Beth shot out of the kitchen. Five seconds later, there was a scream from the front door followed by a very dramatic “OH. MY. GOSH! Bea, get your butt out here!”
“What in the heck is going on?” Bebe looked puzzled and walked out of the kitchen. I followed at a leisurely stroll. When we reached the front porch, Beth stood there, taking it all in. Bebe froze in place when she saw the artfully decorated yard before her.
“Oh my gosh.” Bebe’s words were the same as Beth’s, but instead of a scream, they came out in a whisper. Her look of surprise was priceless as she scanned the lawn in wonder. “I can’t believe this. Is it from him?”
Neither of the girls had noticed the message taped to the door yet, so I cleared my throat. They were so entranced by the hundreds of hearts that they probably wouldn’t see it until I pointed it out. “Ahem… It appears his royal smoothness is to blame for the scene before us.”
Bebe turned, and I nodded toward the door. As she walked to it, Beth caught my attention and mouthed, “You did all this?” My answering grin was enough for her, and she stared at me with a look of hero worship.
“You have my hearts…” Bebe was reading the note out loud.
I couldn’t help my snarky response. After all, it was completely in character for the Cam that wasn’t her secret admirer. “I’ll say. How many hearts does the guy need, anyway? No real man needs more than one, and it should be used for manly stuff”—I pounded on my chest with my fist—“like pumping blood.” There, that should do it. Neanderthal Cam could never be suspected of perpetrating a heart attack. Or writing sappy love letters, or making gift baskets…or opening a Pinterest account. I shuddered at that thought.
Nobody moved, so I patted Bebe’s back. “Romeo has really outdone himself this time. I’d love to stay and admire the handiwork, but we have to get going.”
“Uh huh, sure, whatever you say.” Bebe was still in a daze, busy looking between the heart in her hand and the hearts in the yard. I could tell by the look on her face that this was starting to get real for her. She was finally understanding that whoever this guy was, his feelings were legit. Thank the heavens above, because I couldn’t do this much longer. Not even girly Internet sites could sustain me forever. Topping this morning would be a challenge. But if I got more reactions like this, the effort would be well worth it.
. . . . .
BIANCA
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. There were colorful paper hearts all over my front yard. Not just a few, either; there must have been four or five hundred of them. It would have taken him all night to put something like this together. Unless he had help. The letter was beautiful and the basket was sweet, but this was crazy. I definitely wasn’t a big enough deal to deserve this kind of attention.
I held the note in my hands. It was a simple statement taped to my front door. I just wanted you to know that you have my hearts. Was this guy for real? I wasn’t really close with any boys but Cam, so it’s not like this guy knew me super well. How could he mean all of the things he’d been saying? Sure, I had a lot of guy friends. Some of them I’ve known for a really long time. But I couldn’t imagine any of them doing something like this for me.
If my secret admirer was someone I didn’t know well, I think I’d freak out a little. This morning’s display was pretty hardcore. If he wasn’t someone I at least talked to on a regular basis, then I’d be afraid I had a stalker. That would ruin how amazing this week had been. I didn’t believe it at first, but now I’m pretty sure that somewhere out there, an actual boy, made of skin and bones, liked me. Me, not Beth. For the first time in my life, someone was picking me.
“Romeo has really outdone himself this time. I’d love to stay and admire the handiwork, but we have to get going.”
I heard Cam talking to me, but it wasn’t really registering; I was deep in thought. “Uh huh, sure, whatever you say.” I folded my newest note neatly and stuck it in the pocket of my jacket. Then I went back into the house, grabbed my backpack, and headed to the car. The whole way to school, my mind raced. Who was this guy, and when would he finally tell me? I was going to be worthless today.
I went through my morning on autopilot, despite Cam’s best efforts to pull me back into the land of the living. He tugged on my hair during first period and kept whispering to me when the teacher’s back was turned. All he got in return were one-word responses and grunts. In government class, I’m pretty sure Beth and Cam had a whole conversation with me sitting between them, and I didn’t catch a word of it. It wasn’t until lunch that an epiphany brought me back to reality.
