Realistic or Modern The Life We Left Behind (Batmang & AvianJen)

[AvianJen]

Camilla shrugged, looking at him. "Try again, maybe," she suggested. "If I can quit, you can quit." At this, she flashed him a little bit of a smile. She was being genuine when she said that; if she could quit her entire lifestyle, he could quit one little part of his. "Besides," she said, "not many girls will want to kiss you if your breath tastes like cigarettes." Camilla raised her eyebrows at him knowingly, smirking as she slid out of the car. She didn't mean to come off as flirtatious, but Cam had gotten used to flirting with almost every man that she saw. It was a habit she was going to have to try and break, now that everyone wasn't a potential client.

The admissions thing went more smoothly than she had expected, but Camilla was still pretty tired from everything she'd just left behind, so she wanted to go get her new phone and then probably go back to his house. She had to get his muffin, though. It was the least she could do for Ethan after all that he was doing for her. So, she'd figure it out before she went back.

She hadn't meant to startle the guy, but his pupils did dilate slightly when he looked up at her. Cam had to smile a little bit; she could tell when a man found her attractive. She jumped slightly when he dropped his notebook. "Oh, I got it," she said quickly as she bent down to grab it for him. But he got there first and she straightened up somewhat awkwardly, tucking her hair behind her ear. "The cafeteria?" she repeated. That didn't help much, because she had no clue where the cafeteria was. There was a lot going on here and Camilla was a little overwhelmed, but maybe he could point her in the right direction.

But then, he offered to show her himself and Camilla's smile widened. "I'd love that," she said. "Thank you. I'm Camilla." Hesitantly, she extended her hand for him to shake. Jack. That was a nice name, and he was actually quite attractive. Seemed friendly- not like many of the guys she was used to interacting with. They started walking and she followed him, looking around at the campus as they went along. It was a nice campus for sure, and she was excited to start her classes.

"So, uh...Jack. What are you studying?" she asked him. Camilla wasn't used to asking those types of questions, but there was something nice about it. Refreshing.

 

[Batmang]

Ethan was surprised by how flirty she was being. He'd be lying if he said it didn't work. It was cute, and her smirk was even cuter. It was sending all sorts of mixed signals and Ethan wasn't sure what exactly to make of it all. However, he quickly remembered that she's probably done that a lot and it most likely didn't mean anything. He hated the thought of it, but it was probably true. Ethan smirked back, "Just remember the muffin." He teased as he watched her go inside.

Jack's eyes lit right up when she agreed to take up on his offer. "Camilla", he confirmed. "You have a nice name." He gave her a genuine smile. "I guess word gets out fast." He told her softly, "The bakery here is very good." clarifying as he led the way. It was a long walk, but Jack didn't mind. He was usually pretty busy and never had much time for socializing. He was also new to the area, so he didn't have many friends. Plus in class he's mostly to himself.

He glanced over at her as she asked what he was studying, "Well, right now I'm just trying to get the credentials to study cosmology at NYU." He informed. "It's always been something close to my heart, but after my mom passed away, I had to drop out of high school to look after my little brother." He rambled, "my father passed away shortly after my little brother was born, so we were on our own for the most part. So, I guess I'm just looking for a second chance." He added.

He noticed he had said too much and she didn't really ask for all that. He laughed, "Sorry, didn't mean to go off on you like that. It's just comforting to share things with people, I guess." He said apologetically as they reached the cafeteria. There were large boxes of muffins on display. Enough to feed a group of people.

"How can I help you two?" A lunch lady approached them, giving them a gentle smile. "Hi, Irene. One box of muffins please. Mixed." Jack requested with a smile. She nodded, before picking out a fresh batch of muffins and placing them neatly into a box, before sealing them." She placed the box on the counter in front of them. "Your total comes to $6.25." She informed kindly. Jack handed her the cash, "Keep the change." He smiled, before handing the box over to Cam.

"They're on me." He told her firmly with a smile, not willing to hear a compromise. He looked at his phone, noticing he was getting late for a class. "I should better get going. Teachers here aren't too thrilled about students coming in late and disrupting their lectures." He informed her before making his way to the exit, "It was nice meeting you, Camilla." He smiled, waving at her before taking off. He contemplated asking her out or even exchanging contact, but he didn't want to come on too strong.

Meanwhile, Ethan was in his car making calls to numerous law enforcement agencies in his hometown of Springfield. He was following up any information on Camilla's pimp, Sam. "What do you mean you got nothing on the guy?" He argued with the person on the other end. "You're cops. How the hell has this guy's info never reached your ear? What does he have, an invisibility cloak?" He asked, from in his tone, not pleased with the lack of help from the police. He listened to the explanation on the other end, but he wasn't satisfied with their excuse. "What good are you, anyway?" He hung up angrily.

