Camren wasn't sure how she would be able to live this year through if people didn't really talk to her without her starting the conversation first. She wasn't the type of person to start talking first anyway, but there she was on a sunny day, even though it was a little chilly outside, sitting on her own in Cascade Hall eating lunch between classes.
Camren sighed as she placed her fork back into the pasta on her plate. She loved pasta usually, but she wasn't enjoying it today. 'Maybe I just should give up on eating for the day... Take a walk... Yeah...' Camren thought to herself as she sat there all alone at a table that was too large for her alone. This was the type of table that you would sit with friends at, not solo...
Camren pushed the plate away from her and looked around the hall. She didn't see Gwyneth or Beth anywhere... She didn't even see Tally... Not like Tally would want to see her or anything. Camren frowned and bit her lip. She hadn't seen Beth or Gwyneth all day. Would they walk in? Would anyone talk to her?
0Camren ChristiansonLooking for a friend... TAG: Hyana!0Camren Christianson15
It's nice to be tagged by a nonviolent person
by Hyana Kamiya
Hyana didn't know why she had walked into the Cascade Hall. She really didn't. There was no point. She still had no idea how she survived CoMC...there were so many people. Maybe she was hoping to see a friend. She hadn't seen Josiah since she came back. Hyana just wanted to see her friend.
But instead, she walked into the hall to find no one she knew. Most of them were upperclassmen. She glanced to her side, there was a big table over there, and only one other girl was sitting there. Maybe she could get some studying done.
Hyana sat down at the table, a couple of seats away from the girl. Her brown almond eyes tried to focus on her textbook, but she kept glancing at the girl. She seemed so nervous. Come to think of it, Hyana had never seen her around before. She might have caught a glimpse of her in CoMC, but she caught glimpses of everyone in that class. She shuddered at the thought. There was just too many people. Who in their right mind would put the whole school in one class?!
The girl pushed her pasta away, and began searching the hall. Hyana tapped the girl on the shoulder. She couldn't believe she was doing this. But the girl looked so lost and scared. Hyana just had to do something. She faced the floor, eyes tightly shut, black hair falling in her face. "I'm...H-hyana...Hyana Kamiya. I'm in Aladren. I was just wondering if...you were okay...you seem so lost..."
Hyana clenched her hands tightly at her side. Where was the confident her? Why couldn't she act like she did around Caedence? Maybe this girl didn't want to talk to her. "S-sorry...you might be waiting for someone. I can...I can go." She whispered. But she secretly wished the girl wanted her around.
0Hyana KamiyaIt's nice to be tagged by a nonviolent person0Hyana Kamiya05
Camren hadn't noticed that someone else had come and sat down a few seats down from her until she had pushed her plate across the table. She saw her, but she didn't really see her. Her eyes weren't in focus... It was almost like she was back at the start again, just like she had at her old school... Camren's bottom lip shook a little and she bit it, HARD, so that it would stop shivering.
It stopped eventually and Camren jumped when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to the girl who had been sitting a few chairs away, who was facing the floor with her eyes shut and her hair in her face. 'Who was this girl?' Camren thought as she took some deep breaths to bring herself back into the room.
"I'm...H-hyana...Hyana Kamiya. I'm in Aladren. I was just wondering if...you were okay...you seem so lost..."
Camren looked at the girl, she looked just as nervous as Camren was... She seemed to be JUST like Camren... Camren didn't speak right away. She wasn't sure what to say yet...
"S-sorry...you might be waiting for someone. I can...I can go."
"N... n... No... Don't go... Please..." Camren whispered to Hyana. "I'm Camren... Camren Christianson... I'm new... A transfer... I don't know anyone really yet... Just another transfer who came from my old school... Please stay..." Camren took deep breaths between each phrase to try to calm her nerves which seemed to have rattled her completely. Camren only hoped that the girl would stay and talk to her...
Hyana let out a shaking breath. The girl didn't want her to leave. In fact, she seemed as shy, maybe even shyer than herself. How was that possible? So her name was Camren. That was a really nice name. And she was a transfer. That was why Hyana hadn't seen the girl around before.
"Oh...it...it's nice to meet you Camren." Her slight japanese accent was heard through her words. She hated it. She used to think it was pretty, but it just reminded her of her mother. Glancing around, Hyana was almost positive Caedence was around. Almost. So she stayed.
