A/N: When I first wrote this, I thought it'd be a oneshot, but now it's definitely a multichaptered one. Read, review, make suggestions? Thanks!
The bus lets out exhaust as it skids to a halt outside the Westchester County Mall. Claire Lyons looks out the window excitedly; her first glimpse shows her that Versace Jeans, marble floors, and $300 price tags for flimsy shirts will not be on the menu today. She turns to her boyfriend, Cam Fisher, and gives him a smile. He smiles weakly back.
"What's the matter?" Claire asks quickly. Her and Cam have only been back together two weeks, and already things seem so much different. Whatever passion their previous relationship had contained was gone, and it seemed like every smile or kiss was somewhat forced.
"Nothing," he answers just as quickly as she has asked.
Claire sighs as the bus doors open, and they stand up with the other mid-Saturday shoppers. As soon as they get off the bus, Claire walks over to the fountain, and sits on the edge to count her money. Cam stands awkwardly above her, his hands in the pockets of his jeans as she counts bills. She finally looks up, and smiles genuinely at Cam. "I have a whole seventy dollars saved up, Mr. Fisher," she jokes. "So this better be fun."
"Cool," Cam manages.
The smile fades from Claire's face. "Cam," she says softly, looking straight into his different colored eyes.
"Yeah?" Cam's tone is worried now as he tries to escape her intense gaze by looking at passersby.
"We need to be honest with each other," she says. "Or this isn't going to work."
Cam breathes a sigh of relief. "Yeah, okay," he says quickly, "Now let's go into the mall."
"No, Cam. I need to ask you something, and you need to answer it completely honestly. Don't make it nice for me."
"Umm…okay," Cam says nervously. Whatever he has to ask her isn't going to be good, he can tell.
"Is there something about our relationship that you want to change?"
Uh-oh, he thinks. He takes a deep breath. "Uhm, do I really have to answer that?"
Claire swallows a lump in her throat, and nods silently.
"Well, things aren't the same as they were before. I feel like I can't trust you anymore, and it seems like…I don't know we just don't like each other as much, and things don't…flow as well," he says finally.
"Oh," Claire nods. "Well, I've felt like things are different, too. But I still like you just as much as I did before! Why else would I chase after you so long after the party?"
"That's true," Cam comments, nodding nervously.
"So…do you not like me anymore?"
"No!" Cam says quickly. The horror on his face isn't fake, Claire can tell happily. "Of course I still like you!" Cam continues. "It just doesn't feel like we like each other as much."
"Oh. Well, how do we make it so we act like we like each other?"
"I don't know," he confesses.
"Me neither. And…so, you can't trust me anymore?"
Cam scratches his head. He knew she'd get around to that part eventually.
"I don't know. I was really pissed when you came to conclusions about that camp girlfriend."
"I know," Claire looks mournfully into her lap, tears welling up into her eyes. "I'm so sorry about that, and I know nothing can ever be the same again…just the thought of you being with another girl scared me so much that I didn't think straight."
Cam breathed slowly. Did he really like her that much? Had she really just been jealous and not thought of her as a two-timer? "Well, can we just…just try?"
"Try what?" Claire asks.
"To…act like we like each other and for me to trust you?"
"I guess," Claire says, not too enthusiastically. "But you haven't been trying so much."
"I know. But I will now." Cam used his thumb to wipe away Claire's tears, and watches as a smile illuminates her face. This is the Cam she knows. She accepts his hands as he helps her up from the fountain.
"Seventy dollars, eh?" he says, grinning at her wickedly.
A/N: Review now, please? Constructive critiscism is welcome, but please no flames.