the three of us {chim}

Piece 36

Author's POV

"When I was with Sara and Max, I had a brother. His name was Cameron and he was my best friend. We were so close and inseparable." I sadly smiled, looking down at the sheets of my mothers' bed.

---

"Camille!" I looked back at Cameron who was shouting at me from across the front yard.

"What?" I walked over to him, thinking he was hurt or something.

"Tag! You're it!" Cameron tapped my leg as he got up and ran away from me.

"That's not fair, Cam!" I whined in my spot, not even bothering to go after him.

"Oh, come on. Don't be a party shitter." He said to me from across the garden. I always got my bad language from him.

"Firstly, that's not the saying and secondly you cheated!" I pointed my finger at him as he ran up to me and threw me in the air.

"I'm sorry. How's about some ice cream?" He caught me and I nodded. I went inside to tell Mum and Dad that we were leaving.

"Mum, Dad! Me and Cameron are going to get some ice cream down the street!" Mum came downstairs and smiled at me.

"Okay. Hey, where's my kisses?" I kissed Mum's cheek and ran to Cameron's car.

"I love you! Drive safe!" Mum yelled at us from the porch.

"We love you!" Cameron waved to Mum and turned back to me.

"Ready to go, smiley?" I nodded and smiled at him. He always called me smiley because he loved my smile.

"Hold on!" We sped down the freeway in his car with the top down. The wind was blowing our hair and we were going so fast. We laughed all the way to the ice cream shop where we spent all of our summers. It was our second home, it was our getaway.

---

"Cameron was the whole reason that our family ever got along. Without him we would have never been happy. I was at such a good point in my life." I whispered the last words. My lips quivered and a few tears rolled down my cheeks. I felt Mum's soft touch wipe away my tears and Mam's gentle hands take mine in hers.

"One night, when I was six, Cameron came home late with a girl. I could hear them stumbling around and laughing. When I went downstairs they were wasted and high, it scared me. I couldn't see if it was them so I called the police. Dad had always told me that I should call the police if something or someone scares me like that. I did and when they came to the house, they arrested him and the girl because they were underage." A few more tears rolled down and I felt myself crumbling all over again. Mum, once again, wiped them away and put her hand on one of my criss-crossed legs.

---

I woke up to the sound of laughs and someone shushing. I heard footsteps trying to be quiet downstairs.

I jumped out of bed and went to the top of the staircase. I looked through the railing and saw two dark figures.

I let in a sharp breath when the two people tried to come up the stairs but failed. They were walking like their legs were jell-o.