Status: Completed
Come Down With Love
Meet Me in the Middle
I pushed Cameron away and opened my eyes, blinding myself momentarily. My eyes still adjusting to the light, Zach spoke, “Whoa.”
“Why’d you turn the light on?” Cameron asked.
“I couldn’t find my way back to the bunks. I guess I fell asleep in the middle of watching Grown Ups.”
“You did,” Cameron said.
“This is awkward,” I said.
“Well he caught his two best friends making out,” Cameron said.
“Kissing, not making out,” I corrected him hitting his arm.
Zach just stared at us, his eyes showing no emotion. Deep inside, I’d hoped he’d react just a little. Show some anger, maybe?
“Where are Nathan and Michael?” I asked.
“Back lounge,” Zach answered, still standing by the light switch. “I think I’ll go sleep back there instead.” Zach kept the lights on moving down the hallway to the back of the bus leaving Cameron and I alone again.
“Cameron,” I started and he turned to face me, still in my bed. “Question, just yesterday you told me to go for Zach. And now you want me?”
“Well, Zach wants Sophia. And I’ve always liked you Aud, just a little. And I have a chance now, so I want to take it.”
I gulped. “You know, if…” I trailed off. “You know that if Zach loved me,” I whispered, “then you wouldn’t be the one I’m with?”
“I know.” He nodded.
“You’re taking a risk, Cam. And I don’t want to be the one to break your heart.”
“You already said yes,” He pointed out.
I put my hands up, declaring innocence. “I’ll stick to my promise. I’m just making sure you’re aware.”
“I’m fully aware.”
“Good,” I said, then kissing his lips quickly. “Now get out of my bed.” I smiled.
“Okay.” He chuckled and got out of my bunk and turned out the lights, then found his way in the darkness to his pull-out couch.
“Goodnight, Cam.”
“Goodnight, Aud. Oh, and by the way – I like your Nerd candy pillow.”
I laughed, minutes later falling asleep.
I woke up to the smell of pancakes and Nathan humming loudly to a song he was playing on his iPod touch. I got out of bed leaving Boo and my Nerd candy pillow behind. My stomach growled and I realized I hadn’t ate in one day, the morning before. Immediately I craved pancakes.
Walking into the kitchenette I found Michael flipping pancakes on the stovetop. I went to the living room area and found Zach quietly sipping his coffee. Cameron was talking to Paul, curtain closed. Nathan was still humming to whatever song playing on his iPod in the kitchen.
“Hi, Zach,” I said scooting in next to him at the booth.
“Hey,” He said blankly sipping his coffee some more.
Usually Zach would smile, put his arm around me, and I would lean my head on his shoulder. But he didn’t touch me which was unusual because he was always touchy-feely with me. It was weird to have him not touch me at all, and so it bothered me.
“Are you um… mad at me?” I asked him.
He shook his head staring into the coffee mug. “It just bothers me that you didn’t tell me that you and Cameron are going out.”
“Well we weren’t until last night.”
“You still never told me you liked him.”
“I didn’t until last night.”
“Whatever,” he said stubbornly.
“Zachary David Porter, please believe me. I don’t want you to be mad at me.”
“We’re best friends.” He looked at me, and his eyes shown sadness. “You’re supposed to tell me these things. I’m supposed to find out by catching you two kissing?”
“You didn’t tell me that you and Sophia were possibly going to date.”
“Well we weren’t officially. She hasn’t given me an answer yet.” He scrunched his face up. He did this when he was thinking.
“You still didn’t tell me that you liked Sophia,” I pointed out, saying the same thing he had just said to me about Cameron.
He sighed, finishing the rest of his coffee. “You’re right. Why are you always right?”
“It’s a gift.” I grinned at him. “Do I get a hug?” I asked opening my arms to him.
He accepted my request, hugging me tightly as if I was going to slip away while rubbing my back. I ran my fingers through his shaggy hair because I knew this was the last intimate hug we would ever have – because Cameron and I were dating as Sophia and Zach probably would.
Once we pulled away he looked down at my sweatshirt and asked, “What does je t’aime mean?”
“It means ‘I love you’.”
“Well then, je t’aime.” He smiled sadly, rubbing my cheek.
“Je t’aime,” I repeated.
This was like a goodbye to ever becoming more than just friends. There wasn’t a even a chance now. My chance was small before, but now I had none. And now Zach couldn’t touch me whenever he wanted to. He couldn’t treat me like his girlfriend. Sophia would now have the honor.
