THE WRONG KIND OF TROUBLE

Chapter 15

Cameron’s hands rested lightly on my waist, and his lips were soft and warm against mine. Every touch, every second, felt electric, but my mind was spinning. Part of me wanted to melt into him, to forget everything else, and part of me knew this was dangerous.

I bit his lower lip by accident, and he pulled back with a soft chuckle, his eyes sparkling as he looked at me. Then he returned, pressing his lips to mine again. He guided me gently against the wall, shifting a few boxes aside to make room. My heart raced so fast I thought it might burst.

It was like we had our own world, one that existed only for us. My mind felt dizzy, my chest pounding with excitement and fear all at once. Every instinct in me screamed both yes and no, creating a whirlwind of emotions I couldn’t untangle.

The warmth between us was undeniable. Our faces were close, our breaths mingling, and the tension was almost unbearable. I wanted to stay in that moment, to ignore the world, to give in. But then reality hit me like a cold splash.

I thought of the baby, of everything at stake, and my chest tightened with panic. What we were doing was wrong. My hands pushed against him gently but firmly. Cameron looked at me, surprise and concern flashing across his features.

“I… we can’t,” I whispered, shaking my head. My voice trembled, but my heart was steady in its resolve. The longing was still there, the chemistry undeniable, but I couldn’t let it take over.

For a moment, we just stood there, the tension lingering like electricity in the air. Our eyes met, full of unspoken words, regret, and desire. Then slowly, reluctantly, I stepped back, taking a deep breath as if to anchor myself. The room felt quieter, heavier, and yet somehow still alive with the memory of what had almost happened.

"What's wrong?" He finally spoke.

"This is. I'm sorry. If Jen's gonna find out I'm dead."

"Who cares! I'm breaking up with her. Your kiss said it all. You still love me." His voice rose, making me more nervous, almost having me flinch.

"I don't know what games your playing here or if Jen put you up with this but trust me, I want no part of it." I blatted.

Cam drew closer but I stopped him. "Please, don't," my voice croacked.

"Sam," he whispered gently. I could feel my eyes getting heavy, tears ready to explode.

"I'm not the i***t you fooled before Cam. And I already told you. I'm seeing someone. Now please, buzz off!" I shouted, my voice sharper than I intended. Of course, it was a lie. My mind was racing, and I had Tom in mind—just as a reference, just enough to keep Cameron at bay.

I shoved him aside and marched towards the door which I forgot was locked.

"Open the door, Cameron," I commanded. Thank glob, he actually listened. He fumbled in his pocket, pulled out a key, and shoved it into the keyhole. How he even got that key, I have no clue—and honestly, I don’t care enough to know. Some things are better left a mystery.

"Or if you’re just horny, go run to Jennifer. She’s a great lay, right?" I yelled, my words dripping with sarcasm and a little bit of pure hatred. Honestly, the nerve of him. The absolute audacity.

I stormed out, tugging at my hair and wiping my face with my sleeve like I'm in some kind of dramatic disaster movie. My chest was still hammering, my stomach twisting. Why did he always have to do this? Why did he have to make my life a full-on emotional rollercoaster?

By the time I got back to class, the place was empty. Mr. Wallace had already dismissed everyone. Great. Just great. Perfect timing, as always. I sank into my chair, trying to get my heart to calm down while my brain screamed every possible insult at Cameron all at once.

The school bell rang, loud and unforgiving, signaling the end of the first class. I groaned softly, because of course the day couldn’t just go smoothly. No, it had to start with Cameron, his damn smirk, and whatever nonsense he thought he could pull next.

By the time I managed to shove Cameron’s nonsense out of my head, first class was already over. My stomach growled, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten anything since morning. I shoved my bag over my shoulder and joined Liz, who was already waiting by the classroom door.

“Seriously, where’d you go?” Liz catechized as we walked toward the cafeteria.

We passed Wes’ classroom just as the last period of the morning ended. Wes bolted out to meet us, head bobbing low to avoid the bullies’ eyes.

"Nowhere important," was my reply.

Wes walked up to us, his hand waving. "Hi guys, what'sup?"

