Neighbors; c.d.

Chapter 20. Different

Anna's POV 

I clutched my books tighter to my chest as I made my way down the crowded hallway. We had three more days of school left, which meant it was also three more days of studying, finals, and preparation for the adult world. 

I hadn't really seen Cameron around since the break-up. He moved to the front of each class, where I never sat. He never sat with me at lunch anymore, he didn't talk to me, or anything. I guess I could expect that though. 

I fiddled with my ring on my finger as I set my books down on my desk and sat my backpack next to me on the floor.

"Anna, Anna!" I heard someone call. I jerked my head up, trying to see who it was. Bella.

"Bella, what is it?" I asked. 

"Have you seen Cameron?" she asked frantically.

"No, why?" I asked, starting to get worried. 

"He's...different." 

"Different how, Bella?"

"Like, dating Brooke again, wearing all black, and also the fact that he's not hanging out with Nash or any of the guys anymore." Bella listed. I knit my eyebrows together. What was going on with him?

"Well what am I supposed to do? He doesn't want to talk to me at all. I practically broke his heart, remember?" I exclaimed. 

"Can you at least try like during lunch? Nash is really sad, along with the guys." Bella said as the bell rang. I nodded as she walked back to her seat.

It was now lunch and I was sitting in between Bella and Shawn, who'd I'd gotten really close to recently. 

"Shawn, do you see Cam anywhere?" I asked as he sat down.

"Why? I thought you guys broke up."

"We did. But he's acting weird for some reason and I'm gonna try to talk to him and get it in his mind that he isn't like that." I said, stealing one of Shawn's fries.

"Hey!" he protested. 

I laughed, then remembered when Cameron and I were sitting next to each other at lunch at the beginning of the year and he stole my fry.

"Anna, you okay?" Shawn asked, interrupting my flashback. I blinked a couple times.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said, looking around the cafeteria again. My eyes landed on a particular annoying blonde sitting on an all too familiar brown-haired boy. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

I stood up and walked over to where Brooke and Cameron were sitting. 

"So, Cam. I'm really excited that we'll be going to University of Berkeley together. Are you?" I overheard Brooke say as I approached.

"Of course, babe." Cameron responded. That kind of hit my heart a little.

"Cameron, can I talk to you?" I asked, speaking up.

Brooke and Cameron tore their gazes away from each other and directed them towards me. Brooke's eyes were full of disgust while Cameron's were full of...something I couldn't quite pin down. 

It was like a mix of love and hate, only a look someone as attractive as him can pull off.

"Why?" he asked as Brooke started to play with his hair.

"I want to talk to you, is that too much to ask for?" I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest.

Cameron sighed, looking me up and down. That always made me blush and heat up inside.

"Yeah, sure." he agreed, pushing Brooke off of him a little. I smirked as her hip the table, making her exclaim 'ow' as loud as she could. 

I led Cameron out to the hallway, where he held me after Hayden sort of abused me. As soon as the door closed behind us, I slapped Cameron across the face. 

"Ow!" he exclaimed, holding his left cheek. "What was that for?" 

"For being like this! Where's the Cameron that I used to know? Where's the guy that I dated for five months? Where is he because he surely isn't here! You're suddenly wearing black, dating Brooke again, and you're freaking blowing off your best friends!" I yelled, my voice getting louder with each word.

Cameron didn't say anything so I kept going.

"I don't know if the break up is suddenly getting to you or something, but snap out of this emo-gothic phase you're in because it's not working for you. I want the Cameron that I dated back. I want the Cameron that I loved back." I rambled. I closed my mouth at the end, thinking over what I just said. Cameron's brown eyes snapped up to me.

"Did you just say that you loved me?" he asked, his voice quiet.

"Yeah. I did. I was too scared to say that I loved you when you did because I thought that we would break up in the future. I know it's a stupid reason, but I was stupid. I still am stupid." I said, laughing at myself. 

"You're not stupid, Anna." Cameron said, stepping closer to me. My breath hitched as I looked up at him.

"Then why did I break up with you?" I whispered.