See You at the Finish Line

I wasn’t exactly sure where Cameron was taking me for this “meal” that he had mentioned to my mother on the phone but I was curious as to why he wanted to in the first place. I knew that I hadn’t been the most heartwarming person towards him the past week when he had came over to my house to work on the assignments for our Photography class.

Maybe he was different in that way than most of the people who were around me. He didn’t hold grudges, nor did he care about much of anything unless he knew that he could help in some way. I didn’t know how he was hoping to help me or even if that’s what he wanted to do but I would ask him about it.

He drove for a little while not talking at all just enjoying my company, I supposed. Then he made an abrupt turn into a restaurant that I couldn’t say that I’ve ever seen nor been to in the years that I’ve lived here. Maybe it was new?

Before I could even think of trying to open the door on my side so that I could try to get my car from the back I heard Cameron tell me to “stay” as if I was a dog. I decided to not think of it in that light. I kept still in my seat as I watched him walk in front of his car over to the side where I was. I expected him to get my chair first but he didn’t.

He opened up the passenger door and quickly unbuckled me from my seat and I knew I should have done that but I wasn’t thinking at the moment when he told me to stay put. Then I watched him crouch down in front of me but his body was turned away from me. “Get on.”

“What?” I asked as stared at his back.

“Get on.” He repeated again.

“Half of my body is dead weight, I don’t think I’ll be--.”

He turned around so that I could see his face and muttered. “You’re not that heavy even if you’re legs are useless. C’mon we don’t have a lot of time since I promised I’d have you back home at a reasonable time.” I just sighed before pushing myself over to the open door and trying to push my legs over so that I could stand and hop on to his back. This was a very difficult task but I managed to do it, very ungracefully however.

“Why aren’t we taking my chair inside?”

“It’s much easier to get in this way and there isn’t a ramp.” He said as I tightened my arms around his neck as he stood and caught my legs so that I wouldn’t fall. I felt pretty heavy but obviously he didn’t think so because the moment he had me all situated he kicked the door shut and began walking towards the restaurant that now that I got a good look at it was some sort of family oriented burger joint.

I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why I had never seen this place before.

The bell dinged as Cameron opened the door with one hand and began to walk more inside. It was pretty packed for the time of the day but Cameron didn’t seem to mind. He even smiled a little bit as he stood off to the side as a very beautiful woman talked with a couple customers up at the bar area.

“Cameron!” She smiled before coming from around the bar and greeting him. “Oh, you brought a guest.”

He nodded as he gave me a look. “This is Rain, she’s a classmate of mine’s.” I was surprised she hadn’t asked about why he had me on his back like this. This couldn’t be normal for him, could it? I took a moment to ponder on it before realizing that I wouldn’t really know. Cameron and I didn’t really know each other.

“Nice to meet you Rain, I’ve heard of you once or twice in passing. I’m Lorraine, Cameron’s mother.” Then it really hit me. I was meeting his mother at her job, in this nice diner for a meal with her son. I didn’t really see the big deal in it at first until I realized who she was. “Nice to meet you too.” I smiled as I loosely began to let go of Cameron’s neck. I was getting tired of this position.

I think he noticed it because soon he began to move over with his mom following to a vacant booth. He carefully let go of my legs and pull me around so that I was in his arms and then put me down. “Thanks.” I muttered before he started talking to his mom for a few minutes before he slid into the other side of the booth.

“I’ve never been here before.” I said after a moment of looking around some more. The place was more homey than restaurant like. I liked it.

“I didn’t expect you too. It’s kinda new. But my parent’s own it.”

I nodded. “So you moved here with your parents since they opened up this place?” I asked as I started to look at the menu that had just noticed. Cameron hadn’t looked at his, I guess he knew this place well enough now that he wouldn’t need to look.

“Pretty much. I think we may actually stay here for awhile though. I mean they will, I’ll probably be going somewhere else for college.”

