Right after I left Billy's house, Cameron and I hung out at his place and I explained how Billy and I solved the whole situation. Of course, he wasn't too happy about the kiss, he just tried not to show it, but I did spot a little envy. He did end up understanding though, which allowed me to check that off my list of things to worry about.
The day I had regretted would come, finally did; the day of the dance. At first, I was utterly confused as to how Steve and Stella would be at the same place, at the same time... and with the same person. My mind was boggled as I sat on my sofa bouncing my baby brother, Dawson, on my knees. He giggled in glee and bubbles formed around his mouth.
Oh how I miss those childhood days, having nothing to worry about other than the next meal!
"Stella! Get up here! The dance is in an hour and you're still lazing on the couch?!" Lizzy screamed from the stairway. Of course, I had no clue how to look, or even act at a dance. So I asked the only pageant queen in our family; Lizzy. I later had second thoughts on telling her about the dance when she blotted wads of makeup on my face.
I coughed and gagged, "how much powder are you going to use, Liz?"
She rolled her eyes, "Stel, I'm doing you a favour. Trust me. That new man of yours won't be able to take his eyes off you."
I giggled and my face grew warm. After a series or dabbing, blotting, tweaking, and coughing, she was finally done. She backed away to look at her masterpiece. Lizzy's face lit up.
"Now, I should have a dress from one of my old pageants in here somewhere..." she muttered to herself as she escaped to the closet.
I bit down worridly on my lip as I gazed under my bed. Each step closer drew back memories of Steve and Cameron that I would rather prefer to leave behind. After all, it was Stella and Cameron now... right? Reaching under, I grabbed the blonde wig and my brother, Bradley's, set of baggy clothes. Yikes, I was so into making Stella so primped and perfect, that I forgot Steve needed something more formal to the dance aswell.
I escaped out the room quickly and snuck into the older boys' room. Both Brad and Chad were two sizes too big for me. But if I used my little brother, Mylos', tux, then it would be too tight. I grabbed Chad's black tuxedo and ran back to my room.
"Ta da!" Lizzy sang the last note as she held up an astonishing baby blue dress. It was full silk and it shone with each reflection of light. The dress trickled to the floor like a graceful waterfall.
I gasped, "wow... Liz, I can't wear that. I'd be so scared to ruin it."
She chortled and pulled me over, "pfft, don't worry about it. If you do ruin it, I know where you live."
I laughed.
When she finished with my hair and the dress, I took a quick glance at myself in the mirror. My breath caught in my throat. The person in the reflection seemed like a perfect stranger. My green eyes were bolded against an ebony background of subtle eye liner. These were accompanied by perfectly shaped brows and red plump lips. She even managed to hide my pointy ears underneath my mass of dark curled locks. Amidst the wonders she worked with my hair was a perfectly tiny tiara. To compare this with the usual sweats I wore almost everyday? Yep, it was definitely a perfect stranger smiling back at me in that mirror.
"Oh, he's here!" Lizzy beamed as she glanced out the window. Quickly, I slipped on the heels, stuffed Steve into a duffle bag, and wobbled my way downstairs.
With no delay, I swung open the door. And then, I froze and stumbeled backwards.
"Hi," Cameron DiMarco grinned boyishly as he stood there with his hands in his pockets. His once playful hair was now combed to perfection. Those silver eyes of his were so violently attractive that it thrummed along to the beat of my heart. His complexion, a smooth mystery. He was abosolutely breathtaking in that ebony black tuxedo of his, accompanied by an ivory tie. There was no doubt in my mind that he was the most handsome man I'd ever laid eyes on. Ironically, my expression matched his.
"Stella?" he spoke and he placed a hand on my cheek, "is this really you?"
I chuckled and pushed him away jokingly, "you're a funny guy now, aren't you?"
He laughed, "all jokes aside, you look... stunning. You're beautiful."
I blushed, "yea, Lizzy's a wonder worker when it comes to makeup."
He shook his head and leaned in closer, "it's not the makeup," he stated before planting a kiss on my cheek. He smelled of aftershave and cologne, a warm and inviting scent.
Cameron raised a brow as he looked down at the duffle bag in my hand, "correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure girls are supposed to have a purse... not a giant duffle bag."
I laughed heartily, "yea, it's hard to explain. Shall we go?"
"Where's your brother? I told him I'd give him a ride to the dance, too."
I squirmed uncomfortably, "ehm, Steve's finding his own way there."
He nodded, "alright then, madam, your chariot awaits," he gestured towards his truck.
I chuckled and clacked my way over to his red Chevy.
The dance was insane. Loud music pulsed out of the stereo and wild lights swung here and there.
Wow, Leah and her committee did an amazing job.
I spotted Billy over by the DJ table, looking fascinated by the assortment of discs. I went over to join him, ignoring the looks Leah's friends and several others gave me for supposedly taking her guy.
"Billy!" I yelled over the noise and I threw my arms around him.
Billy looked up worridly at Cameron, unsure if he had started anything by kissing me the other day. Cameron offered him a grin which put his mind at rest.
"When'd you guys get here?" he shouted over the noise.
"Just now," Cameron replied, "hey, Stella I'll be right back. I'm gonna go say hi to some friends. Tell me when Steve gets here."
Billy gave me a look as Cameron escaped into the crowd, "have you thought of a plan yet?"
I shrugged, "no. Not really. Not at all, actually."
He sighed, then took my hand and lead me to the dance floor. Billy and I danced, very badly too, I might add. But what mattered is that we had fun. But when a slow song came on, he backed away and I felt a tap on my shoulder.
Cameron smiled warmly at me and I felt my heart melt. He took a hold of my hand, "may I have this dance?"
