Never Alone

*Cami's POV* "Cami!" I groaned and rolled over to look at the clock; 6:55 AM. Great. I had been dreading this day all summer-the first day of senior year. Don't get me wrong, I was happy that high school was almost over. I just didn't want to do it. At all. "Cami, come one," my mom nudged my door open, "sweetie, you need to get up or you are going to be late for your first day." I groaned again and threw the covers over my head. I was done facing all these people. I was done hiding from all these people. Yes, I grew up with basically everyone in my class, but no one really knew me. Not anymore at least. Not after he happened two summers ago. My whole world was rocked and shaken to the core, all because I let someone get close to me and he made sure that I wouldn't be close enough to anyone after that. That way, I couldn't spill his-our-secret and shake up whatever was left of my life. That was fine with me; I didn't want anyone to know what had happened, and if I had my way, no one ever would. I vowed to never let anyone close to me again. Finally, when I knew I couldn't put it off any longer, I rolled out of bed to get ready. To be fair, I didn't need that much time to get ready. Just enough to shower, and get dressed. That was it. I never bothered with makeup or doing my hair because I wanted to blend in. Remain in the background where I belonged. Of course, it hadn't always been like that. Just three short years ago, I wanted everyone to know who I was. And everyone did. I had the looks, the friends, the respect coming into freshmen year and I loved it. I was co-captain of the JV cheer squad I pulled on my normal school day attire- boot cut blue jeans, a not too tight but not too loose v neck t-shirt and my black Converse sneakers. I looked in the mirror and sighed. Plain jeans, plain shirt, plain face, plain plain plain. "Come on Cami, buck up. This isn't your first time. Keep your head down, and get through the year," I gave myself this pep talk at least 100 times during the school year. I finished up and walked downstairs to find my mom making breakfast and my dad and brother, Wyatt, at the table eating. Wyatt was practically glowing with excitement today. Today he was a freshmen, or "frog", and he couldn't wait to see what all the hype about high school was about. "Cami, there you are!" My dad set his newspaper down and looked up at me with hope in his eyes. Hope that was quickly replaced with sadness as he took in my appearance. My dad wanted so bad for the old me to come back. The girl who would wake up at 5:30 to make sure that her face was put together and that her hair was a tumble of caramel locks. The girl who had friends over everyday and was on the road to making cheer captain. Instead he got the new me-plain, friendless, and lonely. My mom rushed over to the table with a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast while I poured myself what was left in the coffee pot. I sat down and slowly started to eat while avoiding any and all discussion thrown my way. "So, Wyatt," my dad turned to my brother, "have you thought anymore on what extracurricular's you might want to take up?" My brother looked thoughtful for a bit before he answered. My dad played baseball in high school, and I think he wanted Wyatt to follow in his footsteps, at least with some type of athletic. Knowing my brother, though, he was probably more drawn to the school newspaper or the schools student run phone app, Clearwater Cackle, which featured everything from the latest drama, to study groups and everything in between. Wyatt just smiled at my dad, "I think I might take it slow for the first semester at least dad, get my feet wet, see what there is to see," he wiggled his eyebrows at me and I couldn't help but giggle. My brother thought he was going to be the ladies man as soon as he walked through the doors. Don't get me wrong, for being only 15, my brother wasn't awful looking. He stood about 6'1, which put my measly 5'5 to shame, he had dark brown hair that he kept styled with the times, and the family's trademark blue eyes. But he was a frog hopping into an already male dominated pond; he'd have to learn to get hopped over for a little bit before he could straddle any lily pads. "Hmph," my dad sighed, turning toward me,"Cami, what about you? Think you might want to try for the squad again? This will be your last chance and I don't want you to miss out and regret it later one." My breath caught as I stared into my now cold coffee. My mom glanced over her shoulder from where she stood at the sink. Like my dad, she also wanted the old me back. She cheered in high school-that was how the two of them met-and she wanted me to keep that going. She always said that cheer gave her the pep her life needed the most, and it did mine too, until... "Now Frank, leave her alone. Cami has told us if she is ever ready to return to the squad, she would let us know." She walked up behind my dad and ruffled his salt and pepper hair and piled on more eggs onto his plate. She shot my a small smile and I just bowed my head. I hated hurting my parents. I hated knowing that I failed to live up to the dream they had for me and the high school life they