Gold, Guns, Girls

When he was excited about something, he always spoke far too fast for her to even comprehend his words. His words would be jumbled together and slightly slurred, depending on whether or not he had a few celebratory drinks before he came to see her. His words wold be mumbled, depending on whether or not he chose to hold his cigarette in his mouth while he spoke, or if he would hold it in between his index and middle fingers. Usually, though, the cigarette would be in his mouth, because he liked to take hold of both her hands while he spoke to her. He also liked to kiss her when he was excited. Just friendly pecks on the cheeks, forehead, jaw and sometimes, the lips. It was almost a ritual for the two of them. He'd always have to tell his story twice, because the first time, she'd never be able to understand what he was saying. And after she'd calmed him down enough for his breathing to regulate, he'd tell the story again, much slower than before. Cameron had a way of getting worked up over the littlest things.

This time was different though, she noticed as she played with the frills on her dress. He still spoke as he inhaled from his cigarette, and he was still speaking just as quickly as ever. His words were mumbled, and slightly slurred, but not because he had gone out for celebratory drinks. His hands weren't grasping hers, like they always did. He kept his hands to himself, and his lips never even came close to touching her skin. She could barely understand a word that fell from his lips, but he didn't have to repeat the story in order for her to understand what he had said.

His words were almost paralyzing, the way they made her nearly freeze in her spot. Her heart rate slowed to an almost dangerous pace, and she suddenly felt cold in the warm, summer breeze. They had been best friends since a week after her family had moved in across the street. They had watched each other grow from the small, awkward children they were to the still awkward, but much older looking children they were now. They both vowed never to grow up. To stay perpetually young at least mentally since it was inevitable that their body would mature physically. She felt terribly guilty, but she couldn't bring herself to be happy for him. She was his best friend, and she still couldn't even manage to be happy for him when it most counted.

Because this time, he wasn't happy because his basketball team won another game, or because he aced another Algebra test. He wasn't this excited because his Dad was actually coming home this year for Christmas, or because his little sister was responding positively to the chemo. He wasn't nearly jumping for joy because his Mother was promoted to a higher section in the company she works for, or because he worked hard enough to finally be able to afford that pair of Nike shoes that was in the window of the Foot Locker in town.

He was happy because he got a date with the hottest girl in town, and as far as Olivia was concerned, that meant that he didn't need her anymore. And she just couldn't be happy about that.