I was sitting at my usual spot, staring at Cam while he laughed and joked with the guys, when Brady came over and sat a few seats down. He saw me staring and inclined his head toward me. I waved in return. Could Brady be my secret admirer? I know Cam had dismissed the idea, but I had no other guesses. Brady was pretty confident, so it didn’t make sense that he’d have to be so secretive. I mean, he’d already asked me out. We were going to the football game tonight, and then we’d probably grab some food or watch a movie. Wait a second… He’d suggested we watch a movie after the game. Did he mean go to a movie or watch one at his house? Or at my house. Perhaps a certain basketball movie that he knew I owned, because he’d purchased it for me. Had he been giving me a hint yesterday?
I racked my brain for any other hints he could have given me over the last couple of days. All of our conversations seemed pretty normal. He did ask me out, though, and that definitely wasn’t normal. If Brady was the guy, then would he tell me tonight? Is that why he asked me out, so he could finally admit his feelings in person? Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. What do I do if he comes clean about all of this tonight? How do I respond? I was getting frantic.
I was changing for PE, when I saw Beth and Angelica walk in. Beth would know what to do. She was always so grounded and way more experienced when it came to handling boys. Especially ones that lavished you with gifts and affection.
“Hey, Beth, can you come here for a minute?” I called out across the locker room. This conversation had to happen now, because once we set foot in the gym, she’d have Angelica stuck to her side like a leech. I didn’t want to share the particulars of my love life with the queen of the gossip train.
“Sure, just give me a sec.” Beth grabbed her gym clothes from her locker and walked over to me. Luckily, Angelica headed for the bathroom.
“I think it’s Brady,” I said. She looked at me, waiting for me to elaborate. “What if my secret admirer is Brady? What if he asked me out tonight so that he could tell me how he feels? What am I supposed to do?”
“First of all,” Beth was smiling as she placed her hands on my shoulders, preparing for a lecture, “you need to take a deep breath and calm down. You’re freaking out over something that hasn’t happened yet. Second, the only way to answer that question depends on you and how you feel about Brady.”
“How I feel about Brady is irrelevant. I need to know what to do if he confesses his undying love for me.”
“You’re wrong. How you feel about Brady is the most important part of your question. Do you want him to be your secret admirer?”
I thought for a second. Did I want Brady to be the one? No, I wanted it to be Cam. But I also knew that wasn’t happening and that I had to be realistic. “I don’t know,” was all I could say.
“Well, then, let me ask you another question. Do you like Brady in a romantic way?”
“I’m not sure. He’s funny and hot, and we get along so well, but…” I stopped mid comment. For a second, I forgot I was thinking out loud.
“But what?” Beth encouraged me.
“No way. You almost had me there, you sneaky little devil.” I swatted Beth on the arm lightly, and she smiled in triumph. “I’m not saying another word. Who I do and do not like is a forbidden topic of conversation. Always has been, and always will be. Nice try, though. You’re getting better. I’m going to have to start being more careful.”
&
nbsp; Beth sighed, shaking her head, and headed back to shut her locker. “Bea, you’re completely hopeless, you know that?” She didn’t look at me, but she was still shaking her head as she walked out of the locker room and into the gym.
Wow. That was a close one, Bianca. You almost screwed up royally. Better keep your big fat mouth shut, or the next amazingly romantic display of affection will have Beth’s name on it instead of yours. I was mentally chastising myself for my carelessness. I’d have to ask Cam his opinion during chemistry. I was way less likely to spill my guts to him.
In sixth hour, Mr. Gardner finished his lecture about ten minutes before the dismissal bell, and he gave us free time to work on our homework. This rarely happened, so I should have been taking advantage of it, but instead I used the time to grill Cam.
“I have a question to ask you, and you can’t tease me about it. Ok?” I asked seriously.
“Hmmm. I don’t know if that’s a promise I can keep.” Cam pretended to be deep in thought.