"What school did you come from Camren?" Hyana asked shyly. "I mean...if you don't want to talk about it you don't have to. It's not really...m-my business." Hyana instinctivly looked around for Caedence once more, arm wrapped around her stomach. When she had looked into Caedence's personal business, she got punched. Not as hard as her mother sometimes hit her, but it was still hard. Camren wouldn't hurt her though...she was nice.
Hyana let out a breath when Camren had asked her to stay.
"Oh...it...it's nice to meet you Camren."
Camren looked at the girl, she thought that her accent was really pretty when she spoke. "It's nice to meet you too..." Camren said quietly. There was something about Hyana that Camren liked... Something that reminded her of her best friend at her other school...
"What school did you come from Camren?" Hyana asked shyly. "I mean...if you don't want to talk about it you don't have to. It's not really...m-my business."
Camren bit her lip and tried to decide how to tell Hyana that she couldn't tell her where she came from. Camren sighed and kept on biting her lip, HARD. "I... I... I wish I COULD tell you... It's just... It's just that we're scared of something..." Camren said, cradling her arm. It still hurt, though the majority of the bruise had gone away finally. Camren couldn't get that beating out of her head, and she tried to... Oh she tried to...
Hyana looked around the room, was she trying to find a way to leave? Camren hoped not... Hyana wrapped her arm around her stomach. "Are you okay?" Camren asked her. She was worried... Camren had a feeling that something was wrong, and she wasn't sure what it was...
Especially when you know you won't get hurt
by Hyana
Hyana felt herself smiling when Camren said that it was good to meet her. It was odd hearing something like that. It truly was. Usually people were annoyed by her quiet personality. People like Caedence. Hyana knew that Hikaru got annoyed when she did little things like messing with her hair. And Josiah just wanted her to be loud...Camren didn't seem to want her to be like that.
"I... I... I wish I COULD tell you... It's just... It's just that we're scared of something..." Camren replied to her question after biting her lip, harder than Hyana could've believed. Then Camren clung onto her arm, making Hyana go pale. Was it...no...not someone else. It couldn't be happening to someone else. Only her mother and Bryan could be that cruel to a person.
"Camren...please stop biting your lip." Hyana whispered. "You're going to hurt yourself..." Hyana didn't want that. Camren noticed her arm around her stomach. She was making the poor girl nervous.
"Nothing's really wrong...I'm just looking for Caedence. She and I had an arguement. Sh-she hit me. In the stomach. But it's okay...I deserved it." Just like I deserve a lot of the beatings I get... She added in her head, turning her gaze back to Camren. She didn't know why she was telling someone she just met this, but hey, she didn't know why she shouldn't.
"So..." Hyana trailed off, just trying to keep a conversation going. "Do you have any siblings?" Hyana forced herself to smile. Her sister and father had died in a car crash. At least, Hyana thought it was a car crash. With all that had happened over midterm, Hyana didn't know which way was up and which was down anymore.
0HyanaEspecially when you know you won't get hurt0Hyana05
Camren was glad to see Hyana smile when Cam had said that it was nice to meet her. Smiles like hers made Camren realize why she was the way she was. She was very loving, and she made it show. That was how she was still there... That must be why she was still alive... When Cam bit her lip and held onto her arm Hyana went pale. Was she in the same boat as Cam was? Were they to be best friends? Like Cam and... No... Camren wasn't going to think about her. This was Hyana's time... Her best friend from her other school would be okay...
"Camren...please stop biting your lip." Hyana whispered. "You're going to hurt yourself..."
Camren hadn't even realized that she was doing it... "I'm sorry... I guess its just better than crying in public..." Camren said, and tried, for Hyana's sake, to stop biting her lip.
"Are you okay?"
"Nothing's really wrong...I'm just looking for Caedence. She and I had an arguement. Sh-she hit me. In the stomach. But it's okay...I deserved it."
"But NOBODY deserves it..." Camren said, reaching for her shoulder. She hadn't deserved that one either, all she did was wake up that morning... Camren took a deep breath and looked into Hyana's eyes. Something in them told Camren that it was more than just a little fight with another student... 'But what was it?' Camren wondered. Camren didn't know what to say or do, but thankfully Hyana spoke again.
