The Perfect Promise

Chapter 22: The Charade: Part 1:

~Chapter Song: One Thing, One Direction~

If I could summarise the next week and a half in a simple dialogue, it would be something like this:

Cameron: "Are you okay you look a bit... off."

Me: "Yeah I'm fine."

Now, we were almost back to normal. Or I thought we were.

The coffee shop visits, turn out to be our new regular. Every Saturday, there we were.

"We should get going.", Cameron said and took my jacket -well, his jacket. I nodded and we stood up.

"Where are you going?", Mark asked.

"We have dinner with the family.", Cameron answered and helped me put the jacket on.

Those moves became a habit. He helped me in and out of my jacket and we always tried each other's food, when we were out with our friends. We held pinkies when walking, and sat next to each other everywhere.

"It's so weird that you call each other family already.", Ben said.

"Already...?". Oh, my fake boyfriend, the pour soul, ladies, and gentlemen. Such an amateur. I could see the catch coming, even with my eyes blindfolded.

"Before you get married, I mean." We must be the only teenagers in a 'relationship', that talked about marriage more often than people who ςΕre actually engaged.

"Ha, ha, ha, Christine you are hilarious. Bye now.", I said to her and pushed Cameron away, before they dropped another comment.

We said our goodbyes and got in the car.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask you.", he said and started the car.

"Oh, no.", I mumbled.

"I didn't even speak, what do you mean oh no?"

He loved our little 'fights' and I think I did too. It was fun.

"The last time you had a question we ended up pretending to date for a month, so excuse me if I seem scared.". I wasn't wrong. He knew I wasn't.

"Oh, come on. I bring you coffee and buy you your food. If anything, you benefit from this. And we are going to be free from you friends after this.", he paused to look at me.

"Touché.".

"No seriously, I have a question."

"Shoot." I glanced at him, in the most serious expression I could come up with, "I don't promise to answer anything, but shoot.", I cracked a smile.

"Why do you act so different around me and David and around your friends?".

The question I was afraid of. The reason I didn't want to have my family friends and friends intersect.

"I don't know.", I lied. I knew, or at least I think I do. I just didn't know how to express it. Out loud. With words.

"Yeah, you do.", I looked at him with a frown, "You just think it might hurt me." Of course, he was right -again-. Even if I found the way to say it, no one could guarantee he wouldn't misunderstand what I was saying and get mad at me or get hurt.

"Please don't worry about me. Just tell me how you feel.".

I took a deep breath, "Well, my friends are easier.", I covered my eyes with my palm, "I swear that sounded better in my head.".

"Hey", he lowered my hands and held one, "Don't worry. Tell me what you mean.".

I took a deep breath. "With you and David it's fun, yeah, but is also just a constant competition of the best comebacks and sarcasm and sometimes it's funny, but other times it's hurtful. With Ben and Christine is not like that. It's more comfortable. We tease each other, but not in a way that might hurt the other one's feelings."