"Cameron, are you all right?"

The young man in question inhaled sharply as he soon faced the concerned eyes of Jana as the nanny was in his bedroom. "Sorry, ma'am," he said, exhaling slowly as he backed away from his bedroom door that he locked. "I just had another blow-up with the family again, but with Mariah's future husband."

"Senator Coleman's son named Andrew, yes?"

"Yeah. Mom and Mariah think that I should give that guy a chance to be my brother-in-law...or rather, my foster brother. As if he could ever live up to Hezekiah's standards." Cameron bit back a sigh as he made his way to the bed while Jana came to join him. "They just don't get it, you know? My parents, brother, and sisters have all hated Hezekiah all for no reason other than being born. He did EVERYTHING right by them, yet got treated like trash."

"Any physical abuse?" Jana wanted to know.

"Thankfully, no. Our family just liked to use psychological tactics to get under people's skin. And my brother was the constant target for it all and then some," Cameron replied. "Now, Andy- as he wants me to call him- wants to take over the role that my brother had. But as long as I live, I will never accept that trust-fund brat into my life. It's little wonder why I'm actually considering going into priesthood or live out my days as a monk so I can be free from this madness."

The nanny gave him a pointed look. "Isn't that a bit drastic for a young man your age?" she asked.

"Not when it comes to having a lavish-minded family who has their darkest secrets," Cameron countered. He took a deep breath to calm himself, deciding to switch to German to talk to his nanny. "I'm sorry, Jana. It's just been a chaotic several days before you came here and I'm still not over Hezekiah's death. I'm not even calling it a suicide since something tells me that my parents have decided to have him killed."

"How can you be so sure about that?" Jana asked.

"Because my brother told me that if anything did happen to him, it was not by his own hand but by the orders of our parents. Right now, I wish I had my brother's journal to help me make sense of his life."

"Say no more, my liebchen," Jana said. "I'll bring it over in a few minutes."

Cameron sighed as he sat up on the bed. Fine family I got stuck with, he thought to himself as his nanny left the room to retrieve the item he requested. Hezekiah, life sucks since you're gone. I wish you were still here.

It was the truth, gentle reader, but Cameron knew that it wasn't going to come true. Hezekiah was dead and was never coming back. All the young man had now was the memories written in a hardcover notebook.

*********************

September 10th.

Cameron, two weeks of freshman year at Allendam Christian Academy have taught me three important things as an unwanted member of the Chamblee family name.

1. Being a teacher's pet means ZERO CHANCES of making any friends other than with the teachers who- under your parents' orders- want you to stick with them, even during lunch.
2. There's little hope for any social life with a strict curfew- having to be at the house by four and in your room before any dinner parties can do that to you.
3. Learning one's place in the high-school social ladder quickly means that you're bound to be left alone.

And for my situation, it means all of the above (and a few other important reminders that'll be explained in due time) must be followed to ensure survival as a wallflower.

Imagine if you will, Cameron, yours truly in the lunchroom and sitting at one of the tables under the watchful eyes of the faculty members when I found an unexpected guest waiting to join me- one of the male members of the swimming and diving team. "Is this seat taken?" he asks.

I looked up at his all-American build, a bit off-kilter on how a good-looking jock like him would want to sit with someone like me. "I guess," I replied, taking a glance at the other jocks who were at their designated table. "But wouldn't it be better if you were with the Populars?"

Mystery guy shrugged. "Maybe so, but I'm a freshman like you and you look like you could use a friend," he replied as he sat down his lunch tray.

I inhaled sharply, noticing one of the teachers giving me a concerned stare. "Well, I'm mainly under the watchful eyes of the entire faculty as they expect me to keep away from anyone whom they think might be distracting for me," I explained. "Nothing personal or anything. Just how things work for a teacher's pet project by my parents' orders."

His eyes lit up in realization. "You're that Chamblee kid everyone's been hearing about lately," he commented. "Hezekiah, right?"

I nodded. "That I am. And I wouldn't blame you if you decided to walk away now and rejoin the varsity and junior varsity jocks and cheerleaders. They can provide you with whatever you need. Me? I'm mainly-"

"What if I told you that I wanted to change things up and sit with an unfamiliar face?" Mystery Guy interrupted. "Besides, all the jocks and popular kids now want these days are more fame and social points. You, on the other hand, look like you need a new friend."

Cameron, if you thought I was being cynical when I was writing this, then believe me when I say that I felt it when he was saying those things to me. "Are you for real?"

"As real as shit," he replied as he took his seat across from me. "So relax, kid. And consider me your new friend. Name's Chance. Chance Dalton, junior varsity swimmer and diver. Nice to meet you."

He extended his hand out to shake...before I accepted. And while part of me knew that I was playing a risky game for being seen with a jock as much as he was, something told me to start taking a chance for myself.

Huh. Taking a chance with Chance for a friend. How ironic.