"So..." Hyana trailed off, just trying to keep a conversation going. "Do you have any siblings?"
Camren nodded. "A sister... My Caden..." was all Camren was able to get out. What if her father found her mother and sister at her Aunt's House? What if they were harmed? If anything happened to them Camren wouldn't be able to forgive herself...
"Yeah, I guess biting your lip is better than crying in public..." Hyana agreed quietly. She really hoped this girl never met Caedence when Caede was in a bad mood. Camren would never be seen again. She'd be killed! Hyana was still somewhat worried about Camren's strange movements. She kept holding her arm, lightly touching a part of her body, and it looked like it was painful. Hyana touched her wrist.
Over midterm, she had gotten a hand shaped bruise around her wrist. It was finally fading away, but Hyana pulled her sleeve down further. Camren didn't need to see that. No one did. It was her own little secret. "But NOBODY deserves it..." Camren said, bringing Hyana out of her thoughts.
"I know...But if it helped Caedence feel better...if it helped her vent..." She sighed. "I was glad to be there. I'm sure she can tell me what's wrong without hurting me, sooner or later." She smiled at Camren. Maybe she would be a new friend. She was so nice, and they were so alike.
"A sister... My Caden..." Hyana frowned at Camren's reply. She seemed scared of something. "Are...are you okay Cam?" She asked. "I-I mean, you don't have to tell me. And I didn't mean t-to call you Cam, if you don't like it..." Hyana looked down at her lap in embarrassment. But maybe, just maybe Camren could tell her what was wrong. Hyana touched her wrist again. She just had to.
"Yeah, I guess biting your lip is better than crying in public..."
Camren nodded to Hyana's quiet tones. Camren tried not to think about what might happen if her father found where they had gone. But it was so hard for her. She was a constant worrywart. Camren hated being that way, but she couldn't help it.
Camren remembered how it felt when her father had hurt her, the memories were burned into her brain. They would never leave her. She knew that. Camren wanted nothing more than for nobody else to have to go through that again. When Hyana touched her wrist and pulled down her sleeve, like Cam had, the wheels started turning in Camren's head. Had it happed to her too? Camren did notice it, but she didn't say anything. She didn't want Hyana to feel uncomfortable around her. Camren would find a better way to talk about it.
She didn't know what that was, but she'd think of something...
"But NOBODY deserves it..." Camren said, bringing Hyana out of her thoughts.
"I know...But if it helped Caedence feel better...if it helped her vent..." She sighed. "I was glad to be there. I'm sure she can tell me what's wrong without hurting me, sooner or later."
Camren listened to her talk, and watched the smile on Hyana's face. Cam thought about what she was going to say before she said it this time. She bit her lip as she thought. Finally an idea entered her brain. "I'm sure. Though, I don't know how letting her beat you up or something would be helpful to either of you..."
Camren couldn't help being protective of her newfound friend. That was the way that she was...
Then Hyana asked if Camren had any brothers or sisters. Camren replied, "A sister... My Caden..."
Cam bit her lip again and Hyana frowned.
"Are...are you okay Cam?" She asked. "I-I mean, you don't have to tell me. And I didn't mean t-to call you Cam, if you don't like it..."
"I'll be okay..." Camren said quietly. "I'm just worried..." Camren swallowed her saliva and continued after a deep breath. "You can call me Cam if you want to... My best friends at my old school did too..."
There was something about Hyana that reminded her of her best friend at her other school. Something that made her want to tell Hyana EVERYTHING...
"Can we go somewhere else?" Camren asked her newfound friend, or at least she hoped that was what they were...
Hyana let out a slow, shaking breath. Camren knew. It was why she wanted to go somewhere else. Hyana considered saying no. But there was something in Cam's eyes. She...was what? Scared? Hyana gulped and bit the inside of her cheek. What should I do? I can't say no... Hyana thought desperatly, trying to find a way out. But there was nothing she could do.
"Yeah...of course we can go somewhere else." She replied to her newfound friend after an uncomfortable silence. "We can go to the Labyrinth Gardens or the Library. I'm not too sure where else to go. You can pick."
