3 MONTHS AGO
As I finish my drawing, the bell rings, indicating the end of the class. I stretch and make my way outside the class as I spot my best friend Natalie waiting for me, outside.
Natalie was my first friend when I moved here,to Connecticut six years ago. She lived right across my house and our families have been really close ever since.
From my awkward hair phase, to my first day at school, to standing up for me when I was bullied, to my first crush, to being there for me with ice cream and chic-flicks when I had my first breakup, she was there with me through all.
Of course she didn't know about our family "secret" but she was my closest friend nonetheless.
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As we head towards the cafeteria, we bump into Maya, John and my boyfriend Derek.
"Hey guys." John greets us as we take our seats.
Maya,John and Derek made their way into my little group in freshman year and we've all been inseparable ever since.
All of talk about the big game tomorrow and if we could all have dinner after.
"Hey let's all go to Bob's for dinner. It's been so long since we've been there." I suggest.
" Well I was thinking we could all go to my place, my mother needed an excuse to cook anyway and she'd love having us all over." Maya says.
"Yeah, I do love your mother's food, I don't mind coming over." John says, winking at her as she rolls her eyes and smiles.
"Okay so Maya's place it is?" I say and they all nod in agreement.
"Hey guys, we're still on for tonight's party, yeah?" Natalie asks as she looks at all of us for an answer.
"Wait, the one Tia's throwing tonight?"
I ask.
"Yeah, that's the one. You coming?" Derek asks me as he puts his hand on my knee.
"No, you guys go ahead, I have to catch up on some projects, so I'll see y'all tomorrow at the game."
Derek looks at Natalie for a second and looks back at me.
"Are you sure you can't make it?" Natalie asks.
"Yes, I'm sure. You guys have a good time." I say and smile.
I really did have few assignments to complete and besides, parties come up every week, maybe I'd go to the next one.
Or maybe I should go.
I considered going to the party but Derek texted me, pointing out how my project was coming up. He's always looking out for me.
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As I reach home, I rush upstairs to my room and change into my favourite blue pajamas with little black kittens on it.
" Camilla, are you hungry? There's some lasagna left from last night." My mother shouts from downstairs.
"Um yeah sure, I'll be down in minute." I say as I go down.
As I eat, I tell my mother about my day and how I was missing a party that all my friends were going to, tonight. She laughs and tells me that I made the right decision to stay home instead.
My mother talks about how she got a promotion in her job of being the head chef in the place she worked at .I really was proud of her because she was an extremely hardworking and not to mention, an excellent cook.
My parents and I had an unusually great relationship especially with a girl of my age. My mother was my personal therapist whereas my father was my life coach and a saviour every time my mother and I fought.
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As I finish my assignments for the day, I check the time. It was nine thirty. I grab my laptop and scroll through Netflix to pick a movie. After what seemed like a lifetime, I end up watching an episode of friends, again.
As Chandler says " I am not a blah, I am a hoot." , my phone starts ringing. Maya's name flashes on the screen and I pick up,instantly.
"Hey,everything okay?" I ask her.
"Yeah, no. I really miss him, Cam. I mean how could he just break up with me after just fucking me. That's all he ever wanted me for, my body." She says, her voice slurred.
"Are you still at the party?" I ask her as I rummage to find my car keys.
"Yes but why would he do that? Should I just call him and ask him to take me back?" She says as her voice breaks and she starts crying.
I needed to get there fast, to get her out of there before she does anything stupid.
"No, don't call him. Listen I'm coming there now and picking you up, okay? Just please don't drink anymore." I say, my voice laced with concern.
She agrees and hangs up as I rush down towards my car.
It was ten thirty, and knowing my parents, they were both asleep by now. As I sneak out the door and into my car, I drive in a hurry to get there.
After fifteen minutes, I was outside Tia's house with loud music blaring through the speakers. I was surprised how the cops hadn't shown up here yet.
As I get down, it is then I saw that I was still wearing my pajamas with a white coat on top. I realised how stupid I looked but I didn't have a choice.
As I go inside I try spotting Maya but I couldn't find her. I try looking for Natalie or one of my friends to ask them about her.
I spot few of our friends at the couch and as I'm about to step forward I see Derek kissing someone.
My eyes widen with shock and I look closely, it was none other than my very best friend Natalie.
Natalie fucking George.
Tears start to well up in my eyes as I look away and spot Maya, looking at exactly what I was looking. She rushes towards me and takes me outside, away from the sickening party.
Once we were outside, she pulls me in for a hug, as I start crying again. I sob onto her shoulders and pull away a minute later. She looks at me with concern.
"Let's ju-just get away from here, please." I beg her.
She nods her head and we head towards my car. The whole ride back was silent, with me drowning into my thoughts.
Betrayal. That was the one thing I'd felt above all. Betrayed that my own fucking best friend would do this. To think we actually knew everything about each other. Just like I had my family "secret" this was hers. A secret that would hurt her own best friend.
I felt stupid to not see this coming before. How could I have not? Those nights she was busy "working on a project" she never got grades for, those football dinners that came up every week coincidentally on the same day she was busy. They were all lies but I was just stupid enough to believe it.
As I mentally keep cursing myself, we reached Maya's house.
"Hey listen, thanks a lot for today, and I'm so sorry for what happened, Cam. I didn't expected Natalie to do this." She says nervously.
Neither did I.
" Thanks Maya, really. For making me come to party so I could see that and for everything else even though you didn't intend it end up like that,I really appreciate it." I say, meaning it.
"No problem. Listen, if you ever wanna talk about all this, I'm just a call away, okay?" She says with a small smile.
"Sure I'll remember that." I say and drive back home, wiping away my tears.
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