TRUE LOVE [Chapter 7: Eyes Closed]

The final two days of camping were a little awkward for me. Cameron and I were still talking, but there was a kind of emptiness to his words. He didn’t glow like he used to before the night at the lake. I know he was hurt. Natalie could even tell that there was some sort of difference in the way we acted around each other. I just told her I wasn’t sure what was up with him. We all headed back to Depoe Bay where we were dropped off at Cameron and Natalie’s house. My Jeep was still parked next to the house where I left it. Cameron offered to help me load up my stuff in the Jeep.

“I was…uh…” I began

“What?” he froze in place

“Well. I was wondering if it was okay if I stayed the night here?” I asked with a smile

He didn’t react at first, but then he smiled, “Sure, I’m okay with that.”

“Okay.” I said as I followed him inside his home

As we walked in, there was a grand stair case that lead up to the second floor. In the center of the room on the ceiling was a large rustic chandelier. It wasn’t an extremely glitzy and glamourous home, but there was some expensive taste that was put into this home when it was built.

“Mom. Joey is going to stay the night!” Cameron shouted hoping his mother would hear

“You are?” Natalie came skipping out of the kitchen with a cookie

“Yeah.” I smiled

“Hey, where did you get those?!” Cameron asked

“Mom is baking cookies.” She said covering her mouth being lady like

“Come on.” Cameron looked at me smiling as we headed towards the kitchen

We walked into the kitchen to find miss Langley scraping the warm cookies onto a cooling rack. She had the technique down to a tee. Scrape, scoop up four cookies at a time, tilt and slide.

“Mom. Did you hear me?” he asked grabbing two cookies and handing me one

“Oh yeah sweetie. That’s more than okay.” She said with a smile looking at me

“Thank you miss Langley.” I smiled with a mouth full of cookie

We headed upstairs to the second floor. At the landing we made a right and headed down a hall with two doors. One was a bathroom, the other was a bedroom. Cameron’s bedroom was spacious. He had a queen size bed, a bay window overlooking the hillside with an ocean view. He had a desk with his school books laid out. A flat screen TV on the wall and posters of actors and singers decorating it. He jumped onto his bed laying back. I joined him by gently sitting on the edge of the bed.

“What do you wanna do?” Cameron asked staring up at the ceiling

“I’m not sure. Just kick back, relax, watch movies in bed? Uh…I mean…in your room?” I stuttered

“That sounds nice.” Cameron sat up smiling at me

He stood up and faced me, “Look. I’m so sorry about the way I’ve been acting. I’m just giving you your time and space.” He finally admitted

“I know you are. I’m sorry if this is hurting you. It was never my intentions to do that.” I said

“I know it wasn’t. I guess…” he paused

“What?” I asked curious

“I guess I was hoping it would be like a romantic movie, where everything just falls into place. But this isn’t a movie…is it?” he said

“No. I guess not.” I said looking down at my feet

“Well, it’s okay. Let’s not talk about it. I’ll go make some popcorn, steal a couple cookies and grab some movies. What kind of movies?” he asked

“Scary!” I said with excitement

“Scary it is.” He chuckled and left the room

While he was away, I stood up and looked at his wall decorations; photos of him and friends, achievement awards. But there was one photo that caught my eye. It was a photo of me. It was taped on his mirror bundled up next to a bunch of pictures of him and his friends. It was just me. I wasn’t even looking at the camera. He must have taken a candid photo of me walking around school or something. As I was leaning into the picture, Cameron arrived with a small plate of cookies and a bowl of popped popcorn and an arm full of movies.

“Hey. When did you take this?” I asked pointing at the picture

“Oh…um. That. This is embarrassing.” He said placing the food and movies on the desk, “I took that a week after that weekend we went to the beach. You were walking across the quad at school.” He said blushing

“Why didn’t you just ask me for a picture?” I asked

“I wasn’t sure if that would weird you out?” he said

“No. This kind of does,” I said pointing at the picture, “But not a picture you want of me posing.” I laughed

“Well, will you?” he asked digging in his desk for his camera

“Oh…I look like shit.” I said

“No you don’t…you never could look like shit.” He smiled

“Take one with me then.” I said

He looked at me with a crooked smile.

“Really?” he asked

“Yeah. Come on.” I said patting the bed to have him sit next to me.

He sat down right next to me and put one arm around my shoulders. I wrapped my arm around him as well. He stretched out his left arm with the camera. From the corner of my eye, I could see him turn to face me.

“Can I kiss your cheek?” he asked softly

I turned to face him. I nodded and looked back towards the camera. He slowly leaned in and placed his soft lips on my cheek. He snapped not one but two photos. The photos printed out on his Polaroid camera. We smiled once they developed before our eyes.

“They came out good.” I said

“They did. Here…take this one.” He said handing me the second copy

“Oh…thanks. But they’re your photos.” I said

“Yeah, but I want us to have something as a memory. Just in case you decide that you don’t…you know.” He said sounding a little sad again

“Cam…”I said looking at him not wanting him to feel sad

“Come on. Let’s watch this movie.” He said changing the subject

Cameron held up a DVD copy of Paranormal Activity. I hadn’t seen it…or any of those movies. I was too chicken shit to watch it. Well. I did say scary and he brought scary.

“Okay.” I said with a shaky voice

“Go ahead.” He said gesturing to the bed

“What?” I asked

“Well go get in.” he said flipping the light switch turning them off

I didn’t realize how late it was getting. The fire colored sky grew darker as the sun began to set. I climbed into the right side of the bed and under the blankets. His bed was extremely comfortable. The movie was beginning as he grabbed the cookies and popcorn from the desk and joined me in his bed. He got under the covers and his legs brushed against mine. He was warm.

As the movie began to get good, the scary parts were so terrifying to me that I kept jumping and almost knocking the popcorn out of Cameron’s hands. He kept laughing every time I jumped. I finally smacked his arm.

“Ouch.” He said laughing

“Don’t laugh at me.” I said smiling

“You’re so cute. I can’t believe you have never seen this.” He said

“This stuff scares me.” I admitted

“Well, don’t worry. You got me to protect you tonight. I won’t let anything happen to you.” He said smiling at me

I turned my face looking at him. We were so close because I had scooted closer to him at every scary moment. Our noses almost touched. His piercing blue eyes were locked on me. His lips were moist.

