thank you for 1k views. continue to vote and comment! no skimming.

__

"THAT freak doesn't use gloves when he handles the pizza. I don't know why you still eat that crap." Lily shook her head, getting ready to start up her car as her best friend scoffed down the mini-mart food beside her.

Sounds of sirens faded into the distance.

"I'm hungry and I'm on my period. A bad combo so I'll eat anything," Cameron said defensively, wiping her hands before pushing up her glasses.

Lily snorted, "Trust me I know. Remember that one time —"

"No. No, I do not." Nothing good ever came from remembering anything Cameron did when she was younger, or even a few weeks ago. "Besides, it's done, I've finished eating. Now we can go," she said shooting a sarcastic smile to Lily who snickered.

"You got your Dad's meds?"

Cameron gave her a curt nod, "Yeah, the right ones this time. I swear the pharmacist doesn't care," she read the bottle carefully, hoping it was the right dose. "Did you know how much the pharmaceutical industry makes off of black people a year?"

"No, but you're gonna tell me. So go ahead," Lily drawled, as the sound of the engine tore through the air and she reversed through the parking lot.

"Sixty-five billion," Cameron tutted, shaking the prescription around. "What a scam."

"My Grandma could probably make the same thing in that bottle if your Dad wanted it."

"That holistic shit? Home remedies are for toothaches and back sores," Lily gagged at her words, scrunching up her face as she continued. "You know what my Dad has is different. And these will help."

"And if they don't, what then, try and steal some of that sixty-five bill?"

"Well no because I don't like confrontation and you know that. I would write a strongly written email and —" her eyes widened. "Wait, pull over, look," she pointed to where she saw a kid who looked a similar age to them. He was covered in some pink substance. "Damn."

"Shit. Do you think he knows to open his mouth before he drinks?" Lily stared in amusement.

"I'm pretty sure he didn't pour it over his head Lil." Cameron said pointedly, "Stop the car."

"Fine okay..." Lily put her foot on the break, eyes narrowing in disbelief when her friend hopped out of the car with her bag and slammed the door,  "he could be a serial killer but sure get out to help him."

"Hey, kid!"

He jumped when Cameron jogged over, stunned at the sight of the girl calling his name. He was immediately embarrassed, covered in Pepto Bismol, which was not the look for him especially in a new town.

Cameron's dark coils framed around her face, gently resting on her shoulders. Her glasses sat perfectly on her nose before they shifted as she angled her head down, shifting through her purse for some tissues. She didn't wear anything fancy, only a jogging suit and Converse. Looking put together compared to his damp attire.

"Here," she tentatively reached out, blinking back slightly when she realised he had been staring at her the whole time. "What happened to you?"

He mumbled thanks as he said, "Jerks."

Deciding to leave out the part of a blond and douchey neighbour coming to his rescue with tricks he'd never seen before then got arrested.

Cameron nodded understandably, "Yup. They'll do this." She awkwardly gestured to him, as he struggled to get his face clean, making her cringe and impulsively reach forward and help him. "Sorry. I should've asked." He waved her off, and she gingerly continued as she got a good look at him. His short yet thick hair was dark like hers, but skin many shades lighter, eyes brown and face slender. She peeped at his braces when he talked, which she assumed he had good oral hygiene. "There."

"Thanks, you're not a killer are you?" She rose a brow at the question as she threw away the tissues. "Only because I got jumped earlier — not that I think you'd jump me. You seem nice."

"I'm too sweet to be a killer. Trust me," Lily on the otherhand... Cameron couldn't help but think.

"Oh right," he nodded, smiling nervously as he knew probably looked like a fool to the pretty girl in front of him. "I was supposed to get Pepto Bismal for my Yaya, she's not feeling well."

That explains the smell, "Is she your grandmother?"

"Yeah, my family is from Ecuador."

"That's cool." She fumbled with her hands, "Oh, and you probably already know this but kids here aren't the nicest. They used to mock me for my hair," she said, internally cursing herself for oversharing.

His face scrunched up, "I think your hair is nice."

"Thanks. Welcome to the Valley."

"Thanks...?" He didn't know her name.

"I'm Cameron," she introduced, slightly nodding to herself.

Before he could respond, a voice called out to her.

"CJ hurry up you promised me we'd watch Money Heist and then rewatch Glee!" Lily shouted, leaning across the gear lever to the passenger window.

Cameron sheepishly looked at the boy, who huffed out a smile laugh "That's Lily."

"I'm Miguel," he said, waving for some reason, then hastily put his hand down. "My family moved here from Riverside."

"Try and enjoy the Valley if you can... Bye, Miguel."

"Bye Cameron," he called out, watching her leave with a small smile on his face. "Thanks for cleaning me – I meant my face, you know with the tissues!"

Cameron jogged over to Lily's car, suppressing her laughter at the sheer awkwardness.

"Done being a vigilante?" her friend asked as she slammed the door shut.

Cameron playfully rolled her eyes, "Just start the car."

"Stop the car, Lily, Pull the car over," Lily mocked, as she started to drive, "I'm just a chauffeur to you aren't I?"

"...no."

Pulling up to the James' residence didn't take long. They lived near the apartment complexes but in a street full of bungalows. It was an okay part of town, with little crime because no one ever thought there was anything worth stealing. Boring was the word to describe it, but it was home for Cameron so she didn't care. Flashy wasn't her taste.

