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“He asked you to go skiing with him?”, Erica asked in disbelief when we got out from the boutique and out to the hot Rodeo drive. It was such a sunny day, which I usually didn’t mind, but today, I actually just wanted to spend my day inside my blanket. How such a coincidence Erica asked me to go shopping when I was such in a downward spiral.

We walked along the sidewalks while looking on the window displays of the stores. There were some paparazzi on the other side of the streets that I could spot easily from the corner of my eyes. I scowled and covered my eyes with my sunglasses when Erica pulled me into a Diane Von Furstenberg boutique. The cool air conditioning of the store quickly hit us and I felt relieved for it and to get away from the paps for a bit.

“Can they just get a life?”, I sighed in desperation as I scanned through the racks of dresses. Erica looked over from her shoulder and sighed too when we realized that the paparazzi were already in front of the stores, trying to get a picture of us through the window.

“Well, this is their life.”, Erica replied weakly before going to the other side of the room where the shoes were neatly set on a glass rack. I went over to another rack of dresses when the door to the boutique swung open and the last person I want to meet came in.

Lindsay pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head and blew raspberries quietly, fanning herself with her hand. “It feels like hell outside.”, she grumbled to her assistant. Her eyes went around the room until she noticed me. “Oh, I didn’t know that peasant could shop here.”

“Stop ruining my day, Lindsay. Just go get your botox or something.”, I hissed with my hands balled into fists. She smirked and walked towards me. Her heels made the most annoying clicking noise against the marble floor and it was a stiletto heel; I could imagine her stabbing someone’s eyes with that.

“I heard Parker asked you to come with him to Canada.”, she said through her teeth. “Listen up, freak show, I’m going to be the one who’s coming with him and you better stay the hell away from my way.”

“Great, I turned him down anyway. I don’t want to go to Canada with him.”, I retorted. “So have fun, if he lets you come along, that is.”

Lindsay’s eyes widened and her jaw was clenched. Before she could spit anything else to me, Erica came over and hooked her arm with mine. “Oh, Lindsay, I didn’t know you’re here. I don’t think they sell broomsticks or robes here. You should try to hit West Hollywood instead.”

Erica quickly pulled me out from the boutique to prevent anymore argument with Lindsay. The paparazzi outside went ballistic when we got out. “Dareen, is it true you and Parker are now official?!”, one of them asked while vigorously taking a picture of Erica and I.

“Oh God.”, I groaned while having my head down and kept being pulled by Erica. “Where did you even hear that?”

“Erica, did you both just had an argument with Lindsay back there?”, another one asked.

“None of your business.”, Erica answered with a tone before pushing me into a Dolce and Gabbana boutique. The security of the store held them back as one of the neatly dressed shop attendant led us into the store. Erica quickly went over to the racks of clothes as I plopped down on one of the sofas there.

We were only been to two stores but it was already tiring as hell. The shop attendant brought over a glass of champagne for me and I took it after saying thank you. I needed a drink because my head was spinning around from the heat, the pressure and what happened two days ago. Where they were now? I hadn’t text Amy or Feranix today and I lost track of their tour dates.

As I waited Erica, who was in the fitting room to try on a dress, I stare onto my phone, trying to think which should I do. I had text Amy and Feranix and they hadn’t reply. While I was scrolling through my contacts, I stopped at C and on his number. It was such a blunt and bold thing to do when I tapped the number and it went to the dial tone. I didn’t expect him to answer, though, and he didn’t; it went straight to the voicemail.

“Hey, It’s Cameron… you know what to do.”, the voicemail ended with a beep. His voice was so flat and cold, like he did it just to replace the operator’s voice from the original voicemail. Should I leave him a voicemail? What would he do to it anyway? I just wanted to check up on him.

“You’re still there?”, Erica walked towards me with the dress she just tried on in her hands. I quickly hung up and shoved my phone into my satchel. “Dare, you haven’t even seem interested into the clothes.”

I sighed and stood up, handing the empty champagne glass into the shop attendant. “I don’t know. I just wanted to sleep in and eat some pizzas rather than shopping. Sorry.”

Erica nodded and handed her dress to the same shop attendant, telling her that she would take that one. “Well then, why don’t we just end our shopping trip, head back to my place and order some pizza? I think The Notebook would cure your gloominess.”

“Aw, Erica, you know me already.”, I giggled and pulled my close friend into a tight bear hug.

Cameron

All the way to Portland, I kept my phone in my hand, juggling the chances I got if I called Dareen. I realized I was too harsh on her back at Chipotle when I knew that the guy she talked to was only her co-star, but the way he looked at her disgusted me. The worst part was I didn’t give her a chance to just explain the situation from her side. What if I called her right now? Would she answer it or just reject it?

“Being lonely, eh?”, Amy butted in as she leaned over from the back seat with her arms wrapped on the top of the seat.

I scowled and just leaned my head onto the pillow that was pressed against the window. “Shut up. You don’t know anything.”

“Well, I do know you changed drastically ever since you lost her. Look at your manners.”, she scoffed. “Where’s the warm and funny Cameron? You’re not him, that’s obvious.”

No one else said anything to our little argument, even Eric. He just sat next to his girlfriend with his laptop on his lap, pretending that he didn’t hear anything. It had been like this for weeks, ever since we got the confirmation to play Dareen’s show’s party. None of the guys had my back and went on with Amy and Feranix, getting me to going back to Dareen. It was not as easy as turning your hand.

“I’m sorry, Ame.”, I muttered. “I just had a lot in my mind.”

I could feel Amy’s eyes softened on me and she patted my shoulder. “We all love you, Cammy, we care for you. We just want to see you happy.”

She sat back to her seat and I sighed, feeling like a huge weight just got lifted from my shoulders. The drive was so quiet, which was a strange thing for us, even Wes sat tight in the front seat and David in the back with Feranix. I kept on staring at my phone until I decided to open the pictures and scrolled down. There were still pictures from last year; pictures of Dareen and I.

There was one from our “escape” in the field. We got some lunch and ate it on the hood of my car, parked in the field, where I always wanted to bring her since high school. It was a random picture and I had to chuckle at the picture. She had her nose scrunched and her eyes closed while I had my tongue sticking out. I decided to use it as my lock screen picture, so I could cherish the lost memory until I got the chance to have her again.