And I'll Sculpt My Life For Your Acceptance

On my way home from work I stopped at the grocery store and done some shopping, I got all the ingredients that I would need to cook some vegetarian lasagna, my favorite.

When I arrived back at my apartment the place was spotless. "Cameron?" I called out as I walked around the rooms. The only place that looked messy was the lounge where he had put up a sheet to split the room in half. I looked in there to see him lying on the futon that we had bought listening to his Discman. "Cam." I said a little louder, he looked over at me and jumped.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack!?" He said as he yanked the headphones out of his ears and held his hand over his chest where his heart would be.

"That should be my question for you," I said, waving my hand out towards the rest of the apartment. "Why is it so clean? There isn’t a speck of dust - anywhere!" To prove my point I ran my pointer over the flat surface of the mantelpiece and held it up to show him.

"I thought you would appreciate it." He said, I could see that me being so worked up about it was making him think that I didn't like what he'd done.

"I do appreciate it, I just wasn't expecting it, that's all. Thank you, little bro." I ruffled his hair and left his little room. "Oh and good idea."

He smiled widely at me. "I thought I might as well have my own room now."

I just rolled my eyes and left him to go and start cooking dinner. I wanted to set up the table so that we had somewhere to eat but the table was tiny and there was only three seats so I decided that we would just eat it in the lounge. What a great hostess I am!

I finished up putting everything in the dish and placed it in the oven just as I heard someone knock at the door. Cam got up from his spot on the couch where he was watching some crappy game show on the TV to open it.

"Whoa! What did you do to your hair?!" He yelled to whoever was at the door, curious I walked into the hall to see a newly blonde Billie Joe standing there looking awkward.

"I bleached it..." He said, trailing off as he looked over my brother’s shoulder and at me. "Hey."

"Hey, come in." I told him. He walked around Cameron who was watching him, or more like his hair, with an extremely amused look on his face. "Cameron, stop being a dick!" I scolded him once Billie had walked past me and went into the kitchen. He raised his hands like he was surrendering and walked back to his spot on the couch. I sighed and followed after Billie into the kitchen. "Teenagers" I said dramatically and rolled my eyes.

"If I remember correctly you too are a teenager." He said, smiling widely at me.

I frowned. "Yeah but I'm a mature one, duh."

He laughed at my stupid response and sat down at the table. I noticed him looking around. "What are you looking for?"

He shrugged. "A clue as to what we're eating."

"Vegetarian Lasagna." I told him as I opened the stove to see how it was going. A delicious smell escaped through the opened door, smelling it made me realize how hungry I was and my stomach growled. I acted normal and hoped that Billie hadn't heard it but when I turned to face him I could see the smile on his face. "I hope you like that?" I was suddenly unsure if anybody else would eat it, I hadn't even thought to get something else.

"It's my favorite." He grinned at me.

"No way! It's mine too." My grin matched his. It was quiet after that for a few minutes but it wasn't awkward, it was like we were too comfortable together for it to be awkward.Another reason we should be together. I suddenly realized that there were two people missing. "Where is Tre and Mike?" I asked.

He looked over at me, he was previously looking through the door where he could see the TV in the other room. "Oh yeah, Mike doesn't finish until 7 tonight and I didn't have the car to pick up Tre so I came by myself and Mike is going to pick Tre up on the way." He explained.

"You should have told me and I would have came to get you and Tre." He just shrugged and looked back towards the TV. "You can go watch it in there if you want." I suggested to him.

He shook his head. "I'm alright, I'd rather stay in here with you." He said winking in my direction. I felt my cheeks heat up and turned around quickly to check the stove again, I know that I only checked it a few minutes ago but I need a distraction or something. "And plus, I don't think your brother likes me."

I stood back up straight and turned to look at him with my eyebrows scrunched up. "Why do you say that?"

He shrugged. "He just seems a bit off towards me that’s all." I stared at him for a few seconds.

I didn't know why Cam wouldn't like Billie, he gets along fine with the other two but now that Billie mentioned it I can see why he would think that Cam doesn't like him.

"I can talk to him about it if you want?" I suggested, I knew that if he didn't like Billie there was absolutely nothing I could do about it.

"Nah it's alright, I can handle it." He smiled over at me before turning back to the TV again.

I sighed. "Okay, well I'm going to get changed. You can help yourself to a drink or whatever if you'd like." I told him, he nodded and I walked off to my bedroom where I found another pair of jeans and a plain black t-shirt. I got changed and fixed my make-up before returning to the kitchen to see that Billie had been joined by Mike, Tre and Cameron. "Hi boys." I smiled at them, they both said 'hey' back and surprisingly Tre didn't attack me in a hug.

I walked to the fridge and grabbed a can of Coke out. "Anybody want a drink?" Tre and Mike were the only ones who said yes. I handed them each a can and stood at the bench drinking mine.

Another half hour past and the lasagna were finally ready. I served it with some salad and chips and told everybody to eat it in the lounge.

"Thank you so much for doing this, Karmony." Mike thanked me. I waved it off like it was nothing while I swallowed my food.

