Being brave was not Moose´s strong suit that's not to say that he was a coward because he wasn't. If any of his friends ever needed backup, he was there no questions ask, ok maybe some questions because explanations were helpful but he was there. However, when his feelings were on the line, his bravado went to the floor that was one of the reasons he didn't follow Kirsten inside the coffee shop that first day when he saw her.
He spent the next month avoiding the girl that was in a way forcing her way into his dreams, Moose didn't even mention this to any of his friends fearing what they would think of him. He knew that they liked Cam like one of their own so they would be very protective of her and the only thing that he had to offer for now was a confuse mind and heart about where he stand in relation with her.
On one hand he couldn't deny that he like the girl, she was pretty and easy going for what he saw in the way she acted with all the people around her. Also, the Cam in his dreams always made him feel like he matter to her. Yes, he had continued to dream about her. However, he didn't kiss her again they would just talk for what seem hours about dumb things but he felt wonderful when he woke the next day and his good mood usually stayed with him the rest of the day. Now, he also dreamed with Kirsten and they would always flirt but things never went past that and even when he tried to have conversations with her like the one he had with Cam it wouldn't go beyond the flirting.
The only explanation he found to these was that he heard more things about Cam from conversations over the vault with the other pirates so he had that to go on in his mind than from Kirsten. Nobody at the vault usually saw the blonde girl so of course there was no talked about her and he was inclined to think that those talks were also the reason why Cam was more present in his mind those past days.
After class on Friday, he went out with some friends to a new bar that had opened a week ago and was from the cousins of Cable, another pirate, and from what everyone was saying it was unbelievable. The Pirates were co-owners so that would be a plus to their earnings, Luke was excellent at businesses and was always looking for ways to improve their incomes so the guys would be free to follow their dreams.
Moose walked in and while looking around for a table to go, someone, came behind him and turning him around and hugging him. "Dude you came!. I thought you had exams next week, come on we have a couple of tables in the back."
Cable was one of the tallest pirates and he was pretty hard to miss in any place due not only to that but to his personality. Moose told his friend to follow him and soon he found himself in front of three tables full of people he knew and some that he didn't expect to see here. All the guys say hi telling him that they were happy to see him, he then made eye contact with his blonde dream girl and she nodded her head as a greeting and went on to talked with the rest of her table. If she was there, he could only assume that Cam would be here but he didn't see the girl or Jacob so they would probably come later after closing the coffee shop.
He sat at another table with his friends but he would keep looking back to where Kirsten was sitting. "Dude you have to stop looking at that girl so much. Just go there and talk to her if you are so interested in her."
Moose turned to see Justin, his best friend from Uni, looking at him with an annoyed look on his face while sipping his beer. He tried to explain that it was a little more complicated than just standing and talking to a girl he had history with that girl, at that point Justin told him that he didn't. What he had was a severe obsession with that girl and if he ever wanted to move on from that he should, at least, see if there was something there or not. Although his friend even though would love for him to have a chance with his "dream" girl he was sure that the girl had already told him what she thought of him.
Realising a long breath he didn't know he had been holding he empty his beer and proceed to walked towards Kirsten and asked if they could go outside for a moment to talk, he noticed that she didn't want but she agree. Once outside he told her that he like her, pouring his "heart" out of her telling her that he had like her from the moment she saw her on the street. Kirsten looked confused but that he didn't give her a chance to ask anything and went on to tell her that he really wanted to have a real chance with her.
For a moment there he thought that she was going to give it to him because she didn't seem mad or grossed out but then the hit came. She appreciated his feelings but she didn't feel like that and she was not going to go out with him just to show something that she had made clear at several opportunities before. Kirsten asked him if he wanted to go inside but he shooked his head she wondered if maybe she should stay with him but she was afraid he would read more into this and went inside planning to tell one of his friends to come look for him.