 

[AvianJen]

Camilla didn't mean to send him mixed signals, but she was just used to flirting. She did it without noticing. "I won't forget your damn muffin," she responded with a playful roll of her eyes.

She smiled at Jack, tilting her head at him. He was cute, and seemed very innocent. Vaguely she wondered whether or not he was a virgin, but then quickly remembered that wasn't the type of thing she was supposed to be thinking about anymore. It didn't matter- he was just a guy, and he was being nice to her. It didn't have to be anything other than that. "Thanks," she said when he complimented her name. "I'm surprised a community college has such a famous bakery." She shoved her hands in the back pockets of her jeans and followed him across campus to the cafeteria. She wondered if she needed to have a meal plan or something to get in, but then Jack started talking and distracted her from that idea.

"Cosmology," she repeated, testing the word out. "Like...makeup and stuff?" That was an interesting field of study; she didn't know you had to go to college for that. Of course that wasn't what Jack was talking about, but the words were similar and it had been so long since she'd been in any sort of academic setting. "I'm sorry about your parents," she said genuinely. "But second chances are good. This is my second chance, too. I hope. It's been forever since I've been to school, I don't know if I'm really cut out for it anymore." She smiled up at him, not about to get into any details about what she was escaping but if it made him feel better, she didn't mind sharing just that. "But we'll see. A couple classes never hurt anyone."

Soon enough they reached the cafeteria, and the muffins. They did smell delicious, and Camilla offered the lady her charming smile as she approached. When she realized they weren't free she panicked for a second before remembering she did have a little bit of cash- she reached into her pocket to grab it but Jack beat her to the punch. "Oh no, you don't have to..." she said as he handed her the box, but he seemed determined. "Well, alright. Thank you. But my treat next time." She flashed a smile as he turned to leave. "It was nice meeting you, Jack," she replied.

When her benevolent helper was gone, Camilla wandered back through campus until she found the parking lot, where Ethan had dropped her off. From a distance she could see him yelling into his phone, and she sighed. He'd hung up by he time she reached the car and opened the door, shoving the box of muffins into his lap. "Every muffin you can imagine," she informed him. "Courtesy of a nice guy named Jack. What's got you all worked up?" She knew his facial expressions well, and could tell that he was upset about something. "Who were you talking to?"

 

[Batmang]

Jack chuckled when he realized she had no idea what cosmology was. He didn't blame her, not many people were familiar with it. It was probably one of the most nerdiest things on the planet. "No, not makeup." He smiled. "It's the study of the universe and how it all works. Why the Earth operates the way it does, why the stars shine the way they do, and how we are all just a drop of paint on a sheet of paper that's part of a bigger picture." He informed her, "pretty nerdy and boring, right?" He laughed.

Jack could go on and on about the topic, but he didn't want to scare her off. He listened to her as she explained her background, and it was normal. Her tone suggested she was uncertain and somewhat nervous, and Jack could relate. "I think a lot of us here feel the same way." Hoping it would give her the sense that she wasn't alone. "It'll be tough" He wasn't going to lie and sugar coat it, "But what's life without taking chances?" He asked, smiling. "A couple classes is a good idea. Much better than a loaded schedule and you can ease your way in."

Ethan didn't even notice Cam until she opened the door and shoved a box of muffins onto his lap. "How hungry do I look?" He asked, staring at the huge box. There was enough to last a few days. Suddenly, his thoughts were no longer on the muffins as his brain jumped onto the name "Jack". It was a guy name. "And he just bought these for you...?" He asked, almost as if interrogating her. Ethan was doing his best to not let it bother him, but this was Camilla. A girl he is still madly in love with.

"Sounds to me like Jack wants sex." He said cynically as he started the car and began driving. The mall wasn't too far, it was only a couple blocks away. Now he was incredibly paranoid. If she got her phone, she'd be talking to Jack regularly, or hell someone else who just happened to be a guy.

When she asked who he was talking to, he just gave a vague response. "Work related stuff. Don't worry about it." Obviously, still angry about the conversation with the authorities, plus now some guy named Jack walked into their lives.

Through out the ride, he just thought about Camilla and Jack. "All this because of a stupid muffin", he muttered under his breath, talking to himself as he pulled into the mall, before parking the car in an empty space. "You want me to tag along?" He asked her, as he turned off the ignition.

 

[AvianJen]

Oh, not makeup. Camilla blushed, embarrassed that she'd been so stupid to mix the two things up. Such different things too- no, of course he wasn't studying makeup. He didn't seem like that kind of guy in the first place. What he said went way over her head and that made her feel pretty stupid too, but he was nice about it. "No, not boring," she replied with a smile. "Just a little bit beyond my mental capacity. But somebody's gotta do it, right?" She shrugged. That was probably true; she didn't know what cosmologists did, but it was probably something important like making sure that asteroids didn't destroy the earth.

