Temporary Bliss

“Scar!” I heard my name and spun around to see Cameron maneuvering through the heavily crowded school hallway. I stopped walking and smiled, waiting for him to catch up.

It was October, the middle of the first semester. Cameron and I had been dating for four months, exactly four months today, actually. When Cameron finally caught up to me he didn’t bother to stop, or slow his stampede through the crowd. He, instead, grabbed my hand causing me to jerk forward and being forced to run after him.

He glanced at me from my side and smiled, “We have to go, it’s been exactly four months today, we can’t waste it in school!” he said enthusiastically.

“Sir yes sir” I laughed.

Once we emerged through the glass doors, I was met with the smell of fresh autumn air; my favorite. It was a nice change to the stale smell of the high school. The breeze felt good as it blew through my hair, messing it up; but I didn’t mind. Cameron’s hand was still holding mine as we both walked down the cement stairs. Stopping the third step up, Cameron and I both jumped the rest of the way down; we always did it.

“How was your physics test?” I asked as he pulled me into his side.

“Hard, but I think I did alright with all of that studying I did. Mr. Lark sat back in his chair with his hands behind his head as he stared us all down as we took it with a stupid smirk on his face. I think he enjoys failing us.”

“You’re failing?”

“No, but, I mean, some people are. You know me, I’m a nerd.”

“I think you like being a nerd.” I noted as we reached my car, standing by the driver door.

Cameron reached up and took my reading glasses off of my face and placed them on his own. He pushed them up the bridge of his nose and snorted, curling his upper lip into his teeth and forced a terrible smile.

“You know it.”

I chuckled, shaking my head as I took my glasses back, returning them to my face. “Remind me why I’m dating you?”

“Because even though I am a nerd, my awkward charm is sexy to you.”

“You know it.” I mocked, to which he laughed.

“I’ll see you at your house, alright?”

I nodded before going up on my tippy toes to press my lips to his in a short, sweet kiss. I unlocked my car and tossed my backpack into the passenger seat as Cameron walked to his car. Once I started my car up I grabbed a random CD out of the middle compartment and placed it in the CD player. I carefully backed up as Sparks the Rescue began to play through the speakers. On my way out of the heavily crowded parking lot I saw Zach and Caroline in a lip lock by Zach’s car. I laid on the horn as I drove past them; no one wants to see their PDA.

After pulling into the driveway of my house I headed inside and up to my room where I tossed my backpack. I quickly went into my bathroom and ran a brush through my hair getting out the tangles that the wind had caused. I gave myself a quick sprits of Love Spell, Cameron’s favorite; he bought it for me once at the mall. I shut the light of and rand back downstairs and out the front door, locking it behind me, just as Cameron pulled into my driveway. I jogged the short distance to his car and got in.

“So what do you have planned mister?” I inquired as I put on my seatbelt.

“Nothing too extravagant, or romantic. But it’ll be fun.”

“I‘ll take another hint please.” I smiled.

“Think fish.” he smiled.

I nodded, pondering what he had planned. That was the thing about Cameron; he was so unpredictable at times. You thought you knew what he had planned then at the last minute he would do something that confused you, and then you’d find out you were way off from the start. That’s why I loved him, yes love. I haven’t told him yet though, I’ve been waiting for the perfect time.

I paid attention to where we were and where we might be going as we drove and after riding in the car for thirty minutes a smile slowly spread across my face.

“If you weren’t driving I‘d give you the biggest hug right now!”

“I‘m guessing you figured it out?” he chuckled.

“I‘m almost positive! How long have you been planning this?”

“A week or so… You have no idea how bad I wanted to tell you.”

“If I guess, can you tell me if I‘m right?” I asked. I waited for him to nod then I blurted it out, “Birch Aquarium?”

“Holy shit that was a lot of excitement, Charlotte!” he laughed, “yes, that‘s correct.”

“I‘ve wanted to go here forever! Caroline would never go with me though! How‘d you know I wanted to go here?” I asked suspiciously.

“A while back Caroline was complaining about you bugging her to go here with you...and you like the ocean…so yeah, I put two and two together.” he smirked.

The rest of the ten minutes we spent in the car I was trying not to bounce up and down in my seat. You see, I have never been to an aquarium. So yes, I was beyond ecstatic; especially to walk in one of the glass tunnels where the fish swim above you and on the sides of you.

Once we were parked in the parking lot, I hopped, literally, out of the car and met Cameron at the front of the car and hugged him tightly. “Thank you, Cameron.”

He laughed and hugged me back, rubbing my back, “You‘re welcome.”

I looked up at him, “Can we go inside now?”

He nodded, holding back a laugh, “Yes, anything for you, beautiful.” he laced his fingers through mine and I ran, dragging him, into the aquarium.

