Hi guys! I'm back and I know it's been way too long. I'm a shit person okay? But anyway, I've uploaded! And whilst I'm working on my other two stories I've decided my main focus will be this story for now. So, the other ones will be updated just a little later rather than sooner. I'll answer all reviews in a few chapters time. Lots of love xx
I couldn't return to school after lunch. I think I would have died of embarrassment with everyone watching us in that dining hall. Instead, after calming me down, Zach took me to get some of the best ice cream I'd ever eaten in a cute little Italian restaurant.
My mother wasn't at home when I arrived, so I knew she must have been teaching a class. Deciding to take advantage of the empty house, I immediately made my way upstairs. I flopped down on my bed and replayed my disastrous first day in my mind, before deciding I needed urgent emotional support from Lizzie and arranged to meet at the bookstore in an hour. I couldn't even do homework to keep my mind occupied because I had left all my books at school. Instead, I was left replaying the day over and over. I think we pulled off the fake relationship quite well. Zach made it easy, though. He was surprisingly good at being a boyfriend, considering he'd never dated anyone seriously. He was always controlled and didn't care what people thought of him, aside from his small group of friends that he grew up in the same neighbourhood with.
I was a nervous wreck when we got to school that morning- all that unwanted attention that came with being Zach Goode's girlfriend was daunting. I certainly wasn't used to all the exposure being a chameleon and all. Sure, when I was with Josh, I was fairly popular. Being best friends with Dee Dee certainly placed you in the spotlight, too. But it wasn't nearly as intense as the first day back at school with Zach. I had gone from having a preppy boyfriend who was preparing for one of the top universities to seeing the bad boy everybody wanted or wanted to be. If I was honest with myself, I wouldn't have made it through half the day if it hadn't been for Zach. Luckily I only had homeroom with Josh and Dee Dee. Spending those few minutes with them at lunch was enough to rip open my heart all over again. I only hope that Zach will be next to me when I do have to see them together; at least with him things are easier, even though I don't understand how. There's just something about Zach's carefree attitude that calms me down. They say time heals all wounds, but after two months of healing and still feeling broken inside, I'm beginning to think it's the people you surround yourself with that makes things better. Mom. Lizzie. Zach.
My phone buzzed signalling a message from Lizzie so I decided to go for a run before I filled her in on all the details. An hour later, I found myself at the bookstore. I walked to the back of the shop, where Mrs Solomon was sorting out a stack of papers.
"Cammie! What are you doing here, squirt? Shouldn't you be studying for that history test?" She blew a string of curly hair out of her face and smiled at me.
"I needed to get out. It was a horrible first day," I told her, shrugging and willing the tears to stay away.
"Have a cup of tea with me and tell me all about it. Lizzie's on her way now." She took me by my hand and led me into the little kitchen at the very back of the store through a door concealed by a bookshelf. Abby was more like a second mum to me than anything. It broke my heart that her and Joe couldn't have children- if anyone deserved to be parents it was them. All they ever cared about was making other people happy and as I've grown up, in a way, they've adopted me as their own. I know I already have a mum, but who said you couldn't have two parents?
Soon after we'd made our beverages, Lizzie protruded her angelic face into the doorway and immediately pulled me into a tight embrace. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there at lunch. I would've helped defend your honour."
Already feeling ten times better with her presence, I laughed softly. "It's okay, Lizzie. Zach was actually pretty great at that part."
"Zach? Who is this mysterious gentleman who's been defending your honour, Cameron?" Abby asked with a mischievous look on her face. Taking one look at Lizzie and her excitable mouth, I began to tell Mrs Solomon everything. How Josh had broken up with me for Dee Dee, why I'd changed my appearance, how Zach and I were pretending to be in a relationship to hurt Josh as much as he hurt me, and how I was regretting it because of all the attention that came with it.
"As petty as it sounds, it all seemed like a good idea at the time, " I told her, realising how stupid the whole fake relationship idea was when said out loud.
She smiled and nodded. "You do whatever you need to. If it helps you move on, you do it. Do not for one minute worry about what other people think or say. I, for one, believe that Josh boy needs to feel a bit of what you felt when he started parading the trollop around in front of you." I nearly spat my tea everywhere at the way she called Dee Dee a trollop, with Lizzie on her knees laughing. "If you pretending to be in a relationship makes him suffer, even just a little, I say do it. I'm not above a little revenge. Just make sure it's for the right reasons."
"See Cam? I told you all that you needed was a bit of Abby advice to get you inspired again. Stop second guessing your decision already." Liz added.