"Yes, I need to ease my way in," she confirmed. "I start tomorrow, so we'll see how it goes."

At first Camilla giggled at Ethan's question, shrugging. "I don't know, he just bought the box and gave it to me. I only would've bought you one." She stuck her tongue out at him. "Yeah, I didn't know where to find the muffins so I just asked someone and he walked me there, paid for them. He was nice." The playful expression melted away from her face and she quirked an eyebrow at his tone. Was he upset or something? Because surely he knew he didn't need to be.

It was when he asserted that Jack wanted sex that Camilla gritted her teeth, feeling offended on Jack's behalf and more than a little annoyed. "Oh, of course. Because every man I talk to wants sex. Nobody's just nice," she said sarcastically, glaring at him. "If buying a girl a box of muffins means that a man wants sex, then I'd hate to find out what inviting her to live in his house means." She didn't deny that Jack had found her attractive; she would have been able to tell that from a mile away. But she seriously doubted he'd bought her the muffins because he wanted to get her into bed- he hadn't even asked for her contact information. Not that she had any to give him anyways.

Camilla crossed her arms as they drove and stared out the window. She didn't understand why Ethan was so upset that she'd talked to a guy. He'd claimed to still be in love with her, but did that justify him being that jealous of a single interaction with someone else? "Yeah, all this," she muttered bitterly. "Extra free muffins and everything. How ever will you manage?" When they parked she wasn't sure if she wanted him to come in, but she did know that getting a phone could take a while and he might not want to sit in the car for that long. "Up to you," she sighed, flipping back her hair and stepping out of the car.

 

[Batmang]

Obviously it didn't take Ethan long to kill the mood and he could tell Cam was irritated and on the defensive. He was dwelling on Nick the first few days, and now it was Jack. Ethan wanted to be okay with it, but for the longest time it had always been the two of them. He couldn't imagine her with anyone else, and maybe he was selfish, but that was a flaw she was just going to have to accept. Even if it was an irritating flaw.

However, this argument of theres brought back some memories from way back. Ethan had always had a tendency to be jealous, even before he and Cam started dating. But somehow, he and Cam always got it to work. So in a weird way, this argument brought back some funny memories which brought a smile to his face.

Ethan never was good at arguing, especially with Cam, which was ironic since arguing is what he did for a living. And she was already making a lot of fair points. Ethan wanted to soak in the moment, as he missed this feeling. You'd imagine it would have the opposite effect, but for some reason it didn't.

And while it was true that Ethan was jealous, he also wanted her to be okay. He knew how guys in college were and how a lot of them use girls just for sex. That's how it was when he was in college. Of course, he was never one of those people, but he also wasn't into the whole dating thing in college either. Cam was the only girl for him and if it wasn't her, it wasn't going to be anyone. Maybe it was just a friendly altercation between her and Jack, but he knew it was a new experience for her and he also knew just how complicated guys could be.

"Cam, trust me, college is a whole other playground." He warned, referring to her argument that not all men wanted sex. "Guys in college can be animals. They act nice, try to get to know you, and when you let them in, they're only looking for one thing. And then they're gone." He explained.

When she implied that maybe he also had something to gain out of her living with him, he playfully played along to irritate her. "Oh my god, did you find the wedding ring?" He asked jokingly, hoping it would get her to give him a smile.

"I'll tag along." He replied, getting out of the car and waiting for her, before they both made their way inside. As soon as he walked in, suddenly Ethan immediately regretted his decision. It was busier than he thought and he hated large crowds. Plus when he was 6 years old, he got separated from his mom and it took about an hour before the mall staff were able to reunite them. It didn't seem like a big deal, but ever since that day Ethan has somewhat been petrified of busy malls.

Cam was well aware of that pretty early in their dating life and he still remembers telling her about it. His face was red the entire day as she couldn't stop laughing at his dilemma. Instinctively, he grabbed onto Cam's arm like a child, as they walked through the mall.

 

[AvianJen]

Back when they were dating, Camilla remembered fighting with Ethan all the time. It hadn't been a good thing, but it was just the way that things were. They were always going at each other, always about something that was ultimately unimportant. But even though fighting had been a large part of their relationship, they loved each other through it. At least, they used to. Arguing like this brought back memories for her, too, but they were all memories that she was trying to forget. She had to forget, if her resolve to not fall back in love with him was going to work out.

She rolled her eyes at his statement, looking at him wearily. Did he still not understand? "Ethan," she said seriously, "I've been to far worse playgrounds, trust me. All men are animals." At least in her experience they were. Even the ones who paid for her affection tried to get to know her sometimes. They felt better about it if they felt like she actually liked them on a personal level, and they liked knowing a thing or two about the girl they were sleeping with. But the joke was on them, because Camilla never actually told them anything true. Just whatever came to mind at the time. "I know a thing or two about men who only want one thing from me," she reminded him. "Besides, my going rate is a little bit higher than a box of muffins." She was half-joking, but not really.

