Why Try {unedited}

32

32

We stayed inside some motel in Berkeley until the storm went away.

We paid for four rooms, room one was for me, Tommy, and Cameron, room two was for Tawni, room three was for Cody, and room four was for Jeremiah.

I sat on the bed, watching Tom play when Cameron entered our room.
"They sell the most expensive food here," he huffed. "I'm at my most uncomfortable moment."

I shook my head. "It's just for two days, Cam. We're just waiting for the storm to fully go away," I told him.

He flopped on the kingsize bed, the mattress wobbling under his weight.

He took Tommy and carried him. It reminded me of the scene where that monkey thing carried a baby Simba and represented him to the whole jungle as the king's son.

"You are an adorable thing," Cameron tells him as he lifts him higher. Tommy flails his tiny arms and legs.

"Thing?" I questioned.

"Like a puppy," Cameron says.

"So you think my baby is a puppy?"

"No. I think he's adorable and stop being mean," he pouts.

I leaned closer and pointed on my black eye which I still couldn't open. "I can be mean to you all I want," I teased.

He mocks me by repeating the words then looked at Tommy again. "I believe we haven't been officially introduced," Cameron tells my son. "I'm Cameron, your coolest uncle."

Tommy giggles at him. "And He's Thomas Zachary," I answered for Tom.

"Wait 'till your twelfth birthday, I'm going to give you all my game consoles and we can play COD-"

I gave him a scolding look. "Tom can play but he needs to study really hard. I want him to be successful."

"He will be. You could just see it in the boy's eyes," Cameron tells me as he puts Tom down on the bed where Tom immediately goes back to playing his stuffed toys.

"And if may I add, Tom's eyes are really green, have you noticed that? It was the first thing I noticed about him," Cameron continues. "You know, there's like, only thirty percent or something in the world whose eyes are green. It's amazing how he has a pair of them."

"Of course I've noticed them. The first time he opened his eyes, my breath had caught in my throat. It's exactly like his father's," I nodded.

"Speaking of which, I'm still not talking to that guy," he tells me. "He's an ass and he bumped our van."

"Well he did pay for our rooms though," I told him. He gives me a look.

"I mean, it's the least he can do. After he bumped us and all," I added quickly.

"For a second there I thought you were defending him-"

The door opens. "Oh I'm loving this outing," Tawni sarcastically announces. "There's nothing better than staying in a standard motel with a storm pouring outside and dropping your phone on the toilet."

Cameron and I looked at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"You dropped your phone on the toilet?" Cameron asks her incredulously.

"Yes," she answers bluntly.

"Did you get it?" I asked her.

"No. That's why I'm here. Cameron, can you help Cody get my phone from the toilet? The poor boy is suffering," she ordered.

"Why me?" Cameron sighs.

"Because pretty boy blonde went out," she answers.

"Where did Jeremiah go?" I asked.

Cameron gives me a look again but I ignore him.

"I don't know. Frankly, I don't really care at the moment. Cameron, just please get my phone. I swear I didn't use the toilet before it fell," she begs.

Cameron stands up and slouches. "Fine. But I'm going to be the dictator, not the person really working. I'm just going to order Cody around." With that, he left the room.

Tawni sits beside me.

I wrap my arms around her tightly. "I missed you so much, Tawni," I said, my voice muffled.

When I pulled away, she smiled. "Wow. I guess I really didn't remember the last time we hugged like besties," she giggled then hugged me.

"I miss you so much, Tawni. I miss the times we went shopping even when I hated it or when you used to bring some guy home and I would always have a hard time sleeping because of the noise," I told her truthfully. She laughed out loud and wiped a happy tear off her eye.

"Well, I do too but... We just grew up," she shrugged. The way she told it made me sad a little.

"I mean, everything started to change when I got engaged and when you got pregnant and all. Last year was the most mortifying year in my life," she said. "It was like the start of something new and scary."

"Are you quoting High School Musical lyrics?" I joked.

She laughed again.

"No but seriously, we're still teens and all but nothing could ever be the same ever again," she continued.

"Yeah I get you. I mean, I have a half brother for pete's sake," I raise my brows.

Tawni holds Tom's little hands.

"So, where did Jeremiah go?" I ask her.

She smirked a little but shook it off her face.

"To be really honest, I really don't know, Brooks," she answered. "But I did ask him why he was on the same highway where we were, and after accusing him of stalking you, he got mad and told the truth; he was going to some store here in Berkeley to buy something for you."

"What?"

"Yeah. But I guess destiny's got some plans for him because he coincidentally bumped us."

I rolled my eyes. "What is he going to buy for me now?"

"I don't know. Just wait for it."