by Sandy Hall
After baseball practice was over, Otis and Tag headed for Tag’s car.
Tag’s car had a distinct odor. A combination of old gym socks and wet dog or possibly old dog and wet gym socks, it was hard to parse. What was most perplexing was that Tag didn’t have a dog.
“What’s with the face?” Tag asked as Otis closed the door.
“Have you ever considered cleaning your car and locating the source of that smell? I swear every time I get in here it gets stuck in my nose.”
Tag sniffed a few times. “I don’t smell anything.”
“You’ve gone nose blind, my friend. I’ve heard about this ailment. It’s a big source of conflict on those Febreze commercials.”
Tag rolled his eyes and started the car.
“You’re still making that face even though you’ve lodged your complaint.”
Otis rolled down the window. “It still smells like ass in here and Luke got us a hotel room for after the prom.”
“Those two subjects are unrelated, right?”
“Yes. But like. A hotel room.”
“Make sure you use protection? I’m not sure what you want me to say.”
“See, it is totally synonymous with sex, right? Like getting a hotel room means that.” Otis paused and dropped his voice low. “Luke wants to have sex with me, right?”
“I guess?” Tag gripped the steering wheel tighter.
“I’m just, like, really nervous,” Otis confessed.
“Are you searching for … advice?”
“Maybe? I don’t even know what I need!”
“I don’t know why you would listen to me about anything. Have you smelled my car? That’s pretty damning evidence that I have no idea what’s going on with my life.”
“So you do smell it!” Otis said, pointing a finger at Tag.
“I do. But I have to pretend I don’t.”
“There’s gotta be a way to figure this out.”
“Well, like you said, cleaning up and finding the source. I have a feeling it’s a banana peel.”
“Well, yeah, that would help, but I was back to the topic of Luke.” Otis sighed.
“I’m not really prepared to have the sex talk with you, dude. Maybe Madison would be better for this.”
“I listen to you about your ‘women problems,’” Otis said, putting air quotes around Tag’s favorite phrase.
“You do.”
“So it’s only fair that you listen to me.”
Tag took a deep breath. “You’re right, bring it on.”
“So Luke—”
“But I don’t know how to help you!” Tag said, his voice almost a shriek as he interrupted. “This is too much for a Tuesday.”
That made Otis laugh at least. “Ask me something you’d ask a straight guy about sex; it doesn’t have to be a big deal.”
“I don’t think I’ve had a conversation like this with a straight guy.” Now Tag’s knuckles were completely white on his steering wheel.
“Why are you panicking?”
“Why are you panicking?” Tag shot back at him.
“Let’s try something else.”
“Or we could be quiet.”
“You’re a terrible friend.”
“Fine, let’s try something else,” Tag said.
“Have you ever had sex, Tag?”
“I have indeed. Have you ever had sex, Otis?”
“Like hand stuff or whatever,” Otis said, looking out the window.
“And how does that make you feel?” Tag’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline in shock at his own question.
“I guess good,” Otis said. “You’re right. This is too weird.”
“Hell no, we’re in it now.”
“So what do I do?”
Tag chewed his lip for a second. “Maybe you need to mention this to Luke? Like tell him you’re nervous? And you guys could still do, um.” Tag cleared his throat. “Hand stuff in the hotel room.”
Otis mulled that around. “Yeah, like, I know you’re right. I don’t want to throw a wrench in Luke’s big plan.”
“God, I hope my mom doesn’t have a listening device in my car.”
Otis and Tag turned and glared at the bobblehead on Tag’s dashboard.
Tag pulled up in front of Otis’s house.
“Thanks,” Otis said. “For the ride and the talk.”
“I honestly can’t believe that helped even a little bit.”
“You know, I think it did.”
“In that case, you can repay me by helping me clean out my car this weekend.”
“Not a chance,” Otis said as he slid out of the passenger seat.
“Son of a bitch,” Tag muttered as Otis slammed the door.
Tag pulled away, taking his stinking, rotting stench with him.
The smell was definitely stuck in Otis’s nose. He was definitely going to end up helping his friend try to clean that up someday soon.
Cameron
Cameron had a rare afternoon off from both of his jobs. He really needed the time to study for his upcoming AP biology test. He needed to get maximum points on all his AP exams so he could spend a little less money on college next year. The dream was to get maximum points on bio, history, calculus, and English. If he could place out of those four classes, it was practically like money in the bank and a whole semester that he might be able to skip.
He pulled up in front of Richard’s house, which is all he could ever think of it as; it wasn’t Cameron’s home at all. It was the place he had to live for only a few more months. Maybe weeks if he could find something temporary for the summer. He was eighteen after all. He liked to tell himself that maybe he would make more of an effort if he was going to be here for a while. But the fact that his mom got remarried just before his senior year of high school didn’t give him much time to adjust.
Maybe he would make more of an effort if Richard did.
Maybe.
Cameron was even considering taking a few classes at the community college over the summer but needed to find out how he did on his AP exams first. His whole goal in life these days was to get through college without having to take a dime of Richard’s money.
