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Warning: Contains Boys Love and vulgar language.

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Chapter 18: Pros and Cons (Part B)


“Left hand, yellow…?” Elliot glanced around the mat, then inwardly cursed. Although there were less people on the mat, everyone’s limbs were far more spread out than before. It was almost impossible to maneuver between anyone, much less around the mat, without constantly risking the chance of losing; and losing this far into the game was far less than just undesirable.

“Elly,” Maxi mocked from the sidelines. “You’re doing it wrong. Move already.”

“Shut up,” Elliot retorted, too frustrated to ignore Maxi like he would any other day. “I’d like to see you do better.”

“We would if you’d just hurry up and lose.” Elliot felt the dark-skinned boy’s smirk burn into him, but Elliot ignored the other's childish scorn and went about making his next move. He shifted his feet to gain a better angle and leverage to work with. The closest yellow circle was by his right hand—which was on the other side of the mat, opposite from his other hand.

Stupid Twister. Who invented this game, anyway?!

Elliot shifted again. This wasn’t going to be good. However, he couldn’t stall and try anything strategic about this anymore. In one movement—a movement that was as fluid and calculated as his previous ones—he lifted his hand and made to twist a little and smack his hand down on the designated spot.

Elliot face-planted into the mat, every muscle in his aching arms crying “hallelujah!” from the release of the responsibility of holding him up. Elliot pushed himself up, his arms protesting as he lifted himself up again into a kneel. His cheeks burned from humiliation as Maxi’s mocking snickers and Cameron’s “Are you all right?” seemed to come from everywhere all at once.

“Fine. Just fine,” Elliot muttered, getting off the mat to leave the rest of the game to Cameron and the other girl. The furious burning in his cheeks crawled into his ears and the back of his neck as he took a seat a little behind and beside Elena. He couldn’t believe that he’d failed that far into the game. He’d been so close…

He forced himself to ignore his bruised ego and watch the rest of the game. The last thing he needed to do was scowl and act like a spoiled kid when it really was, after all, just a game. At least his aching arms could rest now.

The game moved on as Cameron received his next move. He made the next move and stuck his tongue out at the girl in a playful gesture. The girl made a face at him, as if expected to be annoyed by the oddly positive sportsmanship, though it was obvious that she was more amused by it than anything else. The girl made her next move and cocked an eyebrow at the freckled boy, daring him to try and beat that.

Elliot glanced over his shoulder when he realized that everyone had gone quiet. Everyone in the room was watching: Elena, Alison, Cheryl, Morty, and the other two girls. Even Maxi had fallen silent. There was nothing but the sound of the players' rapid breathing, the chatter from the rest of the party upstairs, and the tension-inducing flick of the red plastic arrow.

Cameron looked at Elena for his next move. It seemed as if everyone’s eyes were on her. Elena shrank at the attention, her shoulders hunched as she forced out, “Right hand, blue.”

Cameron heaved a heavy sigh. His limbs were trembling even harsher now, under too much strain to last much longer; and everyone knew it. The room collectively held their breath as Cameron shifted, lifting his right foot as tentatively as he could. He leaned his body close to the mat, his body stretching as much as possible to reach that one spot…and it wasn’t enough. Cameron shifted once more, the atmospheric tension shifting along with that one movement. Cameron was moving again, stretching, reaching—and then Cameron’s hand slipped. He fell onto the mat with a sharp yelp and dull thud as his body collided with the floor. Everyone in the room released their long-held breath, the tension escaping with the exhale.

The girl knelt on the mat, sighing with relief at the chance to rest her arms, her smile wide and proud with well-earned satisfaction. To both her and Elliot’s surprise, Cameron looked up at her from the floor and said in a humble voice, “Good game. You totally kicked my ass. From now on you’re ‘the Queen of Twister’.”

A faint blush coloured the girl’s cheeks. She sputtered out a faint response, then excused herself and went back to her two gleeful and waiting friends. Cameron got up and off the mat, casually telling Maxi that he’d play a game with him after he’d given his arms a little break. Then Everyone dispersed back into their own groups.

“Why’d you say that?” Elliot said as Cameron took a seat beside him. He eyed the other boy carefully as Cameron stretched his stiff and aching arms.

“Because it’s good sportsmanship. Besides, she beat me,” Cameron replied as if it were the most natural answer in the world. He cracked his knuckles and shot an optimistic grin Elliot’s way. “You wouldn't do the same?”

“Well…” Elliot knew that the honest answer wasn’t necessarily a pleasant one to hear, but in his experience he wasn’t used to that sort of sportsmanship. Competitiveness usually overpowered any ideal sportsmanship.

Cameron leaned back on his arms and studied Elliot with an inquisitive stare that made Elliot feel more than just uncomfortable. Elliot arched an eyebrow. “What? Why’re you staring like that?”

“You look kinda glum. Hate losing?”

Cameron had hit the nail right on the head. “Hating to lose” didn’t sound so bad in his own head, but said aloud…  Elliot pursed his lips and shook his head. “No,” he answered. “Why in the world would I be glum over something as silly as that?”

Cameron hummed thoughtfully. “I dunno. You just do.” He leaned forward, Elliot tensing at the sudden action. He cast a quick glance around the room, wondering if anyone had seen or noticed. No one had. Elliot looked back at the freckled boy. Cameron gave a slight tilt of his head and leaned in close enough for Elliot to feel his body heat. “Don’t feel glum. You lasted a real long time.”

