Chapter 4

I walked into the auditorium and took a seat in the back as far as possible from everyone else. I fiddled with my necklaces as I waited for the teacher and looked around at the gathered students.

Most of the people were upperclassmen so they ignored and/or paid me no mind, whichever you want to call it. I sat there and classified each one. I’m not judgmental or anything, I was just insanely bored.

Prep.

Female jock.

Prep.

Prep.

Snob.

Bitch.

Gorgeous hott emos.

Prep…..

Whoa wait a minute! I snapped my attention back onto the only boys in my class that I had mentally checked off as gorgeous hott emos.

There were two of them. The one on my right looked like he’d be the taller of the two. From what I could see, he had straight mid-neck length black hair and a tight black t-shirt on.

The other one had straight black hair too, but his as shorter and looked as if there was a streak of red in it. He also wore a tight black shirt, maybe tighter than the other one’s.

I was interrupted in my oogling when the teacher walked in and introduced herself as Mrs. Shaffer. She talked a bit about the course and what was going to happen this year. Then she took roll.

…

“James Adams?”

The shorter hott emo raised his hand a little and my heart stopped.

“Good to see you again, James,” the teacher said. She called out a few more names but I was entirely focused on the tall emo, watching and waiting for him to raise his hand or say something.

“Cameron Wing?”

I was so intent on watching for the tall emo’s reaction that I didn’t hear my own name.

“Cameron Wing.”

I jumped and said, “What?”

The teacher looked at me and said, “I take it your Cameron?” She didn’t sound irritated just amused.

“Yeah,” I said. At this point everyone had liked back at me. I hate being the center of attentions so I slouched in my seat and kept my gaze averted. I knew someone was still watching me but I didn’t look up until I heard Mrs. Shaffer call another name.

“Damian Wood?”

“Here.” The voice that answered was deep and smooth. And directed at me.

The moment I looked up I regretted it. My gaze was accidentally captured by the taller emo. I could feel my mouth drop a little bit and my face heat up a considerable amount. I was looking into the face of one of the most gorgeous looking guys I’ve ever seen. His eyes were like liquid pools of blue crystal, so deep and clear. My eyes traveled down his face to his lips. His full pink lips. Pulled into a smug smirk.

It was then I snapped out of my daze. I glared at him and promptly looked away.

The teacher was asking us to come one at a time to the very back. I guess it was to classify us as altos or sopranos.

“OK, while I work back here just chill out. I will call you back in roll call order,” Mrs. Shaffer said from the back. “First, James.”

James stood up and started walking to the back. I tried to avoid his gaze but he caught my eye anyway. He kept eye contact with me as he walked. I swear I was drowning in his gaze. His eyes were a beautiful blue-green.

When he reached my seat he stopped. James Adams, gorgeous emo extraordinaire, smiled and held out his hand to me.

“Hey, I’m James,” he said in a voice that was slightly higher than Damian’s.

No duh, I thought. I took his hand and briefly shook it. “Cami,” I said in a braver voice than I thought I could manage.

“Nice. I like it.”

“Thank you.” I was furious at myself for blushing. I felt the blood rush up to my cheeks, turning them slightly pink. I was really hoping he didn’t notice but judging by the smile on James’s lips, he did.

“Nice to meet you Cami.” James smiled a wonderful bone-melting smile and turned to walk to where Mrs. Shaffer was waiting.

“You too.” I was glad my voice remained steady. James lifted his hand to show he heard me and continued walking.

Beautiful eyes, gentlemanly manner, and a cute ass to boot. This was my kind of man.

Right in the middle of my staring I froze. Ever get that feeling that you’re being watched? Yeah. That feeling. Right now. I turned around and I’ll give you one guess as to who was staring me down. Damian.

He was staring at me curiously. And when he realized I caught him staring the curious look to one of smugness. It irritated me to no end. I turned my attention back to the story I was trying to write and thankfully I felt the eyes leave my form.

I exhaled the breath I had no I idea I was holding in a sigh of relief. I concentrated on writing but kept my ear trained on Mrs. Shaffer’s voice as she called people back. I didn’t want any more attention than I had already gotten. It was ten minutes before the end of class when I heard my name.

“Cameron. Your turn.”

I shut my black and red notebook and set it on top of my bag before heading back. My pant chains singing a soft melody in preparation for me to sing as I walked. Mrs. Shaffer smiled brightly at me when I reached the piano in the back.

“OK Cameron. We’ll do a few simple warm-ups then you can sing ‘America the Beautiful’. That sound good?” she said, smiling in her bright, bubbly way.

I nodded and she began the warm-ups. I caught on to the unfamiliar tunes easily and sang normally.

