♛Cameron Dawson ♛

"I'm not really in the mood, bro." I tell Caleb as I watch my character move across the television screen while we play Xbox.

"C'mon, man. The party will be a good way to just chill."

I sigh. "I doubt a party would make me feel ecstatic."

Caleb rolls his eyes. "Let loose. You know you deserve a night of fun."

"I have fun when I race."

"Bro. Seriously. Please come."

I pause the game and put the remote down, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Fine."

"Yes!" He cheers, slapping a hand on my shoulder. I roll my eyes at him.

Parties aren't my thing; I'm not exactly fond of surrounding myself with people who down liquor as a form of entertainment or take drugs to let loose. It's stupid and ridiculous and completely impulsive. People don't know how much drugs screw things up, how much pain the people involved in the dealings go through. Not only that, but I keep my distance at college which means that I don't really have friends there. I don't need people who are going to judge me for racing at an illegal track or people who I'm going to have to hide my passion from.

"I'm taking it that Audrey is coming?" I ask and Caleb nods.

"Yep. And Harley will probably tag along."

I cast him a curious glance, leaning back in my plush couch with my eyebrows scrunched together.

"She seems pretty close with Audrey, huh?" I ask and Caleb runs a hand through his hair.

"Yeah. They get along well."

"You know anything about her?" I ask and Caleb narrows his eyes at me in curiosity.

"Why're you so curious? Does she have your attention?" Caleb asks, amused. I roll my eyes as I stand up and walk into my kitchen to make some tea.

"Don't be stupid, bro. You know I'm teaching her to race and I don't even know anything about her. Obviously I would be a little curious."

"Don't you think you should have asked these questions before you agreed to teach her?"

I pour the tea into a mug and bring it up to my lips, looking at Caleb on the opposite side of my kitchen over the rim of the glass.

"I didn't think it was necessary."

Caleb lets out a breath of a laugh. "And you do now?"

I narrow my eyes at him and he holds his hands up in defense.

"Fine!" He leans against the island and I cross my arms over my chest. "Audrey told me that she's studying literature and that she's lived in Oregon her whole life. That's all I know."

"Wow. So useful." I roll my eyes.

"Not my fault I don't discuss my girlfriend's best friend."

I shake my head to myself. "What time does that party start again?"

"Seven."

"Well then, I better go take a shower." I say before finishing off my tea and leaving my mug in the sink. I pad my way to my room just as Caleb passes a snarky remark.

"Please do; you stink."

I flip him the bird as I walk down the passage and he lets out a loud laugh.

****

I'm waiting patiently for Harley, my fingers drumming a beat on the steering wheel before she appears in a tight fitting black dress that hugs at her waist and makes her seem taller than usual. Her usually curly hair is pin-straight and her bold makeup brings out her hazel eyes and freckles that dust her face.

All in all, she looks sexy.

"Guau." I mutter to myself.

It's hard to pull my eyes away from her when she opens the door and takes a seat inside. The smell of coconut wafts up my nose and I try not to breathe it in too deeply.
"Hey. Sorry to keep you waiting." She says and I nod in acknowledgment, starting the car back up and following Caleb's car out of the girls' parking lot.

"It's okay." I glance back at her. "You look nice." I manage to push out and her eyes widen for a second before she buckles her seatbelt. However, my compliment does her no justice. "Nice" is an understatement- she looks stunning.

"Thank you. You look nice, too."

I give her a small smile before turning the radio up.

When we arrive at the house, it's everything I was expecting; loud music, obnoxious teenagers drinking their livers out, cars parked all along the road and bottles of who knows what lying on the floor.

"College parties are no different to high school ones." I mutter to Caleb as we walk towards the door.

"We're going to have so much fun!" I hear Audrey squeal behind me.

When Caleb pushes the door open, the loud thump of the R&B music streaming from the speakers hits me full force and I let out an annoyed sigh. We push our way through the mass of dancing bodies that grind against each other and I mentally roll my eyes. You'd think that college students would at least be a tad bit more mature when in fact, they're anything but. If this was a party back in Colombia, the music playing would most likely be Latin which meant that grinding wouldn't be the go to dance. However, this is America. And I guess things are much different here.

"Yes!" Audrey cheers once we reach the kitchen, prancing over to a closed bottle of tequila. I watch as Audrey eyes it adoringly and smirks mischievously. Harley let's out a laugh as Audrey pours herself a cup and it's then when I get a better look at Harley in decent lighting and when I see her clearly, my eyebrows draw together. She looks exhausted. With bags under her eyes- that only look better thanks to her makeup- and wary eyes, she looks like she didn't get a second of sleep last night. Not only that, but I notice a slight tremble to her hands as she brings it up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Want some?" Audrey offers Harley, stretching her hand out with the bottle. Harley eyes it warily and I watch her as she chews on her glossy lip in thought. That is until she looks back up to Audrey and pushes a smile onto her face.

"Sure,"

"For once you're loosening up!" Audrey exclaims.