wanted me to have. They didn't know why I stopped cheering, why I stopped hanging out with Michelle and Amanda, why I stopped being the Cami Sutton I was for so long. And they couldn't know; it would break them as much as it broke me. I was jostled from my thoughts by the sound of scraping chairs. "Come on sis, we are gonna be late and you promised to drive me today!" Wyatt already had his backpack and was halfway out the door by the time I looked up. I turned 18 during the summer, which meant and I had graduated from having my permit to having my full on license, so now I could have other people in the car that weren't my parents. Which translated to Wyatt as "free ride" until he was able to drive to school. I sighed and downed the rest of my coffee while looking longingly at the food that I didn't get to eat. I grabbed an apple from the bowl on the kitchen island as I walked over to get my keys and backpack. I threw the apple in the front pocket of my backpack and started to head out when my mom called to me, "Cami? Please keep an eye on him. And honey, have a good day." At least she tried to understand what was wrong. She had made her guesses the summer after sophomore year. After I told them I hated cheering and locked myself away. My dad just sort of shut down and pretended nothing was wrong. If they only knew... ******** The student lot was almost fully packed by the time we pulled in. I was finally able to find a spot near the end of the senior rows and had barely put the car in park before Wyatt jumped out and ran over to his group of friends that all looked so new and afraid of the world they were about to step into. I just looked after him and smiled. I hope you have a great first day little brother I thought to myself as pulled down the visor and popped open the mirror. The Sutton blue eyes stared back at me, and, just for a second, I swore I saw hope in them. Suddenly, someone slammed the hood of my 2014 VW Passat and yelled "Hey Clammy Cami! Here to haunt our halls for another year?!" A group of junior boys that I didn't know jogged away from my car, laughing. I hated that nickname with a passion. My ex-friend, Michelle, came up with it last year during speech class. I was called on to read my speech on the foster care system in America, when I froze, or "clammed up" as Michelle put it. It was one of the first times I had all eyes on my since...the incident, and I couldn't handle it. I ended up running out of the class crying, while all the other students burst out in laughter. I watched after them, wishing I could just turn around and leave and never come back. While I sat there, I heard the first warning bell and students started to make their way into the building. I sighed and got out, no time like the present, I thought as I pulled on my grey zip up hoodie on. Even though it was pushing almost 89 degrees in Clearwater, Florida, I never went into school without my jacket. It was my barrier to the outside world. All I had to do was throw my hood up, pull my hands into the sleeves, and keep my head down and I was as good as invisible. I made my way to my home room class with Mrs. Foster to get my schedule for the new year. I was barely in the building for 3 minutes and I already felt the wave a suffocation. I couldn't breath when I was here; I was too afraid, too jumpy. I didn't want to run into anyone from before, especially him. As I was lost in thought, I walked straight into a wall. Wait, no, it wasn't a wall, it was a person. I slowly lifted my head to see two of the greenest eyes I have ever seen staring down at me and they were filled with humor and concern. "Whooo there, can't see much staring at the ground like that." Wesley Lewis, the star senior, editor of the newspaper and head of the Clearwater Cackle, chuckled as he placed his hands on my shoulders to steady me. I quickly side stepped his touch and mumbled, "yeah, I'm fine. Sorry." I went to walk away when he reached a hand out and gently grabbed my arm. "Are you okay? I'm no marshmallow man, that couldn't have felt great." There was that damn concern in his eyes again. I shrugged my shoulder to get his hand off my arm, "yea, I'm fine," I repeated, "I'll be more careful next time." I hurried away before he could say anything else. I stopped at my locker a little further down the hall and snuck a glance back at him. He was tall, almost taller than Wyatt, and he was right-he was solid. He could easily play any sport he wanted, but from what I knew about him, that isn't what he is into. He is a bookworm, but a popular bookworm, if there is such a thing. He was always surrounded by people too-the saying "girls want him and guys want to be him" definitely described Wesley Lewis. He had that almost blonde hair that every girl dreamed of and-as I just learned-you could for sure get lost in his eyes. Just then, a few of his friends walked over to him and they all glanced in my direction. His friends, Cooper and Mason I think were their names, burst out laughing while recreating my crash into him. Great, I'm sure by now he realizes who I am; it was just a matter of time before they would be screaming Clammy Cami at me. I turned away from the scene and hurried away