The Switch: An Allstar Weekend Fanfic

Chapter Fourteen

A/N Hey guys, I did it! Fun fact: 14 is my favorite number. This has been my favorite chapter. Even if you think the ending is as lazy as I do, I still love it :'D

               The day passed slowly. When they had all gotten home Zach was still upset over his revelation. No matter what he did to keep Abby for himself he still ended up losing her. He went straight to his room and began writing songs, shutting everyone out for the rest of the day.

                Cameron wanted to avoid people too, but only because “people” included “Abby.” He didn’t like the fact that his heart was beating faster whenever she was around without feeling Zach’s body as a separate being. He didn’t want to feel nervous about what to say, especially since he didn’t use to care at all what she thought. Cameron started to feel self-conscious around her, and that mentally wore him out. He rebelled away from it all by snagging a random book from the pile that was stacked unorganized in the room he shared with Abby.

                Finding the book – The Fault in our Stars by John Green – had a decent summary, Cameron sneakily climbed onto the roof and lay down under the late afternoon sun. The weather was very warm for early March. He breathed in deeply, the scent of faded pages and sunshine relaxing him more than anything else had in a long while.

                Cameron stayed outside reading his book until the sunlight was nearly gone. He dog-eared the page he was on and reminded himself that it was just a book; Hazel and Augustus were not real people. The fact that Van Houten was a total dick when all they did was love him should not make him cry. But they went to Amsterdam for him! he thought, wiping his face over the poor cancer-stricken teens.

                He regretfully climbed down from the roof and went back in through the garage. Abby was inside watching a movie by herself. “Hey Zach,” she said lightly. “Where were you?”

                “I was on the roof reading this book,” he said, waving it in the air.

                “So you’re the book thief. I was going to start rereading that you know.”

                “This is your book?” Cameron didn’t mean to sound shocked. He just didn’t think she read anything that wasn’t on the back of a cereal box.

                “Well you got it from my book-box didn’t you?” She gestured to the box he’d snagged from earlier. He now noticed that hiding beneath a particularly tall pile was neat handwriting similar to the lines from the note Abby had written him the day after his hangover.

                “Sorry, I didn’t know it was yours.” It was the only thing he could think of to say, and he tried racking his brain for something that didn’t make him nervous.

                “Did you like it? What part are you at? Have you cried yet? Oh wait, I see the tear streaks now,” she said, smiling at him. He smiled halfheartedly and went to sit on the edge of the couch as she paused her movie. Abby scooted closer to him and wiped his face, removing all signs of weakness. The simple touch sent butterflies to his stomach. He felt uncomfortable. After a minute of awkward silence – for Cameron at least – he answered her questions about the book.

                “I love it so far. I just finished the chapter where they met Peter. Now they are about to go to the Anne Frank museum with the assistant whose name I don’t know how to pronounce.”

                Abby laughed at his response and grabbed his hand. Cameron took it out of her grasp and put it around the back of the couch. She moved so that she could lean into his side comfortably. “Ah, Lidewij. You got that far in a few hours?” She sounded shocked. Cameron knew Zach wasn’t much for reading, so he understood why.