I tried to focus on lifting. I didn’t want my performance to suffer this season because I was jealous. But I couldn’t concentrate. Every time I looked over at Bebe and Brady, they were talking or laughing, having a grand old time. I noticed that whenever he’d lift a barbell from her, he made sure their hands were touching. Bad call, Brady. The jerk better not think about stealing my girl.
I know it’s childish, but I’d already hit my childish quota for the day, so I pulled a move straight out of Mike’s playbook: “Picking Up Chicks for Tools.” I took off my shirt, wiped my face with it, and tucked it in the back of my pants. I noticed right away that a few of the girls in the room were sneaking peeks. Missy wasn’t even being subtle about it.
I couldn’t help but hope that Bebe would be like all the other girls and look, too. I was pretty ripped after my intense weight training this summer, and Brady was kind of skinny, so I doubted he’d rip off his shirt in competition. I also knew that if he tried, there wouldn’t be a competition, because I looked that much better. Hey, it’s not cocky if it’s the truth. If Bebe noticed my desperate attempt to get her attention, she didn’t show it.
. . . . .
BIANCA
I know I started it by dunking Cam’s head in the fountain, but he’d cut in front of me. I couldn’t let that go without some sort of retaliation. I didn’t expect him to spit water in my face. That was immature, even for Cam. This was proof of his feelings for me. Guys that were into girls didn’t spit water into their faces, plain and simple. So I was just a friend. It was disappointing but not anything I didn’t expect. All the touching and flirting this past week must have been hormones overflowing because he hadn’t hooked up with anyone in a while. Not that I knew of, at least.
I got into the weight room, assuming that Cam and I would lift together, but Brady walked up to me first. “Hey, Bianca. Want to be my partner?”
“Sure, why not?” I smiled at him. If I was never going to have a chance with Cam, it was time I started moving on. Brady was as cute as anyone else, and he was really nice. On top of that, I got the feeling he might be interested in me. “What do you want to work on today?”
He flexed his biceps as he examined them. He wasn’t exactly scrawny, but he didn’t have the chiseled upper body that Cam did. “I’m thinking bis, tris, shoulders, and chest,” he decided.
“Sounds good to me.” It didn’t really matter what I lifted. I looked like a little boy, regardless of how much time I spent in the weight room. We grabbed some dumbbells and stood by the mirror doing bicep curls. “So, didn’t want to partner with Mike today, huh?”
“Mike’s a good guy, I swear. He’s not even the idiot that he makes people believe he is.”
“Riiiight…” I nodded my head. It was clear I didn’t believe him. I shouldn’t rag on Mike so much. I think he and Brady were pretty good friends.
“No, really. He’s just insecure for some reason. It’s like he never figured out how to talk to girls and it messes with his head. I’m not sure why he acts the way he does. Maybe he thinks that if he sets the bar really low, people won’t be disappointed. If he’d just be himself and stop worrying about what everyone thought, people would probably like him better. Trust me, I wouldn’t spend so much time with him if he were as dumb as he pretends to be. He’s a totally different person when it’s just us.”
“That’s surprisingly deep of you, Brady.”
“Do I seem like the type of guy who wouldn’t be deep?” He smiled. It was a nice smile. I blushed as we moved on to a shoulder press. I hadn’t meant to offend him. I sat on the bench, and he stood behind me ready to spot.
“No, that’s not what I meant,” I corrected. “It’s just that most guys I know aren’t super open to talking about their feelings. I think it’s cool you aren’t afraid to stick up for him.”
“Well, Bianca, I am a pretty cool guy.” He winked at me in the mirror. I was getting fatigued, and it was obvious, so he put his hands lightly on my forearms and left them there as I pushed on with my last few reps.
“One more, Bea. Come on, you got this,” he encouraged. My arms were shaking, and I seriously doubted my ability to finish the press. He moved his hands off my arms and put them over mine, helping me make it the last few inches. Then he kept our hands locked as he guided the weights down to my side and took them from me. “Nicely done.”