I grinned and nudged him, "you're so cheesy, Cam. I love it! Yes, you may have this dance."
He chuckled. Then he placed a hand on my lower back and we swayed to the music. I was too busy watching my feet to make sure I wouldn't stumble over these heels or step on his feet, but I did notice a few eyes glaring at me. And the ones that burned the most? Leah Bromwell's.
After a few dances, Cameron began to look a little impatient as he glanced around. There was no doubt in my mind of who he was looking for. I backed away and eyed the duffle bag that sat next to Billy at the DJ table.
"I'll be right back," I told him.
He nodded affirmitavely and I dissapeared off into the crowd. Billy looked horrified when I grabbed the bag and clacked my way out of the school gymnasium. The silence in the halls were deafening. Or perhaps it was my ears slowly going deaf from the loud music. I changed quickly into the tux and tie and fixed the wig carefully under my mass of curly hair. I felt so guilty washing off the makeup on my face. It's a good thing Lizzy wasn't here, or I'd be in hot water. I stuffed my dress, tiara, and shoes into the bag and left it in the restroom. Peeking out first, I slowly creeped out of the girls' washroom and pulled out my cell phone.
"Hey, Cameron?" I deepend my voice, it cracked at first, since I wasn't used to that low of an octave anymore.
"Steve, my man! You're here?"
"Yea," I trodded down the hall, avoiding eye contact with all girls I passed, "I'm borrowing my sister's phone. Hey, can you do me a favour man? Come meet me up on the roof of the school building."
"The roof?" he asked, "why there? I don't know man, Stella said she'd be back. I can't just leave her."
I bit down on my lips, feeling the guilt well up in the pit of my stomach, "she'll understand. See you in five," clicking it shut, I trudged slowly up the stairs that led to the top of the building.
So, why the roof? At Camp Anderson, I remember ever so clearly, Cameron and Steve sitting on the bleachers one night. Cameron was looking up at the stars then he faced me and said, "Steve, you know what I've always wanted to do? Just go up to the roof of a building, and tell the whole world to leave me alone!" Although I never really understood why he'd want to do that, I just realized the rooftop was the best place for this.. the best place to be alone from the world and wait for either forgiveness, or for him to despise me.
It was like walking to my doom. I didn't know what his reaction would be like. Obviously anger, but now that I think about it, I've never actually seen Cameron at his angriest.. so I hoped today would not be the first.
What am I doing?!
I burried my face in my hands and stood at the edge of the roof, looking down. Wow, creepy. I noticed a broken pipe, sticking out carelessly just close to the edge. The whole scenery of this place looked eerie and sent shivers down my spine. I backed away from the ledge.
"Steve, boy!" that voice was unmistakeable.
I turned swiftly, "hey man!"
He grabbed me in a half hug and pulled away instantly, "do you know how hard it is to track you down, dude? I've been to your house a lot, man, and I've never seen you."
I nodded and rubbed my neck, "ya, I'm always awol. Hard to find, I guess."
He grinned then glanced down at his watch, "so what's up, man? Why the rooftop? If you're worried about them not letting you in, don't worry about it. Just say you're with me."
I gazed at him, still as handsome as ever. My heart's pace quickened and I began to shake in fear.. fear of losing him, fear of his reaction, fear of the words that were about to tumble out of my mouth.
"No, that's not the reason," I answered.
He raised a brow, "then what is? You okay, man? You're acting weird."
I avoided eye contact as I steadily raised a hand to my head, it trembeled furiously as I placed it on my wig. My whole body was literally screaming for me to take my hand off that wig! But my heart told me to pull it off. And for once in my life, I listened to my body. My hand slumped down to my side and I looked up sharply at him.
"I can't do this!"
Cameron DiMarco gave me the strangest look, "do what?"
I backed away from him, trying to get away from the future I could already forsee; the future of his hatred towards me. Just that thought alone sent my stomach wrenching. I kept backing up, shaking violently.
"Steve!" Cameron launched towards me, "watch out!"
Suddenly, my foot stumbled over something sharp and cold....the broken pipe. I gasped as I went flying backwards off the roof of the building. I felt nothing, no bar or brick for me to grab onto... just air. A blood-curdling scream escaped out of the pits of my stomach.
Within an instant, something strong grasped my hand rapidly and my screams stopped. I noticed a crowd gathering below us and at that very moment I felt like passing out. I looked up and Cameron DiMarco held me, his hand clamped around my left arm, while the rest of my body dangled beneath me.
"I got you! Grab my other hand!" he yelled.
My face must've went pale, but regardless, I threw my hand up towards him, trying to reach. Suddenly, I felt something slowly slipping off my head. At first, in my panicked state, I had no clue what it was, I just wanted to be pulled up to safety. But then, as I gazed down, I noticed something twirling 100 feet towards the ground. And that something was blonde and looked a lot like a wig. My long, dark hair splashed lavishly around me as a slight gust of wind, waved it around.
My heart seemed to stop for that one second. What I had regretted to do for so long... just had to happen now. I gulped and felt my blood grow cold. Slowly, I looked up at Cameron.
He was completely and utterly horrified. I couldn't begin to explain the expression on his face. A few of them were definitely disgust, betrayal, confusion, then instant anger. His brows folded into a nasty frown and those grey eyes of his that once pulsed with life, now seemed to change into a black, angry, darkness. His jaws flexed and he bore his teeth like a panther ready for battle. His nose twitched in complete agitation and veins bulged along his arm that still held on to me.
...His arm that still held on to me. At any moment, in any time, shock and rage could overcome him, and he could let go of me in an instant.