Elliot shrugged stiffly. “Not long enough,” he retorted, unable to look away.

Cameron smiled. It was petite and private, like their secret smiles throughout the week. “Hey, don’t get like that. Thinking like that won’t get you anywhere.” Cameron’s eyelashes fluttered as he gave Elliot’s sitting form a once-over. Elliot swore he caught a faint, momentary blush redden Cameron’s cheeks. “Besides, you looked pretty good out there…I didn’t know you could hold some of those positions for that long.”

Elliot bit the corner of his lip, his insides fluttering pleasantly. “T-Thanks,” Elliot mumbled, barely above a whisper. It didn’t seem possible for them to be flirting like that in a room full of other people, but they were. It scared and excited him all at once. Elliot thought of what the reaction might’ve been if anyone was listening in on their conversation, and the fluttering in his chest froze.

Cameron’s faint blush had traveled across his cheeks and down along the back of his neck, where his hand currently rubbed. “You know…I just got an idea.”

Elliot swallowed, still painfully aware of everyone else in the room yet inevitably intrigued by the others bashful enthusiasm. “Really now?”

“Yup.” Cameron glanced around as well, but in a way that suggested that even everyone else’s presence wouldn’t have stopped him from asking anyway. “I think these guys can handle our absence for a few minutes.” Cameron leaned in even closer, one hand shifting to brush Elliot’s for one briefly savored moment. Despite his forwardness, Cameron shifted his gaze down to the floor, his voice carrying with it the same pleased and coy tone that Elliot had heard throughout the course of the week. “Maybe a little more than a few minutes, but you get what I mean…Wanna go for a little tour?”

“You already gave me a mini-tour of the house,” Elliot countered in a hushed voice.

“True…but I didn’t give you a tour of the upstairs.”

Elliot wanted so badly to agree. He wanted to just stand up, pulling Cameron with him, and go for the “upstairs tour”; but he was holding himself back again. He couldn’t help but glance around the room, watching the others wrapped up within their own conversations or the video games off to the side. Cameron and him were in their own worlds, just as the rest were in theirs—but that didn’t mean that they wouldn’t notice if they’d both just disappeared for no reason obvious to them. Elliot heaved a burdened sigh. “I don’t know…”

Cameron stopped rubbing his neck. “It’d only be for a few minutes. They won’t even notice.”

Elliot pursed his lips. “But they might. What then?”

Cameron opened and closed his mouth, his voice caught in his throat as he seemed to be at a loss for words. Cameron finally huffed, defeated by the situation. “I don’t know,” he finally said.

Elliot pressed his lips into an even tighter line. It didn’t seem right for someone as optimistic and enthusiastic as Cameron to ever get discouraged over something as small and ridiculous as worrying about everyone else rather than just them. Elliot wished he had the same sort of courage Cameron had, to just go off and about to do what he wanted without worrying about what everyone else would’ve thought if they found out.

“Look,” Elliot began, hoping to resurrect Cameron’s previously good mood, “maybe we can—”

“Kids!” Someone called from the top of the doorway, the voice carrying down the stairs. Most of the group quieted down at its concise sound. “Kids, food’s ready! Come get something to eat.”

“I heard food!” Morty shouted, dropping his video game controller and jumping up to his feet. Cheryl was the next one up, stretching her limbs and arching her back to work some of the kinks out from being slouched over. Everyone else got up and made their way to the stairs while Elliot and Cameron lingered at the back.

“We could now,” Cameron whispered to Elliot. “No one will notice when there’s food around, and trust me when I say that there’ll be tons of food to occupy them. My Dad went all out for this. Not to mention it’ll be so crowded up there, anyway.”

Elliot turned the possibility over in his head, pondering it despite already knowing his answer. He knew that no matter the situation, it would be a little risky—but if the upstairs really was crowded and full of distractions, then this was probably the time to do so; and boy, did he ever want to agree… Elliot nodded, the exhilaration pounding alongside his rapid heartbeat.

Cameron smiled at his response, then whispered to Elliot to just follow his lead.

They followed everyone else upstairs. Sweet, spicy, and bold aromas assaulted Elliot’s senses, the smells bold compared to the stuffy and stale air of a semi-crowded basement. Elliot stopped once he stepped out through the door and onto the main floor of the house. There were people moving all about, room to room and back again, calling out to each other about what they wanted and how much. Anywhere Elliot stepped only brought him that much closer to bumping into someone, and everywhere Elliot looked, there was someone he didn’t know. No doubt they were family members; and what a lively bunch they were. Not to mention intimidating, judging…

A hand brushed his, yanking Elliot’s mind away from his rushed and paranoid thoughts. He glanced at the owner of the hand, and the owner flashed him his usual carefree smile. “This way,” Cameron said, jerking his head off into the direction of the stairway.

It was amazing how easy it was to sneak past the numerous people and get to the stairway. Even as they hurried up the stairs, Elliot kept glancing over his shoulder, half-expecting someone to notice the two of them ditching the main party for something a little different. Every time he looked, he saw the same sight: people hustling, talking in boisterous voices, and doing anything but realizing that they were now missing.

They slinked further up the stairs. Once they turned onto the upstairs hallway, they were practically home free. Cameron led the way down the hallway, passing various rooms with doors both open and closed. Elliot trailed behind, his eyes darting all over the walls and along the open doors, catching brief glances at hanging photos and variously styled rooms. One of them looked cozy and traditional looking; the other room was dark with the dark blue blinds, and the walls were completely covered in artistically styled posters with logo’s Elliot didn’t recognize.

