Chapter 1 ♡
I can’t believe my life took such a drastic turn! I put all the blame for that on Cameron Striker.
Everything had been going so normally well too.
Tania and I avoid each other as was usual. I blended in school without gaining any unwanted attention, like usual. I avoided stringing myself into a relationship -that didn’t count friendship- as always. Nick was still the best brother.
Everything in my life was the routine I made out for myself when we first moved to Morgan town two years ago. That is until he came waltzing into my life like nobodies business. Turning my once peaceful life off its axis.
Not everything that happened was bad per say. In fact he made me feel on top of the world. I just wish our ending had turned different than it did.
It all started that fateful Saturday morning.
I was doing a flower delivery for mom when I popped into Carly’s grannies pet shop. I’d gotten caught up chatting with Carly and didn’t notice the time slipping away. I ended up being late for my next flower run.
Shouting out my goodbye to Carly and all the animals their, not forgetting to pick the calico cat I promised Carly I’d look after for the weekend, I rushed out of the shop.
It was my luck that a dog tried playing with Saber - my cat - and barked in all excitement. It was my misfortune that this startled poor Saber and it jumped straight out of my arm and dashed down the road.
“Saber!” I yelled, chasing after my cat which was being chased by a dog.
I guess karma didn’t hate me completely as the dog tired after a few twists and turns and gave up chase. My spooked cat, too terrified, didn’t stop. So I rushed past the dog and continued chasing after Saber.
It was when she took a sudden turn right that everything started.
Me of course chasing right after Saber took the sharp turn right behind her. The moment I did, I noticed a boy walking directly in my path, and to avoid colliding with him skidded to a halt.
The sudden stop gravitating my balance, I landed face first on the sidewalk.
My palms and knees stung the moment I hit the hot asphalt.
“Ouch!” I muttered under my breath. I didn’t fancy getting up and seeing the blood on my hands and knees. I hate the very sight of blood. It made me dizzy and nauseas.
“Hey are you okay?” a male voice questioned. I’m guessing the guy I avoided running into. A pair of black sneakers stopped in front of me.
Groaning in pain, I pushed myself to a sitting position.
“I think so,” I replied, not bothering to look up as I sat. I had gotten a glimpse of my blood smeared across the asphalt as I moved, and shut my eyes tight to avoid fainting. Or vomiting. Whichever came first.
“What are you doing on the floor?” He asked after a pause. This time I detected the amusement colouring his tone. Something he tried, but failed at hiding.
“Trying to fall asleep until you came along.\,” I muttered, my own voice filled with sarcasm. My eyes remained shut and I had yet to see whom I was talking to.
The boy chuckled at my reply.
“What’s your name?”
I’d been opening my eyes when he asked that -careful to avoid looking at either of my wounds- and I replied without thinking. It was more of an automatic response.
“Sydney,” I said, my eyes trained on the jeans clad legs covering the rest of my view. I was about to lift my gaze up to see who I was talking to, when he reached down and pulled me up to my feet.
An exclamation of “Hey!” left my lips, but too late. He’d already pulled me up.
However, the moment I was on my feet, pain shot up from my knee and I lost my balance all over again. Before I could face plant on his chest, two hands steadied me.
I opened my mouth to thank him but ended up staring at him with my mouth hanging open.
I’d give it to him, he was drop dead handsome -why else was he called the heartthrob of our school?
However it wasn’t his god given good looks that had me staring at him like an idiot. Oh no, his looks had nothing to do with my sudden muteness.
“You okay?” He questioned, teasing smirk playing on his lips.
I mutely nodded my head, hoping my mouth wasn’t hanging open in shock. I don’t think I could have formed words if I was still capable of it.
That was because I was staring at the hottest, most populest guy in my whole school. He had the piercing bright bottle green eyes that any girl would love to stare into. It could capture anyone’s attention. He had black hair with brown highlights and it reached his shoulder. He was tan - what with always playing football - and well built. And damn he was tall, at least 5′11. That is exactly 8 inches taller than me.
Good lord in heaven, my life was so over.
