Dating My Best Friend (Redefining Me Book 1)

by Michelle MacQueen

  Mrs. Callahan turned back to the counter to continue wiping it. “Peyton is at her award ceremony today.”

  “Award ceremony?”

  Mrs. Callahan faced him once again, a question in her eyes. “She didn’t tell you?” She shook her head. “That girl… Something tells me she didn’t tell anyone what she created. I don’t understand her sometimes.” She wiped her hands on her apron. “Julian!”

  Julian appeared through the kitchen door. “I didn’t think you’d be here so quickly.” He studied Cam, his lips pursed. When Cam decided to text Peyton’s brother, he’d had to force himself to hit send.

  “Jules.” Mrs. Callahan waved him forward. Julian had always hated her nickname for him, but he indulged her. “Get your phone. Show Cam here that app of Peyton’s.” Pride bloomed on her face. “She worked on it all summer and entered it in a state technology contest. She could win a college scholarship. All the finalists get to demonstrate their apps in front of professors and tech experts from various companies before a winner is announced.” Her face fell. “I wish we could be there.” She sighed. “My cook called in sick, and Peyton’s father is due back in town today after visiting his sister. His flight was delayed, but Julian is going. He was just about to leave. And no matter if she wins or not, we’re having a surprise bonfire party for her tonight.”

  Julian handed Cam the phone. Cam’s eyes widened when he realized he knew the app that appeared on the screen. He’d been on No BS many times as had many of their classmates from the looks of it. The amount of posts surprised him every time he opened it.

  He scrolled down. “Peyton made this?”

  Mrs. Callahan placed a hand on his shoulder. “She had help, but the idea was hers.”

  Nari had been wrong. Peyton didn’t need Cam, she didn’t need him to make her believe in herself. She just didn’t know it. No BS helped him come to terms with his injury, his limitations. It made him see that everyone had something broken inside of them. He wasn’t alone.

  Had Peyton created this to give herself that feeling? To have people who understood?

  No, that wasn’t Pey. She’d made it to show others, people like him, that they mattered. She hadn’t done it for herself.

  He handed Julian back the phone. “What time does the award ceremony start?”

  Mrs. Callahan looked at her watch. “In about two hours.”

  “Where is it?”

  “The state technology center.”

  He nodded. That was a two-and-a-half-hour drive. He didn’t have enough time.

  “We’d better go if we’re going to make it.” Julian’s low voice snapped him out of his panic.

  He met his eyes, the only physical part of him that differentiated him from his dead twin.

  Cam nodded, all words suddenly failing him. Mrs. Callahan smiled wide and gripped Cam’s arm. “Peyton is special.”

  He sucked in a breath. “I know. I’ve always known.”

  She nodded in approval and released him.

  Cam followed Julian out the door and down the street to where he’d parked along the curb. Twin Rivers disappeared behind them as they drove away. Two and a half hours. He’d be late for the ceremony. He only hoped he wasn’t too late for everything else.

  “What are you going to say to her when we get there?” It wasn’t like Julian to be nosy or curious, but he’d always been protective of his sister.

  Cam relaxed back against the seat. “I don’t know.”

  Julian raised a brow and focused on the highway before them. “Better figure it out.”

  Cam tapped his fingers against his leg as the silence stretched between them. Half an hour passed, then an hour. The landscape changed, but he didn’t notice any of it as an idea came to his mind.

  He slid his phone out of his bag and pressed his finger against the No BS app. It opened, revealing all the newest posts. The ones with the most views and likes stayed at the top. Posters could choose whether or not to turn on the commenting feature. Most didn’t.

  He started his post.

  Hello. My name is Cameron Tucker, and I’m a fool. You see, there’s a girl. It always comes down to a girl, doesn’t it? This girl has been my best friend since before I was old enough for her smile to make me speechless. She was everything to me.

  Let me tell you a story about a boy who thought he had everything, a boy who lost a lot, and the girl who never gave up on him.

