CHAPTER 12 #2
Cameron watched as Diego picked up a bowling ball from the rack. His massive paws made it look like he was holding a cantaloupe. The heavy thunk as the ball hit the lane proved otherwise.
“Whatever you do,” Omar said conspiringly from the other side of the table, “don’t let him talk you into betting on this game. I lost a month’s worth of allowance that way.”
Cameron smiled. Hanging out together still felt surreal, despite having set aside his misgivings about Omar.
Perhaps the situation would have felt more natural if Anthony was also here, since he was the bridge between them, but as Diego had said, “We’re having a guys’ night out.
And that means the girlfriends stay home. Even the ones who have dicks.”
The clattering of pins drew their mutual attention. Diego had gotten a strike. He turned around and sauntered toward them with a smug expression.
“He’s been playing since you guys were kids?” Cameron asked.
“Oh yeah,” Omar replied with a nod. “Our dads were on the same bowling team for a while. So was Anthony’s, so they’d always get us our own lane to keep us busy.”
“You’re up, Jafari,” Diego boomed, mussing Omar’s hair before plopping into the seat behind his.
Omar didn’t look hopeful as he went to the ball return.
Diego grinned at Cameron from across the table. “You know what we need? A pitcher of beer.”
Cameron blinked in surprise. “Think you can get one?”
“Yup. Did you see the way the woman behind the counter was checking me out? Her wedding ring had disappeared by the time she handed us our nachos.”
“Suddenly you’re Sherlock Holmes? You’re full of it.”
Diego shrugged. “Try me.”
Cameron glanced around. They were surrounded by adults. Even if Diego could pass for being older than he really was, surely one of them would notice Omar and Cameron drinking.
“I’d rather hit a convenience store afterwards,” he said with an apologetic wince. “Like we did last time.”
“No problem.” Diego watched as Omar took his second turn. “Let’s make it interesting though. If I win, you guys have to pay for the booze. And a burger. Those nachos weren’t enough, and the food here sucks anyway.”
“I can’t speak for Omar…”
“Rich Boy can afford it,” Diego interrupted.
“All right then. You’re on!”
Cameron didn’t mind losing. Especially since it would make his best friend happy. Although he didn’t plan on throwing the game either.
“Whaddya get?” Diego barked.
“Four and a gutter,” Omar reported.
“Tough luck,” Diego said, marking the score card. “Sounds like you’ll be paying for dinner tonight.”
“What?” Omar cried, looking at him as if betrayed.
Cameron shrugged helplessly. Then he stood.
“Huxley seems confident as he walks toward the ball return,” Diego said, his tones sounding artificially muted.
“Although he does seem a little stiff, like he knows how much is on the line,” Omar said in the same steady cadence.
Cameron glanced over his shoulder to see them both holding invisible microphones, as if they were sports commentators.
“Huxley has the advantage when it comes to handling balls,” Diego added.
“Years and years of experience,” Omar contributed to their ongoing narration. “You know he’s got to be thinking of his boyfriend as he slides his fingers into those holes.”
Cameron rolled his eyes and walked to the line.
“He definitely seems tense,” Diego said, making sure he was loud enough to hear. “There’s every possibility that Huxley has a gerbil up his butt.”
“We can only hope the little guy manages to escape somehow,” Omar chimed in. “Everyone at home is rooting for him.”
Cameron closed his eyes briefly and shook his head in exasperation. Tonight had been a revelation. He knew they used to be best friends but had never imagined the dynamic—how they fed into each other’s sense of humor.
“He seems to have frozen at the line,” Diego commented. “Performance anxiety.”
“Still thinking of his boyfriend,” Omar added.
Cameron shot them a withering glare that sent them into fits of laughter. He used the opportunity to roll, the ball going right down the middle of the lane.
“Oh no, ladies and gentlemen!” Diego cried as if in anguish. “He got a split. The two remaining pins are spread wide!”
“Now he’s really thinking about his boyfriend!”
“Go to Hell,” he said when stomping to the ball return. “Both of you.”
This only made them howl with laughter again. He waited until he was facing the lane before he smiled, so they wouldn’t see how amused he actually was.
“Huxley has something to prove now,” Diego said as Cameron approached the line.
“Even though it’s hopeless,” Omar added, continuing their back and forth.
“He’s angled to the right, wanting to tap that ten pin.”
“He’s dreaming big but about to get a rude awakening.”
“He lets loose! Aaand… Holy shit! He did it!”
“He got the spare, ladies and gentlemen! This is a moment of triumph!”
Cameron ran back to the others, who leapt around him while whooping like he’d just won a championship. People stopped and stared in puzzlement.
“Let me show you how it’s really done,” Diego said before marching over to the ball return.
Cameron turned to Omar. “Should we give him the same treatment?”
“Nah. It’ll only encourage him.” He tilted his head toward the concession stand. “Come on. Diego is like Freddy Krueger. If you stop paying attention to him, it robs him of his power.”