“Promise?” I asked

“I promise.” He said

At that moment. I don’t know what came over me. I leaned closer and pressed my lips on his. His hands released the popcorn bowl and ran up my arm, to my shoulder and then neck. His eyes were closed and I closed mine. His legs and thighs began to intertwine with mine under the covers. Our mouths opened consuming each other. His tongue inside my mouth…my tongue pushing against his and entering his mouth. With every smack of our kissing I bit down gently on his bottom lip, sucking it then releasing it and re-opening my mouth to take more of him in. Our bodies were pressed against one another as we sat up in his bed. I could feel his heavy breathing against my chest. Suddenly a quick knock and the swinging of the bedroom door opening split us apart and we jumped back almost to the edge of each side of the bed. Natalie walked in frozen in place.

“Uh. Did I interrupt something?” she smiled

“Natalie. What did I tell you about barging in?!” snapped Cameron

“Sorry. Thought you guys were just watching a movie.” She snickered
“Grow up. We are watching a movie. What do you want?!” Cameron snapped

I was too embarrassed to even look at Natalie. I kept my focus a downward.

“Mom said not to stay up too late.” She said

“I know!” Cameron shouted

“And, she said to take out the trash before it gets too late.”

“Okay!” He said trying to get her to leave

“Goodnight boys.” She laughed closing the door as she left

We looked at each other and laughed.

“Fuck that was close.” Cameron said

“It’s not like she doesn’t know.” I said

“Yeah, about me.” He said

“Yeah.” I said unsure if that was a jab

“I didn’t mean it that way. There isn’t any pressure. I’m really surprised by you. It was nice…really nice.” He said with a big smile on his face

I smiled and then asked, “Aren’t you going to take out the trash?”

“Oh…yeah…um. Maybe when I don’t have a boner.” He said lifting the sheet to reveal his tented shorts

I laughed and sat back against the headboard and began to eat some popcorn. After the movie, we decided to go to sleep.

            In the morning I woke up to the sound of the bedroom door opening. I lied in bed still. I squinted my eyes to appear to be asleep. It was Cameron as he entered the room with a towel wrapped around his waist. He stood in front of his closet and unwound the towel from his waist holding it in his hands drying off the rest of his body and hair. His perfect bubble butt looked even better in daylight. He turned to look if I was awake. I quickly shut my eyes again which felt like they were wide open. Through narrow slits in my eyes, I could see his figure coming towards me. His penis swung as he walked and just inches from my face as he leaned down and kissed me on my temple.

“Time to wake up, sleepy head.”  He said putting on underwear

I pretended to stretch out of my sleepiness and sat up. I ran my fingers through my hair trying to make myself look more presentable.

“Morning.” I said

“Morning.” He smiled back at me

After I got out of a bed, out of the shower and dressed, we headed towards school. I drove Cameron to school. I couldn’t take Natalie because she was still a minor and I wasn’t permitted to drive with minors. Natalie was dropped off by her mother. When we got to school, I felt like first period dragged on. Between Nick’s constant smart mouth and Natalie’s talking, I felt like I couldn’t focus on what I wanted to…which was Cameron. Once the bell rang, I got up and sprinted out of class. I walked towards my second period class when I noticed Cameron coming towards me.

“Come with me really quick.” He said shifting directions towards the boy’s bathroom

We walked inside and Cameron checked each stall. He walked towards me grabbed me violently by the shirt collar and shoved me into an empty stall. He closed the door behind us and he began kissing me. His hands were under my shirt caressing my back, some of it tickled. I reciprocated by grabbing his ass and pulling him closer to me. He kissed my neck passionately, my Adam’s apple and chin. We then heard someone walking into bathroom. I quickly stood on top of the toilet bowl seat as Cameron faced the stall door, making it appear as if one person was in the stall. We didn’t recognize the voices, but someone entered the stall next to us. Cameron looked through the crack of the door and saw two guys at the urinal and we could hear the third person next to us. After a couple of minutes, they finally left. We hurried out of the stall and pretended to be at the sink washing our hands.

“That was too close.” I said

“Yeah. Kind of exciting though.” He said

“No it wasn’t. I don’t want anybody knowing this.” I said

“What? Are you ashamed?” he asked

“No. That’s not…of what? Of being straight?” I asked stupidly

“Straight?!” Cameron looked at me shocked

“Whatever. Look…this is my private life and my business. We can’t be doing this where people will find out.” I said frustrated

Cameron looked directly at me, shifting his body in anger.

“So you want us to lie to everyone except each other?” he asked

“This is getting so complicated and it shouldn’t.” I said

“You’re right. It shouldn’t. But that’s something you have to deal with on your own.” He said walking out of the bathroom

© 2015 Copyright J.M. Casas Jr. Royalty Novels / True Love Saga. All Rights Reserved.

TRUE LOVE [Chapter 6: Camping]

The weeks dragged on as I counted down the days until the camping trip. During classes with Cameron we would talk about what he planned to do during the trip. He was excited to go hiking. Ick. I wasn’t much of a hiking type of person, sure I liked to run, but on a paved ground. Now that the weather was getting warmer, Cameron began his water polo practice with his teammates. I would go to the practices to watch and provide support. Cameron would glance over every now and again and smile at me.

“Enjoying the view fag?” asked a familiar voice behind the bleachers

I turned to see Nick and a couple of his jock buddies. They were in football gear, dirty and sweaty. Must have just finished practice.

“Go away Nick.” I said in a monotone voice

“Why don’t you go away? Quit gawking at the guys in bathing suits, hoping their dick pops out.” He laughed at his own remark

“Aren’t you late for your shower with the football team?” I turned and grinned

“What?!” he snapped walking around the corner to meet me on the bleachers

He got in my face, his sweat dripping on my backpack which sat next to my legs. A couple of students at the opposite end of the bleachers were staring wondering if a fight would break out.