“Fine, you big jerk. The one time I ask you to take me seriously, and you can’t even give me five minutes?”
Cam chuckled. “Calm down, Bebe; I promise not to laugh, or make fun of you.” He put his finger to his chest and drew an X over his heart.
I hesitated for a second, and he waited patiently for me to start. “I think Brady might be my secret admirer, and I’m worried about what to do if he admits it tonight on our date.”
“Well, Bebe, you’ve come to the right man. Cameron’s my name, and love is my game.” He was using his radio voice. I rolled my eyes.
“Cam, you said you’d be serious.”
“I am being serious,” he defended, but his regular voice was back. “First of all, I already told you, Brady’s not your guy.”
“But how can you be so certain?”
“Because I know how guys think and how they act. I am a guy, remember?”
“How could you let me forget, with all your ‘Me Tarzan, you Jane’ comments?”
“I just know, Bebe, trust me.”
“That’s all you got? He’s not the one, trust me? Some help you are.” I looked away from him as tears pricked my eyes. I was stressed out and starting to get emotional. I didn’t break down often, but when I did, it was ugly. I didn’t want to lose it at school where everyone could see me act like a big baby. Cam noticed my rapid change in mood, and his voice got softer.
“Bebe, look at me.” He gently grabbed my chin and turned my face toward him. He leveled me with his gaze as his fingers left my chin and ran delicately up my jaw line to my hair. He took a piece and tucked it behind my ear and then dropped his hand to my lap where he grabbed my fingers. The moment was far too sweet to share with a room full of people.
“I really don’t think he’s the one. But I’ll tell you what you should do when this guy admits who he is.”
“What should I do?”
“You should kiss him.” Cam said, matter-of-factly. I was stunned. This was not the answer I was expecting.
“I should kiss him? What if the guy is a stranger or super gross?”
“I have a feeling he won’t be.” Cam reassured me with a smile. “Whoever this guy is, he’s clearly into you. He seems sincere, and for all his efforts, you owe it to yourself to see if there could be something there.”
I stared at Cam as I contemplated his words. Normally he’d have acted like a jealous idiot or told me that the dude was a loser. But here he was, giving me advice to kiss a boy, one that wasn’t him, and to give the guy a chance. My heart was breaking into the tiniest of pieces as I realized that Cam really never would think of me as more than a friend. I gave him a sad smile.
“I should kiss him, huh? He admits his feelings, and I shouldn’t say anything? I should just grab his face and plant one on him?”
Cam’s eyes grew bright. “Yep. That’s it. That’s how you’ll know what to do. When you kiss him, either there’ll be fireworks, or there won’t. If there aren’t, then you follow up the kiss with a thank-you and let it be. But if there are fireworks…you follow up your kiss with more kisses. Lots more.” His grin was wicked and playful, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“That’s your big plan, huh? Kiss him once, or kiss him lots. Believe it or not, that isn’t the worst advice you’ve ever given me.”
“Bebe,” Cam gasped, “I have never given you bad advice.” He plastered a shocked look on his face.
Good old Cam. I could always count on him to make light of a heavy mood. “I guess we’ll see how good your advice is when I have to use it. I’ll let you know how it all works out.”
“You bet your sweet cheeks you will.” He wrapped me in a giant hug, and for the rest of sixth period, the world was right.
CAMERON
It was a quarter after six. I’d been spying out my front window, when Brady came to pick Bebe up. I didn’t expect any funny business so early in the evening, but I wanted to be sure. Kissing a girl at the beginning of a date is something I’d do, but I didn’t think Brady was that smooth. The only info that Beth had gotten out of Bebe was that they were going straight to the game, and afterward they were going to dinner.
My dad agreed to let me borrow his car for the evening. Good thing, because my other option would have been to take the girls’. I don’t care how awesome you are at tailing someone; they’re bound to notice you following them if you’re in their own car. I looked down at my clothes, the same black sweats combo I wore when vandalizing Bebe’s yard, and decided it didn’t matter if I looked good or not. This mission was about stealth. If I wore something nice, I’d have to beat the ladies off with a stick, and that would draw too much attention. I did trade in my ski mask for a dark gray beanie and a pair of binoculars.
