a/n: so after three hours of sketching and tracing lines with my Ebony pencils, i finally finished all my homework :D (i'm sure you were all curious ;D loljk, my life is ordinarily boring Dx)
this chapter is dedicated to: cookie-pocky-strawberry-love for being my fabulous 100th reviewer :) but of course, i'd also like to thank all of you for reviewing the last chapter (and the chapters before that if you did so :D)
for chellygoesrawr: thanks for the support, dear :) and ooh, that sounds interesting :) second semester just started, so we're still at the begining with learning about Ancient Civilizations xD but woo-hoo! for taking World History! (unless you hate it, then that's another story xD)
and now i shall stop ranting so you all can read:
"I'll see you around, Cammie." Josh smiled, waving a goodbye at her.
It was almost six o'clock. Dusk was eating away the day, turning the sky into a breathtakingly beautiful shade of blue mixed with streaks of orange and even the lightest of pink. Stars were slowly appearing, one at a time. All the Gallagher and Blackthorne students were all piling up back into the vans, ready to get some rest.
Cammie smiled back, "Yeah, see you." She nodded, holding back strands of hair that flew over her face. The wind was just getting stronger as the day came to its end.
She waved at him, then turned around and got into the van, sliding in the available space next to Bex. Cammie shut the door behind her, the vans rolling out of the parking lot and onto the main road.
Cammie leaned her head back against the head rest of her seat, looking out the window and letting her thoughts wander off. Her back finally relaxed into the comfortable seat, after a long day of standing up and bending over. Her feet finally felt no pressure and were curled up next to her on her seat. She hugged her knees to her chest, her eyes getting heavy.
She let her eyelids droop down, suddenly darkness was all she could see. She was half-asleep, her body on shut down, but her ears and senses were still alive. She could hear the whispers from behind her seat; Liz and Jonas, who were having the most interesting conversation on computer hard drives and softwares. She could feel the van drive over the road going over small rocks. She could even smell Macey's strong perfume as she cheered on Bex, who was having an arm wrestling compettion, with... Grant, possibly.
But what she couldn't hear, was Zach. Zach doing anything, Zach showing some sign he was alive. Cammie's eyes were closed, so she assumed he was either just sitting there, tired and bored or sleeping.
For some odd reason, it felt weird not knowing what Zach was doing. So she forced one eye open, peeking over the seat in front of her to see Zach, his face sitting on the palm of his hand as he watched the cars go by outside the dark-tinted van window.
Cammie opened both eyes, watching him.
He looked so peaceful, so serene, so... nice and calm.
Not his usual forte.
Cammie looked at the seat behind her, there sat Tina Walters who was trying to include herself in Jonas and Liz's conversation, although failed utterly because she had not the slightest of clues as to what Liz and Jonas were talking about. Cammie didn't blame her, just hearing Liz and Jonas talk about megapixels and gigabytes sent her head down a spiral of confusion and ache.
But what Cammie noticed was that Tina and Zach weren't together.
They were together during the carnival set up and were even partners for the second brush passes. They were almost inseperable. But here they were, not even sitting next to each other or even striking friendly conversation.
Cammie found that odd.
Not that she cared... but she did, but just a little.
Cammie turned back forward, sinking her butt deeper into her soft seat, getting comfortable. The whole van was loud, contained with chatter from all the students. The van drives were usually ...quieter. But since the boys arrived at Gallagher, meals have been messier, classrooms took longer to settle down, and drives were no longer peaceful.
Zach, who tore his eyes away from the window, looked up at the rear view where he caught Cammie's. He smiled a half-smile at her, then looked away, rubbing his hand against his forehead. He must've been very tired.
-:-:-:-
"Longest ride ever!" Macey exclaimed, jumping out of the van and throwing an arm in the air, like a pop star. Everyone got out more slowly, suddenly the energy level wasn't as high.
Mr. Solomon chuckled, "Get some sleep gents and ladies, don't forget, you'll be having a test tomorrow." He laughed, stuffing his hands into his gray trench coat, walking into the Gallagher Mansion.
"Ugh," Bex groaned, her hand entwined with Grant's.
Cammie raised an eyebrow at her best friend, who just giggled into her palm like a little school girl, "Um, uh, I beat Grant at arm wrestling, and his arm's sore, so I decided to er, help him." Her cheeks were burning red as she continued stuttering like an idiot.
"Uh huh," Cammie held up both her hands, a gesture of surrender that she didn't want to hear anymore and that Bex didn't have to continue with her weak excuse.
Bex nodded, letting go of Grant's hand.
Grant frowned a little then said to everyone, "Uh, yeah-huh, I let her win." He nodded at everyone, not looking down to meet Bex's blazing eyes. She smacked his arm -hard. "What? You did not! I won fair and square!"
Grant shook his head, "psh, whatever you say Baxter."
Bex punched his arm, "Right, whatever, sore loser!" She stuck her tongue out and kicked his leg.
"Oof," Grant groaned, bending down to rub his leg.
Bex rolled her eyes, "Tch, boys." She shook her head dramatically and turned around, walking inside the building.
"Wait!" Grant pleaded, "Baby, coome baaack!" He sang, extending his arm out towards her direction. Bex didn't turn around, she just continued walking. But Cammie could tell Bex was smiling as she was walking away.
"Bex! Bexxie! Rebecca! The Bex-inator!" Grant called out different "cute" pet names, then began hopping on one leg, trying to catch up towards her.
Jonas shook his head, as did Liz and Macey. The crowds of students suddenly broke off, walking back into the school building.
Cammie and Zach, however, managed to fall into step, behind everyone.
Zach looked at her, "Long day." He commented stuffing his hands into his pockets.
