The Phantom of the Opera is there inside your mind. Tristan belts the lyric and then proceeds to hold an impressive note for a what seems like an hour, instantly garnering stares from the other students crowding the cafeteria. Maya giggled when Tori hit him on the shoulder, interrupting his solo.
"Seriously, Tristan?" Tori asked. "The note is not that long." She shakes her head at him, snickering to herself as Tristan glared at her.
Maya laughed. "It was a great note, Tristan." She smiled at him, internally grateful for both of her friends' ability to put her in a good mood. She hadn't laughed this genuinely since before the incident.
Tristan instantly perked up at Maya's words, straightening his posture and puffing his chest out proudly, "I know it was." He declared. Tori just rolled her eyes.
"So, Maya." She began, turning to her other best friend, "Do you think Cam will like our duet?"
Still giggling at Tristan, Maya racked her brain for the right words to that question. She thought Tori and Tristan performing a song for Cam when they all visited him this afternoon was a great idea, but she wasn't quite sure if Phantom would be appropriate. She thinks that he's had enough of angsty despair for a while. "Well," Maya suggested, "I'm not sure if Phantom is the best choice considering Cam has had a lot of darkness surrounding him these past couple of days." Months, she thought bitterly, "What about something a little lighter? Like with jazz hands?" She finished her proposal with a smile and a mini demonstration of the musical theater gesture, prompting a burst of laughter from the performing duo.
Tristan agreed, "You are so right Maya. We need to cheer him up." He fell into a moment of silence, eyebrows scrunching in deep thought. His eyes widened, "High School Musical!" He and Tori turned toward each other simultaneously, grinning at the brilliant idea. The twosome clapped their hands in excitement, beginning to discuss who would sing what notes of "Breaking Free. Maya chose to remain quiet about the choice, her thoughts lingering to Cam's reaction. One of his deepest, darkest secrets, that he had made her promise to never tell anyone, was his love for High School Musical. It would be priceless and just the thing that would cheer him up. Breaking out of her thoughts, she tuned into Tori and Tristan's conversation about notes, melodies, and harmonies, barely noticing an Ice Hound jersey clad boy walking up to the table.
The intruder leaned over the table, staring at Maya with a dangerous glint in his eyes. He grinned when she finally noticed him. "Hey, Cam's puck bunny. How's the superstar doing?"
The familiar, unwelcome voice made Maya shudder, but her annoyance at the word "puck bunny" overshadowed her apprehensive feelings toward the boy. "I'm not his puck bunny," retorted Maya, "I'm his girlfriend. I care more about Cam then you ever will, Trent."
The boy, Trent, gasped mockingly, "Ouch. But, you know what? You're right. Personally, I'm incredibly pissed because superstar has cost us at least one game." He leaned in a little further, dangerously close to Maya's face, "The coach thinks that it wouldn't be right to play in the upcoming game out of respect for Cam." He chuckled, sarcasm dripping in his voice, "God forbid the superstar is disrespected. He's the entire team, anyway."
Maya rolled her eyes, creating distance between the two of them. Before she could respond in Cam's defense, a loud scoff interrupted her effort and caught both her and Trent's attention.
Tristan threw a scathing look towards the rude boy and snapped, "Green doesn't suit you, Trent. It's not Cam's fault that he has the talent to play hockey professionally, whereas you…well." His voice trailed off purposely. He brushed his hand against his shoulder and inspected his nails, giving the impression of total disinterest in the conversation.
Trent faced him, a threat already on the edge of his tongue. "Watch your mouth, f—" A forceful slap on his shoulder stopped him from finishing the insult. A livid Owen tightened his grasp, "What was that, Easton?"
An angry Dallas appeared on the other side of Trent, quickly glancing at the three sophomores. "What's going on here, Trent?" He glared at his least favorite teammate, "Bothering Cam's friends?"
Trent opened his mouth to respond to Dallas, but the pain of Owen's grip forced him to remain quiet. Owen pressed the question through clenched teeth, "What were you going to say to my little brother, Easton?"
Staring at his brother with both concern and gratitude, Tristan watched the confrontation in growing fear that his brother was going to explode. "Owen," he pleaded, "It's okay. Just make him go away and stop bothering us, please." He made eye contact with a nervous Maya. Tori remained silent.
Owen's eyes softened for a moment before nodding at his brother, "Gladly." Turning to Trent, his expression returned to its original threatening one. "Let's go, Easton. Extra ice drills during practice." He tugged him backwards, leading the two of them in the direction of the table occupied by the team. Having no choice but to follow, Trent made sure to lock eyes with Maya once more. His eyes never left her until Owen forced him to turn around completely.
Maya tore her eyes away from Trent's unsettling gaze, choosing instead to focus on her half eaten lunch. The pounding of her racing heart reverberated through her ears as a sign of her growing anxiety. Trent Easton had always been the most unpleasant person on the team, but he had never violated any of Maya's personal boundaries. Today he did. She clasped her trembling hands, hidden underneath the lunch table, into a tight grip that forced all of the blood out of her hands.
