“Principal Davis?” She let out an incredulous squeal. “I know a lot of the girls think he’s pretty foxy, but you honestly think I’d be better with Principal Davis than with Brady?” She kept laughing, then finally had to down half of her Diet Coke to get it under control.
Oh. My. Gosh. What was wrong with her? I listed the most unrealistic people I could think of to make myself the obvious front-runner, and Principal Davis is who she fixated on? It’s like I was as much of an impossibility as LeBron or Chris. I couldn’t have spelled it out for her any more clearly than I just did. The most perfect girl in the world was sitting in front of me. I was practically telling her how I felt, and she’d totally missed the point. Either she really had absolutely no romantic feelings for me and was trying to let me down gently, or she was completely oblivious.
Bebe looked at me, waiting for an answer, but I had no clue what to say. I sat there, mouth hanging open like an idiot. Is this what girls felt like when they tried to have a serious relationship talk with a dude? Was I producing estrogen? Was I growing boobs? Because, man, I felt like a chick right now. Luckily, I was saved by the waitress who came out with our pizza and a refill on our drinks.
“Oh, good. I’m starved,” I said. I’d tried being direct and that didn’t work, so I decided to switch to avoidance.
The waitress left, and we each piled some pizza on our plate. We ate quietly for a few minutes, the weird tension growing between us. Bebe finished her second piece before she broke the silence. “Cam? Did I do something wrong? You seem upset.”
“No, Bebe,” I sighed, “you didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Then why did you get so quiet all of a sudden?”
I needed to lighten the mood or the next twenty minutes would be more awkward than two sixth graders playing seven minutes in heaven. “Well, Bianca, I’m pouting because you didn’t approve of my potential suitors for you.”
“You’re kidding, right? How am I supposed to approve of anyone you listed? If you want my approval, you need to suggest someone realistic. Someone attainable.” She waved her hand at me as if I’d only provided her with names of mythical creatures. I chewed on her words for a second. Is that what she thought about me? That I was unattainable? She couldn’t possibly think that she wasn’t good enough for me. If anything, she was too good for me. She was too good for any of the guys at our school.
I would’ve never thought Bebe had a self-confidence problem. She was as sassy as they came. That kind of attitude only came with huge balls, though obviously in her case they were metaphorical balls. If she didn’t think she was good enough for me, and she didn’t take me seriously when I tried to tell her otherwise, I had no idea how to tackle the issue. There had to be some way to get through to her.
I sat there, contemplating, and watching her start a third piece of pizza. Cheese dripped from her lips. There was a dab of sauce smeared on her chin, and she was still beautiful. All of a sudden, my crappy mood disappeared. I couldn’t stay upset with her. And I wouldn’t give up on her, either.
“So…” I tried a different approach. “If you’re not into Chris Hemsworth and you don’t think you and Principal Davis would work out, then who do you have on your mind? Who makes Bianca Barnes weak in the knees? Whose last name does she doodle behind her first name on the inside of her notebooks? Hmmm?”
“Nobody, right now.” Liar. She looked down when she answered, which meant she was lying to me. Bebe can’t look you in the eyes if she’s being less than truthful, and I was going to call her on it. But, unfortunately knowing she liked someone else meant I couldn’t profess my feelings.
“You are a big fat liar, Bebe. I’ve known you long enough to tell when you’re feeding me a load of crap. You do like someone, and since I didn’t make the cut, I deserve to know who it is.”
“You deserve no such thing. Even if I did like someone, I wouldn’t tell you.” She blushed as she said that part, which was a dead giveaway. From the deep shade of red that spotted her cheeks, I’m guessing that person was on her mind a lot. “I wouldn’t even tell Beth. I wouldn’t tell anyone. You know my reasons, and I’m sticking to them.” She folded her arms defiantly, trying to put an end to the conversation. Yeah, that wasn’t happening.
“Oh, come on. You can’t seriously believe all that bologna about the universe being out to ruin your love life? There’s plenty of guys who would happily pick you over Beth.”
“Oh yeah? Name one?”
I thought I already did. “I didn’t see Brady talking Beth’s ear off tonight or offering her his jacket.”