“This way,” Cameron said from the other end of the hallway. Nodding, Elliot picked up the pace and went to Cameron’s side, his heart pounding harder as he got closer to what had to be Cameron’s room. The freckled boy’s hand was already on the doorknob, turning and pushing the door inwards. Cameron cleared his throat and opened the door, stepping out of the way to allow Elliot entry.

Elliot didn’t know what he’d expected to see in Cameron’s room, and he wasn’t sure why it surprised him. He walked in, taking it all the room in one long sweeping look. The walls were completely covered with band posters. A few immediately jumped out at him: KISS, Muse, Mindless Self Indulgence. A short and long shelf covered one wall, the shelves filled with books, action figures of The Batman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and other paraphernalia. On the opposite side of the room was a desk and chair, which was the resting-place of a few textbooks and piles of paper. Two overly large beanbag chairs sat in a nearby corner, one of them containing Cameron’s messenger bag that nearly sunk into the chair. At the other end of the room was Cameron’s large and incredibly messy bed; the covers weren’t made and a few pillows were strewn all about the place. Beside the bed was a nightstand that had an alarm clock, a blue lava lamp, and Cameron’s video camera.

Cameron lingered by the door, rubbing his neck with a restless hand as Elliot looked around. “Welcome to my room. Um…make yourself at home?”

Elliot nodded and attempted to do so, immediately looking down to the floor to watch where he was stepping. He wasn’t exactly sure if there was any etiquette to being invited to a boyfriend’s room, but he was certain it wouldn’t leave a good impression to just step all over the other’s scattered clothes—especially of the more private sort. Elliot coughed and looked away, his face flushing warm and red. A moment later Cameron realized why Elliot was embarrassed. A tiny laugh emitted from the freckled boy as he attempted a half-assed cleaning job that consisted of shoving as much of the mess off to the side with the shove of a foot.

“Well, this is my room,” Cameron replied. His hand lowered from the back of his neck. “Sorry it’s a mess—er, it’s always a mess. I would’ve cleaned up if I’d have figured, well, you know…”

Elliot shrugged the apology off. “That’s okay. It doesn’t bother me.” Although Elliot was used to cleaning and living in a near spotless home all of the time, it was sort of a nice change. It was kinda nice to be in a room that felt like someone actually lived there, mess and all. “I kinda like it,” Elliot added, tapping his fingers against his legs.

Cameron blinked, processing Elliot’s words. Then his expression lit up. Cameron stepped away from the door and closed it behind him, shutting off the main source of light from the hallway with it. Elliot blinked as his eyes adjusted to the dim sort of darkness in the room, perfectly aware of Cameron’s body moving towards him. He felt warm fingers brush against his hand, travel up his sleeved arm, then rest on his shoulder. Elliot pried his eyes away from the wall and into Cameron’s, who gazed at him through dark orange eyelashes. His heart banged against his ribs. He could already imagine how it’d feel to have the other boy in his arms; pressing against him, smelling him, tasting him. Elliot reached out to touch Cameron when he remembered the mass of people downstairs. Something in him faltered and stopped him in mid-action.

Cameron regarded Elliot curiously. “What’s wrong?”

Elliot shook his head. “I dunno. Just…wondering what your folks would think of this…”

Cameron fell quiet. “I don’t know what they’d think,” he said after a long pause, then leaned in against Elliot. His arms slid around to hold Elliot flush against him. “But that doesn’t matter. That’s a thought for another day. No worries, right?”

Something inside Elliot wanted to stop and discuss the subject, but he couldn’t bring himself to. Cameron then leaned in, pressing his lips against Elliot’s, the conversation dropped in the blink of an eye. Elliot was melting in Cameron’s arms, his mind going numb. By the time they were both clinging to each other and working out a week’s worth of desire, Elliot couldn’t bring himself to care about his fears and let it pester him.

It was happening all over again. It was just them, separate from the rest of the world, far away enough so that nothing unpleasant could touch them.

Elliot couldn’t get enough of this feeling; this feeling of tingling numbness, of wetness and warmth. He felt Cameron’s body against his hands, lean and athletic against his sturdier build, and it felt amazing. He couldn’t believe that he’d denied himself this experience not too long ago, even if it had been out of fear and misunderstanding. Some part of him still thought that he still didn’t truly understand this just yet, but when they were in each others arms, none of that seemed to matter. There was just Cameron kissing him, Cameron against him, Cameron with him. It was a wonderful feeling that he wouldn’t have traded for anything else in the world.

Before long they had to part to breathe. Cameron persisted in pressing hard and quick pecks along the corner of Elliot’s mouth, where Elliot could feel the firm shape of Cameron’s bow-shaped lips. Caught up in the moment, Elliot tilted his head and bit at Cameron’s lower lip, forcing the other to gasp and melt into another consuming kiss.

Cameron moaned as he pulled away. His eyes were tightly shut, head resting against Elliot’s. “Still worried about being up here?” he asked in a breathless voice. Elliot chuckled and shook his head.

“Not so much.” He tightened his arms around Cameron, reassuring him that he wasn’t going anywhere.

