Quiet Enlightenment

Part 3, Chapter 7 - Starstruck

 "Oh my God, it's you! It's really you!" Cameron said as he nearly leapt out of his bar seat, ready to pounce the oldest in the group.

"Yeah... it's, uh, me. Who are you?"

"It figures, you wouldn't know someone like me, but I sure as hell know you! You have, like a hundred thousand subscribers online!"

"Two-hundred and fifty-four thousand, but who's counting?"

"Olivia, why didn't you tell me that your 'guitar boy' was the Orson Frasier?!"

"Uh, we did tell you." Mia chimed in.

"But I thought you was pulling my leg, plus, the pictures look nothing like the videos. But I can tell that you're the real deal!"

"Olivia, I thought that you said that we wouldn't be dealing with any p-s-y-c-h-o-s in Oregon."

"He's not a psycho, he's Mia's boyfriend."

"Oh... I apologize. Cameron, right?" Orson said as he extended his hand. Cameron nodded and politely shook his hand.

"Well, I guess I don't need to introduce myself then. And you know Olivia, obviously."

"Don't mind us, we're just the groupies, I guess." chimed one of the two younger ones sitting at a table.

"Oh, the motor-mouth is Olivia's cousin, Toby. The other one is my younger brother, Calvin."

"You've certainly gotten taller since we saw you in Maine." Charmaine said as she looked over at Calvin.

"Heh, thanks." Calvin bashfully said. A year and a half was enough to turn the talkative pre-teen into a quiet teenager.

"So, we'll be taking off in the morning. Excited?" Olivia asked.

"I am, but I just found out that he's not going." Mia said as she gestured towards her boyfriend.

"Aw, why not?"

"Hey, he's not going, too!" Cameron said as he gestured towards Kenton.

"So, we came here just to pick up one person?" Orson quietly said before getting elbowed by Olivia.

"Say what?" Charmaine said as she popped back out of the kitchen.

"I'm not going on the trip." Kenton repeated himself.

"Uh, yeah you are." Charmaine said with authority.

"Why... want me out of your hair for a bit?"

Charmaine stood up straight and gave her son a look. The Maine four watched on with awkward curiosity as Charmaine put her hands on her hips in preparation for one of her famous rants.

"Actually, yes. You've been a pain in my behind lately and I could honestly use a break from you. So, this is what you're going to do. You're going to take whatever awkwardness you might be feeling and you're going to set that aside and you're going to have the time of your life in California."

"Awkwardness?" Olivia asked.

"Okay, okay. I'll go on the trip." Kenton conceded.

"That's going to leave you by yourself, are you okay with that?" Mia asked Cameron.

"Yeah, I've got my cousin to keep me company. At least until I get fed up enough to hit him in the face."

Later that night, Cameron (now starting to feel a bit sad at being left behind, despite it being his decision), walked into his house to find his cousin laying on the couch and watching television with Mrs. Elder.

"So, are you feeling a bit homesick, Sylvester?" Mrs. Elder asked her nephew.

"Honestly, Aunt Shirley, I am a little bit."

"Hey, Cameron, why don't you take your cousin with you on your trip? That way, he can visit his friends and spend a little time at home."

"You and the Boob Queen can stay at my place in Hollywood!" Sylvester chimed out before getting a slight elbow from his aunt.

Cameron was wondering if his little joke was going to become reality as he was not wanting to let this little nuisance ruin the trip.

"I'm not going." Cameron said sternly.

"Why not? You know Mia was looking forward to it!"

"Don't piss her off! She might shout 'off with your head!', and not the one you breathe with!" Sylvester happily blurted out before getting a bit of a glare from Mrs. Elder.

"What's it going to take to get you to go and take him?" Mrs. Elder asked.

"Well, first, they're already going to be packed enough to take two vans from here to there. I don't think they would want to take someone that they don't know. Second, I gave all of my money to Mia."

"Whoo! The queen's made you into something, what's the word I'm thinking off? Her itch? No, let me think about it..."

"Sylvester, please! Okay, Cameron, I tell you what. I'll fly the two of you down there and I'll give you some money. But if I find out that you bought cigarettes..."

"Don't worry, and if I get caught smoking, you'll have to find someplace else to stick your foot because my behind is reserved."

"So, does that mean that we're going?" Sylvester said excitedly.

"I guess so." Cameron replied with a sigh. Without any hesitation, Sylvester leaped up and surprised his cousin with a hug.

"But, you really need to be on your best behavior. No making jokes about women's body parts... or just body parts in general."

"I promise. I won't do anything to embarrass you."

"Thanks." Cameron concluded as he got out his phone to text Mia with the good news.

Meanwhile, Olivia and Mia were catching up in Mia's room while helping her with her packing.

"'I can't believe you waited until the last minute.'"

"What?" Olivia asked as she wasn't really paying attention to what Mia was saying.

"Isn't that what you would normally be saying? And then you would be crossing your arms and doing that cute little pouty thing that you're good at."

"Oh... I'm sorry. I'm just... got a lot of things on my mind."

Mia immediately stopped. Despite being physically separated for a year and a half, she could tell that something was wrong. There was no way that Olivia could make such a grammatical mistake.

"What's wrong? You seem out of it. Are you tired from the trip?" Mia asked, concerned.

"It's nothing."

"No, now I know that there's something very wrong."

"Drop it. I'm fine."

"Don't give me that. Spill it."

Olivia took a deep breath, almost like she was holding back a sob.

"I think I might be pregnant."