A Prom to Remember(34)

Landon had approximately the reaction that Cam would have expected, had he planned to ask the question in the first place. He glanced longingly at the door and the hallway to freedom, but then turned around.

“Hate is a really strong word,” Landon said.

“Then what word would be better?” Cameron couldn’t shake the feeling that Laptop Girl would take one look at him on prom night and run screaming in the other direction when she realized that she’d been communicating anonymously with the school pariah all year long. When he’d chosen the full-on hermit life, he obviously hadn’t factored Laptop Girl into the equation.

“I think you act weird, so everyone acts weird.”

“Have you ever heard anyone talking about me?”

“Well, yeah. They’re not exactly delicate around me. I honestly don’t think most people even know our parents are married.”

“So what do they say?”

Landon shrugged. “I heard someone say you were dealing drugs and that’s why you stopped talking to people and aren’t around anymore.”

“What? Who?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t see them. I just heard them. I wasn’t exactly running to find out who it was and defend your honor.”

Cameron rolled his eyes. “Thanks for that.”

“Honestly, Cam. I haven’t put that much thought into this.”

“You thought about it enough that when I asked if people hated me you had a pretty good answer.”

Landon sighed and took a seat on Cameron’s bed. “When someone changes like you did, and totally falls off the grid, people are going to talk.”

“But why would they assume I was doing drugs?”

Landon shrugged. “Why not? People love to gossip. I mean, I don’t love to gossip. But it’s part of human nature.”

“Okay.”

“Like the other day I heard that Amelia Vaughn asked Henry Lai to the prom. And apparently that’s true.”

“That doesn’t sound true.”

“I know! That’s why it was so crazy. So I ended up asking Amelia about it. And it’s a real thing.”

“Are they, like, dating?” Cameron could not imagine Henry even talking to Amelia without having a mild panic attack, forget actually going to the prom with her, or dating her.

“I don’t think so,” Landon said. “I didn’t get that impression at least.”

“People really do love to gossip.”

“And sometimes the rumors are true.”

“Well, except for the people who have been saying that I’m dealing drugs. They’re lying.”

“Well, yeah, but they’re obviously an asshat who’s looking for attention.”

“I messed up,” was all Cameron said in response. He had a lot of thoughts happening all at once. But he had obviously messed up if he somehow ended being a rumored drug dealer.

“I guess. I don’t really understand why you decided to become a hermit senior year. But you probably aren’t totally messed up.”

“You really think so?”

“Believe me, I’m a certified peer counselor.”

“Oh my god. You’re not going to try to score some kind of volunteer hours on this, are you? Are you using me as a charity case? I knew you were being too nice.”

Landon held up his hands defensively. “I swear I’m not. You asked and I answered. Teen angst happens to be something that I was trained to discuss, but that’s not why I’m discussing it with you.”

Cameron narrowed his eyes at his stepbrother. “Why do you always talk like a middle-aged man?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t know I did that,” Landon said with a shrug.

“Well, whatever. High school’s almost over anyway,” Cameron said, speaking his most recent motto out loud.

“Exactly.” Landon was about to leave, but then he stopped. “Are you really going to the prom?”

“Um, yeah, seems like it.”

“Wow.”

Cameron nodded.

“I’m not even sure I’m going to the prom, and I’m on the actual prom committee.”

“You’re not going?”

“Emma can’t come up for it. It sucks having a long-distance girlfriend.”

“I wouldn’t know about that,” Cameron said.

“I’ll get this back to you later,” Landon said, gesturing with the novel for English class.

Cameron waved and continued working on his final paper for English.

Cora

It was Jamie’s eighteenth birthday, and all he really wanted was to go to the new Japanese fusion restaurant that had just opened in town. His parents had gotten him a gift certificate and everything.

All Cora wanted to do was break up with him. But what kind of heartless bitch breaks up with a guy on his birthday?

At least they were doing something different this year. For Jamie’s past three birthdays they’d gone to Ruby Tuesday at the mall and then to the movies.

“Do you ever feel like we’re in a rut?” Cora asked after the waitress took their order.

“Us?” Jamie asked. “Aren’t we too young for that?”

“Jamie, anyone can get stuck in a rut. They’re not just for super old, bored, or married people. And we’ve been a couple longer than some super old, boring married people. It’s totally possible that we’re in a rut.”