Something akin to a relieved sigh escaped Cameron, but it might have also been just a tired exhale. “Good,” Cameron paused to briefly enter another kiss. He pulled away with a tiny moan. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Elliot lowered his head down onto Cameron’s shoulder, where he pressed his cheek. “So am I,” he whispered. Elliot peered up at Cameron, a million and one thoughts rushing in his head. He loved being with Cameron…but he was beginning to remember reality again. There was still that part of it all that troubled him. The thought of everyone downstairs and they upstairs overwhelmed him, as did the knowledge that what they were doing—what they were—was something he was still struggling with. Elliot couldn’t deny how good it made him feel, how much he liked it and wanted more, but he couldn’t deny the paranoia of everyone else finding out. Such was the cruel irony that the people he feared discovering secret were also the people he wanted to impress and gain the favor of.

It was too much to handle all on his own.

But then he gazed into Cameron’s eyes—those lighthearted, worry-free eyes—and he couldn’t bring himself to voice his concerns or fears. Not when the other boy looked so content with things; not when it was his birthday party. There was no sense in burdening the other.

Cameron gazed at Elliot, then wet his lips. “Hey, everything okay?” he chuckled. “You’re gettin’ kinda quiet on me.”

“Yeah. It’s nothing.” Elliot pulled away, already missing the warmth of the other’s body. “We’d better get going now. We’ve been gone long enough.”

“Awww. So soon?”

Elliot arched an eyebrow at the other boy. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I’m ready for anyone else to know anything just yet. I don’t want to get caught and have to explain why my tongue was shoved down your throat.”

Cameron laughed again, then straightened himself up, attempting to look more presentable. “Point made. All right then.” He walked past Elliot to the door. Light flooded the room once the door was open, but Cameron stayed by the door. “You leave first. I’ll wait a minute or two before going down. It’s less suspicious looking that way, right?”

“Makes sense,” Elliot agreed. “I could stay, though…”

Cameron waved the suggestion off. “Nah. It makes more sense if I stay behind a minute.” He took a step backwards so that his back was pressed against the door. He made a slight bow and gestured for Elliot to walk on out, one arm crossed in front of him. “After you, sir,” he said with a silly smile.

Elliot rolled his eyes but chuckled anyway. He paused before leaving and pressed a light kiss to Cameron’s forehead. “See you in a minute,” Elliot said, then continued on his way, aware of Cameron staring at him with a baffled look as he walked away.


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Elliot took his time going down the stairs. When the others came into view and a few glanced at him as he reentered the party, Elliot couldn’t chase away the feeling that he’d done something sneaky, something that not everyone would look upon with accepting eyes. The feeling strengthened as he shifted through the group and entered the kitchen, stumbling upon Cameron’s Dad and a young cousin. Elliot paused at the doorway. The older man looked up from where he piled a plate with food for young child at his side.

“Hello there,” Cameron’s Dad said. “Came to get something to eat, right?”

Elliot remained quiet, too shocked to properly react. He hadn’t expected to see Cameron’s Dad right away, and especially just after fooling around with the man’s son. Elliot averted his gaze to the side, torn between wanting to run somewhere safe and stand his ground against his own commanding fears.

The older man handed the younger cousin the plate of food. Elliot watched the cousin rush past with what had to have been their second plate, then the next thing he knew another plate was being filled up and handed to him. Elliot looked up into the older man’s dark and friendly eyes.

“Oh, that’s okay,” Elliot protested. “I’m not all that hungry.”

A teasing look of doubt flittered across the older man’s face. “You sure?”

Elliot pursed his lips and took another glance at the plate. It sure looked good. There were a lot of different kinds of finger-food and meat, like cooked ribs and hot wings, along with small hills of several kinds of salads. Hunger rolled in Elliot’s stomach; he looked up into the older man’s eyes as he slowly reached out to accept the plate of food.

“Hope you enjoy it,” the older man said. “I think I overcooked the ribs a little bit, but everyone seems to like them enough.”

Elliot just nodded, not trusting his voice at that moment. I’m dating your son, he wanted to say. We’ve been dating for a week. We fooled around before then, too. We even snuck upstairs while you were all down here, socializing and thinking that we’re two normal straight boys who wouldn’t do things like fool around behind your backs. What do you think of that? Would you still give me this food, or would you smash it into my face and tell me to get the hell out?

But he didn’t say it; couldn’t say it. Instead, he said in a controlled voice, “Thank you, sir. It looks delicious.”

The older man flashed Elliot a quick smile before turning to clean up the messy table full of scattered dirty dishes. “There’s no need for the ‘sir’. That’s a little too formal. You can call me Daniel if you want.”

Elliot nodded again. He took an awkward step backwards and went to turn to go out of the room when Cameron popped in through the doorway, beaming from ear to ear. “Hey Dad, hey Elliot,” he said, stepping inside. He glanced at Elliot’s plate. “Mmm. Looks good.”

“It’d better. Did you get anything to eat, or are you a slowpoke today, too?” Daniel joked from the other end of the kitchen. “Plates on the table, Cameron.”

“No thanks,” Cameron replied, shooting Elliot a quick look. “Not all that hungry. I got my fill for today.”

Elliot nearly choked on nothing but air. He coughed and shot Cameron an incredulous look, but the freckled boy only raised his eyebrows as he shrugged his shoulders. Thankfully, Daniel’s back had been turned at the time and he hadn’t noticed the hidden subtext.

“Okay then,” Daniel replied. “Then go out into the living room with everyone else while I get the cake ready, okay?”

