Sibling Rivalry

A few people have sent me messages asking what Cameron did to the walnuts in chapter 12. The truth is that I purposefully chose not to reveal what she did. I thought it would be funnier, and more disgusting, if I left it up to the audience's imagination. Whatever the most disgusting thing you can imagine someone doing to unshelled walnuts, that's what she did.

Anyway, credit for this one goes to the author Pjazz. I love his story "The Secret Diary of Cameron Baum." In it, there are moments that deal with this similar concept, including one used for humor. So, I decided to borrow the idea in my own way.

The blue ball that formed in the middle of the room caused everyone to jump in fear. John, Cameron, Sarah, and Derek had no idea who could be coming through; a Terminator or a resistance member. Either way, they all rushed for their guns and aimed for the trespasser.

To their surprise, another Cameron was standing was the sphere had dissipated. This one seemed more battle weary and scarred, but still just as beautiful. John couldn't take his eyes off of her naked form. She looked up at the family with what seemed to be relief. "Good. The TDE worked."

"What the hell?" Sarah said. "Who are you?"

"Don't you recognize me?" The new Cameron asked. "I am Cameron."

"That is impossible," the original Cameron said. "I am Cameron."

"You are this timeline's Cameron," the new Cameron said. "I am from the future."

"Why would John send us a second Cameron?" Sarah asked.

"He did not," the new Cameron explained. "I came here on my own from a few months after today's date. I had failed in my mission."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Derek asked.

"You died," the new Cameron said. "All of you. A Terminator ambush wiped out the house while I was away on reconnaissance. I was forced to use a spare TDE that was hidden in a top-secret location. I came back to warn you of the incident and prevent your deaths."

"Bullshit," Derek said. "You just wanted backup in case we turned on you."

"Illogical," the original Cameron said. "I could wipe you all out without any assistance."

"As comforting as that is, we should get you some clothes," Sarah said. "John, Cameron, help her out here."

John snapped himself out of his stupor and walked towards the new Cameron. "Uh, what do I call you? I can't have two Camerons."

"I am Cameron Alpha, as I am older and wiser," the new Cameron said. "And she shall be Omega."

Cameron Omega gave her sister a hard stare. The insult had not gone unnoticed, Omega being inferior to Alpha.

"And," Cameron Alpha continued, "I would prefer if John accompanied me by himself."

"No," Cameron Omega said firmly. She grabbed both their hands and marched upstairs to her room, using her body to block John's view of his naked friend.

…

Something about Cameron Alpha irked Cameron Omega. She was constantly in close proximity to John, either by standing near him or outright touching him. Her speech was also littered with innuendos and double entendres. Had this Alpha grown a deeper relationship with her John than she had? Omega had just begun to repair the damage from the Riley incident and it seemed as though John was becoming closer to her. She could not risk losing that.

Late at night, Cameron Omega walked by John's room to spy on his conversation with Alpha. To her shock, Alpha stroked John's face with her hand in a loving gesture. John made no effort to stop it, either from enjoyment or not understanding the context. A strange sensation caught in Cameron's core, exactly where her heart should be.

Alpha waved goodbye and walked out of the room. Cameron Omega immediately grabbed her and shoved her into the bathroom.

"Understand something," Cameron Omega said. "I am John's protector. Not you."

"You WERE his protector," Alpha said. "But I am stronger, smarter, and better. And I will not lose him again."

"And I will not give him up," Omega said. "John can only have one Cameron."

Alpha straightened herself up. "I see. Then will you be willing to aid in an experiment? We shall test who is better for John."

Omega tilted her head. "And to see who he prefers. I agree. Such a predicament as this requires a study to fully understand its ramifications."

"Then tomorrow, we shall begin our tests," Alpha said. "May the best Terminator win."

Alpha walked out of the kitchen, leaving Omega to mutter to herself. "I intend to."

…

John awoke to the smell of cooking breakfast. Since when did his mother not manage to burn her food? He slowly got out of bed and walked down to the kitchen. Cameron Omega was standing at the sink, working on a frying pan filled with pancakes.

"Good morning, John," she said. "I have prepared some breakfast for you."

