Cam Cameron // The Oceans in our Hearts

9

For the dinner, Susannah makes us Midsommar themed flower crowns. There is a beautiful display of Lobster and other foods. My mom brings pancit to ensure Belly a long life with long noodles in Filipino tradition.

There's a ring at the door. "I got it!" I call out. I open the door and I see a a white shirt hugged by a yellow striped opened button-up. The outfit is worn by golden tan skin. I look up and see his dark eyes and curled hair that is both messy yet perfectly in place.

"Hi, Gracie," he speaks.

"Hi, Cam," I respond snapping out of my trance. I step aside and let him in. He goes in to give me a hug.

"Who's at the door, honey?" Laurel calls out walking into the living room. Cam backs away. "Oh hi, you must be Cam!"

Cam introduces himself and we all settle in at the table. Conrad and Susannah are at each end. To Susannah's left is Laurel, me, Jeremiah, Steven, and Liam. To her right is my mom, Cam, Belly, and Taylor. Great. I am sat right across from him. We are all eating and I notice Cam and Belly look at each other smiling. I sink in my seat a little and look away. I see Jeremiah right next to me looking at them too through his brows. The look on his face seems almost envious.

"So Cam," Jeremiah speaks up. "Mind if I call you Cam Cameron?" he asks.

"Nah man, feel free, that's funny," Cam
laughs while eating.

"I'm so glad you're here!" Susannah cuts in. "Me and Gracie's mom know your mom from the club, Denise. We've heard a lot about you," she says in her always sweet voice. My mom nods and smiles.

"Thank you for having me, my mom says hi to you both," Cam replies.

"Cam have you ever had Miyeok Guk before? Belly told me you're a vegetarian so I didn't put any meat in it," Laurel passes him a bowl. Cam takes it happily thanking her and commenting on how good it looks.

"Why don't you eat meat Cam Cameron?" Jeremiah asks.

"Uh, the meat industry is like the number one contributor to global warming, and I just- I like animals," he replies politely. He never sounds arrogant or preaching. He's just himself and although he's shy and awkward, he knows that and he knows how to carry himself. He's so kind in his words and acknowledges everything.

"Just don't come for my leather jacket," Taylor jokes.

"I'm pretty sure you mean, pleather," Steven points out earning a middle finger from Taylor.

Jeremiah snickers before attacking Cam again. "You know uh- Belly eats meat, so you let her kiss you with those lips?" he pokes. I hit his shoulder.

"Stop," I whisper. Cam laughs it off.

"No it's just like a personal choice, I don't care, so I don't mind," he tries shifting the energy.

"So you don't mind if like, her lips touch a dead animal and then those dead animal lips touch your lips right?" Jeremiah goes at it again. I flick his forehead and Belly kicks him under the table giving him a death stare. Cam laughs it off again.

"No, I don't mind at all, in fact..." then he goes and kisses Belly. Right across from me. I don't know if I imagined it but right after he looked at me for a second before looking away again. I feel my heart sinking and my body following it.

Taylor let's out an "aww" while the boys gag and groan. Laurel jokes about Belly being allowed to kiss, but nothing more and the dinner goes back to normal. But I don't feel normal, I feel like shit. I want to be happy for them but I just can't. Cam looks happy so who am I to interfere? Jokes and roasts are thrown across the table that I can't participate in right now. I just sit and move my food around trying to turn invisible. Belly suggests Nicole's party so the teens all get ready for that while the moms settle in for a night with a bottle of wine.

I sit on the couch while I wait for Belly and Taylor. Liam plops down next to me.

"You good?" he whispers.

"Yeah," I whisper back twiddling my thumbs.

"Im sorry," he says.

"For what?"

"For the crushing part of the crush." I can't form words so all my mouth does is scrunch up before I let out a deep breath. Liam simply pats my head before getting up to get his car. I go with Jeremiah while Conrad and Steven go with Liam. Belly and Taylor go with Cam, of course.

"Hey, are you okay?" Jeremiah asks me as we buckle our seatbelts.

"Hmm? Why wouldn't I be?" I ask a bit more defensive than I intend.

"You've just been quiet today," he points out.

"Oh um, just have a little headache," I lie. "That's all."

"Well I hope it's gone in time for us to party," he says starting the drive. "I need my number one dance partner," he laughs reaching for my hand. I let him take it as he starts waving it around to the radio. I try to fight my smile but I can't. "There's that smile," he says.

-

At the party, Jeremiah decides to do a little karaoke. He puts on Summer Lovin from Grease and starts singing trying to get Belly to go up with him. Since I know she's shy, I go to take his hand but someone else has the same idea in mind. I look at the hand under mine trying to grab Jeremiah's to get up and trace it back to the sweet brown eyed boy. He looks at me and smiles grabbing my hand and pulling me up with him.

The three of us start singing the duet and Liam grabs the mic from Jeremiah, tosses it to Cam, and pull him away winking at me. That bastard. Cam and I keep singing and I notice that he never let go of my hand. We go back and forth, me singing for Sandy, him singing for Danny. Both of us singing back up for each other.

At the end of the song, we are left looking at each other out of breath from singing and dancing. I break our stare and smiling to look over at Belly and fear she may have noticed so I let go and give the mic to a stranger before going to get a drink.