We switched places, and he started his shoulder press. Hopefully he didn’t need help, because my arms felt like Jell-O. If he got into trouble, I wouldn’t be worth much. Our conversation continued effortlessly through the rest of the workout. It was mostly small talk about basketball and what we expected from the season. Brady joked around about getting to have conditioning together this year because Coach Lambert and Coach Adams were secretly in love. They needed more time to spend on their forbidden romance. Talking to Brady was surprisingly fun. I wonder if he has a date to homecoming yet? I wouldn’t be totally bummed if he asked me. Should I hint around about it?
I was in the middle of deciding how one brought up the subject of homecoming without sounding like she was fishing for a date, when I noticed Cam across the room. He’d taken off his shirt and shoved it in the back of his shorts. Nine pairs of feminine eyes were staring in his direction. Missy’s were practically falling out of her head. Even Coach Lambert gave him a quick peek. Maybe she’s batting for our team, after all. I waited until he sat down at the lat pull with his back facing me before I checked him out. Unlike all these other floozies, I had dignity. Who was I kidding? One minute I was thinking about going to homecoming with Brady, the next I was staring at Cam and wiping the drool from my face. I couldn’t help it. His upper body was something you’d expect on a Greek god, not a dumb high school boy. I guess that made him my own personal Greek tragedy.
Feeling guilty, I tore my gaze away. I would not ruin a perfectly good conversation by staring at half-naked Cam. At that moment, Beth popped her head in the weight room door. “Hey, Bea. You guys almost done?” I looked at the clock. Time was up. It’s true what they say about it flying when you’re having fun.
“Yeah, I guess Ms. Lambert’s torture hour is over. But I have a team meeting in fifteen minutes. I’m not sure how long it’ll take. Do you mind waiting?”
“Actually, I’ve got a ton of homework. Is there any way you could catch a ride home with someone else?”
“Probably. Give me a few minutes to ask around before you take off.”
Hmm, who could I bum a ride off of? Turns out I didn’t need to ask anyone, because Brady jumped to my rescue again.
“I can give you a ride if you need one, Bea.”
“Are you sure? We might be a while.”
“Yep, it’s no problem. I have a few things I need to research for a history assignment. I can do that over in the library while I wait.” He jogged to his backpack and fished out his phone. “Give me your number, and I’ll text you mine. Meet me in the library when you’re done, and if you can’t find me, call.”
“Awesome. Thanks, Brady, I owe you one. Slurpees are on me today,” I offered.
“No thanks necessary. I already told you, anything for a damsel in distress. But I’ll never turn down a free Slurpee, so I accept.”
“Well then, it’s a date.” Where was this bold, new Bianca coming from? It’s a date? I better be careful, or the universe was going to pick up on my harmless flirting. I spoke to Beth, who was still standing in the doorway. “Looks like I found a ride.”
“All right, then. I’ll see you at home.” She turned to Cam, not phased at all by his shirtless body. “Hit the showers, Cam, and make it quick. I don’t want your stinky boy sweat smelling up my car.”
“Yes, Mom,” he told her. He occasionally stole my line when she deserved it. He winked at me with a conspiratorial grin and walked out the door.
CAMERON
She was supposed to get a ride from someone on the team, not turn it into a date with Brady. I was fuming as I turned on the shower. I hurried through my rinse so I wou
ldn’t keep Beth waiting too long. I needed to act fast, or they’d be dating for real by the end of the week. I also needed to calm down. Panicking wasn’t going to help me think any clearer. If I had to compete with Brady, I’d be in trouble. The guy was smoother than I initially gave him credit for.
I met Beth outside the locker room, and we walked to her car. Other than a quick hey, I didn’t say anything. My mind was too busy thinking about what an after-school Slurpee run could turn into. We got in the car and buckled our seat belts as Beth turned on the engine and threw the car in reverse. Once we were on the road, she broke the long silence.
“Whatever is going on must be pretty bad, because you haven’t spoken a single word since we left the locker room. Spill it,” she demanded. She kept her eyes on the road, but her tone said she meant business.