At his joke about the wedding ring, Camilla glared at him in her effort to hide a smile. Why did he have to do that? "You're hopeless," she finally answered. "But really, Ethan. If you're going to be upset every time I talk to someone else then how is this going to work?" Camilla was genuinely concerned about that. She didn't want to hurt Ethan, but she also needed a little bit of freedom. She was starting her life over; what if that new life came with a new man? And what if it wasn't him?

He still seemed angry so she was almost surprised when he decided to tag along- especially given his hatred of shopping malls. But she didn't know this mall and was grateful for the company, she supposed, so she didn't protest. Not until they reached the inside and he grabbed onto her arm. It only took her a moment to recall why he did it and the memory almost made her smile; she'd never let him live that story down. But right now the feeling of his hand on her was too much, and Camilla gently but firmly pushed it off. "Be careful," she warned in a teasing tone, glancing back at him. "People might think we're together." And then, "I promise I'll come to mall security if you get lost."

She didn't know where she was going, but there was an AT&T store relatively close and Camilla figured that was as good as anything. She wandered inside and picked up an iPhone, not wasting any time with it. "Just need to get a new one of these," she said to one of the store attendants. "New account, new everything."

 

[Batmang]

"All men are animals", he repeated in his head over and over again like it was a broken record. He wanted to believe that wasn't entirely true, but it wasn't his place to talk about it. Cam had her own perspective of men, something he couldn't relate to because she was the one who dealt with them regularly and saw them in a completely different light than he did.

He didn't say anything and continued to drive. When she made a joke about her going rate, Ethan tried to break a smile. He didn't exactly like her jokes that was related to prostituting, but decided to suck it up. They weren't dating and he didn't have a reason to be upset about it. Even if he had feelings for her. She didn't feel the same way. She made that clear.

"I'll be fine." He replied to her question. "I'll get over it. I promise." He didn't want to get over her, but if it would make her happy, he would give it a shot. "If you like someone, whether it's Jack, Nick, or whoever, I'll be fine with it. I won't get in the way." He assured her, before he parked the car and got out with her.

Ethan wasn't sure if he could actually do all that, but it seemed that that's what Cam wanted from him. He had to move on. He knew it wasn't going to happen overnight or if ever, but for now, he could at least pretend.

Once inside, Ethan made the mistake of grabbing her hand, which Cam pushed away. Even if it looked harmless, he decided to respect her decision. "Right." He replied, as he followed her close by. Once they found an AT&T, Ethan opted to wait outside while Cam went in.

The associate looked up at Cam and smiled as she brought an iPhone to the counter. "Certainly." He replied with a smile as he took the iPhone and scanned it, registering the phone into their network. "I just need a piece of ID." He informed, as he scanned the box before placing it in front of her.

"If you opt for our 2 year plan, you get to pay nothing up front. Your monthly bill would be..." he looked down at his computer, "$60 a month." He confirmed.

 

[AvianJen]

Camilla wasn't sure that he really would get over it; if he was still in love with her after years of not even seeing her, it was going to be difficult for him to forget about all that when she was literally sleeping across the hall. Or, maybe he would see how much she'd changed, how far she'd fallen and he'd change his mind. Right now he was looking at her through rose-tinted glasses, but soon enough he would realize that she hadn't been lying or exaggerating the other night. The old Camilla was gone, and although her tough, sharp personality was mostly the same, there were many parts of her that weren't.

"Well, I don't know anything about Jack," she reminded him. "All he did was buy me muffins, and I doubt I'll ever see him again. And I've already told you repeatedly I don't like Nick. I don't know anything about him, either. And I'm not going to fall in love with the nerd who sells me a phone so you can just calm down." Mostly, Cam just didn't want the pressure to be with Ethan again. She was afraid of how that might end up. He had taken her in and that was lovely, and he was going to help her get back on her feet and find something better to do with her life, but...he'd still left her. Without a word, without a warning. Camilla had been forced to forget him as he life took a turn for the worst. What could she do about it now? Yes, there was a possibility she could grow to have feelings for him again but honestly, she didn't want to get his hopes up.

It had been forever since she'd actually been inside a phone store. Sam had paid for her phone, all of it, so she didn't know how anything worked. When the associate told her it would be $60 a month, her lips pressed into a firm line. Was that a good deal? For two years? That was...over a thousand dollars for a stupid phone bill. Was that normal? Cam couldn't afford that, not right now. She had more important things to pay for. "Well I...I don't need the unlimited data or anything like that," she told him. "The bare minimum, really. Do you think we could lower it a little?" Camilla scooted a bit closer. "I'm sorry, I'm sure that's totally normal, it's just my first time doing...all of this. Technology stuff. I don't understand it very well." She glanced outside at the mall, where Ethan was waiting for her. Considering his silly little fear she was surprised he didn't seek sanctuary inside the store, but at least that way he wouldn't see her batting her eyelashes at the associate despite what she'd told him earlier.

