Full of Promise

by Kate Gavin

  As Claire made her way upstairs, Cam went to the living room. Her mom sat on the couch with her feet propped up on the coffee table, watching a late-night talk show.

  “Hey, Mom. Claire’s upstairs. She’s gonna spend the night.”

  “That’s no problem. How was the party?”

  “It was okay,” Cam replied with a shrug.

  “What’s wrong? You don’t seem like you had a good time.”

  “I broke up with Danny tonight.”

  Her mom stood and wrapped her in a hug. “Oh, honey, are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  “What happened?”

  “Can we talk about this later? I’m tired and just want to go to bed.”

  “Sure. You can talk to me anytime.”

  “Thanks, Mom.” She gave her mom another hug and a kiss on the cheek.

  “Let me know if you two need anything. I love you.”

  “Love you too.”

  She went upstairs and found Claire was already changed into a pair of Cam’s pajamas and sitting in bed, texting on her phone. Cam grabbed another pair and went into the bathroom to change and get ready for bed.

  By the time she returned, Claire had put her phone away. Cam knew Claire was impatiently waiting for her to start her story. She didn’t necessarily want to go through the whole thing again, so she took her time throwing her dirty clothes in the laundry basket and getting under the covers next to Claire. She sat back against the headboard and took a deep breath. She turned her head to the left and asked, “So, I guess you want to know what happened tonight, huh?”

  Claire looked at Cam as if to say, “no shit,” but instead she said, “Don’t make me drag it out of you.”

  Cam rehashed the events of the night. She gave a few more details to Claire than she’d given to Riley, but only because Cam knew Claire would just pepper her with questions anyway. She preferred to get it all out in the open without any questions. Claire held her hand throughout the entire story, offering looks of sympathy and anger as she explained what happened.

  “Aside from him acting like a Grade-A asshole, what made you break up with him tonight? I mean, don’t get me wrong, he acted like a jerk and that was totally enough reason to do it, but you guys have been together a while. Don’t you think you could work through it?”

  “No, I don’t. Lately, things have been off with us. I just felt like I was stringing him along. I wasn’t happy anymore. He deserves someone who wants to be with him. That’s just not me. Hasn’t been for a while.”

  “How long is a while?” Claire asked, eyebrows lifted in surprise.

  “Most of the summer, I guess.”

  “The summer? Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “I didn’t know what to say. He’s a great guy. Some girl will be lucky to have him. I kept thinking things would get better. That I’d snap out of whatever mood I was in when it came to him. I never did,” she replied with a shrug.

  “I’m sorry, Cam.”

  “Me too.”

  “Sucks, huh?”

  “Yeah, it really does. Seeing the pain in his eyes…” She shook her head and continued. “I did that to him, Claire. I broke his heart.”

  Claire instantly gathered Cam in her arms and held her tight. Cam tried to maintain complete control of her emotions, but she couldn’t stop a few tears from leaking out. “You know breaking up with him was the right thing to do, don’t you?”

  Cam nodded and looked away.

  Claire lightly grasped Cam’s chin in her hand. “It was. If you weren’t into him, then you needed to let him go. Sure, it hurt him, but he’ll be better off in the long run, and so will you.”

  She briefly nodded and said, “Yeah, you’re right.”

  “Damn right I am. So, how about we watch a movie and forget about everything?”

  “I’d like that.”

  Claire picked out a comedy to lighten the mood. After she popped the movie into the DVD player, she snuggled next to Cam. Instinctively, they leaned into each other and rested their heads together.

  When it was over, Cam turned off the bedside lamp and turned over on her side, away from Claire. She was still upset about Danny, but she knew she had done the right thing. And she was confused about why she was drawn to Riley and how she didn’t seem to have a problem talking with her. It felt like she was betraying Claire by not explaining her feelings for Riley, and it made her heart hurt even more. With that final thought, she closed her eyes. A tear dripped onto her pillow and she hoped for sleep.