“You got something to say pretty boy?!” he shoved my English book from my lap knocking it onto the ground

“HEY!” shouted a voice from the pool area

It was the water polo coach noticing Nick picking on me.

“Is there a problem?!” he shouted at us

“No sir.” Both Nick and I replied as Nick stood up straight and walked off the bleachers

Nick and his buddies were muttering hateful words as they walked away, I couldn’t really hear it too much, but I heard the words, fucker, faggot and bitch. “What a pleasant person.” I uttered to myself sarcastically.

After practice wrapped up, I met Cameron in the front of the locker room and raved about his practice. He smiled as we headed to my Jeep. I was his ride today. While we were driving home listening to music, the tunes were interrupted when Cameron turned it down.

“You know. You don’t have to wait for me outside the locker room. You can come in.” he said with a grin

“Oh…well…I don’t want to just be in there while you shower and change…that would be kind of weird.” I said somewhat uncomfortable

“I don’t mind. I’m not embarrassed.” He chuckled

“Oh…” I didn’t know what else to say

“I saw Nick by you on the bleachers. Was he being a dick again?” he asked

“Kind of. Nothing I can’t handle though.” I said

“He just doesn’t know when to lay off. Good thing school is almost over and hopefully we never have to see him again.” Cameron confessed

“You don’t want to see him either?” I asked

“No way. He’s changed. Just got really big headed the past couple of years.” He said

A few minutes of silence followed, but then I had the courage to ask him something I’ve been wanting to since the Sadie Hawkins dance.

“Cameron.” I said

“Yeah?” he said softly

“I have to ask you something, and you don’t have to answer it, but I just don’t know how to ask or if it’s even right to ask…” I began babbling

“Just ask.” He laughed

“That night at the dance, when Phillip and I were talking outside…he mentioned…”

“Oh yea.” Cameron said in a calm but somewhat disturbed tone

“Forget it. I shouldn’t have brought it up. I mean. It’s none of my business.” I said

“It isn’t?” he asked

“What?” I said confused

“I mean. I have nothing to hide…from you at least. We’re honest right?” Cameron said smiling at me

“Right.” I said confidently

“So ask me what you want to ask me.” He pushed

“Well…are you?” I asked

“Am I what?”

“Are you gay?” I asked

“Am I gay? Well, let’s put it this way. I’ve been on plenty of dates with girls. I lost my virginity to a girl when I was 16. I have never been on a date or romantically involved with a guy…”

“Okay, I get it.” I laughed, “You’re not…”

“Yes.” He said cutting me off

“What?” I said shocked taking my eyes off the road

“Joey! Driving!” He screamed gesturing with his hands to look at the road

“Sorry. Wait what? You are?” I asked

“I guess so. I mean…I’m attracted to guys. I’ve dated girls because that’s what I was brought up being taught. But…I’ve always been attracted to guys.” He admitted

“Does anyone know?” I asked

“Natalie.” He confessed, “And you.”

“Just us? Not even your parents?” I asked

“No way. They’re so out of the loop of what goes on in my personal life.”

“Oh.” I said still in shock by his confession

We drove in silence until we got to his mother’s house, pulling up to the circle driveway and parking next to the front door.

“Now let me ask you.” He said

“Oh…uh…okay? Ask me what?” I knew what was coming

“Are you gay?” he asked without hesitation

“Me? Oh…pfft. No. And not that there is anything wrong with it…I’m just…I’m not…no. I’m straight.” I said

“Really?” he asked cocking his head to the side

“Yeah. Really. I’ve had girlfriends.” I said

“Have you had sex with a girl?” he asked

“Uh…no. It hadn’t gotten that serious.” I said

“Interesting.” He said looking straight ahead

“What is?” I asked trying to figure out what he was after

“I could have sworn…you were gay.” He smiled looking right back into my eyes

“Oh. Sorry. No. I’m Joey. I mean gay. I MEAN STRAIGHT!” I corrected myself

Cameron laughed as I stumbled over my words.

“You know what I think?” he asked

“Um…no.” I said

“I think you aren’t sure.” He said getting out of my car, smiling and winking at me. He walked up the steps to his front door and walked inside.

            The day of the camping trip was here and I was excited. I drove to Cameron’s mother’s house where his dad was picking us up in his truck. Natalie and I sat outside as Cameron was collecting the last of his things.

“I’m so excited you are coming.” She said

“Cameron told me.” I changed the subject immediately

“Huh?” she replied confused

“He told me about…the gay thing.” I said

“Oh.” She said quietly

“I don’t mind. He’s still my friend.” I said reassuring

She didn’t respond. She just looked down and shook her head in disapproval.

“What’s wrong?” I asked

“He shouldn’t have told you.” She said

“Why?” I asked a little taken back

“Because…”

“Because why?!” I raised my voice

“Because he likes you, Joey. Can you not see that?!” she shouted back at me

My face and body stood still frozen in place as she got up in frustration to pace.

“What!” I finally jumped up

“Yes. Come on. Don’t act stupid. You know as well as I do. He really likes you. It pisses me off because I told him not to tell you. He would just get hurt.” She blurted out

“Why would he get hurt?” I asked

“Because he was hoping you were too. I told him by telling you…it could affect you both long term.” She said

We both became silent as Cameron walked out and just as he reached where we stood, his father pulled up.

“Hey kids!” said the tall man with peppered hair, good physique and natural tan. He stretched out his hand and took mine, “You must be Joey. The kids have told me all about you. So glad you could join us. I’m Tom Harris by the way.” He said

“Nice to meet you Mr. Harris” I said

From the passenger side, a tall thin beautiful woman stepped out. She had long black hair flowing in the wind, a tight light purple tank top and khaki shorts. Her skin was olive colored, green eyes and she must have been about ten year younger than Mr. Harris.

“Oh, this is my girlfriend, Janice.” He said introducing us.

“Hi” she responded, “Hey kids” she said looking at Natalie and Cameron.

There was noticeable dislike Natalie had for Janice. Cameron however didn’t mind. Another female voice came from behind us; it was miss Langley, Cameron and Natalie’s mother.