 

[Batmang]

Ethan glanced over at Cam and the associate, and he could tell from her expression that she was overwhelmed, so he walked over by her side. "Everything alright?" He asked, placing his hand on Cam's shoulder, letting her know he was there to help, as he noticed the iphone. "We have a new promotion for the fall, which is $60 a month on a two year plan. Unlimited nationwide calling & texting, unlimited high speed data, and a caller ID." The associate informed him.

"The features are good, but she's not looking for a contract." He replied back. She'd be paying a lot more over the course of two years for a stupid phone and the contract would basically handcuff her for two years if she couldn't pay the bills on time. He looked at their rates and noticed she could get the same rates for half that without buying the plan. "We'll buy the phone." He told the associate. He nodded, ringing up the total. "That would be $613.87" He informed him.

Ethan handed the associate his credit card and he did it quickly before Cam stopped him, knowing full well she wasn't okay with him paying for it. Once the payment was done, the associate placed the phone and the sim card into a small bag, along with the receipt. "Here you are. Thank you for shopping with us." He tells them both with a smile. "Thanks." Ethan replies back, before handing the bag over to Cam as they walked out together.

"You can pay me back whenever." He informed her as they started leaving the mall. Of course he didn't want her to pay him back, but he figured it would make her a little less angry with him. As they drove home, he thought a lot about what she told him and he knew he had to give her her space. Even if he wasn't okay with it and he probably never would be, but he knew that it was important to her. So for her sake, he was willing to go through with it. "She doesn't think of you in that way anymore." Was the phrase he kept repeating to himself, trying to make it easier on him, even though it wasn't.

Once they reached the house and through the front door, it didn't take long for Goldy to playfully lunge at Camilla, as he playfully wagged his tail, curious to see what was in her bag. "Easy, boy." Ethan called out with a smile, but Goldy wouldn't listen and started following Camilla as she made her way into the living room. "I'll leave you two alone." Before he made his way outside onto the front porch. He looked out at the lake and just took in the natural beauty. He pulled out his pack of cigarettes from his breast pocket and he was about to open it, but then remembered the incident at the college parking lot, where Camilla suggested he quit and he ended up freezing in his spot. He looked at the pack one last time, before crushing it in his palm and throwing it into the trash can.

 

[AvianJen]

Even if Camilla was convinced she could get the associate to give her a better deal, she was kind of grateful when Ethan came into help her out with it. She didn't know what the best deal for phones was, but she did know that this guy was probably trying to rip her off. The first offer was never the best one. Camilla sat back and let Ethan do the negotiating for her, which ended up with the associate giving him a total of over $600. She saw Ethan hand over his credit card and briefly she reached out her hand. "Hey, wait," she protested. She'd wanted to pay for it herself, but it was done. She grumbled a little bit, but she knew that $600 hurt Ethan a lot less than it hurt her. If he wanted to pay for it now, maybe she could pay him back when she had an real job, when she actually got to keep her paycheck.

"I will," she sighed, looking down at the bag as they left the store. "But thank you."

Even though they hadn't actually been gone for long, Camilla still felt exhausted when they got back to his house. Thankfully that was it for today. She couldn't help but smile when the dog came to greet her, and she patted him affectionately on the head. It seemed she had a better relationship with Goldy than she did with Ethan, but everybody loved a nice dog. And Goldy, it seemed, had taken a special liking to her. Camilla wasn't going to complain about that. "Hey, cutie," she murmured, ruffling the dog's fur. Then to Ethan, "I guess I'll go get the phone set up." She ventured towards the living room and plopped down on the couch, Goldy jumping up and taking a seat next to her, still sniffing at the mysterious bag.

"It's not for you," she said teasingly, petting the dog. She took the phone out of the packaging and began to set it up with her fingerprint, even setting up a new email account and Apple ID just in case Sam had that information; which he probably did. Once everything looked good, she downloaded a few of her favorite apps and then took the phone outside, where Ethan was relaxing. With a sigh, she held out her new phone to him. "Put your number in," she instructed. "I better at least have one contact. And I guess I should have gotten a case, but...I can do that tomorrow." Tonight, she probably needed to place an order with the college's bookstore for her textbooks, maybe hunt down a new computer to do her homework with. Something inexpensive but functional would be fine. "What are your plans tonight?"

