Title: Discovering Clairmont: Part III
Rating: PG-13 [language, oblique mention of drugs]
Characters: Summer and Adele Dylan, James Page Jr., Cameron Crowe, Stacy Hamilton, Linda Barrett, Mark "Rat" Ratner, Mike Damone

Author's Note: This series is based on Cameron Crowe's Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Using both the book and movie as guides, I hope to provide a glimpse into what could have happened, especially in relation to Midnight Shift. Completely canon with the epic and WILL contain spoilers.

Summary: After a month at school, Summer and Cameron have settled into a routine, including ending the week with Friday night football games.





Sitting between Cameron and Stacie at the football game, Summer stared out at the field. Though attending football games had become their Friday night activity, something they attended every Friday for the past month, she still did not understand the sport at all. The girls did not seem to care, nor really the boys, but she figured if she was going to spend so much time there, she should have some idea as to what was going on, especially since everyone seemed to be ignoring her at the moment.

Or so she thought.

“Come get a soda with me,” a soft voice whispered in her ear, drawing her blue eyes up from the field.

A quick smile graced her lips, “Okay.”

Holding out his hand, Cameron stood up. Though he knew both the guys and the girls watched their interaction, he ignored them. He could feel that something bothered Summer, whether or not she voiced it, so getting her away from their group of friends was paramount. Holding hands, they headed down the steps of the metal bleachers.

They paused a couple of times to greet other classmates before reaching the small concessions stand. He released her hand and dug out his wallet, purchasing sodas for each of them. Rather than return to their friends, Cameron guided her away from the crowd.

“Is something wrong?” he asked softly.

“Um, no…” she sipped her drink.

“I don’t believe you,” Cameron stated as he stopped and faced her.

Her eyes went to his as she lowered the straw from her lips, “I can’t really explain it. I just… I don’t get football.”

He chuckled, “You don’t need to worry about understanding the game. The whole point is just to be here and socialize.”

“Oh…”

“No one else pays attention to the game. Hardly anyone cares that the football team doesn’t really ever win,” he pointed out.

“Oh…”

“Just gossip with the girls and… yeah.”

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”

Cameron took a drink of his soda, “Why not?”

“I don’t have anything to gossip about.”

He smirked, lifting his eyebrows up at her, “Oh really?”

“Nothing about this life.”

He chuckled, “True. You can just talk about the people you all know from school.”

Her eyes dropped to the ground, “I don’t really have much to add though. I’ve only been here a month and…”

“And what, pretty girl?”

She flushed before glancing up to meet his eyes again, “I don’t think anyone likes me. I think they just put up with me because… you like me.”

“I do like you. I like you a lot.”

“I know…”

“Summer,” he stepped a bit closer, “I want to ask you something…”

“What?”

“I know we’ve only known each other for a month,” his brown eyes sparkled, “but… will you be my girlfriend?”

Her mouth dropped open, her eyes widened, and she dropped her soda, “Really?”

“Yes,” Cameron responded cautiously.

Summer quickly threw her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek loudly, “YES! Yes, I will!”

He smirked and hugged her quickly, “Well there… now you have something to talk about.”

She kissed his cheek again, “You know… they have asked me pretty much daily for the past week if you’ve asked me out yet.”

“Well,” he looped his arm in hers, turning to guide her back to the bleachers, “we are pretty much always together.”

“Not always.”

“Whenever they see us, yes. That counts as always in high school,” Cameron pointed out, heading back to the concessions stand for a snack and another soda for Summer.

“Oh… true.”

“Pretzel?” he asked as they stepped into line.

“Mmmhmmm,” she nodded, squeezing his arm.

They headed back up to the bleachers and quickly relocated their friends. Snacking on a pretzel, Summer avoided the girls’ looks for a few moments until Cameron leaned over and kissed her cheek. As her cheeks turned bright red, Linda demanded an explanation. She evaded the girls for as long as she could, at least until she finished her soft pretzel. With Cameron once again talking with the guys, though he was sitting close enough to her that their thighs touched, her eyes finally looked to the expectant girls.

“Well?” Linda pressed again.

Summer smiled slightly before nodding, “Yes.”

“It’s about fucking time,” she muttered. “He’s only been fucking you with his eyes since your first day at school.”

“Nuh uh,” she quickly protested.

“He has,” Stacie agreed, “at least whenever I’ve been around you two.”

Glancing at him, she hoped to see whatever they had, but he was engrossed in conversation with Rat.

“He’s not the only one either,” Linda pointed out. “I don’t know if it’s because you’re new and mysterious or whatever, but guys seem to drool over you.”

“Okay now you’re just being… it’s not true,” Summer argued.

“Sure it is,” the dark-haired girl declared. “But if you don’t believe me, watch people at school on Monday. Or even at the party tonight once it circulates you’re no longer on the market.”