“Guys. Don’t forget the ice chest…” she said pointing inside the house

“Hi Diane.” Mr. Harris stood up waving at miss Langley

“Tom. Hi.” She waved back

“You remember Janice?” he said gesturing at her. Janice waved back as miss Langley returned the gesture.

“Have fun kids.” miss Langley said walking back into the house and slamming the door

“Well that was awkward”, I thought to myself. We loaded up the truck and finally hit the road. The truck was extended. Natalie, Cameron and I squeezed in the back. The drive was about two and a half hours until we finally reached our destination, Toketee Falls. After an hour of unloading and setting up camp, three tents and planning out the weekend, we all decided to go fishing. Mr. Harris brought along two canoes. Cameron and I loaded one into the lake while Natalie carried our fishing gear. Mr. Harris and Janice followed with their canoe.

“You guys fish in the center of the lake, Janice and I will go on the opposite side of the lake and see if we can catch anything.” He said

“Yeah, an STD from that skank.”  Natalie muttered

Cameron nudged her in the side. We got into the canoe and paddled towards the center. Natalie wore a life jacket. She really didn’t know how to swim. We cast our lines out and after about ten minutes, I was the first to get a bite. I reeled in my line to find a pretty big catfish.

“Nicely done Joe.” Natalie applauded

“You sure do got a big one.” Cameron laughed

We all laughed at his joke and he stopped immediately as he also got a bite. He reeled in his line to find a fresh water trout flapping about trying to unhinge itself from the hook. Natalie only caught one fish during that time. Cameron caught 4 total and I collected 2 smaller catfish along with my large catch. Mr. Harris and Janice came back with three catfish. The fish were really biting that day. After we ate lunch, we headed for our five mile hike. The scenery was beautiful, but it was extremely warm. By the time we came to our first rest stop, we were covered in sweat. I heard something at that moment between the heavy breathing.

“What is that?” I asked Cameron

“Toketee Falls. Wait till you see it. It’s beautiful.” He said wiping the sweat from his face

“It’s a waterfall that pours into a small gorge in the side of the mountain, overflowing causing a 2^nd waterfall into the lake.” Said Janice

“That sounds amazing. Can we go swimming?” I asked

“Of course.” Mr. Harris said

After another twenty minutes hiking we came upon the waterfall. It was a site. The mist from the waterfall was so refreshing on our faces. Mr. Harris took off his shirt and jumped into the lake. Janice followed.

“I’ll meet you guys under the waterfall.” Natalie said running off around the side of the lake.

There was a flat bed of rocks that the waterfall fell on which allowed people to stand on as the water poured on them. Cameron and I took off our shirts and jumped in the lake. It felt so amazing. The water was almost clear. As we swam towards the waterfall, we had just realized nobody was there. It was like our own private oasis. I lifted myself from the water onto the bedrock and helped Cameron up. Natalie was already there showering herself off.  It was stunning to see the water bouncing off of Cameron’s body. Everything felt like it was in slow motion. He stepped out from the waterfall and caught me staring at him.

“What’s wrong?” he asked

“Nothing.” I shook off my blank stare

“Well get your sexy self under that waterfall.” He said

I happily obliged. I scrubbed the dirt and sweat off my body with my hands. After feeling fully refreshed, the Harris clan and I collected our things and began our hike back down to basecamp. The trail back wasn’t as bad. The tree’s provided shade and the breeze was picking up.

            Later that evening, after eating another meal of fish, chips and beans, we got in our tents for bed. Natalie slept in her own near her dads. Mr. Harris and Janice had their own tent. Cameron and I shared one together.

“You mind if I sleep in my underwear?” he asked

“No. Not at all.” I said

It was still humid, so I understood why it would be more comfortable sleeping with less clothes on.

“Hey…Cameron.” I said as he took off his shirt, “Are there bears out here?”

“No.” he chuckled, “why you scared?”

“Honestly…a little. Never been camping before.” I admitted

“Oh. Well don’t worry. I’ll protect you.” He said laying down and turning off the lamp

Sometime in the middle of the night, I was woken out of my deep sleep. I didn’t even realize I had fallen asleep. I don’t remember the last thing I told Cameron before we knocked out. I just remember laughing quietly with Cameron.
“Hey. Come on.” Said Cameron as he shook me

“What’s going on? What time is it?” I asked rubbing my eyes

“Come with me.” He said unzipping my sleeping bag

I reluctantly got out of the sleeping bag and followed him out of the tent. We put on our shoes and he grabbed a flashlight from his bag next to the tent. I followed Cameron as he tiptoed in his underwear and sneakers passed his Dad’s tent. We headed into the woods towards the lake which was about 500 yards away. We walked towards a small dock and he took off his shoes. He placed them near the end of the dock and put the flashlight down.

“What’s wrong?” he asked looking at me

“What are we doing?” I asked confused

“Going for a swim.” He said

“I didn’t bring a towel. Besides its late.” I said really wanting to go to sleep

“Join me.” He said in a low and tempting voice

I kicked off my shoes and placed them next to his. I was facing him. He was facing me and his back was towards the lake as we stood on the dock. He turned around with his back towards me. His hands came up to his waist and his thumbs inserted into his underwear strap. He gently pulled them down, slowly. I couldn’t help but stare and take in everything I was seeing. His beautiful smooth ass glowed in the moonlight. Swimmers tan from all of those water polo practices. He stood back up and stepped out of his underwear, pushing them next to our shoes with his feet. He then turned back around and faced me. But my face was still looking down. There he was…in all his magnificent glory. Cameron…naked. From his abs down, his “v” shaped line guided me to his dark blonde trimmed pubic hair, which then met with a girthy surprise. He had a thick, perfect circumcised penis. It was almost as large as his flashlight.

“Your turn.” He said in a low voice

I snapped out of my trance and looked into his eyes. I noticed he was smiling.

“You go ahead. I think I’ll just wait for you here.” I said trying not to look downwards

“Want me to help you?” he asked

I took a big gulp of saliva. My nerves were kicking in and I almost felt like my body was beginning to shake.

