Tragic the Way People Pass Her By

The voices behind me continued bickering as I quickly paid for the cheese. The door to the store opened, then slammed, and I heard four heavy footsteps enter the small room. My breathing grew rapid, and my mouth went dry.

I brushed my hair in front of my face, covering my recognizable scars on my cheek bones. I slowly turned around, and walked over to herbs sitting on a shelf. They were still standing in front of the door.

I pretended to be interested in the nutrition facts of tomato sauce as I waited for them to move.

Suddenly, it got quiet. All talk of Pokemon, vanished.

Then, I heard some whispers.

"Is that her?"

"She's changed so much."

Tears started forming, and I bit my lip trying to prevent them from falling. I heard someone step closer to me.

"Sarah."

I felt a hand on my shoulder. I couldn't take it.

I jerked my shoulders, knocking the hand off. I briskly walked away, and pushed open the door, slamming it behind me. I couldn't help it. It was too much. Tears began to pour down my cheeks.

I managed to get to my car. I clumsily opened the door, and threw the cheese into the passenger seat, before collapsing in the driver's seat.

I can't believe I saw them. Of all places, they were in the fucking cheese shop.

Wiping away the remnants of my tears, I turned on the stereo to break the silence.

"Allstar Weekend is in town! Make sure you catch them tonight in concert!"

Isn't that just great? They were everywhere I went.

I angrily hit the button, turning off the radio. I closed my eyes, and ran my hands through my hair. I rested my head on the steering wheel.

I don't know how long I was stuck in that position before I heard someone tapping on my window.

I picked my head up, turned my head. My vision was a little fuzzy, but I could easily recognize the figure standing there.

It was Cameron Quiseng. He motioned for me to roll down the window. After a debate against it in my head, I gave in.

He bent down, so he could talk to me easier. At first it was silent, him just staring at me.

Finally, he said something.

"Sarah," he whispered, his voice quivering. "I can't believe how different you look." I didn't know how to respond to that. Cameron was usually the easiest to talk to, but I couldn't find any words to say.

"I've missed you," he whispered. My mouth turned upward into a small smile. "I've missed that."

"I've missed you too," I whispered, looking down.

He bit his lip, before responding. "Come with me to Starbucks? I want to catch up."

I hesitated. "Will he be there?" I whispered, scared.

He shook his head. "Not if you don't want to face him yet."

I thought for a bit, before consenting. Cameron backed away, so I could open my car door. He helped me get out of my car, and pulled me into a giant hug.

I immediately stiffened, and quit breathing. I hated physical contact now. The slightest touch made me go into panic mode.

Noticing this, Cameron quickly pulled away. He gave me a questioning look, before starting down the street.

"The other guys are still in that store. They won't find us anywhere," he comforted, as we walked into the Starbucks.

I grabbed us a booth, as he ordered us drinks. He got my standard Strawberries & Cream frappachino.

He slipped into the seat opposite from me. Taking a sip from my drink, I looked at him. Despite all the media attention, I could still see the same guy from before. Fame hadn't changed him. It only made him stronger. It gave me hope.

"So, where should we start?" Cameron asked.