“Party?”

“It’s rather liberating actually,” Linda continued to talk, ignoring Summer’s utterance. “I mean, ever since Doug and I got engaged, my life has been relatively uncomplicated. No high school boy trying to get in my pants.”

“Dave isn’t trying to get in my pants,” Summer muttered.

Both Linda and Stacie laughed.

“Of course he is, Katrin,” the older girl rolled her eyes.

“You’re not a virgin, are you?” Stacie quickly blurted out.

She quickly looked away, shifting uncomfortably away from Cameron, “Of course not.”

“Just making sure…”

Though the guys had not really been talking about the girls, nor the fact the new girl sat even closer to Cameron, both Rat and Mike realized something was different when the two returned. After discussing the party plans for after the game, deciding they were in fact going to crash Brad’s party, neither of the two boys could ignore it. Rat remained stoically silent, stealing a glance at Stacie though he still had yet to speak to her outside of school, but Mike zeroed in on Cameron.

“So you two fool around under the bleachers?” he casually asked, pretending he did not care at all.

Cameron’s dark brown eyes snapped to the boy, “No. Katrin is a good girl.”

“Too many around? You should take her up to The Point tonight.”

Though he had yet to visit the illustrious high school make-out location, he knew what Mike was actually saying. He had no intentions of taking Summer up there. Not only because he was not going to do that with her, but he did not want everyone thinking she was easy.

“If we get to that point, and that’s a big if, then I’ll consider it,” Cameron replied. “We’ve only been a couple for like fifteen minutes, Damone.”

“So? She’s hot and totally fu—”

“Hey now,” he interrupted. “That’s my girlfriend you’re talking about.”

“If she was my girlfriend, I would —”

“Luckily, she’s isn’t,” Cameron stated. “Rat, when are you going to ask out Stacie?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he quickly looked away from the girls before Mike or Cameron could harass him.

Conversations amongst both groups weaved away from the news and back again a couple of times before the game ended. Once again losing, the football team filed off the field in dejection as the high schoolers headed to the parking lot. Cameron’s hand found Summer’s, gently leading her to his car. He brushed off taunts from their friends about kissing her, especially when he stopped to open the passenger door for her. Not averse to the teasing, Summer quickly kissed his lips before ducking into the car.

Trying to hide his surprise, Cameron closed the door and hurried around to the driver’s side. Slipping behind the wheel, he glanced over at her as he pulled the door closed. Summer flashed him a happy grin, but said nothing. They remained unspeaking as the car meandered out of the parking lot.

“So we’re going to Brad’s party, right?” Summer spoke up as they inched out onto the street.

“If you want. We don’t have to.”

“What else would we do? Go up to The Point?”

Cameron instantly flushed, “Um, no. We could just go home.”

“And what would you learn about the kids by doing that?”

“We’ve been to two of Brad’s parties already, Summer. We both know what will happen there. People will swim. Someone will fill the hot tub with soap to make suds. Kids will make out. Some will get drunk. Some will get high. Nothing exceptional,” he declared.

“Do you not want to take me now that we’re boyfriend and girlfriend?”

“Um, well,” he glanced briefly at her, “that does change things, doesn’t it?”

She nodded slightly, “Like they’ll expect us to make out or something?”

“Um, well, that…”

“You’re a gentleman, Cam. So public making out is already off the table,” Summer declared with a smile.

“Um… thanks,” he paused. “It’s not like we’re really a couple anyways. You’re engaged to Jimmy.”

Her eyes dropped to the ring on a chain about her throat, “…right.”

“I mean, neither of us can really date any of the high schoolers, that would be wrong. Our being a couple takes that risk out, you know,” he rationalized. “Guys won’t ask you out and girls won’t ask me out. And we can go to the dances and whatever together and no one will think twice about it. And people won’t talk about the fact we…”

“…spend so much time together?”

“Yes, that.”

“So, us being a couple is just a cover? Just pretend?” she practically whispered.

“Yeah.”

“I see.”

An oddly uncomfortable silence fell between them, making Cameron question their entire conversation. He was not misleading her by telling her it was just pretend; she was engaged to Jimmy after all. While they had seemed to fall easy into the roles they played at school, he knew when she went home she played with her son and seamlessly became Mommy again. Who they were during school hours was not who they were really. He knew that; she knew that. So why did she seem sad when he confirmed it was just pretend? He did not understand.

“Could you just take me home?” Summer finally broke the silence.

His dark eyes flicked to hers and he nodded, turning off his blinker and going straight instead, “Sure, Summer.”

“You should still go to the party though,” she stated. “I’m just going to read to Jamie and get him ready for bed and all that.”

“I don’t want to go without you.”

“It would be silly for us to both miss the party,” she claimed, not looking at him.

