The Return of the Bad boy

Chapter 15: Cam

"Mom, please stop hovering. I'm begging here." I turned around to find Mom standing by my door frame.

"I'm just happy you're going out. That you got invited to a party, it's been months since...." She shrugged. "You know." She smiled weakly.

"Yes, and it's not a big deal." I flipped through the shirts in my closet. I've done this about twice now, and I couldn't seem to decide.

"Hmm. Will she be there?" Mom asked, stepping into my room.

Why did Moms have such a good memory? "Who? They'll be a lot of shes. You'll have to be more specific."

Getting frustrated with myself, I closed my eyes, skimming my fingers against my clothes before blindly picking something. I opened them and slipped the shirt off the hanger.

It was a burgundy short-sleeve henley. This would do. I threw it over my head.

I found Mom sitting on the edge of my bed with a stoic expression. "She's going to be there, won't she?"

"A lot of people got invited, so maybe," I said nonchalantly. "But as I said, I'm not going for her. I'm going for Suho. He's never been to a party like this." That wasn't exactly far from the truth.

"Yes, your new friend that has replaced all the others."

I nodded. "Yup. All you need is one friend." I thought about my guys from the Hockey team and how we would typically hang out on Friday nights. "A group of friends is overrated," I said to make myself feel better.

I would have spent my last year of high school without friends, but Suho weaved his way into my life. Luckily he was cool and laidback. Plus, I think he may or may not feel indebted to me for saving his butt the other day. I didn't tell mom that part though, she would freak.

Mom sighed, combing her hair back with her fingers. "Cam, if things didn't happen the way it did, you could have stayed friends with her at the very least. I'm sorry that can't happen now. Things have gotten complicated, but they won't always be like this." She's been staying positive, and it has rubbed off on me a bit. Just not where Summer was concerned.

Since I thanked her for lunch and almost gave her a ride home, I kept replaying the look her mother gave me when she saw us standing on the sidewalk, sharing an umbrella. She might as well have put me ten feet under right then and there.

Summer probably got a lecture about how she should stay away from me, and I think she had listened.

I had planned to treat her like I did before, with little chats, minimal eye contact for the past few days. I had to push her away somehow. I hated to say it worked, but she hasn't tried to speak to me, and she was going to this thing with Jason.

Jason, the rebound, because there was no way Summer would give him a chance otherwise.

I took a deep breath. "Doesn't matter now," I muttered after what felt like minutes. I didn't bother to hide my disappointment. Mom would see right through me.

Mom was silent for a few seconds before she replied, "Okay, well, I hope you have fun anyway, and I would like you home by 12, please."

I nodded. "No problem." I wasn't planning to stick around that long.

I picked up Suho from the other side of town then drove to Abbi's house. Suho was all dressed up in a polo shirt and Khakis. I had snorted, holding back my laughter when I saw him. Of course, he's been super self-conscious since then, and I've had to tell him not to worry about it repeatedly. Odds are people wouldn't even notice him because he wasn't a part of the popular crowd.