Second in Command

Chapter 3

            "Wh-what?" I said, my calm collected demeanor wavering for a second. "What about Lauren?" I added hastily, looking around as if she was going to spring out at any moment and claw my eyes out.

"Lauren? She probably won't care. Is Friday okay? I can get Jackson to take you somewhere fancy. That idiot's loaded. Plus, I know that you always hang around me and Lauren 'cause you like him," Alec winked pulling out his phone to no doubt to text one of his closest friends, Jackson. My heart sunk slightly at my misconception of what Alec meant when he said a "date". Jackson is Alec's sidekick, his best friend, and fellow it boy. With his wavy, caramel colored hair, pale blue eyes, and tall muscular runner build, the two were a killer duo.

"Jackson?" I spit out, shocked. I thought he meant we'd go out I thought, "I don't like Jackson like that," I added hastily taking Alec's phone from him before he could call his best friend.

With a smirk, Alec swiped his phone back, "Please Em, I know you have dreams about getting together with him," he teased, so obviously trying to get me to forget about talking to Lauren.

"Ew no. I don't like him like that. Listen, I won't tell Lauren about your innocent little "conversation" but save yourself the trouble. I don't need a date," I retorted icily, finishing my beer and walking away irritated that one of the few conversations I had with our school's heartthrob was all about Jackson, Lauren, and that mousy girl, whose name I hope to never get to know.

Ugh, this party really sucks. I thought, looking around under the dim light. Everyone seemed drunk out of their minds so with a sigh I rummaged around my small, rose gold purse for the keys to my car, and made my way out the double French front doors. I made a mental note to make sure to never go to a party here ever again as long as I lived.

It was pitch black outside, so it must have been late. In a hurry to leave, I ran down the porch steps. Suddenly I let out a yelp, as I ran into someone tall and muscular. "Ow! Watch it," I snapped, stepping back to look at who I ran into.

Looking up at this dark brown haired, vibrant green eyed person, that looked way too familiar, illuminated by the dim, golden light spilling from the house windows. Just taking in the looks of the person in front of me, a lump formed in my throat.

No. It's not possible. He's gone for good. It's not him. I thought, my heart racing so loudly, I could feel it.

I stared at him, almost frozen to the spot, but he just looked back at me with an expression mixed with curiosity and some other emotion I couldn't quite read.

No. It' not him. He left and he's never going to come back. Get yourself together Em.

He was still staring at me, almost expectantly, waiting for me to react or something.

"Sorry, Y-you look like someone I used to know" I managed to get out, looking away from those piercing, curious green eyes. I rushed to walk down the driveway before someone grabbed my wrist. I whipped around to face the person I ran into again, my eyes widening with realization.

"Cameron?" I whispered overwhelmed with shock, almost as if I couldn't quite believe what I saw. All of a sudden, everything so loud and big, but almost claustrophobically small at the same time. Every single moment and emotion I had carefully stored into the tiniest, most hidden corner of my brain came rushing back. As cliché as it sounds, here in front of me stood the boy who taught me what it was to trust someone, who was there for me when no one else was, who was my best friend, until he left me, when his parents made him go to some military academy, his goodbye being a simple one worded text. Here was the boy whose leaving left me crying for weeks, and broken for days, and never quite the same, the person who sent my world crashing down, the one who forced me to face the truth and build myself back up to who I am today. I didn't know what to do. I was frozen and everything seemed to be going by so slowly. How exactly do you greet the person who was once your everything and also your undoing?

"I-I thought you were gone," I somehow magically managed to stutter out. I looked away from those green eyes that once were my favorite things in the world.

Don't cry in front of him. He's not important anymore. He broke your heart. You can be strong too. You're not a kid anymore. Don't cry.

"Why are you here?" I asked cautiously, my voice cracking as I slipped my arm out of his grip, inspecting his face as I crossed my arms almost protectively across my chest. The long face in front of me was so familiar, the high cheekbones, the dimples that were just barely there, the way his brown hair had tan highlights scattered all over, and those green eyes that I used to get lost in for hours, letting myself escape the world in the light brown and golden flecks that dotted his green iris.

With a sigh and a cross between a pained and guilty look, he ran his fingers through his hair and shoved his hands into his jean pockets. He gave me a thin smile, his eyes crinkling at the edges in that familiar way, his dimples slightly showing.

"Surprise Emme,"

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hey guys! Whatcha think about this chapter? gasp?  vote, comment, read, all that good stuff! If you want to follow me you can follow me on instagram at rebecca_75422 and this chapter is dedicated to MusiciasFiction ! anyways shoot me some celebrity ideas for the characters! xoxo becca