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The ride home is painfully long. Even though the Jeep is quite big, Cameron still feels suffocated sharing the same air with James. She squirmed on her seat as she stared outside to keep her away of her mind. Usually, they would bicker endlessly but when James opens her door back then, her heart wavers. It was enough to make her silent the whole ride. They agreed to meet after school so she could give him the yellow book but things took a turn.

"I don't want it. At least not now."

"What!" Cameron yelled furiously. She was obviously confused. Why else she endured being with his presence for? James just chuckled, unbuckled her seatbelt and went to her side of the door. When he opens it, she eyed him with so much doubt before getting off the vehicle. "You annoyingly harass me about the book for months. Now I am kindly giving it to you on silver platter and you suddenly don't want it?" He's playing a game she's not interested in. Whatever reverse psychology he's pulling, she won't falter. Not more than she already is.

"I have a new goal now." James said simply as that. He hopped into his car and turns to her. "See you tomorrow, girlfriend."

Her heart skipped a beat. She must had gone mad. Cameron stormed into her room and screamed onto a pillow.

<>

The pretense resumed and by two months, they are already acting like a real married couple. It starts from a simple gesture like carrying her books to sneaky kisses on the cheek to arguing about what they should have for lunch. They become civil again. No more, pulling each other's hair in the cafeteria or stomping on each other's shoe. Day by day, James earned her trusts. He helped her with her homework and shooing away hormonal jocks out of her way like the old days. He is a good shoulder to lean on sometimes. Cameron can't help but reminisce the times when they are inseparable.

Their source of hatred bloomed from Jane. Now that she's gone, the hatred fades. Or so Cameron starts to believe. It was no lie that they had felt an unusual chemistry when they first met. It was the difference in views that made a distance between them. Cameron desperately craves for her mom's attention that Jane gave to James easily. Nothing can compare to child's jealousy. James felt entitled to work for Jane's success from all the accomplishment she had paved for him. He regarded Cameron's whines as unnecessary sack Jane had to carry. They separated before things escalated.

They did love at some point but it was smeared with misunderstandings that they could care less to solve. In fact, it was misunderstandings that trigger James to spread the rumor that cost Cameron's scholarship. He was not proud of it but he believed it had to be done for the greater good. A source said that Cameron is going to her mom's hometown to dig Jane's dirt and splatter it to journalist in need. It could be revenge or final act of rebellion but James was short in time to think of anything else. He starts a rumor that she's a child out of wedlock of a renowned actress. In return, Cameron suffered years of bullies. It was true but James had no right to share it. Her heart shattered beyond repair. A boy who once matter most to her, mistrusted her and made her vulnerable. She was going to dig Jane's dirty secrets but it was to find the importance of her in Jane's life. Why she was not aborted because she's losing strains of faith in keeping together. Cameron was too ashamed to tell her reasons to James but he only made her life more insufferable. Since then, he's nothing but a boy who stole her happiness.

<>

Cameron was stunned when James climbed to her window in the middle of the night but she welcomed him anyway. She was wearing his large hoodie which James lend few days ago. Both turns red and ignored the fact not so smoothly.

"I need the book." James turned serious. It was a rare sight since he was always cheeky these few months. Cameron nodded and did just that. James scanned his fingerprint and the yellow book unlocked almost immediately. Cameron was trying to peek but James shut the book before she got the chance. "I'll be going now." He patted her messy bed hair and excused himself. Cameron was left jumbled in confusion. That night, she didn't sleep a wink. She just given Jane's most treasured object to James. Should she be worried?

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