Agree to Disagree

two

Amelia West 

October 15th - Senior Year of Highschool

"What the fuck, Amelia!" 

I close my eyes for a long moment. I am scared to open them.

This was not how this night was supposed to go.

We were supposed to go to my house, grab some popcorn out of the pantry, and go up to my room and read. Like we always do.

I was going to tell Cam about Braxton and how I might like him and Cam was supposed to be excited that his two friends were getting together.

Braxton is the guy Cam goes to if he wants to play football or go to the movies. When he doesn't want to sit inside and hang out with me all day, he goes out with Braxton. His buddy... who makes me feel good. Makes me feel pretty.

There was some flirting throughout junior year, but nothing happened until this year. At the end of September, we kissed. On the first day of October, we went out to dinner. And last week, we hooked up.

It's not like I had the intention of hurting Cam or even thought that he liked me. We have always been close, so I never expected this.

But when I imagined telling him about Braxton I pictured him swooping me up, hugging me, and telling me that he was happy for us. That he would support anything I do. Like he has always done.

Except, this moment feels different.

Slowly, I start to open my eyes and see Cameron standing right in front of me. I can't tell if it is the rainwater hitting his face or if he has a tear down his cheek. He is just... staring.

He is looking at me, but there is no emotion in his eyes. The green eyes that I grew up with. The eyes that would comfort me when girls were mean at school. The eyes that learned to read and to find a love for it.

The eyes that I have grown to take comfort in.

"When?" Cameron said with a shaky and quiet voice. He sounds defeated.

I'm scared beyond belief. I don't want to hurt him any more than I already have. I don't want to destroy what we are to each other.

"We've been seeing each other for a while." I take a deep breath and lower my eyes to the ground, "We hooked up for the first time last night." I said. He visibly tensed up.  "You have to understand, Cam-"

"No." he interrupted.

I stood there, I was confused. How did this situation end up with me as the bad guy? He was the one that broke the first rule.

He fell in love.

But, what constitutes love? In all of the soapy rom-coms, it is always a dramatic love story with happy tears and everyone is left with a full heart.

How does Cameron even know what love feels like?

"Cam? Say something." I plead. 

"I don't know what you want me to say, Amelia," He says coldly.

"I don't know why I am in the wrong here. Why am I the one in trouble? The rules were set for a reason." I start to raise my voice.

"We were ten!" He yells. 

I don't let him speak.

"If anyone is in the position of making mistakes, it's you," I talk over him. "We have had these rules forever and they've always worked."

"Oh, come on Mia," Cam starts to say, "Of course, you had to get with Braxton. You always need the attention, don't you?" 

Woah woah woah. Where is he going with this?

Cam starts in a almost condescending tone, "Especially when you don't get any at home. Ashlynn's only what? One year younger than us? And she already has all of your parent's love and affection because she wants to be just like them. A surgeon. And you? Just a journalist. Your parents would never be proud of you, Amelia."

How? How could he swoop that low? I don't understand why he is saying all of this. 

He's the only person in the entire world that knows how much my parents, my father, disagrees with how I want to become a writer.

My eyes are stinging. A constant stream of tears rolling down my cheeks.

How could he say that to me? How could a best friend be so hateful? I know he is hurting but that is no excuse.

I'm shaking my head. I can't breathe. I feel like there is a hand wrapped around my heart and it is slowly squeezing.

I am shocked. I am hurt. But most of all, I am livid.

In the blink of an eye my shock turns to utter rage.

"How could you even say that?" I start to get louder, "How, Cameron, after all of these years? All of the secrets we have. You really use my flaws and fears against me? Really!?"

I am screaming at this point, but I don't care. I step closer to him. Getting right up in his face.

"And you're one to talk about being in love. How would you know, Cameron? Your parents haven't felt an ounce of love towards each other in years. Ever since your dad got diagnosed. You know that." I stop and take a few quick breaths. "And you're scared that once he's gone, then she'll stop loving you, too."

He is visibly crying, but so am I.

We are both breathing heavily and our noses are almost touching because of how close we are screaming at each other.

"Forget it, Mia," he says under his breath.

He steps back and every inch he is moving away from me feels like miles.

Separation.

"Maybe you're right," Cam starts to slowly say, "I don't love you. I never have. It's always been a setup." He breaks eye contact with me and looks at the puddle that's forming at our feet. "Our moms have been planting us together since birth."

Wow.

I furrow my brows. Not believing that this is real.

"Yeah," I take a pause, "I guess if you believe it's fake, then it was." I close my eyes and slowly say, "It was all fake."

I don't know if I believe the words that are coming out of my mouth, but right now I am so angry and hurt that I don't give a shit.

We both just look into each other's eyes for a few moments, like we are saying a long goodbye. He is crying. I am crying. It feels like the Earth has stopped moving and we are the only two people here.

But the Earth just blew up and took us down with it.

Cam looks like he is going to speak again, but he doesn't. He walks away.

He walks away from us. From everything we have been through and shared with each other. And gets in his truck.

The engine turns on, but I can't hear it. Everything is silent and muffled.

His car starts to leave the parking lot and it takes everything in me not to run after it.

My legs give out and I am on the wet concrete of the school's parking lot.

My jeans are soaking and I am shaking because the rainwater is freezing.

He is gone and I can't go to him and tell him all of my worries and he won't tell me that everything will be okay.

I feel meaningless.

I am uncontrollably crying in the pouring rain and I am alone.

Cameron might have broken rule number one.

But we both obliterated rule number two.

///

Did he just leave her in the rain alone?

Chapter three is up now!!

<3Soph