She takes the bottle and pours herself some in a solo cup just as Caleb passes me a beer. "Thanks man." I say and he shrugs, taking a swig of his.

"No problem."

Harley finishes her cup of the intoxicating drink and Audrey cheers, throwing her hands into the air before pouring herself and Harley some more.

I frown as I watch them, not really taking Harley as much of a drinker. It isn't that I think she's a weakling, because she's anything but, but I thought that she was more of a "I don't need alcohol to have fun" kind of girl. Every party I ever went to that she was at, she never drank alcohol and rather settled with water which makes me wonder what's the reason for her sudden change. Is she just in the mood to get drunk tonight?

Perhaps I'm wrong but I have a strong feeling that she's drinking for another reason altogether.

Because girls like Harley don't just get drunk for nothing.

"Take it easy babe. I don't want you puking all over my car." Caleb says, snaking a hand around Audrey's waist. She giggles, looking down at his lips.

"I keep my alcohol down pretty well."

Caleb raises an incredulous eyebrow. "Not when you drink a whole bottle of tequila on your own."

"But I have Harley to help me this time." She calls out, gesturing at Harley who lifts her cup up in agreement. Caleb rolls his eyes before pecking Audrey's lips to which I look away.

"C'mon. Lets go dance." Audrey says and Caleb smiles down at her in adoration.

"Sure babe."

They're out of the kitchen in a flash, leaving an annoyed me and a Harley who looks at their retreating figures in disbelief.

"Did they seriously just ditch us?" She asks incredulously, looking at me briefly. I scoff, taking a swig of my beer.

"Third wheeling is one hell of a ride." I joke and she laughs softly. I take another swig of my beer and watch her softly, wanting to get out of the kitchen. However, I can't seem to leave her here alone. She takes another sip of her drink, playing with her dress nervously and I frown, my curiosity growing.

"Are you okay?" I ask suddenly and Harley snaps her eyes up to mine.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" She lies smoothly, taking a sip from her cup. One side of my lip twitches up into a smile before I walk towards her, grabbing her wrist. She freezes automatically under my grip and I stare at her wide eyes that swim with something like fear and I feel dread wrap around my stomach.

Is she scared of me?

I know I'm not the nicest of people but she doesn't think I would hurt... does she?

I ignore the feeling and focus on her eyes, not once breaking the eye contact as I bring her hand up to her face.

"Then why are your hands trembling?"

Her eyes snap to her hand that indeed shakes ever so slightly and she swallows thickly. "Let go Cameron." She hisses lowly and I'm taken back by her tone of voice, never hearing her sound so cold and bitter. I let go of her wrist and her hand drops back down to her side. She downs the liquid in her cup before shaking it to see if there are any remnants left.

"I'm going to go get another drink." She mutters before walking away. I watch her go with a frown as confusion swarms my mind. Why was she so defensive? I wasn't asking to be obnoxious or mocking, I was asking because I was curious. And maybe a part of me did kind of care. Nor was I holding her wrist so tight so why did she feel the need to snap at me?

Despite feeling confused, and curious, I also feel hurt. Did she think I would do something to harm her? Am I that bad of person that people assume the worst of me?

I take another swig of my beer as I scowl at my thoughts.

I don't need a reminder of who I am; what I've done.

****

I peel her hands off of me with a scowl, my frustration reaching its peak. "I'm not interested." I say lowly, my voice holding a warning tone. The blonde haired girl lifts her manicured hand off of my chest and scoffs, looking me up and down in disbelief.

"Buzzkill."

I roll my eyes and walk away from her, intending to do what I originally wanted to. It's difficult to spot her but I eventually do while she dances on the dance floor. I push my way through the crowd before gripping her shoulder and turning Audrey around. Her breathing comes out rapid. "Audrey, where's Harley?"

She laughs. "Cameron! Hey!"

I sigh irritatedly. "Audrey, where is Harley?" I ask again and she hiccups before laughing again.

She's pissed out of her mind.

"Harley? I don't know!" She laughs loudly as a new song begins playing. "Oh my fuck! I love this song!" She exclaims before she starts dancing again. I roll my eyes and push my way outside the front door. I checked the yard, the rooms upstairs- which means I walk in on a lot of fucking disgusting shit- and the dance floor. The only other place she could be is outside the house which only worries me more. Some random person could have taken her home and nobody would even notice. I wouldn't even care either if she had come back after getting "another drink". But she didn't. And maybe she didn't want to but I don't know if Harley can be trusted when drunk- she could be one of those people who do stupid things.

I'm heading in the direction of my car when I hear a hiccup and I stop in my tracks, looking over to the fountain on my right. I spot a figure on the floor, leaning against the fountain with a bottle in their hand. I squint my eyes, trying to see if it's her and I do when a car drives past and the light catches her face. I frown when I take note of her state and I walk to her gingerly, something twisting inside of me ever so slightly.

"Harley?" I call out and she looks up at me. When I approach her, I see her makeup smudged from where she's rubbed at her eyes.

"Cameron?" She slurs slightly.

