Mistakes of a Perfectionist

Mistake Ten - Picking Up a Call

There were weights around his ankles. They dragged him lower into the ocean, forcing the little air he had from his lungs in surprise. His hands clawed for the surface, although he no longer knew which direction was up. The water shook with mighty tremors, reverberating through his chest and into his skull. He opened his mouth in one final, silent scream, but felt no water rush down it, only cool air.

Cameron opened his eyes and found himself in his bed again. He was tangled his sheets, sweating furiously, his mouth wide open in a silent scream. But, still, he was in his bed. Not at the bottom of the ocean with weights around his ankles, but rather laying on a creaky mattress in baggy pajama bottoms. It was Saturday morning, and he was safe.

The tremors hadn't stopped, though. Instead, it now reverberated through his mattress. He combed his hands through the tangled mess and found his phone, buzzing from a call. It was Akira.

He answered the phone.

"Cam!" Akira's voice was chipper, and loud. He pulled the phone away from his ear instinctively.

"Aki, what's up?" The sleepiness in his voice was prevalent. 

"Did you just wake up?"

Case and point.

"Yeah, late night." He sat up in bed, trying to shake the drowsiness from his body. 

"Well, if you aren't able to call right now, I can call you later."

"No, no it's okay."

"Okay, well..." There was rustling on the other end as Akira started walking. "I was talking with Jason when he came over tonight, and I just texted Ellie, but I was hoping you would back me up in this endeavor."

"Yeah, of course. I'd back you up in anything."

"Yay! Okay, well, I think we should try and get Leja in a psych ward."

The words were so casual, but Cameron gritted his teeth. This is what he got for picking up the phone in the first place. Deep breath. Strategize. How to talk Akira out of this extremely invasive plan?

"I don't know, Aki, I mean...I don't think Leja would really be open to that."

"Well, no one wants to go to a psych ward, that's kind of the point," Akira responded, her voice still aloof but cut with a hint of annoyance. "And I was thinking we could just talk to her parents, go around talking to her and just go straight to the source."

Cameron sighed. "I really think we should talk to Leja first. Even if she says no, we can still go to her parents anyway. It's the respectful thing to do."

"Our friend is struggling, Cameron," Her voice was stern, confrontational. "I don't think we can really take the time to be respectful here."

"Can we just talk about this in person? I can't really talk right now." The lie coated his tongue with a sour taste. 

"I mean, I guess. If you're not going to skip lunch to go suck your teacher's dick again."

"Wha-- Study Club is not-- I'll sit with you at lunch, we can talk then."

"Of course, babe." Akira's voice was sickeningly sweet, a jarring switch from the sadistic tone before. They said their goodbyes, and the line beeped as she hung up.

Cameron put the phone in his lap. He knew what Akira wanted to do was wrong, and not out of the goodness of her heart either. Akira wanted control, he knew this, he knew this. He had to let Leja know. He couldn't let her go to a place like that.

He pulled Leja's contact, her profile picture blinking at him as he slowly typed out a message. Deleted it. Re-typed it. Deleted it again, questioning his ability to talk like a human being. Then closed her contact entirely, typing a message into another one.

Cameron: Hey, man, what's up?

His phone buzzed with traditional Luz-like speed. 

🟡⚪ Luz!! 🟣⚫: writing out a list of ways to kill my brother

Cameron: Context??

🟡⚪ Luz!! 🟣⚫: he finished off the last of the vanilla ice cream

🟡⚪ Luz!! 🟣⚫: the ONLY edible thing in this house

Cameron: Homicide is a reasonable response. Older or younger?

🟡⚪ Luz!! 🟣⚫: younger. only reason he's still alive right now

Cameron: Aw, Luz has a soft spot.

🟡⚪ Luz!! 🟣⚫: you know me, just a big ol' softie

🟡⚪ Luz!! 🟣⚫: you?

Cameron: I wouldn't call myself a softie.

🟡⚪ Luz!! 🟣⚫: no what are you up to?

🟡⚪ Luz!! 🟣⚫: but you are a sofite

🟡⚪ Luz!! 🟣⚫: *softie

Cameron: Rude. And I was just calling a friend of mine. 

🟡⚪ Luz!! 🟣⚫: mr popular

Cameron: What can I say? I might be too busy to visit you in prison after you kill your brother.

🟡⚪ Luz!! 🟣⚫: what??

🟡⚪ Luz!! 🟣⚫: you have to visit me

🟡⚪ Luz!! 🟣⚫: im too sexy to survive in jail on my own

🟡⚪ Luz!! 🟣⚫: take that back

Cameron: Never. And you're right, you wouldn't last a day in jail.

🟡⚪ Luz!! 🟣⚫: so you agree that im sexy?

His stomach flipped in a strange way. He bit his cheek, staring down at the message.

Cameron: I never said that.

🟡⚪ Luz!! 🟣⚫: but you sooooo meant it

Cameron: I so did not.

🟡⚪ Luz!! 🟣⚫: mhm

A minute passed.

🟡⚪ Luz!! 🟣⚫: did my sexiness scare you away? 

Cameron: No, lol. I just realized I'm supposed to be studying today, talk to you later?

🟡⚪ Luz!! 🟣⚫: consistent. and yeah of course

🟡⚪ Luz!! 🟣⚫: we still on for tomorrow?

Cameron: Always.