Chapter 10: Drew - Love On Time

It’s the last week of school before summer begins. I just finished my final exam of the year when the bell starts to ring, echoing through the classroom. Instant relief floods my system. I've managed to keep up my 4.0 grade point average all year. Now that I'm about to be a senior, it's my number one priority to keep my grades up and lock in a football scholarship from UCLA. I swing my backpack over my shoulders and navigate my way towards the student parking lot.

“Drew!” a voice calls from behind, catching my attention. I slowly turn to find Cami, emerging from the crowd of teenagers.

“Hey,” I say as she catches up to me, slowing my pace to match hers. “Everything okay?”

“Do you mind if I catch a ride home?” She asks.

I haven't driven Cami home in weeks, she usually just goes to the library after school with Anthony.

“Of course, Cami, always.”

We walk the rest of the way to the student parking lot together, talking about our finals and how ready we are for summer break. She has gotten more comfortable talking to me over the past couple of months, and it's nice to see her come out of her shell a little more.

When we reach my car, Cooper is already leaning against the hood, waiting for us.

“Well, look who it is.” Cooper teases, grinning as he sees Cami approaching the car.

“Decided to skip the library today?” he asks as we all climb into our seats. I slide into the driver's seat, twist the key in the ignition, and pull out of the school lot.

“It’s the end of the school year, Cooper, why would I need to go to the library?’ Cami’s voice fires back from the backseat.

“Oh, I don't know, maybe to make out with your boyfriend behind the bookshelves.” He laughs. I shoot him a glare from across the console, silently telling him to cut it out.

“I don't have a boyfriend,” she whispers.

Cooper’s head snaps around to face the backseat in pure shock. I mimic his reaction, my eyes darting up to find her in the rearview mirror. Cami is turning bright pink, but she holds my gaze through the mirror for a second.

“What did he do?” Cooper demands, his brotherly instincts kicking in.

“I broke up with him,” she says casually, shrugging her shoulders.

A massive smile forms on Cooper's face. “About time!” he says happily, spinning back around in his seat. “What made you finally do it?”

“I didn't really like him.” She says, looking out the window. “We are better off as friends, and he agrees.”

“He was a bad kisser, huh?” Cooper teases, laughing at his own joke.

I reach over and smack Cooper across the chest. “Be nice.”

“I don't have anything to compare it to, so I wouldn't know.” She says quietly. My eyes shoot up to the mirror again.

“Don't worry, sis, one day you’ll know what it feels like to be really kissed.” He gives her a playful grin. My stomach does a flip at that statement, a vivid image of my own lips pressed against hers flashing through my mind. I quickly shake off the thought.

“Whatever,” she says, entirely annoyed by her brother. I don't blame her, he’s annoying me at the moment too.

We turn onto our street, and our conversation halts at the sight of a moving truck. Finally, the empty house in the cul-de-sac has been sold. We all look out our windows, trying to catch a glimpse of the new neighbors. Right as we begin to pass the driveway, a blonde emerges from behind the ramp, holding a heavy brown moving box. She looks to be about our age.

“Holy shit, who is that?” Cooper shouts, practically jumping out the window, trying to catch a better look.

“Drew, come with me to her house to say hi.”

“Right now?” I ask hesitantly, exhausted from a long day of exams.

“Please, man! Come on!” He begs, shaking my shoulders.

“Alright, fine,” I say, throwing the car into park on the curb.

“Yes!” he cheers, throwing his door open. “Just let me run inside and check my hair first!”

This guy is ridiculous. He darts out of the car and sprints up his driveway, leaving the door open and leaving me alone with Cami. We both unbuckle our seatbelts and reach for our door handles at the same time.

“Hey, Cami?” I say before she can slide out. She pauses, looking up at me.

“I’m sorry about your breakup,” I say carefully, keeping my voice gentle. “Are you really okay?”

“Yeah. I’m really okay, thank you, Drew.” She gives me a sweet, small smile as she pushes open her door, stepping onto the pavement.

I watch her walk up the path to her house, and I'm flooded with butterflies. I grip the steering wheel tightly, taking in a deep breath. Shake it off, Drew, that's your best friend's little sister.

Cooper and I are walking up the driveway to the new girl's house when she emerges from the garage to grab another box. She pushes a strand of blonde hair from her forehead, pausing when she sees us approach.

“Hey!” Cooper says confidently, giving her a small wave. “We’re your neighbors. I’m Cooper, and this is Drew.”

I smile, offering her a polite wave of my own.

“Oh hi, I’m Ivy.” She smiles, walking closer to the edge of the driveway. “I just moved here from Michigan.”

