Filed to story: That Campus Prince Is a Girl
If they had more time today, Bradley would have taken her there right away.
“Thank you, Brad,” Cameron said quietly. She honestly had no idea what else to say.
Bradley replied, “Take it easy. You still owe me money. Remember? You signed a debt note just yesterday.”
“I’ll pay you back as soon as I can,” Cameron said firmly.
If she could win the fashion competition, she would take home a prize of 300 thousand dollars. That kind of startup money would finally let her do what she had always dreamed of.
‘I should be able to pay Bradley back soon, she thought to herself.
Bradley gave a slight nod. Then he added, “Let’s grab lunch tomorrow, and after that, we’ll get everything sorted with the Wallace family. Then, that’ll be the end of it.”
Cameron nodded. “Alright.”
That afternoon, they returned to campus for class. During the lecture, Cameron paid close attention and took detailed notes. By the time the class ended, she was ready for a short break.
Elijah tapped his long fingers on her desk. “Was there anything you didn’t understand from the lecture?”
Cameron froze. Before she could answer, Elijah frowned slightly and reached for the science exam paper sitting on her desk.
Her biology section was a disaster. Out of a hundred, she had scored just thirty.
Elijah let out a quiet sigh. “I’ll walk you through the entire thing, from the top.”
Cameron looked like she was dying inside. She tried to protest. “Elijah, the SATs are right around the corner. Your time’s way too valuable. I really don’t think you should waste it on me.”
“I’ll be fine,” Elijah replied flatly. “With my scores, I can get into any top-tier university in the country. You, on the other hand, might only make it into a junior college. These last three months are critical. You need to cram hard; otherwise, you’ll never catch up.”
“Thank you,” Cameron murmured.
“No big deal.” With that, Elijah patiently began explaining the questions she had missed.
Cameron sighed to herself again and again. ‘With a top student like him tutoring me, it’ Il sound totally legit if I get the highest SAT score in the country,’ she thought.
“I’m so jealous of Cameron. Not only does she sit next to Elijah, he’s actually tutoring her,” a girl whispered.
“Right? She’s so lucky.”
Successfully unlocked!
“She’s about to have her glow-up moment.”
“Of course she is. With a genius helping her out, how could she not?”
The other students stared at Cameron with envy.
Cameron wanted nothing more than to give this golden opportunity away to someone else.
After the evening study session, Elijah wanted to go over more problems, but Cameron shot out of her seat and darted away like lightning.
Elijah stood there, stunned. ‘What’s the rush? Bathroom emergency? Has to be, he guessed inwardly. ‘No way she’d run off like that otherwise.’
Cameron sprinted straight back to the dorms. Once she got inside, she locked herself in the bathroom and spent a full hour scrubbing herself down in the shower.
When Elijah got back later, Cameron just claimed she was tired and needed to sleep. Crisis averted for today.
Cameron arrived at the door to Room 316 and reached into her pocket for the key. Just as she was about to unlock it, a soft, graceful melody floated through the door.
Cameron paused. ‘Someone’s playing the violin? And he’s actually good? Who could that be? Definitely not Xander. And Elijah? No way,’ she wondered. ‘Could it be Brad? He’s got that refined, polished vibe; maybe he plays violin. But he moves way too fast for someone with that much grace.’
She opened the door. “Br-” Cameron only got out one syllable before freezing.
A boy sat sideways in a chair, violin tucked under his chin. His hair was a natural shade of golden blonde, and his eyes gleamed like amber. His features were sharp and striking.
He was so beautiful it was almost surreal, the kind of elegance that made it impossible to look away. His skin was pale, unnaturally so, with the delicate translucence of someone who had been sick for years.
He played with complete focus, the bow dancing across the strings. The rich, emotional notes filled the room and drifted out the open window, turning heads in the distance.
Cameron stood there stunned. ‘Not Brad? That must be my other roommate, Austin Fraser, she wondered.
