UN-PREDICTABLE [s.m] ON HOLD

2. Into The City

C H A P T E R T W O

"Cameron, we've been walking in circles for the past 3 hours! You sure you don't want to ask for directions?" I complain. When we got out of the airport, we decided to stop at McDonald's and proceed to find somewhere to stay for the night. But the sun is setting and I really need to get some sleep after the day I've had.

Cameron stops on the side of the road, drops all his stuff, and sits on the curb while looking defeated. He mutters, "Yes." I release a relieved sigh, I promised myself if he said no again I was going to go ask directions myself, but of course I've been telling myself that for half an hour so I'm thankful he finally gave in.

I clap my hands together and exclaim, "Great! I think I saw a Panera Bread at the end of this block." We've been hauling our luggage around for most of the day and my shoulder is literally killing me, but then I look over to see all of the stuff that Cameron is carrying and feel a little bit better about myself. I immediately start heading towards the bakery while I hear Cam trudging behind me.

As we went inside a little bell rung and one of my favorite songs "Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran was playing. I close my eyes and inhale the deep scent of fresh bread and pastries. Oh, how I love bakeries and how they faintly remind me of my grandmother's house.

I check behind me to make sure Cameron was coming, but he was already inside staring wide open at something, or should I say someone, in front of me. I turned my head towards the front of the store to see what he was looking at and see a pretty girl with glasses at the cash register. It was almost like a movie with the music and spur of the moment. My first instinct was to push Cameron towards the front of the store, but seeing how frozen he was I doubted I could make him move an inch nevertheless a good couple of feet. So instead I stood in front of him to block his view and hopefully break him out of his spell, so he wouldn't look like a complete creep.

I grabbed his shoulders and shook him as hard as I possibly could, "Cameron this could be your chance. Now break out of it," I took a 5 dollar bill from my pocket. "Take this and buy yourself a latte. Use that charm of yours and talk to that girl." He merely nodded, dropped his stuff, and took the money as he walked up to the cashier. I pick up his stuff, noting how heaving all of it was and practically dragging it all to a table in the back of the bakery. I drop everything beside the table and drop down in a seat. When Cameron get back, I need to ask him why he's carrying so much stuff.

I quietly observe the place, before finally looking towards the front of the bakery to see how Cameron was doing. When I do, I'm surprised about what I see. The girl is looking at Cam with such intense anger that I wonder what he did. I can't see his face, but from the frantic waving of his arms I can tell that they're in a very heated argument. Finally, he grabs the mug from the counter and stomps my way, while the cashier is glaring daggers into the back of his head. He sits down in the seat in front of me, sipping his drink with furrowed eyebrows and a distressed face. I decide to give him a moment, but then i begin wondering where my change was. I'm not like a cheap person or anything, but after my parents divorced, money has been kind of tight, so every penny counts.

"Cameron, where's my change?"

"Karla wouldn't give it to me."

I raise my eyebrows. Huh, well Karla is a feisty one isn't she? "Isn't that illegal or something?" I ask to help lighten the mood.

"I don't fucking know Shawn, I haven't been in Chicago before, much less Illinois."

"Oh my god, you just cursed." I meant to say that in my head, but of course that didn't happen, so now Cameron seems more pissed than before.