♦September's POV♦
At first I just thought that maybe Cameron woke up lonely but he's held my hand through the third class now and I'm just worried, I asked one time but he looked like he was going about to get a panic attack so I quickly dropped the topic like hot iron.
After this class, we have lunch and I can't wait for it to be over.
The teacher simply raises an eyebrow at Cameron holding my hand right in between our desks but thankfully she says nothing.
And it isn't just me, Arianna, Dane and even Selena have all been watching Cameron like he's going to break.
As soon as the class is over, I slip my hand out of Cameron's hold to pack up my bag and I disappear. I know this is cruel of me but I feel suffocated, I needed air.
I hurry to the bathroom, throwing a vague excuse about going to the bathroom over a shoulder, that I would meet them at our lunch table.
I've never been so excited to see the pristine white walls of the girls restroom before and I lean against a wall, just breathing deeply.
The thing is, I like Zach, I really do even though I doubt he actually notices me, so Cameron acting so possessive scares me, I don't want to hurt him and I don't want to lose him either.
Yeah, I know. I'm a selfish bitch but this selfish bitch just want to have so many people to love.
I rinse my face at the sink, grateful for my decision to use my leather strap instead of a flimsy scruchie that would have snapped by now or be unable to hold my wild hair together again.
After spending as much time as my conscience will allow, I rush out. I'm worried about Cameron, no matter what and if having me around him helped with whatever he was going through, I would try my best to help.
I burst out of the restroom, in a hurry to get to our lunch table, to Cameron.
I'm not looking at where I'm going so it's no surprise when I smack into someone.
"September?" Zach's worried voice floats to me as I wait for my jostled brain to settle again.
Oh no! Not again!
"I'm so sorry for smacking into you." I apologize quickly, burning up.
His hands are around me, to help keep my balance and even though my heart is beating a mile a minute, I force myself to stay for as long as he'll hold me.
His breathtakingly handsome face peers down at me, a furrow in between his brows. "I um, I was actually looking for you." He says.
I blink, my eyes going wide. Oh my God! Zach was looking for me!!
Play it cool Ember, be cool, don't mess this up or Selena will laugh at you - I try to convince myself, trying hard not to start hyperventilating.
"F-For me? You were looking for me?" I stutter aimlessly and mentally face palm.
Real smooth September, I mean he literally just said that.
He clears his throat, chocolate brown eyes bouncing around looking for a surface to settle on. "Yeah."
Momentarily I'm grateful that he's not looking directly at me, what? With how close we were I am most likely to pass out or have my heart stop beating but then I'm like, what if he's not looking at me because I'm ugly? Or my hair is too shabby?
Damn it! I had to dress all lazy today of all days, in a green dress of all outfits.
I'm over here looking like a scullery maid that just lost her job while Zach looks the part, like a hot high school senior.
"Um, why?" I ask, confused when the words sink in and start to finally make sense.
Why would Zach be looking for me?
"Is it Ari, you need me to find?" I avert my eyes, unable to look him in the eye when it hits me that he's not actually looking for me but because he needs to find someone else. "She already went off to lunch with Dane and…"
"No." He interrupts calmly and my gaze shoots up to meet his. "I'm not looking for Arianna."
I blink again, my brain trying to think of what he might need me for or who he needed me to find.
I gasp. "Is it Cameron?" I ask frantically, worried that something bad had happened to him.
He frowns at this. "What? No!" He exclaims, sighing softly. "Why would you think that I couldn't come looking for you?"
I look down at this question, it would be too much of me to actually insinuate that Zach would be interested in me.
"I don't know, ma-maybe because I'm me." I look up at him now. "Why would you come looking for someone like me?" I throw his question back at him.
♦Zach's POV♦
I'm shellshocked at her reply, I was too worried about how she felt about me to actually see what was really important.
I lift a hand to her face, wanting to reassure her and protect the fragility that had risen to the surface.
"September, baby…" Words fail me for a moment and we just stand there, staring at each other.
"Never ever refer to yourself like that." I say sternly laughing a little at the absurdity of the situation. "Honestly I was thinking the same way, why would someone as awesome as you are want to have anything to do with me?"
She blinks again, a cute habit I notice she does when something shocks her.
"What? You think I'm awesome." A little nervous chuckle."Wow." She whispers, still staring at me.
I feel like I need to describe what it feels like to have September stare at you, it's like having two shining suns in your face and I don't mean that in a bad way.
"Uh, yeah." I quickly fumble when it seems like she expects me to say something. "I came looking for you to ask if you would like to go on a date with me?" I blurt out, deciding to take the leap of faith.
She whips her head to look up at me, her big eyes widening like saucers. "W-Wha… d-did you just ask me out?" She gapes.
I'm suddenly nervous, crap! I shouldn't have asked her, at least not that way, all blunt like, no subletly whatever.
"Yeah." I say in a subdued voice, about to apologize.
"Oh my God! Yes!!" She exclaims, jumping on me.
I'm so stunned that I don't do anything for a couple seconds, I just stand there frozen, processing what the fuck just happened because my brain can't seem to keep up anymore.
"I'm so-sorry." She slides off my body. "I uh, I-I shouldn't have… um, yes, I'd love to go on a date." She says in a tiny voice.
"What?" I blink, my brain finally rebooting.
"No!" I pull her into a hug without thinking. "I'm sorry, I was just so shocked, I lost my mind for a sec there." I admit quickly.
Her reply is an explosive laugh and we settle down into a comfortable hug, I place my jaw on her head, she's just the perfect height for this.
"My hair will get in your eyes." She says in a sheepish voice, reaching out a hand to pat down the wild curls.
I grab her wrist and pull her hand back down and around me. "No they're not, they're super comfortable." I tell her truthfully, settling down into the hug.
It's much like coming home after a hard day outside.
She suddenly tenses. "Oh my… I almost forgot, Cameron!"
I hold her tighter, very uncomfortable with this topic.
She reassuringly rubs my back and I'm shell shocked for the umpteenth time since I ran into her, it's like she was made for me, as cliche and cringey as that sounds.
"You don't have to be worried about that Zach." She says and a weight leaves my shoulders.
"I know Ember but…" I let my words hang, she seems to understand this too.
"But he's at a bad moment right now and he needs me, as a friend." She tags on, firmly.
I close my eyes and pull her closer. "Fine, how about Sea-Shell?" I ask her, looking her in the eyes.
She blinks. "When?"
"This afternoon, I'll pick you up after classes." I say with my heart in my throat.
The slow bright smile she gives me, momentarily blinds me. "Okay!" She agrees, giggling happily. "I've got to run now though, see ya!" She exclaims, placing a kiss on my cheek before escaping my hold and darting around the corner.
I stand for a while, in the position she left me at, a tentative hand against my burning cheek.
Why haven't I done this since?
I question rhetorically, happiness bubbling deep in my stomach and I fall into an excited daze
It was happening, it seemed so impossible, it still seemed that way until the last few minutes turned everything around.
I had never wanted a partner before because I just felt like when the right person came along I would know.
Well...I give a slow smile. Guess I was right.