“Why’d you turn the light on?” Cameron asked.
“I couldn’t find my way back to the bunks. I guess I fell asleep in the middle of watching Grown Ups.”
“You did,” Cameron said.
“This is awkward,” I said.
“Well he caught his two best friends making out,” Cameron said.
“Kissing, not making out,” I corrected him hitting his arm.
Zach just stared at us, his eyes showing no emotion. Deep inside, I’d hoped he’d react just a little. Show some anger, maybe?
“Where are Nathan and Michael?” I asked.
“Back lounge,” Zach answered, still standing by the light switch. “I think I’ll go sleep back there instead.” Zach kept the lights on moving down the hallway to the back of the bus leaving Cameron and I alone again.
“Cameron,” I started and he turned to face me, still in my bed. “Question, just yesterday you told me to go for Zach. And now you want me?”
“Well, Zach wants Sophia. And I’ve always liked you Aud, just a little. And I have a chance now, so I want to take it.”
I gulped. “You know, if…” I trailed off. “You know that if Zach loved me,” I whispered, “then you wouldn’t be the one I’m with?”
“I know.” He nodded.
“You’re taking a risk, Cam. And I don’t want to be the one to break your heart.”
“You already said yes,” He pointed out.
I put my hands up, declaring innocence. “I’ll stick to my promise. I’m just making sure you’re aware.”
“I’m fully aware.”
“Good,” I said, then kissing his lips quickly. “Now get out of my bed.” I smiled.
“Okay.” He chuckled and got out of my bunk and turned out the lights, then found his way in the darkness to his pull-out couch.
“Goodnight, Cam.”
“Goodnight, Aud. Oh, and by the way – I like your Nerd candy pillow.”
I laughed, minutes later falling asleep.
I woke up to the smell of pancakes and Nathan humming loudly to a song he was playing on his iPod touch. I got out of bed leaving Boo and my Nerd candy pillow behind. My stomach growled and I realized I hadn’t ate in one day, the morning before. Immediately I craved pancakes.
Walking into the kitchenette I found Michael flipping pancakes on the stovetop. I went to the living room area and found Zach quietly sipping his coffee. Cameron was talking to Paul, curtain closed. Nathan was still humming to whatever song playing on his iPod in the kitchen.
“Hi, Zach,” I said scooting in next to him at the booth.
“Hey,” He said blankly sipping his coffee some more.
Usually Zach would smile, put his arm around me, and I would lean my head on his shoulder. But he didn’t touch me which was unusual because he was always touchy-feely with me. It was weird to have him not touch me at all, and so it bothered me.
“Are you um… mad at me?” I asked him.
He shook his head staring into the coffee mug. “It just bothers me that you didn’t tell me that you and Cameron are going out.”
“Well we weren’t until last night.”
“You still never told me you liked him.”
“I didn’t until last night.”
“Whatever,” he said stubbornly.
“Zachary David Porter, please believe me. I don’t want you to be mad at me.”
“We’re best friends.” He looked at me, and his eyes shown sadness. “You’re supposed to tell me these things. I’m supposed to find out by catching you two kissing?”
“You didn’t tell me that you and Sophia were possibly going to date.”
“Well we weren’t officially. She hasn’t given me an answer yet.” He scrunched his face up. He did this when he was thinking.
“You still didn’t tell me that you liked Sophia,” I pointed out, saying the same thing he had just said to me about Cameron.
He sighed, finishing the rest of his coffee. “You’re right. Why are you always right?”
“It’s a gift.” I grinned at him. “Do I get a hug?” I asked opening my arms to him.
He accepted my request, hugging me tightly as if I was going to slip away while rubbing my back. I ran my fingers through his shaggy hair because I knew this was the last intimate hug we would ever have – because Cameron and I were dating as Sophia and Zach probably would.
Once we pulled away he looked down at my sweatshirt and asked, “What does je t’aime mean?”
“It means ‘I love you’.”
“Well then, je t’aime.” He smiled sadly, rubbing my cheek.
“Je t’aime,” I repeated.
This was like a goodbye to ever becoming more than just friends. There wasn’t a even a chance now. My chance was small before, but now I had none. And now Zach couldn’t touch me whenever he wanted to. He couldn’t treat me like his girlfriend. Sophia would now have the honor.