“I might need some help.” I said not removing focus on his eyes

I felt his hands gently curl under the lining of my shirt at my waist. He lifted it off above my head as I raised my hands. After he tossed it onto the dock, without looking away from my gaze, he began to untie my short strings. He inserted his thumbs into my shorts and underwear. He slowly lowered them. I could feel my pubic hair becoming exposed. My ass was the first to come out of my underwear followed by penis. I felt my penis plunge upwards after my shorts and underwear were pulled down. I quickly covered it. Holy shit. I had an erection.

“Wow.” Cameron said looking down at my covered area

“Huh?” I said with a shaky voice

“Excited?” he chuckled

“It happens when I’m nervous.” I lied

“Hmm.” He said, knowing he didn’t believe me

He took a few steps towards the edge of the dock. His toes curled over it. He turned around and reached out.

“Take my hand.” He said

I didn’t want to move my hands from my erect penis.

“It’s okay. Don’t be nervous. And trust me. You have nothing to be ashamed of.” He said smiling over his shoulder

I walked towards him and released myself. I grabbed his hand and we stood side by side on the edge of the dock.

“Jump in on the count of three.” He said as he began to countdown, “One, two, THREE!” he shouted as we leaped into the lake. The water was still warm. I noticed Cameron hadn’t come back up for air. He then popped up right in front of me, scaring me. We floated there in the water, staring at each other in the moonlight.

“You’re beautiful.” He said to me

I looked down at the water which was only an inch or two from my chin. He reached up and grabbed my chin forcing me to look back up at him.

“I mean it.” He said

“Thank you.” I said, not knowing what else to say

“You have a nice ass too. And…you know what.” He said smiling

I smiled giving out a little chuckle.

“I really like you.” Cameron finally came out and confessed

“You do?” I quickly responded

“Yeah.” He said

“Why?” I asked

“The same reason I liked you as a friend. But also because…I know you like me too.” He said

“Cameron.” I began

“I know you do. And I think you know you do too.” He said

I felt his hands under the water grabbing me at the waist. His fingertips wrapped around me caressing my upper ass and lower back. I felt my erect penis poke something.

“Oh.” He said smiling

“Sorry!” I said embarrassed

“Don’t be.” He said laughing

“It has a mind of its own.” I admitted

“Let me make you happy.” He said

“You already do.” I replied honestly

“I mean…I’d like to date you.” He said

I wasn’t sure what to say. I wasn’t sure how I felt. If it was right to feel this way.

“I don’t know. I don’t think we should be this close.” I said unsure

“It feels right though.” He said

“I don’t know what to feel.” I said as we continued to float face to face in the lake

His arms still wrapped around my waist. I realized that we had somehow gotten closer, physically. My penis was pressed up against his groin and lower stomach. He was embracing me. I could feel his erection under me. He slowly began to lean in.

“I can’t.” I said pushing him away gently

I knew he was coming in to kiss me.

“Joey.” He pleaded

“I need time.” I said

He had slight disappointment in his face.

“Okay. I’ll give you time.” He said

I turned around and swam back to the dock. I climbed up the wooden ladder. He followed me out. His body glistened in the moonlight. He looked like a Greek god almost. His erection at full attention. He leaned down to get our clothes. He handed me mine as he put on his underwear over his wet body. I slipped on my shorts only as we walked without saying at word back to the tent. The entire night, we didn’t speak and finally fell asleep.


© 2015 Copyright J.M. Casas Jr. Royalty Novels / True Love Saga. All Rights Reserved.

TRUE LOVE [Chapter 5: Cherry Blossom Cliff]

Cameron lived on the opposite side of town. He lived in a two story colonial style home with columns in the front, a fountain in the center of a circle driveway. I came to a stop and as Cameron unbuckled his seatbelt, I did mine as well. I jumped out and ran to his door before he could open it. I look at him. He had a smile on his face and what looked like to be shock. I slowly opened his door and gave a slight bow.

“Thank you, kind Sir.” He said

“I will be there too.” I said

“You will?” he asked

“Just like you will.” I smiled

We gave each other a patted hug and I got back in my car as he walked towards his front door. He turned around and waved at me before he walked inside.

As I was about to drive off, I noticed something in the passenger seat. There was a napkin from the pizza place and something was written on it. I picked it up and read it.

Next week’s forecast calls for warm sunshine.

Meet me at the beach on Saturday.

 - Cam

I’m not sure why he just didn’t tell me while we were in the car, or at school on Monday. Maybe I was missing the point of the note? There was something going on. In my gut. I could feel that there was some sort of…feeling. I wasn’t sure what it was. I’ve never had a friend this close before. Maybe this was normal? I knew that I enjoyed my time around Cameron. And Natalie. But…I enjoyed Cameron’s company more. Maybe it’s natural bonding? All these thoughts and emotions ran through my head on the way home. Even worse, they ran through my head all week long. Even though I went to school with Cameron, he didn’t always have time to hang out. He was busy at practice. When the weather got nice, he would usually run track. His water polo practice wouldn’t start until the late spring or early summer.

            That long awaited Saturday afternoon came and I was ecstatic to head to the beach. The weather was unusual for February. I wore board shorts, a tank top, flip flops, sunglasses and carried a towel around my neck. The drive to the beach was about thirty minutes. There was a good amount of people at the beach, however I expected it to be packed. The beach strung along the coastal cliff of Depoe Bay. Three piers stretched out into the ocean, standing high above the blue water. I raised my hand over my eyes to shield the sun as I scanned the beach for Cameron. Almost not recognizing him, I saw someone waving at me. It was Cameron. He was in white and blue shorts with a Hawaiian print and shirtless. He must have just come out of the water as his body sparkled with droplets. He had defined abs, his tattoo now visible of a tribal vine like design. His pecks bounced as he jogged towards me. I began to feel a tingle run up and down my body. I felt as if I was free falling and my stomach turned.

“Hey!” he said finally reaching me and embracing me with a hug

“Hi. Wow.” I said before I could stop myself

“What?” he asked

“Oh…um. You…really work out.” I laughed

“Yeah. Gotta stay fit.” He said patting my back, “Come sit with us.”