Hyana studied Camren with a worried and curious look. Just who was this girl? She...was so much like Hyana. It was scary to think someone might know, someone might have the same thing happen. Did her mother hurt her too? Hyana held out her hand to her friend, waiting to be led where ever they were to go.
Camren shook inwardly. She was trying her best not to cry in Cascade Hall. Cam could tell that Hyana had figured out that she knew something. She knew it by listening to Hyana's slow breath.
Camren bit her lip at the same time as Hyana gulped and bit the inside of her cheek. 'We really are more a like than either of us knew...' Camren thought.
The silence at their table was deafening. Camren hoped that Hyana wasn't having second thoughts about being her friend... Camren felt like there was something about her, something about both of them that was the same. Camren lifted up the sleeve of her robe just enough for Hyana to see what was remaining of the handshaped bruise on her wrist. Then Camren put her sleeve back down quickly so nobody else would see it too.
"Yeah...of course we can go somewhere else." She replied to her newfound friend after an uncomfortable silence. "We can go to the Labyrinth Gardens or the Library. I'm not too sure where else to go. You can pick."
"I don't know... I don't know anything about Sonora... Where would it be the quietest? Where would we be more alone? What's the best place for us to go?" Camren asked as she took the hand that Hyana held out to her. Camren didn't know where any of the places that Hyana named were anyway...
Hyana lost her breath as Camren revealed her wrist. A hand shaped mark. A bruise. Her mother...her mother hurt her too! Hyana quickly covered her mouth to force herself not to scream for the nearest professor. She had to tread carefully. She was almost positive Cam knew about her too. She didn't want to leave her mother...she loved her, even if she hurt her.
"I don't know... I don't know anything about Sonora... Where would it be the quietest? Where would we be more alone? What's the best place for us to go?" Camren asked Hyana as she touched her own wrist again.
"Ummmm...I-I don't know. To tell you the truth, this might be the safest place to talk. Everyone's so fixated on eating and having their own conversations the won't notice us...but if you want...the library is this way..." She said, pointing in the direction of the library. "And the Gardens are this way." She pointed the opposite direction.
"You choose Cam." Hyana finished quietly as she stood, still holding Cam's hand.
OOC: Okay, why don't you post and tag me if you choose a place besides the hall.
Camren checked and checked again that her wrist was covered again, and that nobody else saw it but Hyana. Hyana covered her mouth quickly and Camren almost regretted showing her. Maybe Cam was wrong after all? Could she be?
Then Hyana asked her where she wanted to go to talk more, and Camren asked Hyana where the best place would be.
"Ummmm... I-I don't know. To tell you the truth, this might be the safest place to talk. Everyone's so fixated on eating and having their own conversations the won't notice us... but if you want... the library is this way..."
"Oh..." Camren said. 'Hyana has a point. Nobody is paying attention to us here... Right?' Camren looked around the Hall. Everyone was talking to their own friends, and nobody was paying any attention to the pair of first years. Hyana pointed in the direction of both places that she suggested and Camren shrugged. "Maybe we'd better stay here then...?" Camren said.
"You choose Cam."
"Um..." Camren said, biting her lip. "I guess maybe we should stay here then... I mean, nobody even knows we're here... Right?" Camren said to her. The two first years were still standing in Cascade Hall holding hands. Hyana really would be a good friend... Camren could tell...
"Are you..." Camren wasn't sure how to even BEGIN to ask Hyana what she wanted to... How could Camren just come out and ask her if someone beat her too? Maybe Hyana would say it first...?
Hyana touched her own wrist. How she wanted to escape, just fade into the backround. She missed that ability. Of course, she was also afraid of being alone.
"Yeah..." She agreed sadly. No one ever noticed her presence. What a sad truth that was. And Camren was trying to ask her something, but the poor thing couldn't say it. Hyana could only guess the question, and she didn't want to answer.
"What Camren?" She found herself asking. She knew the question, or at least she guessed. "Am I what?" She looked at her friend with sad and confused eyes. What could she do? She just couldn't say it first. It was her fault anyway...she was a freak. A witch. Mother didn't like anyone who wasn't normal.
Camren watched Hyana touch her own wrist with concern. Camren tried to crush the thought that kept coming into her mind, but she hadn't been able to as of yet.
If Camren asked Hyana, maybe Hyana wouldn't want to be her friend anymore... This was what Camren was afraid of. This and that if Camren told, what if someone from Sonora did the same thing as her old school? What if her father found her here because she told?
