Valentine's Day Confusion ...Haley Tag Cam

[Haley Rowan]

For the past month Haley had been pushing off saying anything. She had only kisses Wynn that once. She had then avoided him for about two weeks. Then she finally sucked it up and told him she was a coward and just needed more time. She did want to hang out, but only as friends for now because she was confused about some feelings she was having. She liked Wynn, but it was complicated and she was just not ready to explain something she did not understand herself. So far things were going good. Wynn seemed to accept what she said. Haley knew she was not being fair, but to her this was a lot of pressure. She could not just say hi I kissed a geek and I like hanging with two geeks, let's go party. She would need to explain just what she was thinking.

And then there was Cam. Good ol sweet Cam. Haley liked him. He had this cute innocense about him. Cam was a dreamer and that was adorable. Hence her dilemma. She had no real idea how she felt about Cam or Wynn or the situation in general. She was caught between a rock and a hard place. Even if she got out of it, it would not change a thing. The only difference was her friends already knew about Cam and his crush. How could they not. First Cam's birthday party and then the intercom fiasco. Oh her friends knew, so the public humiliation over that was done. Haley had smoothed it over, but since her friends knew about Cam it would not be a shock for her to like him. But Haley enjoyed the secrecy with Wynn. It was so confusing.

Maybe she did not like either boy. Perhaps she just felt like she was deprived of male attention. Deprived of attention from the jocks. Haley knew that was a lie. She could easily go find some jock to flirt with. This sucked. Both boys were great and did not deserve this game. Even if they did not know she was playing a game. Haley felt like the kind of girl she did not want to be. She was the bitch, playing with two sweet guys hearts.

Haley was decided to ditch her friends this morning and instead went to the music room to be alone and study a little. Besides its not like she had a date for Valentines day, which sucked. She always had a date. Haley sighed and pulled out a book to read. She did have a card to give Cam and a cute little bear with choclates. He was a friend after all.

[Cameron Whitlock III]

Valentine's Day. Cam couldn't exactly say he was excited. No matter how hard her tried he was still hopelessly in love with Haley. He'd had other crushes since her, true, but they'd faded quickly with time. The thing that was different with Haley was that she continually hung out with him...continually lead him on... It was easier for his crushes to fade on the other girls when he hardly saw him. But he and Haley were...well, friends. And he really enjoyed her friendship, but it was starting to drive him insane...being around her and not being able to be as close as he wanted.

He wanted to kiss her and he wanted to hold her hand and do everything that couples did together. He just wanted her and instead he just got to stand by and watch as the popular guys flirted with her and she went to parties that he'd never be invited to. Sure, he'd become slightly more popular thanks to the fact that people sort of knew they hung out together, but he'd never be quite as popular as she was. His popularity had maybe lasted a week after his birthday party and then quickly fizzled down until he was considered a nerd again. Maybe he should throw another party...although he doubted he could get Haley to help him this time....

He had a card for her but hadn't gotten her anything else. Sure, he had the money to get her whatever she wanted...he'd been thinking more along the lines of flowers and chocolates or maybe one of those cool edible arrangements made of fruit... But he'd held off. She'd made it clear that she just wanted to be friends and he didn't want to overstep his boundaries and risk losing her altogether so he'd just gotten a card. That was generic enough, he hoped.

Once he got to school he stopped by his locker before swinging by her's to see if he could catch her. No such luck. He didn't know where she would be. He pulled out his phone for a moment wondering if he should text her but quickly slid it back in his pocket. No...he'd see her when he saw her. That was that.

He had some spare time before classes started so he figured he'd head to the music room. Cam played quite a few instruments, the piano being one of them, so sometimes when he didn't feel like being around people he liked to go there and play it, or sometimes when he was in a particularly fowl mood he'd play the drums because it always helped to bang on things.

As he hoped the door to the room, he did a double take. "Haley," he said, the shock in his voice clearly showing. "Didn't expect to see you here," he told her, which was the truth. He did have a card for her, true, but he'd also given up looking for her, so it was odd that he found her in the place where he liked to spend his spare time at school. He wondered if she knew that...he couldn't remember if he'd mentioned it to her or not...it was possible that he had, so maybe she'd gone there in hopes of seeing him...or maybe it was a coincidence. Either way, Cam was really happy to see her. He smiled. "Actually have something for you," he said, pulling out the red envelope his card was is. The card wasn't anything too special, just a generic Valentine's Day one and he'd simply written 'Love, Cam' inside. He'd purposely stayed away from the real lovey-dovey ones just in case.

[Haley Rowan]

Haley did like to hang with Cam. He was sweet and funny. She knew he loved music and could play some instruments. She did not really know which ones thought. So maybe her head to the music room had been her subconscious or something. She did not know. All she knew was that she liked two guys. Both of which did not fit into her world of glitz and glamor. Which is why she choose to be just friends with both guys. To her it was easier then picking one. How did she pick between Wynn and Cam. Haley sighed and continued to read.

