Chapter 17: The New Girl

It was a beautiful late afternoon; a young Cameron spent the most of the day trying to think of something to do. “I hate this town. I really do.” He grunted as he sat on the swing. “Dad’s busy with work all the time and mom’s parked in front of the TV.” He let out a large sigh, “And I’d play video games, if I had someone to play with.” Cameron did not have many friends in town and he wasn’t completely sure why. He would keep to himself just to keep from being noticed, but when he was, he always ended up with his face in dirt and his hands scrapped up. “I hate this town.” He muttered again. Cameron decided to go to the park, something he rarely did for fear of bumping into his tormentors. “Mom, I’m heading to the park for a bit!” he yelled, “Mom? Great she is probably napping again. Whatever.” He hopped on his bike and left anyway. As he made his way there he daydreamed about being an athlete, he loved sports and always had. He enjoyed anything to do with sports. He looked at his scrawny arms, “yea right buddy. A flea could kick your butt.” He scoffed. Cameron made it to the park and spotted some kids on the other side, “Oh great DJ’s here.” DJ Harlow was the main kid that picked on Cameron in school. He made sure to avoid him whenever he could. Cameron still had bruises from that kid that were at least a month and a half old.

He decided to sit by the pond to avoid any attention. “Maybe I’ll just wait it out. They’ll have to go home eventually.” He sighed yet again, “Yea then you’ll have to go home too or face the wrath from dad for being out late.” Cameron tossed a rock into the pond and before he knew it he heard laughing coming in his direction. “Alright I see you guys later!” a voice yelled. “Oh god, DJ’s heading this way.” He whispered. Cameron literally held his breath hoping DJ would just walk right past him. Nope. “Hey loser, hiding out are you? Missed you in school today, wimped out?” he mocked. “Listen DJ I don’t want any trouble today. I just came to the park to play.”

“Who’d want to play with a loser like you?” DJ replied. “What’s your problem DJ? Is there something drastically missing from your life that you have to make mine a living hell?” Cameron started to walk away when he was shoved from behind. “Listen you little punk! You have no idea who you're messing with!” DJ yelled. Before Cameron knew it, the kid was wailing on him. “HEY! GET OFF OF HIM!” yelled this delicate little voice. DJ looked up to see a little girl with ginger hair. She looked like she meant business, “I mean it Donald!” she continued to yell. “How do you know my real name?”

The little girl smirked, “I know a lot about you. I know your name. I know you’re smarter than you like to admit. I even know the nickname your grandmother calls you!” DJ stood up while Cameron tried to regain his own bearings. “Who do you think you are? He took a step towards the little girl.” She called his bluff and stepped towards him, “Your WORSE nightmare punk.” The bully scoffed and gave Cameron one last push before leaving.

The little girl smiled at Cameron while he tried not to blush. “You didn't have to do that; I can take care of myself.” He rubbed the dirt off his face and tried to wipe a bit of the blood away from his cheek. “You’re that new girl that moved in with Mr. Weber aren't you?” “Yea that’s me. The name’s Lillibeth by the way but most people call me Lilly. You’re Cameron Palmer aren't you?” “Yea how’d you know?” he looked at her puzzled. “DJ and his friends tripped you in the hallway the other day, whose feet do you think landed at?” she smiled. “Oh yea that was you.” He blushed even more. Just great, he fails at avoiding DJ and his thugs while managing to embarrass himself in front of the cutest girl in school.

“You should get that scrape looked at.” She suggested. Cameron mumbled something under his breath. He looked at her and couldn't help but blush. “She is pretty when you really look at her.” He thought. “Thanks for the suggested. I better head home to get it taken care of. It was nice meeting you Lillibeth.” “Please call me Lilly. Hey, maybe we could hang out sometime. Maybe tomorrow?” she asked and glanced down at her feet, “if you’re not doing anything that is.” “You're asking to play with me? On purpose?” he was actually shocked. Again he didn't have many friends and he wasn’t really sure why, but someone actually wanted to play with him. “Um sure. I could come to you house if you want or you can come to mine.”

“I’ll come to yours. My grandpa has a somewhere to go tomorrow.” “Oh so he’s her grandfather.” He should have figured that out earlier. “Sure let’s say around 11 am?” “Can't wait.” She smiled at him and not the usual smile that he usually received, The Smile of Pity. “Bye Lilly. It was nice meeting you. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” He actually managed to force a smile and a decent one at that.