"Sammy here had a little chitchat with Mr. Huggins," Liz answered. Wes' face pluckered.

"That ass," he murmured in a whisper. "What's he want this time?"

"Yeah Sam. It must have been really important to interrupt us in math class," Liz said, with her usual sarcastic tone.

Wes' eyed glinted. "Man, I wish someone would interrupt us in math class. Mr. Wallace is no fun."

"You said it," Liz agreed, following with a cheeky chuckle.

"Now tell me honestly," the three of us stopped for a pause. "What happened?" Liz voice was serious.

Honestly, I had no idea what to tell her. These two would probably freak out all over again. Liz would launch into one of her endless lectures, and Wes… well, Wes would just panic like always.

Sure, I could tell them that Cam kissed me, leaving out the part where I kissed him back. But knowing my luck, my tongue might slip, and then we’d be in an even bigger mess.

I could also tell them his confession towards me and his plans on breaking up with Jennifer, but I chose not to. I just smiled.

Somewhere in the hallway, as we were walking through, we heard a creaky cry for help.

We turned to catch Tom bullying an innocent freshman again. The kid wore these ridiculous specs with glasses so thick that it looked like his eyes were zoomed in really big.

The poor kid was dropped on his knees, covering himself with his folded arms in front of his face.Tom’s fist was raised, aimed straight at the poor freshman. A few other kids, probably his friends, were crouched behind the corner of the wall, faces tight with nervousness. They didn’t look like they wanted to get involved, but they weren’t about to stop him either.

"I'm sorry okay? I didn't mean to bump into you. I'm sorry," the poor kid cried out in fear.

"f*****g retard! You should know better!" Tom replied. A group of guys happened to pass by, too, but were immediately scared once they realized it was Tom. They changed their direction and walked back.

"Oh, look, it's your husband," Wes waved his hand in the air, and Liz elbowed his waist. Wes gave out an owie sound, while Liz rolled her eyes and scowled.

Tom’s gaze snapped toward us, eyes blazing with anger. His hand clutched the poor freshman’s T-shirt like a vice, and his raised fist hovered for a moment before slowly lowering, as if the weight of the moment finally hit him. Every second stretched, and the air felt thick with tension, like the whole hallway was holding its breath.

"Let's go. Let's go," I puffed while pushing my two friends gently away from the angry King Tom.

We head straight off to our main destination-- the cafeteria.

As we pushed through the main door, Jennifer came dashing toward us. She slammed into my shoulder so hard that I nearly lost my balance if Wes and Liz had not steadied me instantly.

Jennifer froze when she realized who she had bumped into. My eyes widened as I saw her face. Her eyes were wet, mascara and eyeliner smeared down her cheeks, dripping as if she had just survived a full-on crying session. Her eyebrows curved into a deep frown, showing pure fury.

Paula rushed up behind her, stopping as soon as she saw us. Her face was a strange mix of worry and bitterness. Jennifer’s expression mirrored hers perfectly.

"You—" she growled, her pink-polished fingernail jabbing toward my chest. My mind went blank, anxiety crawling up my spine. I tilted my head, trying to figure out what she meant.

"Me?" I muttered, voice uncertain.

Her teeth clenched in anger. Liz nudged my shoulder, silently signaling me to back off. Just as we were about to turn away, a tight grip on my arm forced me to face Jennifer and Paula again. I pictured them as wild, angry vultures ready to tear me apart.

"Don't you dare ignore me!" Jennifer screamed. Her attention shifted the moment three girls tried to enter the cafeteria. She glared at them, and they immediately shrank back, frozen in fear.

"Quit it, Jen," Liz demanded, her voice trembling but firm. Jennifer just gave her a smug, infuriating smirk.

"W-what’s the big deal?" Wes stammered, his voice shaking but carrying a hint of courage.

"Shut up, tomboy and moss-head," Jennifer crowed.

Then her eyes snapped back to me. I could almost see flames flickering behind them, ready to burn me alive, like that Ghost Rider scene where the flaming skull consumed its prey. A cold, tense feeling twisted in my chest.

"Come here, you slut," she hissed, her grip on my arm tightening. Before I could react, she hauled me forward, forcing me toward her.