 

[Batmang]

Cam made her way out to the porch and before he knew it, she handed him the phone to put his number on it. "At least buy me dinner first" he teased as he took it from her. Putting in his personal number, the house number, and his office number. Might be a little excessive, but at least she had other ways to reach him in case of an emergency. "I was kidding by the way", he clarified, knowing pretty well that she found his teasing quite annoying. He handed her the phone and noticed Goldy running through the door and onto the lawn, barking excitedly.

She asked him about his plans and he shrugged. Usually he would spend his time at the office, but with Camilla around he didn't want to do that. Plus it would be nice to take a day off from all of that. "I was going to take the dog to the park." He informed her, "You can tag along if you want." He suggested. She liked Goldy and he liked him, so he assumed it wouldn't be such a bad idea.

"Ever had dinner on a cruise ship?" He asked her as he handed her a pamphlet. He and some coworkers would occasionally dine there. It was quite peaceful, food was high quality and fresh, and it had a beautiful view of the Atlantic Ocean and the city itself. The first night he went there, he thought of Camilla and knew she would've loved it. "You want to try it?" He asked. New York had a lot of great places and Ethan wanted to show her around as much as possible.

His phone went off, and Ethan glanced at it. It was Nick. "Well, Nick is in town." He informed her, showing her the text. "I never told him about you yet." Ethan wasn't concerned, but he knew Nick didn't like being lied to. Didn't mean he wouldn't get a mini heart attack when he learned a former prostitute was living with him. One he actually slept with for that matter. "I think I'm gonna invite him to dinner too." He told her, texting him back before Cam could say anything.

 

[AvianJen]

Camilla's lips twisted into a smile at his joke. She didn't want to find it funny, the way they'd been pretending to flirt back and forth- it probably wasn't super productive considering their current relationship status, but it was kind of funny. "Better be kidding," she shot back, plopping into a chair next to him. When he was done entering what definitely seemed like more than one number, Cam took her phone back and put it inside her pocket as the dog ran out. She was tired, but the idea of taking the dog to a park sounded nice. Camilla liked Goldy quite a bit, and he made hanging out with Ethan a little less awkward.

"Yeah, why not?" she shrugged. "Does Goldy know how to fetch?"

The cruise ship offer was a little more surprising. She took the pamphlet and looked at it, raising her eyebrows. "That sounds an awful lot like a date," she commented. "I don't know, Ethan. Just the two of us?"

Before she got the chance to change her mind, he got the text message from Nick and showed it to her. Then he was inviting him to dinner before Camilla could get anything out, and she didn't know what to say about it. She wasn't exactly crazy about the idea of getting dinner with her ex from high school and a man who had paid for her services as a prostitute, but she did kind of want to get the Nick thing out of the way. And having three people definitely made it not a date. "Alright, I'll go," she said reluctantly. "Do I have to dress fancy? And he's not going to be...mad, right?" Camilla knew this was going to be a horribly awkward encounter. Why was she agreeing to do this to herself?"

 

[Batmang]

"Uh..." He muttered as she asked him if whether or not the dog knew how to fetch. Ethan would generally just take him on long walks in the park whenever he had free time, but since his promotion, he's been more busy and not home enough to really bond with the dog. Which is one of the reasons Goldy was happy to have found a friend in Camilla. Usually, it was Ethan's college friend, Erica who would drop by to look after the dog whenever Ethan was out of town on an important business matter. Ethan wasn't entirely sure about the question, "Sure. Why not?" He replied back, obvious uncertainty in his voice. Ethan felt awful that he didn't know a simple question about the dog, but the last thing he wanted was to be lectured on it by other people. He already got enough flack from Erica, whenever she was around.

"Well...", Ethan tried to say something back, but he didn't know what to say. He knew the whole cruise ship dinner idea sounded a lot like a date, especially if it was just him and her, which if he was honest was sort of what he was going for. Nothing had to happen between them, but he just wanted to catch up with her and get to know this new Camilla, but from her body posture and tone, he knew Cam was pretty unsure about the idea. There was a split second moment, where he knew she was about to say "No", but then Nick texted. Maybe she wouldn't be against it if he tagged along? That was his thinking behind it and it seemed like she was okay with it or she just decided to tag along just to be nice. He wasn't entirely sure. He couldn't read her like he used to back in the day. She was a lot different than he remembered and Ethan knew that maybe that person was gone for good. A lot had happened to her, things he didn't even know about.

And while it was upsetting to see that, to him, she was still Camilla. The girl he fell in love with all those years ago. Maybe it was true that those days could never come back, he could certainly not undo what he did, and he knew that maybe the old Camilla was gone. In the end, it didn't change how he felt about her, he wanted to help her find herself again, and if that meant going all the way back and digging up old memories of their times together, the good and the bad, he would do it within a heartbeat. If it meant he had to in someway atone for the way he just up and left, he was willing to do that.