“Sure, sure. In a second, though,” Cameron replied. The freckled boy approached Daniel with optimism glinting in his eyes. “Hey, Dad…are Mom and Christine here yet?”

Daniel looked up from the large, white, and rectangular cake he was setting colourful candles in. Within a split-second, his warm expression dulled into something parallel to regret. “Not yet,” he replied, lips pulling back into a sort of grimace when Cameron’s good mood noticeably deflated a little. “But they’re probably on their way right now. You know how they can be,” Daniel said in a painful display of forced jest. Elliot caught the tiny smile that crossed Cameron’s lips, but also noticed the freckled boy’s fidgeting fingers.

It was at that moment the phone began to ring.

All three of them looked over at its ring. Cameron looked nearly ready to bolt for the phone, but Daniel beat Cameron to it and picked it up first.

“Hello?” Daniel said, followed by a pregnant pause. The longer the pause drew out the more Cameron look like he was going to just snatch the phone from his Dad. “Yes,” Daniel said to the caller, “actually, we were just talking about you.”

Elliot saw Cameron’s eyebrows rise out of the corner of his eyes. Cameron stared intently at his Dad, his fingers still fidgeting at his side, itching to get a chance to talk to the caller.

The older man’s expression was blank as he listened to the voice on the other end of the phone. “Yes, I understand…I really don’t think—” Daniel cut himself off. He sighed and ran his calloused fingers through his dark, wavy hair. “I see.” He glanced at Cameron, adding, “He’s right here. Yes, I will.” He lowered the phone, hand covering the mouthpiece. Daniel glanced at Cameron with the same neutral expression, and in a matching neutral voice he said, “Your mother wants to speak to you.”

Cameron was already across the kitchen, crossing the minor distance in a few good strides, where he then took the phone from his father and pressed it to his ear. “Hello? Mom?”

Elliot shuffled a little where he stood and stared down at the plate of food in his hand. It wasn’t all that comfortable just standing there when Cameron was having a private conversation, yet it didn’t seem right to just walk out and leave either. Elliot looked up when he heard a chair screech slightly from being pulled back from the dining table. Daniel took a seat and sat there, rubbing his chin as he stared blankly at the wall in front of him. Deciding it probably the better idea, Elliot walked over to the table and took a seat at the end of the table by the wall, where he could see everything and everyone. The kitchen was fairly quiet except for the faint murmur of voices at the other end. Daniel continued to just stare blankly at the wall, occasionally glancing over to his son, a momentary flicker of concern passing over him. Elliot watched everything while picking at his food, eating bits and pieces here and there. He studied Daniel’s expression, marveled that the man seemed so calm after having just gotten off the phone with the same women he’d married and had children with. On the phone, Daniel hadn’t spat out a single insult or bitter remark. The comparison between the two different sets of parents was staggering. If it had been Elliot’s parents talking to each other over the phone, there would’ve been a yelling match within a minute.

The phone call certainly had affected the older man, though. Why else did Daniel look more and more concerned the longer the phone call dragged on?

Elliot sighed, his mind tired from trying to figure out how any of that worked. His stomach constricted inside, reminding him of his hunger. He looked over the table and found where the pile of forks lay. He reached over and grabbed one.

He’d just taken a proper bite of food when Cameron’s voice broke through the carefully constructed silence. “Why do you keep saying that?” The freckled boy’s voice had risen, along with the unmistakable confusion in his voice. Elliot looked over just as Cameron noticeably lowered his voice. “I know…but Mom, you said you’d be here. Don’t you want to see us?”

A slight frown crossed Elliot’s features. He took another look at Daniel, taking in the older man’s strained expression as he no doubt overheard his son’s recent words. Daniel caught Elliot’s eye, and the corners of his mouth pulled back into what must’ve been an attempted smile. A few lines creased along the skin around Daniel’s eyes and the corners of his mouth, but they were faint. Elliot looked away and tried to ignore the unpleasant conversation going on just a few feet away.

Minutes later the phone clicked from being set back into its plastic cradle; Daniel and Elliot both looked up at the sound. Cameron trudged to their side of the room, hands stuffed into his pockets, his head slightly bowed, and a troubling silence following him. Elliot studied Cameron’s expression, which was half-hidden underneath loose rusty-orange hair. Something inside Elliot froze. He knew that look. Cameron was disappointed; and not just disappointed, but let down and hurt.

Daniel crossed his arms in front of him on the table. “How’d the conversation go?”

Cameron shrugged, eyes glued to the floor. “Fine.”

Daniel’s strained expression deepened. He pushed his chair back and got up, unfurling his crossed arms and moving to approach his son. “Cameron—”

“I’d better go tell Cheryl they aren’t coming,” Cameron interrupted, his lips immediately pursing after doing so. “She’ll probably want to know.” He moved away from the wall and silently exited the room, his feet scuffling across the floor as if tied down by extra, needless weight.

Daniel sighed, one hand rising to scratch his scalp. “I guess I’d better get the rest of the cake ready…” the older man murmured. He pushed the chair back into the table and went back into the main part of the kitchen, where the large cake sat and waited for the rest of its colourful candles.

Elliot got up from his seat wordlessly, still lost within the previous moment. He probably should’ve been glad that he wouldn’t have to meet the rest of the immediate family that day…but he didn’t. If anything, any possible relief was turned into guilt.

