The Super Jerk Trilogy (Now 3-in-1)

4. my ex's best friend

{Cameron}

I can't believe I actually did it. It seemed too perfect, the way it happened. I mean, now all the guys are completely head-over-heels hot for her, but still. I'm the one who got the date.

   "Tell us if she's good, okay, man?" Trip says when practice is over and Sarah's long gone.

   "Trip, this is the first date. You really think I'm going to try that?" Although it is pretty tempting. But I'd better take it slow. I wouldn't want to scare her off.

   "I'm just sayin', man. All us guys were thinkin' it, you know." Trip winks at me. I just roll my eyes.

   Pat makes a face. "Thinking what?"

   "You know what, Pat." Trip punches him in the chest. "With that body and everything."

   "Gross, dude. Now I'm glad it's not you who asked her." I look over at Pat. "You okay, man?"

   He nods, punching Trip back.

   "Ow. God, Pat. You punch so hard." To me he says, "Shut up, Cam."

   I seem to be hearing those words a lot lately. If I can just stop being a jerkface for an evening, maybe I can get past that awkwardness that Sarah and I seem to have between us like a third person. I hope I can. Deep down, I want it to work, because then I can show Kaelie that I can move on, and not be Mr. Sad Sack, the name she's started calling me every time she sees me.

   I just hope that I'll be a better person this time.

≈≈

All the next day I think about how I can come off as someone Sarah will actually want to be with. I know she didn't like me when we first met, and I thought she was annoying at first too. But every time after that I thought she was less annoying and more interesting. And seeing her with that camera...well...let's just say I could understand why all the other guys couldn't stop staring at her. I wouldn't say it to her face, obviously, but I thought it was sexy.

   I seem to keep bumping into her too, more often than I used to. The third time that day happens to be right in front of Kaelie, even though neither of us see her yet.

   "Hey, Cameron," Sarah doesn't seem to want to look up, after she's run straight into me.

   "Sarah," I feel equally, if not more, embarrassed than she does. As much as I don't want to admit it, I kind of liked the feeling of her against me, even by accident.

   "So...um...I should get to class now." She blushes.

   "Yeah. Me too."

   She tries to step around me, but I step in the same direction, totally on accident. Finally, she puts a hand on my arm and manages to get around me. That feeling of her hand on my arm sends a shudder up it. This is crazy how I feel about her now as opposed to a week ago. I'm confused, but I sort of like it. Because it's her who's making me feel this way. I haven't felt that way about anyone for a while. Maybe except for Kaelie, or maybe I'd just been tricking myself into thinking I did.

   She smiles at me, tentatively, as she hurries away from me. I nod at her, and then that's when Kaelie emerges out of the crowd, swooping in on me like a hawk on an innocent rabbit.

   "Cam," she says, a sneer in her tone although her face isn't doing it. Then she drops her voice. "Or should I say Blue Bolt?"

   "Kaelie." I just glare at her. I don't know why she's so concerned about what I'm doing. Especially when she'd completely written me off after our fight last month.