I nodded absentmindedly. Were there any right reasons for what we were doing? I was surprised Abby just accepted everything. It was wrong, deceitful, and childish. We were lying to basically everyone about our relationship. I was lying to my mother too by not telling her what was going on. She thought Zach and I were just friends, although based on the number of suggestions she's made, I'm sure she has her suspicions.
"I'm just concerned about why Zach is using you to make Josh suffer, I know you are using him too, but it's different with him. You have your reasons for wanting to get back at that boy." Her lip curled up into a sneer as she mentioned Josh. I tried to suppress a grin. She hated him, and I found it sweet.
"You don't think I should trust Zach?" The thought had crossed my mind more than once. I didn't know enough about Zach to know whether or not I should trust him and if this thing was just a big joke to make a fool out of me. I was curious as to why he wanted to make Josh suffer as much as I had, if not more.
"I think you should, Cammie. I've seen how he looks at you and I think he seems really sweet." Lizzie tried to reason.
"Liz, I'm sorry if I don't trust your judgement, but you see the good in everyone. The truth is, we don't know anything about him. Apart from all the generic stuff, he's never opened up to me about anything, really." I argued back.
"That is something you will only find out with time, squirt. God knows how long it took for me to get Joe to open up. He was one tough cookie to crack trying to keep up his whole "bad boy" reputation." The familiarity of Abby's situation to mine, creeped me out slightly. But the difference is, her relationship was actually real. "Just make sure you get the facts and that no one gets hurt, that's all. There must be an excellent reason for him wanting to do this, too."
Do I trust him? I didn't think so. Not in that way. Sure, I trusted him enough not to lure me into a creepy ice cream van and kill me. But trusting him with my feelings even just as a friend? No. How could I trust anyone after the whole thing with Josh and Dee Dee? Zach was always so cryptic about his intentions. Always so mysterious and never talks about himself at all.
"Do you think I'll ever move on? Be happy again?" I asked, hoping for an honest answer and not knowing what else to say about Zach.
"Cams, you're already moving on, and I have seen that spark of happiness in your eyes returning over the summer. That day you came in for your first shift I was seriously worried for your mental health. But, you genuinely seem so much lighter now." Lizzie said as she smiled at me brightly.
Abby made her way over to the oven and took some freshly baked chocolate-chip cookies out of the oven. Mmm, there was nothing better than cookies to make you feel better. "You just need to stop dwelling on the past, stay as far away from that boy and his trollop as possible. If you can do that, you'll move on before you know it."
"Thank you, Abby." I smiled and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before scoffing down a few cookies and making my way out into the main store with Lizzie. Who would've thought a little bookstore would become my place of comfort and utter safety? I came to a sudden stop when I saw him standing in the centre of the room looking around. My breath halted, and my heart started beating erratically in my chest. A crippling pain shot through my core, making me hunch over and put my head between my knees before I collapsed completely.
"Are you okay?" He rushed to my side and wrapped an arm around me. I couldn't do anything except shake my head vigorously. My whole body convulsed with shivers at his touch. It repulsed me. He repulsed me.
"She's fine." Lizzie hissed, pulling me out of his grasp and creating some distance between us.
Recognition flashed in his eyes as he regarded my petite friend curiously, "Do I know you?" He asked obnoxiously. Lizzie scoffed in response, muttering an obscenity that sounded shocking coming out of her mouth, walking off in frustration.
We watched her trudge back into the kitchen. "What are you doing here Josh?" I spat.
"It's okay, C. I just wanted to see if you were okay after lunch?" And just like that, with a few simple words, the pain in my chest was replaced by a burning sensation. Burning anger. That's what I felt.
"You don't get to call me that, Josh. You shouldn't be here."
"But it's okay for Zach to call you that? That's rubbish. I know how much you hate that name." His jaw tensed as he stared at me.
"Then why do you insist on using it still? You can't just leave me alone, can you? Come to dig the knife in a little deeper? Hurt me some more? Well, screw you, Josh. You got what you wanted. Your perfect, fun and outgoing Dee Dee. Leave me alone. I don't want to speak to you. I don't want to see you, and I sure as hell don't want to ever hear you call me C again." I tried to keep my voice soft and calm, but soon I was yelling. Josh didn't even look affected by my words. Abby and Lizzie didn't come out of the kitchen; they must have been trying to give us space. I just wanted him to leave.
"Look, I just want to apologise. I should never have treated you the way I did. I should never have dragged our relationship out so long in the hopes of-"
I cut him off there, not wanting an apology. I didn't need an apology. I didn't need anything from him. I heard the bell from the front door opening, but I didn't care if anyone could hear us anymore. I was so mad at him for having the gall to show up at my work to try to talk to me like he cared.
