CHAPTER 33
Cameron raised a fist to knock on the front door.
Then he hesitated, uncertain if he really wanted to go through with this.
He could make an excuse. Food poisoning!
Or he could pretend he got hit by a car and would hobble around on crutches until prom was over.
Charles probably had an old pair at the antique store, or a rickety wheelchair. Cameron would go there now and check.
The front door flew open.
Omar grinned at him. “Get in here, big boy. It’s time to dance!”
“Actually—” Cameron began.
Omar grabbed his hand, his shoulders gyrating as he walked backward while dragging him inside. “This is the best idea. Anthony is going to be so thrilled, dude!”
Cameron ceased resisting, reminded of why he was here.
Prom was their grand finale. He couldn’t spend it on the sidelines.
So he had turned to the only guy on the school’s dance team.
Although come to think of it, Keisha was in the same class, and asking her would’ve been way less awkward.
Too late now. Omar spun him around, switching places, and kicked the front door shut.
Then he finally let go of Cameron’s hand.
“Right this way, my man. Let’s get started!”
Omar led the way to a large living room. His entire house was big, which hopefully meant they wouldn’t be interrupted. Or have any witnesses.
“Anybody home?” Cameron asked self-consciously.
Omar adjusted the volume on a stereo. “Yup!”
“Can we go to your room instead?”
“Too public here?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s the point. Now show me what you’ve got.”
The Gin Blossoms’ “Found Out About You” was playing.
Cameron hesitated. “This isn’t really a dance song.”
“It’s got a beat, doesn’t it?” Omar replied, his feet moving to the rhythm.
“Okay. Uh…” Cameron began to shuffle back and forth.
“All right!” Omar said, the motion of his body increasing. “You’re getting it! Show me more.”
“Um…” Cameron replied, before lifting and dropping his arms repeatedly. He felt like a kid in a grade school play. And he was playing the role of a turkey.
Omar grimaced. “Boy, this really isn’t your song, huh?”
“I do like it,” Cameron admitted.
“Oh. Can you up the energy?”
Cameron started flapping.
Omar chuckled. “It’s like watching someone do aerobics.”
Cameron sighed and stopped moving. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Let’s try this. Close your eyes.”
Cameron was happy to comply, since it felt like disappearing.
“Now listen to the tempo,” he heard Omar say. “Let it fill you. I know that sounds like New Age bullshit, but trust me. You’ve gotta become one with the music. Don’t think about anything else.”
Cameron tried to follow his suggestion. Annoyingly, just when he felt like he was getting somewhere, the song ended.
“Loser” by Beck started to play next. That resonated with how he was feeling.
Cameron had never cared for the vocals, but it did have a strong beat.
Feeling ridiculous, he let himself sway.
“Yeah!” Omar said. “Get into it! Have fun.”
The song was kind of silly, so instead of trying to impress, he let his body wiggle.
“Uh-huh.” Omar said. “Shake that thang.”
Cameron waved his rump back and forth.
“More of that!” Omar said. “Let yourself go wild. I’ll let you know if you’re about to crash into anything.”
Cameron lurched around, spinning and swinging his arms above his head. He started laughing. Omar did too. He opened his eyes again.
“You’re getting there!”
“I want to look cool though.”
“Gotcha. Tell me what you like better.”
Omar shuffled to the rhythm, his motions minimal. Then he began to thrust, pumping with his arms as he did so, his body swinging in time with the drums. And yeah, it was a ridiculous dance move, but undeniably better.
“The key is to be loose,” Omar said. “Don’t worry about anyone judging you. If somebody is watching you that closely, they aren’t dancing enough. And they’re probably an asshole. So who cares?”
Cameron matched his thrusting motions, laughing again when he realized how much fun it was.
Then the song changed, and they basically started from scratch.
The tune was reggae-infused, the tempo much slower.
Cameron didn’t know the band’s name, but he’d heard the chorus often enough recently.
Mmm baby, I love your way… Acting up had worked when listening to Beck. Now it would be irreverent.
“Er…”
“Close your eyes,” Omar said easily, doing so himself. “Clear your thoughts. Your body knows what to do.”
He was right. Cameron managed a languid motion, bobbing his head while letting his feet step back and forth.
When he opened his eyes, Omar was mirroring him.
They were dancing together! Cameron started to doubt himself during a lull after the sax solo, so he shut his eyes and let his body feel it out.
The beat came back with twice as much energy, and so did he.
“You’ve so got this!” Omar crowed.
That weird “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm” song by Crash Test Dummies came on next.
“Okay,” Omar said, looking confused. “This is the sort of tune where you offer to get your man some punch.” He went to the stereo and turned the knob to find a different station. “Are you hyped about going to prom with Anthony?”
