never ever wanted to be so bad

   “oh, c’mon!!” he laughed, one arm wrapped around her so he wouldn’t drop her or she couldn’t wriggle from his grasp. he knew his friend too well and knew the whole build-up was the thing that was putting her off. she would eventually love the ride. her next words made him stop in place for a second as her words echoed what billy hargrove once threatened him with, but once he quickly reminded himself that abbott was the last person who would hurt him in that way, he continued walking forward so they were at the front of the line, shaking from side to side so she would also shuffle around. “food’s on me after this. you’re gonna enjoy it, dude. believe me.” he smiled, giving her a little pat on the back. “i wouldn’t do anything to hurt or put you in danger. we’ll eat and sing disney songs on the way home -- all your choice!! but you’re doing this first.”

   “how can i be quiet when you’re a freaking superhero?! dude, this is insane.” he continuously repeated, trying to let it settle into his own head. if it was someone he didn’t grow up reading about? he wouldn’t have cared, probably would have thought it was crazy and creepy like he once did with his own friend.. but this was different. “i kinda always preferred miles because y’know.. that’s my brother right there. but you’re cool too.” cameron teased, moving to sit near him so he still knew that cameron was trying to be comforting and reassuring. “i dunno yet. but some people still aren’t awake so you’re not the last, bud.”

    “oh, c’mon.. you’re getting on it.” cameron grinned down at her, his arm lazily resting around her shoulders as he watched the ride zoom past them. it did seem pretty insane, but he was still making abbott get on it. he knew she’d like it.. eventually. it might take him a long time convincing, but they’d get there. “alright, fine.. you don’t want to get on it.” he shrugged then, turning away as if he was prepared to move away from it and admit defeat, though he swiftly turned around and ducked down, lifting her up onto his shoulders as he walked further up the line. “we’re getting on this ride, abb!! you can hold my hand on it if it makes you feel any better!!”

   “he’s just the worst.” he luckily closed his mouth in time so he couldn’t reveal that max equally didn’t want to see him either, glad that he was still managing to hold onto that one secret. he wasn’t giving that up easily when he had been trusted with that. he was glad that erica had never met billy, because as much as he loved her, she had such a big mouth, and he wasn’t sure if billy hargrove had boundaries. “no, she couldn’t be. drop that shit now.” he already knew he was going to be teased non-stop, and knew he had to just take it. “surprised they didn’t make us white, honestly. that’s all that industry seems to do nowadays.” his eyes roll before he’s moving to hold the door to the flower shop open for her, more than content to go somewhere else to catch up more. “i’m glad to see you’re doing well.” 

    it wasn’t until peter had caught the vase like he thought he would that his eyes widened, bounding back over to him to give him a quick shake. this was real. he was right (as usual) -- his friend was freaking peter parker!! “holy fucking shit!!” how else was he supposed to react when he was the biggest nerd and loved anything with superheroes? his friend was a comic book character! “i mean, you’re not the first friend i know who has weird ass powers... but you’re spider-man!!” cameron hadn’t even realised what he had said, but it still didn’t stop him from rambling on at him. “what is the last thing you remember? this is insane.”

   “i don’t know if i want to watch it, the memories are bad enough.” obviously there were some good times, but when he thought back to that point, all he could remember was wanting eleven back and the fear that one of his best friend’s wasn’t herself. the thought of even watching that on tv was beyond frustrating. “i know billy hargrove is in it.. and i never want to see his face again. even after what happened to him.” he just felt like billy would forever be a thorn in his side, regardless of whether max seemed to frighten him off or not. he would forever be the target, and it certainly wasn’t because he was protective of his little sister. “yeah, she took care of things.” like she seemed to always do. she was the one with the crazy powers though. “--and she isn’t my girl. she never was!!” cameron corrected, much to his dismay, of course. he would have loved more time just hanging out with max after the dance, but if those were the only memories he was getting with her from their story as max and lucas.. he was fine with that. “oh..” he swallowed. “uh, it was probably just dramatised for the show!! i mean, they turned us all into guys. will and mike aren’t the happiest about that.”