"So you're apologising for dragging our relationship out? In the hopes of what, Josh? That the sex would improve? Is that why you hung around so long?" He looked surprised at my words and opened his mouth as if to say something before closing it again. I knew I was right. The stupid loser only stayed with me for the last couple of months to see if the sex would get better. At this point the pain had just become a dull ache running through my body continuously. My mind was running a million miles an hour, and I wasn't paying attention to what I was saying. "Well, guess what, Josh? It did get better. A whole hell of a lot better. Just not with you," I shouted and watched as his face paled. Way to go, Cammie. Damn it! Why did I just say that?
"You mean, you and…and…you and Zach?" He stuttered, turning a terrible shade of green. I heard someone clear their throat behind him.
"Well, clearly she means me. She did just say the sex got better, didn't she?" Zach strolled over, smirking arrogantly. "Your loss, man. She's ah-maze-ing." I was sure I heard giggles coming from the bookcases by the kitchen.
Oh crap! Lizzie and Abby just heard all of that too. My cheeks warmed up. The look on Josh's face when Zach confirmed it was priceless. If I weren't so angry and attempting to hold back a punch, I'd have been laughing at him right then.
"Hi, beautiful." Zach smiled slightly and dipped his head. He pressed his lips to my cheek and wound his arms around my waist, and for the briefest second, I forgot where I was and who was watching as I relaxed into his arms. Wow. He was good.
"I went to your house, and your mum said you were here, so I thought I'd see if you wanted to get some dinner?" I gripped onto his shirt, holding myslef as close to him as I could, and nodded in agreement. I was so mad at Josh and stunned at Zach showing up that I didn't even question him about going to my house. I hadn't introduced him to my mother yet because that was a big step in a relationship- meeting the family- and we weren't in a real relationship .
"You can go now," Zach said over his shoulder to Josh while also watching me warily, apparently concerned about my reaction since, you know, I'd had about fifty panic attacks that day. Jeez, he must think I'm a nutcase.
"No, we were talking. You can leave. C and I have a few things to discuss. Don't we, C?" I tensed at the use of that letter. He just didn't get it. He never did. Zach looked at me with his eyebrow raised, as if silently asking me if I wanted to to talk with Josh. I shook my head and rested it on his chest so he knew I wanted him to stay there with me.
"Okay," he whispered, giving my waist a small but reassuring squeeze before unwinding his arms and stepping away from me. My heart drummed against my chest.
"Don't call her C." Zach turned and stepped toward Josh. Josh flinched slightly at the venom in Zach's voice but squared his shoulders to hide the fact he was obviously intimidated. "I'm not leaving her here with you. You have nothing at all to talk about, so I suggest you leave before I make you." His voice was low and slow the entire time, sending a chill up my spine. If I had been where Josh was standing, I'd probably have wet myself. Zach was scary.
"You'll leave her. You'll get bored with her soon enough. You know how it is." Josh's lip curled up into a sneer, and I let out a small gasp. That hurt. A lot. Was he always such a hurtful person? I got the feeling there was a double meaning behind that comment, but before I could even wrap my head around what Josh had just said, I saw Zach's arm pull back and snap forward. A sickening crunch sounded through the store when his fist connected with Josh's face.
I gasped in shock and rushed over to check that he was okay. Clasping his wrist in my hands, I inspected Zach's knuckles for signs of injury, but they looked fine. Not a scratch. Apparently, he knew how to throw a punch. "Are you okay?" I asked him. He nodded slightly, still glaring at Josh.
"Last time, Jimmy. Don't come near her again." Josh was sitting on the floor, groaning in pain with his hands covering his face. Zach wrapped his arm around my waist and led me toward the door before shouting back over his shoulder. "Sorry Mrs. S! See you tomorrow Liz."
"Don't worry, son. You kids have fun." Abby came out from behind the bookcase with a big smile on her face before looking at Josh in disgust.
"But not too much fun." Lizzie added teasingly, seemingly happening to "accidentally" kick Josh in the stomach again. "Don't get too much blood on the floor," she hissed before returning with a winking Abby, showing the boy writhing in pain no sympathy. We walked outside, and I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Zach's arm around my waist soothed me again. I couldn't believe he had punched Josh. That was kind of sweet. And a little…sexy?
"You sure you're okay?" I asked him again, picking up the hand that should be injured.
"Yes, don't worry. I've done this plenty of times before. Do you want to grab some dinner or want me to take you home?" He turned to look at me, a small smile on his lips.
"Dinner, please," I said, releasing his hand and following him to his car.