He meant to clean up after himself, as was natural habit, but one look at the older man and his moroseness and Elliot decided that maybe it was better to leave it with the rest of the dirty plates on the kitchen table. It’d be better to leave the older man to his privacy. Elliot pushed his chair in and left the kitchen as quietly as possible, eager to go see Cameron and make sure he was doing okay.

Elliot entered the living room and was momentarily taken back the number of people in one room. He shifted to the side as a younger child walked past him, then took a look all around, taking in the groups of people sitting all around the room; the kind, gentle faces of family members and friends. But none of that could compare to the confounding moment when Elliot spotted Cameron sitting amongst his friends, smiling and laughing. Moments ago the other boy had looked downright heart broken, no doubt due to half of his immediate family being unable to make it to the party. Now he was acting as if the phone call had never even happened.

Elliot walked over to the other side of the room, stepping over spread out limbs and cushions. He passed by Cheryl and her group of friends, who were occupied talking to one of the younger cousins who’d sat down with them. Cameron looked up at Elliot just as he bent his knees and took a seat with the group, wedged in-between Cameron and Elena.

Cameron stifled his chuckles. “Elliot, you have to hear this story. I swear to God, Maxi has the weirdest stories ever.”

Maxi beamed at the ego boost. He was leaning against the wall, knees bent and nearly pressed against his chest. “That I do. It’s amazing the kind of stuff you’ll see if you look hard enough. I’m sure you’d love the story, Elly.”

Elliot couldn’t help the slight grimace. Maxi and weird together could literally mean any kind of story; he wasn’t all that sure whether or not he wanted to hear it. “That’s…lovely.”

Cameron arched an eyebrow at the off-sounding reply, but he shrugged his shoulders and carried on with the on-going conversation within the group. Elliot made himself comfortable and occasionally added to the conversation, although he wasn’t really sure what anyone was talking about—the topic seemed to jump all over the place.

It didn’t cease to trouble him that Cameron was behaving so…carefree. He pondered the thought of asking the freckled boy how the conversation with his mother went, but the groups conversation was tight-knit and fast-paced, leaving no room for any sort of entry. Elliot wasn’t exactly sure if he wanted to bring up the unpleasant topic, either. Cameron was busy trying to enjoy himself. Why ruin that?

All else was shoved into the background when Daniel entered the room, carrying with him the large and white rectangular cake in an equally large silver tray. The few that immediately saw shushed the rest. Cameron and Cheryl exchanged looks, the sort of looks any birthday-child would have from being lavished with so much positive attention. Everyone else in the room broke out into silly grins, and the same old song started. Although he wasn’t much of a singer, Elliot sang. It was weird and a tad uncomfortable, but he did it anyway. It only seemed right. His attention drifted over the same smiling and teasing faces, and the same feeling that he’d experienced at the football game washed over him. The collective feeling of being a part of something, even with something as simple as singing “Happy birthday” with everyone else.

Daniel set the silver tray onto the living room table. Someone had turned the lights off, leaving only the eighteen tiny, glowing candles on the cake to illuminate the room. The song finished off, leaving everyone in the room to break off into the expected laugher and applauding. Cheryl glanced all around, taking it all in while her boyfriend Morty hugged her. Cameron glanced around, too. There was no doubt that he was enjoying all of the attention.

“Okay you two. You know the drill. No pushing, shoving, or pulling each other’s hair,” Daniel joked from the sidelines, and soft, nostalgic laughter rippled throughout the room. A camera flashed in Daniels hands as it took a picture, as well as several other cameras in the room. Cheryl and Cameron got up from where they sat and approached the center of the room, all eyes on them as they settled down beside each other.

Cheryl pulled and held her hair back with one hand at the base of her neck. She leaned forward to blow out her side of the candles, but Cameron stopped her. She shot him a puzzled look. “What?”

“We gotta make a wish first,” Cameron said. Cheryl rolled her eyes and snickered. Cameron ignored her and looked around at the sea of smiling faces, his eyes momentarily meeting Elliot’s before doing another sweep around the room. “What should I wish for?”

“A pony!” someone shouted from the background; a young and earnest voice. There was another ripple of chuckles, mainly among the adults.

Cameron turned to his father. “If I wish for a pony, would you actually get it?”

“Sure,” Daniel said. “I’ll get you the colourful kind that can fit in the palm of your hand. I hear you can also doodle on them with a special kind of erasable marker.”

“Get the pink one!” Maxi called from the back. “They’re mighty pretty, and they come with a matching comb, too. It’ll go well with your eyes, Cam-cam.”

Cameron shot Maxi an incredulous look, then turned back to the cake and huffed. “Ha-ha. You’re all comedians. That’s okay, though. I think I know what I want to wish for now.”

“Good,” Cheryl said, inching closer towards Cameron to get a better angle at her side of the candles, “because the candles are starting to melt a little bit. I don’t know about anyone else, but I don’t want to eat wax.”

Aside from a few murmurs here and there, everyone fell quiet again while waiting for that one moment. Cameras flashed in the background, briefly illuminating the room in sharp flashes. Elliot watched Cameron from across the room as the freckled boy stared intently down at the cake, suddenly very calm for someone who’d just been laughing along with his teasing friends and family. Then Cameron and Cheryl leaned forward and blew out the candles, and the entire room cheered once more as the light and warmth was stolen from the candles wicks. Elliot clapped along with everyone else, all the while wondering what had gone through Cameron’s mind when he’d asked for something to wish for; what he’d felt when he’d blown out the candles in a group of two when there should have been three.

