Cami

Over the next few weeks, walking to Café Beignet after school became Camille and Nate’s routine. And much to the Ashleys’ dismay, so did Camille wearing his blazer. The only way she knew this bothered the Ashleys was because Ashley Dupree asked her about it in first period today.

“So, are you guys, like together?” Ashley asked.

Camille had to look around to make sure Ashley was really talking to her. “What?”

“You and the new boy, Nathan Hawthorne? Are you dating?”

Camille’s face flushed. “No!”

“Then why do you wear his blazer to school every morning?”

Camille wondered what Ashley would say if she knew Camille also slept with it because she loved the way it smelled like Nate. She shook the pathetic thought from her mind. “We walk home together after school sometimes, and I get cold so I borrow it.”

Ashley’s pretty face wrinkled into a scowl. “Does he live near you or something?”

“Sorta.”

Camille didn’t know why she said that. Nate lived in the Bywater, which was nowhere near her house in the French Quarter. But from the envious glare Ashley was giving her, Camille had a feeling that for the first time in Ashley’s privileged life, she was wishing she didn’t live in the rich Garden District she called home.

Camille should’ve been a big enough person not to care that she had something the Ashleys were jealous of, but she wasn’t. It made her giddy to watch them watching her with Nate. And even though nothing romantic had happened between them since the day he kissed her hand, Camille couldn’t stop thinking about Nate—and wanting more.

She knew it wasn’t fair. It was too late for her to fall in love. She knew it in her bones. But when Nate leaned close to her or smiled at her, Camille lost sight of everything—even the cancer.

* * *

At lunch, Nate joined Camille in the student lounge. This too had become part of their routine. It seemed strange to her that she’d eaten nearly every meal at NOAH alone until Nate showed up. She could barely remember her lonely lunches lost in a book or a soundtrack. In just a few short weeks, Nate had changed everything.

Now, she couldn’t imagine not sharing headphones with him, listening to music while he talked animatedly about what kind of songs he wanted to play on his violin, or some new movie or book he was in to. Nate did most of the talking, but Camille thought it was nice to have someone else’s voice rattling around in her head for a change.

Nate’s other favorite thing to talk about was his brother. Camille couldn’t help thinking his stories were so unbelievable they had to be true. And she loved the way Nate’s face lit up when he talked about Tyler. Yesterday, Nate told her about the time he and Ty had streaked across their football field during a game. Their principal made them clean his bathroom as punishment. So Nate and Ty drew spiders on the toilet paper rolls and then put Pop-Its under the toilet seat. Nate said the principal’s screams were heard throughout the entire school the next day.

Today, Nate was showing her a picture on his phone from when Tyler stained Nate’s teeth blue for school pictures in ninth grade by mixing food coloring in his toothpaste. Camille snorted her herbal tea down her shirt when she looked at Nate’s blue Cheshire grin. And of course that was the exact moment the Ashleys flounced into the student lounge.

They were hazing a group of young Antes by making them set up a folding table and drape it with a glittering silver and white tablecloth. By the time they were done decorating, it looked like Harry Winston spilled a diamond wonderland all over the lounge. And of course, the Ashleys decided to make their way over to where Camille and Nate were sitting.

Ashley Dupree ignored Camille completely, batting her eyes at Nate. “Well hello, handsome. Fancy meetin’ you here.”

There was nothing fancy about it. If the Ashleys noticed Camille was wearing Nate’s blazer to school, then they certainly knew where he ate lunch every day. Something was up, and it was most certainly of the variety that Camille wasn’t going to like—as were all things that involved the Ashleys.

“Hey . . . Ashleys,” Nate said greeting them all at once. “What’s up with all the glitz?”

“I’m so glad you asked, sweetie.” Ashley’s voice was so syrupy it made Camille’s teeth hurt. Who did she think she was fooling? Camille had seen Ashley Dupree make grown men cry with her cutting insults. There was nothing sweet about the girl.

Ashley invited herself to sit down and continued laying on the charm. “I’m on the prom committee, naturally, and the theme was just announced today, so it’s time to start selling tickets.”

“Cool. What’s the theme?” Nate asked.

Ashley looked insulted that he couldn’t tell from the glittery décor, but she smiled anyway. “Why it’s Just Say Yes.”

Nate’s eyes lit up. “Like the Snow Patrol song?”

Ashley looked perplexed. “No. More like the philosophy.”

Nate clapped his hands. “Even better. I’m in.”

“Fantastic! How many tickets will you be purchasing?” she asked coyly.

“Two.”

“Oh. Do you have a date already?” Ashley asked.

“I will as soon as Cami agrees to go with me,” Nate said turning his radiant smile in Camille’s direction.

For the first time, Camille felt Ashley Dupree’s eyes shift to her. Pure hatred rippled off her, but her fake smile remained in place. She laughed playfully. “You mustn’t be talking about Camille LaRue?”

“Why not?” Nate asked.

“Because I’ve known her since kindergarten. And she doesn’t go to dances. Isn’t that right, Camille?”

It was exactly right. Camille had never been to a dance. But then again, she’d never been asked. But even the idea of going to prom with Nate wasn’t enough to make her overcome her fear of being judged by her peers on the dance floor. She’d made it nearly eighteen years listening to them whisper about how she didn’t fit in. She didn’t need to go to a dance and have them ruin that for her, too. At least if she never experienced the humiliation of a high school dance, it could still remain sacred in her dreams—where it belonged.

Camille realized Nate was staring at her.

His eyes sparkled in that excited way of his when he was cooking up an idea. “Oh, I get it. You’re waiting for one of those epic prom-posals.”