“Oh nice, are you still in high school?” Cooper asks, taking the lead.

“Yeah, I'll be a senior in August. I’m going to Ocean View High.”

Cooper's smile grows big, “No way! That's where we go. We’re going to be seniors too.” He points between the two of us.

“Really? That's a relief, I'm glad I will know someone when school starts!” She smiles.

“You should come with us to the beach bonfire this Friday night.” Cooper offers. I glance at him, impressed. It’s actually a really good idea to help her make introductions. “Meet some of the other kids from our class before the summer ends.”

Ivy’s face lights up with excitement. “Yeah, I'd love that, thank you. I’ll just have to check with my parents first, but I'm sure it'll be fine.”

“You’ll probably be getting a visit from my mom anyway, she always bakes cookies for new neighbors. I’ll tell her to put in a good word with your parents about the bonfire.”

“That would be great! Thank you.” She says.

“Here, let me see your phone. I’ll give you my number, text me what your parents say, and we can arrange a pickup time.” Cooper says.

Ivy bites back a smile as she grabs her phone from her back pocket, handing it over to Cooper. I have to admit, the guy is pretty smooth.

“It was really nice meeting you, Ivy. Hopefully we’ll see you on Friday.” I say as Cooper hands the phone back and we start taking a few steps back toward the street.

“It was nice meeting you both.” She shouts.

Once we made it back to our property line, our backs to Ivy’s house, Cooper grabs my shoulder.

“Dude, I think I just met my wife.” His eyes are beaming with pure excitement.

* * *

It’s Friday, and Cooper has been at Ivy’s house every day after school these past few days, helping her unpack moving boxes. Danielle, Cooper's mom, brought homemade cookies over to her parents, and of course they instantly hit it off. They agreed to let Ivy go to the bonfire as long as she’s home by midnight.

It’s 6:45 PM, and I'm standing in Cooper's kitchen as we wait for Ivy to come over so we can head to the beach. The doorbell rings, and Cooper's face lights up as he bolts to the door. A second later, Cami walks into the kitchen, freezing in her tracks when she spots me leaning against the counter.

“Who’s at the door if you're in here? She asks, with her brows creasing in confusion.

“That would be Ivy, the new neighbor!” I say, crossing my arms. “Your brother's new crush.”

She chuckles, rolling her eyes. “Of course it is.” Before we have the chance to say anything else, Ivy and Cooper join us in the kitchen.

“Hey! You must be Cami!” She says sweetly and pulls her into a hug without hesitation. “I’m Ivy.”

Cami goes still for a second, caught off guard, before relaxing into the hug.

“You're coming with us to the bonfire tonight, right?’ Ivy asks.

Cami stutters, “Uh... no, I don't think so.”

“What, why not?” Ivy’s smile falters. “I could really use a girlfriend with me tonight. Please come!”

“It’s okay if she comes, right, Cooper?” She looks over at my best friend with pleading eyes.

Cooper is visibly hesitant, but desperately wants to impress Ivy. “Yeah, Cam. You can come with us.”

Ivy shrieks with excitement. “Yay! Come on, Cami, I'll help you get ready.” Before Cami can even protest, Ivy grabs her by the arm, gently steering her out of the kitchen and prompting her to lead the way to her bedroom.

I watch them disappear up the stairs, a soft smile tugging at my lips. This is exactly the type of girl Cami needs in her life. It looks like Ivy is going to be the perfect fit for all of us.

* * *

I pop open my trunk, pulling out four camping chairs to haul down to the beach. In the distance, you can see the flicker of the bonfire and the loud, echoing laughter of teenagers sitting around the flames under the night sky. The air is cool and breezy, carrying the scent of sand and the salty ocean air.

Cooper and Ivy are already in the sand, standing close together, sharing a quiet conversation. Cami is standing a few paces to the side with her arms tightly crossed, looking nervous and maybe a tad cold.

“Want a blanket?” I ask, finding her eyes as I pull out a fleece throw.

“Yes, please.” She whispers, gratefully taking the blanket from my hands.

We all make our way down to the beach where the party is in full swing. The crowd lets out a loud cheer when we finally make it to the fire. I start unfolding our chairs and setting them down in the sand while Cooper introduces Ivy to everyone in our class.

