""The most beautiful part is, I wasn't even looking when I found you" - Autumn

Song-here with me; Susie Suh

I wake up the next morning, Marlee lays on my chest. Her breath was hollow and peaceful, her lashes touched her cheeks. Her hair fell into face so I gently brushed it back.

Hearing the rumble of my truck and doors close rather loudly. I peel myself off of Marlee slowly, trying not to disturb her. She rustles for a bit but relaxes after a second.

Checking my phone I see it's 7 am. Standing up of the bed, I hear her breathing become less relaxed. Glancing back, she peeks open an eye.

"Cam?" She says, her voice raspy. "What time is it?"

"Early, go back to bed" I whisper. "Everyone just got home" she nods , turning over slightly.

"Could you not tell them about last night?" She asks me, semi hurrying her head into the pillow. "I don't want to worry them, besides nothing even happened."

I study her for a moment, her ocean eyes silently plead with me. Sighing I nod "fine"

"Thank you" she smile, pulling the covers farther up her body.

"Go back to sleep" I tell her, leaving her room and shutting her door. Walking down the hall, I here Theo and Miles talking. They spot me, Theo nodding obviously still slightly drunk.

"Did we wake you up?" He asks tossing a small, fake basket ball in the air.

"No, I woke up at 7 in the morning for fun" I shake my head.

"That's weird but okay" Theo mumbles confused.

Maybe he was a little more than a little drunk.

"Why'd you leave so suddenly?" Miles questions, taking a sip of a water bottle in his hand.

"Oh-" I remember the conversation I just had with Marlee so I shrug "I was tired"

"Serena was not very happy" Theo informs me, bumping into a wall on his way to the kitchen.

"How pissed was she?"

"Pretty pissed for like 10 minutes until a couple guys from the football team threw her in the pool, then she spent the entire night flirting with them" Miles says blatantly before realizing his words "sorry"

"It's fine, she's Serena. She flirts with everyone" I assure him, ignoring the little sting in my chest. I then notice 2 people were missing from the room "where Asher and Addie?"

Just as I ask that, a pile of blankets moves on the couch and a hand sticks up. "Here" Asher mumbles before his snores fill the room.

"Addies in the truck sleeping" Miles snorts, pulling a folder up book from his back pocket. "We tried to get her to come inside but she bit Theo so we left her"

I chuckle as Theo comes back in with a offended look on his face "it hurt, I'm going to get rabies"

"I don't think that's going to happen" Miles replies plainly.

"Okay Mr. Genius" Theo rolls his eyes. Miles, looks defeated and tired.

"I've been dealing with them all night, I'm going to bed." He says, sitting on the recliner with a blanket.

"Sleep! I forgot that existed! I'm gonna go do that!" Theo shouts earning groans from both the other guys. He skips off to his bedroom (falling on the way) and closes his door.

A yawn escapes my lips so I go straight back to Marlees room. Creaking her door open slowly, I walk in. The door clicks shut as I take notice of her.

She's already back asleep, curled up in a little ball facing the door. A smile naturally forms on my face watching her be so peaceful. I slowly creep to the bed.

I lay on the other side of her and she immediately turns over, laying on my chest. Her arm wraps around me and her head nestled into my chest.

Kissing the crown of her head I whisper "sweet dreams Mar"

"Cameron?! Have you seen my phone?" Dad asks me walking into my room.

"Yeah, I think Ella had it" I tell him, looking up from my phone.

"I swear, ever since she learned to crawl she's been worse than you." He shakes his head, leaning against my doorway.

"Hey! Don't compare me to that little demon." I glare at my father.

We've always been close, dad and I. I've always been lucky to get along with both of my parents. They aren't around a bunch but when they are they are the best parents anyone could ask for.

"That's because she takes after your mother" Dad whispers but not quiet enough apparently.

"I heard that!" Mom yells, stomping into my doorway next to dad. Her face with in a deep scowl.

"You didn't let me finish" dad laughs, wrapping her in his embrace "you're my demon" He kisses her and I look away cringing.

"Mhm, good cover." She grins, shaking her head at my dad.

"Get a room" I mumble, chucking a pillow at them. Mom laughs, her smile was wide and carefree. It's how she always is with dad. They are like 2 teenagers in love.

It's appalling.

"We actually bought this entire house, thank you very much." Dad sasses sending me a sly expression. I roll off of my bed and walk past them.

"Then I'm going to hang out with Ella" I inform them "the most disgusting thing she can do is poop"

Walking down the stairs I get a FaceTime from Serena who ends up filling me in on a bunch of drama about people I don't even care about. Heading to the porch and sitting on the porch swing we chat for about an hour.

And by we I mean her.

"Oh! Gabbys here to pick me up!" She squeals, hopping off of her bed right as my parents drive off for a date lunch. "I got to go, love you!"

"Love you-" she hangs up before I can finish "too"

Sighing, I head back inside. When I walk in the door, Ella comes crawling up to me. She reaches out her arms and giggles.