  Chapter Five

  A few hours after Claire left the next morning, Cam was binge-watching some TV when her phone rang. She grabbed it off the nightstand and looked at the display.

  “Oh, great,” she muttered as she read Danny’s name. “Hello.”

  “Hey, Cam. Um, I was wondering if we could talk?”

  “Well, I figured that’s why you were calling.”

  “Oh, right. Um, I wanted to say I’m sorry for acting like an ass last night. I know you don’t like hooking up at parties and I never should have taken you into the bedroom. And I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I’m really, really sorry.”

  “You’re right, you shouldn’t have. But it’s fine, the night’s done.”

  “So, do you think we can move past this? Can I take you out tonight and we can talk more?”

  “Danny, that’s not going to happen. I told you last night, we’re done.”

  “But we can work through this. I know I was a dick, but I’m sorry. I want to make it up to you. I love you.”

  She covered her eyes with her free hand. Softly, she replied, “It’s over, Danny. You’re one of my best friends and I never wanted to hurt you, but this isn’t working for me anymore.”

  She heard him suck in a sharp breath. “But, we’re great together. It was just a fight. I was just frustrated that we haven’t seen each other a lot or done stuff, ya know? Please. Give me another chance.”

  “Look, my heart isn’t in it anymore and it’s not fair to string you along. We can still try being friends.”

  “Friends? But I don’t want that. I want you. As my girlfriend. Please.”

  “Danny, stop. It’s over.” She took a deep breath. “I need to go. My mom is calling for me. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”

  He hung up. Groaning, she lay back and threw her arm across her face. Hurting someone you cared for never felt good. She got off the bed, hoping Josh would play some video games with her. What she needed now was a little mindless distraction.

  * * *

  Monday morning and the first day of school came too soon. Cam hadn’t had a hangover from the party, but she hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep since Friday. The weekend had turned out to be more emotional than she had expected. She had to tell the breakup story, albeit a shortened version, yet again Sunday night when her mom asked her for details.

  Before her brain could once again replay everything that had happened since the party, Claire honked her car horn in the driveway and she rushed out the door.

  “Morning,” Claire mumbled. “God, this is way too early. I can’t wait until my body gets used to waking up for school again. Then I won’t be this exhausted every morning.”

  “Yeah, tell me about it.” Cam immediately took notice of a coffee cup from the local coffee shop by Claire’s house. “Is that for me?” she asked with a hint of anticipation.

  Claire smiled. “It is. I figured you probably didn’t sleep well last night so I thought you might need it.”

  “Thanks, Claire.” She took a sip of the sugar-laden drink. “How was your day yesterday?”

  “It was fine. I spent it mostly sleeping and being lazy. Luke called me last night,” she replied with a shy smile.

  “Oh, yeah? I saw you guys sneak off during the party. We didn’t get a chance to talk about him. Have a little fun, huh?”

  “Maybe,” she said with a grin. “He really seems like a cool guy. He asked me out on a date.”

 
“That’s great! When?”

  “I think we might grab dinner after practice one night this week. Just something simple.”

  “Simple is good.”

  “Yeah.” Claire smiled before turning to Cam with a more serious expression. “How are you? You doing okay?”

  “I’m fine. Danny called yesterday and thought we could work things out, but I had to tell him that option is definitely off the table.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to try?”

  She nodded. “I am. I’m really sorry I hurt him, but it was the right decision. I already feel better about it.”

  “Good. Plenty of other fish in the sea, right?”

  “Maybe. If you’ve left me any,” she said with a chuckle. Claire was always the one that liked to explore her options when it came to dating.

  “Oh, come on. I’m not that bad.”

  She just hummed in reply.

  “You ass,” Claire said, smiling with a laugh, as she pulled into a parking space.

  They headed into school and down the hallway painted a bland off-white color and lined with tall, maroon lockers. They had to walk past Danny’s locker but by a stroke of luck, he wasn’t there and Cam avoided any awkwardness before school.