   “i mean.. you might not be?” was that remotely reassuring after he was the one to convince him who he really was? he seriously doubted it. he was the one repeating his supposed aunt’s name over and over in hopes that it would spark something for him, cameron was just beyond excited.. one of his closest friend’s was a superhero?? that was insane. “i’ll just write ‘happy birthday mom, love you.’” because he wasn’t writing anything else. eyes narrowing at stephen, cameron’s hand moved to the glass vase, nudging it off the table to see just how he would react and if he could snap into that spider-sense and make sure it didn’t smash.

   “i haven’t watched it.” and whilst he had been contemplating it, he still hadn’t made that jump to actually watch any of it. he had no idea if it was a real representation of how he really was, or if it was all fabricated. he had no idea that erica was in it for only a few scenes, had no idea everything was true to how it happened. “like.. any of it.” though considering his memories from those last few weeks, he could name a number of things that happened, and he was slightly dreading what she was going to ask him about. “what are you talking about? it is over.. the only horrible thing happening is the thing happening in this town now!!” of course he had no idea about that damn cliffhanger and what else could have happened in his life. “when it has something to do with will? and eventually eleven? yeah, i’m getting involved.” 

   cameron quickly handed him a bottle of water as he sat down, rubbing the non-existent sweat from his own forehead as if he was the one going through this crisis. all he discovered about himself was that he was in a tv show -- stephen was (or could be) peter parker.. which was absolutely crazy to think about. cameron was a kid with a slingshot, stephen had superpowers. “alright, alright, chill.” his hands flew up as if he was being attacked, moving away from him to start preparing for his order. “what do you want it to say on the note for your mother, my dear stephen?”

   cameron had been minding his own business, downing the last of his drink when he heard mikkel’s offer. an offer that caught him off guard instantly. he definitely hadn’t been expecting it and had been more than happy to just stand off to the side and drink whatever else was left or lying around, but he certainly wasn’t saying no. especially not to someone he cared about. tossing his cup into a bin, cameron reached out for the other’s hand instantly, practically dragging him towards where the other people were. “how do you know if it’s the last song? sounds like someone was waiting for the right time to ask the love of his life to dance..” cameron smirked, teasing his friend. though he still didn’t hesitate to pull him closer to him. “what’s up though? having fun?”

    “oh, c’mon.. it’s erica. she would be able to tell if the dog from across the street is here.” he was almost positive that if his little sister knew anything at the time about what was going on in hawkins that she would have the best solutions and things would have been sorted to the point where eleven wouldn’t have had to practically sacrifice herself every single time. maybe he just had too much faith in her, but he knew how smart she really was. “and i get that i’m like a foot taller than when you all last saw me.. but she’d know.” emmanuel’s next few words had caught him off guard though, curling his lips to keep a growing smile from appearing. he remembered how good the two were when he was younger, and even he knew it was a matter of time until something happened. flowers definitely could hint at something more. “well then..” he nodded, having to use all his strength to not appear more happy than he did for him. “big bouquet then? any idea what her favourite flower is? or favourite colour?”

   “i grew up around all boys here. we’re all pretty tall. didn’t have a little sister in my life to bother me.” cameron grinned, his hand moving to push at her shoulder. it did make him slightly happy in his own head knowing that no one could take the title of annoying but incredible little sister away from her. the thought of erica had been one of the few that made him realise that he really needed his old life back. he certainly didn’t want to be cameron williams forever. get him back in hawkins now with his parents and little sister. “it happened.” cam shrugged, not knowing how he actually felt about nya knowing all the details about what happened in his life as a kid. “it’s apparently like.. exactly right to what happened. yeah.. it’s crazy.” even he couldn’t comprehend it all, and he didn’t at the time either because he was entirely focused on his friends.