A One Night Stand Turned Complicated

Chapter 11

Camille looked around the gloomy décor of the restaurant they were in and thought how different it was from Lucy's. She wasn’t sure why her friend had wanted them to eat here.

"So, how are things going with the band and all?" Chanelle asked with a grin as she bit into her salad.

Camille had been recording the band practicing all week. And she had to admit, it was going better than she’d expected.

"They’re great,” she began, “Asher is adorable. Derek is really laid-back and cool, which is funny because I thought he would be the serious one. Mike is….. cold. I mean he kind of goofs around with the other guys, but he hasn't warmed up to me yet. I don't know why," Camille mused to her friend as she took a sip of her lemon iced-tea.

Chanelle looked expectedly at her.

"What Nelly?" Camille asked in mock innocence. She knew what her friend wanted to know.

Chanelle sighed. "Are you seriously going to make me spell it out?"

Camille raised an eyebrow, pretending to be puzzled. "Spell out what?" she asked.

Her friend narrowed her eyes. "Fine! What about Jace?"

Camille shrugged indifferently. "What about Jace?"

Nelly glared at her. "Argh! Cammy, can we please not do this right now?"

"Do what now?" Camille asked innocently.

Chanelle's right eye twitched in frustration. "Camille! I swear if you don't stop acting dense. I. Will.—"

Camille interrupted her, not wanting her friend to go on a dramatic rant. "Alright, alright, "she said with a sigh.

"Jace is a complete and utter conceited, arrogant, jerk,” she said, annoyed. “I don't know why I was ever attracted to him. He is always so indifferent and the only time I ever get a reaction out of him is when he's being a flirt. And trust me, I would rather he ignore me then," Camille finished saying, exasperated.

Chanelle smiled, a mysterious glint in her eyes. "So, one, you're still attracted to him. Two, you hate the tension between you two. Three, you're—"

"How the hell did you get that out of what I said?" Camille asked, incredulously.

Chanelle shook her head and continued her point. "Three, you're frustrated that you can't act on it," Nelly finished.

Camille looked at her friend in disbelief and shook her head

"Oh, please Cam. Don't deny it. Remember, I've known you since junior high. I can practically read you like an open book."

Was she that obvious?

Of course, she was attracted to him. She had wanted him from the moment she first saw him.

Honestly, she wanted him even more now.

And it certainly didn't help that she had to see him multiple times a week.

However, Camille promised herself that she would not let another thing happen between them.

She had already done enough damage.

"By the way, Cam, I can't believe you're going to see Blue Steel Crush without me. What kind of bestie are you?" Nelly said, annoyed.

"Nelly," Camille whined, "you know I was invited by Alex. And you don't even like the band anyway."

"It's a concert, who cares who's playing…" Chanelle said before adding, "Also you should be upfront with him about how you really feel. Everyone knows how much Alex likes you. And I know you’re not into him.”

“Chanelle,” Camille began.

Her friend continued. “Besides there’s something about him I don’t really like. I can’t put my finger on it. But I think it would just be better for you to tell him the truth so he can just move on with his life,” Chanelle said.

Camille began to protest and her friend shook her head. "You know you're not attracted to him. You're the cliché good girl who is attracted to the bad boys. I mean the only time you dated a ‘nice guy’, he…well…" Chanelle trailed off.

Camille closed her eyes and sighed. "It's okay, Nelly, I'm over it. You can say his name," Camille told her.

Chanelle looked intently at her friend. "Are you?"

Camille sighed again. “Yes we can talk about Greg. You don’t need to keep tiptoeing around me anymore.”

Chanelle gave her a pained look and Camille looked away and went back to eating her meal.

"You know I think there’s something wrong with my car," Chanelle said randomly.

Ignoring the abrupt change of subject, Camille asked, "Really, what?"

"I don't know. It just feels really different, harder to drive," she paused, "good thing there’s a mechanic shop around here."

"Yeah, Joe Finkley's. What—" Camille stopped, when she saw that her friend was no longer paying attention to her, but instead staring at the entrance.

Camille flipped around and saw Alice glancing around the room.

Camille waved and Alice gave her a smile, though it looked forced. Camille’s stomach twisted at that.

"What is she doing here?" Chanelle hissed.

"C'mon Nelly, you know she hasn't talked to me all week. I'm even surprised she agreed to come."

As Alice approached, Camille felt elated.