The lights were turned back on, and dishes and utensils were passed around the room from person to person. Daniel poised a knife over the cake and began to mark and cut out the slices. From where Elliot sat, the cake looked extremely good: chocolate and vanilla, and with what looked to be white butter frosting. It looked too delicious to have been bought from just some grocery store.

Cake slices were passed around. People waited in a disorganized line that was spread out all around the room, but eventually everyone had a nice big slice on their plates. Elliot went and got his piece after a bit of a wait, said a “thank you” to Daniel, then went back to his original spot in the room. He’d taken his first bite and was savoring the soft and sweet flavors when Cameron reentered the small group with his own slice of cake.

“Hey guys.” Cameron wedged himself in-between Elliot and Alison, the same old silly grin plastered across his features. “Like the cake?” Alison murmured something like an agreement, and Elena simply nodded and took another hearty bite.

Once everyone was sitting back down again, the small chat in the room became hushed and brief as everyone ate. Elliot swallowed a particularly large bite he’d eaten and turned to Cameron. “So, what did you end up wishing for?”

Cameron looked up at the question and swallowed the bite he’d taken. “I’m not allowed to tell. It’s supposed to be a secret, or else it won’t come true.”

With a calm expression like that, Elliot wasn’t entirely sure whether Cameron was teasing or not. “Did you really wish for a pony?” he asked, arching a skeptical eyebrow.

Cameron shook his head and took another bite of cake. “I’d probably be more likely to get a pony, though…” he mumbled through the mouthful of food. The comment grabbed Elliot’s attention, and he opened his mouth to ask another question. However, the topic was then swiftly dropped with a quick turn of Cameron’s head, his mind elsewhere as he quietly ate. Elliot inwardly sighed and went back to eating, a heaviness plummeting to the bottom of his stomach like a sack of rocks. He was more than certain it wasn’t the cake.


~+~+~+~+~+~+~


For the rest of the party, everything remained in a state of tranquility. While everyone relaxed, Morty ran off to grab the birthday presents that were still down in the basement. Then for a full twenty minutes there was a minor repeat of what everyone had done with the cake: they marveled, joked, and commented at the gifts as they were opened. Elliot widened his eyes at some of the gifts Cameron and Cheryl were given, speculating at the back of his mind about some of the unfamiliar video games and books Cheryl were given, and the western comics and accessories Cameron received.

When Cameron reached Elliot’s gift, his jaw dropped a little. “How in the world did you know?” Cameron sputtered out the cliché line, completely dumbfounded. Elliot felt the warmth of a faint blush tickle his ears as he shrugged his shoulders. Cheryl heard the excitement on the other end of the room and snorted, smirking at her brother’s reaction.

“I have my ways,” was all Elliot said.

Of course, when Cheryl opened up the card Elliot had gotten her, saw the written “thank you” while pulling out a couple of twenties, the same thing was repeated when she shot him a bewildered glance. Elliot shrugged again, hoping to look as calm and indifferent about it as he wanted to. He half-expected Cheryl to shove the money and card back into his hands, but no such thing occurred.

Someone brought up the idea of going back down to the basement for another round of Twister, but the general consensus was marked by a group groan. A full belly and a physically demanding game didn’t sound like the best of ideas. Everyone returned to relaxed conversations until the clock struck eleven. The young cousins began to blink against sleep and ask their parents when they were going home. At that point, Daniel got up from the chair he’d been sitting on, clapped his hands once to grab everyone’s attention, and said, “Okay—who’s staying the night?”

It turned out that only a few people were spending the night: an aunt and uncle with their daughter and an older uncle, all of whom had traveled a little farther than everyone else to be there. Everyone else apparently only had only a fairly short hour or so to drive to their respective homes.

As people gathered their things, Daniel immediately began to clean up the large mess scattered all about the room. “Cameron, Cheryl,” Daniel said from the other end of the room while picking up as many dirty dishes and utensils as was possible, “a little help would be welcomed.”

Cameron made a face. “Oh boy. Cleaning. It never ends.” He got up at his own reluctant pace, stretching his back and arms before doing anything near cleaning. At one side of the room, Cheryl was already up and about, picking up cushions from the floor. Morty followed his girlfriend’s example and offered to take over cleaning up the dirty dishes and utensils for Daniel.

“The cue for the bothersome guests to leave,” Maxi mused with his usual smirk. He got up from the floor and yawned, then said his good-byes to Alison and Elena with a kindliness that he expectedly didn’t save for Elliot. Maxi glanced down at him and mockingly saluted him. “Night, Elly. Don’t let the bed-bugs bite.”

“Don’t let the door hit you on your way out,” Elliot retorted under his breath. He knew Maxi heard it; the dark-skinned boy cringed at his matching maliciousness. With a quick good-bye to Cameron, Maxi was out the front door. Elliot rolled his eyes and got up from the floor, followed by Alison and Elena as they cleaned up their area. Elliot wandered off just as everyone else, with their things packed and ready to go, said their good-byes and made for the front door.

“Cheryl, can you pull out the bed from the couch?” Daniel called from the hallway. “And Cameron? Get the spare bedroom ready, please?”

Cameron, who had been picking up half-empty glasses, stopped at his father’s request. He inwardly sighed, mumbled something about not getting along with sheets, then left the room.

