Perfect
Chapter XXI

I woke up to Claire jumping up and down in my bed, Cameron was no longer beside me and I was upset that I didn’t get to wake up to his handsome face today. I turned my attention back to my hyperactive best friend. “What Claire?” My voice rasped as I rubbed sleep out of my eyes.

“Tonight is my date with Seth and I’m freaking out. I’ve never been on a real date.” She groaned hoping off the bed and pacing around the room.

“Stop pacing, you’re going to make me dizzy.”

“Will you help me pick out an outfit, help me do my hair...” She didn’t finish because I grabbed her hand and dragged her onto the bed.

“You know I’ll help you baby girl. Honestly don’t stress, Seth is the most easy going guy I know. Just try not to be awkward about it today, don’t bring it up unless he does and just act the way you normally do.”

“For someone that has been in one relationship before Cameron, you clearly seem to know way too much about this for your experience.” She giggled, shaking her head.

“Excuse me, I could be cupid.”

“In your dreams darling.” I grab a pillow and swatted her over the head, she squealed and grabbed the nearest pillow swatting me back.

Flopping back on the bed after our exhausting ten minute pillow fight and running around the room like lunatics, we finally decided to get up and get ready. Claire had left to her own room so she could grab her things together for school and get ready for Seth I was assuming. I laughed inside at my best friend, she had nothing to worry about. She was beautiful and he was the lucky one.

It took a whole of maybe ten minutes to get ready because no one was really worried anymore about social standards or how they looked and I think that was the best part about being in a group with the boys. They didn’t care what I looked like either.

“I’ll race you all down the stairs!” I yelled as I ran towards the top of the staircase. Even though I had the most to do with getting ready in the morning I was still always the first dressed. I rolled my eyes at the herd of thundering animals coming down after me and without looking managed to trip.

An arm wrapped around my waist before I could hit the bottom floor and I looked back up to see Cameron holding me. “You’re constantly trying to get yourself hurt aren’t you?”

“No, I just tripped.”

“Alright Princess, whatever you say.”

“Jesus Christ.” I said to the back of him as he walked away.

“Sorry what was that?” He flipped over his shoulder.

“Nothing.” I muttered. Don’t get me wrong, I liked him but he always seemed to take the piss out of annoying me. I bumped his shoulder as we headed out to the car and he grabbed my hand.

“So I guess that means I won.”

Claire slapped him in the back of the head and we all laughed.

“Why don’t we all go bowling?”

“Sorry what?” I asked Ace to repeat himself.

“Go bowling? After these two have had their little date of course.” He said jabbing his finger in the direction of Seth and Claire, in which Claire responds with a glare and then returns back to talking with Seth.

“I don’t see why not; Jason, Cameron?” I turned towards them awaiting their opinions.

“Yeah.”

“Yeah, sounds good.”

“Alright, that settles it then. I’ll book it for the six of us for tonight at around lets say eight. Should that be enough time lovebirds?” Claire blushed and Seth shook his head in amusement, “Yes Bella.” He replied.

The bell rung for last period and I stared at the ceiling and sighed, it was all going to fast. With all the injuries I’d had it’d just seemed to propel time forward. Cameron’s face appeared above mine and I smiled, at least that would never get old. He leaned down to kiss me and as he did a bunch of middle school teens walked by giggling and pointing. I furrowed my brows in confusion and Cameron just shrugged his shoulders, he didn’t know either obviously.

“You guys aren’t daft right?”

“What are you on about Claire?”

“You and Cam have become the schools new hottest topic.”

“Brilliant, just what I need.” Claire hugged me as if to tell me it’d be fine and to ignore it. Cameron was saying exactly the same thing with his face, I didn’t even need to ask. He grabbed my hand and we headed off towards our class together. Seth and Claire had already gone ahead and as we walked the halls I didn’t realise how badly we’d become the topic of the school. In an instance I was thinking Victor could be hearing about this and Cameron’s dad. Put two bad people together and they can be unstoppable. The thought in my mind about those two becoming a team had me in a panic but I ignored it and continued on with the rest of my day.

Claire had left for her date not long after I’d booked the tickets for bowling. I’d wished her luck and told her to be calm since she was stressing out so much when she was walking out the door. Even Cameron put his input in to say that Seth already loved everything about her, she could do nothing to scare him off. We’d all laughed at that and she’d left running out the door towards her fantasy night.

A knock came from my door and Pete’s face was there when I opened the door. “Hey, I have news and I know you’re not going to like it.”

“Alright, continue.” I said cautiously.

“Your parents want you back two weeks before coronation. They want you crowned on the day of your birthday.”

“Why do they have to ruin everything?” I groaned, “I wanted to spend the day with my friends here and not have to deal with the pressures of castle life.”

“I know how frustrating it is for you Princess but I’d love to see you on the throne.”

“Why do I even need to be Queen yet, I’m too young.”

“It’s always been tradition that the first born, next in line takes over at the age of eighteen. You know that, you can’t wait until your brother is of age! He's turning eleven, his coronation will be when you decide to hand over your reign or pass on.”

“Sometimes I wish I could lead a normal life Pete.”

“We all do Princess but sadly it’s not for everyone.” I shrugged my shoulder and he walked over and gave me a hug. I looked at the time over his shoulders and my eyes went wide, it read seven-thirty.

“I have to go Pete oh my gosh!”

“Be careful and have fun tonight!” He yelled as I hauled ass up the stairs to get ready, running past Cameron on my way up.

