Cam Cameron // Summer Again

3

I walk into the living room fully ready for prom. Cam lays his eyes on me in my periwinkle dress. My mom has Susannah on facetime as she watches me come in. Liam is in the room waiting with his date. He nudges Cam reminding him he can't just stand there and stare. He clears his throat and walks up to me.

"You uh— you look gorgeous. Sorry I wanna say more but every word ever has left my mind right now..." he laughs.

"You're so sweet Cam," I blush. Susannah forces my mom to take a million pictures. Cam gets me the perfect corsage and he puts it on me. "Oh I have to call Belly!" I facetime her and she picks up almost immediately.

"Let me see let me see!" she repeats until I do. She gasps, "Gracelyn Fabroa! You. Look. Fabulous!" she beams.

"You literally look like a model Love and Grace," Taylor chimes in with another signature nickname.

"Thank you Taylor," I giggle.

"I agree completely," Cam says awkwardly still very clearly at a loss for words. Belly wishes me a fun time and my mom hands me the phone. My dad is just on the couch taking pictures quietly.

"Hi Susannah!"

"Gracie, baby, you look absolutely gorgeous," she says with her voice cracking a bit.

"Don't cry or else I'll cry," I laugh.

"I'm sorry I'm just so glad I get to see you in that dress..." she chokes up. Then I remember. It's worse than she lets it look. She thought she'd be gone too soon to see us at prom. She'd be gone too soon to see us in white. It hurts all over again. All the time.

"Hey let's get a move on!" Liam calls out. Susannah and I say goodbye and Cam leads me out to the car. At the dance, he is the sweetest date I could've ever asked for. He brings me drinks, keeps my plate full of snacks even if i'm not eating them. He holds my hand and tells me how gorgeous I look. All that's in my mind is Susannah. She said that someday I'd find a boy like Cam. A boy who would see me the way she sees me. Suddenly I hear a click. I look over and it's Cam taking a picture of me.

"Sorry, I thought it was time for a new wallpaper," he giggles. I look at him and lean in giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Ya know... Sometimes Cam, I think you're too good to be true."

"Well i'm definitely real because I cannot remember in this moment if I flushed the toilet before I left my house today."

I laugh, "Cam you had a whole 2 hour drive to think about that!"

"And i'm still thinking about it!" He looks around at the people I've gone to school with the past 3 years. He stands up and offers me his hand. "Will you do me the honor of having this dance Miss Gracie Lyn?"

"I would be delighted Sir Cam Cameron," I smile taking his hand gladly. He leads me to the floor and he holds my waist. The words ring in my head. "You'll find your prince charming. He'll hold your waist and lead the way. He'll never take full control though. You're too wild to just follow. He'll spin you around and dip you looking into your eyes knowing better than to kiss you first. You're such a gem Gracie. He'll just take you in..." Suddenly I can't breath as Susannah's voice fades. I look up and Cam is staring at me. His dark eyes racing back and forth between mine. He pulls us upright.

"Gracie are you okay?" I can't breathe. My lungs feel like they're on fire. I feel my face get more and more numb and the tears well up in my eyes flooding my view. I see Cams lips move but I can't hear a thing. I run out. As fast as I can. I make it out and just fall. I fall to my knees and hold my breath hoping it'll somehow make her voice come back. Before it's too late.

"Gracie!" Cam embraces me on the ground. "Baby listen to me... Breathe in... and breathe out... come on!" he takes my hand and gently uses his other to caress my face into looking at him. He instructs me through breathing and grounds me. "In... hold... out... hold..." this repeats until I can basically breathe on my own. "Did you see that girl in there with sneakers? What is she a disney main character?" he scoffs making me laugh. He's trying to distract me. "I also saw this guy totally drunk and trying to do the robot on the dance floor. So don't worry we're not missing much," he kisses my forehead.

"God Cam... I'm so sorry. You shouldn't have to deal with this," I sigh.

"No no don't apologize. I love you. Remember?"