As he walked in the house, it was cool and dark, but there was a familiar clickety-clack sound coming from the dining room.
He found his mom sitting at the table surrounded by paperwork, gazing glaze-eyed at her laptop as she typed her way through an e-mail. He took the seat closest to her. She looked up a minute later and her eyes went wide.
“How long have you been sitting there?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Like a minute or two.”
“You’re so quiet sometimes,” she said, flipping her hand breezily. “I didn’t even know you were home.”
Cameron smiled.
“What’s up?” she asked, pausing her work and giving him her full attention. It felt like a rarity these days. Like it could be fleeting.
“Um, well, I just wanted to say hi. And to tell you that I’m going to the prom.” He said the last part quickly, and all the words ran together.
His mom clapped her hands together. “That’s excellent. I’m glad, Cameron. All you do is work and study. It’s good for you to have a little fun.”
At a different time in Cameron’s life, his mom would have taken her time and asked for the details, wanting to know who he was going with or if he needed any money or whatever. But now she shook her head and her smile fell a little.
“I have something that I’ve been wanting to tell you.”
Cameron gripped the straps of his backpack a little tighter.
“I’m pregnant!” she said.
Cameron’s mouth dropped open, and he tried to form a couple of words, but it seemed like he was having a delayed reaction to the news. Like it had to course through all the veins in his body before it made its way back up to his brain.
“Aren’t you too old?” was the sentence that finally made it from his brain to his mouth.
She rolled her eyes.
“Guess not, because I’m three months along. I didn’t even realize that I was pregnant. I thought maybe, well. You don’t want to hear about this.”
Cameron really, really did not want to hear about this. So he didn’t protest.
“Well, congratulations,” he said. “Do Landon and, um, his dad know?”
“Not yet. I wanted to tell you first. It’s just been you and me for so long, I guess it didn’t feel right to tell anyone else. I only found out this morning. That’s why I’m working from home today.”
“Cool,” he said.
“You still planning on going to college so far away even now that you’re going to be an older brother?” she asked.
“Mom, Ohio isn’t even that far away. And it’s where I got the best scholarship. I’ll see the tiny human sometime.”
“Well, I’m due right around Halloween, so hopefully we can work out a way for you to get home around then. I’m sure Richard will be happy to help pay for your travel.”
Cameron swallowed back all his feelings. He would not ruin his mom’s day with his own negativity.
“Cool,” he said again. Even though it wasn’t cool at all. “I better go study.”
“Cameron. Are you okay with this?” she asked, grabbing his hand as he stood up from the table.
He cleared his throat, willing himself not to sound too emotional.
“Yeah, it’s cool. Great even. I hope it’s…” He paused, searching for the right word or sentiment. “I hope everything is perfect.”
She smiled up at him and dropped his hand. “Thank you.”
He left the room quickly after that, before his mom could say anything else. He had the distinct feeling that he might cry, but instead he focused on his studying and got down to work.
* * *
The next day in English class was at least a laptop day.
Laptop Girl was his only saving grace these days.
I promise to find something lime green to have with me, her message started out.
I can’t promise that I’ll buy a lime-green dress. I just don’t think I’d look very good in it. But I’ll find something. We should try to make sure to both be out on the dance floor for the first slow song, no matter what. I wish I could give you more hints about me, but I worry that it’ll ruin the anonymity, and we’re so close to meeting each other it’d be silly not to wait until the prom.
He inhaled deeply and finished reading her message.
It was becoming apparent that he really needed someone to talk to about his family stuff. It was getting so bad that he almost walked up to Henry that morning. But what would he have even said? How do you apologize for just not doing anything? Someday he’d figure it out.
For today, he had Laptop Girl.
I haven’t decided what my lime green will be, but I know it’ll be something cool. Because anything lime green is automatically awesome.
I’m really glad we’re going to meet soon. I have all this … crap going on in my life, and I can’t wait to talk to you about it. You seem like you’re such a good listener. Although you’ll probably run away crying once I inundate you with my random drama and emotions.
I fear I have said too much.
But I can’t wait to meet you.
With nothing more to say, Cameron saved the draft and closed the laptop.
He spent the rest of the period chewing his pen cap and staring out the window.
Chapter 11
Jacinta
When she was invited to join in the shopping trip for her sister’s wedding dress, Jacinta was delighted. As the baby of the family, Jacinta was often left out of things that were deemed “grown-up.” This outing made her feel like her family was finally taking her seriously now that she was almost eighteen and recognizing her as the adult she was becoming.
It turned out that she was probably only invited because literally every female relative in her family was invited. The trip included: Jacinta, her mom, her sister (obviously), her sister’s future mother-in-law, her abuela on her mom’s side, two of her tías, her brother’s wife, and her brother’s wife’s sister.
From the very first minute, Jacinta could tell it was going to be the longest Saturday afternoon that she had ever known.