I got in my ride, a nice generic-looking black SUV, and headed out. I hadn’t bothered to follow them to the football game because I knew that’s where they were going anyway, and I wouldn’t have the added cover of darkness. When I arrived, I bought my ticket and went to the home team’s bleachers. It was an away game, so it felt a little weird sitting with the home team, but I couldn’t go to the visitors’ side and risk being seen. I also didn’t want to be bothered by anyone, so I found a big group of parents and scooted in next to them.
Beth knew I’d planned to sit with the home team, but she’d never find me in the sea of faces. We had to find a way to meet up without losing sight of Brady and Bebe. That part was going to be tricky. If they managed to lose us in the mass of people exiting the stadium, we’d be screwed. You can’t tail someone you can’t see.
I brought my binoculars up to my face and scanned the crowd across from me. I finally found them toward the center of the group. They were sitting by Mike and Caleb. Perfect. No better way to kill the mood than two hours of sitting by Mike. My own mood was improving, until fifteen minutes later when I realized that Brady and Bebe were doing a fine job of ignoring everyone around them. They were deeply engrossed in conversation. What was the point of coming to a football game if they weren’t even going to watch it?
I sat through the entire game with binoculars glued to my face. I’m sure I looked like a creeper, but I didn’t care. The game was a blowout, as usual. The home team fans were wild with excitement when they started exiting the bleachers. With everyone standing to leave, my view was obstructed, so I went to the front for a better look. By the time I got to the bottom of the stairs, the visitors side had cleared out enough for a good view of Bebe and Brady. It looked like they were headed down to say good-bye to Beth.
“What the hell?” I said out loud as a woman and her kids passed by. She glared at me, obviously offended by my language, but the outburst was totally warranted. Brady and Bebe were holding hands. Fingers freaking laced together and everything. And she was smiling. She looked happy. What had I gotten myself into? I was too emotionally invested to lose her now. They chatted with Beth for a second while she was gathering up her stuff. Bebe leaned over to give her a hug before they turned around and walked
away.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket, dialed Beth’s number, and watched as she fished it out of her bag.
“What’s the plan, Stan?” Beth answered, skipping the hello.
“They’re holding hands,” I practically hissed into the phone.
“I noticed. Where are you?” She looked over at the home side bleachers, and I waved. “Make your way to the exit and I’ll meet you there. Do you think you can keep an eye on them from far enough back to go unnoticed?”
“Of course I can. What do you think I am? An amateur? I brought binoculars.”
“Binoculars? Really? That’s subtle.” I could see her sarcasm from across the field.
“You didn’t notice me, did you?”
“No, but I wasn’t looking for a big fat dork with binoculars.” She laughed. “You better get going before you lose them. I’ll see you in a second.” Beth hung up the phone and started walking. I pulled my hood up over my head and stayed put until I saw them pass the entrance to the bleachers. Then I headed down the stairs with my face shadowed by my hood and my hands in my pockets. There were still people milling around, but the crowd had thinned significantly, so I wasn’t well hidden. This was good and bad. The lack of people made it easier to track Bebe and Brady, but if they turned around, it would also be easier for them to notice me.
I felt someone walk up behind me, and I turned my head to see Beth a few feet away. I quickly turned it back so I wasn’t looking at her, but spoke softly over my shoulder. “Don’t talk to me or look at me; just keep walking past. They already know you’re here, but if they turn around and see us together, it’ll blow our cover.”
Beth responded quietly as she caught up to me. “They know I’m here, but they also assume I’m taking the bus home. If they see me heading into the parking lot, they’ll know something’s off, whether they see you or not.” She grabbed my arm and pulled me to a stop behind the concession stand.
Perfectly Oblivious (The Perfect Series Book 1) Page 14