Cammie just nodded, "the longest." She had to agree. While all the Rosevill students just had to decorate, the spies actually had to do some work. While they were putting up the booths and organizing the carnival rides and building them up, the Gallagher Girls and Blackthorne Boys had to do a mini-scavenger hunt that Mr. Solomon set up.
So Cammie along with her fellow peers, had to run around all day looking for paper clips, four leaf clovers, guys with only seven letters in their names, and whatever else was on Mr. Solomon's list. And of course, they had to do all of it, without getting caught by the Roseville students.
Zach just chuckled.
Above them, the stars were appearing, glowing like white drops of glitter against the dark night sky. Cammie always loved watching the stars. It was a rather romantic gesture. Cammie stole a quick side-glance over to Zach, who was looking out ahead of them.
"So you and Tina are sure close," Cammie commented, trying not to sound the least bit jealous or insecure.
Zach just shrugged as they walked up the stone steps leading to the main entrance of the Gallager Academy. Cammie walked up a little more slowly, hoping Zach would do the same, to give them some time to talk.
Zach just stopped walking all together. He looked over to Cammie and said, "Well, we're friends."
Cammie nodded, stuffing her hands into her pockets, "Just friends?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
Zach lifted his. "Curious?"
Cammie shrugged, "Just wondering."
"Because?"
Cammie knew Zach was doing what he did best; games. And she was being tangled into one of his games, at that very moment. She didn't meet his green eyes, not wanting to get sucked in.
"I just am," Cammie shrugged, rather stiffly.
Zach smirked, "Curiosity killed the cat, ever heard of that saying, Gallagher Girl?"
"Well, why won't you answer me?" Cammie asked, taking a moment to meet his eyes and then look out onto the sky.
"I guess, cat got my tongue," He responded, following her gaze out into the breathtaking night.
Cammie didn't answer. He was good. Then after a moment of silence, "There are too many cat cliches out there." She mumbled quietly to herself, her eyes focused on the twinkling stars.
Zach smirked (Cammie didn't even have to look at him to know he smirked), still absorbing the wonderful sight. "Don't worry, Gallagher Girl." He didn't say what exactly she didn't need to worry about, but Cammie could guess.
-:-:-:-
"If you don't want Zach hanging out with other girls, hence Tina Walters, then I suggest you just tell him that you like him and have it done with." Macey said, folding her slender arms across her chest, narrowing her dark eyes at Cammie.
Cammie just shrugged, falling onto her stomach. "I don't know." She groaned, burying her face into her soft pillow.
"Come on, Cam!" Bex urged, "We all know you like Zach!" She threw her arms, exasperatedly into the air.
Liz nodded, "Yeah, just let him know how you feel, it'll do wonders for you." She smiled a little, her gaze lost in her own thoughts.
"Thinking of Jonas?" Macey piped up.
Liz turned a light shade of red, "What? No!" She shook away the thought like a mosquito in the air.
Macey and Bex looked at each other simultaneously then let out small giggles.
Cammie looked up at her friends, eyes full of wonder, confusion, and concern. She sighed, folding her arms onto her pillow and burying her face back into them.
Macey put a reassuring hand on Cammie's back, "Cam? Do you not like Zach?" She asked, giving Cammie a moment to think it through.
Cammie let out a low muffled reply, since her face was buried into her pillow, it made her sound like a dying walrus.
Macey leaned her ear closer to Cammie, "Say that again?'
"Umpheredoo," was what sounded like what came out of Cammie's mouth.
"One more time?" Macey asked, not understanding Cammie at all.
Then Cammie sat up, "Of course I do! Okay, I do! I have a crush on an arrogant, conceited, self-centered jerk, who smirks more than a normal person should!" She exploded with what seemed like shock to her new found revelation.
The three girls gasped silmutaneously, then simultaneously looked at each other, then simultaneously scowled at one another, then simultaneoulsy shook their heads.
"Okay, creepy," Cammie commented, a little impressed.
Bex was the first to speak, and she started it off with an earth shattering squeal that caused one of the teachers to kick the door in to see what the commotion was about. Bex just blinked innocently at the teacher, while Macey supplied a quick lie then rudely shut the door closed.
"OH MY GOSH!" Macey squealed, jumping up and down with Liz in pure delight. "Oh my gosh! I so knew it!" She sing-songed, "I just knew it! Gosh, I'm a genius!" She happily twirled and spun with Liz.
Cammie just nodded, staring at her friends' happiness, then frowned a little. The three all automatically stopped celebrating, "Uh, why are you sad?" Bex was the first to speak.
Cammie just shrugged a little, "I don't know, it's just... I do like Zach, but I keep having these weird dreams with Josh in them."
Liz raised her eyebrows slightly, "Really now?"
Cammie shrugged again, "Ugh, gosh, this is really confusing. My head hurts." She put a hand on the top of her head and rubbed at it gently.
Macey shook her head, "Not really, I mean, you can dream about someone and it won't mean anything." She said, reassuringly. "So, chill. Find out if you like Zach, like really like Zach. And if you do, then..." She paused for a moment and giggled, "Then that's more than great!" She squealed.
Cammie just nodded, laying back on her bed and pulling her thick blanket over her body. She suddenly felt a peaceful solace under her warm blankets. Almost like it was a safe haven, where she could just hide from the world and avoid the troubles of daily life.
a/n: okay, what do you think?
so, it's official, i decided that this story will end on chapter 13 :( which will be sad, I kinda liked writing this story, it was just light, blissful complicated romance xD
but i do have a new story idea, that will be turned into a full-on story and published on ff after this story is over. hopefully, some of you readers would read my new story (i'll give you guys the summary -before it's published on here- on the last chapter) :D
anyway, how's YOUR weekend going so far? please leave a review and let me know your current favorite song. today, my favorite song is Someone Like You by Boys Like Girls(: (i love BLG with an unhealthy obsession xD)