I slipped out of my clothes and into the shower not worrying about the door, I trusted him. Soon enough I heard him come through my bedroom door and stop at the concealed side of the door where he couldn’t see me.

“How are you still not ready?”

“I was talking to Pete about some things to do with my coronation.” I said through the shower water.

“Is anything wrong?”

“Nothing that we need to worry about now,” I said softly.

“Well you’ve already got me worried so spill.”

I shook my head at his stubbornness, a lot like mine and sighed deeply. Running my fingers through my hair to get the rest of the conditioner out, I thought quickly about what to say back. I didn’t want to tell him yet that I would no longer be here for me birthday. I hadn’t even told Claire yet but she would understand, she was coming back with me. Nothing had been discussed about Cameron coming back, considering that we hadn’t been seeing each other long and we weren’t officially together yet.

“Just some procedures for coronation day and what will be happening soon, as I said, nothing to worry about.” He took a while to respond and I knew there was no way for him to tell that I was lying, he couldn’t see me.

“Alright, if you say so. If anything changes about the coronation day and when you have to go back please let me know.” My heart swelled and shattered at the same time, his voice was so pleading and I’d just managed to lie to him.

“Of course I will,” I choked out, the shower steam now getting to my head. I turned it off having finished and heard him walk away from the door.

“I’ll be outside waiting for you,” he said before walking out my bedroom door. I slumped down in the shower, I felt almost as horrible lying to Cameron as I did to Claire. Maybe I was falling in love with him.

I shook water droplets out of my hair and finished getting ready heading downstairs into the kitchen after having applied light makeup and gotten into something decent but comfortable. Cameron grabbed my hand as soon as he saw me, causing warmth to spread into my fingertips and up my arm, then finishing his conversation up with Pete quickly before we were running out the door towards the car where Michael was already waiting.

“One thing I don’t understand about you girls is how long it takes you to get ready, it’s ridiculous.”

I laughed genuinely at his comment and a foolish lopsided grin covered his face. I was definitely falling hard for this boy.

We reached the bowling alley in the shopping centre and per to my request Michael and Joseph had worn casual clothing and continued to hang around the outside of the area keeping me safe. Luckily our friends had been too busy paying and grabbing their shoes to pay attention to us talking to two men outside of the alley. I walked up to Claire and tapped her shoulder, she spun around her face glowing and I knew she’d had a good time.

“Bella!” She screamed jumping on me, Seth laughed and so did Cameron, the other boys shook their heads and muttered something about girls. I laughed at her, “I wasn’t that late come on.”

“We thought you two weren’t even going to turn up.” I looked at Cameron after her comment and blushed, that could’ve been a possible scenario after I’d come out of the shower but Cameron was too polite in our relationship for that.

Although Claire saw me blush and she grabbed our shoes pulling me over to the lane that we would be bowling in.

“Um excuse me, you don’t have a sex life without me knowing, what happened?” She looked so excited I thought she might pee and the thought sent me into a fit of laughter.

“Nothing,” I said through my laughter, “Absolutely nothing.”

A frown appeared on her face and she slumped back in the chair looking displeased, “Well that’s boring.”

I giggled at her for being silly and had a quick thought, “Well look, at least I get to hear all about yours and Seth’s.”

“What about mine and Claire’s?” Seth’s voice came up from behind us, deep and calm as always. I tried to fight back a laugh as Claire turned beet red but couldn’t hold it in and completely lost it. This was the usual with Claire and I.

Seth looked at me like I was going crazy and back at Claire who was now face down still beet red but giggling as well. “I will never understand either of you,” he said shaking his head, sitting down beside Claire and putting on his own shoes. Cameron came and sat beside me putting his own shoes on and I studied his face. He was too busy concentrating on his shoes so he didn’t notice me looking at every single feature his face had to give, his dirty blonde hair covered his neatly groomed eyebrows, by my surprise. His sharp jawline had a five o’clock shadow cast across it and it made him look sexier then usual, his nose was surprisingly perfect in the sense that it was straight, considering how many fights he’d been in. His plump lips made me want to kiss him all the more especially when he was sticking his tongue out to tie his shoelaces together.

I giggled and his cute ears moved at the noise. He looked at me and gave me a quick peck on the lips leaving me in a daze before going over to his new team mates, Ace and Jason. Seth, Claire and I were a team and I didn’t mind. I spent more then enough time with Cameron as it was so it was only fair that the boys got some time with him as well.

Somehow, Seth Claire and I managed to smash the other boys and win both games. I think it might of been all due to Seth’s good arm seeing as individually he won altogether. Ace was still in shock and wouldn’t let it go as we walked down the shopping centre halls towards the car parking. “I still don’t know how any of you won,” he said grumpily, crossing his arms.

“I think we’re just better then you Ace honey but it’s okay. Better luck next time.” He stuck his tongue out at me and I laughed at his childishness.

By the time we reached the car my legs were starting to wobble and my eyes were beginning to close. I was tired enough for Cameron to see fit to pick me up and place me in the car. I was asleep in his arms the whole way home while everyone else in the car had conversations of which I was faintly aware of.

We got out and I walked beside Cameron to bed still yawning, I climbed in and watched as Cameron walked around the room turning lights off and closing doors saying goodnight to Claire before he closed ours. I was almost asleep when he crawled in beside me and wrapped an arm around my waist pulling me into him. I wiggled in as deep as I could towards his warm body, breathing in his minty scent. Just before I fell asleep I registered something I’d thought about earlier. I smiled dreamily and closed my eyes.

“I love you Cameron.”