  “See you at lunch,” Claire said before heading to class as Cam stopped at her locker to drop off her books for her afternoon classes.

  She then went to Mr. Roberts’s classroom for her first class, English. Before she could pick out a seat, her gaze connected with Danny’s. She forgot exactly which classes they shared this semester. Quickly, she moved to a seat on the opposite side of the room. She placed a notebook and pen on her desk and looked up to see Riley standing in front of her. She smiled.

  “This seat taken?” Riley asked, pointing to the one in front of Cam.

  “Nope. It’s all yours.”

  Riley also got ready for class before turning around and looking at Cam with concern. “Are you doing okay?”

  She quickly glanced at Danny out of the corner of her eye. “Yeah, I’m good,” she replied as Mr. Roberts tried to get everyone’s attention.

  She was thankful that the first day of school was always the easiest since teachers took attendance and spent the rest of period going over ground rules for the semester. But it also meant her mind wandered anywhere it wanted.

  She was uncomfortable that both Danny and Riley were in the class. Occasionally, she felt Danny’s gaze on her, but she tried not to check. As class continued, her mind drifted and she focused on Riley’s wavy, dark blond hair which she had left loose and fell just below her shoulders. I wonder how soft it feels. Wait, what? She snapped back as she realized she’d reached out to touch it. She desperately glanced around the room, hoping no one else noticed her movements. Come on Cam, snap out of it!

  Her panicked thoughts were interrupted by the bell and everyone left the classroom. The rest of the day was a bit more of the same, luckily without the daydreaming or too much interaction with Danny.

  At the end of the day, she made her way to the locker room to get ready for soccer practice. Since this was the first time they could use the locker room this season, Cam made sure to grab two lockers, one for Claire and one for herself, in the back. As she was putting her backpack away, she jumped when someone pinched her side.

  “Hey, how was the rest of your day?” Riley asked. She pulled her shirt over her head and started to change.

  Cam’s mouth went dry as her eyes traveled down Riley’s well-toned body. She noticed Riley had a barely visible tattoo of a feather on her right side below her sports bra. “Whoa! You have a tattoo. What is it?”

  Riley cleared her throat and said, “Um, it’s something I got earlier in the summer.” She seemed ill at ease and avoided eye contact. “I’ll tell you about it later sometime. Come on, we’re going to be late.”

  Riley quickly put on her shorts and T-shirt and grabbed her socks, shin guards, and cleats and headed out of the locker room.

  Claire came rushing in and dropped her stuff on the ground as she undressed. “Shit! Coach is gonna make me run sprints if I’m late.”

  Cam, slightly dumbfounded by Riley’s abrupt exit, shook her head. “Well, would it be a bad thing? I mean you are a little slow.”

  “Oh, shut it! Let’s go!”

  They finished dressing and hustled out of the locker room, dropping their stuff by the bench just in time to hear Coach blow her whistle.

  Chapter Six

  The last Saturday of August marked the first home game of the soccer season. Cam was excited because her dad was coming into town for it. She had to leave for the game before he arrived, but he texted to say he was only half an hour away.

  Not long after her parents announced their divorce, her dad had moved a couple hours away to Cincinnati, Ohio. He was a police detective, and an old coworker had hooked him up with a job. The new job came with a promotion and her dad became the lead on a drug task force. After he moved, she saw him a couple weekends a month and a smattering of days in between when he could make it back for a special event.

  By the time she arrived, most of the girls were changing into their uniforms. The energy was exciting and positive. Everyone was hoping this year would be better than previous seasons, and if practices were a good indicator, they already knew they gelled better than teams in past years. They also had won their first game of the season the week before, so they were riding on a high they hoped would continue today.