"Hey Mom, Dad," Cameron greeted them as she walked through the front door, chucking her keys into the bowl as Lily shut the door and put the latch on. They slipped off their shoes next.

"Hi, Mrs and Mr James," Lily said happily to the married couple as they walked passed the foyer and into interconnecting rooms. The kitchen was opposite the living room where the football game played loudly. There was a small table off to the side, with four chairs around it.

"For the last time Lily, it's Alexis and Blake, we've known you for years," Alexis shook her head, as she shot them a smile from where she stood cleaning up the dishes. 

The teens shuddered at the memories of those dreadful years, even if they were recent.

"Mom, the trauma from middle school still burns my brain, so do those elementary school days" Cameron said with a slight groan, before gently passing her dad his medication, "Here Dad. The pharmacist said it was the right dosage this time."

"Thank you, baby," he mustered a smile as he took and went to get a glass of water, "you girls looking forward to the new year? Sophomores now, more responsibility, more work..."

"Less fun and more childlocks on the windows," Lily joked.

Cameron laughed, "More stress and more hours hearing white noise coming from my room to help me sleep."

"Oh god, now I wish you were held back," Alexis quipped.

"Mom!" Cameron gasped, before sneakily collecting golden Oreos from the cupboard and passing it over to Lily.

Alexis wasn't blind to that, "No snacks in your room unless it's fruit! last time I found plates under your bed and it made my eyes water!"

"Like your perfume?"

"Blake, are you really gonna sit there and let her talk to me like that?" He simply just kissed his wife and sat down in his chair in front of the television. "Right. Great." she turned back to the giggling girls. "Don't be up all night. School is 'round the corner, which means early nights and you should've been sleeping early weeks ago. I'm sure you're Grandmother has told you this Lily."

Lily nodded, "She has."

"Then listen to your elders," Alexis stated, eyes darting her eyes between the two as they readied themselves to go down the hall.

"Whatever you say, mom. Love you."

Alexis yelled back, "Love you too."

Cameron was gifted a medium-sized room,  a dresser and a closet. Plastic green leaves dangled from every corner. There was a desk space, a bedside table next to a double-sized bed, and posters of her favourite artists. It had everything she needed apart from an ensuite. One of her philosophies in life was that every girl needed a bathroom in their room, it was like... science. A subject she didn't particularly get but oh well.

"I was thinking space puns for the first day," Cameron said from her desk, taking off her glasses to clean them.

"So someone could pull on them?" Lily asked, knowingly as she went to the dresser and pulled out a spare tee and shorts to change into.

"It helps with my reflexes. They've improved."

"You used to be a gymnast. They were naturally good," Lily pointed out, gesturing to the cluster of certificates on the walls as she changed her clothes. "Plus, I have an aunt who does my braids for free. I cannot deal with our first semester waking up and having to do my hair."

"You could just wear it out, go natural like me," Cameron suggested as she pushed her glasses onto her face.

"So Kyler can try and touch it? No thanks."

"He knows not to touch anything or my mom will have him go through another racial sensitivity course," Cameron said, turning to Lily was ready to get into her many blankets.

"Like that worked. He still talks like Lil Wayne even though we live in the Valley."

They both cringed at the thought of his voice.

"True. But I decided I'm gonna embrace my natural hair this year. Plus I've been told how nice it looks," Cameron informed with a crooked smile.

"Bye, who? Wait... don't tell me it was tissue guy?" Lily teased.

"Don't call him that. He's new to town."

"Obviously.  But I will say he has points for complimenting the natural style. Was he cute?"

"Yeah, he was. Even with the Pepto Bismal. But I won't crush on him though," she said quickly, raising her hands, ignoring the eye roll she received, "I need to focus on my grades."

"We haven't started the semester yet."

"But mentally I'm already failing. And you know how icky math and science make me," Cameron said, picking up her laptop from her desk and walking to her bed.

"But at least you'll have Mr. Bismal to help you with Spanish."

"You could tell he was Spanish from your car?" Cameron inquisitively asked as she jumped into bed, next to Lily.

"I'm observant when I need to be, especially when you just go over to help random strays on the street," Lily said.

"Thank you so much for being my protector," Cameron sniggered as she signed into her Netflix account and searched.

"Whatever girl, just start the show, And don't put the English audio on, listen to the original, it might help you this year," Lily said wiggling her brows.

"With Spanish or Miguel?"

Lily dramatically gasped, "So he does have a name."

"Shut up Lily and start the show."

"Whatever you say, Mrs. Miguel."

"Lily!"

"Fine, calm your specs, I'll start the show."

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

a/n:

little rant... i do feel at times there is a pressure to write black girls a certain way, so the audience knows who they're reading about. i feel like quiet black girls are seen as stuck up or even just the ones that stay away from drama and want to preserve their peace are perceived as boring.  of course my girl cameron will develop over time subtly but i want to highlight her personality and just quirks now and how authentic they are to her as well as how lily is.

that being said i do hope you enjoyed this first chapter, i wanted to get introductions with cameron's family, her best friend and miguel out of the way. let me know any thoughts on that, please.

also searching up shit that went down in 2018 is so fun.