six

                                    

                                          
The rest of that night consisted of Rowan and I basically just insulting one another and then laughing about it in the end. She never once spoke about Cameron and neither did I.
                          
She eventually had to leave though, much to my disappointment. And although she may have been dating Cameron at the time, that didn't stop her from kissing me goodbye (on the cheek of course). Rowan had also given me her number at some point in the night, so I could call her whenever I got my new phone.
                          
And four days later, I did. It wasn't an expensive phone, like those iPhones almost every single person on this planet has nowadays, but a cheap Android phone—just under $250. Right after I got it, I made sure to insert Rowan's number into the contact list, for she would be the first and only contact on my new cell phone.
                          
I couldn't wait to text her once I had gotten my phone, but I also didn't want to do it right away. Maybe she'll think I'm desperate or something, I thought. I didn't want that, I didn't want her to think of me as some loser who has no friends to talk to, even though I was.
                          
And it was that day when I got my new phone that I bumped into Cameron on the crowded streets of Baltimore. It was unexpected and surprising, but mostly because he had been the one to point me out to the group of friends he had been with that day.
                          
"Hey, Harry!" Cameron had said (rather loudly) in my direction.
                          
I recognized him instantly, but main thing I focused on was that he wasn't with Rowan, but with five other guys who were wearing the exact same thing: black leather jackets despite the warm weather, ripped up jeans that seemed three sizes too big for them, and giant black boots. Even Cameron was wearing this compilation of clothes.
                          
"Hi," I muttered once I was standing in front of the intimidating group of people. I awkwardly brought a hand up and did a slight wave; this caused half of those guys to chuckle.
                          
"Guys this is Harry," Cameron said, nodding his head towards me, "Rowan's friend."
                          
"Oh, so this is the guy Rowan's been talking about?" One of the guys asked, laughing as if he were making fun of his friend by saying this.
                          
"Yep, that's the one," Cameron answered, his voice as wry as it could possibly get. Turning back to me, he said, "So Harry, how's life been treating you?"
                          
"It's been fine," I replied, trying to make myself as confident as possible. "How's Rowan?"
                          
His group of friends laughed—even Cameron himself laughed—and I could feel the ounce of bravery I contained shrink immediately. I felt as if I was in middle school all over again, and I mentally shuddered as I remembered the dark memories that have taken place there.
                          
"She's okay," Cameron finally answered. "Probably picking up random strangers from the streets again." And his friends laughed yet again. "It pisses me off sometimes, how she spends most of her time with complete strangers rather than with me." He then gestured to me, trying to make a point to his friends. "But I guess it's okay sometimes too. That bitch is crazy anyways."
                          
"And loud," his friend added.
                          
"Don't forget blunt," one of the taller ones groaned.
                          
"And so fucking annoying," said another.
                          
My eyes were wide and my anger was rising immensely by this point. How dare they speak of Rowan this way?! I thought, my cheeks beginning to boil with outrage as the thoughts flooded my brain. I wanted to punch him—all of them—mess their faces up for talking about Rowan like this.
                          
But I didn't, and you wanna know why? Because fear somehow planted itself in me and paralyzed my body, preventing me from doing anything to stop Cameron and his group of friends from saying hurtful things about the girl I like.