The Peterson's

Chapter 11

The house is quiet when I get back. "Dylan..Jordan..Liam?" I shout, my voice echoing through the house. No response.

They must be out doing something. I open my phone, it's already 6:30. Shit. I quickly run up the stairs and get ready. Before I know it, I hear a car beeping outside. I run outside to see Cameron leaning against the outside of his car. He's smiling and I can't help but smile back.

"Hello miss Peterson" he says as I walk up to him. "Hello mr Dallas" I say in response causing him to let out a slight laugh.

He opens the passenger door for me and I climb in. As he starts driving, "All of me" comes on the radio and he turns it up full volume. "All of me loves all of you" He points at me as he starts to sing along dramatically.

What is he doing? He looks like an idiot as he tries to act passionate. This causes me to burst out laughing. He realises how stupid he looks and laughs as well. He stops the car in front of the party but we stay in the car for the last part of the song.

"All your curves and all your edges!" We basically scream/sing together "All your perfect imperfections" he puts his hand over his heart and looks at me with fake passion, he holds the last note and then the song finishes. I clap loudly and cheer "You are literally the next John Legend" He bows and then says "I know. I'm so good" We both laugh again until my eyes connect with his, then we both stop and look at each other in awe. The music fades and all I can see and think about is him. Him.

He quickly turns away "Uh I think Melody is waiting for you in there" He points to the house "Oh yeah, I um better go and find her" Great it's awkward again. I get out the car and quickly walk to the house. I hear him close his car door behind him and can feel his stare from behind me.

I make my way into the house and through to the backyard. There are about 100 people here, all clearly stoned or drunk. I see Melody sitting on a hammock in the back...hooking up with a guy, but it's not James.

She stops when she sees me and shoves the guy away. He smirks and then walks over to his friends, receiving high fives from them. Typical guy. I walk up to her and sit on the hammock. She looks at me and then covers her face with her hands "What did I just do Zoey?" I can hear her silently start to sob. I rub her back as she cries, trying to comfort her.

"What is going to happen when James finds out?" she chokes as she moves her hands away from her face. Her makeup is ruined, mascara is running down her face. "It's just a hook up Mel. You are drunk, you have an excuse. Besides he won't find out!" She slightly smiles and then hugs me, nuzzling her head into my neck. "I love you Zoey, you are like a sister to me now. Thankyou for being here for me. We'll be best friends forever, right?" She slurs, looking up at me from my shoulder waiting for a response "Yes, we will" I say, almost reassuring her.

"Promise?" She holds her pinky out and I link mine with hers "Promise".

• • •

I sit on the hammock with Melody for the next hour. She's fast asleep now. Cameron is on the other side of the party, by the drinks table. He occasionally looks over at me in concern, he seems over protective. I can see he clearly can't stop thinking about the moment we had in the car earlier..and honestly I can't stop thinking about it either.

I start to feel sleepy, my eyes start to close when there is a loud bang. "You what Brad?" I hear someone roar from inside the house. The voice sounds familiar. Suddenly, someone is thrown out the back door and lands with a thud on the grass. "You are going to regret sucking my girlfriend's face off" I hear the voice again and then I realise who it is. James walks through the back door with his "squad" behind him. The boy who's lying on the grass is Brad...who is the guy Melody hooked up with. He must have been showing off and told everyone about his sick hook up with Melody when James entered the party.

James lifts Brad of the ground by his shirt and holds him close to his face just as one of the guy's friends shoves James. That's when the chaos starts. All of James' friends start attacking the Brad's friends. The rest of the boys join in to try and stop it but then start attacking each other instead. When the girls start seeing their boyfriends and friends fighting each other, they then start to fight each other as well. It is one big bash up.

Amongst the crisis, I see a familiar face, Is that Cameron's brother, Etha-

"Let's get out of here" I hear someone shout into my ear over the noise. Cameron. He grabs hold of my hand and pulls me off the hammock. I don't have time to react so I end up getting dragged. I look back to see Melody sound asleep on the hammock. A boy starts to approach her. It looks like James from the back and his fists are clenched. This makes me panic "We have to go back for Melody!" I shout, struggling to get out of his grasp, succeeding. I start to run back to her but someone pushes me up against a fence before I can reach her. I look up to see a drunk frat boy looking down at me in determination while pinning me to the fence. The adrenaline of the fighting must has gotten to him. He starts to move his hand to my pants until someone swings at his face, knocking him out. Cameron stands over him, shaking his hand, clearly in pain.

He grabs hold of my hand again, tighter this time. "Zoey, we don't have time. I'm sure she will be fine" He pulls me quicker. I don't have a chance to look back to see if she is okay. I'm just trusting that Cameron is right.

• • •

"Are you alright?" Cam says calmly once we are back in the car. I nod slowly "Uh yeah, I just can't believe that just happened"  "neither" he says in response. Police sirens can be heard in the distance now, someone must have called them. He starts the car and is about to start driving when a blood curdling scream can be heard from the house. I gulp and look up at Cam as he looks back at me. He tries to remain calm and quickly drives off. We drive in silence for a couple of minutes, still shocked by the scream. "Well it's only 8:30. Wanna go and grab a milkshake to take our minds off what just happened?" He says, looking down at his watch.

I nod quickly and he drives to closest diner. We both get out of the car and walk in, finding the closest booth to sit in. Cameron's face is pale, he seems to be traumatized by the scream. We remain quiet until a waitress comes.

"What can I getcha?" The waitress says, twirling her hair with her hand while staring lovingly into Cameron's eyes. I feel this strange feeling in the pit of my stomach when I see this. It's... it's jealousy. I cover my embarrassed face with the menu.

"Well I'll have a chocolate milkshake and my girlfriend here will have.." I hear him say from behind my menu. Girlfriend? What is he doing? "Zoey?" I put my menu down and look at him. He stares back at me waiting for an answer. "Um..uh I'll have a vanilla milkshake" I say in confusion.

The waitress snatches the menu from my hands and then quickly storms off, clearly unsatisfied. I look back at Cameron who looks very satisfied. "What was that for?" I ask, he smirks and then changes the subject "So you are a vanilla girl?" He leans back on his seat "Uh yeah but you didn't answer my quest-"

"I've taken many girls on dates but none of them have ever order a vanilla milkshake" He smirks again, that bloody smirk. "Um cool..wait this is a date?"

"Yes. What else would it be?" He says and thats when I hear it...a slur. "You are drunk" I sigh and roll my eyes. "Doesn't mean it's not a date" he replies. "Yeah but it's not legitimate" I shake my head.

"Well what is it then? I brought you on a date to my favorite diner, that sounds pretty legit to me"

"This wasn't meant to happen though, you won't even remember doing this in the morning"

"But the date isn't tomorrow, it's today" He slurs "But we hardly know each other and you didn't ask me on a date" We are bickering like an old couple.
"Well, Zoey would you like to go on a date with me?" he asks almost sincerely. "No, you are too late" I cross my arms and look away, humphing in fake annoyance.

I hear him laugh. "Zo-eyyyy" He places his hand on one of my arms, I look down at his large hand and then look up at him. He smiles at me and then I can't fake my annoyance anymore, I give in and smile widely.

"That's the smile I love" He loves my smile. Butterflies suddenly flood my stomach. "So this is a date?" I say, accepting his offer of a date "A legitimate date" he smirks for the the fifty time tonight.

That god damn smirk.