-H.C.

September 14th.

Cameron, the past few days since the last journal entry were more of the same- teachers giving me extra homework assignments, using my break periods to talk with Headmistress Berkmar about future plans for college, and the usual bits. But now that Chance has started to sit at my table, I guess things have changed slightly for the better. Of course, I told him all about my family life back home (I figured that he had earned my trust enough for me to share things about myself) and how I was coping with it all. And in return, Chance told me about his family life at home.

And boy, I thought I had it bad! At school, he looked like he had everything figured out. But at home, his life was more rocky than mine is. His family basically verbally and physically abused him when not constantly accusing him of being a "faggot" while attending a world-renowned Christian-themed school. His father's the worst with the beatings and tirades, even going as far as sending his own son to his relatives in Texas to "beat the queer out of him," as quoted. What's even sadder is that both his parents favored his older brothers and younger sisters over him, pitting them against him and having them hate him for every breath he took.

"It's like I'm not even enough for them," he replied over lunch yesterday.

Tragic, Cameron. Simply tragic.

Anyway, I'm beginning to think that this budding friendship is going to last longer than I originally thought. I've read some stories on Wattpad when the jock usually turns against the nerd after a short while. But I dunno. Maybe this is meant to be something more permanent. Then again, our parents and Berkmar- alongside the teachers and staff at school might say something about this. All I know is that I gotta be more discreet about being seen with Chance. Because for the Chamblee Diamond Standard, I'm the only one who's not supposed to get ahead in life other than schoolwork. I'll talk more later.

-H.C.

"Amazing," Jana breathed as Cameron used the bookmark so save the next journal entry for later. "I never knew that Hezekiah made any friends."

"Me neither, but he did mention this Chance guy a few times and he seemed more at ease talking about him," Cameron commented. "Sadly, the guy died before junior year began. I was in seventh grade at that time."

"I'm so sorry," Jana sad softly as she took the journal. "We can read more of the entries tomorrow, yeah?"

"That is, if my family will allow me to stay away from them," Cameron replied. "The memorial service for Hezekiah are coming up and we have to start making final prepaprations and greeting guests. Unfortunately, they're not going to allow me to see the body so I can say a final goodbye. They're having him cremated and everything."

"This family is starting to come unglued," the nanny intoned as she tucked the notebook in her apron pocket just as there was a knock at the door. "Come in," Cameron said formally as Jana unlocked the door.

In stepped Mariah and Andrew with the former giving the pre-teen a pointed stare. "Cameron, let's play fair about this," she began. "Andy and I are going to be married by the end of this summer and we would really like it if you gave him a chance."

Cameron fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Mariah, you know that I can't and won't do that," he replied tersely.

"More like you won't," his sister snapped. "I get that you miss Hezekiah and you two shared a closer bond despite Mom and Dad's objections. But the loser's dead and gone. Can't you get that through your mind?! He's nothing more than dead weight. Andy, however, comes from a good family with great connections. He can open a lot of doors for you that Hezekiah couldn't. All I ask is that you just make nice with him. Let him in and work with him to help you forget that loser."

The preteen took a deep breath. "Not even if both Lucifer and Jesus themselves paid me one million dollars to do it," he interjected.

"Fine," Mariah spat, narrowing her eyes. "Jsut so you know, Mom and Dad are making arrangements to start sending you away to Europe like they did with him. And maybe they should because you're starting to act like a total nobody."

"More like that dead nobody," Andrew noted. "Come on, little man. Adelle and Jeffrey won't have to if you give me a chance."

"If being sent away means getting the hell away from you, I'm all for it," Cameron replied. "Now, get the hell out."

"You'll be sorry for this, Cameron," Mariah vowed lowly as she and her fiance took their leave. "This is your last chance to be on Mom and Dad's good side. All I ask is that you apologize for being such a brat and let Andy be your new brother."

"Go screw yourself on a cactus, you cow."

The couple glared at the teenager before slamming the door behind them as they left.

"Mein Gott," Jana said.

"Jana, I might as well get ready for summer camp in Europe," Cameron commented as he glared at the shut door. "And when I'm gone, make sure to keep the journal safe for me. Better yet, give it to Mrs. Simmons for safekeeping."

"Why's that?" The German nanny wanted to know.

"Because I think that it might be of better use to her than it might be for me," the young man replied. "And something tells me that she could be the one to find out why my parents wanted Hezekiah dead."

A bit long for my taste, but at least it's setting the stage for what will happen at Hezekiah's memorial service in act two of this story. Besides, the journal will be of good use for Minnie Jean and someone else who can make things right for Hezekiah.

Anyway, we're heading back to the Nexus as Hezekiah decides to enjoy a nice dinner out in Pleasantville while remembering his  dinners in his room back on Earth. Don't go anywhere!

Dedication: Mavromichaelis .

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