  After a quick speech from Coach Hawkins, the team jogged out of the locker room toward the benches. As Cam passed the stands, she smiled broadly when she saw her dad sitting next to her mom and brothers. They all seemed to be chatting animatedly about something, and she was left with a warm feeling in her chest. She knew she had to focus so she waved to them quickly and dropped onto the bench to change into her cleats.

  “You guys ready for this?” Claire asked excitedly.

  “Definitely,” Riley replied. “I think I’m more excited about starting this season than all my others.”

  Cam smiled at Riley, and said, “Me too.” She looked back and forth between Claire and Riley before asking, “You two are still coming over to spend the night after the game, right?”

  “Of course,” they replied in unison.

  Cam finished tying her cleats and stood. “Excellent. Now, let’s go warm up so we can kick some ass!”

  They didn’t kick ass, but they didn’t lose either. The game ended in a tie, and Coach Hawkins seemed pleased with the result, as did most of the team because they had played one of the better teams in their conference. After a quick huddle, all the girls changed out of their cleats and gathered their gear before meeting up with their families.

  Cam’s mom made her way down the bleacher stairs, laughing with Cam’s father as they walked side by side. Cam tried to hide her smile as she made her way toward them. Her parents’ relationship had seemed to improve as time passed. Now they rarely fought and they seemed a little chummy when they were together. She didn’t have any high hopes of them getting back together, but it was a much-improved sight when compared to the months leading up to and after the divorce.

  “Great game, Cam!” her dad said with a quick hug.

  “Thanks, Dad. I’m glad you could make it.”

  “Me too. Sorry, I can’t stay longer. I have to work early in the morning.”

  Cam shrugged and said, “It’s okay. I understand.”

  Her mom wrapped her arm around Cam’s shoulder as they walked. “You were pretty great out there. It looks like your hard work at practice seems to be paying off. And Riley, man she is speedy.”

  “Thanks, Mom. And she is. It’s hard for everyone else to keep up with her.”

  “Do you need a ride home?”

  “No, I’ll come home with Riley and Claire since they’re spending the night.”

  “Oh, that’s right. Well, we should get going. I’ll order you guys some pizza and pick it up on our way home.”

  “That sou
nds great. Thanks.”

  “Great game again, Cam. I’ll try my best to make it to more, but it most likely will only be the weekend games,” her dad said.

  “I know, Dad. It’s fine. Have a safe drive back home.”

  “Will do, sweetheart. I love you.”

  “Love you too.”

  After Cam hugged her dad, she watched as he said goodbye to her mom and brothers before getting in his car and driving away. She only tore her gaze away when she felt an arm drape across her shoulder.

  “Ready to go?” Claire asked softly.

  She quickly wiped the corner of her eye before any tears fell. She looked at Claire with a small smile. “Yeah, let’s go.”

  If anyone had asked, Cam knew she couldn’t explain why her dad’s departure made her cry. She was used to spending time away from him. She understood the time commitment of his job, and she was grateful he made every effort to come back to town for her or her brothers’ events. Normally, she handled his absence well, but there were still times like now where she was almost overcome with emotion.

  After the three of them showered and put on their pajamas, they settled on Cam’s bed and sat cross-legged facing each other. “So things seem pretty good with your dad even though he lives a couple hours away?” Riley asked.

  “Yeah, I mean it’s still tough to say bye to him, but I actually think the move was better for the family. My parents don’t fight anymore, and Josh and Ethan seem to be doing well with the adjustment. He loves his job and he’s really not that far away.”

  Riley nodded and lightly rubbed a bruise just above her ankle, which she had received during the game. “How long have they been divorced?”

  “A little over a year.”

  “Has it been hard?”

  She shrugged. “It hasn’t been too bad.”

  “Cameron,” Claire said in exasperation.

  “What?”

  “You make it sound like it’s been a cakewalk and we know that isn’t true.”

  “Okay, yes, it majorly sucks, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I’m just happy my parents get along now. We’ve all gotten into a routine and it seems to be working. Why dwell on anything else?”