I was thankful for Ray's presence the next few days.

Shay didn't show up to school, but stayed by Wes' bed side at the hospital, taking the first two sicks days she had in her entire life. Wes, of course, was gone as well, still trying to recover from whatever the hell happened, or will continue to happen. They hadn't told me a lot, had said I needed to head over there to find out from the doctor.

I hadn't had enough time. Between school, pretending to be a "Bad girl", college apps, my constant worry about Wes, my Mom, and Cameron's mood swings, I could hardly believe I was able to walk.

Ray and a few of Cam's friends tried to get my mind off everything any way they could, but even going to the town's local carnival could help with that. Especially when Mom and Cam were blowing up my phone with texts, calls, and voicemails.

"For my special lady." Ray took the small rabbit he'd won and bowed, outstretching it, in the palm of his hand, to me.

"Smile." Ray poked at my cheeks when I took the twentieth stuffed animal he'd won me with a nod.

"I can't." He frowned.

"And why is that?"

"I don't know, maybe because your best friend is a dick with mood swings and one of my best friends is lying in a hospital room." I responded, then felt guilt begin to creep up on me when I realized how bad I'd lashed out on him.

"Fair enough." Ray nodded, leading me toward a ferris wheel. I felt him tense beside me suddenly, then begin to spin around.

"What are you doing?" I asked, momentarily distracted from my own thoughts.

"Ex." Is all he said, pulling his hoodie over his head despite it only being Spring and gorgeous outside.

I looked back over at the guy controlling the ride, meeting his eyes immediately. He looked away quick, and I swear I saw blush rushing to his cheeks in embarrassment.

"He's cute." I said, looking back at Ray over my shoulder, "And he's looking at us."

"You're kidding?" Ray lifted his head up, surprised.

"Nope. He must have seen you, Mr. Sly." He flicked the side of head playfully, pulling his hoodie back down with a sigh of defeat.

"Come on, I'll drop you off at the hospital." He threw his arm over my shoulder and led me passed the Ferris Wheel, giving his ex a quick nod on our way out. I nudged him, shaking my head.

"It's Easter, Ray. I can call Cam back and have him pick me up. Go talk to him." Ray shook his head, snickering.

"Right." He shook his head, then gestured toward me, "With as hot as you are, he probably thinks I went straight." I threw my hand over my chest, gasping.

"As flattering as that is to hear, is it even possible to "go straight?" He shrugged.

"I can't answer that. Every person is different. I see chicks as beautiful, hot, cute. I just don't get any sort of pleasure when I'm with them. Guys. . . I'll keep those thoughts to myself." He winked, earning the first laugh in the last two days out of me.

"Go. Talk. To. Him. Now." I gave Ray another shove, blowing him a kiss when he sent me a dirty look over his shoulder.

I didn't even look through Cam's texts on my way out to the parking lot, I just hit his contact and brought it to my ear.

"Where are you?" He snapped without a hello.

"I'm at the carnival with Ray," I mumbled, "I was, actually. I kind of need you to pick me up." I heard a lot of commotion on his hand, and for a fraction of a second, I thought he may have been at a party.

But why would nerdy Cam be at a party on Easter?

"Well, I'm here too. Ray told me where you guys were and I was going to come and get on my knees and beg you to choose me over Wesley." I snorted loudly, getting a weird look from a child hugging a big stuffed animal to her chest.

"How romantic." I heard him laugh himself.

"I just needed to talk to you and you kept avoiding my calls." He said, serious again.

"Maybe if you'd stop acting like a fourteen year old girl on her period after a breakup, I would answer them."

A few people stopped and stared at me as if I were some sort of attraction, one of the mom's throwing her hands over her young daughter's ears.

"How long did it take you to come up with that one?" I heard a tinny sound echo in the background, Cam's voice sounding as if he were closer now.

"How long does it usually take for you to stop PMSing?" I shot back.

"Depends on how long my best friend takes to get over hers. Our cycles usually coincide." I couldn't hold back my laughter any longer, I threw my hand over my mouth to keep myself from snorting out loud.