Before long, the night is a blur of music and laughter. Some of the kids spark up the games Never Have I Ever and Truth or Dare near the water's edge. Cooper got lucky securing a kiss on the cheek from Ivy, and they really seem to be hitting it off. Cami, however, has been in her own little world. She’s curled up tightly in the low camping chair, the fleece blanket wrapped around her shoulders as she reads a book by the glow of the flames. With both Cooper and me hovering nearby, everyone in our circle knows that teasing her is absolutely off limits. I stay close to the fire to make sure she feels safe, taking a sip of my drink, my eyes drift back to her face, her glasses reflect the dancing firelight. She looks insanely cute.

The crowd eventually trickles down until there are only a few of us left around the dying embers. I check the time on my phone; it's 11:15 PM. I figure I'd better go down and warn Cooper that it’s time to get Ivy home. They are still down by the shoreline, sitting side by side in the sand, talking quietly. They haven’t left each other’s side all night.

“Hey guys,” I say, walking up behind them. “It’s time for us to head out.”

“Thanks, Drew, we will be right there,” Cooper says with a smile on his lips.

I walk back up to the bonfire to find everyone has already packed up and left, leaving Cami alone. Curled up in the lawn chair, fast asleep, her book has fallen into the sand. I start folding up the remaining chairs, briefly looking up to watch her sleep. The sight of her resting so peacefully tugs at something deep in my chest. Cooper and Ivy trek up the small hill, back to the fire.

“Here, I'll take those to your car, Drew.” Cooper offers, grabbing the chairs from my arms and starting to head to the parking lot.

Ivy walks up beside me, giving my shoulder a playful nudge. “Go wake up Sleeping Beauty over there.” She grins, nodding toward Cami.

“What?” I laugh nervously, hoping the glow of the fire is hiding the flush in my skin.

“Please. I’ve been watching you stare at the girl all night.”

“She’s Cooper's sister,” I whisper, keeping my voice low.

“And?” She says, crossing her arms over her chest.

“And she’s fifteen,” I say, looking over my shoulder to make sure Cooper is still out of earshot.

“You're seventeen, not forty.” She giggles.

I shake my head, hiding my smirk. “No.”

“No?” she teases.

“No.” I laugh.

“Alright, well I’m going to go find Cooper while you deal with all of that.” She waves her finger in Cami’s direction, smiling big.

I walk over to Cami’s chair and kneel in front of her. God, she's even more beautiful up close.

“Cami.” I gently nudge her shoulder. She doesn't budge. “Cami.” I try again, whispering.

She suddenly jumps awake, her eyes wide and unfocused.

“Hey, hey, it's okay,” I whisper quietly.

“I’m sorry.” She says, looking around and noticing we are the only ones left.

“For what? I chuckle.

“For falling asleep.”

“That’s not a crime,” I say, smiling at her. A blush blooms across her cheeks.

“My book got boring.” She admits playfully.

“You also drool in your sleep.” I tease, giving her a little wink.

She swats my arm, “I do not.”

We both start laughing as she stands up, but she moves too quickly. Dizzy from sleep, she loses her balance and begins to fall forward. I react on instinct, reaching out to catch her before she can hit the sand. We both freeze. My hands are wrapped firmly but gently around her waist. Her sweatshirt rides up slightly, leaving my palms resting directly against her bare skin. A tingling erupts within me at the contact. Cami looks down at my hands, her lips parting slightly as her breath catches in her throat.

“I’m sorry.” I breathe. I can feel goosebumps rising beneath my palms as I gently glide my fingertips over her bare stomach.

“It’s okay.” She whispers, her gaze slowly moving upward before landing on my lips. “Thank you.”

I look down into her eyes. This time, she doesn’t look away like she usually does. She watches me, holding my stare as my eyes drift down to her mouth. An overwhelming urge hits me, and I wet my lips. Her breath hitches at the movement, her chest rising and falling in the quiet space between us.

“You guys ready? Cooper shouts from behind us. Cami jumps, taking us out of our moment. She turns around without a word, hurrying away toward the parking lot.

I take a deep breath. What just happened? I put out the smoldering fire and fold up the last lawn chair with shaky hands.

On the drive home, Cooper and Ivy’s voices fade into the background as they giggle and talk. Ivy is thanking him for bringing her out to meet everyone. I can’t focus on a single word they say. My mind is entirely focused on what just happened down on the beach. Replaying the exact way Cami’s warm, soft skin felt beneath my fingers—the feeling of her goosebumps beneath my touch. A cold chill runs down my spine. I glance up at the rearview mirror, finding Cami in the back seat, already looking at me. I offer her a small, knowing smile. For a second, neither of us looks away, then she smiles back. Not the shy, awkward smile she usually gives me. This smile is something entirely different, something new. Our friendship is evolving into something I can’t quite explain.

That's when the terrifying realization finally hits me–I am in serious, serious trouble with this girl.