La Mitad Del Mundo / The Middle Of The World

Chapter 31- Waterfall pt2

"You don't mean that." Javi's eyes welled up. Cam glared, noticing the usual shade of brown had given way to a more crystalline structure of various deep golds and bronzes because of the tears.

Don't romanticize this now, Cam. Come on. This is not the time.

 "We've been friends for months. I've talked to you more and about more than any of my friends at school. Don't act like this is nothing. I'm not a stranger... Don't push me away." He stepped forward, closing the gap between them once more, but not reaching for her this time.

Cam glared at him.

"Cam. I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner, yes but can you blame me for wanting to keep my distance? You get all huffy and say crap under your breath when I'm around! Are you honestly that annoyed with me? On the chat we were still us. Messing around and fun. Why would I want to end that?"

Cam pursed her lips and turned to keep walking down the path. 

"I didn't catfish you. I'm not toying with you or your life. The job offer was valid as you saw. I didn't know or hear about you leaving the children's home until I asked Tio Jorge about you that same week I found out. If anyone was hiding information, it was you. Why would I have known you were you?"

Cam twirled around and he stopped just short of her.

"Uuum no. There is no blame shifting here. You knew for two weeks!" She pushed his chest, harder than she should have but didn't regret it in the moment. 

Such a jerk to sit on this.

 He took a step back, but came right up again, toe-to-toe with her.

"I only knew for a few days before the earthquake, Cam." His breath smelled like the yucca bread from the restaurant. 

His favorite. He told her when he was Xavier.

"I had to go to the coast immediately afterwards. There's no cell coverage in a natural disaster zone. All the towers are down. I couldn't message you. Today is literally the first time I've seen you since I've been back. Forgive me for not having all the words planned out to tell you immediately because I've had a lot on my plate."

His words and proximity threw a bucket of cold water over Cam.

 It is way more important to help the destitute that suffered from the earthquake's wrath. Obviously. 

The steam from her ears subsided and the world slowed down until all she could feel was her heart still racing from the adrenaline. 

X. My X. The one who talked me through my spiral about Griffin and about my parents. 

His eyes flicked down, then back up at her eyes. His lips parted slightly as he took a steadying breath. 

Cam's stomach flopped.

I don't think that was the fish this time. We're so close. Too close for friends for sure.

Cam sucked in her bottom lip to wet it, suddenly aware that it was too dry.

So weird that I'm enjoying the smell of the bread on him. What is happening? Change the subject. He still has a lot more to explain.

She could hardly breathe but managed to whisper, "Why did you lie about your name?"

His eyebrows furrowed in question.

"On your profile. Interpals," she added.

"I don't understand. You know my name is Javier," he whispers back.

"Yeah, and on there you wrote Xavier."

His eyes squinted, then his features softened as he figured out why she was pronouncing it that way.

"X-A-V-I-E-R is just another Spanish spelling of Javier. I didn't lie."

Cam stared at him dumbfounded.

"Not like the X-Men?"

"No. Not like the X-Men," he chuckled back, his laugh cut the tension of the fight.

She gave a breathy sigh, eyebrows furrowed less than before, still trying to sort out the misunderstanding. Their eyes are locked as the wind blew through the forest, scattering the broken light across Javi's face, making her notice the gold flecks once more. And then her phone rings.

The moment is broken and the noise of the crickets swells in their ears once more.

Cam pull it out of my back pocket, surprised I have cell reception here. It's a WhatsApp call from Griffin. Ugh. No way. Not ready for that and I hit Ignore and put the phone away.

"Come on," he says, slinging an arm over my shoulder and pulling me into his side, "Let's go home."

x