  This app is supposed to be anonymous, but for you to truly understand me, I can’t hide behind an internet wall. I have to be honest.

  The car accident that took my friend Coop changed my life. Not because I’m now a robot (That one is for Cara), but because it altered how I see the world. I was angry, really angry, for a long time. You may have read some of my anger when my words were spread around the school this week—thanks to whoever did that by the way. You’ve made this possible. You’ve forced me to finally admit the things holding me back.

  This girl I mentioned, she’s the bravest, strongest person I know. She’s also smart and kind and so damn beautiful it makes it hard to breathe. Oh, and one more thing. I love her. I’m in love with her. I have been for a long time. And I was afraid. Afraid she’d never feel the same way. Afraid she wouldn’t forgive me for the words I never said to her.

  But I don’t want to be afraid. That’s what No BS is about, isn’t it? Getting over our fears. Shedding the labels we place on ourselves.

  Cam paused for a moment. The last part needed to be just for Pey, not their classmates.

  So, Peyton Callahan, I’m saying you don’t scare me. Not anymore. I love you. I’m coming for you. You told me we could only be friends, and if that’s truly what you want, I’m still on my way to you.

  @CameronTucker

  Cam’s thumb hovered over the post button that would let the entire school see his words. He’d never been one to let people in, to show them what he thought or how he felt. He’d been content with his few friends and the solitude running brought him.

  But the biggest mistake he’d made with Peyton was not letting her in. She deserved to have received those emails. The pleading ones. The ones where he admitted he missed her. Even the mean ones. She could have taken it.

  Julian glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. “If you hurt her again, I’ll end you.”

  The Julian Cam knew before didn’t have the darkness inside him that Cam saw now, but maybe that was the point. They couldn’t go back. It was time to move forward.

  Cam tapped post. His stomach clenched, and he leaned his head back against the headrest, closing his eyes.

  “If I hurt her again, she’ll end me herself.”

  “You got that right.” Julian chuckled, the sound filling the car and making Cam feel almost normal, like the past eighteen months hadn’t happened, like maybe they wouldn’t be tormented by everything for the rest of their lives.

  By the time they pulled into the almost-full parking lot of the state technology center, the sun had begun to set. They parked in the first open spot they could find and sprinted across the lot. A banner hung on the outside wall welcoming all contestants.

  As Cam stepped into the entrance, it hit him. This was the biggest day of Peyton’s high school career, and he’d almost missed it. The ceremony had already begun by the time they reached the conference room. A stage stood near the front, and a white-haired man stepped up to the podium.

  Cam didn’t hear anything he said as his eyes searched for Peyton, finding her sitting with the other contestants across the room. He found a spot near the back wall and stood next to Julian, breathing in the excitement.

  His eyes snapped to the stage when he heard the two words that set his heart racing.

  “Peyton Callahan.”

  He couldn’t lift his hands to clap along with the rest of the audience as he watched her step onto the stage. Her face glowed with excitement as a screen dropped down from the ceiling. The audience laughed at something Peyton said, but he was too focused on her to hear
what it was. Blood rushed in his ears as an image appeared on the screen. Peyton’s demonstration.

  The No BS logo stretched across the top with the top post below it. Cam swallowed the bile threatening to rise in his throat as a room full of strangers focused on what was before them.

  It wasn’t until he could breathe again that he noticed Peyton had frozen, her eyes locked on his.

  21

  Peyton

  ~ Peyton,

  This is my final unsent email.

  I’m coming home, and I’m not quite sure how to face you. Do you still think about me?

  One day, I’ll be on the receiving end of one of your smiles again.

  I promise.

  Cam ~

  “Peyton Callahan,” Dr. Peterson announced.

  Peyton stepped forward, a sheen of sweat covering her face. What was I thinking entering this thing? Public speaking was not her forte. She took a deep breath, stepping up to the podium to the polite applause. She glanced at her notecards, but the words jumbled around on the page in her panic. I’m having a stroke, right here. Get it together Callahan!

