The Return of the Bad boy

Chapter 3: Cam

Past 

"YO!" Jason snapped his fingers in front my face, pulling me out of my daydream.

"What?" I said, looking at his irritated expression. He gets peeved when he's talking to me, and I zone out. I've been doing that a lot since I noticed her.

"I've been talking about the new gameplays, and you've been stalking that girl again."

At the mention of her, my eyes found their way back to where she was seated with her two friends. I think their names are Rosie and Kenny. They're peas in a pod, and I rarely see one of them without the other.

The Asian girl to her left, Rosie, I believe, whispered something in her ear, and she broke out in a laughing fit. I knew the sound of her laugh. It's melodic, and it brings you warmth. While I couldn't physically hear it, the sound was echoing in my head. Was it weird to like someone's laugh?

"And there he goes again. There's no use talking to you at lunch or any place where you can see her." Jason knew her name. But he always spoke of her in an irritated tone.

"Cut the guy some slack. He's in love." Vance elbowed me, and the rest of the guys at the table joined him with their teasing, making kissing faces and all. Real mature.

"I barely know her," I said, reminding them that I couldn't possibly be in love with her. Love, at first sight, wasn't a thing in real life, just in books and those stupid rom coms that give people unrealistically high expectations.

"You know enough," Vance supplied, taking a monstrous bite out of his second chicken wrap.

"We haven't talked, like had a real conversation." I felt like they were going to overlook that statement and jump to the next thing.

But I was telling the truth. I've barely spoken more than three consecutive sentences to her. And it's not that she wasn't easy to talk to. She would look up at me with those big beautiful brown eyes, and then I'd get all tongued and trip over my own feet.

Not cool. And definitely not classic Cam. I thought I had more game than that.

"It doesn't matter," I quickly added before anyone can toss in their two cents again. "She's dating that guy and...."

"Nah, bro, they broke like last week," Jamie, the only freshman in the group, said from the end of the table. He had his nose buried in a book as usual.

My jaw dropped. "You're lying!"

Vance and Jason pinned me with a look.

I shrugged at their expressions. I was in disbelief. Sue me.

Jamie briefly lifted his head, "No, I'm for real. I heard him bragging about how he broke up with her first and that she wants him back."

Vance shook his head. "She doesn't look like the type to do that."

To my surprise, the guys around the table agreed.

I rephrased my earlier statement a bit. "I knew that much."

Besides the fact that we're all on the hockey team, I didn't know why I was friends with these clowns.

Jason was overly confident, more so than me. And that unfortunate trait comes from his entitled upbringing. He has been a friend to me since he's moved to town a few years back and joined the team with Vance and me.

On the other hand, Vance, I should give him more credit. He wasn't nearly as hot-headed as Jason or annoyingly smug-like, but he had his flaws and good qualities. We're partners in everything, and I couldn't imagine that ever-changing.

The majority of the guys here made up the hockey team. We tended to stick together. "Would you look at that? Now no one has an excuse about why they shouldn't pursue her." Vance smirked, tilting his head in my direction.

"It's not that easy," I grumbled.

"All you need is the Jason essential tips. Don't be a pansy and ask the girl on a date. Pick her up in a nice car. Period."

"I love how you think you could flaunt your money, and she'll fall in your arms." I snorted, throwing a tater tot at his face. He deserved it.

It hit him in the eye. His hand flew to cover it as he glared with the other. Why was he acting like he hasn't gotten tackled in the ring? A tot in the face should feel like getting pelted with snowflakes.

"Anyways, I want to be friends with her. She's probably in the rebound phase. And I don't want to be that for her." I didnt know who I was trying to convince more.

I sighed, crumbling up my burger wrapper and finishing off my water bottle.

When I thought she would never look in my direction, her head tipped up and slightly turned to the right. Our eyes locked, and for a second contemplated looking away. I mean, obviously, she caught me staring, and that was kind of embarrassing.

If the universe was trying to throw me a bone, it did just that.

Her friends stood up around her, preparing to throw away their lunch trays, but she sat in place. A curious expression etched across her face, forcing her eyebrows to pinch together. If I could read minds right now, I'd totally tap into her brain. Then I watched her lips slowly curl up into a heart-stopping smile, and she stood, walking out of sight.

A few minutes later, I felt a tap on my shoulder and all the guys' faces took on the same expression, pure shock.

I twisted in my seat, and my eyes drifted up from the stone-washed Transformers t-shirt up to the long-lashed beauty staring down at me.

Her eyes scanned my face, and I gulped, my throat suddenly feeling dry.

"Hi," she tucked a spiral curl behind her ear. "I'm Summer. We have AP History together."

And math and English. But who's keeping track. Not me. Nope.

In the absence of my words, I nodded slowly.

"Do you want to walk to class together?" She hitched a thumb over her shoulder. "I checked the board by Mrs. Koser's room, and I saw that we're partners."

"No shit," I blurted out. I swear I never cursed. "I'm sorry." I shook my head at my blunder.

I hadn't looked up my assigned partner. I thought they would be announced during class.

A soft smile formed. "It's okay. So I've been meaning to talk to you about the project when you have free time. If after lunch isn't good for you..."

I sprang forward, discovering how many inches I towered over her. "Nope, it's perfect. I'm done eating. You can steal me away. I'm all yours." I blabbered, then I cringed, palming my forehead.

Vance coughed into his fist, no doubt trying to cover his laughter. I'll be hearing about this one during practice.

Craning her head up to meet my eyes, Summer laughed softly, "Okay, let's go then." She turned on her heels.

I mumbled something sounding like a "see you later" to the guys, and I didn't wait for any of them to reply.

I threw out my lunch tray, and Summer waited by the cafeteria's double doors for me.

Summer Bennet was my partner for the next few weeks.

That hadn't fully registered yet.

I thought I might be stuck in a daydream, but I could care less.

I could make a daydream come true.