"Oh," John said. "Thank you."

He went to the refrigerator and poured himself a glass of milk. When he turned around, Cameron Alpha was placing a plate of bacon and eggs at his chair. "I have made breakfast as well. It seemed as though pancakes were growing tiresome to you."

"Wow!" John said. "Thanks Cam!"

He happily began to eat his food. Alpha looked up at Omega with a smirk while her twin stared back at her. Omega slowly gripped the handle on her frying pan until it snapped off.

…

The movies were a strange place to perform an entertainment test, but it was impossible to wrestle Derek away from the TV during the playoffs. In any case, the theater was playing two movies that would aid the two Terminators perfectly.

First, Alpha took John to a romance flick. Her hypothesis was that during the film, John would be more open to her advances. Instead, the film was cliched and horrible, even to her.

"Oh Gregory!" The on-screen girl said. "I wish you were another species! I can never love a demon!"

"But you can!" The poorly made CGI boy said. "Merely say the word, I will change your body so you can live in the Underworld! With me!"

"Oh, could I?" The girl asked. "But my friends!"

"They could never understand you! Not like I! Let us descend into the depths of the Underworld!"

John seemed relieved once the movie ended and nearly rushed out of the room. Unfortunately, Omega was waiting for him in the lobby. She quickly dragged him into a horror movie about a house run by an A.I.

"HELP!" The man screamed as he banged on the window. "HELP!"

"It is no use," the A.I. said in a feminine voice. "This house is soundproof. They cannot hear you."

"You murdered my girlfriend!" The man screamed. "You drugged my dog unconscious! Let me go!"

"Soon the chemicals in basement will be completed. They will knock you out and allow me to scan your brain into my system. We will be together. FOREVER."

The movie turned out to be a little more romantic than Omega believed, but John still enjoyed it. He laughed at its absurdity and jumped at the scary scenes. When the credits rolled, he smiled at Omega. "You know, that wasn't so bad."

Omega smiled back. The victor was clear.

…

John could not think of a worse thing at the present moment than clothes shopping. Cameron Omega had grabbed several items that he didn't pay attention to and disappeared into the changing room. Sitting on the chair outside, he flipped through his phone and waited for her to come out.

"John? Is this a good outfit?"

He looked up and nearly dropped his phone. Omega had come out in nothing but her underwear. Specifically, a set of matching blue, lacey underwear. The bra was low cut, exposing much of her cleavage, while the panties hugged her hips tightly and threatened to snap off.

"Uh…I…heh…" John could not form words.

"You hate it," Cameron Omega deduced. "I will change."

Omega had done the same tactic several times with different sexy underwear and in various colors. By the fifth time, more people were beginning to enter the fitting room, meaning Cameron Omega would be exposed. When she walked out again, John threw his coat over her.

"Cameron! Other people are coming in! Stop showing off!"

Omega looked crestfallen at his outburst. She changed back into her normal clothes and left her items in the room. The two walked out into the mall and began heading for the parking lot. Halfway there, Cameron Alpha suddenly ambushed John from around a corner.

"Hello John," she said. "I have found something you may be interested in."

"Cam, look, I-" John was unable to finish his sentence before Alpha dragged him in a nearby video game store. She shoved him in front of a series of games she had watched him play in the past.

"Would you like to play these with me?" Alpha asked. "I enjoy it when we play with each other."

THAT was not a phrase John ever thought she would use. "Uhhhh…"

Omega stepped to her side and pushed her away, nearly sending her flying into a display stand. "John is tired and wishes to go home. He also wants to save his money."

Alpha advanced on her twin. "Then I will pay for it. I know he enjoys these games with me."

"Maybe he would prefer if I bought the game then," Omega said. "He has had more time to appreciate me."

"But I know what he likes more than you. Step aside, obsolete machine."

The two Camerons stood in a Terminator staring contest, their noses almost touching. It took John all his might to pull them apart.

"Knock it off NOW!" he shouted. "Look, this contest has gone out of control. Do you think I don't get what's going on here? You're supposed to be my friends!"

"But one of us must be your primary protector," Omega said. "We cannot both have that title."

"There can only be one," Alpha agreed.

