All Chapters of Mesmerize Me: Chapter 1 - Chapter 7

Afternoons in the suburbs always carried an air of deceptive calm. At first glance, everything looked perfect: freshly trimmed lawns, gleaming mailboxes, and neighbors who greeted one another as if life could be reduced to the exchange of polite smiles. Living close to the city gave us access to everything, but it also wrapped us in a bubble of comfort designed to keep anyone from asking too many questions. I used to think that if life were a movie, this neighborhood would be the bright, polished backdrop meant to contrast with the secrets no one wanted to tell.I grew up in a spacious, light-filled house, with a mother who came from a well-off family and a father who had earned his place in the world through hard work and talent. I call him my dad because that’s what he is to me, even if technically he isn’t. Sam came into my life when I was six, and since then I’ve never lacked anything—not laughter, not support, not the kind of hugs only real dads give. Sometimes I think he underst

The school bell always sounded like a reminder that the day was only just beginning, even though for me it already felt like a small victory: I had made it on time, my hair looked halfway decent, and my advanced math homework was done.The school had that chaotic energy only teenagers could give a building—backpacks scattered across the floor, lockers slamming open, laughter mixing with the metallic clang of doors closing.Kate was waiting for me by my locker, bursting with her usual energy and wearing that smile that could brighten even the grayest Monday. The moment she saw me, she grabbed my arm and launched into a talk about the concert, as if the entire world revolved around that Saturday. I suspected the next few days would be the same.“You have no idea, Cams. I’ve already planned everything—what I’m going to wear, how we’re getting there, even what we’re eating beforehand. I’m counting the hours!”“There are still days to go! Did you sleep at all, or did you stay up planning?”

The stage lights flashed in time with the drums, and the crowd screamed as if their lives depended on that song. Kate was in pure bliss, recording everything on her phone and jumping as if every chord were a gift. I let myself go along with it, even though the music wasn’t exactly my style; I preferred to look around, feel the place's vibration, the wave of energy rolling over us. I’ll admit that, for a moment, I caught the fever too.After several songs, Kate shouted in my ear,“I need to go to the bathroom!”“I’ll go with you,” I replied immediately.“Are you crazy? You have to stay and record! I’ve held it through three songs so I wouldn’t miss anything, but now I really can’t. It’s right back there,” she said, pointing about twenty yards away.“But, Kate—”“Please, Cams, stay and record. I promise I’ll be back in record time.”I hesitated. I didn’t like the idea of splitting up, but there didn’t seem to be much of a line, and I figured she’d be back quickly. I nodded and stayed be

By midday the next day, Kate had already made herself comfortable in my bedroom. After the obligatory questions—how I was feeling, how much it hurt, what the doctors had said—she fell silent, studying me with that calculating expression that always meant something was coming. Finally, she broke the silence.“So?”“So what?” I feigned indifference. “I already told you all the details.”“Oh, don’t play dumb, Cams. We all saw the same thing.” Her eyes sparkled mischievously. “Jacob, picking you up—nothing more, nothing less— with your legs wrapped around his waist, you were straddling him.”“Kate! That’s not what this is about. I had an injured back, remember?”“Oh, right. The injured back. And obviously, ‘that’ was the only possible way to get you to the car, wasn’t it?” Her sarcasm was unnecessary.“I don’t know, Kate. I’ve never been in that situation, so I don’t exactly have a handbook of options.”“Well, neither do I, but off the top of my head, someone could’ve carried you piggybac