𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐬

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 𝟿

I lay on my bed, staring at my phone. Looking at TikTok, all the happy teenagers, acting like... I don't know, maybe they are really happy. I doubt it. Being a social media influencer seems like, a terrible job. Someone knocks at my door, I look at the time. Yep, it's time to go.

I quickly pull on my white converse and my flannel. I'm in a crop top, and get cold easily. I check my bag, and make sure everything I might need is there. I open the door, Cameron waits holding a cigarette between his teeth. I roll my eyes, has he not been around for the last 20 years? Smoking kills.

I don't know this kid, but whatever.

I quickly take the cigarette out of his mouth. He starts cursing under his breath. I blow it out, and put it in the mini trash can in my room.

I look up to see the angry tall boy, I ignore it.

"Where are we going to first, Cameron?"

He clicks his tongue.

Clicking tongues is a pet peeve of mine. Ew.

"I'm hungry? You?" He asks.

"Not really but we can go." I say, I'm not usually hungry in the mornings.

"Good," he cheers, "I know a place." He smells like alcohol, nasty. I tried it once, I guess it's an acquired taste.

I could almost bet 20 dollars it'll be a hooters or strip club. I think they sell food there, I don't know.

We head down into the elevator, Cameron presses floor 2. Are we allowed to down there?

"Are we allowed to go down there...Cameron?" I ask, he seems like a troublemaker.

He smiles, "Stark told us to take our pick on the cars in his garage. It's Saturday. his limo drivers are off."

"Right..." I respond stupidly. Why didn't Freya tell me?

We finally get the the third floor. The smell of tires, and musty concrete molest my nostrils. I look to my left, and see Scarlett spreading her body across a red ferrari. I'm not good with cars, that's all I know. And a couple feet away Jack is taking pictures with her.

Jack calls out to me, "Hey! How are you?" He doesn't even acknowledge that Cameron is here beside me.

"Yeah... um I'm good. You?" I ask. Lying of course. I just want Stark to start teaching us, I never wanted to be here for fame or people. But I did think Jack and I were I don't know- gonna stick together. God, it's only the second day! Pull yourself together.

Cameron brushes his arm against mine, "So... you pick."

"Ummm..." I pick the black mercedes in the far left corner... away from the happy couple. Holy crap. Why. Am. I. So. Jealous.

He hops in the passenger seat. I don't want to drive.

"Why aren't you driving?" I ask. Ughhh.

He smiles, "Hypothetically speaking, if one were to drink 2 bottles of bourbon a night prior to going somewhere. Then, they hypothetically takes a shower so no one smells it. Hypothetically, should they drive and kill the girl with them in a car wreck."

"What ever, you have a point. And a weird way of telling it." I hop in the driver's seat, the keys are in the ignition.

I thought that are car like this would have like optical recognition to drive or something. I turn it on, and Cameron reclines way back in his seat like he's going to bed. The garage door opens, and I put it in drive, the car goes backwards. Crap. Ok, ok. I'm use to my wonderful old car.

Drive, Alex. Drive.

The garage door opens, and I drive out. Cameron sit's up, we pull out of Stark Tower parking lot. He gives me directions, "Go left. Right stopppppp."

We're at a small diner called Mila's. He hops out, and rushes over to my door. I put one leg out. But he closes it, "What the hell!"

Then, he opens the door, and bows his hand out like a princess. He's definitely still drunk.

"Thanks," I mumble.
He opens the door, holding out for me.

We walk in, and it looks like the inside of the 50's. I like it. Cameron yells, "Hey Birdie, A choclate and strawberry shake."

How did he know I wanted a chocolate shake.

We sit down, and a kind old lady bring us two shakes.

"Be careful around this stinker," She says, eyeing me. Cameron looks out the large window to the left of him laughing.

"I will." I say smiling politely.
She has a warm smile on her face, with wrinkles telling the stories of her life.

"So, " Cameron says.

"So..." I say.

"Where are you from?" He asks, looking down at his strawberry shake.

I reply, "The middle of nowhere... in Wyoming."

"What about you?" I ask.

He pauses, "... Middle of Chicago."

"Nice." I say.

"So what's goin' on between you and carrot top?" He asks.

"Wow, so subtle." I say, rolling my eyes.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing."

"Right..." He pauses.

***

It starts raining. I sit at my desk watching the water droplets race each other. I wish I was a water droplet, they live such short lives. But get new ones.

I look at the time 3:00 AM, can't sleep again. The 'date' I guess with Cameron was okay. He's really nosey. Truth is I don't know what's going on with Jack, I miss him. But I'm going to let him come back on his own, if he doesn't I know it wasn't meant to be. And that, will truly crush me.

But, God. He made me feel so much better. My phone dings, I check it.

Cameron: Hey Wyoming.

Why is his contact not unknown number?

A: How do you have my number?

C: I put in your phone when you weren't looking. You probably weren't going to give it to me otherwise.

A: Fair point.

C: So, why are you still up?

A: Can't sleep.

There's a knock on my door, I open it and see Cameron.

"Hey Wyoming." He greets.

I flop down on my bed, "Hey Cameron."

"You wanna go to the roof?" He asks.