"Oh, so now that Marlees not here you actually like me?" I question picking her up. She giggles, pinching my cheek. "That's a toxic trait Ellie" I say in a sing-song voice kissing her cheek repeatedly.

Her laughs fill the air, all the way to the living room where I set her down in her ,rather large, playpen. She cries for a minute but the second she realizes pj masks is on tv she calms down and watches.

My phone rings once again but this time from a unknown number. Sliding my finger over the answer button, I hold it to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Cami it's me" the only person who calls me Cami is Charlotte.

She came up with that name since I was little. Charlotte has always been like a second mom to me. She's been there for all my big milestones just like my parents have been for the twins.

"My phone died so I had to borrow a co-workers" she explains sounding exhausted as always but chipper, or at least she tries.

"Is everything okay?" I ask her right when Ella cries again. Holding the phone with my ear and shoulder, I scoop up my baby sister. Her eyes twinkle up at me.

Her chubby cheeks have tears streaming down them and her small fingers wrap around my shirt. Bouncing her and walking straight to the kitchen I hear Charlotte talk again.

"Yeah but it doesn't seem like it from your end" she jokes "is El's getting another tooth?"

"Yep, a painful one apparently." I reply, rocking her a little but her wails down stop.

"Try putting a spoon on her gums" she suggest so I quickly grab a spoon from the drawers.

"Really?"

"That's what always worked for you kids. You and Theo got your first ones at the same time, it was a nightmare" she huffs as I place the spoon on Ellas gums.

"I bet" I agree noticing Ella calming down "hey, it worked!"

"Well we had 5 of you to screw up. We finally got it down by now." She kids laughing for a second before getting back to her main subject "anyways I have a question"

"If you want me to replace Theo since I'm the better kid, then yes" I tease walking around the kitchen with Ella to keep her calm.

"Well while your replacing Theo could you also take Mar to the laundry Matt tonight?" She asks "I was supposed to take her but I have to work another shift and she had to walk last time, I don't want her to have to do that again"

"Yeah, I was planning on heading over there when mom and dad get back to annoy her anyways" I tell her setting the spoon in the sink.

"Perfect! Thanks Cami!"

We hang up and I get Ella to bed soon after that.

Babies are hard.

"Marlee?! Theo?!" I call, walking into the Gardner residence. I hear the thump of music and recognize it as Taylor swift.

So it could be Theo or Marlee.

They're both swifties at heart, just one more open about their love for Taylor swift(Theo) .

He has a "I love TayTay" shirt, he wore everyday in the 7th grade for a month.

I go back to Marlees bedroom when I hear her call for me. Opening the door and letting myself in like always, I freeze.

Marlee was obviously just out of the shower. Her body was wrapped in a small towel that went barley down her thighs. Her blonde hair looked almost brown and was damped, laying over her shoulders.

Water droplets fell down her skin, highlighting her collarbone and jawline. Marlees lashes were clumped together from the water making them appear even more long than normal.

My mouth dries and heart thumps in my chest. I basically have to force my jaw back up with my hand. She studies me for a minute causing me to snap out of it and act normal.

As normal as I can.

"Didn't realize I was at the strip club" I joke walking to her dresser where a new drawing and painting laid. She rolls her eyes, turning back to her closet and rustling through it.

"Well a girls gotta make money somehow" she replies pulling out a "artic monkeys" oversized, t-shirt. "Nobody on the black market wanted Theo so I had to turn to other options"

"I can't say I blame them" I remark, plopping onto her bed. "Where is he anyways ?"

She rustles around her room gathering her clothes and my eyes stay trained on her. "Him and Asher and doing something completely idiotic like always"

"Sounds about right" I agree "ready to go?" I question absentmindedly. She looks at me with a dead expression motioning to the towel.

"Yeah, you know I figured everyone judged me enough so I could give them something else to judge me for" she retorts "the town slut walking around in a towel. Just imagine the whispers."

"I think it's a good fashion statement" I tell her placing my hands behind my head "but a even better one would be if you went without the towel" I wink.

Flipping me off, she walks out of the room and to the bathroom.

"Are you sure this is just clothes or a dead body?" I huff while dragging 2 bags of clothes into the laundry Matt.

"Clothes... or a dead body and now you're a accessory" she declares, caring a third bag.

It was almost 11 o'clock when we got their due to us deciding to make dinner first... then burning it... then going to McDonald's and picking up some food that wasn't charcoal.

Finally we arrive at the deserted laundry Matt minus a worker in her late 20's reading a magazine and a older man folding his clothes. We head to the opposite side of the laundry Matt close to the back.

She starts loading in her clothes when the man leaves. Once all 3 loads are in we sit on the dryers, staring out the big window- wall at the night sky.

"Do you ever think about what's going to happen after high school?" Marlee asks kicking her feet lightly in-front of us.

"Yeah, I mean I think about scholarships for baseball and playing in the big leagues but I've been dreaming about that since I was a kid" I explain to her "why?"

"What do you think will happen to us?" She wonders, staring straight forward.

"Us?" I echo her words looking straight at her.