“No really,” she sputtered. “I—”

But Nate was already on his feet. “Say no more! I have much to do!” He kissed Camille on the cheek and loped off down the hall, leaving her alone with Ashley Dupree. She was glaring at Camille.

Ashley lowered her voice so no one else in the lounge could hear her. “You can’t possibly think he actually wants to be your boyfriend.”

“Why do you care? Don’t you have a boyfriend in college?”

“And don’t you have cancer?”

The words hit Camille like a slap to the face. She stood, grabbed the rest of her lunch and stormed off campus.

* * *

Camille never cut class. She always felt guilty about all the school she missed when she wasn’t well enough to attend. The truth was, she was a good student and enjoyed academics. When she was little, she told her father that she wanted to learn everything. She knew now how stupid that was. No one could learn everything—especially someone who wasn’t expected to make it to her eighteenth birthday.

Usually Camille didn’t let that get to her. But today, her desire to soak up the world’s knowledge wasn’t enough. What she really wanted was to get the hell off campus before someone saw her crying. That, and the fact that she was scheduled to work at Sweet Thang’s. She knew Nate would insist on walking her and she didn’t think she could handle his enthusiasm right now. Camille’s boots pounded pavement, jarring her bones as she thought about how much she wanted to prove Ashley Dupree wrong.

* * *

Camille was still fuming when she blew through the open storefront at Sweet Thang’s.

“Hey, baby cakes!” Ronnie called from the kitchen.

“Hey,” she grumbled.

“Ooo. Somebody’s in a mood. What’s got your britches in a bunch, sugar?”

“Nothing.”

“It wouldn’t happen to be the certain tall, dark and handsome boy I see following you all ‘round the Quarter like a lost puppy, would it?”

“I don’t want to talk about Nate.”

“Oh come on, Camille! I’m livin’ through you. I’ve been with Hector so long I don’t even remember what the thrill of the chase is like. Don’t get me wrong, I love him to death. He’s the gold at the end of my rainbow, but honey, sixteen years of lovin’ the same man is hard work anyway you slice it. I need some young love in my life and if you ain’t gonna give it up, you’ll be the one explaining to Hector why I had to go off and get me a piece on my own.”

“Oh my God! Fine. But only if you promise to never talk about your sex life again!”

Ronnie gave her a look that said he promised no such thing, but he also knew she was only teasing. Boy talk was what bonded them. And Ronnie always gave the best advice.

Camille sighed deeply. “I don’t know where to start.”

“How ‘bout with what’s got you so cantankerous today?”

“Nate asked me to prom.”

Ronnie mock fainted. “The nerve of some people.”

“But I don’t do proms or dances, Ronnie.”

“Why not?”

“You know why.”

“Just ‘cause you’re sick, bebe, don’t mean you can’t have fun.”

“I know . . . I just think it means more to Nate. And it wouldn’t be fair.”

“You still haven’t told him?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Camille shrugged. “It’s nice not having to talk about cancer all the time. You’re the only other person in my life who treats me like a human rather than a lab rat.”

“Listen to me, sugar. Do you like this boy?”

“Yes. I don’t want to, but I can’t help myself.”

“Well, take my advice and get outta your own way for once.”

“But he makes me want everything I can’t have, Ronnie.”

“Who says ya can’t have love, bebe? That’s what we’re talkin’ ‘bout, right?”

She nodded. “But this is hard enough as it is. If I let him in . . . I don’t think . . . I don’t think I can say goodbye to someone like him.”

“Camille, look at me. He’s the one. I knew it the moment that boy followed you into this shop. He’s the one you’ve been waiting for. I see it clear as day. And I know he’s been through some hardships to get to you, so you better be brave enough to embrace destiny when it knocks on your door, child.”

“Ronnie—”

“Don’t you ‘Ronnie’ me. You know I’m not wrong about these things.”

Camille let him wipe the tears from her eyes. When he was done, he handed her a hot pink apron, but didn’t let go.

“None of us know how long we have, baby cakes. Love’s a gift and every ounce of it is meant to be cherished for how ever long we can hang onto it.”

“I know.”

“Good. ‘Cause, sugar, that boy is the one. He’s gonna give you the sky and all the stars in it. All you gotta do is let him.”

Camille went to work refilling the salt and pepper shakers while she thought about what Ronnie said. She’d never really believed in all the clairvoyant voodoo nonsense Ronnie spouted . . . but then again, he was strangely right about a lot of things. Especially when it came to matters of the heart.

Women came from all over Louisiana to have Ronnie do psychic readings. He always said he knew his way around the heart better than the kitchen. Of course that didn’t stop his love sick customers from buying out the place after a good fortune.

Ronnie had been telling Camille she’d meet a tall, dark and handsome stranger since she was a little girl. But he said that sorta thing to everyone. Although, a few years ago, he’d said something very specific, that had stuck with Camille. She hadn’t given it much thought, until now.

Camille remembered the conversation perfectly. She’d been arguing with Ronnie, about finding true love, and how she wouldn’t know it even if it bit her on the ass. But Ronnie said, “Don’t worry, baby cakes. You won’t have to look for it. He’ll find you. And once he does, he’s not gonna let go. It’s gonna scare you, but don’t fret, he’ll know some things are worth waiting for.”

Nate had said those exact words to her the day they met. In fact, he’d said it twice now.

Stop it, Cami. You’re reading way too much into this. Just stop thinking about Nate.

Her phone buzzed and she pulled it out to see a text from Nate.

Camille thought about ignoring him, but a flurry of messages lit up her phone.

Camille could see the text bubble blinking on her phone as Nate typed his next message. She knew he would just keep texting until she replied.

So much for the ignoring Nate idea.