“That’s because Beth wasn’t anywhere near him. He may be interested in me, he may not be. But if I opened my mouth to express interest in return, she’d probably get a marriage proposal from him the next day.”
I rolled my eyes. “I can see that I’m obviously not going to win this argument. So I’ll give up for now. But I’d like it officially recorded that I think you’re delusional.”
“Opinion noted.” She nodded her head in finality.
We’d finished our pizza somewhere mid-argument, and our waitress had dropped off the check. I picked it up to assess the damage and slid my card in the check folder. Bebe opened her wallet. “How much do I owe you?”
“Nothing. She didn’t charge us. How kind of her. She must have been enamored with my stunningly good looks.”
Bebe gave me a pointed stare that screamed cut the crap. “Har-de-har-har. I didn’t know you were a comedian. Seriously, how much is my half?”
“Seriously, nothing.” She didn’t know it yet, but this was our first date, and I wasn’t going to let her pay for half of the dinner. “I don’t want your money. Save it for your next speeding ticket.”
“And he’s back, ladies and gentlemen. The Cam we all know and love. Fine,” she relented, “but I get to pay next time.”
Fat chance. There’s no way that was happening. It was going to take some work, but if I got my way, I’d soon be taking her out to many dinners. Or games, concerts, movies, bowling, and any other date-worthy activity that sounded fun. And since she’d be my girlfriend, she wouldn’t spend a cent.
BIANCA
Since we left the game early, I got home around ten. Beth wasn’t home yet, so I checked in with Dad and headed to my bedroom. I shucked off my clothes and pulled on my fuzzy pajamas, then wandered over to the window. I peeked through the blinds to see if I could catch a glimpse of Cam changing into his PJs. No such luck. His bedroom light was on, but his blinds were closed. Oh well; I just spent the entire evening with him. Wasn’t that enough? I guess I didn’t need to see him in his half-naked glory.
I flopped back on my bed, hugging my pillow. What a weird night. I didn’t know what to think about it. If I’d been with anyone besides Cam, I’d have assumed we were on a date. He paid for my game ticket and my dinner. He flirted pretty hard, even for Cam. He held my hand and even cuddled with me. Ok, so that wasn’t traditional cuddling, but I don’t know what else to call it. For a second, I even thought he was going to kiss me. Of course, that was right before he licked me. So…yeah, weird night. I don’t know what’d gotten into him, but Cam was definitely not acting like himself.
I heard the front door open and shut. A minute or so later, there was a soft knock on my bedroom door. “Come in,” I called.
Beth poked her head through the door. “What’re you doing home so early? I assumed you’d be out until eleven.”
“Cam was hungry, so we left the game after the third quarter and went to Nick’s for pizza. How’d the game end? Did I miss anything exciting?”
“Well, we lost the game; big surprise there. But after you left, Angelica’s shirt flew up over her face while she was doing a back handspring and her boobs flopped out of her bra. Then she fell on her butt and everyone laughed at her.”
“Shut. Up. Are you serious?”
“No.” Beth laughed at me. “But next time you shouldn’t ditch out early. You never know; something exciting might happen Then you’ll be so
rry you missed it.”
“Eh, if something like that actually happened, I’d probably be able to find it on YouTube the next day.”
“So…” She lay down at the foot of my bed. “What was up with you and Cam tonight?”
“What do you mean?”
“I glanced up into the stands a few times, and he was basically all over you for the entire third quarter.”
“I know. Weird, right? The whole night was like a scene from The Twilight Zone.” I shivered. It probably looked like I was creeped out, but in reality I was remembering our almost kiss. I needed to be careful around Beth. She could read me way too easily.
“How so?” she asked. I’d piqued her interest.
“Well, for one thing, he paid for my game ticket and my dinner. He’s never done that before. He was really snippy about all the attention I was giving to Brady. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he was jealous. And, he was super flirty and touchy all night.”
“Hello? News flash. Cam is flirty and touchy all the time, with everyone.” Beth gave me a look that said duh.
