Tame Read online

  "What about Cameron?" I said slyly.

  "It doesn't matter..." Jason laughed. "You...you two really are similar!"

  "Excuse me? I've never been kissed and he's a man-whore." I rolled my eyes.

  I was a mean person. Terrible. I had already pissed Cameron off, but now he looked furious. But the reason I was mean? I was mean, because he was trying to get people to stop laughing at me.

  "Shut up! Stop it!" Cameron barked. I couldn't believe my eyes. He was...defending me?

  "Dude, she's never been kissed! She's seventeen!"

  "Yeah, and I'm betting you haven't either." Cameron sneered. The boy flushed pink and looked away.

  "That's what I thought." Cameron spat.

  Cameron turned to face me and I let a small smile slip in his direction.

  "Thanks." I mouthed. I wasn't sure why, but it felt nice to be communicating with Cameron in a way which wasn't screaming, yelling, or falling over a fence.

  "Any time." He mouthed back. What was happening?

  "Yo Cameron!" Jason called. "You won't believe what she just called you!"

  Cameron looked at me, a smile tugging on his lips playfully. "Go on. What did she call me?"

  Jason grinned, in almost triumph. "A man-whore."

  Cameron's facial features tightened. His jaw tensed, all over again. His eyes narrowed themselves at me, his brows arched angrily. I could see his pearly whites and he uttered a low growl.

  "Bitch."

  He then grabbed his stuff and stalked out of the room. Really? What now? I didn't understand. He must have been used to being called things like that. But the more I thought about it, for once, Cameron was right. I was a bitch.

  "Girl, you got something on him." Jason told me. I looked at him in disgust. Something on him? I was an idiot who kept offending him and showing myself up in front of him.

  I got up, planning to follow Cameron. But something made me stop. He would leave me alone now for sure. No more Cameron. No more Cameron. That would be a good life. Maybe leaving on bad terms would be a good thing?

  I sank back into my seat, just in time for Mr Lopez to come in. He surveyed the room, checking to see if everyone was sat in the right place. He beamed at me and Jason- particularly me. Or was I imagining it? No, I was sure he was a pedo. He had that...that 'look' about him.

  "All right class, settle down, settle down." Mr Lopez shushed everyone. He spread his class plan out on his desk and studied it, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. He murmured under his breath and other students in the class took this opportunity to whisper and laugh at me. Just, yay.

  "I reckon, you secretly have had a crush on the guy forever." Jason whispered, nudging me with his arm. Except with a build like his, a nudge was more of a shove. And it was painful.

  "Ow." I moaned quietly, rubbing my arm. "I have not. How many times do you have to say that? It's not true."

  "If you got the chance to date him, would you?" Jason asked me.

  The question surprised me. Jason was more of a gossip than most girls in the school. "No. I wouldn't."

  "I don't think you understand Cameron. You should get to know him." Jason told me.

  "Understand him?" I snorted. "I barely know the guy."

  "Quiet, please!" Mr Lopez called. I shut up, and looked down at my notes we had been taking last lesson.

  "Which is why you should get to know him." Jason continued, only slightly quieter than he had been before.

  "No thanks." I replied, flipping through my notes, not taking anything in.

  "Well why not?" Jason demanded. "What have you got against Cameron?"

  "Guys, be quiet!" Mr Lopez said sternly, talking to me and Jason.

  I remained silent and listened attentively throughout the lesson. Jason flicked pencils and eraser shavings at people, kicked the chair in front of him several times and prodded me to get me to answer his question. Mr Lopez saw him I swore- but he was probably used to his behavior. It was the same every lesson. What kind of teacher gave up?

  What kind of person gave up? Anything? I mean, silly things like trying to reach the remote from the couch when it's on the coffee table, and giving up and getting up to reach it, is good. But giving up on a student? Another human being?

  I felt guilty as my mind wandered through these thoughts. But I wasn't giving up on Cameron, I was trying to get him to leave me alone. That wasn't giving up, was it?

  Silence filled the desk Jason and I shared. Everyone else in the room were chatting, or at least conversing in some way. I didn't like silence. It made me think instead, and thinking never did anything for me. It just made me feel bad about doing absolutely nothing wrong- Cameron was just an idiot.