His mom had come back to the table to bring our drinks. I hadn’t even ordered mine, I guess that’s what he was talking to his mom about before. He managed to get something I liked. She asked if we were ready to order, Cameron was. I hadn’t decided but I made a rash decision to get whatever he was going to get.

They didn’t really give me any odd looks just nodded before Lorraine went back to give our order to the chef. “Have you thought about college much, Rain?” He asked a moment after we were sitting in silence for quite a few moments.

“I used to.”

“Not since you were put into the chair.” I knew he didn’t mean any harm by it, he was just curious about the facts.

“Yep, I had a lot of opportunities before the incident.” I could tell by his expression that he wanted to know about it. “One of the girls on the track team called in a hit on me because I was excelling on the team and even beyond that. I had scouts coming for the next meet from the Olympic team. I had been warned about that, I didn’t really think much about those things. If I got the spot then I would, if not I had plenty of scholarships lined up that I could take.” I smiled over at Lorraine as she set a basket of steak fries in front of us. I reached over and grabbed one and began nibbling on it.

“So basically she ruined everything for you. That’s why you were so bitter or still are? I can understand it now. Who is the girl?”

“Clara Remes. She’s the weakest link on the team and everyone knows that. The only reason she is still there is because her parents are paying for it. Coach wants to get rid of her, she had wanted to way before she put the hit out on me. She wasn’t benefiting anyone really.”

“She was that girl who pushed you on the first day, huh?” I nodded grimacing as I thought about that fall. That had hurt a lot, more than just my upper body, my pride. I was defenseless and it sucked major ass. I was used to holding my ground when it came to defending myself against people like Clara.

“She has some major problems. If I were her parents I would tell her that she’d be cut off and have to earn her way to remain on the team.”

“Dedication. It’s one of the things that our team strived to keep going. She doesn’t help that much. I think she’d probably blame me for that however if they ever did that. She blames me for everything. I really don’t get how she even has friends.” I sighed knowing I sounded like such a bitch. But she had made me lose so much. It was hard to forgive someone like that.

“I get it. You’re not really bitter with anyone else but her. You have the right to be though. Have you ever thought of just ignoring her?”

“I’ve tried. She goes out of her way to make sure I can see the things she does. To make it seem like she has won. But it’s clear to everyone that she hasn’t. She just has this mentality for herself that makes her feel better about things. In her mind she thinks that she did something good by messing up things for me. However, I don’t think she sees how much what she did hurt the team.”

“Elaborate.” He muttered as our food came. Burgers and fries with everything on them. I hadn’t really had anything like this in such a long time. But I was going to eat every ounce of it. I grabbed the ketchup and poured some on the side of my plate for my fries as I began to talk.

“When I was talking to Coach before I came outside I really noticed how bad it was. I was not only the team but the school’s ticket to be something other than just an academic school. We were going to be on the map as far as athletics goes. Track was the only sport that really ever excelled since I’ve been here. But that’s been tarnished, I mean I could help a bit now but it’s never going to be the same. Coach asked me to come to a practice to lend a hand, I’m not sure how much help I’m going to be. It’s not like I can actually run with them.”

“Can’t you?” I could see a smirk on his face.

“What do you mean?” I had begun to eat my burger, Cameron was already half way done with his. I didn’t comment on that. He was a guy, he had been running earlier. He had a much larger appetite than mine right now.

“Use your wheels, I can help too.” He shrugged as if it wasn’t really anything to him.

“You sure you want to waste your afternoon with a couple girls. Especially one that could potentially do something else to mess up someone else’s chances of making it out of here?”

“Sure, I’ll keep my eye on her to makes sure that doesn’t happen. I just need to know which day. I help out here sometimes when I don’t have any homework to do.”

I nodded. I was still trying to wrap my head around all of this. Was this the change that I felt coming on? Cameron was the change?

I certainly didn’t expect this but I was willing to leave the past behind as long as he was going to help me cross a few bridges it couldn’t be too bad, could it?