A Little Country Lost In New York

Just Some Casual Boy Trouble

My mouth hung open with shock. First the street fight and now this? Is this the regular in the big cities? Henry parked the car and we both got out. As we got out, we got mixed reactions from most of the people outside. Henry had all the girls' attention the moment he stepped out, but some of them gave me dirty looks, while the rest just basically drooled. I could also see and feel some of the guys' attention on me, but I just ignored it. Henry slung his arm around my shoulders and led me towards the warehouse. Inside, it was complete chaos. 

There were loud voices and the sound of glass clinging together all around us. To our left, there were hoard of people swarming around a table, seeming to bid on something. "I'm gonna go get us some drinks." Just before I could object, he was already on his way towards the bar. I folded my hands in front of me and picked at my nails. I awkwardly looked around, feeling out of place. "Hey girl. What is a pretty little thing like you doing at a place like this?" My head spins around, staring at the source of the voice. A scrawny dude covered in tattoos stared at me, a crooked smile staring at me. His beady eyes scanned my over from top to bottom and I had to resist the urge to cover myself with my hands. "Um well..." 

"Beat it Roy, you already have a wife to pester." I couldn't help but smile as I heard his familiar husky voice. The guy named Roy just rolled his eyes and walked off. I spun around and pulled Cameron into a hug. "Woah okay, um... You can calm down. It wasn't that big of a deal." I pulled back and saw a slight blush creeping onto his cheeks. I giggled as he scratched the back of his neck, avoiding my gaze. He cleared his throat, a frown forming between his brows. "So... What are you doing here? This doesn't seem like the place you'd usually hang out at." I give him a small smile as I point behind me. "Well, actually, Henry brought me here to..." 

I could feel my heart sink as I glanced in the direction of the bar. Henry was standing there, drink in hand, with a girl practically throwing herself at him. Guess this isn't our date anymore. I turn back to Cameron, to see him also staring at Henry. His jaw clenches as he shakes his head. "Typical..." I frowned at his response. I was about to ask him about his answer, but he grabbed a hold of my hand, instantly getting rid of any thought that floated in my mind. "Come on, the race is almost about to start." He led me through the crowd, a few people staring at us in either awe or in utter jealousy. We made our way towards the line of cars and he led me towards most amazing supped up royal blue 1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS I've ever seen.

"Wow, this is really gorgeous. It's the 1967 Camaro SS, right?" I lightly traced my fingers over its bonnet. It felt smooth to the touch. I glanced at Cameron through my lashes when he didn't answer immediately. He had a shocked expression on his face that I couldn't help but smile at. "Uh, yeah it is. How'd you know?" He seemed truly impressed and I couldn't help but laugh. "I grew up with a car-crazed brother and father, I kind of learned a lot from them, although I personally prefer the 1967 Impala." Cameron scoffed, trying to hide his smile. "No way! The Camaro is way better." I shrug my shoulders, a smirk playing at the corners of my lips. "Not in my eyes, but hey! Everyone has different tastes right?" He chuckled and shook his head. I smiled. "Get in Vicki, I'm about to show you just how wrong you are." He climbed in first and opened the door for me from the inside. I hesitated for a moment, uncertainty cloaking my thoughts. 

I looked up, feeling a pair of eyes upon me and my gaze met with Henry's. He looked at me with pleading eyes, as if telling me not to do it. I bit down on my lower lip, averting my gaze before climbing into the car. Guilt flooded into my heart, but I quickly rid myself of the feeling. He left to go chat with another girl, you mean less to him than you'd wish. The thought made my heart ache, but it did rid my thoughts of Henry, even if it was just for now. "Are you ready?" I looked at Cameron, who seemed oblivious to my internal aching. I gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile as I nodded my head. His eyebrows scrunched slightly as he looked at me, but he didn't ask any questions, which I was very thankful for. He turned his gaze forward, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. "Well then you better put on your safety Vicki, cause you're about to experience a very dangerous ride." He revved the engine as he spoke. I quickly stumbled to get my safety on, making Cameron chuckle. 

I could feel my heart rate pick up and could only hear the pounding of my heart in my ears, but I also couldn't help but feel a sense of safety falling over me as I glanced at Cameron sitting next to me. I couldn't help but notice how handsome he looked tonight. The way his dark hair fell onto his forehead, his face slightly scrunched up from concentration. His muscles flexed under his shirt as he gripped onto the steering and his built chest rose and fell with every steady breath he took. Cameron grinned as he glanced at me from the corner of his eye. "Like what you see?" Suddenly realizing that I was, in fact, staring, I felt my whole face heat up in an instant. Luckily, Cameron didn't have time to make a comment, for the lights suddenly flashed green, signalling the start of the race. I was forcefully pushed back into my seat as the car pulled off, zooming through the string of other cars. The car gracefully glided through the busy streets and we were very quickly inching towards the front of the line. 