She looked up when she heard a familiar voice. "Cam hey." She gave him a bright smile and closed her book putting it away. She stood up and walked over to give him a hug, "Happy Valentine's day. Can't you just smell the love in the air." She said with a laugh. She was surprised when he handed her a card. Then again she did get him something. "Aww thanks." She took the card and opened it. "Cam that is so sweet." Haley smiled and then leaned over to give Cam a kiss on the cheek.

"I am hiding out in here. Just wanted some quite time, but I am glad to see you. I have something for you too." She walked over to wear she set her bags and picked up her purse. It was a big purse. Then Haley reached inside and pulled out the card and the beard with chocolates. She turned back around and walked back over to Cam, "here you go. " the card was a cute one that played music. This ones song was "My heart will go on." It was maybe not the most appropriate choice, but for some reason it made her think of Cam, "if you hate please tell me, but it was just so cute I could not help it" Haley had signed the card XOXO Haley.

[Cameron Whitlock III]

"Uh...yeah," Cam said a little awkwardly as he hugged her back. Why did she have to do that? Talk about love being in the air? Wasn't it bad enough that he'd been trying to get her to like him for more than a month now and she'd made it pretty clear that she didn't want to be more than friends? Did she have to put salt in the wound?

He smiled, when she seemed to like the card and blushed when he kissed her on the cheek. He still blushed any time she showed him any sort of affection...he couldn't help it...he was still totally and completely enamored with her.

"Oh...you didn't have to," he said when she told him she had something for him. It did make him feel good that she'd thought of him on Valentine's Day. Could it mean that she actually was beginning to return his feelings? He wanted to ask if she'd also gotten a present for Wynn since he was pretty sure they still hung out even though he didn't really speak to Wynn anymore, but he refrained.

He opened the card, chewing on his bottom lip as he listened to the song the card played. What was that supposed to mean? It had to mean something, right? She knew he liked her so she wouldn't get him a card like that unless she had a reason...right? "Er...thanks," he said. He forced a smile. "I don't have you," he said. "I could never hate you--this, this is great," he said as he turned to give her a thank you hug. It wasn't that he wasn't appreciative...he was...and he was also really touched that she'd thought of him of all people on Valentine's Day, but the present was so confusing...could have so many meanings... He was just so thrown off by it all that he was having trouble acting as excited as he probably should be for the gift...

[Haley Rowan]

"Didn't have to.....of course I had to. It would have been mean of me not to get you a little something. Your welcome." She said as Cam hugged her. She rubbed his back with her hand. Haley was very friendly sometimes. Maybe too friendly. It was just her way. Yes, she could give out the wrong signs, but was she doing that this time. It seemed natural to act like that around Cam.

"Glad you don't hate me. I know sometimes I seem like.....I don't care or I seem a little cold, but.I do care about you." She was referring to this game she was playing. The whole hide and seek game with her friends. She hid Cam and Wynn and left her friends to seek it out. Although as Haley thought before technically her friends knew about Cam.

Haley felt bad for Wynn. She liked him, but she liked Cam too. It was defiantly a strange place to be in. Two geeks and no jocks. How had this happened? How had Haley ended up here? She knew how....because she loved being popular, but her geek side liked to rear its ugly head. The one cute thing about someone like Cam was he seemed so innocent. Too fragile to make that bold move. The assertive mood. Most jocks had no problem being bold and assertive. Its not that, that was a bad thing but sometimes to get what you want you had to make a bold move. Haley was not sure what bold move she wanted to make. She was hoping someone would make on for her. "So how have you been? Any special plans tonight." she smiled.

[Cameron Whitlock III]

Cam didn't get it. Wasn't Valentine's Day only required if you were dating? And when she rubbed his back....of what was she doing? Cam closed his eyes for a moment, allowing himself to pretend they were a couple and for a split second everything seemed perfect but then he opened his eyes again and knew everything wasn't because all he really wanted to do was kiss her and he knew that he couldn't.

"Yeah...I know," he said quietly, when she mentioned being cold sometimes. "The whole your popular thing and I'm not." Cam wasn't stupid, he saw how he had been treated by other nerds as soon as he'd tried to fit in. He knew he could never be with Haley unless he could find a way to be accepted by her friends, and considering he was the youngest senior and would always be that smart kid that skipped two grades, he knew that that was unlikely to happen. He let out a little sigh. It totally sucked the the social barriers of high school prevented them from hanging out. He wondered if it would be different next year, after he was graduated and she was still in school...but he was still supposed to be heading to Boston after school, something he wanted to do less and less, the more time he spent with Haley. But he'd probably go in the end, there was no point in staying behind for a girl who would probably never be more than a friend.

If Cam had any idea that Haley wanted a bold move--he'd have done it in a heart beat. Although he still was timid, he'd changed a lot since he'd met her and become much more assertive and outgoing. However, the more they hung out in secret, the more depressed he got about the situation, seemingly more passive each day. Plus, he thought she wanted him to stay quiet about it, which he did. He wasn't about to throw another party or try to become friends with her friends or anything like that because he had caused her trouble when he had and he didn't want her to end up being unhappy.