“Us?” I asked as I stood still in place

“Oh…my sister and Phillip are here too.” He said

“Oh.” I said relieved

“Don’t worry, I asked Nat not to invite Jasmine this time.” He laughed

Natalie and Phillip were snuggled up next to each other on a large beach blanket facing the ocean. I snuck up on Natalie, even scaring Phillip.

“Boo!” I shouted

“Oh Jeez.” Natalie yelped, “You made it!” she hugged me

“Hey man. Get comfortable, sit with us.” Phillip said shaking my hand

I took off my sunglasses and then my shirt. As my shirt came over my head, I noticed both Natalie and Cameron were looking at me. Well, my body actually. I realized it was the first time I had gotten this naked in front of them.

“Shit.” Cameron let slip out

“What?” I asked with dismay

“Oh nothing bad. I just didn’t realize you were that toned.” Cameron said

“Ditto.” Natalie said

“Oh. Well…I like to keep fit too.” I admitted

“What do you do?” Phillip asked

“I lift a little, but mostly I jog and do a little cardio at home.”

“Want to go for a swim?” Cameron asked me                                       

“Is the water cold?” I asked

“At first, but it’ll warm up quick.” He smiled

We stood up and walked towards the water. The wet sand began to stick under my feet. Shells were lined up along the beach, seagulls flying above us. The waves coming in and out removed sand beneath me, giving the illusion that I was moving. We continued to walk further until the water was half ways up my leg.

“Watch out!” Cameron shouted

He startled me, I lost my balance and fell into the water.

“Oh fuck. I’m so sorry.” Cameron said with concern grabbing my hand to lift me back up

“It’s okay. Why did you say watch out?” I asked combing my hair back with my hands

“Oh…uh. Take a look.” He said pointing down

It was a blue starfish. I had never seen a blue starfish anywhere on television or in real life. It was actually stunning to see. Cameron leaned down and picked it up gently. He began to walk deeper into the ocean and I followed closely.

“I’ll be right back.” He turned to look at me

I nodded. Cameron then dove into the ocean with the starfish in his hand. A few moments later I could see Cameron a few yards further out, bobbing. He looked at me and then dove straight down. I waited. Waited for a few moments, which turned into seconds…and then it was a minute. My God. Where was he?

“Cameron?!” I called out

Shit. I began to panic. Just as I was about to dive under, I felt something yank me down and deeper into the ocean. As I tumbled under the surface, I felt hands around my waist. I reached out in front of me, my eyes closed to prevent salt water front entering them and felt a firm object with ripples. I realized it was Cameron. We both popped up at the surface as a wave crashed into us. We jerked our heads to get our wet hair out of our face. Cameron’s hands were still on my waist.

“You jerk!” I yelled

“What?” he laughed

“I thought something happened to you!” I said with anger

His smile turned into a slight frown. I could see he felt guilty. His grasp on me loosened and we bobbed next to each other.

“I’m sorry. I was just taking the starfish to the bottom so nobody stepped on it.” He said

“I thought something happened.” I said with less anger

“I’m fine.” He smiled

“Good.” I finally cracked a smile

We just looked at each other until another wave hit us.

“I want to show you something.” He said grabbing my wrist under the water as a gesture to follow him

We swam back to the shore. As we walked out of the water, our soaked shorts were stuck to our bodies. I was behind him and couldn’t help but notice his muscular thighs and what looked like a perfect ass…for a guy of course. Fuck. What was I doing? He’s my friend…maybe its just envy?

We walked away from the beach, heading towards the parking lot.

“Where are we going?” I asked finally catching up to him

“It’s a special place.” He said with a grin

Next to the parking lot was a pathway that lead up to the cliff which overlooked the beach and the whole ocean. The hillside was grassy and at the tip top of the cliff was a pink tree. After about a ten minute walk, we reached the top of the secluded area. The tree was a cherry tree and full of pink blossoms.

“This is beautiful” I said looking up at the tree

“It’s the only cherry tree within a hundred miles of here. It was planted by a local over sixty years ago. It started as a seed and finally became this magnificent tree on this cliff.” Cameron explained, “The cherries are said to be the sweetest in the state.” He said looking into my eyes, “People come here to make wishes.”

“Wishes? How?” I asked curiously

He smiled, “I’ll show you.” He said leaning towards me, but I noticed he plucked something from the tree.

In his hands was a small twig with a bundle of cherry blossoms. The pink flowers smelled sweet.

“I have to confess something.” Cameron began

“Okay.” I said unsure of what was to come

“You are such a good friend. I’ve grown very fond of you.” He smiled

“You have?”

“Yes. You’re special to me. It’s rare I am able to have this strong of a bond with someone. We have a lot in common, I always find myself smiling when I’m with you and…best of all. I can be myself.” He admitted

“Cameron…” I said unsure of how to respond

“I just felt like you needed to know that.” He said

“I feel the same way.” I confided, “I don’t think I would have been able to bare this much change in a new town if it wasn’t for you…you and Natalie.” I included

“I want to make a wish with you.” He said pulling of each blossom and tossing the twig

He placed the bundle of flowers in his hands and stepped behind me. I looked down, not knowing what he was doing and then I saw his arms appear on either side of me. In each hand was a handful of the blossoms.

“Raise your hands and cup them together in front of you.” He said

His hands reached mine and he placed the blossoms in my hands. His soft hands were now resting against mine. I could feel his chest against my back and his breathing on my neck. Every time he inhaled, I could feel his flat stomach against my lower back.

“When we make this wish…we will release the blossoms into the wind and they will be carried away, granting our wish.” He said

“What should we wish for?” I asked standing still

His mouth was close to my face…I could feel his breath now on my cheek. At the corner of my right eye, I could see him glancing at me.

“I hope I speak for both of us, when I make this wish, but…” he began, “your friendship means so much. I wish that we both stay in each other’s lives.” He said

I turned my face towards his…we were inches from each other and I responded, “Forever?”

He smiled back at me and said, “Forever.”

He turned and faced the ocean, as did I and we slowly released the blossoms as they floated on the current of the wind, dancing through the sky and above the ocean.

            After we stood and admired the scenery from the cliff for a few minutes, we walked down the hillside not saying a word, just taking in what we both just experienced. At the parking lot, we ran into Phillip and Natalie.