Moose went to lean on the wall trying to think what should he do next now that she openly told him what he had suspected all along, suddenly someone was at his side. "Hey, are you feeling ok?"
Of course, it was Cam and she looked concerned about him and he wonder for a second if maybe he was in a dream but he was never this sad in a dream where the girls also Jacob appeared was standing now in front of him looking at him with a concern expression. "I'm all right don't worry."
The door from the bar opened and Justin appeared looking side to side until his eyes found them and he made his way towards them and did a double take when he saw Cam. "Hey Cam"
Cam looked at Justin and smiled and move to hug him and Moose felt awful. What was going on here? Hello friend here feeling like someone stab him in the heart here. Justin said something to Cam and then both of them turned to look at Moose asking him if he rather leave or stayed?
He honestly didn't know what to do, part of him wasn't ready to go inside and see Kirsten again knowing full well that he had to come to terms that every scenario he ever imagine with her was never going to happened and also why he was feeling better about that so quickly. The other side was wondering how exactly did Justin and Cam knew each other and if he decided not to go into the bar would they go inside without him. He dismissed that idea quickly, Justin would never leave him and the way Cam had reacted to seen him sad made him think that she wouldn't either.
"Could you please go get my stuff I really don't want to stay." He finally decided that it was best if he called it a night, Justin nod and motioning Cam to go with him they went on their way. What is going on here? Moose didn't understand what just happened did they leave him here alone? What did she need to go in with him?
"Are you sure you are ok?" Again he was made aware of Jacob's presence and he sighed, how did he keep forgetting he was there. He told him again that he was fine but at the sceptical look, Jacob gave him he decided to tell him that he had talked with Kirsten and that they were over.
Jacob looked at him funny but let him be, for a second Moose thought the boy was going to correct him about his relationship with Kirsten but he let it go and even told him that he was sorry but things would get better. Moose ponder if asking Jacob about the relationship between Cam and Justin but he wasn't sure that it would be well received since he just said he had a relationship with Kirsten which thinking back he didn't.
After what seemed hours but probably only was twenty minutes Justin came out of the bar with Moose's backup and jacket. "Sorry man. Josh and Tyler are also coming we can go to another bar if you want."
Just a second after saying that both boys came laughing out of the bar and declare that they should do a video game night, they introduced themselves to Jacob and told him that he should join them. He hesitate but agree and getting out his cell he quickly text something and put it back in his pocket, the five guys started found themselves in the guys apartment twenty minutes later ready to have a great night. Moose was waiting for the opportunity to corner Justin and asked him about Cam but he was never alone with him there were always someone else in the room or even when asked him to go to the kitchen Jacob followed them because he wanted to drink something.
Moose finally doze off at some point during the third lap of Mario Kart and woke up the next day alone in the living room of his friend's apartment, he went into Tyler´s room and wrote a note thanking them for last night. He was lucky to have this amazing group of friends that were up to cheer him up over having a fun night out, the second he was out of the apartment he dialed Justin but got sent to voicemail immediately.
He walked a couple of blocks and got on the subway on his way to his friend house, he really needed to know how he knew Cam and why exactly did they seemed so cozy with each other. When he finally arrive he ring the bell but nobody open to his luck a girl was getting out of the building and he was able to get in that way. He banged on his friend door for what felt like hours until the boy in the apartment behind him asked him to stop, Moose apologized but explained that his friend wasn't answering so he must have been asleep.
The guy shook his head and told Moose that when he was coming in an hour ago, he saw Justin getting out of the building with a girl so he was definitely not home. "Could you describe the girl please?"
"No" that was the last thing the guy said before closing his door on Moose's face leaving the boy to wonder if maybe Justin went out with Cam. No, that wasn't possible Justin never mention Cam before, right?. Later that day after calling Justin for hours he went back to his friend apartment but this time, he didn't have the luck of someone coming out so he just sat on the steps in front waiting.