"Up to you." He replied. "Guys will drool over whatever you wear." He said with a smile, "try not to lead them on, though." He teased, as Goldy came running back, playing against Ethan's leg. He knelt down and placed his arms around the dog, as he started to lick his face. He looked up at Camilla, raising an eyebrow. Why did she care how Nick would feel? "If he's angry, it'll be with me." He clarified, his hands brushing through the dog's thick coat of fur. "I'm not exactly friend material, if you hadn't noticed." There were a lot of things Ethan hid from Nick and really the only person he ever opened up to was Camilla, and even that was on rare occasions. He hated talking about his feelings or anything even remotely related to that. It was one of the reasons he dropped out of therapy when he first came to New York. All it did was remind him of how bitter and hollow his life was.

And while Ethan had friends, Nick and Erica were the only two he could really rely on and he knew that he didn't deserve them. They helped him out when he came to New York and all Ethan did in return was hide his true feelings from them and make up some kind of BS lie about his past that was deemed somewhat believable. "I'm gonna go grab his leash." He informed, before making his way inside to grab the leash that was hanging by the door. Generally, Goldy was well behaved but on occasion he had a habit of running off if he saw a squirrel or another dog, so have a leash around him was a pretty good idea.

He came back out with the leash and strapped it onto the dog's collar, who was feeling quite excited to be going out. He handed the leash to Camilla, "Wanna give it a try? Let me know if you get tired." He informed, as Goldy began to walk through the open grass field, leading the way for Camilla, with Ethan following closely by. "Forgot to mention that I'll be heading over to Springfield again tomorrow. I'll be back before sunset." He informed her. as he walked with her. Since the police weren't interested in following up on Sam as they had never heard of him, he wanted to go there himself and do a little digging. "Hypothetically, if I wanted to have some "fun", where would be the best place to look?" He asked, hoping she wouldn't get too suspicious and start pressing for answers. "Figured I'd see what all the fuss was about." He quickly added.

Of course he wasn't actually going to do it for a number of reasons; he was still in love with Cam, it was unethical and if anyone he knew found out, he could be fired from his job, it was really the only excuse he could come up with that wouldn't make her suspicious. Plus she made it clear she wasn't in love with him and she probably already judged him for a number of things, such as his arrogance, jealousy, so really, why did it matter if he added another thing to the list?

 

[AvianJen]

Camilla raised her eyebrows at Ethan, not sure if she should be annoyed or amused. "You don't play fetch with your Golden Retriever?" she asked a bit sarcastically. "What does this poor guy do all the time?" Taking dogs for walks was all fine and good, but they needed a little more attention than that, she thought.

As for the cruise, she thought that it was a fine idea. It wasn't something she was going to be jumping up and down about, but she would go, and she did want to get the Nick interaction out of the way. Ethan was so concerned about the two of them; maybe if he saw them together he would realize that there was nothing there, he didn't need to be jealous. And meeting up with him in a public place as opposed to Ethan's home helped a little bit to ensure they wouldn't make a big scene. It would be nice to have a little more of a dress code but she rolled her eyes at Ethan's comment, the corners of her lips pulling up into a small smile. They needed to stop this weird flirting thing they were doing, but it was hard not to because of their history. And for Camilla flirting came naturally- which was probably what he was referring to. "I'll try my hardest," she promised, not arguing with what he said next. Ethan had his flaws, that was for sure. He also had his strengths, and she was so grateful that he was taking her in and helping her start her life over. But after what he'd done, leaving her like that, it was just hard for her to trust him again. Based on his statement, she wondered if she wasn't the only person he'd run from.

"I don't think he'll be angry with you," she said after a moment, thinking about it. "I think it'll just be hard for him to wrap his head around." She didn't imagine it would be easy to watch your friend walk in with the hooker you'd slept with multiple times and paid for your friend to enjoy, only to find out that she was his ex and was suddenly living with him. It was an odd scenario, and Camilla knew that Nick was a good guy. She could tell the difference, and she would hate to seriously hurt him over this. There was no telling how he might react. Despite the several nights they'd spent together, Camilla didn't know the man very well.

She waited while Ethan went to go get Goldy's leash, accepting it when he handed it to her. Camilla couldn't remember the last time she'd walked a dog- if ever, but it didn't seem that complicated. And Goldy liked her. "I won't get tired," she muttered, following the dog's leash. How tiring could it be? She was ready to just go for a nice walk and forget about everything, but when he mentioned he was going back to Springfield she looked at him in surprise. "Tomorrow?" she asked. "Why? Who's going to drive me to school?" She felt like a teenager asking that, but the fact of the matter was, he had promised and her classes started tomorrow. She was already behind. His next question was one he probably would have been better off not asking.