"I've been okay," he said with a shrug, laughing when she asked if he had any special plans. "No," he said. "Of course not--what about you? I bet like a million guys have already asked you out..." he said, not really sure why he was asking because he really didn't want to know.

[Haley Rowan]

Haley knew she should not care what her friends think. But she did. She had known them for years and she still had one year in school to go. Haley liked being invited to parities and seen as someone to look up to. Granted she would still be a cheerleader so she might still be invited to parties and such, but Haley was not certain. Haley let out a sigh. She was like a dog in a cage trying to dig a hole to get out. it was not easy at all.

"Its not just that. Its complicated. Not just for me but for you too." Haley jumped up on one of the desks in the room and crossed her legs swinging them back and forth. Haley already went over it with Wynn. There was this idea of social standards in a school. Either you fitted in or you did not. Right now Haley preferred not to but she was too weak to fight back.

"I just don't want to see you get hurt or anything. Some of the people here can tease and its not pretty. I would rather be your friend, then be the girl who gets you pushed into lockers because we are dating." Haley did not care to hear about how "her nerdy boyfriend" got pushed into some locker because someone thought he did not belong with her. Now she was not saying she wanted to date Cam. it was just an example...right? God she was confused. What the hell was wrong with her?

cam was the better choice because he already suffered some humiliation, but Wynn seemed like he could handle it better. Was it possible to like two guys? Did it really matter. "My plans well....I have none. A million can ask me out, but that does not mean i will say yes." The good thing about Cam and Wynn was they could not be worse then the guys she did know.

[Cameron Whitlock III]

"I'm sorry...I just don't understand. I'm not stupid I know how the popular thing works. I get it. I get where you're coming from. What I don't understand is how I would get hurt if we were together..." he trailed off and shook his head. But she didn't even like him like that...she'd even told the whole school via the loud speaker. So why...why was she talking about dating? Had she changed her mind? Did she like him now?

He watched as she say on the desk and walked over to the desk and stood in front of her. He was close but not too close. "Do...do you want to be more than friends?" he asked. "I...I thought you didn't...I thought you didn't like me that way...but I'm not going to lie...I'm getting sort of confused here..." He pressed his lips together, only mildly surprised by his bold words. A month ago he wouldn't have had the guts to say them at all but the more he hung around Haley, the more comfortable he became with her and with that comfort in place, it didn't seem as scary to him to ask her such thing. Even if her answer was that she didn't like him...well, he'd be no worse off than he already was.

Placing his hands on the desk, one on either side of her, he grinned when she she explained how she didn't have plans because she hadn't said yes to anyone. "Well...you could always go out with me then," he said with a smirk, keeping it playful so she wouldn't feel pressured. "I even promise not to tell anyone," he joked. Okay, so maybe it was a little annoying that they didn't really tell anyone that they hung out together but the way Cam saw it, he'd rather hang out with her and have no one know than not hang out with her at all.

[Haley Rowan]

Haley was confused herself. She was the typical teenage girl having an identity crisis right before his eyes. she just listened as he talked because like Wynn he made perfect sense. Haley did not want to hurt anyone. She hated hurting people, but she had two guys dangling and she had to let one go. Then again couldn't she be friends with one and date the other. Yeah right.

She did not move as he placed his hands on either side of her. In fact she gave him a what are you doing look? Was Cam getting bold. No...that was not Cam. Sweet little Cam. Was it? When he asked about dating he put her on the spot. She had no idea what to say. She could not lie. "I...." she sighed, "I don't know....okay....I just don't know...I feel something...just not sure what."

There she admitted it. Haley said it. Cam had worn her down. Yet she was really confused. Cam and Wynn were so different, but so similar. When it came down to it, she did not know who to pick. Haley looked down as he asked about going out with him. Should she. Or should she talk to Wynn first. Agreeing to the date could not hurt right. "Sounds like we are going out tonight."

[Cameron Whitlock III]

"Really," Cam said. He didn't bother hiding the surprise in his voice. His face lit up and he shook his head in disbelief. One would think that she'd just told him that she loved him or something, but Cam knew that wasn't the case. After everything he'd been through with Haley he was slightly less delusional than he used to be when it came to girls.

"Don't get me wrong...I get that you're saying you don't know and I know that you not knowing maybe turn back into not liking me at all...but I mean, from my point of view...just having a shot is kind of exciting," he admitted, still grinning.

And then she agreed to go out with him. Never in a million years did Cam think that he'd have a date with Haley Rowan for Valentine's Day. "Great," he said. "I can arrange for a car to pick you up--I'll get my driver to get us...and I'll make reservations somewhere nice--any requests?" he asked. "I can get us into anywhere." His parents were wealthy and had all of the right connections when it came to that sort of thing. It was something that Cam normally didn't take advantage of because he didn't really care but he'd do it for Haley. He didn't care where it was she wanted to go...he'd make sure that he could take her there.