  “High school sucks, am I right?” Peyton blurted to the amusement of the crowd. “I mean, we’ve all heard the grown-ups say ‘it gets better.’” She held up her hands in air quotes. “I sure hope it does, but that doesn’t really help us in the moment. Sometimes we just need a friend. Maybe someone we wouldn’t normally consider a friend. I sure needed that two years ago. One night changed my life forever. My brother died in a terrible accident, and our friends scattered to the winds after. We each needed to deal with our loss in different ways. But I found myself alone and in need of a distraction. Thus, No Body Shame was born.” Peyton gestured up at the screen where the home page of her app showed for all to see. And then Katie’s frantically waving hands caught her attention behind the stage. She pointed at the screen, and Peyton’s heart thundered in her chest as she read Cameron’s words—the beautiful words he’d written for her—flashing at her captive audience. And then she saw him. Standing at the back of the room with Julian. The look on his face said sorry-not-sorry.

  Did Cam really just say he loves me? Right in the middle of my presentation. I’m going to kill him!

  “My guy, ladies and gentleman.” Peyton beamed a sheepish smile at the audience. “He has the worst timing ever. It’s supposed to be anonymous, Cam. Way to defeat the entire purpose of the app while I’m presenting it.” She rolled her eyes, desperately trying to get her brain back on her presentation. And there he stood, looking handsome as ever, shrugging his shoulders and smiling at her like she’d hung the moon just for him.

  “Well, answer the poor guy. Do you love him?” someone shouted. She was pretty sure it was her brother.

  “Of course, I do. I always have. Cameron Tucker has been my best friend since we were five years old, and it’s only taken him thirteen years to figure out we belong together.” She smiled shyly as the audience laughed.

  “But I have to give him a break on the last two years. The accident that took my brother Cooper changed the course of Cameron’s life too. Once on the Olympic track, he was a rising star. But the accident took that dream away from him. I think No BS has helped Cam accept his new reality. See, in high school, it’s all about the labels. The jock, mean girl, nerd, slut, fat, skinny, weirdo, loner, disabled…and the list goes on. We find ourselves trapped behind these constricting labels, desperately trying to claw our way out so the world can see the real person behind that ridiculous nonsensical label. And that is what No BS is all about. Providing a safe place where labels don’t exist. Where the kids of Twin Rivers High can talk about real issues we all deal with every day without fear of rejection or ridicule. Because no matter what we’re going through as individuals, we are all dealing with something, and we all deserve a chance to redefine ourselves on our own terms.

  “I am proud to say the response to No Body Shame has blown me away. As of last night, over ninety percent of the Twin Rivers student body are No BS users. And of those ninety percent, seventy percent are actively involved in this amazing growing community. We have a strict no cyber bullying policy that removes all negative comments from the discussion threads. And for that, I must thank my good friend Katie Whitmore and her incredible mother, Emily Whitmore, for dedicating their time and mad coding skills to the security system for No BS. Together, we have created a streamlined system for monitoring the community and maintaining the complete anonymity of our users.”

  Peyton paused, glancing at the screen to see dozens of real-time responses to Cam’s post. So much love and a positive sense of community poured out of those comments. “It’s like this all the time.” She took a deep breath. “No matter how the competition goes, I’d like to thank the board for sponsoring the program. STEM studies are so important for our future, and I’m thankful to be a part of such a dynamic community. This program was like a light in the darkness for me. It saved me at a time when I thought my strength was gone.

  “And before I wrap this up, I’d like to thank my partner once again, Katie, can you come join me?” Peyton called to her friend backstage. Katie looked like she’d rather do anything else in the world than come out on that stage, but she deserved this.

  As Katie shuffled out from behind the curtain, Peyton took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “A few weeks ago, I filed a petition with the board to make an addendum to my original project proposal. No BS started off as a solo project, but it grew from my original ideas, and I could not have made it what it is today without your help.” Peyton lifted a certificate from her folder on the podium.