His phone rang and he picked it up without looking and the voice of Luke fill his ears and then he remembered that today he had another battle with his friends. He cursed and told Luke that he was on his way, Moose ran all the way to the subway and managed to get to the battle before it ended but he wasn't able to join the pirates on their last stand. This time, they lost and he felt terrible for his friends that were always ready to help him and he kept disappointing.
Moose apologized to all of them but they told him it was ok but he should probably put some alarms on his phone just to prevent this from happening the next day again when they had another one. Moose went back wit them to rehearse and decided to quit acting like an ass to everybody and focused on the battle, with that thought he decided to spend the weekend there and turned off his phone so he wouldn't be tempted to call Justin again.
On Monday Came went to the coffee shop to find Justin waiting for her making her smiled, she had missed her old friend. When they were little Justin was one of Cam's best friend they were inseparable until Justin's dad, who was in the army, was relocated and the entire family move away. For years, they tried to stay in contact but with every time that Justin moved they finally touch until that night at the bar where they exchanged numbers and promised to see each other on Monday when Cam had a shift at the coffee shop. "Hey Camy, what's up?"
They spent the rest of Cam's shift catching up with each other, Justin would help Cam with orders, he used to work at a coffee when he was younger so he knew how to worked the machines. Jacob was happy that Cam had helped and also had someone who could get her mind out of the afro boy. "So Ty and Nora move, but I stayed at the apartment so I get to live alone which he doesn't like much but I like it that way."
"Well if you ever decide that you want a roommate I'm totally in, I love your grandma's apartment it was awesome. Also, you know that Ty would be cool with me living with you since he threatened me to never wrong you from when I was 3." They laughed at that but Cam was sure that Ty wouldn't like her living with any boy no matter how much he trust them although Justin would be the only one that would come close if it ever comes to that.
After their shift, the two of them went to Justin's apartment so that Cam could see the place and order in when the bell rang he opened the door to found not only the delivery guy but Moose standing outside his door. Justin told his friend to come in and paid the delivery guy when he came inside he found Moose standing in the middle of his living room/kitchen looking at Cam, who was still unaware of his presence. Before he could ask his friend why was he there Cam turned and gasp when he saw Moose, Justin notice how tense they seemed with each other and suggested that they sit to eat before the food would get cold.
Justin finally understood why Moose was acting weirder than normal, he now remembered Moose mentioning some girl that also worked with Kirsten in some random conversations but he usually never said more than that about her. Of course, the girl was Cam but the way he was looking at her make him think that there was more there than what his friend told him. Just to help his friend peace of mind Justin introduced Cam as his best childhood friend and he saw Moose visibly relax, and to help Cam get out of her shock to see the guy that he now notice she like he started calling her nicknames she used to tell her when they were kids.
His plan worked and the brunette began to answer him and they were laughing in no time, Moose would try to join but it seemed force however they had a great time nonetheless. When the time came for Cam to go home, Justin told Moose that he was going to take Cam home and added that if he wanted to stay he would be back, however, Moose had another plan. He offered to take Cam home and didn't stopped pushing the matter until the girl agree, both of them said their goodbyes to Justin and went on their way.
On the train back to her house, Cam asked Moose how he met Justin and he then listen to him talked about not only that time but several stories that made her laughed. Her station came and she went to say goodbye to Moose but he told her that he was going to walked her home and with a small smile she agreed. Cam's mood change drastically after Moose decided to talk about what had happened with Kirsten at the bar describing the situation as the end of their relationship. Cam wonder if that was the only reason why he was so pleasant with her, now that his precious Kirsten was out he decided to talk to her that seemed weird. Her suspicious turned into reality when outside her building Moose started to tell her that now that Kirsten was out of the picture he could see things clearer, he told her she was pretty too and asked for her number.
Cam wanted to punch him so bad but she settled for calling him an ass closing the door to her building in his face leaving a confuse Moose outside, she might like him but she was nobody's backup plan.