to home room. Great way to start senior year, clutz, I thought. This was going to be a long year. *Wesley's POV* Man, senior year was really here. I couldn't believe it. The last three years seemed to fly past and I honestly don't know if I was ready for all of this to end. Don't get me wrong, I was crazy happy to be headed off to the University of Tampa next year. I would finally be able to put my editing and app building skills to use. But I would be lying if I said I wasn't going to miss the inner workings of the high school world. All my friends, my accomplishments, all gone in the blink of an eye; but hey, all those accomplishments got a me a full ride, so I was happy. Speaking of accomplishments, I had to start thinking about holding interviews for positions at both the newspaper and the Clearwater Cackle app, your one stop shop for all the drama, school groups, and anything else you would ever want from high school. Just as I was getting ready to head toward my locker, I felt a thud and heard a light gasp. I looked down to see a girl rocking back on her feet. I grabbed her shoulders so she wouldn't tumble back from the impact into my chest. "Whooo there, can't see much staring at the ground like that," I chuckled as she looked up and I suddenly lost my breath. She had the clearest blue eyes I had ever seen and they were staring up at me with...fear? Why did she look so scared? She quickly stepped out of my grip and mumbled something I couldn't hear and went to dash away. Before she could, I gently grabbed her arm, "Are you okay?," I asked, "I'm no marshmallow man, that couldn't have felt great." I went for humor again to make sure she knew I wasn't mad at her. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'll be more careful next time." She shrugged me off and practically ran away before I could say anything else. Cooper and Mason, my co-editor and app moderator respectfully, came running up to me at that moment. "Whoo there man! Did you just get run over by Clammy Cami?!" Cooper howled with laughter, punching my arm. "Who?," I asked him as I looked back in the direction she went. "Clammy Cami, bro, you remember. The super hot cheerleader who turned super freak our junior year?" THAT was Cami Sutton? No way, it couldn't be. The Cami I remembered was always made up, perfectly styled outfits and surrounded by friends. "What happened to her? Is she still cheering?" I was still staring at her while my friends reenacted the incident. Why did she look so scared and alone, like she wanted to crawl in her locker and hide away? "No idea dude, and honestly, no one really cares. Michelle told me she had a total meltdown the summer after sophomore year and just stopped talking to everyone." Michelle was Mason's long time girl friend, and, if I remember right, was Cami's best friend. Or used to be I guess. "Come on Wes, we're gonna be late for homeroom. You know how Mr. Bleater feels about being late." They both took off in the other direction at the same time Cami turned and walked to what I assumed was her homeroom. I shook my head and followed after Cooper and Mason, but I couldn't stop thinking about the way she looked at me when she ran into me. She seemed like a little girl who had just broke her moms vase and was waiting to be yelled at. We were never really close before-cheerleading and the newspaper don't cross paths often, but we shared a lot of the same friends, so I've met her once or twice. She always seemed like such a fun loving girl and everyone was drawn to her bubblieness. I don't remember her ever having a boyfriend, but I know most of the single popular guys talked about her a lot. Myself included. What can I say, your first high school crush is always the popular cheerleader, am I right? I walked in to Mr. Bleater's class right when the bell rang. I took a seat between Michelle and Mason in the second row. I was excited to see what my schedule looked like for the year. I already knew 6th period would be the newspaper and 7th period would be free-they always made sure to give seniors a free period somewhere on their schedule to help balance out extracurriculars and all that. "Good morning, my bright eyed senior class!" The room let out a collective "WHOO" as Mr. Bleater came in and shut the door. "Now I know all of you are excited to get this year underway for one reason or another, so I won't drabble on. Michelle, would you like to pass out the class schedules?" Michelle excitedly jumped up which caused her blonde curls to bounce. I knew that she had been dating Mason since the summer after sophomore year, but I couldn't help but appreciate her looks. She was tiny, maybe 5'4, with long blonde hair and coffee colored eyes. Cheering helped balance out her body, so she was equal parts curvy and toned. But if I'm being honest, she was dumber than a box of rocks. She wasn't failing, but she wasn't gaining any honors either. I looked down as she set my schedule on my desk- 1st period I had honors algebra, 2nd period I had world history, 3rd period was gym, then lunch, 4th and 5th period was a block speech and debate and then it was newspaper and free period to end the day. I smiled. Man, this was going to be a great year.