smirked again.

"Well that could always change."

"Yeah. She's got her pick of the crop here."

"Is someone jealous?"

"Jealous?" I half laughed. "Of the guys here? No way."

"Uh huh. We'll see about that."

000000000000000000000

So maybe there was a little truth to Drew's words. I didn't like seeing Cammie get hit on, but she didn't either. I almost lost it when a guy touched her ass, but he got a gut hit from Cammie. Nick wanted to leap across the table and I didn't try to stop him, but Jonas did. And between the five of us, we tried to keep as many guys away.

I guess that's why I was more distracted than usual, well one of the reasons. For some reason Cammie stayed pretty close to me tonight. More than one occasion her arm brushed against mine and made me miss my shot. Luckily Lucas didn't really mind.

"Come on David. Just need this one last shot." I stood next to Lucas, hoping David would miss. But the eight ball effortlessly glided into the pocket and I hung my head.

"Alright that's the second game I lost. I need a break." I passed my stick to Nick and went for a refill. I saw I had a text from Grant.

Grant: Bex is really hot right now. She's trying to beat me at bowling.

I had to laugh: She'll never beat you.

Grant: Maybe I should let her win. Could work out for both of us ;)

"Are you sure she isn't crushing on anyone?"

"Nope. She's still getting over a relationship." He looked over my shoulder and then back at me.

"Well I think you have a shot when she is over it."

I huffed in annoyance. "Drew, we are just friends."

"Alright. Whatever you say. Looks like your 'just friend' is looking a little lonely. But she won't be for long if any of the other guys see her." I scanned the bar and already saw a few guys looking in her direction. I grabbed my drink and occupied the seat beside her. She was texting and I had a feeling I knew who it was.

"Is that Bex?" She put her phone down on the table and turned her attention to me.

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"Grant just texted me. He says Bex is hot when she's competitive." She gave a half laugh.

"Well then he's in luck. Bex is always competitive."

"I'll let him know." She looked back at the table and then to where the game was being played. She started messing with the ends of her hair. Was she as aware of how quiet it was? It was going to drive me insane.

"Soooooo Red Sox fan, huh." I had to know if she was a real fan or not. But the way she straightened up and smiled already told me she was.

"Born and raised." I approved, but I knew someone wouldn't.

"Don't let Grant see that jersey. He's die hard Yankees fan. We had to make him sit in another room when we watched the game at Blackthorne." The lines were drawn clearly at Blackthorne. You were either a Red Sox fan or you were wrong. But nothing was worse than being a Yankees fan. They were excommunicated during the big games.

"Are you a Sox fan?" She slightly bit the corner of her mouth and her eyes looked hopeful.

"Yeah. I used to go to some games as a kid." The dark memory crossed my mind, but those games were the happy spot in the dark days. "I had the best time of my life at those games."

"I know what you mean. One time I went with my dad and we ate so much popcorn and cotton candy. He almost dropped me reaching for a foul ball." She was more animated then and just filled with joy.

"Sounds like a good father." Her smile faltered.

"He was."

Was. Was is never good. Was means something happened and it's not a conversation to have in a bar booth.

"Next time the Sox take on those damn Yankees you have to come over and watch it with us." She finally smiled again.

"Deal. Anything to torment a Yankees fan."

"So what's more exciting to watch? A no hitter or a homerun derby?"

"Well homerun derbies are fun and full of action. The motion and the power behind the hit! The outfielders try their hardest to stop it but they can't." She was full of life and I knew this was a thing she was passionate about. "But a no hitter has so much skill and precision. Every pitch, every inning leaving you thinking, are they or aren't they?" Are they or aren't they. I've never felt a feeling more in my life.

She looked embarrassed and brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. "I guess that doesn't really make sense." And that's when I knew someone, somewhere once told her that they didn't care about what she said. But I did.

"No I've never been able to put it into words. There's so much suspense for a no hitter, and it really shows in the fielders which ones are dedicated until the end."

"Exactly! They have confidence in their pitcher but if they get lazy then it's their ass on the line when they miss the ball." I had never known a girl that would know so much about sports. But the only girls I had known wore low cut shirts and acted helpless. It was a breath of fresh air talking with Cammie. And laughing with Cammie.

"Well homerun derbies are pretty skewed with the whole steroid outbreak." She threw her head back laughing and leaned forward. Her head touched my shoulder and she stopped. She blushed and scooted back a little more. When had we gotten so close? She sipped on her drink and just then my worst nightmare came walking by. Cady was strutting with confidence and I wasn't sure how I should act. Nothing happened between us but she was a determined girl. She was walking tall in her heels and winked at me. I guess I should acknowledge her presence so I gave her a little wave.

Cammie put her glass back down on the table with a little more force than necessary. She had a scowl on her face and her eyes were blazing.

"Really? That's your type?" What was it with people and their type?

"What?"

She rolled her eyes, "The tight dress and bleach blonde hair. If her dress was cut any lower her push up bra would be falling out." She followed Cady's trail and huffed.

I smirked and leaned in. "Gallagher Girl are you jealous?"

"Of Barbie? No." She crossed her arms and that action alone told me she was. Drew's words were coming back to me. Maybe she was ready to move on. And then I looked at her in a new light. She was technically my type, but not the way I expected. She didn't have baby blue eyes, but they were stormy or almost grey sometimes. And her hair wasn't bleach blonde, but it had a mix of so many shades of gold. I guess two weeks ago I had a slight vision of my type, but Cammie smashed all of those.

So I leaned in closer. "Just so you know Gallagher Girl. I like dirty blondes."

She looked so conflicted and I was too. We were just friends. But right now all I could think is, I really want to kiss her. She leaned in too and closed her eyes. Yeah, I really wanted to kiss her.

We were about a centimeter away and her phone buzzed loudly on the table. She jumped back and whatever trance as broken. She checked her phone and her shoulders slumped.

"Bex won." My smirk faltered. Whatever could have happened was interrupted by Bex's gloating.

"Grant probably let her win."

"Oh. Bex wouldn't let anyone just let her win." She tried sounding nonchalant but there was a slight unevenness in her voice. That was the only way I could tell whatever happened, rattled her too. I had to get out before something else could happen. The air between us was intoxicating and I was already buzzed from it. Jonas was walking over and I knew I didn't want to stay around for that conversation.

"It's a win-win for both of them. I'm going to get back and play next game." He passed off the stick to me and took my place in the booth. My legs didn't want to walk to the table. If any of them had seen, I would never hear the end of it.

I took my spot at the table and Lucas poked me in the ribs.

"So your girlfriend found you, huh?" I sat speechless. But then Cady walked by and Lucas snickered.

"Is she going to come play with us?" Relief filled me and I exhaled.

"God I hope not."

We went back to playing in peace, but I kept sneaking glances over at Cammie and Jonas. She looked mildly uncomfortable and would shake her head. The next time Jonas was smiling but Cammie was blushing. I knew that I would be having a conversation very similar to this later on. I don't know if I was ready. What would I even say? Yes, I liked talking to Cammie. Yes, I have thought about kissing her on more than one occasion now. And yes, I do find her attractive. But does that mean I have to like her? We wouldn't date or anything.

I must have been distracted because Nick and Lucas were already cheering and Lucas flexed.

"Did you see that Cammie? I'm kicking ass." I cleared my head and tried to focus on the game. But I couldn't keep focused. I glanced back at Cammie and she was already staring. I sent her a smirk.

So I'm attracted to my friend. That doesn't mean anything.