“Yeah!” Cameron replied. “Even more so now.”
“Think there’ll be any trouble?”
“Trouble?” he repeated.
“The stupid new rule.” Omar glanced over his shoulder. “You guys weren’t supposed to get tickets.”
Mindy and Galen had gotten past that roadblock for them. “Honestly? I’m hoping no one will notice. I want the night to be special. The next battle can wait.”
“You guys are brave,” Omar murmured.
Cameron shrugged. “This is what we signed up for when coming out.”
“Well if anything does go down, I’ve got your back.”
Cameron wasn’t worried about prom. Senior year was another matter entirely. Maine was too far away for him to protect Anthony. He intended to ask Diego to keep an eye out. Ricky too. But they didn’t love Anthony as much as Omar did.
“Here we go! Ready for your next lesson?”
“Now and Forever” was playing on the stereo. He knew this song. “I love Richard Marx!”
“You’ll like it even more when you’re slow dancing with Anthony.” Omar strode over to him.
Cameron took a step back. “I’m sure I can manage.”
“Are you positive?”
He wasn’t.
Omar opened his arms. “Do you wanna be the boy or the girl?”
“Seriously?”
“Oh. Top or bottom? That’s what you guys call it, right?”
Cameron laughed.
“Actually,” Omar said while peering at him, “Anthony is taller, so he’ll probably have his arms up high.
You’ll hold on to his waist.” Omar took his hands and guided them there before resting his on Cameron’s shoulders.
“You don’t want to close your eyes and freestyle during a slow song,” he advised.
“You’ve gotta stay aware, so you don’t step on his feet. ”
“How do I manage that?”
“Shuffle. At worst, your shoe might bump into his, but it’s not a big deal. Nice and easy. You’ve got it.”
He felt himself relax. “This isn’t hard.”
“It will be if you do it right,” Omar said, waggling his eyebrows.
Cameron rolled his eyes. “I think I’ve got the hang of it now.”
“This is just stage one. If you wanna turn up the heat…” He took hold of Cameron’s hand and moved in close. “Put your arm all the way around my waist. There ya go! Now we sway.”
Cameron tensed. This was a little more intimate than he’d been expecting. Omar’s body was warm from exertion, his crotch rubbing against Cameron’s hip as they continued in a slow circle. He seemed to be the only one who was uncomfortable.
Omar’s dark eyes were sparkling, his grin toothy. “I can’t wait to see you guys together like this. Anthony is gonna be so into it.”
“Are you sure that you’re not?” Cameron asked incredulously.
Omar shrugged. “I don’t have a boner or anything. Do you?”
“No!”
“You’ve got a tight little body though,” Omar said, moving his free hand to Cameron’s chest. “Anthony must drool all over you when you guys are doing it.”
“Hey, help yourself!” Cameron spluttered.
“Oh sorry,” Omar said, putting some space between them. He puffed up his chest. “Do you want to feel mine? I’m happy with my pecs, but yours are a lot firmer.”
“Yeah, okay,” Cameron said before treating himself to a squeeze. Omar did have a nice beefy chest.
“Oh my god!” a new voice said. “What are you guys doing?”
Cameron let go. A teenage girl stood in the doorway. She had the same raven black hair as her brother.
“I’m teaching him my moves!” Omar replied.
“I can see that!”
“Come feel his muscles,” Omar invited.
“That’s enough groping,” Cameron said, backing up.
The song had changed anyway. Now it was “Whatta Man” by Salt-N-Pepa.
“I wanna dance with you guys!” the girl said.
Cameron’s face flushed. “We’re done actually.”
Omar shook his mane. “No way! Yasmin can teach you all sorts of stuff. I’ll judge.”
Cameron started to protest, until he realized that it would be good practice. At prom, he’d be dancing with an audience present. He was here to learn more than just technique. Cameron needed to conquer his shyness.
“C’mon, hot stuff,” Yasmin said, already shaking her body. “Show me what you’ve got!”
They passed the next hour in this fashion. By the time they were through, Cameron no longer felt self-conscious. Yasmin went to answer the phone. Omar turned off the music.
“My work here is done,” he said. “You guys are gonna have a great time. Hey, what are you wearing?”
“I’m renting a tuxedo. Anthony and I agreed that we don’t need to match, that it’s more important we’re comfortable.”
“Huh. I wonder what he’s going to wear.”
“You don’t know?”
“Nope. Do you?”
“Like at all?” Cameron pressed. “He hasn’t described it to you?”
Omar shook his head. “When I asked, he said it was a surprise. I’m guessing he found some funky red suit from the seventies.”