The remaining Ice Hound stood in a stony silence, his eyes fixed on the table. Clearing his throat to hide any evidence of being upset, he looked at the three teenagers. When he spoke up, remorse and sorrow laced his voice, "I'm sorry about Trent. He always gets out of line. Not like Cam." He mumbled the last sentence under his breath, but Maya heard. "Anyway," he continued, changing the subject, "How's the rookie doing?"
Maya noted the affectionate way Dallas spoke Cam's nickname, unlike Trent who makes his nickname for Cam sound ugly. She offered the captain a small smile, "He's doing okay. As best as he could be right now."
The entire table fell into an uncomfortable silence, each one thinking about the severity of Cam's issues.
Not wanting to dwell on the fragility of Cam's mental state, Maya spoke again. "You should visit Cam. He would love to see you." Her voice held sincerity; she knew how much Cam looks up to Dallas.
Her comment brought a small smile to the captain's face. He looked at Maya sheepishly, "I wanted to see him as soon as he was cleared for visiting hours, but I'm afraid of what I might see." He frowned at his admission, "I'm the team captain. I should have looked after him." At this point, Dallas wasn't addressing the three worried sophomores; he was conversing with himself, vocalizing the guilt that's been torturing him for days. "Stupid hockey," Mike cursed, "I put too much pressure on him."
"Don't blame yourself," comforted Maya. "It's more than just hockey."
Dallas closed his eyes, mentally reminding himself that he did know Cam's problems went beyond hockey. He just didn't want to accept the possibility of Cam's sadness being unfixable. "Tomorrow," he exclaimed, "Just me." He reassured Maya, "I'll keep most of team away from him right now."
She sighed in relief. Meaning Trent would stay far away. "Thanks, Dallas."
He nodded in her direction, "Take it easy, guys." He left their table to head back to the loud, crowded one of his team's.
Maya, Tristan, and Tori exchanged concerned looks with one another. All hoped that drama with the team would stay as far away as possible from Cam right now.
oooooooooooooooooo
Maya gestured at Tristan and Tori to be quiet as she opened the door, wanting to make sure that her friends were hidden from Cam's sight so that they could surprise him. Poking her head through the door, she saw Cam propped up against a bunch of fluffy pillows watching Spongebob. She smiled at him affectionately before calling his name, "Cam."
Cam turned once he heard Maya's voice, "Hey," he replied, his face breaking into a boyish, lop-sided grin. Before he had the chance to speak again, Maya stepped into the room and motioned dramatically towards the door. "I have a surprise for you," she sung with a bright smile. Cam frowned in confusion until he saw Tristan and Tori waltz into the room as if they were on stage. He laughed, feeling genuinely happy to see his friends. "Hey, guys" he greeted, quickly turning the TV off.
Tristan was the first one to approach him. The boys greeted each other with their signature move, bumping fists, and smiled at one another. "It's good to see you Cam," stated Tristan meaningfully. Sneaking around Tristan, Tori leaned forward to give Cam a small hug, "How are you feeling?" She inquired carefully. The question was a simple one, but in his case too complicated.
Cam smiled at the two of them, a lie already leaving his mouth. "I'm doing alright." His mouth twitched slightly, but he recovered from the emotionally vulnerable moment quickly by forcing a laugh to leave his lips. "Did you guys come to sing to me or something?"
Maya stifled a giggle when she saw the mischievous looks Tristan and Tori shared.
Cam understood, "Oh." He raised his eyebrows, "I'm totally psychic." He grinned, glancing at Maya. "I think I need my beautiful girlfriend to watch the epic performance next to me though," he teased the blushing girl and gestured for her to come closer.
Her heart fluttered as she approached him; immediately lifting her hand to run a finger across his bangs when she stood next to him. "Of course," she cooed, pecking the top of his head. He slid his arm around her waist, pulling her closer until she sat on the edge of the hospital bed with her arm around his shoulder. "Okay," He nods at his two friends, "I'm ready."
Maya and Cam looked on happily as their friends belted out the most theatrical version of "Breaking Free" ever performed. They hit the last note—Tristan holding his longer than Tori's, which prompted the girl to glare at him. Both Maya and Cam laughed at the pair and then proceeded to shower them with applause and cheers. Tori and Tristan bowed, both beaming at Cam.
"That was awesome," expressed Cam, "Seriously. Just what I needed." He squeezed Maya's hip, "Thank you."
Maya rubbed his shoulder, acknowledging his gratitude, "Anything for you." She grinned at her two best friends as they gathered around the hospital bed. "They were practicing at lunch today."
Tori flipped her long, curly hair over her shoulder, "Well, it had to be perfect. As always."
Tristan placed a hand on his hip and raised an eyebrow at her, "Our performances are always flawless. Thankfully, the Neanderthal didn't ruin it too much." As soon as he realized what he said, Tristan slapped his hand over his mouth. "I mean, everything was great today." He shot Maya an apologetic look.
Stunned by the comment, Maya tried to remain as nonchalant as possible, hoping Cam didn't catch on. He did.