“Except that he isn’t like that with everyone. He’s never like that with me, never really has been. I used to be a little bothered by it because he literally throws himself at anything with boobs. Then I just decided that I must be too much like a little sister. Acting like his normal flirty self around me probably grosses him out.”
Beth laughed again. “I seriously doubt he thinks of you like a little sister. Honestly, I’ve always wondered if he was into you.”
“You can’t be serious. What on earth would make you think that?”
“Easy. He spends most of his free time with you.” She paused to think. “And, you guys have so much in common. You really are a lot alike.”
“Ok,” I countered, “first of all, he doesn’t spend most of his free time with only me. He spends just as much time with you.”
Beth cut me off. “He only spends that much time with me because you and I are always together. I’m sure it’s you he really wants to be around. Cam and I never talk and banter with each other the way you do.”
“Which is exactly why I’ve been wondering if he likes you.” Beth opened her mouth to protest, but I didn’t let her. “He’s been extra sweet to you lately, and he never teases you. He’s respectful to you. He gives you lots of hugs. Plus, you guys would look like the perfect couple. Barbie and Ken, all the way. Don’t you think it makes more sense?”
“Not really.” Beth completely brushed off my suggestion. “So back to this weird evening you had. I need specific details if I’m going to analyze the situation properly.”
I sighed. Beth was going to read way more into my night than was really there. But she also wouldn’t leave me alone until I spilled the beans. So, I started at the very beginning and left nothing out. Thirty minutes later, when I finished my retelling, Beth lay on the end of my bed, staring at the ceiling. “Sounds like a date to me,” she said.
“I know, that’s what I kept thinking. If it’d been anyone else, I would have thought the same thing. But this is Cam, so it wasn’t a date.” It wasn’t a logical argument, but it was the best I could come up with.
Beth’s face contorted like she was thinking extra hard. Finally, she turned to me and fired off the questions I’d been dreading all night. “Did you want it to be a date? How do you feel about him? Do you like him? Do you want him to like you?”
“Oh no. No, no, no, no. We are not going there. You know that even if I did like him, and I’m not saying that I do, I could never admit it out loud. I’d be doomed.”
“Geez, Bianca. You’re still holding on to the whole the universe has it out for me idea?” Beth was obviously getting frustrated, but I wasn’t going to give her what she wanted. She wanted me to admit that I liked Cam. I did like Cam, and she probably knew it, but there was no way in hell I’d ever tell her that.
Beth gave me a piercing stare, pinning me in place. This was her I’m being serious look. The one she’ll probably give her kids someday when they’re in trouble. “Tell me straight, Bianca,” she ordered, “do you or don’t you like Cameron Bates as more than friends?”
I hated lying to my sister. I almost never did it. I never really had a reason to. But every now and then, lying was the better choice. You know, like when someone asks you what you think of their new outfit, and you think it’s awful. So you lie and say you love it because you don’t want to hurt them. Well, this was one of those situations.
If I tell Bethany that I like Cam, then next week he’ll probably ask her to homecoming. She’ll feel really crappy, because she’d never say yes knowing I liked him. But, she wouldn’t want to say no because it’d hurt his feelings. She couldn’t explain why she was saying no, either, since explaining would embarrass me. So Beth would keep her mouth shut or make up some excuse about why she wasn’t planning on going to the dance.
Cam would know Beth’s excuse was a lie because a) he’s not dumb, and b) everyone wants to go to the dance. Then Cam would feel stupid because he was rejected, and Beth would be disappointed because she’d have to miss the dance in order to support her excuse. Plus, they’d both feel awkward and I’d be frustrated that neither of my best friends could be in a room with me at the same time. I know I sound like a whack-a-doo, but this really is exactly what would happen. A lie here would benefit everyone.
“You’re stalling, Bea. Just answer the question,” she demanded.
“No!” I snapped. “I don’t like Cameron. He’s just a friend.” I felt horrible as soon as the words came out of my mouth. I really am going to hell for this one. I couldn’t look her in the eyes as I said it, which is the telltale sign that I was lying, and she knew it. But I was sticking to my story, and that was that.