“Hey, what were you guys up to?” she asked

We looked at each other and smiled.

“Just took Joey up to Cherry Blossom Cliff to see the view.” Cameron said

“Oh. It’s beautiful, isn’t it, Joey?” she asked

“Yeah. Absolutely beautiful.” I smiled

Cameron and I were about to head back to collect our things on the beach, as it seemed Phillip and Nat were ready to call it a day.

“Oh I got your guys’ stuff.” Phillip said

“Thanks.” I said, not realizing I was still smiling

“You okay man?” Phillip leaned in to ask in a low voice

“Yeah.” I shook my head, “Why?”

“Oh. You just seem flustered.” He said pointing at my face

“Eh. It’s the weather I guess.” I said turning my head away

“Cameron, did you tell Joey about the camping trip?” Natalie asked

“Shit, I knew I forgot something.” He responded

“Well, I’ll tell him.” She said walking over to me as we packed the car back up, “My dad likes to take us camping twice a year; in the spring and fall, we’re going next month and we were wondering if you would like to come?”

“Oh…umm.” I started

“My dad said its totally fine, if your parents are cool.” She said

“Sure. I’ll ask my folks.” I said

Cameron stood behind Natalie smirking at me.

“Sorry, Phillip. I tried to talk my Dad into letting you go, but he said no boyfriends allowed. Maybe, I’ll have to invite Jasmine…” she paused

Cameron uttered under his breathe.

“Oh. Nevermind. Looks like its just me and the boys.” She said

“I’m excited.” Cameron said


© 2015 Copyright J.M. Casas Jr. Royalty Novels / True Love Saga. All Rights Reserved.

TRUE LOVE [Chapter 4: Double Date]

  

The drive with Cameron only lasted about twenty minutes before we pulled up to my house.

“Can you turn off the headlights?” I asked him

“Sure.” He said leaving only his parking lights on

“Thank you for the ride.” I said

“Anytime. I’m here if you ever need anything.” Cameron said

“Really?”

He nodded in response.

“I am too.” I said

“I’m glad you came to the dance.” He smiled

“Me too. It was pretty fun.”

Our small talk was interrupted by Cameron’s cell phone ringing.

“Hold on.” He said looking irritated by the interruption as he dug into his pocket for his phone.

He answered his phone, “Hello?” with a slight coldness, “Oh, hey Nat. Everything okay?” he asked his sister

He smiled on the phone and looked at me, “Sure. Here he is.” He handed me the phone.

“Hello?” I answered

“Oh My God! You will never guess what happened?!” Natalie said with enthusiasm over the phone

“What’s going on?” I asked trying to sound excited as well

“I asked out Phillip.” She said in a loud whisper

“Really?! That’s great Nat.”

“Yeah. We have a date tomorrow night at Sand Dollar Pizza. But…” she hesitated

“But? What’s wrong with that?” I asked

“Can you come too?” she asked in a plead

“Oh. Nat. That will be really weird. I don’t want to be a third wheel.” I said

From the corner of my eye, I could see Cameron turn his head looking at me when I said that.

“Oh you won’t,” Natalie said, “Jasmine would love to go on a date with you too. We can double!” she said with excitement

“Oh. Nat. That’s a little soon for me. I just met her…plus, this should be about you and Phillip.” I tried to weasel out of it

“Please Joey!” she whined

“Okay, okay. But I’m only going as a friend to Jasmine. Nothing romantic will come out of this, I’m telling you.” I said with confidence

I could hear Cameron chuckle under his breath.

“You never know.” Nat laughed, “okay, let me to talk to my brother. I’ll see you tomorrow!”

I handed the phone back over to Cameron. He quickly ended his conversation with Natalie and hung up.

“So you got sucked into a double date huh?” Cameron laughed

“Yeah.” I said with a sigh

“You’re a good friend to Nat.” Cameron said looking at me with a crooked smile

“Well, she’s been really good to me too.” I said honestly

“Why couldn’t you see yourself with Jasmine? She’s pretty…don’t you think?” he asked

“Uh…” I began to find the right words, “Well, yeah, she’s pretty…but. I’m not sure if she’s my type.”

“Hm.” Cameron pursed his lips, “I know the feeling.” He said

We sat in silence for a few seconds, not knowing what else to talk about.

“Well, I should get going. I know you are a tired, and I forgot that you still have a long drive home.”  I said

“I don’t mind. Unless you want me to go.” He said with a chuckle

“Um.  Well, I just didn’t want you to be to sleepy. Don’t want you to fall asleep at the wheel.” I said now looking straight ahead, feeling a little uncomfortable

“That’s very considerate of you.” He said leaning towards me

I flinched. My jump scared him as well.

“Are you okay?” he asked

“Um. Yeah. I…” I didn’t finish

“I was just going to get my phone charger.” He laughed

“Yeah. No, I know.” I lied

He sat back and gave a small smirk.

“What?” I asked
“Do I make you uncomfortable?” he asked

“No. Of course not.” I lied again

“I can tell when you aren’t being totally honest with me.” He said seriously

“What? I am being…”

“Joey.” He stopped me

I sat in silence and finally said, “Thank you again for the ride.” As I unbuckled my seatbelt, so did Cameron. He sprung out of the car and ran around the front towards my door. He opened it for me and gave a small bow.

I laughed and said, “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” He smiled

“Goodnight.” I said beginning to walk towards the front door

“Night. Talk to you tomorrow?” he asked

“Yeah.” I smiled

I walked inside to find my parents sitting in the living room watching television. They immediately swarmed me with questions. I couldn’t even answer them; my mind was still in daze from the ride home with Cameron.

“It was fun.” I finally answered and ran upstairs to my room. I got up in time to see Cameron’s car tail lights disappearing into the thick tree’s that surrounded our property. I could hear his car rev off down the street.

            I woke up the next morning not event remembering when I went to sleep. I did however find myself in bed completely naked. A little unusual for me. I’m not one to sleep in the nude. The day dragged on as I tried to mentally prepare myself for the double date of doom. I agreed to meet Natalie, Jasmine and Phillip at the pizzeria, which meant I had to figure out a way to get there.