“Hey!” Diego said from the line, having noticed them leaving. “Where are you going?”
“To get that burger you wanted,” Cameron called.
“Not from here.” Diego’s face twisted up. “Come back! You’re gonna miss it!”
They hustled away, although only to hide behind a nearby pillar to watch. Which was good, because when they returned…
“Got a spare,” Diego said with a satisfied sniff.
“What?” Omar cried. “There were still three pins standing, you dirty cheater!”
“How would you know? You abandoned your post. Now write it down. A spare on frame seven.”
“No way!”
They wrestled over the marker, causing another scene. As much attention as they were drawing to themselves, Cameron was glad they hadn’t gotten that pitcher of beer.
“I’m going to miss this,” he murmured as they watched Omar test the heft of different balls, seeking an advantage.
“Yeah,” Diego replied. “The timing sucks. Things were just getting good. I like having you around.”
“I’ll come back and visit,” Cameron promised. “For now, we have to do more things like this. Maybe next time, we can make it a triple date.”
“I don’t know about that,” Diego grumbled.
Cameron studied him a moment. “Silvia is really nice.”
Diego kept his gaze trained on the lanes. “Yup.”
“And things are civil between you and Anthony now. Right?”
Diego sighed. “Look man, I won’t jerk you around. I’m not walking him to class anymore.”
Cameron went rigid. “What?”
Diego met his eyes. “Don’t worry. I haven’t for weeks.”
“That’s supposed to make me feel better?”
“Yeah, because it proves that he’s all right. Nobody is gonna mess with him. They know if they do, I’m gonna get involved. The message has been sent. Anthony is fine.”
Diego stated this with such confidence that Cameron almost took it at face value. But how could anyone be certain? Especially when dealing with the kind of people who liked to gang up on someone and viciously beat them.
“You and Omar are friends again,” Cameron said, his voice strained. “Isn’t there some way…”
Diego was already shaking his head. “Anthony’s got all sorts of opinions about me. And you don’t need to hear what I think about him. We’re not gonna be buddies anytime soon. Simple as that.”
Omar returned, reporting his score. Cameron stood, his mind whirring as he took a ball and stepped up to the line.
Part of him was tempted to be angry at Diego for abandoning Anthony, but he also knew that his boyfriend might have initiated this.
Intentionally or not. Cameron was barely aware of taking his two turns, the apprehension refusing to leave him, despite Diego’s reassurances.
Yes, things seemed to be fine. For now. Anthony going unescorted between two classes wasn’t much of a risk.
He was relatively safe while at school. But what about next year, when Cameron was no longer there to watch out for him?
Anthony was a little too flippant about the situation.
Despite everything he’d already gone through, he seemed oblivious to the warning signs.
He remained troubled throughout the rest of the game. Diego won. Cameron and Omar each parted with a tenner. They were parked in front of a convenience store, waiting as Diego went inside to buy beer, when Cameron turned to face the backseat.
“You love Anthony, right?”
“Hell yeah,” Omar replied without a moment’s hesitation.
“You’d do anything for him?” Cameron pressed.
Omar jutted out his chin. “I would literally give my life to protect him. I know you’re probably freaking out.”
“About what?”
“Leaving,” Omar said. “I’d be going crazy if my folks decided to move to another state or something. I’d miss Silvia so damn much.”
“Yeah, but what about Anthony?”
Omar shook his head, like it was unthinkable. “That would break my fucking heart. He’d have to come with us. Or I would ask to live with his folks. Hey, have you thought of that?”
“My mom needs me,” Cameron said with a lump in his throat. “Especially now that she’s on her own.”
“Yeah, that makes sense.”
He studied Omar a moment. If he knew about his mother’s drinking problem, he sure was good at hiding it.
Cameron had never asked Anthony to keep that quiet, but he did appreciate the discretion.
Omar stared back at him, his gaze sympathetic.
To think that Cameron had been jealous of him, when all this time, he was the greatest ally he could’ve wished for.
They both cared about Anthony. Maybe not in the same way, but to the same extent.
“I worry about him,” he confessed.
“Yeah. I do too.”
Cameron peered through the windshield and saw Diego standing at the front counter. Then he returned his attention to the backseat. “What do you think about all the Annie stuff?”
Omar blinked. “Who?”
“Annie,” he repeated.
Omar’s brow furrowed up in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
Cameron went perfectly still. “Never mind.”
Omar didn’t know! Which was a big problem, because they supposedly told each other everything.
That used to feed into Cameron’s jealousy.
Now he needed them to be that close, because how could Omar protect Anthony if he didn’t understand the circumstances?
Diego left the convenience store, a twelve-pack dangling from one arm.
There wasn’t time to talk about it now. Even if there was, Cameron wasn’t sure he had the right.
All he knew for sure was that there were far too many secrets being kept.