"Oh my god," she exclaimed when she realized what he was saying. "You're such a hypocrite, Ethan! You make a big fuss about me and what I do but paying to screw some other girl is somehow okay? Is this because I won't sleep with you? What the hell?" She thrust Goldy's leash into his hand, furious. "You're insane. Ask Nick if you're so desperate, leave me out of it." Angrily, she turned around and marched back towards the house. She couldn't believe him.

 

[Batmang]

(Wow, sorry about the delay. I had a reply ready a week ago, but for some reason it never posted. I didn't even notice it until now. In the future, If I go longer than a week without a reply, feel free to bump me. I have a bad habit of forgetting.)

Ethan read her annoyed expression, but didn't say anything. He could make all the excuses in the world but even he knew they weren't good enough. But at the moment, there wasn't much he could do regarding Goldy. Maybe now that Cam was around, she'd be willing to help out with the dog, if she was up for it. "Well, I try to take him out for some exercise when I'm around. When I'm out of town, a friend of mine looks after him. She probably knows the dog better than I do." He explained, as they walked down the pathway surrounded by an ocean of trees.

Camilla's question regarding who would drive her to school caught him by surprise, since he wasn't sure she'd want him to do that. Despite them now living under the same roof, she was quite distant for obvious reasons. And while Ethan insisted he didn't want anything out of his kind gestures, he wasn't sure if Camilla believed him. She knew how he felt about her and it was true he wished things were different. But the fact was that Cam didn't owe him a thing. And Ethan wanted something that was real, not something purely out of obligation.

"I can drop you off on the way. I won't be back until later tomorrow, so you'll be on your own after that." He replied, following her close by.

His next question received a response from her that he didn't expect. He didn't imagine she would care all that much and this was the most angry he saw her in a long time. He was starting to regret it. "Cam, relax!" He replied back, trying to diffuse the situation. But before he could say anything else, she threw the leash into his hands and stormed out, leaving him alone with the dog.

Ethan was about to go after her but he wasn't sure if he should or if Cam was even let him talk. She was pretty angry. Goldy watched in silence as the whole scene escalated and then walked back over to Ethan. "I should probably go talk to her, huh?" He glanced over at the dog, kneeling down next to him. The dog licked Ethan's nice, probably as a way of telling him "yes".

"Yeah, you're probably right." He said softly as he got back and the two of them made their way back to the house. Ethan led the dog inside before scanning the living room and kitchen for Cam, but no sign of her.

He made his way up the stairs and down the hall to her room. He leaned against the door, before gently knocking. "Cam, can we talk?" He asked, but as he expected there was no answer. "I wasn't actually going to go through with it." He clarified, "The truth is..." he paused for a brief moment, but decided against it. "Look, it doesn't matter what the truth is. It was a stupid question and I'm sorry. Come on, you know better than anyone that I can be an idiot." He replied, placing his ear against the door, hoping for any kind of response.

"Are we still on for dinner with Nick?"

 

[AvianJen]

((That's okay! I'm sorry for the delay on my part, I just finished up exams and everything!))

It didn't seem to Camilla like Ethan should really have a dog if he was never around to take care of it, but what did she know? She'd never had a pet, and she certainly didn't know how to take care of one. As for school, she was a little frustrated that he was going to leave her alone; he made a big fuss about it all, talked about how convenient it would be to drop her off in the morning on his way to work and then he was just going to disappear? That was his right, she supposed, but it was annoying. "Alright," she murmured. "I guess I'll have to catch a ride home with Jack, then." Of course, it probably wouldn't be Jack. It would probably be someone else, or she'd call a cab or an Uber. "Do I need a key to the house?" she asked.

At his next question, though, her annoyance turned to fury. How dare he? He made some big deal about her prostituting or working in a club, saying she was better than that and everything, but then he turned around and did the same with another girl? What made Camilla any better than anyone else? She was disgusted that he would think of doing such a thing.

Going back into the house, Cam marched up to her bedroom and closed the door, locking it. She honestly had no idea if Ethan would come talk to her or let her stew on her own, but she couldn't be bothered to care. How...how could he? She'd been angry with him before, but this was quite possibly the stupidest thing he'd ever said in her presence. When he did come to talk, Camilla was sitting on her bed and looking out the window. Just the sound of his voice made her angry. "Go away," she insisted, glancing at the door. She didn't want to talk, and apparently he didn't even want to tell her the truth. Why would he ask something like that if he wasn't serious about it?

His half-assed apology hardly made her feel better, but he was an idiot. Maybe she should take pity on him. Begrudgingly, Camilla got out of bed and cracked open the door, leaning against the frame with her arms crossed over her chest. "You are an idiot. Tell me the truth," she demanded. "Tell me what on earth possessed you to say that and maybe I'll still come tonight." Right now she wasn't really feeling it a fancy dinner with him and his friend.