Beth wasn’t quite ready to drop it; she had to make sure I’d put the nail in my coffin. “So you’re telling me that if Cam came over tomorrow and introduced you to a new girlfriend, you wouldn’t care? You wouldn’t even be a little bit jealous?”
“Of course I’d be jealous. If Cam had a girlfriend, it’d mean we couldn’t hang out as much. But your scenario is highly unlikely since Cam doesn’t do girlfriends. He’s never been serious about anyone in all the time we’ve known him.”
“I know it’s unlikely; that’s why it’s a hypothetical question.” She was moving past frustrated and squarely into annoyed. “I want to know what you’d do if Cam showed up with a girlfriend.” She waited for my answer.
“I don’t know, I guess I’d tell him I was happy for him.”
No way she was buying my story, but at least she was done arguing with me. We sat quietly for a few minutes before she spoke up again. “Ok, then answer me this… If you don’t like Cam, who do you like?”
“Nope. Nice try, but my lips are sealed. Just give up already.”
“What do you intend to do about homecoming? It’s only a few weeks away. You want to go, don’t you?” she asked me.
“Of course I want to go. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that someone asks me. If I don’t get asked, I’ll go stag or stay home.” No way I’d go stag, and Beth knew it.
“You have to go, Bea, because I want to go, but I won’t go without you. It wouldn’t be any fun.”
“I guess I’ll have to make sure that someone asks me.”
“And how, exactly, will you do that?” She sounded skeptical.
“Have you ever heard of a little thing called feminine wiles?” Beth giggled, which is what I was going for. “Well, I have them in spades. Don’t worry your pretty little head about me. You just make sure you have a date for yourself.” Beth sighed. She didn’t have to worry about getting a date. But I didn’t really have any feminine wiles, and we both knew it.
. . . . .
It was a beautiful summer evening. I was walking through the desert with Cam and he was holding my hand, swinging it back and forth. We were surrounded by all kinds of exotic flowers. It seemed like a strange place for such lush vegetation, but the desert l
andscape only made the bright flowering plants look even prettier. The sun was setting over the horizon in the most magnificent shades of orange, pink, and indigo. Cam stopped walking and turned me around so I was facing him. He was wearing a tuxedo, and he looked absolutely gorgeous. “You look amazing tonight, Bianca,” he said softly.
I looked down at my outfit, a long, white, flowing dress made of chiffon and trimmed with lace and pearls. I had the vague impression that I was in a wedding dress. Cam tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, then brought his hand to rest on my neck, his thumb gently sweeping back and forth across my cheek.
“Tell me you love me,” he said. “Tell me you feel what I feel.”
I looked him in the eyes and opened my mouth to profess my feelings, but the words got stuck in my throat.
“Please, Bebe,” he pleaded. “All you have to do is tell me how you feel, and we can be together forever.”
I wanted to tell him I loved him. That I had since the very first day we met, but the words wouldn’t come. My lips were moving, but still, no sound escaped. Cam’s face fell, and he looked so sad.
“Don’t you care for me, Bebe? Not even a little bit?”
I tried to nod yes, but I was paralyzed. He dropped my hand and I thought he was going to leave, but instead he brought his index finger to my forehead and started tapping.
“Bianca, just tell me how you feel…” Tap, tap, tap. I wasn’t sure why he was tapping me in the middle of the forehead, but it was a little bit annoying. “Say the words I want to hear, and this can stop.” Tap, tap, tap, tap. Why on earth was he being so annoying?
Suddenly, Cameron was gone and Bethany was in front of me. “Bea, you know how to make the tapping stop; just admit that you like him.”
Now Beth was the one doing the tapping, and I was beyond irritated. Tap, tap, tap. “I know you’re lying, Bea; just tell me the truth.”
Tap, tap, tap, tap. Why does she keep tapping me? Anger was starting to bubble up inside. Bethany’s head became fuzzy. I shook myself to refocus my vision, and when I stopped, it wasn’t Beth’s head I was looking at, but a clown’s. I was now facing a super scary-looking clown head, but it was on Beth’s body. She’d taken off her giant clown shoe and was whacking me with it, over and over again, right in the center of my face. What the hell?
Perfectly Oblivious (The Perfect Series Book 1) Page 5
