And I'll Sculpt My Life For Your Acceptance

The dinner went by smoothly, nobody bringing up the last time we had all had dinner together.

Or that was until I left the room.

I went to the bathroom to get the stuffing that Tre threw at me out of my hair. But when I came back the arguing from earlier had begun again. This time instead of interrupting I stayed out of the room and listened to them.

"Cam, calm down." Tre told my brother before I heard somebody slam something onto the table. "Watch it!"

"Dude, he stayed away from her just like you asked. But when she asked us around, we couldn't say no-we didn't want to say no!" Mike said, I'd never heard him angry about anything before, but right now he truly did sound angry.

I wanted to go in there and demand to know what they were talking about but something told me not to.

"I told him to stay away because I know what's good for my sister and you guys aren't." Cameron snapped and I heard his chair slid back on the tiles.

"Don't be an asshole! We've been nothing but nice to you since you got here even though you treat us like shit! And as for your sister, I really do like her and I don't care what you say, I'm not staying away anymore, it has been hell for the last week not being able to see her." I heard Billie say, even though I couldn't see him and he couldn't see me, I still felt my cheeks heat up. And I'm pretty sure my heart swelled at the thought of him liking me that much.

"You're crazy if you think that she likes you that much, I've known her for my whole life and not once has she dated a drop kick like you." I think this is the time when I step in.

I walked around the corner, when everybody noticed me they went silent. They could tell by my expression that I had heard what they were talking about.

"Listen, Kar, I-" I cut my brother off.

"I don't want to listen to what you have to say Cameron." I snapped. "I just want to know why you would think that you have any right to tell my friends to stay away from me."

"I-I-I-Come on Karmony! You can't honestly be siding with them!?"

"I am. Now answer my question." I demanded, my teeth were clamped together so hard that I thought they were going to break. He stayed silent. "What did I tell you last week, Cameron?" He shrugged. "I told you to either get over you're dislike towards Billie Joe or you're going home. Now give me one good reason why I shouldn't send you back to New Jersey right now!"

"Because you love me and you wouldn't want me living on the streets." He smiled at me.

I felt like ripping his head off at that moment. "I don't give a shit if you will be living on the streets. You've been nothing but a pain in my ass since you got here."

"Maybe we should le-" Tre began to say but I cut him off.

"No, you stay. I need to talk to you guys in a minute." I said, looking at them briefly, they were all huddled together at one side of the room while I was standing at the door and Cameron was in the middle of us. "I am so fucking angry with you at the moment, Cameron; I want to slit your throat." One of the things I hate most is people interfering with my life, it's one of the reasons that I left Jersey because people there were always trying to get me to change. "GO somewhere that isn't near me for a while, I can not look at you." He got up and left the room immediately. I don't know what I should do with him, I want to send him away but I know deep down that it's not the right thing to do. Once I'd taken a few deep breaths I turned to the guys, "Why did you guys listen to him? Why didn't you tell me? I would have told him to stick his opinions up his ass."

Mike shrugged. "I'm sorry for lying to you, really. I just thought that we should respect what he wants. It was my fault that Beej did what he asked. So don't be pissed at him."

"And I didn't know what was going on!" Tre chimed in. "I just went along with what these guys were doing."

"I'm not angry at you guys. I know why you done it and I'm sorry that he told you to stay away. But just promise me that if, and that is a big if, I let him stay, you won't listen to anything he tell you." I gave them a small smile.

"Deal." All three of them said in unison before we all started laughing.

"At least we got that sorted." I said, I glanced at Billie who was staring at me. "Can I talk to you alone?" I asked, he nodded and followed me into my room. I don't know why I always come in here to talk; I guess it's the most private place.

"I'm sorry." He said as he was closing the door behind him.

"Don't be." I said as I took a seat on my bed and patted the spot next to me, he joined me. "I've been doing a lot of thinking lately and I-I don't know how to say this." I was staring at my hands.

"Just say it."

"Well, I... I think I'm readyforthatdate." I rushed the last part together but I could tell by his silence that he'd heard me.

"Really?" I could hear the smile in his voice. "Even after this?"

I nodded, making myself look up at the gorgeous boy beside me. "Even after all this. I knew the day that you woke me up but I wanted to make sure that I am really ready and ...I am." I confessed. "But," I said, his smile faltered for a second. "You have to ask me out formally and we have to keep this between us and the guys, nobody tells Cameron until I say."

He grinned. "I think I can stick to those guidelines." I laughed at him. "Will you go out on a date with me, Karmony?" I laughed again at his goofiness.

"Maybe just one." I said like it was the worst thing in the world.

"Just the one? Well I guess we'll have to make it last forever!" He grinned over at me and I smiled back.

If I could pick a moment in my life that was close to perfect, I would pick this one; it wasn't the best night in my life and it wasn't anything special but to me, and I'm sure that he felt it too, it felt perfect, there was nothing that could ruin it for me. Well nothing except the pain in my ass that was staying with me who decided that now was the right time to bang on my door.

"Karmony, I need to talk to you." He said.

I groaned and fell back onto my bed with the hope of ignoring him.

"Go away." Billie called out to him.

"Fuck you." he said back and I heard him stomping away.

"Good job, Billie Joe." I said, tugging on the back of his top to get him to lay down too, he did. "I could stay like this forever."

"So could I, but I'm pretty sure I'd get hungry." he joked. I laughed at him and threw my fist into his chest in a soft punch.

"You know," I started, suddenly serious. "What you said earlier to Cameron was actually quite sweet and it seems that you missed me just as much as I missed you." He smiled kindly at me.

"I told you that I liked you and if you had have just come to your senses a when I first asked you out we wouldn't have had to put up with being separated for a week."

"They do say distance makes the heart fonder." I quoted a saying that my father used to say.

"True." he mumbled, his eyes closed. I propped myself up on my elbow and just started at him. He opened one eye and looked at me curiously. "Can I help you?"

"Nope. Just close your eyes so I can continue to stare without getting caught." I said grinning at him. He did as I instructed but once again the moment didn't last long.

There was a knock at the door and this time it was Mike. "Hey guys, Tre and I are going to leave; I have to get up in the morning." Billie sighed and sat up.

"I guess that's my cue." he stood up and stuck his hand toward me to help me up. I grabbed it and he pulled me up. "We're coming." he said, pulling me across the room towards the door. He started to twist the knob but stopped. "I can tell the guys, yeah?" I nodded. "Good."