“Beth, what I’m about to tell you cannot leave this car. Do you understand?” My voice was seconds from cracking, and my heart was racing. I couldn’t believe what I was about to admit.
“Cameron Bates, what’s wrong?” Her no-nonsense tone switched to one of concern.
Beth looked out the front window, steady as a rock. Just do it, Cam. Stop being a sissy, or you’ll never get the girl. I took a deep breath and blurted out before I could stop myself.
“I’m in love with your sister.” It came out in a rush.
Beth was silent for what seemed like an hour but was really only seconds. “That’s it?” She laughed. “Geez, Cam, I thought you were going to tell me you were dying or that you’re gay or something.”
“What do you mean, that’s it? My confession isn’t a big enough deal for you?” I was incredulous.
“No, no, it’s a big deal.” She grinned. “You have no idea how much. I’m just not all that surprised.” Excitement was rolling off her.
“You mean, you suspected that I like her?”
“Yes, I’ve always wondered if you did. You guys are too perfect for each other to not end up together.” I’m sure I still looked panicked, because she quickly continued, “If you’re worried that she knows you like her, then don’t. I’m pretty sure she has no clue, based on our conversation Friday night.”
I sagged with a deep sigh of relief. “Wait a minute. What conversation? You guys talked about me liking her?”
“Not exactly. She came home all weirded out Friday because you paid for her game ticket and dinner. She said you were super flirty and touchy.”
“So she did notice? I was laying it on pretty thick.”
“Cam, I think everyone in the student section noticed. Even Angelica complained about it after you guys left. If looks could kill, Brady would have made you a dead man.”
“Well, he deserved it. Jackass horned in on my date. Apparently not everyone noticed my sweet moves, because Bianca seemed pretty clueless.” I was never going to stop being frustrated that the night hadn’t gone as planned.
“Oh, she noticed, all right,” Beth corrected me. “She just didn’t know what to think about it. I don’t think she believes that you could ever be interested in her. I don’t know why. You guys are perfect for each other. She has this belief that I’m awesome and she’s average and that no boys would ever pick her over me.”
“That’s just ridiculous.” I caught my mistake and rushed to fix it. “No offense. I mean, you’re gorgeous and great and all, but you aren’t her. If she weren’t so oblivious, she’d be perfect.”
“None taken.” She smiled knowingly. “Perfectly oblivious…that’s a good way to describe Bianca.” Beth chuckled.
“So,” I edged forward, “what do you think? Is there any chance that my feelings aren’t one-sided?”
Beth contemplated for a moment. Great. She couldn’t answer right away. This wasn’t a good sign. Maybe I just made a complete ass out of myself. Finally, she answered, seconds short of me losing it. “Actually, I think she does like you.”
“You do? Did she tell you that?” My giddiness made me feel like a six-year-old in a candy store with a hundred-dollar bill.
“Not exactly…”
“What do you mean, not exactly?”
“Ok, I mean not at all.” Beth pulled out her pouty lip. She only did that when she was really frustrated.
“Come on, Beth, you’re killing me here.” I went from excited to crushed in two seconds flat. I raked my hands through my hair. I was turning into such a girl. I swear someone is slipping estrogen pills into my Red Bull. We pulled into her driveway, and she put the car in park, then turned to me.
“Don’t freak out, Cam. I know she likes you.”
“How do you know if she hasn’t told you?”
“I just do.” Beth seemed sure of herself. “Call it my twin sense.”
“You guys aren’t actually twins, you know.” I glared halfheartedly. I was too desperate to be angry.
Beth shook her head. “I know that.” My lack of trust was obviously annoying her. “But I also know my sister, and if I say she likes you, then she likes you.”
“That’s not good enough. I have to know for sure.”
Beth examined me. “I have an idea.” Sarcasm tinted her voice. “Why don’t you just tell her you like her? You know her whole the universe hates me theory. Even if she did like you, which I think she does, she’ll never admit it first. Maybe you’re going to have to grow a pair and tell her how you feel.”
I blinked slowly, mouth agape. Did she just tell me I had no balls? Beth was never so crude. This was quite the challenge, especially coming from her.