***

Lilly strolled into the house just before 6 p.m. “Hey grandpa I’m back!” he yelled. “Lilly…what did I say?” “Sorry papa, there’s no yelling in the house.” She smiled as she mocked his rule. Ben Weber was a gentle old man that took into her home after her parents died. Lilly never really knew much about him but even at the young age she was, she could see her father in him and that brought so much comfort to her. “Have fun at the park Lillybug?” he asked. “As much fun as I could have, most of the kids around here either stare at me or are nothing but a bunch of bullies.” “Who’s bullying you?!” he asked. “Nobody Grandpa, you know I can take care of myself. Just another kid was being bullied, Cameron Palmer.” “Oh yeah I’ve seen that kid around. Sweet kid, I’ve bumped into him a few times at the book store while he picked up stuff for his mom. It’s a shame that he’s being bullied.” Ben looked upset. “Why do they pick on Cameron? Do you know Grandpa? Why do they pick on him?” Lilly asked. She desperately wanted to know why they would choose him as a target. “I’m not really sure honey actually. I think to them he’s just an easy target.” She sighed and her grandfather could see she was upset. “How about we have spaghetti for dinner? Looks like you’ve made a new friend today; I hope you two become fast friends.”

She smiled, “I hope so too grandpa.”

***

“Mom, I’m back.” Cameron heard snoring from the couch and looked like his father still was not back yet. He sighed and went to the kitchen to get some leftovers. “She didn’t have to help me. I could have handled it myself.” He mumbled. However, he couldn’t help but think about how pretty she was. An image of her face flashed into his mind again. “She really was pretty but why would she talk to me?” he finished his dinner and decided to play some computer games before bed, all the while, Lilly’s face kept flashing into his mind. Yup, Cameron was starting to fall hard for the little redhead girl that saved him from a beating, well, a brutal beating. Perhaps he had finally made a real friend?

***

Cameron and Lilly became inseparable. They spent a lot of their time together even in school. Yea they would get weird stares and everything but none of that mattered, at least not to Lilly. “Lilly does it bother you that no one really talks to you anymore?” Cameron asked as they tossed a ball back and forth. “Why would it? You and I have fun together and that’s all that really matters. I like playing with you.” She smiled. He was having fun with her too, it was nice to have a true friend. “I don't know. I just keep thinking that you’ll get bullied too if you keep hanging out with me.” He hated saying it but he felt like it was true. They had been so close and if she kept spending time with him, it probably wouldn't be good for her. That thought, that possibility, depressed him. He didn't want to be the reason she got hurt. “Cameron, you're worrying too much.” She paused for a second, “Do you just not want to hang out with me or something?” Cameron looked down at the dirt, “It’s not that Lilly. I just don’t want you to get hurt. I don’t want to be the reason you get hurt.”

Lilly just glared at him, “If you don’t want to hang out with me Cameron fine then. I think you’re worrying for nothing but if that’s what you want then fine. We can stop playing and hanging out together.” She started to walk away but stopped and said, “My grandpa is very important to me. He took me in after I lost my parents and I love him for that. You’re the first kid in town that wanted to be friends with me because of me, not because you wanted something in return. So what I’m trying to say is, you’re important to me too Cameron. Remember that.” She gave a weak smile and left. Cameron stood there as the sun started to set. “I’m sorry Lilly.”

Cameron sat down to play with his toys until dinner was ready, he couldn’t help the feelings he had. He like Lilly a lot but he was just too afraid of her being dragged into his bullying, which he had to admit had tapered off since they started hanging out together. “Cameron? I thought Lilly was staying for dinner.” Constance asked. “She went home.” that was all he said. “Maybe she’s right. I was overthinking things.” Cameron figured he would tell her he was sorry the next day at school. After all he didn’t want to lose his best friend. “My best friend?” he smiled, “yeah that’s exactly what she was.” With a mom that spent most of her day watching TV or napping if she wasn’t at her part-time job, and a father that seemed to be a work-a-holic, it was nice to have a friend to cure the loneliness that he inevitably felt.

***

Lilly was not at school the next day and Cameron started to worry. Since she wasn't around he couldn't avoid his tormentors and ended up with yet another black eye. “I really do need her around.” He mumbled as he peddled his way to her house after school. “I don’t care if it’s just me and her. I like it that way. She’s my best friend.” He was smiling ear to ear by the time he pulled up to her house. “I have to tell her. I have to tell her.” He kept

thinking. He took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. There was a long silence before the door finally opened. “Hey Cameron. What’s up?” her smile instantly turned into a frown when she saw his eye, “Not again. Was it DJ?Sorry I wasn't there I had to go to the dentist.” “Nevermind about that, I have to tell you something.” He took another deep breathe, “You’re important to me too. You’ve always been there for me even if it's just to talk. You’re funny, smart and pretty. And you don’t mind getting dirty when I want to go hiking and you like me for me. You’re my friend, Lilly you’re my best friend.”

“Really Cameron?” She couldn't stop the smile on her face. Cameron was going to say more but was interrupted by Lilly’s lips against his cheek. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.” He turned bright red and lost his

train of thought. “You’re my best friend too Cameron. Even if it’s just us I’ll be happy with that."