I laughed gleefully and Cameron smiled, but it was short lived. The car suddenly surged forward as something hit it from behind. Cameron cursed as one of the racers rammed into the car's behind. Cameron accelerated, but so did the other racer. It seemed that he was stuck on our tail. My gaze flicked towards Cameron in question, but he only gave me a reassuring grin. Suddenly Cameron swerved into an alley and the other racers zoomed past. "What are you doing?"  I could hear the confusion lacing my words. "Taking a short-cut." My brows wrinkled as I frowned deeply. "Isn't that against the rules?" Cameron's chuckle was deep and hearty. "There ain't no rules here Colorado. As long as you're first, they don't give a damn." I huffed and folded my arms as he made fun of me. "Well I think that is just idiotic." Cameron just shook his head. 

He swerved back onto the road and no surprise there, we were now at the very front of the line. We left the other racers far behind as we flew through the streets. I stared at Camron's movements as he swiftly and skilfully switched his gears every time we rounded a corner or some type of obstacle came across our path. I could see that this was not the first time that he's raced. The finish line came into view and before I knew it, we were skidding to a stop, the crowd going wild at Cameron's victory. When he climbed out, you could hear all the girls fawn, although, they weren't very happy when I climbed out after him. 

I could feel the glares of his many fan-girls and at that moment, I only wanted to crawl into a hole and hide for eternity. I awkwardly went to stand next to him, my fingers fidgeting in front of me. Cameron, seeing my discomfort, threw his arm around my shoulders, pulling my closer to his side. "What are you doing?" He leaned into my ear. I felt his warm breath on my neck and it sent shivers down my spine. "Letting all these people know that neither of us are free for sale." I frowned, even though I could feel an explosion of butterflies in my stomach. "But we are...?" He grinned at me, his eyes sparking with mischief. "Now they don't have to know that, do they? Unless you want the undying attention of these bastards." He nodded towards a few guys in the crowd, who were shamelessly checking me out. I cringed before leaning into his touch. "No thank you." He chuckled, his breath tickling the top of my head. Someone suddenly bounded towards us. He was a short, skinny boy with shaggy dirty blonde hair. 

His face was flushed as he breathed heavily, his hands resting on his knees. His caramel coloured eyes flicked between me and Cameron, before meeting Cameron's icy blue gaze. "Dude, you did awesome out there." He seemed to have caught his breath now and stood up straight. "Tell me something I don't know." I smack Cameron in the stomach, making him groan. I looked at the boy standing in front of us. "Excuse him for his arrogant rudeness. I haven't gotten time to teach him what manners are yet." The boy laughed, patting Cameron on the shoulder as he still clutched his stomach. "I like her. You should definitely bring her around more." He held out his hand towards me. "My name's Isaac. Nice to meet you." I took his hand and gave it a shake. "Nice to meet you too. My name's..." We were suddenly interrupted by the sound of wailing sirens. A few screams could be heard as everything went into a frenzy. The lot was suddenly illuminated by blue and red lights. 

Cameron and Isaac swore simultaneously and quickly rushed towards the car, Cameron dragging me along. "What the hell is happening?" I felt confused as I was ushered urgently into the car. When everyone was in, Cameron raced out of the lot and into the busy streets of the city. After weaving through the string of cars for a while, we eventually lost the cops and not long after that we pulled up to a large apartment complex. We got out and said our goodbyes to Isaac, before pulling up onto the road again. "So where to now?" I stared at Cameron and bit down onto my bottom lip. "You tell me. You've probably lived here longer than I have." He chuckled and then gave a curt nod. "True." A comfortable silence fell over us as he drove on. I stared out at the passing lights and traffic, transfixed by the odd beauty it all held. After a while, Cameron pulled over and parked in front of what seemed to be a 24/7 corner café. 

Cameron quickly jumped out and before I could get out, he opened my door, his hand outstretched towards me. I giggled and placed my palm in his. His long fingers clasped over mine. He lead me towards the café, never leaving my hand. I gave him a strange glance, trying my hardest to ignore the warmth that spread through my body. Cameron held open the front door, gesturing for me to enter. I rolled my eyes, but still gave him a dazzling smile as I passed. We got seated and quickly ordered our drinks and soon enough, we were alone again. With my elbows perched onto the table, I lean into my palm, batting my eyelashes at him. "So dear Mister Bad Boy, why stay in the company of little old me, a Colorado country girl, when you could've had any of those drooling Barbie girls waiting for you next to the track?" 

