♕Harley Anderson♕

I remember in tenth grade, a boy by the name of Jack Nickelson was interested in me. He sat in front of me in English class and always asked me for a pencil. He was a good looking guy with blond hair that was always gelled back, and green eyes that always twinkled when he spoke to me. Sure, his teeth weren't one hundred percent straight and he had a bigger than usual nose but he was still cute looking. Even though I was told by his little sister, a year below us, that he was interested in me, I didn't really care. I had other things to worry about. I was, of course, flattered at the fact but I didn't do anything about it.

It was a Friday, our last lesson, when Jack had turned around and given me his usual wide beam. "Can I have a pencil?" He asked and I handed him one even though I was running short on my own. "And can I maybe have your number so that I can take you on a date sometime?" He had gone on to ask. I remembered how I had merely smiled when my English teacher had yelled at us for talking. I was grateful for that since I didn't have to answer him.

The next day, I was determined to walk up to him and give him my number. I knew it was a risk considering my home circumstances but I wanted to experience some normalcy of being a teenager too. However, before I was able to do it, a group of girls had stopped me along the corridor to class. I had recognized them as girls Jack had gotten involved with some time during high school which had immediately set me on edge- were they going to skin me alive?

Turns out, they weren't hunting me down but were instead concerned about me. They had told me what Jack's intentions with me were. Apparently he had a thing for virgins which is why he only dated them. He enjoyed taking their virginity before he'd drop them and move on to the next. It was horrifying, really. I remembered how disappointed I was because I really saw Jack as a potential boyfriend.

That same day in English class, I ignored him after telling him I wasn't interested. I never saw him the same after that. Whenever he asked me for a pencil, I didn't smile and ask him how he was like I used to, instead I'd just hand it to him before continuing studying my poetry.

His smile was no longer friendly to me, it was seductive and his whole person was no longer trustworthy to me. I remember how I was grateful the girls had warned me but at the same time rather disappointed because I could no longer look him in the eye and see the once friendly boy I used to.

Now that I look back on that, I realize how small that is compared to what I've learnt about Cameron. Using girls to take their virginity is no game but at least Jack wasn't a drug dealer.

One would think that I'd see Cameron differently now. See him as a criminal- someone who belongs in prison with his parents. You'd think that after all the time I spent being abused that I would run for the hills when I found out what he'd done.

However, that isn't true at all. If anything, it's the opposite. As he stands by the stove, pouring the waffle batter into the pan, I cannot help but stare at him adoringly. He's so strong. He's carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders yet he does it so effortlessly. Cameron is the definition of strong and I cannot help but feel my heart fall for him so much deeper.

When he turns around to place the stack of waffles on the plate and catches me staring, he raises an eyebrow at me in question and I blush.

"Take a picture Harley. It'll last longer."

I roll my eyes before taking a waffle. He pulls out a chair beside me before placing two plates on the table, one in front of me, before lining honey, syrup and jam along the kitchen island.

I place a waffle onto my plate and drench it in honey while Cameron does the same with syrup. We eat in silence but it's comforting. It's clear that we're both still consumed in what was said last night. I'm surprised we even managed to catch some sleep however, I think it was the fact that we were both finally honest with each other that made it easy to relax.

Despite my many questions that hopefully Cameron would be able to answer over time, there is one that is burning in the back of my mind. One that made me slightly uneasy. One that makes me glance at Cameron every so often.

"Can I ask you something?" I begin softly after I've finished the waffle. Cameron turns to me with a smile, his eyes looking between my own before he nods. I scratch the back of my neck. "Did you love Carla?"

He pauses his action of cutting into a waffle before he nods. "Of course I did. She was my best friend."

I feel myself deflate a little. Even though we're not dating, I still feel a little disappointed that he loved her simply because it's clear he's still hung up on her and rightfully so. But still.

When he scrapes back his chair to put his plate in the sink, he leans against the counter and watches me intently, cocking his head to the side.

It's selfish of me to feel anything but sympathy for him so I simply give him a sad smile and continue eating. However, he doesn't remove his eyes from me.

"I didn't love her like that." He eventually says and I look up. "I loved her like a sister. She was my best friend and she meant the world to me, but we weren't romantically involved. I wasn't attracted to her." I watch as he rounds the counter to me, clipping my chin so that I look up at him. "She would have liked you." He comments and my lips tilt up into a smile. The fact that Cameron thinks that Carla- someone so special to him- would like me makes me really pleased. He drops his hand before heading for the fridge and stretching in the process.

I pop another piece of waffle into my mouth before smiling softly, hoping that things will slowly start looking up.

****

There is no doubt that I am engrossed in my thoughts and preoccupied with them. However, I would be blind to not see that Audrey wasn't herself today.

She's oddly quiet.

And Audrey is never quiet.

When I returned from Cameron, there were no suggestive jokes and insinuations cast my way. Instead, she had simply greeted me before closing herself in her room. She's been in there for an hour and didn't even take me up on the offer of grabbing a milkshake. Now that my shift starts in thirty minutes, I'm a little concerned about Audrey.

That's what makes me knock on her bedroom door softly. "Can I come in Auds?" I ask and I hear a faint 'yep' before I push the door open. I scan her minimalistic room, it clear that she's an architecture student, before seeing her sitting on the floor beside her bed while she expertly draws something of the likes of a house plan.