"It's really nothing; I couldn't have you boys starving tonight!" We all laughed and Cam mumbled something under his breath. "What was that Cameron?" I snapped.

He looked up at me. "I said," he cleared his throat and glared in Billie's direction. "Nobody would really care if one of them starved." I looked at Billie too who was staring down at his plate.

"Cameron, come with me." I said through gritted teeth. He shook his head as if to say 'no'. "Now." he slowly got up and followed me into my bedroom. "What the hell was that?!" I yelled, loud enough for it to get my point across but not loud enough for the three men in my lounge room to hear me. He shrugged and continued to stare at the ground. "What is your problem with Billie Joe? He hasn't done anything to you!"

He looked up at me like I was insane. "He hurt you! Isn't that a good enough reason for me not to like him?"

I shook my head. "You're right he did hurt me, but he didn't do anything to you so it's not a good enough reason to hate him, no."

"But that song was about me too, I can hate him for that." He was just making up reasons now.

"Don't try and think up reason, Cameron. You either get over your pathetic reasons or I will send you back to Jersey and you can live on the streets for all I care." I said and stormed out of the room and back into the lounge. "I am so sorry Billie Joe." I apologized. "He's a little prick some times."

"I told you earlier that he didn't like me so I guess I wasn't surprised with what he said."

The rest of the time we were eating nobody spoke. Cameron had joined us again and he didn't even glance in Billie's direction. When everybody was finished I collected the plates and took them into the kitchen to clean. I was joined by Billie a few minutes later.

"Need a hand?" he asked.

I shook my head. "I'm alright; you can go smoke with the boys." I could smell the pot coming from the lounge.

"I'll dry, where are the tea towels?" he questioned, I sighed in defeat and pointed to the drawer at the end of the bench. He opened it and pulled out the top towel and began to dry the dished I'd already cleaned. "I'm going to get going when we finish doing these." he announced.

I didn't want him to leave. "If it's because of Cam, I talked to him and he won't say anything else."

"It's not because of him, I just - I need to go see my sister." he explained.

"I can drive you there than, it's the least I can do to make up for what Cam said."

He laughed and shook his head as he placed a dry plate on the small pile of other dry plates. "It's okay. She just lives around the corner." I nodded sadly and handed him another plate.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" I asked suddenly, I was shocked with myself. I even saw the shock on his face before it turned into a smirk.

"You sound a big eager to see me, Miss White." I felt myself blush.

"I meant are you guys going to be at Gilman's tomorrow night?" I thought up a question fast.

His face fell a bit but as quick as it fell it was back to normal. "I can come if you decide not to abuse me or hit me." He joked.

I laughed. "I'm sorry for all that shit. But I promise I won't do any of that tomorrow night if you show up."

He laughed than nodded. "Okay, I guess I can come for a bit."

I smiled widely at him. "Good." I said, before handing him the last of the dishes. "All done."

"Well I guess I better be off then."

"I guess so. I'll see you tomorrow night." I gave him a quick hug before we went to the lounge so that he could say goodbye to the guys. "I just got to go to the toilet. I'll be back in a second - don't leave." I said and rushed off to the toilet.

Billie Joe's P.O.V

I laughed at something Tre had said about Karmony when she left. I looked up feeling somebody's eyes on me; it was Cameron.

He opened his mouth to say something but closed it, I looked back at the guy. "Karmony wants us to go to Gilman's tomorrow night, I said I'd be there." They nodded.

"Count me in." Tre said.

"I'll come after work." Mike said, shrugging.

I smiled at them when I heard somebody cleat their throat, it was Cameron.

"Can I talk to you, Billie Joe?" I would have loved to have just ignored him but I decided that I wasn't going to be a jerk towards a girl I cared so much about's brother. So I nodded and followed him into the hall outside the apartment. "Listen, Billie Joe," He snapped once the door was closed behind me. "Stay away from Karmony, she doesn't need your shit and I won’t be here forever to pick up the pieces." I looked at him like he was insane.

"You don't have the right to tell me to stay away from her." I reached behind me to open the door and go back inside; I only just got it open before he stopped me and spoke again.

"I just want what’s best for her and you're not it so stay the fuck away, okay?" I didn't want to agree but I also wanted him to get off my case, so I agreed.

"Yeah, sure, whatever." I said and pushed the door open more and went back inside. The door almost hit Mike in the face; he was standing there looking at me like I was crazy. I stopped and let Cameron walk past us.

"Beej, why did you said you would?" he asked once Cameron was in the lounge with Tre.

I shrugged. "I wanted him off my case, it's not like I'm never going to see Karmony; I will get her."

"If you're going to get her at least don't do anything until he leaves, you have like three weeks left of him being here and hopefully by then Kar will be ready." He had a pretty good point there.

"Okay, I'll wait." I agreed with him. Before he could say anything else Karmony appeared. "I better go."

"Cya. I'll see you tomorrow night." She smiled at me and gave me one last hug before I left her with the guys and set off to Hollie's house.