Why, you ask? Because despite his really good looks he was nothing short of a jerk. He was rude and cocky and to add to the effect he played with girls like they were nothing more than toys to be used and tossed aside. Yeah, I do mean that he was a player.
I guess my face wasn’t looking as horror-stricken as I felt, seeing as how he went on in a chirpy tone “Your welcome”.
“Huh?” I muttered dumbly, looking at him feeling a little lost.
Seriously, what the hell is wrong with me? I wasn’t usually one to go all dumb. I see Cam and I can’t come up with something more intellectual to say to him. As if I wasn’t feeling stupid enough.
“For helping you,” he provided at my cluelessness, looking at me in this very weird way. Probably thinking I was mad or something.
“Oh right, Thanks” I said, smacking myself hard. I gave him a sheepish smile looking around for someway to get out of this conversation.
“For a pretty girl like you anytime,” he said bowing mockingly.
I gave him a blank look.
“You’re kidding right?” I asked sounding a little too annoyed even to my own ears. Was he blind or something? If he wasn’t then I must’ve heard him wrong because I thought he just called me a pretty girl.
Yeah, right! I’ll buy that when hell freeze over.
He just raised his eyebrow at me like he didn’t understand what I was asking him about. What made it hard to buy was the fact that there was a smirk playing on his lips.
“Forget it” I said with a grunt, waving my hand in dismissal, I didn’t want to cause a scene in the middle of the road and specially didn’t want to blow things out of proportion. Adding to the fact that I was still trying to find a way out and my mind was coming up with completely nothing.
I seriously can’t believe my brain is out of anything to say when I desperately want it to work. I usually always had something to say. I couldn’t stay two seconds without talking. I meet Cam Striker and my mind is blank, zitch, nada, nil, nothing.
If it wasn’t for my stupid cat I wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place. That stuck me with an idea.
“You didn’t see a cat run past by any chance did you?” I asked him, might as well ask him since I wanted an escape anyway. Plus the little guy had gone completely missing by the time Cam had pulled me up and I’d have to look for it anyway.
“Cat? No” he said shaking his head and looking around.
“Now where did that stupid cat go to?” I mumbled to myself, looking around for any sign of Saber. Great! I just lost my cat. Carly is so going to kill me when she learns of this. That girl take her love more seriously than I do and that is saying something. Dear god please help me!!!!
" S’cuse me. Did you just call me an idiot?” Cam asked me his eyes narrowing dangerously.
I gulped and said “no I called my cat stupid.”
Okay, I more like cried it, throwing my hands up in frustration and all. He was probably gonna make my whole high school life miserable if I offend him, which I completely did not need. My life was complicated enough as it is, I really did NOT need to add Cam in the mix
Instead of taking offence like I thought he would, he out right laughed at my obvious frustration with him. I looked at him thinking that maybe he was a little off in the head or something, because I sure didn’t say anything that funny for him to laugh so hard.
“I don’t see any cat,” He said it in a cryptic way when he got himself controlled - after I threw him a look asking if he was nuts. I really didn’t like the way he implied it. Like I had some sort of other plan for meeting him or something.
“I know,” I moaned ignoring his cryptic tone and clutching my hair as if I wanted to pull everything out. That is how frustrated I was.
Before either of us could say anything else, something soft rubbed itself against my leg. Looking down, an exclamation of happiness instantly left my lips. For rubbing against my leg was none other than my runaway cat.
“Saber! Oh thank god you’re alright! Carly would’ve killed me if she found out I lost you,” I said, scooping the little fellow into my arms. This time keeping a stronger hold on her so she won’t be able to dash off again if she is spooked.
“Well...” I said looking back up at Cam, who was watching me with raised eyebrows. The amused look not leaving his expression.
“It was nice meeting you and all, but I do have to run,” I said, shifting uncomfortably on my feet.
I wasn’t even lying, I truly was late. Mom would be worried if I don’t show up at the shop soon. So with a wave, I turned around to rush back the way I came.
“Hey! What’s your surname?” Cam called after me. And without thought I yelled back “Blake.”
It wasn’t until when I was already back at the flower shop I realized my mistake. Because my phone pinged with a Facebook notification.
Cam Striker wants to be your friend.
