Happy the Hard Way

The next day was Monday, school. Kallel didn't mind it so much anymore, Cameron was in most of her classes. "so, you and cam all good?" colleen asked kallel, leaning up against her locker.
"yeah, there wasn’t ever a problem...i just over thought it." kallel said shutting her locker door, ready to head off to her first class. She was waiting for cameron, they walked to class together, but when the final bell rang signaling they had 5 minutes to get to class, colleen took off to her class, leaving kallel standing there alone. She sighed and headed off to math class, figuring Cameron was just running late. she sat down at her usual spot and waved at michael. still no sign of cameron when the bell rang. Cameron didn’t show up at class and michael hadn’t heard from him. Throughout the day Kallel kept checking her phone for messages from Cameron, and she asked Nathan, Zach and michael if they had heard anything, they hadn’t. Cameron didn’t show up at school that day, kallel figured he was sick. She was walking home, then going to drive over to his house, as she was walking home a car pulled up beside her.
the driver rolled down the window and said, "hey kallel"
she glanced over and saw logan driving the car. she immediately tried no to panic, she ignored him and kept walking,
"oh come on now? i did my community service and that therapy, i'm all better now" he said, driving slowly next to her. Again kallel ignored him. "so where’s your boyfriend?" he asked.
Kallel stopped walking and spun towards him "just leave me alone." she said sternly.
"i just want to know where your cammy-kins is." he said. "can't we be friends?"
"no, Logan, we cant. now if you would just leave me alone." she said
"he wasn’t at school today, was he?" logan stated, more than asked. there was a devilish smile on his face. Suddenly Kallel got worried, she took off running towards her house. she threw her school bag in her car and took off towards Elizabeth’s school. She picked her up, put her in her booster seat and sped off towards Cameron's house. She got out, carrying elizabeth and rang the doorbell. his cousin, Tricia, answered the door, she was staying with cameron's family while she attended college, her parents lived in LA.
"oh hey Kallel! that must be Elizabeth! Cameron talks a lot about you." she said.
"hey, is he here?" she asked, nervous.
Tricia gave her a sad look "yeah, didn’t he tell you what happened?" she said.
"he, uhm, he wasn’t at school. and he wasn’t answering anyone’s calls or texts. so no, what happened to him?" kallel said, starting to freak out.
"he was running on the bike trail this morning, like he does every morning, and got beat up by some fag, i mean guy, fag isn’t the right term. he's upstairs, he'd probably like to see you..." she said.
"can you watch her?" kallel asked, referring to elizabeth.
Tricia nodded and kallel ran up the stairs, knocking before she went into his room. "cam..." she said quietly entering his room.
"hey kallel" he said with little energy, he was wrapped up in his blankets watching Anchorman.
Kallel stood awkwardly by his door "what happened?" she asked, astonished by the bruises already formed on his face.
"You're making me feel like a freak, the way you're standing way over there" he said, lifting up the covers, signaling her to lay next to him. Kallel slid under the covers next to him. "now, to answer your question. i'm not quite sure, I was going for my usual morning jog and i had my headphones in and the next thing i knew i was on the ground being punched and kicked..." he said, trailing off with a confused expression on his face.
"I’m sorry" Kallel whispered, looking into his green eyes.
cameron chuckled, then winced in pain, "its not your fault, kallel" he said, wrapping his arms around her.
Kallel rested her hand on his chest, feeling his heart beat. She closed her eyes for a while and when she opened them she said "cam, I love you"
"okay" cameron replied, mocking Kallel.
"Cam!" she exclaimed.
"you said 'okay' when i said i loved you, so i figured, why not tease you about it" he said, pulling her closer to him. Kallel smiled and pressed her lips to his. "I love you, too" cameron said when their lips parted.
"Elizabeth is downstairs with Tricia, I should go." Kallel said after watching Anchorman with cameron for 15 minutes. Cameron regretfully removed his arms from around kallel and sighed. "i'll see you tomorrow" she said, giving him a smile, then walked downstairs, thanked Tricia for watching elizabeth then headed home.
Cameron wasn't at school the next day, after second period Kallel went to the nurse and said that she wasn’t feeling well and was getting light headed and dizzy. Lucky for her, the nurse believed her and let her go home. Kallel smiled to herself as she drove towards cameron's house. She knocked on the door, expecting Tricia to answer but to her surprise she saw cameron standing in the door way, wearing gray sweatpants and green t-shirt. That boy had no idea how attractive he was in sweatpants.
"kallel?" he said, surprised to see her there.
"surprise...i'm 'sick'" she said, putting air quotes around the word 'sick'
Cameron had a smirk mixed with a shocked expression on his face "Kallel Clancy you lied to the school nurse, that basically means your skipping class!" he said, stepping aside to let her in.
"what about you, you look just fine to me Mr. Quiseng....well, besides those bruises on your face" kallel shot back at him, giving him a quick peck on the cheek, then started walking away "i have to pee...." she said, realizing she shouldn’t say that in front of cameron, she should have been more proper.
cameron grabbed her by her wrist and gently but firmly pulled her back to him. he wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her body up against his. Cameron softly pressed his lips against hers. Kallel rested her hands on his chest and kissed him back. When cameron finally pulled back kallel stood on her tip-toes to keep her lips in contact with his for a few milliseconds longer.
kallel smiled "i love you cameron, but i really have to pee" she said, unwrapping Cameron’s arms from around her and quickly walked off to the bathroom. she walked out of the bathroom and was immediately pinned up against the wall. Cameron pressed his lips to her's, he slowly started making his way down along her jaw bone to her neck. And then he stopped.
"what would your parents think of you jipping school to come hang out with me?" he asked, a smile playing on his lips, his face close her hers.
Kallel shook her head "it wouldn’t be good news for you, and i'd probably be grounded" she said, giving him a smile.
"you should probably go back to school then, i don’t want you getting in trouble on my account" he said
"nah, the nurse thought i was sick so its all good" kallel said, giving him a quick kiss. Cameron threw her over his shoulder and ran up the stairs and into his room, setting her down on his bed. "you seem completely fine to me, you so could have gone to school today" kallel said, rolling her eyes as she sat up, sitting indian style.
"yeah, well i figured i'd milk this out for an extra day, not going to school beats going to school" he said, turning on his tv. "by the way, i kind of, sorta, really do, actually love you" he said, giving her a smile.