"What?" he asked. Furrowing his brow at them, he tried to figure out what Tristan meant, or whom he meant. He inhaled quickly, tightening his hold on Maya's hip, "What happened," he asked quietly, directing the question to Maya.
She scanned the room in panic, eyes meeting Tori and Tristan's—both were also speechless. Realizing how suspicious her silence seemed, she tried to assure Cam. "Nothing. Just someone who doesn't appreciate musical theater," she chuckled nervously, "You know." Her laughter died down when Cam's expression hardened. She could tell he knew that she was lying, which was really bad considering Cam has been struggling with maintaining control over his emotions—especially his temper.
"Maya." The dangerously, low tone of Cam's voice acted as a warning signal to the three silent teenagers; Tristan was the first one to act on it. "Why don't Tori and I go to the cafeteria for some Jell-O? We'll get every flavor they have so you guys will have options," he rambled, starting to inch toward the door. "We'll let you two talk." He grabbed a reluctant Tori's hand.
"We'll be right back," Tori promised, sending Maya a worried glance. She didn't allow her eyes to leave the couple until she was entirely out of the room.
Maya stared at the door wistfully, wishing she could have gone with them and avoid this conversation.
Cam, on the other hand, sat brooding in silence. With each passing second Maya didn't explain, his mood darkened. He was aware of the fact that the right thing to do would be to calm down and let Maya explain, but his temper seems to take on a life of its own when he feels extremely insecure—like right now.
"You're just not going to say anything, " he snapped. He didn't protest when Maya left his side to create some distance between them.
Her futile attempt at protecting herself from his anger involved crossing her arms over her chest, avoiding his gaze, and clicking her heels together nervously.
"Cam, it's not a big deal," she mumbled to the ground. She winced when Cam laughed, completely devoid of any emotion.
'Sure," he retorted.
An exasperated Maya kicked the floor with one of her worn out, black converse, "Seriously, Cam. Why are you getting upset right now? It's not good for you to be getting angry like this." She finally looked at him. "Please, calm down for me." She pleaded, her voice more gentle.
Cam's large, brown eyes, filled with remorse, stared back at her. "I'm trying," he muttered helplessly. "I just…I don't feel good right now." His breathing became rapid, while his eyes darted around the room. He felt powerless, guilty, scared—all the while being stuck in the psych ward. He had no idea how he ended up here. His frantic thoughts stopped when two hands grasped his cheeks. Maya's eyes peered into his. "Sweetheart, please calm down. I'll tell you what happened today, okay? You're hurting yourself."
Blinking at the scared girl, Cam glanced down at the wrist he had been scratching mindlessly; he actually drew blood. Maya released one of her hands from its spot on his cheek to grab his wrist in an effort to prevent him from hurting himself any more. Cam fell limply against the pillows, allowing Maya to rub his wounds. "I scared you," he whispered brokenly.
The heartbroken look in his eyes tore Maya apart. "No," she whispered, "I understand. Remember it's me; you never have to feel ashamed of expressing your feelings to me—good or bad." She moved the other hand that rested upon his cheek to the back of his neck, offering him some support for his head as she encouraged him to lift it. "Today at lunch, Trent came over and was obnoxious to all of us as usual." When she noticed Cam becoming angry again, she continued. "But Owen and Dallas stepped in and took care of it. It was no big deal and nothing for you to worry about. Okay?"
She pressed her forehead against his, smiling when she heard him whisper, "Are you sure, he didn't hurt you?"
Placing a kiss on the tip of his nose, she reassured him. "Not at all. I can take him anyway."
Her joke brought a smile to his face. "I know you can," he agreed playfully.
The couple fell silent for a moment; Cam finally breaking the silence, "If he ever bothers you again," he pleads vulnerably, "Please tell me." When Maya nods in agreement, he moves in closer to kiss her firmly, letting his lips linger over hers as he speaks, "I'm sorry about earlier." He shook his head when Maya started to argue, "No, Maya it wasn't right. Sometimes, I honestly feel like I can't control myself." He looked away ashamed.
"Hey," Maya consoled, "It's only me. Just remember that."
He gazed at her adoringly. "I know."
The door to the room opened slowly, displaying an apprehensive Tristan and Tori holding an assortment of Jell-O cups in their arms.
"Everything okay?" Asked Tori, she struggled to hold all of the Jell-O cups. "I think the hospital cafeteria banned us from ever getting Jell-O again."
Tristan shrugged his shoulders, "It was worth it. Now Cam can eat as much Jell-O-as his heart desires. A beautiful thing." He finished.
Cam chuckled before apologizing to his friends, "Thanks guys. I'm really sorry about earlier."
Tristan shook his head at the remorseful boy. "No worries, Cam. Let's just eat Jell-O."
The four teenagers laughed as Tristan dramatically poured the Jell-O cups onto the edge of the bed, proceeding to enthusiastically name all of the flavors.
A/N: Thank you so much to all who reviewed and added the story to your favorites! Hope you like this update :)