"Maybe we'd better stay here. Nobody is really paying us any attention anyway, right?" Camren asked her, still trying to remove the thoughts from her mind.
"Yeah..."
"Are you..." Cam asked. Her brain had just sent the waves to her mouth and she couldn't stop it. But she was able to stop midsentence. She just couldn't say it. Not out loud...
"What Camren? Am I what?"
Camren looked at Hyana, tears brimming in her eyes. "Did someone... Did someone..." Camren stuttered. "Hurt you?" Camren's lips trembled and she bit the bottom one to stop the movement. 'I can't believe I said it...' Camren thought to herself. 'It would be all my fault if someone found Mama and Caden...' Camren bit her lip harder as she waited to see what would happen next.
Yup...I'm having trouble coming up with a subject
by Hyana
Cam was hesitating. Hyana knew it. But hesitating on what? What was it that Cam didn't want to ask? And...she was about to cry. What had Hyana done?
"Did someone... Did someone..." Camren stuttered. She seemed to be trembling all over. Hyana just wanted to take the shaking girl and hold her in her arms, telling her everything was alright. But right when Hyana was going to tell her to forget it, Camren finished her question. "Hurt you?"
Hyana wanted to get up and run. She wanted to melt into the walls and never come out. Her eyes turned away from Camren. Her mind screamed at her to leave, her legs just wouldn't obey. She could just lie to Camren, but she had already given herself away. That was why the question was asked. Holding onto her wrist, she gave a sad and pathetic smile, not looking at Camren.
"Mama hits me sometimes..." She answered in but a whisper. "She's usually drunk though...so it's not her fault. It's my fault for being a witch." She felt her eyes filling with tears, and she angrily wiped them away. This wasn't a place to cry.
0HyanaYup...I'm having trouble coming up with a subject0Hyana05
"Did someone... Did someone..." Camren stuttered as she trembled all over. "Hurt you?"
Camren watched Hyana turn away from her. Hyana held onto her wrist and smiled sadly. She was still looking away from Camren. Cam took that as a chance to look down into her lap. She had just hurt Hyana. She knew it. 'Why did I SAY it...?' Camren asked herself as she struggled not to run away forever. She would just go somewhere, anywhere... Maybe her best friends would go with her... Camren was wondering when her owl, Nilla, would come back to her. She wanted to send them a letter. She wanted to send them one now more than ever. Camren needed them... They knew her, and they liked her for who she was... It seemed as if they were the only ones...
"Mama hits me sometimes... She's usually drunk though... so it's not her fault. It's my fault for being a witch."
Camren shook herself back into the reality of Cascade Hall. She wasn't at her old school anymore... She wasn't with her old friends... She was here, at Sonora, sitting here in the hall with someone who she thought was a new friend, one who was EXACTLY like her...
"What?" Camren asked Hyana. Hyana had whispered so softly that Camren didn't hear exactly what she had said to her. Hyana's eyes filled with tears, and she wiped them away so angrily that Cam thought she might even tear her whole face off of her skull.
"Hey... hey now..." Cam said, grabbing for Hyana's hands softly. Camren didn't want her to hurt herself, especially since it was Cam's fault that she was upset in the first place... "Stop that... You're hurting yourself..." Camren's eyes went wild and scanned the room. Camren wasn't going to tell anyone, she just wanted to make sure that nobody was watching them. She didn't want anyone to see what was going on...
"What?" Camren asked Hyana. She almost got angry. Did she have to shout it? They were in the middle of the Cascade Hall for crying out loud! Her tears were starting to go away. She couldn’t cry here of all times. She didn’t need to worry any of her other friends who were in the hall. The last thing she needed was Josiah walking over, accusing Camren of being mean to her. He did that with Lucas after all.
Camren took Hyana’s hands lightly, causing the poor Asian girl to almost freeze up. Almost. It seemed that Camren knew how to act around someone like her. She wasn’t violent like Caedence, scary like Hikaru, or even as hyperactive-ish as Talitha. "Hey... hey now…Stop that... You're hurting yourself..." Camren whispered. Hyana nodded, and let her hands fall into her lap.