"What are you doing here?" I ask and she laughs.

"I'm admiring the sky."

I narrow my eyes at her and find myself slowly crouching down and taking a seat beside her so that our shoulders are slightly brushing.

"Isn't it pretty?" She asks, staring up at the dark sky and I look at it briefly.

"Obviously."

"I wish life was as pretty as the sky." She lifts a trembling hand, which clutches a bottle of vodka, up to her lips.

"It can be." I answer and she laughs.

"Maybe for some people."

I don't respond and rather watch her lean her head back before she swallows thickly.

"He used to tell me to look up at the sky when I felt lonely; that the moon and stars would keep me company."

My eyebrows scrunch together and my gaze travels along her face, my heart clenching from seeing her in this state.

"Who said that?" I inquire. She chuckles humorlessly before taking another sip. She wipes at her eyes and I notice that she's crying. I take in a sharp breath, wanting to wipe a tear that trails along her cheek. However, I restrain.

"I miss him so much." She says hoarsely, her voice thick with emotion. "Shit, I miss him so much."

I want to ask her who she's talking about; who caused her this much pain but I restrain from doing so. It wouldn't be right of me to fish information out of her in this vulnerable state, despite my burning curiosity and temptation, because she's not confiding in me out of her own free will; she's not letting her secrets spill from her lips because she wants to share them with me. The liquor is doing all the talking and I'm pretty sure she's going to regret what she's telling me in the morning and if I was in her position, I would hope that somebody wouldn't fish my secrets out in my all too glorious state.

Because I definitely wouldn't want someone hearing what I would say if I was drunk.

That's why I sigh and when she lifts the bottle back up for a sip, I wrap my hand around hers and I feel them tremble vigorously.

"Why do you tremble so much?" I mutter to myself and she pulls her hand out of my grasp.

"I'm not too fond of the dark." She answers me and my eyebrows raise in surprise, not really expecting her to answer. I don't settle on that for much longer before she looks at me in the slight glow of the star's lights. It allows me to see how angelic she is and I'm left speechless. Even in a drunken state she looks beautiful.

"Hey, does a hangover make you sleep well?" She asks curiously and I nod, my eyes trailing along her face.

"With most people, yeah."

She smiles sadly. "Then cheers to a good night's sleep." She holds the bottle up and I take it out of her hands before she can take another sip, pushing myself up to a standing position. I may not care what she does but I'll be damned if I let her drink herself onto her death bed.

"Hey!" She argues, trying to stand herself up but failing miserably when she has to lean against the fountain.

"You've had enough to drink Harley."

"Please give it back."

"No."

"Please Cameron." She pleads and I sigh.

"Why are you drinking yourself out like this?" I ask softly, not understanding.

She runs a hand through her hair. "I haven't slept in nights. I just want a good night's rest. So please, for the love of all things good, give it back."

I stare at her for a second and understand why she looks so exhausted; she's sleep deprived. However, seeing her in this desperate and broken state causes emotions to swirl inside me and I purse my lips.

"You've drunk enough to get a good night's rest." She sighs. "And if you really can't get yourself to sleep, I have pills to help with that."

She looks up at me, her innocent brown eyes wide and curious.
"Why'd you have sleeping pills?"

I roll my eyes; even wasted out of her mind, she asks me questions I won't answer. "We all have demons to fight at night."

She cocks her head to the side. "You really think so?"

I nod. "Sï."

She doesn't say anything else and I chuck the partially empty bottle on the floor before walking closer to Harley. "C'mon, let's get you home." I pick up her petite body in one swift motion and she squeals. I roll my eyes and start walking back to my car while Harley snuggles closer to my chest and I look down at her small and light frame in my hands.

"You smell really good. Y'know that?" She mumbles softly.

A small smile twitches my lips. Holding Harley like this while she mumbles about my cologne reminds me of all the times I spent picking Carla up from her countless nights of drinking.

"Amo tu colonia," she would mumble and I would roll my eyes before smiling. "Me recuerda a la naturaleza." She would continue.

"Dices eso todo el tiempo." was usually my response.

At least Harley isn't loud when she's drunk because Carla was boisterous as hell. She said the first thing that came to mind no matter who she was saying it to. You can only imagine how that caused so many arguments. Luckily I was always there to help her clean it up until I no longer had to.

I miss her.

"Are you not going to return the compliment?" Harley teases, her petite frame shivering in my arms from the cold. I scoff, changing to hold her in such a way that I can slip my hand into my pocket and retrieve my car keys. She goes on to giggle.

"You smell like alcohol." I deadpan, opening my car door and putting her inside.

She laughs. "No shit Sherlock."

I close the door and make my way around to my side of the car. When I climb inside, I switch the heater on for her and pull off of the road.

"You trust me enough to believe that I won't puke all over your car?"

I look at her in my review mirror. "Stick your head out the window if need be."

She lets out a laugh, making me look back at her again through the mirror.

"You really are something else, aren't you Cameron?"

"Could say the same thing about you, Harley."

•••

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