I'm not a popular girl | ✔️

Fourteen - Protecting Her

Carden

He laid in his bed, staring up at the spinning blades of his fan. Thoughts raced around his mind just as fast as the blades were spinning, a smile forcing it's way onto his lips.

The way she smiled at him, how she always laughed at the dumbest things. Her nose always scrunched when he did something stupid. She blushed when he said some flirty line but the thing that got Carden was today.

She had rested her head against his chest, held his hand, and they nearly kissed. He did kiss her cheek and forehead to be fair though.

What was going on with him? Between them? Was he falling in love with her? Was she falling for him? Did she feel the same way he felt about her? On Cloud 9 and weightless around each other?

His fingers tightened around the edge of his blanket. All he could do was hope but not hope too much.

He didn't want to crumble after getting his hopes up too high but when it came to Zoë Flynn, that was really hard. She made hope seem so easy, even when your world is crumbling around you.

He'd tell her he was falling in love with her...someday.

That is if she loved him back.

*****

Cam stared at Carden in shock after football practice the next day. "Wait, hold up. So your mom let Zoë come with your family to Jared's grave?"

Carden nodded.

"And you went to her house to 'drop her off,' and nearly kissed her?! Dude, your practically soulmates! Get a promise ring on that girl's finger now!"

He laughed. "Whatever you say man. All I know...is that for some unexplainable reason, I wanted to kiss her but then we were interrupted by her mom. But to be fair, I did kiss her cheek." He bit his bottom lip. "And maybe her forehead."

Cam nearly dropped his backpack. "YOU WHAT?!" His eyes sparkled when Carden nodded at him. "Okay, we need a ship name."

"What, no-"

"Coë? No, that doesn't sound right. What did Amber call it again?"

Carden loved Cam, in a best friend way and a brotherly way, and if there was one thing he had learned over the years was that Cam could be very dedicated once he liked an idea. Hence the ship name brainstorming.

He resisted rolling his eyes as Cam snapped his fingers repeatedly and said loudly, "I've got it! I remember it! Drum roll please!" He banged his hand against his football bag. "Zarden!"

"Oh gosh," was all Carden could say to that. "Sometimes I wonder why we're best friends and how we're still friends."

"It's because you love me."

"More like tolerate."

"Oh please."

Cam's eyes drifted away from Carden to a blonde girl with her hair in a braid and a red flannel. Her arms were full of books and a purse hung from her arm. Her smile was huge and her voice carried over the wind as she called, "Hey Cam!"

Cam waved back. "Hey Amber!"

"Oooooooooo," Carden teased, shoving his friend toward her faraway figure. "Go hangout with your girlfriend, buddy ol pal. I need some," he paused to think, "Camber in my life. Zarden and Camber." A laugh escaped his lips. Perfect.