“Mom, Dad. Is it okay if either of you drop me off at the pizza place in town? I’m meeting a couple friends.” I asked as they sat around the breakfast bar as my mother baked brownies.

“I don’t think so bud.” My dad said calmly

“Oh. Um. Okay.” I said in shock, but before I could even react further my dad continued

“How about you get yourself there.” He said with a smile

“Um? Huh?” I asked confused

“Why don’t you take my jeep?” he said tossing me the keys

“Really?!” I asked

“Yeah. In fact…why don’t you hang onto those keys.” My dad said

Wow. I was in total disbelief. I mean, I did have my license; I just didn’t have a car. My dad never let me drive his jeep solo. I ran and hugged him and my mother. This was such a great gift.

“Consider it an early birthday gift.” He smiled hugging me again

“Thank you so much dad. But wait. What are you going to drive?” I asked with sincerity

“I got my eye on a car at a local lot. I’m just so proud of you, Joe. You’ve really adapted to this place, you made friends, you have been such a good kid and we’re blessed.” He said almost teary eyed

“Dad. Thank you. Am I okay to drive it now without insurance?” I asked

“All taken care of. She’s got a full tank of gas. She’s all yours, but drive safe and don’t go crazy down these mountain and cliffside roads.” My dad said

“I won’t, I promise.” I smiled and ran out the door

I jumped into my new toy; I started her up and headed down the gravel path towards the main road. I considered myself a good driver, obviously my parents trusted me anyways. I drove down the windy road of the mountain towards town. I had a smile from ear to ear as I drove. As I pulled up to the pizzeria I saw Natalie, Phillip and Jasmine about to walk in. I honked and they all saw me pulling into a parking spot.

“Joey?” Natalie said with a smile

“Hey!” I yelled back

“You’re dad let you drive his Jeep?” she asked

“My Jeep. My parents just surprised the hell out of me and gave it to me as an early birthday gift.”

“Wow! That’s so awesome! Suits you!” Phillip said shaking my hand

“Hi.” Jasmine smiled at me

And then my joy disappeared.

“Hi.” I suddenly remembered that I was there on a double date.

We all walked in and got a table. Jasmine kept finding ways to touch my arm or scoot closer to me. I ignored her antics and would join in the laughter that Phillip and Natalie shared. Our double date was then interrupted by a loud obnoxious voice.

“Go get us a table, babe.” said Nick to his girlfriend, who I assumed was Stephanie

A group of his jock friends joined them with their girlfriends. Not far behind them was Cameron. As he walked in he began scanning the room. He noticed our table and looked directly at me. He smiled. I smiled back.

“Fuck.” Phillip said irritably

“You guys want to leave?” Jasmine asked

But before we could answer, Nick pulled up a chair and sat right next to Natalie.

“Hello.” He said calmly

“Hi, Nick.” Natalie said with distaste

“So, who said you fuckwads could sit at our table?” he said with a horrific grin on his face

“Nick, leave them alone.” Cameron said laughing as he pulled up a chair between Nick and Natalie

“What are you doing here?” Natalie asked with coldness

“Came for the pizza.” He smirked

“I got us a table.” Said Stephanie standing behind Nick

“Hi, Stephanie.” Natalie said with kindness

“…Hi.” Stephanie responded short and cold, “Babe, are we going to eat or what?”

“Alright, alright…damn woman.” Nick snapped getting up and tossing the chair back to its original table

“Cameron, you should go join them.” Natalie suggested

“Oh come on. You don’t want big brother around?”

“NO THANKS.” She snapped

“Jeez. Alright, I’ll go. If anybody wants to join…you are more than welcome to.” He said as he looked directly at me

The remainder of the night was okay except for the fact that Nick would toss croutons at our table, trying to aim for Natalie and Phillip. Meanwhile, olives were being tossed at Jasmine and me by Cameron, who I think was just trying to be funny. We decided to call it a night. The four of us headed outside to the parking lot and I waved goodbye to them as they drove off in Phillips SUV. I was about to get into my Jeep when I noticed Cameron standing by the front door.

“Nice ride.” He said with his arms crossed, “So you had a car, but you just wanted to ride with me last night?” he smiled

“No.” I blushed, “I just got this today, well, it was my dad’s but he gave it to me as an early birthday gift.”

“Oh, sweet. Well maybe, this time you can give me a ride?” he asked

“Oh. Um, yeah. I thought you were hanging out with your friends?”

“I am…you.” He smiled getting into the passenger side of the jeep before I even got in

I laughed and got in as we pulled out of the parking lot.

“You know where I live?” Cameron asked

“Oh. No. Sorry. I just started driving.” I laughed embarrassed

“It’s okay. I don’t mind you taking me for a ride…its how it should work right?”

“What?” I asked confused

“You know…I take you for a ride….you take me for a ride.” He chuckled

“Sure.” I wasn’t sure what he meant

He gave me directions to his house. As we were driving, he got a text on his phone. He ignored it.

“You can answer that.” I said

“I know.” He laughed, “I just don’t want to.”

“Oh.” I said not sure if he was irritated

He must have felt like he offended me and gave an explanation, “It was Nick. Asking why I left? I just don’t like the way he acts sometimes, especially towards you.” Cameron admitted

“Why would that bother you?” I asked

“Because you are my friend. A much better friend that I think I deserve.” He looked at me

I smiled and just accepted the compliment.

“So why did you go to the pizza place? Really?” I fished for an answer

“Because of you.” He said with confidence

“Huh?” I slightly swerved

“Oh jeez.” Cameron laughed, “Careful there…”

“Sorry.”

“Yeah, I mean. Last night I could tell you didn’t want to be there, so I thought I would help you out.”

I took a quick glance at him. He was looking right at me when he said that.

“Remember, when you need someone. You just turn around and I will be there.” He said with a smile

“That almost sounded creepy.” I laughed, trying to lighten the conversation

He joined in the laughter, but I knew he meant it in a sincere way.


© 2015 Copyright J.M. Casas Jr. Royalty Novels / True Love Saga. All Rights Reserved.