"You're pissed at me but you're still wearing my Metallica shirt? My God, Blake. You definitely don't know how to hold a grudge." I blinked in surprise, my laughter subsiding for a minute. I glanced around me, my eyes widening when I found Cam leaning against one of the posts holding up a booth, his phone pressed against his ear with one hand, the other draped over his chest.

"I bought you this shirt, therefore it's partially mine." I said, watching him peel himself off the post, shoving one hand into his pocket as he headed toward me.

"In what reality is that true?" He taunted.

"Mine."

"Blake's Home For Delusional Teenagers That Can't Hold A Grudge." I raised an eyebrow as he grew even closer.

"Too long. How about Blake's Home For Dumbasses Forgiving Even Bigger Dumbasses." He dropped the phone from his ear and ended the call, outstretching his hand.

"Well, do you think you can forgive this dumbass? He's had a lot going on lately." I smiled, sliding my phone back into my purse.

"I don't know. It depends if he's craving a chocolate milkshake as much as this dumbass is." He pulled me into a hug, kissing the top of my head as I laughed into his chest.

*

"This is so romantic, sharing a milkshake while walking through a hospital." I said, "Definitely makes the top of my list for Most Interesting First Dates."

Cam shifted his arm draped over my shoulder and stole the milkshake back from me, positioning his straw in front of his mouth.

"How is he?" I asked the second we were in the room. Shay was curled up in the chair beside him, her face in a book. She peeked over the top of it with a shrug.

"I don't know. I heard Mom talking about some sort of surgery and he's been up off and on all day." She said in one breath, "He kept asking for you." I could feel Cam tense beside me, but he relaxed a few seconds later.

"He's probably still coming down from the high." I responded, seeing just how exhausted she looked, "Why don't you head home, Shay? I can stay here with him for a while." She started to shake her head, but something stopped her, because she forced herself out of the chair a few minutes later and sighed.

"Okay. But call me if anything big happens, all right?" I nodded. She gathered her things, leaving a folded paper and a book on the table beside Wes' bed before heading in our direction.

"See you tomorrow." We hugged in silence, then she gave Cam's arm a light touch and let the door swing shut behind her.

"You can go home, Cam. I mean, if you're tired and-"

"Blake, I'm here if you are. I guess I'll have to learn to get along with them if we're going to figure this whole. . . more than friends thing out. I'm here to support him now, to support you." I should have kissed him then, should have thanked him, let him know how much his words meant to me.

But I didn't, and if someone asked, I couldn't explain why. I didn't even know myself.

"Happy Easter, Wes." I took his hand in mine and smiled. Cam sat in the chair behind me, his feet up on to the edge of Wes' bed. I tried to slap them off, but he only stuck his tongue out childishly and kept them there.

"I remember when we were in eighth grade we dressed up as giant rabbits for your little cousins Easter party. It was fun. And you had this smile then, a smile that I fell in love with that day. As we got older, the smile wasn't there as often, but when it was, I felt this weird giddiness inside my stomach. I was getting you to smile, Shay was getting you to smile." His eyes fluttered open, but they weren't dilated like they had been a few days ago. They were clear, calm, and the blue eyes that I wished would open just a little wider.

"I smiled like that because you were my first kiss, Blake." He whispered, his voice hoarse. I felt Cam's legs starting to twitch beside me, his fingers lacing through mine.

"Yeah." Was all I could give as an answer.

I'd tell him once he was better, I'd explain that I didn't have any sort of romantic feelings toward him. That I loved him more than I could love any guy in my life, other than Cam of course, that he was the best part of me. But I couldn't do it to him now, I couldn't kick him when he was already on the ground.

"You love him?" I barely heard Wes' question and I was sure Cam hadn't heard anything but mumbling. I felt my hand clench slightly in his grip.

"Wes-"

"Do you?" He repeated.

"Yes." He shut his eyes, the peaceful, serene look returning to his face. Just as he began to doze off again, the words formed and fell from his lips in a whisper.

"Then that's all that matters. I just want you to be happy." 

***AN***

Hope you enjoyed!

Let me know what you thought!

~ChasingMadness24