  “This is for you, Katie. It says you have served as my project analyst and research assistant. I wanted you to have the credit you deserve for helping me create No Body Shame.”

  “Thank you, Peyton. It’s been a blast working with you.” A flushed smile lit Katie’s face. “This will look fantastic on my college applications!”

  “Who knows, maybe we’ll share a dorm room when we get to MIT.” Peyton nudged her playfully.

  “Caltech.” Katie rolled her eyes.

  “We’ve had this argument before.” Peyton smiled at the crowd.

  “Can I leave the stage now?” Katie whispered, and Peyton nodded.

  “To wrap this up, a big thank you to the board and also to our competitors. Er…may the odds be ever in your favor.”

  Peyton thought her face might crack from the smile stretching her lips. She was so relieved to have her presentation behind her, yet right now, all she wanted was to find Cam. But he was nowhere to be found.

  “Congratulations, Peyton.” The crowd of well-wishers swarmed around her backstage. “Your presentation was amazing!”

  “Thank you.” Peyton’s gaze drifted across the sea of faces until she saw the one face she was desperate to find.

  He looked so proud she almost laughed, not sure if he was more proud of himself or of her.

  “You did such an amazing job!” Katie came up beside her. “I can’t believe you called me on stage. I was so nervous I barely registered what was going on. You have no idea how much I appreciate the gesture.”

  “Gesture, nothing,” Peyton said. “That certificate was well deserved and the least I could do. I’m just glad the board let me do it.”

  “People at school are freaking out about this, Peyton. Everyone is on No BS right now wishing you luck. Oh, and Cam. How adorable is he? I better let you go talk to him. I’ll see you later.”

  “You’re so going to win!” A bubbly brunette with the biggest glasses Peyton had ever seen leaped to shake her hand just as Katie left her. “I’m so inspired by your work.”

  “Thank you so much.” Peyton smiled patiently at the girl when she really wanted to shove her and run. Cameron was waiting for her with the biggest smile and a cheesy bouquet of pink carnations in hand.

  “You left to get flowers?” Peyton smiled nervously, not sure where to go from here. She only knew she was happier in this moment than she’d
been in a long time.

  “I was going to get roses. You deserve roses. Big fluffy pink ones…but the store was fully stocked with the worst flowers ever.” He was adorable when he was nervous.

  “Well, for future reference…” Peyton took another step toward him, closing the small distance between them. “I generally prefer my flowers in the form of fluffy pink icing.”

  “Icing?” He smiled, relaxing.

  “Right on top of the cupcake.” She reached for the carnations. “But these are pretty too.”

  “You were amazing, Pey.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. A sweet kiss but not the kiss they both wanted. As he pulled back, his heated gaze sent her knees wobbling beneath her.

  “I hope you don’t mind my declaration kinda hijacked your presentation. I had no idea it was going to end up on the screen like that.”

  “I loved it.”

  “You recovered like a champ.” He reached to brush a loose curl behind her ear. “For a second there, I thought you were going to murder me where I stood.”

  “Try not to let it happen again,” she teased.

  “Listen, there’s a lot I want to say. And…” He coughed, his cheeks going red. “A lot I’d like to do, but this is your moment. You are going to win this thing, Pey. And I don’t want to distract you, so I’m going to—”

  “Cameron Tucker, don’t you dare leave.” She tugged his hand into hers. “Do you know how much I’m freaking out right now? I could actually win this, Cam. I need my best friend right now. Stay with me?”

  “Of course.” He draped his arm around her waist, pulling her close in a way best friends Peyton and Cam never had before. “When will we know the results?”

  “In about an hour. There’s at least one more presentation, and then the judges will deliberate. Right now, they’re serving refreshments backstage.” Peyton darted a look around the room. “College recruiters will be here, and I heard a crazy rumor there are reps from Google and Apple here too.”