“I know Cam, I’m sorry.” She watched Camren’s eyes scan the room. She was scared of something. Now that she actually thought about it, how did Camren even guess? And how was she right?
“Camren, I’ll tell you everything, but you have to tell me the truth first.” She said firmly, taking her hands away from her friend. “Why did you really come to Sonora? What’s going on?” She gave Camren another one of her smiles, showing she wasn’t mad, then said, “After all, friends are supposed to tell each other everything, right?”\n
Camren took Hyana’s hands and Hyana looked like she had gotten as cold as ice. When Hyana pulled at her face Camren spoke to her calmly.
"Hey... hey now… Stop that... You're hurting yourself..." Camren whispered. Hyana nodded to her and Cam watched Hyana's hands fall into her lap.
“I know Cam, I’m sorry.”
"It's okay... I just worry about my friends is all..." Cam said as she scanned the room. Hyana spoke.
“Camren, I’ll tell you everything, but you have to tell me the truth first.”
Camren's eyes went wide, and her breathing slowed. "The truth? The truth about what?" Camren asked, fearing the worse was going to come from this conversation. Hyana removed her hands from Camren's and continued firmly.
“Why did you really come to Sonora? What’s going on?”
Camren couldn't breathe. She couldn't think... All she knew was that here she was, and if she didn't tell she may lose a friend, but if she DID, she may lose her life... Or maybe her mother or Caden's... Or the babies who haven't been born yet... Camren didn't know what to do, but she was scared... She wanted her friends more than ever and her eyes drooped and lips quivered then stopped as she bit her lip to stop the movement. Hyana smiled at her and spoke.
“After all, friends are supposed to tell each other everything, right?”
Camren nodded because that was all that she could do. She was afraid that if she opened her mouth she may give back all the food she had eaten that day, or scared her new friend away. What if she told and her father found her? Or worse, her sister and mother? What if he hurt them? Then it would all be her fault...
Camren clammed up and turned away, shaking. She couldn't say, she just couldn't...
"I... I..." Camren said, stuttering, "I... I can't..." Camren didn't know what Hyana would say if she told her how her father had beated her and her sister, and then had done something so wrong to her mother that it had caused her to run from him, and move Camren's school midyear... What if he found Cam? Or worse... Caden and her mother...?
Her question had made Camren nervous. Hyana could've smacked herself. She knew how touchy something like that could be! And Cam just turned away from her. Why did Hyana even ask? But after what Hyana said, couldn't Cam trust her? After all, if she didn't know she would just assume the worst. Like this special news she'd hear over the summer.
"I...I...I...I can't..." Camren replied, finally. Hyana forced back a sigh.
"I understand Cam. It's okay, you don't have to tell me. I...I'm used to it." She said sadly, trying to comfort Cam. "I won't bring it up again. Please don't be mad." She didn't want Cam to hate her. Plus, she knew more than Hyana could even tell Professor K. It wouldn't be good to have Camren mad at her now.
Camren shifted her weight from one foot to the other as she stuttered. "I...I...I...I can't..." Camren replied, finally as Hyana forced back a sigh.
"I understand Cam. It's okay, you don't have to tell me. I...I'm used to it."
Hyana had spoken sadly. Camren felt awful... She wished that she could tell Hyana everything... But she had told Kat, and now all of a sudden she was gone from her life. It was like someone had snapped their fingers and she was gone, POOF! Cam didn't want Hyana to be sad, she wanted to be able to trust her, but what if someone else heard them? What if her father found them through the things she said? What if...
"I won't bring it up again. Please don't be mad."
"It's not that..." Camren said, as her words got quieter. "It's just... It's just..." Camren swallowed the saliva that prevented her from speaking a full sentence. She swallowed down the acidic taste and made a face. "I WANT to tell you... I want to tell you everything... But I... I..." Camren said. "I'm scared... I'm not mad... Scared..."
Camren bit her bottom lip and sucked in a sob as she struggled with keeping her composure. Camren thought of Caden, and of her Mama, and of the babies that waited inside of her mother to be born into this world. If any of them got hurt Camren could never forgive herself...
But if Camren didn't tell Hyana, who would keep her safe if her father DID show up...?
"We left him." Camren said, clapping her hands to her mouth. It had just slipped out and Camren hoped that she hadn't said too much...