I was quick to defend myself. “Your twin sense isn’t good enough, Beth.” I needed her to understand my predicament. “You think this is just about me being chicken? I’m scared, I’ll admit that, but this isn’t about being scared. I laid it on pretty thick Friday. I was as forward as I could be without coming out and saying I liked her. And do you know what she did? She laughed at me. She blew me off like it was nothing more than a joke. I know it may have come across a little casual, but being blunt is a risk I can’t take right now.”
“Why not? If it’ll get you what you want in the end?”
“That’s just it. I don’t know if a declaration of love will end well. What if she doesn’t like me? Have you ever thought about that? She’s been awfully friendly with Brady lately. What if she’s into him and I confess my feelings and she doesn’t want me back? What’ll that do to our friendship? It would ruin everything.” I paused to let my words sink in.
“She’s my best friend. I can’t risk losing her friendship because you have a feeling that she likes me. It would be so awkward. Then you’d have to stop hanging out with me because she’s your sister and you’ll always put her first. I’d be losing both of you.” I sighed. Being so open and emotional was draining on my male psyche.
Beth was quiet. She looked sad. “Ok. I get it. I guess I never thought about it like that before. I honestly think she likes you, but she hasn’t admitted it. Actually, when I asked her point blank, she full on denied it.” I cringed a little, and Beth noticed. “Don’t worry; she couldn’t look me in the eye while she was doing it, and we both know what that means.” Beth was smiling again, and that got a small one out of me. “But if you can’t admit you like her and she won’t admit she likes you, then what do we do about it? You can’t go on like this forever.”
“I don’t know,” I answered. “That’s why I brought my dirty little secret to you.”
We sat in complete silence, thinking. Beth spoke first. “What we need is to figure out for sure that she’s into you.”
“Thanks, Einstein…” I snapped. “How do you propose we do that?”
Beth gave me a dirty look but ignored my rudeness. “We need to make her jealous,” she answered.
“You think I haven’t tried that?” I threw up my arms in frustration. “I’ve been trying to make her jealous for the last year. Why else do you think I’m such a flirt? I certainly don’t like any of those girls. And yes, I know that makes me a first-rate ass. I thought eventually I could m
ake Bebe jealous. Obviously, it’s not working.”
“I think the objects of your flirtations are wrong. It’s clear to her that you are just flirting. You’d never get serious with any of those girls. I know it, and Bea knows it. If she thinks you aren’t going to have a relationship, then they aren’t a threat. No need to be jealous. She even told me so the other night.”
I squashed the false hope that was rising as quickly as I could. “She actually said she’d be jealous if she thought I was hooking up with someone?”
“She did. She said that she’d be jealous if you were really into someone, because it’d mean you’d spend less time with her.”
“Well, I guess that’s something. Better than her saying she wouldn’t care.”
“Oh, she’d care all right. And I know how to prove it. You need to ask someone to homecoming, and not any old someone.” Beth’s look was calculating. “You need to ask me.”
“Yeah, that’ll go over real well. Then she can be pissed at both of us.”
“No, hear me out. It has to be me. It won’t be real, of course. We’ll just pretend we’re going to together. We can call it off at the last minute. If we can get her to admit she likes you, then you can take her instead. Think about it: you can’t fake-ask someone else. You’d be stuck with a real date to the dance that you can’t bail on. Not without being considered the world’s biggest jerk, at least.”
I thought about it. Beth was right. If anything would spark a desperate admission of feelings from Bebe, it’d be the thought of Beth and me going to the homecoming dance together.
“Ok, you may be right. But if we do this, we can’t make it look like we’re hooking up. That’d piss her off, and then I’d lose her forever. It has to seem casual, accidental, even. Just as friends.”
Beth smiled. “I have the perfect idea.” She was suddenly excited. “I heard a rumor that Josh Sutton was going to ask me to the homecoming dance tomorrow.”
“Josh Sutton?” I interrupted. “The kid from marching band? He’s like, king of the dorks.”
Perfectly Oblivious (The Perfect Series Book 1) Page 7