"All of us, I mean what's it going to be like not seeing each other every day?" Her fingers drum on the drying anxiously.

"Well still see each other everyday Mar, remember the plan?" I remind her spotting the lady working going to the back.

Our plan ever since we were little. Theo and I were going to get into UCLA for baseball. Marlee was going to get in for art and we would still be together. Miles would go to some Ivy League college but visit all the time.

Brianna would probably attend UCLA too but take totally different classes than us since she's brilliant. I remember the exact day we planned all this.

We were in 7th grade. Theo, Mar and I had already put our hearts on UCLA (and by that I mean Theo and I, Marlee had to be convinced but then fell in love with the idea).

We were all at the water tower right after discovering it. Miles asked us about college and we made the plan. We promised no matter what we wouldn't be the ones who grew apart in college.

"Sure we'll be in different dorms but I'll be there at the crack of dawn every morning to drag you out of bed" I chuckle, nudging her shoulder. "Right?"

She looks up at me. A tight lipped smile rest on her face as she nods but I sense there's more. Looking in her eyes I see she's hiding something but before I can question it the timer goes off and she hops down, switching the loads over.

"If you could be any fruit, what would you be?" She asks changing the subject quickly. I decide not to push her tonight. Pondering for a second, I tap my chin thinking.

"A banana" I declare, nodding a single time. She smiles but rolls her eyes.

"Of course" shaking her head, she hops back onto the dryer while the clothes dry. "You're such a guy"

"Wow, good observation" I tease, pinching her cheek "but that's not the reason"

"Then what is?" She pulls a leg to her chest, leaving the other one dangling.

"One, bananas are full of potassium. Two, they're yellow and three, you can make like a million different foods out of them" I list off using my fingers. Marlee laughs, looking down and shaking her head. Hair falls around her face but she brushes it back.

"Wow, you really thought about this." She replies looking up at me, the corners of her mouth crinkle into a smile.

"Well of course, what if someone holds a gun to your head and asks you? If you don't have a good answer, boom! Dead!"

"Well bananas are a horrible fruit to be" she declares, sticking her tongue out at me.

"Fine, what would you be?" I prop my chin on my hand.

"A coconut" she says looking proudly at me.

"A coconut?" I repeat, my eyebrows raised in question.

"Yep" she nods "a coconut one, is on the beach. 2 if someone I don't like walks under a coconut tree I can just fall on their head"

"Seems reasonable" I nod my head. She laughs again, a genuine smile comes to her face. My smile widens watching her.

We spent the next hour asking each other random dumb questions until the clothes were done. When I dropped her off I made sure she got inside before driving away with a smile on my face.

"Stop studying, your brains gonna explode." I shove Miles, who's heads in a book.

"We have a text next period" he tells me and Theo's eyes go wide.

"I forgot about that! I was going to skip today!" Theo pouts sticking a pencil in his blonde curls. Who knows what else he hides up there.

"You can't skip every time there's a test you don't wanna do" Miles shakes his head.

"Yes I can, why do you think Ashers not here?" He replies, propping his feet on the table.

"That's why he skipped?"

"Who skipped?" Addie asks with Brianna and Marlee close behind.

"Your idiot brother" Miles snorts as the girls all sit down at the lunch table with us .

"Lucky" she whines eating an apple.

Everyone starts talking about dumb or random things like we always do at lunch except Marlee. She's quiet, which is weird since she hasn't been quiet since she was born.

I study her while she solemnly plays with her sunflower necklace. She stares out the window in deep thought. No one else seems to notice and are to involved in the argument about who the best ninja turtle was.

I lean in, bumping our shoulders. "What's up Mar?"

She slowly looks to me taking a deep breath and saying "I need to talk to you"

"Cause you never do that" I retort laughing but it fades when she doesn't. "Okay, let's go outside."

We stand up, telling our friends we'd be right back. Walking outside, Marlee keeps her eyes trailed on her feet. Something was really bothering her.

We stop at the bleachers of the baseball field. I lean against the metal fencing around it and she stands straight looking almost nervous to talk to me.

She's never been nervous to talk to me.

That's what happens when you know someone since you were born.

"I don't know how to say this." She admits, playing with her fingers.

"That's a first" I snort, trying to lighten the mood.

"Cameron"

The full name, this is serious.

"You know I've never liked Serena" she says, messing with the hem of her black hoodie that stopped right around her waist. She was wearing red sweats to match with them.

"Yeah, you've made it pretty obvious" I comment, crossing my arms over my chest.

"But I always supported you guys because she made you happy" she adds, looking anywhere but my face.

"And I'm really grateful for that" I tell her.

"I would never do anything to hurt you, well besides physical" she semi-chuckles probably picturing the last time she punched me. "So that's why this makes this really hard to say..."

She inhales deeply, finally meeting my eyes. Her crystal blue eyes look torn and full of hurt but not for herself, for me.

"When I was walking down the hall earlier I heard a noise from under that stairwell" she starts to explain "so of course I went to see who it was but when I did..."

"Serena was cheating on you"