Camilla laid on her stomach, using her arms to hold herself up on the rug in the Mercer living room. Keir was laying her, and they both stared at their copies of that weekend’s math homework. They were almost done, but stuck on one last question. Usually, the person to crack it was Keir. And by usually I mean it was never Camilla. No matter Keir’s skill level, she had her beat.
Cami was never the best at school. She was telling herself that in her head as she stared at her paper wide-eyed.
Then, in the background, Isaac walked through the living room, past them to get to the kitchen. He still needed to feed the dogs.
Camilla looked up when she heard his very recognizable footsteps, noticing that he was shirtless, which, obviously, it’s his house, but the sight made her smile anyway, tapping her pencil eraser on her bottom lip, and then realizing Keir would notice, getting back to work (lack thereof).
Even after more than a year of dating, seeing him like that still made her nervous. Maybe it was because of their small age, maybe it would have been like that regardless. It’s what made any fight they had feel like it was ages ago, and they fell in love yesterday.
That was how it was supposed to be, right?
Mostly, she looked away because she didn’t want to be annoying. But then she just smiled at her paper. She was supposed to be mad at him then, but she was not. She never truly was.
Keir noticed, obviously, and then glanced over to Isaac, rolling her eyes as she some pieces together.
As adamant as Cami was on not being a nuisance, though, the reality was that Keir wouldn’t think that. Back then, she was rarely ever bitter. They were all friends, and it was not awkward that Cami and Isaac were dating. If anything, Keir seemed to prefer it that way, if it was what made them happy.
“Whats so funny?” Isaac asked them innocently, pouring the dog food in their pets’ little metal trays.
“Nothing,” Cami replied before Keir could, sounding embarrassed. “We just don’t know how to answer this stupid question, it’s hard to think.”
When Isaac got done pouring the bowl, the dogs didn’t come. Murray was outside, and Murphy was lying in his bed asleep. He was an old dog, so it took a lot for him to get out of bed sometimes.
The family knew he did not have much time left, but they coped with it well.
Isaac was more grateful than anything for the childhood he got with him. He knew that everything good had an end to it.
The girls would not understand that until later.
Looking away from the dog bed, he turned to see Cami, and his expression softened. He saw her like a box of gifts, every time it opened up, there was a new thing to feel flattered by, look forward to; something that reminded him his life was easy. Even when she didn’t believe him, the feeling persisted.
“Hm. Well, if you two solve it, I’ll buy you drinks tonight, and we can all hang out.” The boy offered, trying to encourage them as well.
Thinking about it, he added to the sentence.
“We could ask Malik if we can go to his house, since his parents are out of town. And! He has a pool,” Isaac shrugged, attempting persuasion.
“Wait yes please,” Cami looked at Keir, already convinced, the equations in her mind knocked out by chlorine and a bottle of Jack Daniel’s.
“We have to get serious about this,” she said to Keir, making an exaggeratedly focused expression.
After Keir agreed, and they answered to… the best of their ability, and then double checked their ability with her boyfriend, who would help them if they had it wrong, the girls were free!
They immediately they left to Keir’s room to get ready, probably about to exchange more clothes from their wardrobes.
Once they were ready, they went to the gas station, the one that didn’t card, since the guy was cool with Malik and liked them too. They picked out snacks that came in loud plastic bags, and a couple of coolers to set on the counter. The guy let them buy everything, even gifting them a brown bag, and they cheered as soon as they left the shop.
“I’m so glad he was in today and not the lady who threatens to call the police if you don’t show ID!” She exclaimed, throwing her head back and making praying hands.
Isaac, who was obviously carrying all of their things, placed them on the passenger side, then shut his car door. When it was the three of them, Keir and Cami sat together in the back. Isaac would offer Cami passenger, but she wanted to include Keir if she was there too.
Then they arrived at Malik’s house.
Malik, who Cami was not nearly as close with as Isaac, but she did mostly like him. He was respectful, which made him much easier to be around than the majority of men who liked to make her slightly uncomfortable.
“Who are you all and why you breaking into my house?” Malik teased, Cami chuckled, mostly out of politeness, and Keir responded sarcastically, “Your spare key’s still under the fake rock,” which Cami also laughed at, but louder and more sincerely.
She really liked Keir’s demeanor, on top the fact that she was a Mercer.
The girl had the bravery to say alot of the things she didn’t, leonine in an effortless way. You never heard her roar, but you knew she was a good huntress.
Camilla sat down in the patio chair next to Keir, slipping her sandals off directly under her feet, merely for the sake of comfort. The cushions on the metallic looking patio furniture were warm, and she kept her hands in her lap to not overheat them on the chair’s arm rests.
She watched Malik and Isaac talk, and then Malik went inside to come back with a full, albeit very heavy tray of alcohol. She raised her brows, a bit surprised by how much it actually was. Sometimes she forgot Malik had so much money. She hadn’t remembered it until she saw the amenities of his house.
“You guys cool with it?” Malik turned to them, remembering they were there.
Cami looked to Isaac. He seemed eager to play the game, so even though she didn’t really want to play, she agreed.
“I could for a little bit,” she nodded.
@Kristi keir/malik