Loose Ends

cameron matthews

the firsts and lasts of cameron matthews [a short story based on cameron from until the end]

- set two/three years before ute -

first return

I didn't like school.

It wasn't that I particularly disliked school, it was just that I wasn't good at it. My older brother Ryan was a genius at school, but I didn't understand it. I didn't understand quadratic equations. I couldn't remember where Aztec's were from. I couldn't solve a molar equation if my life depended on it. I just didn't get it.

That's why I cut school more than I went. Sitting through first period was torture enough, but if I could manage that, then it was easy to cut during second. While everyone went to the right wing to get to their classes, I walked through the left wing, the senior part, and just walked out the front door. No one noticed.

I sighed and leaned back on the park bench, the cigarette in my hand burning out. The only problem with cutting school was how boring it was. I had nothing to do.

I knew that Ryan was probably cutting, but there was no way in Hell I would try to meet up with him. My older brother would practically skin me alive if he knew I cut school. And I could've called his best friend (I considered him my best friend, too), Mickey, but he would've went right back and told Ryan. That just left me to wander around the city until school ended and I could meet back up with Ryan at home.

"Can I bum one?"

My head shot up, eyes landing on the tall, brown-haired girl standing in front of me. She had one light eyebrow quirked, green eyes narrowed on the cigarette in my hand. She had a hand on her hip, and I couldn't help it when my eyes dragged down her long, slim body. The girl cleared her throat and I awkwardly coughed, looking back up at her face.

"Oh, uh, sorry," I mumbled, flicking the ash off the end of the cigarette, "I actually don't have another one. You can have this - or, fuck, that's kind of weird."

I didn't even smoke. Ryan and Mickey always smoked, and I noticed they both did it whenever they were stressed out. I had stolen a cigarette out of Ryan's pack earlier that morning, but after one inhale, I coughed and decided I was done smoking. I wasn't going to tell the girl that, though. No chance.

The girl smiled and sat down next to me, leaning across the bench to gently take the cigarette out of my hand. She looked at me questioningly, and I shrugged, leaning back and clasping my hands together. The girl nodded and brought the smoke to her mouth, lips curling around the edge and taking a deep breath.

"I'm Cameron," I said, tugging my fingers through my auburn hair, pushing it back from my face. The girl took another deep breath, slowly breathing out smoke and I continued, "What's your name?"

She held the cigarette between her teeth and held out her hand, lacing our fingers together and shaking, "Cara," she replied, taking one last, long drag before stomping the cigarette out under her shoe, "So, Cameron, what're you doing?"

"Nothing?" I said, flushing slightly when she laughed quietly. I frowned and sat up straighter, tugging on the sleeves of my thermal, "What're you doing?"

"Nothing," she said, a smile taking place on her lips. Cara stood up and stretched out, cracking her fingers and shooting me a wide grin, "I'd like to do something, though. I moved here about a month ago and I've been ridiculously bored."

I snorted, "You moved to the south side of Chicago, don't know what you were expecting," Cara raised an eyebrow at that, and I stood up, waving my hands as if I was erasing the words straight out of the air, "Sorry."