She casts me a smile. "Hey."

I smile back. "Hey. What are you doing?" I ask, taking a seat beside her as she shows me her large notebook.

"It's a house plan." She explains and I nod before watching how she erases something and fixes it quickly.

"I still have no idea how you can be so incredible at something as complicated as architecture." I comment with a laugh and she follows my actions.

"That's how I feel about you and literature. My essays would be banned due to how vulgar they'd probably be."

I chuckle at her and she returns the gesture. I smile softly.

"What's wrong?" I ask and she purses her lips.

"Why would there be something wrong?" She responds, continuing to draw in her notebook, and I scoff with an eye roll.

"You gave up an opportunity to interrogate me about being at Cameron, you declined the offer of food and- most importantly- you've being awfully quiet. So? Tell me what's up." I say in one go and she lets out a small laugh at me before looking at her wall.

"I'm just really worried."

"About?" I press and she sighs.

"Me and Caleb."

My eyebrows knit together. "I thought everything was going great with you two?"

She nods her head vigorously. "It is." I frown at her in confusion. "It's just that... a few times we've nearly gone all the way and I've always being the one to stop it because I've being so scared."

I frown at her, confusion clear on my face. "But It's not like you're a..." I trail off.

"A virgin?" She finishes for me in amusement before laughing. "Hell no! I've being with plenty guys."

I shake my head. "Then what's the issue?"

She sobers up a little and sighs. "All the other times were meaningless y'know? I didn't sleep with them so that we would start up a relationship. I did it for fun. But with Caleb it's different. I don't want it to be meaningless because he means so much to me and I don't want him to think I'm with him for that. I love him." She rambles and I kiss my teeth. I don't think I'm the greatest person to be talking to about this kind of thing since I have no idea how that works in a relationship. What I do know, however, is that Audrey and Caleb really do love each other and that something so minuscule should not have the potential of wedging a gap between them.

"I'm not very skilled in this department but all I do know is that Caleb loves you too Auds and I'm pretty sure he'd be understanding if you told him how you feel." I place a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"You guys are literally the cutest." I add and she sighs before smiling at me.

"Thank you Harley. I really needed that."

I smile at her. "No problem Auds."

She grins at me before picking up her pencil and casting me a sideways glance. "So... how was your night with Cameron?" She asks and I roll my eyes before pushing her shoulder and standing up.

"I have a shift now so I'll see you later." I laugh and she returns the gesture before I leave her bedroom, knowing that this time I truly cannot tell her what happened with Cameron.

****

I'm collecting dishes that are left on table number seven when I notice Officer Frank walk through the door. He greets Allison before ordering his usual and I cock my head to the side, seeing the man from a slightly different perspective. I don't see him as just another man in the police force but rather someone who saw the good in someone who was in a very bad world.

He glances around the café before his eyes meet mine and when they do, they light up. I smile at him before picking up my basket of dirty dishes and walking around the counter.

"Hey Officer Frank." I greet him, placing the basket on the counter with a loud thud. He beams at me brightly.

"Hiya Harley. How are you?" He asks and I rest against the counter.

"Good and you?" I ask and he nods, letting me know he's alright.
"You on your way from work?" I ask and his eyes stare back at me before he adjusts his jacket.

"You could say that."

"Here ya' go mister." Allison hands him his order and he grins at her before giving her the money. After he receives his change, he casts me a nod.

"See you around Harley."

I give him a small nod before he leaves the café and I continue to collect dirty dishes littered along the countertop.

"How do ya' know that man so well?" I hear a voice ask and I turn to Allison who is organizing the cash register. I shrug, picking up a dirty glass that's rimmed with lipstick and placing it in the basket.

"He's friends with another friend of mine." I shrug, the title of 'friend' being too inaccurate for Cameron.

"Oh. Is it that handsome boy who picked you up the last time?"

I chuckle, hoisting the basket up and placing it on my hip. "Yep."

I hand the basket to our cleaner before rinsing my hands in the bathroom. I pull my apron off and hang it on a rack before tossing my hair into a ponytail.

"I'll see you tomorrow Ally."

"Alright Harley."

I push the door open and walk out into the parking lot, glancing around in the brightness. My eyes settle on Frank's car that is sitting idly in the parking lot but with no sign of him at all and I frown before shaking my head to myself and climbing into my car.

When I throw my handbag onto the passenger seat and I hear it hit something, I frown before closing my door and moving it out of the way.

I jump, moving as far as I can to my door when I see what it is. On the seat is a doll. But not any doll- a doll that looks exactly like me. Its hair is brown and the same length as mine, it has hazel eyes and is even wearing my apron. I gulp, glancing at the doll that reminds me of the ones I see in horror movies.

I climb out of my car and glance around, trying to spot anyone suspicious and when I don't, I glance back at the creepy doll before pulling my phone out of my pocket and going into my contact list.

Besides the fact that it's extremely creepy there's a doll in my car, I'm beginning to grow extremely uneasy at the fact that not only am I being stalked but now someone is making dolls that look like me and putting them in my car that was locked. How the hell did they even manage to do that?

It doesn't take long for Cameron to answer and when he does, I take in a relieved breath.

"Harley?" He says and I gulp, closing my eyes.

"Can you please come to my work's parking lot? I think you should see this."

•••

Its going down... ;)

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