A few words on this one. This is a first for me, as while I have had this story laid out for a long time, I was unsure whether I wished to feature a male or female protagonist, so I decided, why not both? So I'm going to be making two versions of this story, one with the lead as a boy, and one with the lead as a girl. This is the girl version.
However, the female
co
-protagonist—or antagonist, rather—and title character will be the
same
in both versions, a girl both times (if you've read my stories before, then you know me). So, this being the girl variant also makes it the lesbian variant.
2021 update: the female/lesbian version of the story was published on 11/25/14, and remained on the site in its original intact condition for six years. In February 2021, it seems that now its flashback scene has been deemed inappropriate, and now goes against publishing guidelines. For a few reasons, I wish to keep the story viewable and so have decided to comply, thus removing the offending scene—also denoting where such action has been taken. If you would like to read the cut scene, please comment or contact me privately, and I'll send it to you. Kindest as always regards, Smokey
* * * * *
May 20th, 3:12 p.m.
For Cameron DeVane, life as a teenager was simple, fun and practically carefree.
She was eighteen, a senior in high school. She hadn't much trouble studying or getting good grades, she had a healthy cadre of friends, and was also a cheerleader for the school football team. She didn't have a steady girlfriend at the time, but she loved dating, and young ladies held what seemed a high interest in her. It was mid-late May, and she was trying to decide on colleges after graduating.
But first she had to get through finals, an idea which was beginning to stress her out
just
a bit.
On Monday, Cameron confirmed the scheduling of all of her final exams, and planned out a rough outline of her studying routine. She calculated it was going to be a lot of work, a lot of all-nighters and a lot of coffee, but it would all pay off in the end.
Her homework was also accumulating. On Tuesday, anticipating a need to chillax a while before doing anything school-related, Cameron came home and flung her backpack on the couch, subsequently plopping right down on the cushion beside it.
"Hey hon!" called her mother, Jean, from the kitchen. "How was school?"
Cameron didn't answer, her mind consumed with academic bombardment, but that was all right; her Mom was used to it. She emerged from the kitchen, stirring something in a bowl.
"I've got some good news for you."
"Great," she wearily muttered. "I could use some good news right about now."
"Your Dad and I are heading out both Thursday and Friday night, so you've got the house for those two whole evenings."
Oh, this
was
good news. Cameron opened her eyes, her brows jumping. It was not that she viewed them as a disturbance or a nuisance of any kind, it was just that tasks such as studying became much easier in distraction-clearing silence.
Feeling some of her energy replenish already, she breathed a sigh of relief. "
Awesome
," she exclaimed. "Just the break I needed. I have
got
to get caught up on the books. Thanks, Mom."
She stood from the sofa, stretched, grabbed her backpack and started down the hall towards her bedroom.
"And that's not all!" she heard her mother add.
"Tell me the rest later!" she shouted back.
"Tori's coming over!"
She stopped dead in her tracks.
Jean and her stirring bowl appeared around the corner as she slowly about-faced.
"Um...say again??"
"Yeah, your old babysitter. Tori Linton. You remember her, don't you? She's coming to see you Friday!"
Cameron stood motionless.
"She...she is?"
"Yeah, she just called. She's in town for the weekend, and she's got Friday free," she continued. "And I said, well, hey, wouldn't it be nice if you could come visit! Y'know, just like she used to. Maybe she could help you study, huh?"
A shiver ran through Cameron's body.
Even the
name
Tori Linton sent a chill up her spine to this day.
* * * * *
[SCENE DELETED]
* * * * *
May 20th, 3:15 p.m.
Cameron stood motionless in the hall, staring at her Mom. She was saying nothing, so her mother chimed back in.
"Well, won't that be nice? I mean, you two'll be able to catch up on old times!"
Cameron shivered. Her eyes widened. Jean wasn't sure she was correctly reading her reaction.
"...You...
do
remember Tori, don't you, Cam?"
Her stare descended to the floor.
"
Ohhh
, yeah...
I
remember her."
Her mother gave her a wink-point-and-shoot with her finger. "There ya go." She flipped around to return to the kitchen. "I know you guys'll have a great time together."
Cameron didn't think she could just march after her right back into the kitchen and tell Jean about Tori all over again. She and her Dad presumed she'd been blowing the whole thing out of proportion when she was a kid. Even though she was an adult now, the small child as whom a part of them would always see and remember her blinded them to the possibility that she could have been just as serious about anything then as she was now. She didn't see a great deal of success in trying to convince them of such a thing at this point. But perhaps if she were just adamant enough in her insistence...
She thought about it and let it concern her for a while. She consequently didn't get a great deal of studying accomplished on Tuesday, but by dinnertime, she decided she was being silly letting this eat her up inside. After all, it happened when she was just a
kid
. She'd been a small child, barely in double digits. She was eighteen now—she was grown-up. She was old enough to attend her folks' "grown-up parties" and socialize right along with them, if she so desired. The point was, this was in the past. The
distant
past. Now that she thought about it again and looked at the situation through older eyes with an older mindset, it almost seemed dumb to be so perturbed by it all. It was a series of reckless childhood misadventures, and that's all it was.
The more she thought about it now, the better and more secure she felt. And her mother might even be right—they probably could have a really good time hanging out together now. Maybe even like those first few times the full decade ago.
Cameron finished supper with her folks Tuesday night, and went straight back to her room to hit the books. She went on to finish out the rest of this, one of her last—as long as everything went according to plan—weeks of her high school career.
* * * * *
May 23rd, 4:06 p.m.
Friday afternoon.
Cameron had gotten an amazing amount of studying accomplished the previous night, so she decided she'd forgive herself if she didn't perform quite as proficiently this evening. Especially since she today had company coming over.
Poring over her impressive array of books of papers, Cameron had laid out everything she'd be needing on the fortunately massive living room coffee table. The perimeter teemed with books, additional study aids, as well as some energetic snacks and libations to keep her alive, and also to offer Tori when she arrived.
Eventually passed through her parents, dolled up, making sure they were all set before they started out the door. Cameron briefly glanced up from her work to see them in their fancy evening garb.
"Hey, you guys look great. Where're ya goin' tonight?"
"Rob and Mindy's," said her Mom.
Ordinarily now that she was grown, they would have asked if she was sure she didn't want to come along, but they knew and appreciated that her finals were coming and that she needed to cram. They were proud of how diligent she was and how much she wanted to ready herself for these momentous exams.
"Oh, cool," she replied. "When're you gonna be back?"
"Oh, not until
really
late this time," said her Dad. "Maybe past midnight."