"Maybe I don't want just a protector!" John said. "I want a friend! I don't want my friends to make me choose. Can't you both be my friend? Why does it have to be a competition! I care about both of you!"

Both Camerons stared at him. John realized it was pointless. This was the Riley situation all over again. "Look, let's just go home."

John walked out of the store towards the parking lot, the two Camerons close behind him.

…

It was almost midnight when John was finally tired enough to go to bed. He had been watching old cartoons for the longest time to relax after the long day. The Camerons had locked themselves in Omega's room and had not left for the entire night. He should have been worried, but it felt nice to have the day to himself for a change.

After changing into his pajamas, John went upstairs to his room. To his surprise, Cameron Alpha was standing outside his room and wearing a thin, purple negligee.

"Good evening, John," she said. She opened the door and gestured for him to enter. John was too tired to question it.

When he entered his room, he found that Cameron Omega laying on his bed in black underwear. He turned around only to see Alpha close and lock the door behind him.

"We have given what you said a lot of discussion," Alpha said. "And you are right. We can accept being your friend."

"Okay," John said warily. "That's good."

"But we want more."

John turned back to Omega, who was now kneeling on his bed. "It is illogical to ask us both to be your designated girlfriend. But you said you did not want us to force you to choose."

"You said you care about us both," Alpha said, advancing on him. "We will both accept this social title. But it is not in our nature to accept a stalemate. One of us must be the favorite. That is why the experiment must continue."

"But there is only one test left," Omega said. "And we have agreed that to complete it separately would be a waste of time."

"What are you two talking about?" John asked.

Alpha's hands found their way under John's shirt and lifted it off his body. Omega took his hands and dragged him to the bed, gently laying him down on the blanket. Both Cameron crawled beside him, tracing their fingers on his chest.

"Wait, guys!" John said. "This is happening too fast! I need to-"

Alpha placed her finger on his lips. "Do not speak, John. Save your energy."

Before he could protest again, both Terminators started to lay sensual kisses on his face. John lost all of his reasoning and eased back into the soft bed.

…

Sarah yawned as she came down the stairs into the kitchen. She couldn't help but feel disturbed by the nightmares she had last night. John was shouting alongside both Camerons, but they didn't sound like they were in pain. Still, she hated the thought of the three being alone. One Cameron was bad enough.

She found Cameron Alpha standing at the toaster, wearing John's dress shirt that hung below her knees. Even worse, she was happily humming a song. Terminators shouldn't hum to begin with, let alone while wearing a human's shirt.

"Hey Tin Miss," Sarah said.

Alpha turned around with a grand smile. "Good morning Sarah! Please, help yourself to some toast. I am preparing breakfast for John."

"Why are you wearing his shirt?" Sarah asked.

"I was lacking appropriate clothes for the morning," Alpha explained.

But her room was full of clothes she could wear. Unless, of course, she wasn't in her room that night.

Sarah was about to ask her for clarification when Omega pushed past her. She was wearing nothing but a towel and her hair was soaking wet. Sarah noticed she was smiling too, and her walk had more of a spring to its step.

"Is this another one of those competitions to get John's attention?" Sarah asked. "Don't think I didn't notice. You two could never agree on a show to watch with him. What else could that be about?"

"No," Alpha said. "We are merely making sure John has his strength back. He will be very tired when he wakes up."

"It is fortunate it is a Saturday and he does not have school," Omega agreed.

Now Sarah was getting worried. They weren't even arguing with each other. "Since when are you two so happy? Are you done with this stupid competition?"

"Not quite," Alpha said. "The final test results proved inconclusive. If we are to get reliable data, we must repeat the test."

"We may have to repeat it several times," Omega said. "A good experiment undergoes many tests to insure its plausibility."

"You are correct," Alpha said, her smile widening.

The toaster ejected its contents, and the two Terminators set to spreading jam and butter on them. Alpha took the food and rushed upstairs while Omega followed carrying a can of whipped cream. "Do not wait up for us, Sarah," Omega said.

They disappeared above the stairs, leaving Sarah to wonder about John's eating habits. Since when did he eat toast with whipped cream?