“Summer,” Cameron reached over and touched her hand softly.

She pulled her hand free from his, “If we both don’t go, everyone will assume that we’re fucking or something.”

“Um…”

Her blue eyes went to his, “You know that’s true. Go to the party. I’ll go spend time with my son.”

He sighed, “I’ll stay with you.”

“No.”

Cameron sighed again, “Summer…”

She looked away, saying nothing more. Though he wanted her to open up to him, Cameron remained silent as well. However, when he pulled into her driveway, he did not hesitate to turn off the car and climb out himself. He trailed behind her up to the house, stepping inside behind her. Greeting her mother, he smiled as Summer scooped up her son and kissed him loudly.

“How was the game?” Adele asked Cameron, leading him into the kitchen to pour drinks.

“It was… okay, I guess,” he responded, reaching for glasses in the cupboard for her.

“Okay, what happened?” she questioned, filling the glasses with iced tea after he set them down.

“What makes you think something happened?”

She rolled her eyes, “I can read your body language. Summer is withdrawn from you. Something happened.”

“Nothing…”

“Cameron,” she put both hands on her hips and stared at him, “fess up.”

He looked away, “She’skindamygirlfriendnow.”

Adele’s eyes brightened, “Did you say what I think you said?”

“Um…”

“So why is she upset then?”

“Adele, you know it’s just pretend. She’s engaged to Jimmy and —”

“Pshaw,” Adele waved her hand dismissively, “Jimmy is thousands of miles away and doesn’t treat her half as good as you do. You’re the one my daughter should be with.”

“Um,” he rubbed the back of his head.

“Hey, Mom,” Summer entered the kitchen, Jamie on her hip, “do you know where his blue bear is? I can’t find it.”

“I know precisely where it is. He had it with his nap today,” she declared, stepping forward with her hands held out for her grandson.

“Just tell me where and I’ll get it,” she responded.

“Nonsense. I’ll take care of Jamie. You make up with Cameron.”

Summer’s eyes darted to Cameron, “He can wait.”

“Fine, fine. Come on. Let’s get Mr. Blue,” she headed out of the kitchen, not really waiting for her daughter to follow.

Drifting to the living room, Cameron sat on the sofa sipping his iced tea. Summer’s voice and her mother’s drifted down the hallway, but not enough for him to understand what they were talking about. He decided Summer would be awhile as she put her son to bed, so he got up and turned on the television. Two sitcoms later, Adele wished him good night and disappeared into her room to call her husband before bed. Summer sat on the couch next to him a few minutes later.

“Hi,” she muttered.

“Hi,” he responded, before reaching to turn off the television.

“I… I’m sorry.”

“…for what? You don’t have any reason to be sorry, Summer.”

“I know this is all pretend. And that we’re not really a couple. Katrin and Dave are, not us. I know that, but… I just get caught in all of this…”

“No, that’s good. I have to remind myself that I’m doing research all the time. The more involved we are, the more legitimate it will all be in the end,” Cameron quickly declared.

“But…” her fingers fiddled with the hem of her shirt.

“Besides, Jimmy—”

“I haven’t spoken to him in three weeks.”

“Wait, what? I thought the agreement was to talk on the phone a few times a week,” he stated.

“Yeah, well that fell to the side after the first week obviously,” she responded, not looking up to him.

“Summer…”

“It doesn’t matter anyways.”

“Of course it matters. This is the man you’re supposed to marry. If you haven’t spoken with him in three weeks, it matters.”

Her eyes briefly met his before dropping back to her hem, “It’s not that different than living with him. We went long periods of time without actually interacting.”

“Seriously?”

“Why do you think it was so easy for me to come here and do this with you?”

He sighed, “Summer…”

“I don’t want to talk about Jimmy anymore.”

“But —”

“Please…”

“Okay… okay…”

They sat silent for a few moments as Cameron searched his thoughts for the words that framed his thoughts. He could not get beyond the fact Jimmy had not called her in weeks, or even the fact when she lived with him, he ignored her. Granted when he last visited Summer in England, Jimmy had not been present, but Cameron explained that away that he had been busy working on something. Or maybe Jimmy had been at one of the other houses; he could not remember Summer’s explanation. Had he missed the earlier signs because he was so caught up in his own life? Had he been a bad best friend? What was his problem?

“Cam?”

His eyes met hers. Without saying anything, he shifted a bit closer, slipped his arms around her, and quickly kissed her mouth. She gasped but did not protest. Rather, she moved a bit closer to Cameron, her arms slipping over his shoulders.

Pulling out of the brief kiss, his lips touched her nose, “You are a beautiful and intelligent and talented and loving woman. If Jimmy Page doesn’t see and embrace that, he’s a damn fool… He’s a damn fool.”