After paying our admission in I grabbed a map, and was then told by Cameron that only losers grab maps to places. I then had to explain that I had never been here and I didn’t want to get lost or backtrack. To which Cameron said that we wouldn’t get lost because ‘we had him’. Which led to me explaining that he couldn’t even find his own car in the mall’s parking lot.

First we headed off to see the jellyfish, which were cool, minus Cameron jabbing his finger into my side pretending to be a jellyfish stinging me. Next we headed off to see all sorts of fish, and walked inside a giant whale, which reminded Cameron of Finding Nemo, when Dori and Nemo’s dad get eaten by the fish and Dori starts speaking whale. So then Cameron had to start speaking whale. The whole thing was hilarious and embarrassing, I’m surprised we hadn’t gotten kicked out.

After walking around a little more, we headed to the café inside of the aquarium to eat dinner; Cameron and I both ordering chicken nuggets. After eating we got to my favorite part.

“This is unbelievable, and beautiful, and just fantastic and I just might pee my pants.” I gasped as we entered the tunnel, basically walking underwater.

“It‘s crazy right!” Cameron agreed.

“How long can we stay in here? Is there like a time limit?” I asked, looking at a hammerhead shark swimming above us.

“We can stay as long as you want.”

I looked at him and smiled, “This is definitely the best date I’ve been on!”

“I‘m glad to be the one taking you on it then.”

I walked forward, Cameron staying put behind me as our fingers slowly separated. I looked up and all around me as I slowly walked to the other end of the tunnel. Once I reached it, practically ten minutes later, I turned and walked back to Cameron, who was now standing in the middle, his hands were in his pockets as he watched fish swim in front of him.

“Hey, Cam.” I started, twiddling my thumbs nervously, I was going to tell him.

“Yeah?” he asked, a smile on his face.

“I-I” I started, wanting to just blurt it out. I took a deep breath in so it would come out nice and slow. I chuckled a little, “I‘m just going to say it, okay?”

He nodded, “Go ahead, I‘m listening.”

“I-” I started. Exhaling heavily. Why was this so hard? It’s not like he was going to run away from me because I said this, right? I KNEW I loved him; I just didn’t want to freak him out, since guys tend to freak out about that sort of thing. “I love you, Cameron.” I said without any hesitation this time.

He stood there, he didn’t run away. He rubbed the back of his neck, crooking his head to the side a little, oh no.

He let out a big sigh, “I‘m so glad you said that, I was going to say it to you in the car today, but I didn‘t want to freak you out or anything and then ruin our date…” he looked down, then back up at me, a shy smile on his face, “I love you too, Charlotte.” His arms wrapped around my waist as I wrapped mine around his neck and he lifted me up, spinning in a circle a few times. He set me back down and gave me a quick peck on the lips.

“Can I just sit down right next to the glass?” I asked.

“Only if I can sit with you?” he smiled.

“Okay, fine, if you must.” I joked as he sat down next to me.

I reached my hand out and touched the thick, cool glass, noticing a close fish quickly dart away. I chuckled at that and set my hand back in my lap. I’m not sure how long we sat there, but I had a feeling it was getting late, I looked at the time on my phone realizing it was already nine; the aquarium would be closing soon.

“Cam, we should probably go.” I said, standing up. I reached my arms above my head, stretching from sitting too long.

“I‘ve always wanted to kiss someone in one of these.” Cameron noted as he stood up. “I mean like really kiss someone.”

“Well…” I started, “I am your girlfriend, and I am standing right here, in the middle of this tunnel. And I do love your kisses.” I tapped my lips with my index finger, “Get over here and kiss me, Cameron.” I laughed.

He took three giant steps toward me, cupped my face in his hands and planted his lips right on mine. He quickly deepened the kiss, catching me off guard, he was never this forward. He had totally been holding back on me these past months.

I pulled back knowing I was blushing. “That was one hell of a kiss, and all of those fish just witnessed that, I‘m a little embarrassed.” I laughed as his forehead rested against mine. “I love you, and I loved this date.”

He smiled, backing up before lacing his fingers with mine, “I love you, too. I’m glad you liked the date, I had a feeling you would”

We headed out of the tunnel and then out to his car in a comfortable silence. After pulling into my driveway, I opened my car door and climbed out as Cameron did the same.

Once we reached my doorstep I turned around and gave him a big hug, “Thank you for tonight Cameron, really, I loved every second of it.”

“I‘m sorry we only went to the aquarium.”

I shook my head, “It was perfect.”

I gave him a quick kiss goodnight then unlocked the door and went into the kitchen where my mom was sitting, and told her where Cameron had taken me. After talking for a little while longer I headed up to my room to go to sleep.