Austin was completely immersed in his violin playing. Cameron didn’t interrupt. He quietly took a seat and simply listened. The sound of Austin’s music filled the room. It was like a feast for the ears.
When the piece finally ended, Austin set the violin down and only then noticed Cameron sitting there.
“Hi, and you are?” he asked, his voice faint and unsteady. It was clear from the sound of it. He was not in the best shape.
Cameron stood up politely. “Hi, Austin. I’m your new roommate, Cameron, from Class 15, Senior Year.”
Austin gave a soft smile and also rose to his feet out of courtesy. “Nice to meet you, Cameron. I’m Austin, Class 30, Senior Year. Welcome to Room 316. Glad you’re here.” It was obvious Austin’s health wasn’t great. He had barely spoken two lines before breaking into a fit of coughing.
Cameron immediately asked, “Are you okay?”
Austin waved him off. “I’m fine. Just an old condition, nothing new.”
“You should sit down,” Cameron said quickly.
Austin looked so fragile that Cameron almost reached out to support him, afraid he might collapse at any moment.
Once seated, Austin looked at Cameron quietly and said, “You’re really good-looking.”
Cameron replied, “Thanks. You are, too.”
Just as the words left his mouth, the door swung open, and Elijah walked in. “Cameron?”
Without missing a beat, Cameron darted straight into the bathroom. Both Elijah and Austin stood there, stunned.
Austin glanced toward the bathroom with curiosity. “What’s up with her?”
Noticing Austin for the first time, Elijah didn’t answer the question. Instead, he asked, Are you feeling any better?”
Austin gave a small nod. “Yeah. Much better.”
Elijah wasn’t much of a talker, so he said nothing more. He simply placed a set of papers down on Cameron’s desk.
He had rewritten all the problems Cameron had gotten wrong, along with the correct solutions. She would probably g successfully unlocked over it. He then returned to his seat and quietly resumed reading.
By the time Bradley came back, Cameron was still in the shower. And when Xander got back, sweaty and exhausted, Cameron was still showering.
Xander knocked on the door. “Cameron, open up. I gotta pee.”
“Hold on,” came her reply. She rinsed the soap off her body in a hurry, threw on her binder, then pulled on long-sleeved pajamas that covered her from head to toe.
Meanwhile, Bradley was chatting with Austin, asking about his health with genuine concern.
“Hey, Brad. You’re back,” Cameron said, walking out while towel-drying her damp hair. As she sat down, her eyes landed on the papers on her desk. She froze. So, in the end, she hadn’t escaped after all.
Bradley walked over and caught sight of the papers, too. “You’ve been this serious lately?” he teased.
Cameron replied, “Yeah. The SATs are right around the corner.”
‘Let everyone see how hard I’ve been working,’ she thought. ‘That way, when I finally pull off a comeback, it’ll be more convincing’
Elijah spoke up. “If there’s anything you don’t get, just ask me.”
Cameron forced a smile. “Thanks, Elijah. I will.”
Austin looked slightly surprised. “Elijah, I thought you never tutored anyone?”
Every time Austin said something, he had to cough again. He was in the prime of his youth, yet he looked as though a gust of wind could knock him over.
Elijah replied flatly, “The teacher asked me to.”
Cameron blinked. ‘Was it really the teacher? That’s a lie,’ she wondered.
Just then, Xander burst out of the bathroom. “Cameron, I’m asking one more time. Are you joining the school basketball team or not?”
Cameron said firmly, “No.”
Suddenly, Xander dropped to the floor and grabbed onto her leg. “Cameron, come on. Just join the team, will you? I’m begging you, Please.”
Cameron couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
Suddenly, Xander wrapped his arms around Cameron’s leg.
Startled, Cameron reacted on instinct. She kicked him hard and sprang up, landing straight on her bed in one fluid motion. “What do you think you’re doing?” she snapped, her expression icy cold.
Everyone froze.