  There it was again! Silence+thinking= Thoughts about Cameron. It was really starting to bug me. I mean, maybe I over did it a little at the movie theatre...

  And there it was again.

  "I don't..." I said, breaking the silence. Jason looked up at me expectantly from underneath his floppy dark fringe. "I don't have anything against Cameron as such. But he brings out a stupid side of me and he always embarrasses me. So I guess I do have something against him."

  "Get to know him. Go on a few dates..." Jason suggested.

  "Excuse me? No. No way." I shook my head vigorously.

  "Well maybe you could just try to be friends with him then?" Jason tried. "Invite him to study with us at your house on Wednesday or something, I dunno."

  "You just want him to be there on Wednesday!" I cried. "Well, no!"

  "Ugh." Jason groaned. "Girl, you annoy me."

  "Good." I stuck my chin out and returned to working.

  "Farrah?" A male voice summoned me.

  "Hm?" I looked up and saw Mr Lopez staring at me- what a creep!

  "Can you just pop down to the French office and ask for a few more textbooks?" Mr Lopez questioned. "We need eight more. People are finding it too hard to share."

  "Um, sure." I answered, heaving myself up.

  "Teacher's pet!" Jason sang as I pushed through the door. Several people sniggered and I glared at him. Meanie.

  "I need...well, Mr Lopez would like eight textbooks please?" I said to the lady in the office. She huffed and chucked several books across at me. I didn't catch them- of course. I dropped each one and had to bend down to pick them up.

  "Honestly, be careful with school property!" The woman snapped. She startled me so much I fell forward, and my butt stuck up in the air. I flushed red, which I seemed to be doing all the time lately, and gathered the books, struggling to carry them. I sighed when I realised I had to travel half way across the school to get back to my classroom.

  I looked like an idiot. I knew that from all the strange looks I had got through windows of other classrooms. I was walking like someone on the moon- trying not to trip over. The heavy textbooks weighed down in my arms, and every time I looked around worriedly to see if anyone was looking at me, I fell over.

  "Ouch!" I complained. It probably came out as, 'acksh' though, because I had face-planted the hard gravel on the ground. I lifted my face from the ground, and saw a pair of black converse that looked all too familiar. Déjà vu much?

  "You've cut your elbow." A cool voice informed me.

  "That's why it hurts so much." I groaned. I shrieked as I saw a small stone poking out of the fresh cut.

  "Calm down." Cameron snapped, crouching in front of me and plucking the stone out.

  "Yeeeow." I whined. "Ow. Thanks."

  He grunted in response, offering a hand to help me up. I smiled and took it, but he dropped me on my butt. He was such a Troy-type-person. Ugh.

  "What was that for?" I demanded.

  "Getting me kicked out of the movie theatre." He smirked.

  "Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't mean to." I found myself apologising.

  "I was never really mad. I just wanted to see your reaction- they're funny." Cameron told me, chuckling.

  "You did what now?" I gasped. "Ugh! You irritate me, boy."

&nbs
p; "Don't talk like that. It sounds weird." He ordered, bending over to once again help me up. I grabbed his hand, planning to yank him down with me. But he let go again, and I grimaced.

  "Will you quit it? What was that one for?" I groaned.

  "Calling me a man-whore." He replied, his face dark.

  "Sorry..." I mumbled. "I don't...I mean, I wouldn't...but...us...so different....Jason said..."

  "Jason? Jason said what?" Cameron snapped. He pulled me up by the waist, which surprised me. I kind of liked the feeling of his arms around me.

  "Never mind. He said we were similar, I said we were different, we argued, I said that you were a man-whore, so yeah." I explained badly.

  "Okay then." Cameron grinned. "So tell me why you're carrying all of these textbooks?"

  "Mr Lopez wants them." I shuddered. I gathered four and balanced them on my hand. I reached for another and dropped them all again. "Dammit."

  "I'll help." Cameron offered. I smiled at him, and he returned the smile. It was like when we first met, he was helping me. Though he did pull me over a fence, which hurt a lot.