He smirked at me, leaning in close. His warm breath tickled my face as he stared deeply into my eyes. We were mere inches apart. All I had to do is lean in a little bit more and our lips would be touching. "Is that a hint of jealousy that I sense?" I snort and sit up straight, although I could feel my cheeks heat up slightly. "I'm not jealous, you're just hearing things." He hummed as he smirked up at me. My cheeks heat up more and I mentally scolded myself for giving myself away. Cameron chuckled before leaning back into his seat. "You give yourself too little credit Colorado. There is more to you that you do not see." My heart sped up by his words, but I tried to play it off by lifting my brow. "Is that so?" 

Cameron lifted his shoulder in a half-hearted shrug, playing with the table cloth. "That and the fact that almost all those girls there had someone to go home to and I didn't want to stir trouble again." My eyes widened and I could feel my heart sink slightly. "Ah, I see..." I went to stand, but Cameron's hand quickly captured mine. His arctic blue eyes stared into mine. "Hey, I'm just kidding. Please don't go." I sat down before my mind could fully register my movements. I knew I shouldn't give in so easily, but when my eyes met his sincere ones, all rational thoughts evaporated. 

The waitress eventually came with our drinks and took our order. We barely registered her at all as we were indulged in a deep and playful conversation. It was fun to just let loose. When we were done with our food, we made our way to his car, hand in hand. I giggled at something he said and he let out a low chuckle. Suddenly we were stopped in our tracks by three scary looking men. The middle one stepped forward and Cameron instantly pulled me behind him.  I peeked around him a nasty smirk spread across the guy's face. "Oh come on now Cameron! Don't hide such a pretty thing from us. Introduce her to your friends." Cameron let out a growl as he pushed me farther behind him. The thugs laughed out loud and the sound sent a chill down my spine. 

The guy suddenly grabbed Cameron by his collar, holding him close to his face. "Look here Cameron, Michael's patience is thinning ever so slowly and he sent us to warn you that he won't be waiting for you any longer." Cameron smirked, seeming too relaxed for the situation. "What? Is he too scared to fight his own battles that he had to send you three baboons?" It all happened so fast. I screamed as the guy punched Cameron solidly in his face, blood splattering onto the concrete as it flowed freely from his nose. "This is your last warning Cameron, give us the stuff within 3 months and you'll walk out a free man. Keep it from us..." The guy's eyes suddenly drifted towards me, that sinister smirk stretching over his lips again. 

He reached out towards me, but I flinched back before his dirty fingers could touch me. "...Or your little girlfriend here will have to pay the price. It would be a shame if such a pretty little thing went to waste." Cameron lunged at the guy, his teeth barred as he tackled him to the ground. His fists started swinging  as he violently pummelled the guys face. "Cameron, stop!" He quickly halted his actions. I looked up at me, his eyes instantly filled with regret as he saw my wide tear-filled gaze. Cameron was thrown off as the guy quickly scrambled up. He clutched his nose as blood dripped from his palm. "Watch your back Cameron. We'll be waiting." The three thugs stormed off. Cameron glared after them, his eyes filled with hate. I quickly knelt by his side, checking him for more injuries. "Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere else?" 

He looked at me with wide eyes. He placed both his hands on either side of my face. I only realised that I was crying when he started wiping at my damp cheeks. "Vicki I'm..." I shook my head, silently telling him that I didn't want to talk about it, not here. We both stood and I was shocked when he pulled me into his arms. I hesitated at first, but eventually snaked my arms around his waist, letting the tears fall freely. "It was a mistake bringing you here with me." I shook my head and stared up at him. "How could you have known that they would be here?" He averted his gaze before giving me a curt nod. As we made our way towards the car, I suddenly heard the flick of a lighter. I gasped and flicked the cigarette out of his mouth, a deep frown staining my face. "What the f**k Vicki?!" I crossed my arms, glaring up at him. "Smoking is bad for you!" He let out a dark chuckle, his void of any humour. "You've sure got a lot of guts, Colorado." 

I stepped in front of him, reveling on the little confidence that I felt, which was already starting to fade. "I don't want to see you bring yourself closer to an end that is not suppose to be yours yet." He tightened his jaw and shook his head. The sound of his car door slamming seemed abnormally loud as he climbed into the car. I hesitantly climbed in after. An awkward silence seemed to be passenger as we drove back towards campus. I silently sat still for a few minutes as he pulled up in front of the dormitory. "Please... Promise me you'll quit smoking." 

His grip tightened on the steering wheel to a point where his knuckles turned a ghastly white. He didn't dare look my way. I let out a soft sigh in defeat before slowly climbing out. He immediately sped off the moment I shut the door. I shut my eyes and bit my bottom lip as I heard his tires squeal on the tar. Me and my stupid mouth. My eyes burned as they filled with unshed tears. I shook my head violently. No, I will not let some boy get to me. This is not why I came here. With those thoughts, I straightened up and lifted my head high. As I made my way towards the dorm, I mentally prepared myself for an interrogation that I knew would come from Skylar the moment I stepped inside.

***