The trip to the airport was quite faster than usual and their trip became a silent, no-talking-or-crying trip. Macey looked through the window while her other friends either bit their fingernails or stared at the carpet of the car. Macey took a glance of her parents' car in the rearview mirror, wishing that maybe her parents' decision would change.
The car came into a halt, the glass airport faced them, it looked so inviting…
"I won't go in there, girl." Bex looked away. Liz didn't feel like coming with Macey inside. Cammie stared blankly at the Louis Vuitton luggage. It was unfair, she thought. They only reconciled weeks ago and now Macey was leaving. The four of them was completely unwhole without Macey. Who would make snap remarks in the middle of a serious conversation? Who would make them laugh?
"Cammie?" Macey turned to her.
"I'll come with you inside."
The smell of the airport was the smell of despair and sorrow, Cammie thought. She even wondered how many people here would leave their loved ones and go away.
"Bearhug?" Macey smiled and for a few minutes they squeezed each other, sniffing each other's scent but neither of them wept. It would just complicate things if they did.
"I'll text and call you all when I get there, okay? Now go!" Macey playfully pushed Cammie away, turning her back at her. They both knew it wouldn't be easy after all of this.
F-E-A-R-L-E-S-S F-E-A-R-L-E-S-S F-E-A-R-L-E-S-S
F-E-A-R-L-E-S-S F-E-A-R-L-E-S-S F-E-A-R-L-E-S-S
Cammie lousily picked on her spaghetti, twirling it around her fork then untwirling it, and twirling it again. This had been going on for quite some time already. Bex and Liz weren't able to join her for lunch for they were finishing up some extra credit work. This left Cammie alone in their usual lunch table, playing with her spaghetti.
The cafeteria was being decorated by some Student Council volunteers, they were placing banners and decorations on the walls for the Halloween. She remembered a Halloween party back in middle school where she dressed up as a Renaissance Queen and Macey as her Renaissance King. That was how close they were, really close.
"I hate to do this all the time," Zach sighed as he slipped beside Cammie. "I hate always butting in to your private moments with yourself. But I can't help it." He looked at her. "You draw me to you."
"Right," Cammie's face was blank. "I draw me to you but you couldn't care less if I make out with other guys."
Zach swallowed, guilt rushing through his veins. "You know that's not true, I care."
"Why'd you say it, then?"
"Because I say things I don't mean."
"Yeah, of course," the right corner of her mouth curled up lazily. "So when you said that you cared, you don't mean it."
Zach was exasperated, furrowing his eyebrows. "I just said it because I was upset. Because you don't get it. Not any part of it. But it's true, you draw me to you."
Cammie bit her lip, concealing her laughter. "That's really sweet. I draw you to me? Really? Where the hell did you get that pick up line?"
Zach didn't even have a trace of goof on his face. It was still his serious expression. "You never take me seriously."
"What?" Cammie shrugged indifferently. "That pick up line is just funny. You're not serious, are you?"
Zach touched her shoulder, and a jolt of electricity got inside of her. He was holding her gaze and for a moment they were staring at each other. "I am serious. You draw me to you. Like a magnet."
Cammie wanted to laugh right in front of his face for using a cheesy metaphorical pick-up line but he was hell serious. It wasn't possible he was just making up that serious face and if he was, it looked really authentic. "Okay, whatever." Cammie rolled her eyes, looking away.
"Really," Cammie felt his breath on her cheek. It was warm…and it smelled like mint like always. "Believe me. You draw me to you."
"Okay." Cammie shrugged. "I believe you. Happy?"
Zach just stared at her as she played with the spaghetti on her plate. Cammie thought about something sensible to say but as usual, nothing came up. Zach didn't think of anything while he stared pathetically at her. She just hoped no one was staring at them.
"So how's the life of the president?" she snapped, putting down the fork, facing him.
He shrugged. "Not good, because I know it made you hate me."
She rolled her eyes, dismissing the thought. "I don't hate you."
"Please, you do."
"No."
"Really?" his face slightly lit up. She nodded, swallowing a lump down to her throat. What if he assumed she liked him or something? Nobody knew this guy, he could be really assuming sometimes.
"Then what do you feel about me?" Zach bit his lip, and she could tell he was holding his breath. His chest didn't move until she opened her mouth to speak.
"Uh," she swallowed. "I don't know…neutrality? Whatever."
Zach sighed. "Neutrality?" She nodded.
"How screwed up is that?" he laughed, a trace of pain on his face.
"You asked me and I answered you. And you say it's screwed up?" Her tone was raising again. She missed the power of raising her tone when talking to Zach. It made her feel empowered and liberated.
"Sorry." He shrugged.
"Forgiven." Cammie felt herself mutter involuntarily. She didn't even know why she said it. Why she was being so nice already.
"Let's just forget the drama. I'll drop by your house so we could start the tutoring thing. I'm totally lost in English."
"You know you could ask Macey's cousin, Jake, to tutor you. He's an English-major in college." She shrugged.
"You mean that guy you were grinding?"
"What?" Cammie almost stood up from her seat. "I am so not grinding him. He's a gentleman, he doesn't violate me. He's actually a nice guy."
Zach rolled his eyes, dismissing the Jake idea. "Well, he's not the only nice guy. Grow up."
"Whatever," she licked her lips. "I'll just drop by to your house, give me your address."
Zach grinned from ear to ear which annoyed Cammie. "What the hell?" Cammie frowned.
"If you wanted to spend more time with me you could've just said so." Zach grinned, Cammie slapped her on his back.
"That's called flirting." Zach raised a brow.
"It's called You're-a-jerk."
Zach held her chin gently with his thumb and index finger. "I really have this feeling you're just playing hard-to-get. It's okay, it looks cute to me."
Cammie stared at him blankly. "I don't want to argue with you. But I am not playing hard-to-get."
Zach licked his lips, then stared at Cammie's lips. He wondered how it would feel if he placed his lips on hers. He carefully brushed her lips with his fingers but she just froze, not telling him to stop or continue. He noticed that her hands were shaking.
"Nice lips."
F-E-A-R-L-E-S-S F-E-A-R-L-E-S-S F-E-A-R-L-E-S-S
F-E-A-R-L-E-S-S F-E-A-R-L-E-S-S F-E-A-R-L-E-S-S
Please REVIEW!
Hey guys! Did you find the You draw me to you thing cheesy? I know I did!