  He took half of the pile, I took the other. We both walked back to Mr Lopez's classroom.

  "He'll yell at me for taking so long." I complained. "I hate getting into trouble."

  "Goody two-shoes." Cameron teased.

  "Idiotic bad-ass." My mouth said to him. My brain and mouth argued- again. It seemed the nerves between them were trying to stir things. Wait, I was thinking about my body arguing with itself? I was really weird.

  "Clumsy." Cameron sang.

  "Rude." I retorted.

  "I'm helping you carry these." Cameron jerked his head at the books, as his arms were full.

  "Hm. Okay, Jason can be rude then." I decided aloud.

  "Why is he rude?" Cameron inquired.

  "He's persistent and annoying. Badly behaved and mannered." I told Cameron. "You share three of those qualities."

  "Really?" Cameron laughed. "How is he persistent? Does he bug you in class?"

  "Yep. Always saying I like you. Which I don't." I frowned.

  Suddenly the books in my hands dropped to the floor, and so did Cameron's. He pressed me up against the wall, pinning my arms above my head.

  "Is that so?" Cameron breathed. "'Cause the way you act around me says differently."

  I gaped at him. I was being pinned up against the wall, in a public place, school no less, by Cameron Carter.

  "S-says the guy pushing himself up against me." I choked.

  "Maybe I'm trying to get your senses working straight. You haven't exactly been nice to me of late, have you?" Cameron smirked.

  "Y-you, you...you really are a man-whore." I stuttered.

  "You don't believe that do you?" Cameron asked, his facial expression changing from cocky to concerned. What was going on?

  "Um...yes." I replied honestly.

  "Nice talking to you, Farrah Chambers." Cameron winked, almost sadly, letting me go and strolling off. My mouth hung open, my mind whirling. What the hell had just happened? Cameron Carter was...flirting with me?

  In a daze, I picked up the books from the floor one by one. I balanced them with difficulty and began my walk back to the classroom. I wondered where Cameron had gone, back to class possibly? I wondered what he was thinking, was he thinking about me? No, he was just a player that...well, played girls. Why had he just done that to me? Was it revenge? Well two could play at that game.

  Why did this boy pursue my thoughts so often? Why did he embarrass me, and make me think? I hated thinking in a silence. It was too silent when there was no one around school. They were all in lessons, waiting for the bell to ring...

  RRRIIINNNG!

  "Jesus Christ!" I cried, tripping over my own feet. I fell to the ground once more, books sprawled around me. One landed on my butt, and I groaned. Life was just wonderful. Today hadn't gone well. And I wouldn't forget it either.

  Especially my moment with Cameron. I wouldn't forget that- not until I got my head around why it happened.

  And why I liked it so much.

  Chapter 9

  I stared at the piece of white paper on the desk in front of me. A detention sheet. Apparently, telling the truth as to why you were so late back to class lands you in detention.

  *Earlier*

  I burst into my French classroom, out of breath from barging through people and falling over multiple times. I slammed the books onto Mr Lopez's desk, and let out a deep breath.

  "They y'are sir." I said, gesturing at the books. I awaited his reaction impatiently. I was gonna be in so much trouble.

  "A little late, perhaps, Miss Chambers?" Mr Lopez tutted, tapping his foot as if it were a movie. I turned my head toward the ceiling and looked for hidden cameras.

  "Look at me when I am speaking to you, Farrah." Mr Lopez ordered. "Why did you take so long?"

  "Well...first I got lost," I lied. I sighed and carried on in truth. "But the textbooks were too heavy to carry when I finally got them and I kept falling over because I'm clumsy and then I ran into Cameron Carter, who said he'd help me carry the books back- but he didn't. Well¸ he did, but only part of the way and then..." I trailed off. How the heck could I explain the rest of the story to a teacher?!

  "Hm?" Mr Lopez pressed.

  "Um, well, he...disappeared!" I cried. "As if by magic. He just- bam! Disappeared into thin air."

  "Uh huh. Miss Chambers, I am sorry to do this, but I'm giving you detention for skipping class and lying to a teacher." Mr Lopez informed me.

