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“Didn’t have these where you’re from?” Dr. Parker asks.
Well, here we go. “Probably. I’m from Ohio. But I grew up, um, in foster care.” I hate saying it, because I only needed to mention it once to learn I didn’t want people knowing. But these aren’t just any people. Cam is my person. His dad, well, I’m not sure what to make of his dad just yet.
And cue the sympathetic faces. That’s the look I hate. “Before you get deep into your pity party, just know that I’m fine. I mean, I didn’t do this whole family dinner thing before, so this is nice, but I had what I needed to make it here. Same place you made it, Cam.”
That’s stupid, of course, because I may be at the same school as Cam, but our resources are different, how people treat us is different...
“I know what you mean, Xander. Grew up in foster care for the last few years of my teenage years myself. My parents were not mentally stable. It was for the best.”
Now I really look at Dr. Parker for the first time. Like he’s a human. Just a normal person. No more presidential mystique. Well, maybe some of that. “You did well for yourself,” I conclude.
“And so will you. Even though you won’t need me to help you, just know I’m in your corner now. Should have been all along. I’m sorry for that. Us guys got to stick together.”
I sort of hate this feeling, because it feels all fuzzy and weird. Like I can’t trust it. But I decide to sit with it anyway. “Uh, thanks. Can you pass the blackberries.”
***
To Cam’s surprise, Dr. Parker lets us share a room. I mean, we’ve been living together most of the semester anyway, so why not? But Cam is still surprised.
“I didn’t know about how you grew up. I feel like you need to tell me everything else about you. I want to know all your stories.” He’s lying across the length of my body. Face to face with me, stroking my hair.
“That’s a lot of stories.” I rub my hand down his slender back.
He nestles his nose into my neck. “What were you like in high school? Were you the prom king and head of the jocks?”
I bark a laugh. “Were poor kids super cool at your high school?”
Cam lifts his head so I can see his frown, even though it’s pretty dark in here. “Oh.”
“It was fine. I was friends with some of the jock crowd, but I was like you.”
His face scrunches, as expected.
“A chameleon,” I clarify. “I bounced between circles. Me and Nayla started a coding club. Well, Nayla started it and made me join. So, I had some people in that circle. And since I like to lift weights, some of jocks would invite me to hang around their parties.”
“You were a babe magnet, weren’t you?”
Well, if that isn’t a trick question, I don’t know what is. Pulling Cam closer to me, I steal a quick kiss. “You tell me.”
He chuckles. “That’s a yes.”
“What about you?”
“Same here. Total babe magnet,” Cam teases.
“I’d believe it.”
He guffaws. “Not slightly. Most girls don’t go for guys who could share clothes with them.”
“They are missing out,” I interrupt. “Your body is sexy as fuck.”
Cam rolls his eyes. “I was in AP courses, so I hung out with other nerdy people. We sort of had a good thing going in high school. We’d meet up on Friday nights and play poker. Talk politics and literature.”
“So grown up,” I tease.
“Probably, compared to smashing beer cans on your head.” He sticks his tongue out at me, and I have half a mind to suck on it.
“We only did that on the full moon.”