The bridal store associate led the large party up to the second floor, and sometime during her speech about dress fitting Jacinta checked out of the whole process. There were obviously at least four people too many here and way too much going on. She didn’t need to be involved. She’d make sure she put in an appearance when her sister started trying on gowns.
Instead she wandered around looking at bridesmaids’ dresses and considering her options. Her “options” meaning how could she trick her sister into choosing the dress that Jacinta liked.
Her mom called her to join them upstairs about fifteen minutes later, and Jacinta stuck around for a bit, honestly enjoying herself. All the abuelas and tías and various family members oohed and aahed at Flora as she came out in dresses that all looked wonderful on her. She was going to be a beautiful bride.
But then she went back to try on dress number thirteen, and if Jacinta knew anything about her sister it was that she wasn’t going to buy dress number thirteen. It seemed like a good time to go look at the clearance rack Jacinta had been eyeing across the balcony from where they were.
Jacinta slipped away and started shuffling through dresses.
They weren’t arranged by color or size, but that was part of the fun. She didn’t necessarily see anything that struck her fancy, and it would probably be tough to convince her sister to select something from last year’s line anyway. The Ramoses weren’t rich, but they knew what they wanted and they knew how to throw a wedding.
Jacinta got to the end of the rack and stopped in her tracks. There, hanging on a half-broken hanger, was what might have been the most beautiful dress she’d ever seen. Not a bridesmaid’s dress; definitely not, it wasn’t her sister’s style at all.
But it would make the perfect prom dress.
If she hadn’t already wanted to go, this dress would have sealed the deal.
She grabbed it off the rack and slipped into the nearest fitting room, hoping that no one from the entourage would notice that she had disappeared.
She slid the curtain closed behind her and started undressing as quickly as she could. The quicker she got this over with the quicker she could be disappointed by how this perfect dress looked terrible on her.
Except. It didn’t look terrible.
It was her favorite color, light icy blue, and it looked perfect with her dark brown hair and deep tan complexion, thanks to her Puerto Rican roots. It looked strapless, but it actually had some kind of sheer, gauzy material holding everything in place. She wanted to call it netting, but she was sure that wasn’t the proper term. The skirt was short but full and hit right above her knee.
The best and most amazing part was that it fit her like a glove. No dress had ever fit her like a glove before. She had a weird shape. Her mother told her it was lovely any time Jacinta brought it up, but she had broad shoulders and a broad chest, and clothes never looked right on her. She often looked stiff and uncomfortable in dresses, because she was stiff and uncomfortable in dresses. If she bought them big enough for her top half, she looked like she was swimming in the rest of it. But this dress was a miracle.
She snapped a picture with her phone and texted it to Kelsey, who immediately texted back a long line of exclamation points, followed by an “OMG, it’s perfect!”
Rather than replying right away, Jacinta stuck her head out the side of the curtain and caught her mom’s eye. She gestured her over and then yanked her by the arm into the dressing room.
“What do you think of this?” Jacinta whispered.
Her mom gave her a critical once-over.
“Not for Flora’s wedding but for the prom,” Jacinta added.
Her mom looked at real Jacinta and then Jacinta in the mirror, holding a hand to her chin.
“Hmm,” her mom said. She peeked out the curtain, but Flora had yet to reappear from the back. “Yes. You have to buy it. You look perfectly lovely in it, Jacinta.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
Her mom slipped Jacinta her credit card and her car keys.
“But do it fast. Go down the back steps over there and buy it in the front. Bring it out to the car and hide it in the trunk and meet me back up here. Best not to tell your sister right now. She probably has some superstition about someone else buying a dress while she’s trying on dresses.” Her mother rolled her eyes and Jacinta did, too. She couldn’t help a little giggle escaping, as her mother was her coconspirator even if it was just about rushing to conceal a dress from Flora.
She did exactly as her mom instructed. The more Jacinta thought about it the more she knew that this was the exact dress for her.
She snuck back upstairs and sat down as Flora emerged in her fourteenth dress.
The group wrapped up their afternoon at the bridal salon soon after that. Flora decided that she honestly liked the first dress the best and wanted to come back in a week to make sure, after giving herself a little time to think on it.
She had plenty of time, considering the wedding was still over a year away.
On the way home in the car, Jacinta checked her phone. She had a new text from Kelsey.
Jacinta gasped out loud, but luckily her mom and her sister were so busy talking in the front they didn’t even hear her.
Henry
Henry had made a terrible mistake. His mom had asked him if he wanted to go to Target with her Sunday evening. He said yes, because he wasn’t thinking. When he heard the word Target he was really hoping he could find the exact Star Wars T-shirt that he’d been wanting and convince her to buy it for him. Sure he had his own money, but if moms weren’t for buying their kids clothes then what was the point.
Unfortunately, it had already been an hour and he was more than ready to leave. It had taken him all of three minutes to find his novelty T-shirt, and now he had looked at everything from sports equipment to books, from kitchenware to office supplies. He was tired of wandering around in his dirty clothes from helping his dad in the yard that afternoon and he really wanted to get home to shower.