Her sister had come, which meant that maybe Camille could start repairing their relationship. Camille had called and texted Alice all week until her sister had finally relented and agreed to meet.

Camille looked back over to her friend.

Chanelle looked upset, no…livid.

Camille still didn't understand what had happened between them. And her friend had never explained.

As Alice reached the booth, Camille got up to hug her.

"Alice," Camille exclaimed, "I’m glad you’re here."

Alice gave her a small smile, but barely returned the hug.

That hurt.

“Camille,” she greeted politely. Then she gave Chanelle a look. The tension was palpable between them.

Alice sat down beside her in the booth and Camille quickly noticed that she kept checking her watch.

That hurt even more.

Her sister really didn’t want to be here.

Maybe she shouldn’t have asked her to come.

But still, Camille was determined to smooth things over.

For ten minutes, she tried to engage Alice in conversation, but her sister barely responded. It also didn’t help that Chanelle kept glaring at Alice when she thought Camille wasn’t looking.

Finally, Camille gave up. " Chanelle, what’s going on?” she asked her friend before turning to her sister. “And Alice, you've been staring at your watch this whole time. Do you have somewhere you need to be?"

Alice bit her lip and looked nervous. "Well…I really want to see Jace, you know, since I haven't seen him since I left."

Oh.

Of course.

"Okay. Well then….go," Camille said coldly.

Alice looked pained at Camille’s tone. "He's actually down the street. You know at Finkley's. He's a mechanic there."

Camille narrowed her eyes at Chanelle and her friend smiled sheepishly before continuing to stab her fork into her salad.

"Oh? Is he?" Camille said, now realizing why her friend had chosen this restaurant to eat and why Chanelle suddenly had ‘car problems’.

Alice nodded at her.

"Then don't keep him waiting," Camille said coldly.

Alice gave her a look. "Why don't you come with me?"

"Why?"

"Because…I don't know. I just want you beside me," Alice told her and then added, "Please Cam. You said that he was being an ass to you that night and I just want my two favorite people to get along."

Camille wanted to laugh.

She knew how quickly her sister would change her tune if she knew the truth.

But she could see how much Alice really wanted this. And Camille really wanted them to get back to being in a good place.

Camille caught Chanelle motioning at her with her finger.

"Okay," Camille agreed. "Meet you outside?" Alice nodded before practically skipping to the exit.

"Camille," Chanelle hissed, upset, "you don't have to go if you don't want to."

Camille blinked. "Why wouldn't I want to go? I’ve been such a shitty sister and if this is what she wants. If this helps-"

"Oh please don't let her guilt trip you,” Chanelle said, rolling her eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Camille asked.

"You always let her control you,” her friend explained.

"What?" Camille said, confused.

Chanelle sighed. "Camille, I have to go. I'll call you later."

Camille stared after her friend in confusion.

She didn't know what that was all about. But she hated feeling like she was being split in half where Alice was dragging one side while Chanelle dragged the other.

Camille shook her head and got up to leave as well.

She paused as she saw Chanelle and Alice outside having a heated conversation. She couldn't hear any words, but their actions were enough.

Chanelle's hands were balled in a fist…she looked like she wanted to kill.

But Alice's expression shocked her.

Alice didn't look anywhere near as upset. In fact, she had an arrogant look on her face and her lips were pulled into a triumphant smirk.

The look scared her.

Camille knew she should go outside and break up their argument, but she felt paralyzed by the scene unfolding in front of her, her eyes glued to their actions.

Chanelle was beyond livid now as she seemed to be yelling something and pointing at Alice Finally, Alice seemed to snap and said something that made Chanelle freeze.

.

Her friend looked into the restaurant and locked eyes with Camille, her expression unreadable.

Chanelle shook her head as she walked away and left. Camille knew, without a doubt, that her sister had won whatever that was.

She would have to ask Chanelle what that was all about. Camille was sick of being kept out of the loop of whatever was going on between them.

Camille headed outside, stopping in front of her sister. "What just happened?" she asked.

Alice shrugged indifferently. "I don't really know. Your friend is seriously insane. I don't know why you hang out with her."

Camille narrowed her eyes. "You're lying, Alice. Tell me the truth,” she said.

"Fine,” Alice sighed. “She came out here and out of nowhere started yelling at me, just because I asked you to come with me to see Jace. I mean seriously? What is wrong with her?"

Camille gave her sister a look.

Something told her there was more to the story than that.

Much more.