Not Quite the Opposites (camren)

10 - Falling Further

Time is usually on a person's side. It mends broken hearts. It patches wounds. It allows for change and growth. It makes you forget. However, time is not always a friend. Fears could be magnified. Doubts could arise. Time might force you to see things clearly, even if you're purposely blinding yourself with what you think is right. But what if it makes you forget something that used to be so special to you; something that was supposed to be timeless?

I was not ready for that.

Meeting my friends' parents is one of my favorites. I have this natural tendency to get along with them given my relationship with my parents. I have been taught to be polite and respectful. If I don't get along with them, my parents always say it's not my fault.

Boyfriends' parents are different thought. Meeting Gavin's parents was exhilaratingly unnerving but I made it out with them probably loving me more than they love their son.  

My parents have this thing about inviting my friends over to get to know them; scrutinize them probably and I knew which friends they'd love to see me with. I have been to the Hansen's, Hernandez's and Kordei-Hamilton's, and met the three pairs of parents responsible for my three wonderful friends. I have been to the Cabello's but I have not met her parents. They have been really busy and I wonder how Camila is ok with that.

"My parents want me to invite people over later. We do these things with the neighbors everywhere we go." I began as Camila, Dinah, Ally, Normani and I were huddled in our usual spot in the cafeteria during lunch on a Friday. "I have to invite my friends over."

I was facing Dinah while Normani was next to her; Ally was next to me and Camila, beautiful, beautiful Camila Cabello was between Dinah and I in her usual white plastic chair. All the girls seemed to be excited about it and before any of them could speak, a familiar voice appeared between Camila and I.

"Meeting your girlfriend's parents?" Jette sneered as she looked at Camila knowingly with that signature spiteful look of hers. She perched her hand on the tangerine table and leaned closer to my friend, her lips almost grazing the younger Latina's cheeks.

I didn't think much about what Jette had said. For some reason, I only thought about how it affected Camila and the people I was sitting with. They could feel it; they could feel the vile, despicable smoke that is coating Janette Zack. It wasn't just me.

Camila's eyes widened as Dinah could not even suppress her annoyance; curling her lip as her eyes narrowed in disgust. Normani's jaw dropped as Ally was just as frozen as I was. It was as if my heart had stopped contracting as it painfully plummeted down. Fear was evident in Camila's face and I rarely see that in her. Her eyes oozed with so much anxiety, even trauma that she did not even look at me, or anyone else for the matter.

I should have said something, but I couldn't. It was as if I physically couldn't. There was something holding me back. Thankfully, Dinah held on Camila's waist and pulled her close, narrowing her eyes at the blonde.  

"What time should I be there, Lolo?" Jette shifted her gaze to me with that knowing look in her amber eyes. "I mean, we're friends, right?" And there it was, the cherry on top, she smiled so maliciously, I could almost feel my arm hair rise.

I cringed at how she pronounced the nickname yet tried to act as if nothing had affected me.

"Six." I answered simply as I forced a smile without looking straight into her irises.

"See you there, gorgeous." She mumbled with a smirk and leaned in and kissed my jaw, sending a spine tingling wave of dissatisfaction to my system.

I involuntarily shrugged as I tried to recover from the shock as I stared at a startled Camila. I've always been used to her standing her ground but Jette seems to throw her off and that left a significant ache in my heart. She has always been there for me and I could not even stand up to the blonde for her.