I’ve had singing lessons since the first grade so I know how to blow people away so when it came time for me to sing sing, I gave a small smile and let it fly. And boy did it fly. My soft melodic voice floated from the back to the students up front like rose petals dancing on the breeze. I could tell because a few heads turned to look at who was singing.

Both James and Damian looked back and I was pleased to see the shock written all over Damian’s face and the cheerfully surprised appreciation on James’s.

I finished the song and the teacher smiled even bigger, if that was even possible.

“Wow Cameron that was very good. You reached those high notes nicely,” Mrs. Shaffer said.

“Yeah,” I said. “I was a soprano from fifth grade to seventh, but last year I tried as an alto and it just stuck. I can sing the high notes but I’m more comfortable as an alto.”

“Alright then. Alto it is. You can go back to your seat.”

I nodded and smiled. As I was walking back to my seat she called Damian back. His face was neutral but I could see a spark of anger in his eyes. I smirked at his childishness and plopped down in my seat. I went to grab my notebook, but it wasn’t there.

I swore under my breath and searched around the floor to find my idea notebook.

“Hey there.”

I sat bolt upright and squeaked in surprise at the voice, then clamping a hand to my mouth in embarrassment. James was standing in the row below me, chuckling.

“You scared me,” I said, slightly breathless.

James was still chuckling. “Sorry ‘bout that. What were you doing on the floor anyway?”

“My idea notebook is missing. I set it on my bag before I went back to sing and when I came back it was gone.” I said, anger coloring my voice.

“What’s it look like?” he asked concerned.

“It’s a black spiral notebook with red trimming and purple wings on the front cover.”

“Oh, well then,” he said, holding up my notebook. “I think this is yours.”

“Where’d you find it?” I asked outraged.

“Damian said he saw it laying on the floor in the row behind us when it was suddenly in his hands. We were curious to see who the owner was so I flipped through a few pages trying to find a name. But all we found was the initials K.E. underneath a poem.”

“You didn’t read anything, did you?” I asked taking the notebook from his outstretched hand and holding it close to my chest.

“Uh Damian didn’t, I snatched it off him too quickly for him to read properly. But I did read a story idea. Sorry.” James actually looked ashamed.

“Which one?” I asked smiling a little, somewhat relieved that he didn’t read a poem.

“Midnight’s Tears.” I smiled. That was the one my friend had started writing but gave up and relinquished to me.

“That’s fine,” I said. “I don’t mind you reading that one.”

James face lit up when I said it was fine and he smiled that bone-melting smile of his. “It was really good.”

“Thanks but it wasn’t originally mine. My best friend attempted to write it but gave up and let me have the idea. I have yet to write anything down but I’ve got it all in my head,” I blushed. “but you don’t want to hear about it. It’s boring.”

“That’s not true,” he said. “I find it very interesting. As I find you.”

I blushed even more and was saved from saying anything as the bell rang. I bent down and grabbed my bag and started walking.

James caught up quickly. “What do you have next?”

“Um… Spanish two in room …uh,” I struggled to remember the room number and to keep my voice steady. “210.”

“Awesome I’m just across the hall. We can walk together… If you don’t mind.” He added the last part hastily.

I shook my head and said, “No I don’t mind.” We walked out of the auditorium together and started towards our destination.

It was quiet the first few minutes, well as quiet as you can get in a crowded hallway. Then James said, “I really like your voice. Where’d you learn to sing like that?”

I blushed. “Thanks,” I said. “I’ve been taking singing lessons since the first grade and my teacher is one of the best.”

“Really who is it?”

“Her name is Mrs. Cramer.”

“Cool.”

We lapsed into a comfortable silence from there on. He walked right beside me, far enough away that it wouldn’t look like we were a couple but close enough so that his arm brushed mine occasionally, my arm tingling where skin met skin. When we reached my stop he pulled me aside.

“What lunch do you have?” James asked me.

“ ‘A’ lunch, why?” I replied.

Instead of answering he asked another question. “Do you have anyone to sit with?”

“My friends have the same lunch as me.”

“But do you have anywhere to sit?”

“Um…not as of yet.”

“Then you and your can sit with me and my friends.”

“But there’s five of us. Will there be enough room?”

“Of course. We can fit you guys plus another person. Don’t worry.”

“Will Damian be there?” I asked tentatively.

“Yeah, why?” James asked curiously.

“I don’t think he likes me.” I said honestly.

“I’m not sure if he does or not. But don’t worry we’ll make sure he behaves.”

I laughed. “Okay.” I glanced into my next classroom and saw my friends staring incredulously at James and me. “I better get in there. I’m gonna be grilled for sure. Thanks James. See you at lunch.” I smiled at him and walked into the clutches of the beasts known as my friends.

I smiled to myself as I reached my friends. I knew I had made a hott new friend and I was going to catch hell for it.