"Why did you do that?" asked Cameron as he walked into his house. It was after school, and he had offered Artemis to stay over at his house seeing that her parents were both locked up in prison. Ever since Artemis kissed him, he couldn't get the question out of his head, confused and conflicted.
"Do what?" asked Artemis as she dryed her hair with a hairblower, just coming out of the bathroom.
"I know we are trying to hide the truth from them, but did you have to pretend to be my girlfriend and… kiss me?" Cameron frowned
"Well, not like it was your first," Artemis shrugged. "And yes, if not they wouldn't shut up."
"But did you have to pretend to be my girlfriend?"
"Well, it wasn't the only way out but I just felt like it, plus it is good to see that bitch's face when I snogged you," Artemis smiled before noticing that grim look on Cameron's face. "Is something wrong?"
"You do realize that I still have feelings for her, right?" asked Cameron.
"Really? After all she did to you? She killed your father, she stopped the ISA from saving the world. She is the bad guy here, Cam. I think you need to get your mind clear on which side you are on," Artemis pointed out.
"Look, you wouldn't understand," Cameron shrugged.
"What if… you try to distract yourself from her?" asked Artemis, crossing her hand.
"Meaning?" asked Cameron.
"Date someone else, maybe you will find someone better than Courtney," Artemis suggested.
"Date someone else? Hmmph, as if that is something easy," Cameron scoffed.
"Date me then," Artemis said.
"W- What?" Cameron asked, confused.
"Date me, I know we don't know each other very well, but what other way to distract yourself from your ex?" asked Artemis.
"Huh, you are kidding right?" asked Cameron, chuckling dryly.
"I am not," Artemis confirmed, turning around to look at the teen. "Plus, we need to hide the truth anyway. Since they now believe that we are dating."
Cameron just chuckled sarcastically. "You have no idea how dating works don't you?" asked the brunette, folding his arms.
"Well, not like anyone would be into me, a tom boy, as they say it," Artemis scoffed, sighing.
Cameron looked at Artemis, a bit concerned now. "What do you mean?"
"Nevermind, you won't get it," Artemis shrugged as she walked off, leaving Cameron to be alone. "I need to shower… after a day like this."
"I knew Artemis was a bitch, but I didn't think that she would be so bad," Yolanda growled as she raised her fist.
The teens were in the Pit Stop, for their usual training sessions. Rick, Yolanda and Courtney in their usual sportswear while Beth was in more casual clothing.
"Well, she was kinda always a jerk ever since she joined the football team," Rick shrugged. "They say birds of a feather you know?"
"I am not sure if th-" Beth wanted to say something but was cut off.
"Anyway," Yolanda interrupted. "We know for sure that Cindy has already got to Cameron."
"Do we know for sure?" asked Beth, confused. "I mean, yes it is logical for her to go after and recruit them, but Cameron? He is not a bad guy."
"Well, hello?" Yolanda asked. "Look at the facts here, we know that Cameron knows the truth and left, and like not even a week, he is hanging out with the infamous Artemis Crack of the school and acting like boyfriend and girlfriend. Can you tell me that is not sus?" asked Yolanda.
"Okk, maybe it is a bit suspicious," Beth agreed. "Why do you even call her Artemis Crack anyway? I am pretty sure her name is Crock."
"Yeah, Crock, Crack, as if there is any difference," Yolanda scoffed as she punched the dummy in front of her.
"She probably got some beef with the girl," Rick guessed as Yolanda landed another strike on the dummy.
"Oh you are sure right about that," Yolanda chuckled dryly as she landed another hit, kicking the dummy.
Beth sighed as she turned around. "How is Court?" whispered Beth.
"The same," Rick sighed. "Well, at least better than her holing up in her bedroom like a few days ago," Rick said.
"I suppose so," Beth agreed as they looked at the blonde. "Although, she looks crushed."
"Uhm, hello. She just saw her ex getting together with another girl even though she didn't want it, what do you think?" asked Yolanda sarcastically.
"Yeah you are right…" Beth sighed as the group looked at the girl who looked like she was dead on the inside, just staring at the floor. "Court?"
"Hmm?" asked the blonde.
"Are you ok?" asked Beth.
"What type of question is that Beth," Yolanda groaned.
"It is obvious that she isn't," Rick sighed.
"Yeah…. I am fine," Courtney mumbled, still looking at the ground.
"Court… Look, we know that you are crushed right now. But you gotta get up," Yolanda sighed as she walked towards the blonde. "Life still moves on."
"Yeah… you are right," Courtney said, very much unsure of herself as she took Yolanda's proffered hand, standing. "So, let's train, shall we?"
Artemis previously had been training in a football practice some time later on, but the ground was wet… and that didn't result so well for her. That was one of the main reasons she had been showering; she'd wound up with her hair all muddy. That'd led to her mouthing off a bit, and she was embarrassed, and humiliated, by her lack of discipline about what to say and when, as well as her loss of her temper.
She wanted to let it all out, lash out at something. That was the reason for where she was, punching a punching bag in the basement gym of Cameron's late father. She was wearing simple was so focused on landing punches that she didn't realize Cameron was walking down into the basement.
"Something on your mind?" asked the boy curiously as he stopped at the doorway.
"Ah, nothing more than the usual." the athlete shrugged before landing another punch.
"You know I was always fascinated by how active you are as a girl, there are not many girls like you," Cameron chuckled as she walked in.
"Thank you, I think," Artemis said, still concentrating on punching the hanging bag in front of her.
"Don't your hands hurt? Punching with your fist bare?" Cameron asked.
"Well, it doesn't really matter, does it?" asked Artemis dryly as she landed another punch. "You know, my mom and dad, they used to be harsher on me when I was young. They used to try and push my limits, making me… run laps around the park… Climb trees… Fight… Dummies, Endure.. Pain… but now I know, they wanted me to be the best, to be strong, to be able to," Artemis sighed as she landed another punch. "This pain? It doesn't matter."
Cameron looked at Artemis, noticing that the girl's fists were red. "Art… look, there is no need to punish yourself like this…" Before he caught on about a way to tease his girlfriend and, laughing, said to her with a silly look on his face "So, you were trained to beat up stupid adversaries?" he asked her with a goofy wink.
"It is only punishment that gives one a deep memory, a reminder," Artemis said as she raised her sleevers, revealing scars and marks. "Not to repeat that mistake… again." Artemis glared at Cameron who was just shocked upon seeing Artemis's injuries.
"Did you…" Cameron stuttered.
"No… My parents… but it doesn't matter… they love me… they want me to be stronger…" Artemis said firmly as she pounded her fist on the bag once more, pushing it back a few centimetres. "I learned… to be strong!"
Cameron looked at Artemis in horror, just only realizing what her parents put her through when she was younger. "Artemis… that is abuse… not love…"
"It may look like abuse… but it is not," Artemis said strongly. "They were doing it for me…"
Cameron sighed as he watched the girl continue to land punches on the bag silently, letting her lash out, knowing that talking isn't getting her out of this.
"Don't you… have something else to do?" asked Artemis gruffily.
"Well, I did homework… Just down here with you, at least someone my age to talk," Cameron said, sitting down on the bench.
"Well fine then," Artemis scoffed as she continued punching the bag relentlessly, letting raw anger and rage fuel her strength.
Cameron just looked at the girl, sighing. There is so much to this girl that he didn't know, all the things she had to go through. Cameron began to feel that he was more fortunate to have grown up in a loving family, despite her mother's untimely death and his father's demise at the hands of Mike. Whose death the brunette intends to avenge.