Filed to story: That Campus Prince Is a Girl
The tension between them was almost tangible. Austin could feel it clearly now that Elijah wasn’t just ahnoyed. Elijah was hostile toward him.
Austin would face Elijah head-on if it were because of Cameron, as anyone who tried to take Cameron away from him was his enemy, no matter their gender.
Elijah shot Austin a cold look. “Cameron, what do you think?”
Austin turned to look at Cameron too. Cameron, for a moment, had no idea what to say. So, she stayed quiet for a moment, not answering that loaded question.
Instead, she turned to Elijah and asked, “Elijah, did something happen? You seem a little… off today.”
“I’m fine,” Elijah said flatly
Cameron didn’t buy it, as his tone was off. But since he wouldn’t admit it, Cameron didn’t press the issue.
She stood up and said, “It’s getting late, I should head back to class.”
Austin said, “Cam, there’s still a whole hour before class starts.”
They still had plenty of time, but Cameron replied, “I still have some homework to finish.”
Austin said nothing more.
So, it seemed that Elijah’s words worked. Austin slowly shifted his gaze to Elijah. Under that messy blond hair, his usually laid-back face was turning ice- cold.
Elijah felt Austin’s stare and shot him a cold look in return.
Their gazes clashed in the air, starting an invisible standoff. The tension was thick, and neither one was willing to back down.
Cameron was busy packing up his books, completely oblivious to the tension between them.
Finally, Austin smirked and looked away, only for his eyes to catch on the starfish earring on Cameron’s ear.
Austin smiled and said, “Cam, new earrings? Looks good on you.”
Cameron turned around and touched the earring. “Thanks.”
And with that, the previous topic was dropped.
Cameron hugged her books and headed for the door, but Elijah called out, “Cameron, wait up. I’m going to class too.”
Austin chimed in, “Cam, I’m heading to class as well. Let’s go together.”
Elijah glanced at Austin. “Isn’t that out of your way?”
Austin shrugged. “How is it out of my way? I can walk with Cam to the main building, then he goes to Class 15, while I go to Class 13. What’s the issue here?”
Elijah frowned and said, “You seriously don’t think there’s a problem? Why are you always clinging to Cameron?”
Austin blinked, clearly ridiculed. “I’m clinging to Cameron?”
He and Cameron were just friends, and they would just hang out normally, as friends. If anyone was clinging to Cameron, it was Xander.
Elijah didn’t back down. “Austin, Cameron’s not like you. You could blow off every test, and your family would still get you into a top school just to save your family’s reputation.
“But if Cameron doesn’t do well, he’s done for. You keep bothering him like this, you’re messing with his future.”
“Bothering him? You really think I’m a problem for Cam?”
“Isn’t that the case?”
“That’s just what you think. Cam might not see it that way.
“Cameron’s too nice and too shy to say anything to you. Why can’t you just take a hint?”
“What’s your problem, Elijah?” Austin was completely pissed off now.
Things were different from before, and now, Cameron mattered to Austin a lot, but Elijah wanted him to back off? There was no way Budia would comply.
Besides, it wasn’t like Cameron and Austin did anything out of line. They were just hanging out like any normal friends would
Cameron kept quiet momentarily, finally saying, “Okay, time out.” She held up her hands in a T-shape.
She honestly had no idea how they even started fighting, or what they were fighting over. None of that was worthy of their time, after all.
Cameron spoke up, finally breaking the tense standoff between the two.
She said, “Elijah, I really appreciate your concern. But you know how my grades are. Even if I don’t study, I’ll still do fine on the SAT. So, there’s really nothing for you and Austin to argue about.”
Elijah didn’t respond. Surely, he knew how Cameron performed academically. He just couldn’t stand seeing Austin and her together.
Honestly, there really wasn’t anything worth fighting over.
Cameron turned to Austin. “Aus, Elijah’s just in a bad mood today. Don’t take it personally.”
Austin smiled. “Alright, Cam. I won’t stoop to his level.”
He would let it slide just because Cameron said so; he always listened to everything she said.
Elijah didn’t say anything else. He just stood by the door with his books, waiting for Cameron.
Austin, too, hugged his books to his chest and stuck close to Cameron. Then, the three of them walked together, with Cameron in the middle and the other two on either side of her””
Austin grinned. “Cam, after evening study, do you have time to listen to me play piano?”
As he said this, he shot a look at Elijah on purpose.
Cameron was speechless, and she wondered, ‘Didn’t they argue earlier because Austin wanted me to listen to him play piano? And he’s at it again?”
She didn’t answer right away. Meanwhile, Elijah frowned slightly, but Austin turned to him and asked with a polite smile, “Eli, why don’t you come too?”
Elijah looked at Cameron. “Are you going?”
Cameron said, “A little break after class now and then is good can help us relax. What do you think?”
Elijah nodded. “Alright.”
Austin smiled. “Great, Cam and Eli, I’ll see you after evening study then. Don’t bail on me.”
Cameron nodded. “See you there.”
At the fork in the hallway, Austin headed to Class 13, while Cameron and Elijah went to Class 15.
After they took their seats in class, Elijah lowered his voice and asked, “Weren’t you super busy these past two weekends? How did you still have time to go listen to Austin play?”
Cameron replied, “I’m not busy at all.”
Elijah had no words. He barely saw her anymore, and she still said she wasn’t busy?
Elijah’s gaze drifted to Cameron’s earrings, and he complimented, “Your earrings are actually really nice.”
She smiled. “Thanks.”
This brand actually had pretty nice earrings.
Suddenly, she remembered the fashion competition she’d submitted to over a month ago. The deadline had already passed, and the results should be released soon.
She wondered what would happen now that Milena, the so-called genius, had stolen the design from Noir ?clat’s founder, Eric.
But whatever the outcome, Cameron didn’t really care.
She’d already received 15 million dollars in compensation from Samuel, and she considered things between her and the Wallace settled. ly completely
Xander rushed to school, but he couldn’t enter the boys’ dorm. Hence, he had no other choice but to send Tyrell to Room 316 to look for Cameron.
May
But Tyrell came back quickly. “Xan, Cam’s not in the dorm.”
Xander’s face dropped instantly. “He’s not in the dorm?”
He wondered, ‘Had Samuel already made his move? Is the little punk okay?’
Just as Xander was getting anxious and about to call Cameron, Bradley came walking over from a distance, hugging his textbooks to his chest.
“Brad!” Xander hurried over. “Brad, have you seen Cameron?”
Bradley asked, “Isn’t he at school?”
“Huh? He’s at school?” Xander immediately glared at Tyrell. “Who said Cameron wasn’t at school?”
