On the Ledge of Retrograde

Chapter 13 Riding a Bike

Terrance's POV

Oh fuck! I have to tell Jackson or else he's going to get screwed over. I can't believe Shannon's coming over. This is the worst possible timing ever.

I jump out of the chair by the pool down on the deck of the apartment complex, after I send my last text to Cammie.

"Where you going babe?" My boyfriend asks me from the pool.

"To save a friend. I'll be right back."

"Love you."

"You to."

Normally, I would just let the consequences of Jacksons actions play out, but I know that if Shannon catches him my friendship with Cammie will be over. She'll think that I intentionally didn't tell her... which technically I did. Oops...

I run up several flights of stairs to our apartment and knock on the door vigorously.

"Jackson open up! It's important. I don't care if you're already fucking her. This is for the benefit of everybody."

I here him stomp over to the door and am greeted with a not so friendly face when he opens it.

"This better be important Terrance." He says in a harsh low tone cutting every word of abruptly. "I let you fuck your boyfriend when you want and leave you alone. Now, why can't you do the same for me?!"

"Shannon's on her way over here." I wisper just in case his hoe is listening behind him.

Maybe I left a few things out when I told Cammie how good of a guy Jackson was, I didn't want to worry her. Yeah... God I'm horrible.

"I know you dumbass, now leave."

"Do you want to get caught?" I ask hysterically. This man is crazy.

"Uh, yeah... Or else I wouldn't have invited her over." He says coolly. Looking at me like I'm the dunce of the class.

"Why!"

"Because she's totally gay, but still wants to drag me along so that she can break my heart. Well, I'm going to do it to her first." He punches a finger in my chest trying to give more meaningful to his reasoning.

"How do you know that." I start yelling now. Not wanting my friend's best friend to get hurt like that.

"Shhhh... And she wouldn't take her eyes of her at lunch the other day. And when ever I would text her she was always busy with her. Now bye." He punctuates his sentence by slamming the door in my face. I can hear him go back to his hoe and explain that everything's okay, and I just needed my phone.

I see a car pull in the font gate a ways off and I think about turning Shannon away. Telling her he had to go grab something last minute, but I know that'll just lead to her going out again with Jackson, and that will just give him the chance to... oh I don't know... publicly humiliate her.

I decide to let nature take its course and just hope Cammie's not too pissed at me when Shannon gets home to let me explain. I'm starting to think I need another roommate.

"I'm back!" I call to my boyfriend in the pool.

"Hey, you get everything sorted."

"You could say that..." I check my phone and see that I have about 20 messages from Cammie about what "Oh no" meant. I guess she'll find out soon enough.

Cammie's POV

"I fucking swear Travis, if you don't respond and tell me what "oh no" means I'm going to kick you in the balls next time I see you." I whisper under my breath. I continue spamming his phone getting increasingly more worried for Shannon.

Maybe I should just go look for her at the apartment complex... But I'm sure if something is really that bad Terrance will handle it. Maybe that's why he's not texting me back, he's handling it. I decide to text Shannon just in case and ask if shes okay.

No response.

Maybe she's just busy. I shiver at the thought of that could mean.  It also reminds me of when we were dancing earlier tonight. I felt so at ease in her arms. For the first time since the accident I didn't have this constant feeling of worry or dread come over me every waking moment. It's like a headache that just won't go away, but when I looked at her, into those beautiful ocean eyes, the headache went away momentarily and I felt "normal".

My phone buzzes and I look down anxiously, but it's just a text from Debbie saying she's home.

I hear the door open downstairs and I walk down to greet her.

"Hey, Deb."

"Hey Cam. Where's Shan?"

Should I tell her she went out? I think she might get in trouble, but again that thought didn't seem to cross her mind when she left me here alone. "She fell asleep so I was just coming down to get a glass of water and head up to bed in Casey's room."

"Okay, if you see Shan again tell her I love her. I think I'm going to hit the sack to, tiring meetings all day."

"I will. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

I watch Debbie walk into her bedroom and close the door. I can't help but worry about Shannon especially since she nor Terrance has texted me back. I guess I could drive to go meet her, but I don't know if I can remember how. Sounds like a risk I'm not willing to take right now. I go back upstairs and stare at my phone. Praying to God that it comes alive and says everything is fine.

But what if Shannon's hurt? What if Terrance said that because something happened at the apartment complex? Fuck it! I have to go get Shannon.

I run down the stairs and grab Debbie's keys of the kitchen counter. "Don't mind if I borrow these?" I say to no one. I hop in the car and hesitantly pull it down the driveway. "Just like riding a bike." The thing is I don't know if I can even ride a bike.

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Ooooooooooooooo what's going to happen? Should Cammie really be driving that car?