  "Whaa?" I moaned.

  "Is not a word. The correct term is 'what', and even then you should be saying, 'pardon'." Mr Lopez instructed me. "Now here's your detention slip, I'm going to make a call home because you have an afterschool detention."

  "Par?" I gasped. I had meant to say 'pardon', like he told me to, but I was in shock. Despite my clumsy nature and sometimes sarcastic and rudeness- I had never ever received a detention. It was shocking. Troy was the bad-ass of the family, not me!

  I blamed Cameron Carter.

  "It's all very well you blaming Mr Carter, Farrah." Mr Lopez interrupted my thoughts. Damn, had I been thinking aloud again? "But seeing as he is not even in school today...well, that proves your story is just, well, a story."

  And to think I agreed to tutor Jason Evans for this guy.

  "Farrah, go now!" Mr Lopez snapped. Oops.

  I really needed to make sure when I was thinking, I thought inside of my head.

  *Present Time*

  Mr Lopez had really scruffy writing, I thought to myself. I hated the fact that he wrote down my name, I was really stuck on this idea of him being a pedophile. I had an over-active imagination. And personality.

  The door swung open, smashing into the wall, making me jump out of my seat. Jesus Christ- who opened a door like that? The teacher running detention barely looked up, he just muttered, "Find a seat".

  Determined to prove I wasn't rude, I didn't stare at whoever just burst in. I looked back at my detention sheet, the sloppy writing on the paper. I could write neater than that. I wondered if I would ever become a teacher- it would be an interesting experience for sure.

  And if I were a teacher, I'd be nice to my students to earn their respect. I wouldn't make the good children tutor idiots that try to match them up with their best friends. I wouldn't give them detention for telling the truth, and I wouldn't make them carry eight, heavy, textbooks on their own.

  "And I'm guessing if you were a teacher you would refuse to teach the likes of Jason Evans and Cameron Carter." A smooth voice interrupted.

  My cheeks went red, which I couldn't even seem to control anymore. "Um, did I just say all of that out loud?"

  "Yep." The voice confirmed. A small smile slipped onto my face and I looked up.

  "Hello Cameron." I smiled. Wait, I was meant to mad at him- it was his fault I was in detention!

  "Hey there, Farrah Chambers." He grinned, making me grimace when he said my full name. "What's a
goody two-shoes like you doing here?"

  "It's your fault I'm here." I scowled. "And what are you doing here? Surely a bad-ass like you would skip detention?"

  "I had nothing better to do." Cameron sighed. His eyes went wide as he realised what he said. "Uh, I meant-"

  "Whatever." I giggled. "Why did you just leave me there earlier?"

  "'Cause I knew you'd get detention and I knew I would too, for skipping classes."

  "Wait, so you...wanted to spend time with me in detention?" I gasped.

  "Try not to look so surprised. You amuse me." Cameron said breezily.

  "Right." I said, unable to say anything else.

  "So, what are you doing later?" Cameron asked me.

  "Nothing. I just wanna go home and sleep." I replied grumpily. "You?"

  "Party. I was wondering if you wanted to come. I can quite imagine you drunk- it would be hilarious!"

  "Well, no. Sorry." I told him. "Hold on...did you just invite me to a party? You weren't joking were you? Tell me you were."

  "Nope. I was genuinely inviting you to a party. You may be rude, but I'm not."

  "Excuse me? You are the rude one here. I just act this way because of you. You like, rub off on people. It's all your fault." I nodded.

  Cameron was biting his lip to stop himself from laughing at my outburst.

  "Just laugh." I sighed. He did as well, loud, clear...loud.

  "Mr Carter will you please shut your trap!" The grumpy teacher barked from his desk.

  Cameron just laughed harder.

  "How was detention, little sister?" Troy smirked as I stepped into the living room. He was sprawled across the couch, eating some form of hotdog. It appeared to have smarties in it. Interesting.

  "It was okay." I told my brother truthfully. I was supposed to be annoyed with Cameron, and trying to get him off my back. But it wasn't going too well. He just appeared out of no where, and I was beginning to like it. I had to do something- and fast.