Cheryl was already pulling the cushions she’d just tossed onto the couch off again. Elliot looked around the living room, taking in the enormous mess before his gaze darted from the hallway to the couch. He knew that he could just leave, he was a guest like everyone else. Damn, this is a lot. I can't just leave... He took another seeping glance around him. Hmm...maybe this would be a good chance to leave a good impression. “A nice friend who helped clean up”. Better than nothing. He took a look around, wondering what exactly he could do. Then he spotted Cheryl cleaning up an enormous mess on the couch.

Elliot went to the couch Cheryl was in the middle of setting up. He stood beside her for a good minute before he cleared his throat and got her attention. “Need a hand?” he asked. Cheryl turned in his direction and raised an eyebrow.

“Why?”

Elliot frowned. “Just being nice.” He gestured to the area around the couch. “Kind of a big job for just one person.”

“I can handle it.”

“I didn’t say you couldn’t,” Elliot answered, “but if I help you’ll have less to do. Not to mention it’ll get done in less time.”

Cheryl still didn’t look all that convinced. She studied the large area she had to clean, seeming to consider her options. A few feet away and off to the side, Morty cut in and said, “Aww, Cher-bear. He’s just trying to be nice. Where’s the harm in that?”

“Maybe,” Cheryl hummed, then she stood up properly, one hand on her hip and the other pointed to the living room table and the mess around it. “If you really want to help, then fine. I can’t pull out the couch out with all of that there. Can you move it to the side?”

Elliot glanced at the area; the table was completely covered in dirty dishes, glasses, and the silver tray along with what was left of the cake. Despite all of that, it didn’t look like a complete pain in the ass to move. “Sure,” he said. At least now he had something to do. This had to help leave a good impression, right? Satisfied with the answer, Cheryl returned to her duties, leaving Elliot to go and clear up the area around the table.

While they worked and cleaned, Morty spoke to Cheryl from across the room. Nothing was reserved or censored about the other boy’s words. Morty seemed like the type to talk about anything and everything at any given time. Elliot tried to keep from over-hearing their conversation, but it hard when the other boy spoke in such a boisterous voice. It was impossible to politely ignore.

“Enjoy the party, Cher?”

“Sure,” Cheryl said, her tone flat as she picked up the glasses from the side-table beside the couch.

“Awww. Don’t you sound positive,” Morty chuckled from other side of the room. Elliot tried to focus harder on the work at hand. He gathered as many dirty dishes into his arms as he could, though the sound of dishes clacking together didn’t drown out the conversation going on around him. “Sad that Christine didn’t come?” Morty continued.

“No. They do this every year. Not that it matters. I don’t care.”

“I’d be pretty sad if my parents or sister didn’t come to my birthday party. That doesn’t upset you at all? It was all you could talk about yesterday—”

“Because you kept asking about it,” Cheryl interrupted, her voice sharp—a little too sharp for someone who had just said they didn’t care.

Elliot heard Morty sigh in defeat. At that moment, Elliot glanced up for a split-second in Cheryl's direction. When Cheryl caught his eye, Elliot quickly looked away. A little too aware of the awkwardness in the room, Elliot got up with the massive amount of dirty dishes and glasses in his arms and left the room, hoping that when he returned it wouldn't be as suffocating.

After making sure each dish and glass was in the slowly filling up dishwasher, Elliot returned to the living room to finish up the job. By that point Morty had left the room, off doing something else in a different room, and Cheryl remained by the couch, quiet as she watched Elliot bend to haul up one end of the table. He paused when only one end of the table rose. Before Elliot could huff at the situation, Cheryl was already walking to the other end and hauling up the other end in a strong and steady grip.

“There’s a good spot over there,” Cheryl said, jerking her head to her left. Elliot glanced to his right, saw the space, and nodded. They began to move so as to maneuver the long table around the other furniture without meeting any collisions.

Elliot paused and waited for Cheryl to angle herself in a good spot, rapping his fingers along the table, the wood ticking underneath his fingertips. The uneasy atmopshere hadn't lessened at all, and the longer the silence stretched out, the more uncomfortable it began to feel. He needed something to say to break the metaphorical ice.

“So…you seem pretty good at lifting furniture.”

Cheryl hummed, not bothering to look at him. "Yeah. It’s a skill.”

Elliot twisted around a little more, then backed up to give Cheryl a little more room. “Yup…so—”

Cheryl shook her head, then fixed her determined eyes on him. Elliot fell quiet. “Look, I already know you heard the conversation just a few minutes ago, and I already know you saw everything in the party. I’d have to be stupid to think otherwise,” Cheryl said, her fingers tightening around the edge of the table. “No need to just tip-toe around it, okay?”

“…Okay.” Elliot bit his lip as they moved around a little more, attempting to turn the table around while they were chairs blocking the way. Elliot nudged one back with the heel of his foot, Cheryl’s words and the earlier scene replying in his head. He remembered how excited Cameron had been to see the other half of his family… Nothing about the situation felt right, especially when it seemed like it wasn’t a new occurrence.

“…Some of your family not coming,” Elliot began, hoping he wasn’t treading into deep, dangerous waters, “does it happen a lot?”

Cheryl glanced up as she moved backwards, one side of her mouth pulling back. She was quiet for a moment, visibly reluctant to answer right away. “Yeah,” she admitted, and her voice was flat again. “The only reason why they used to come was because Cameron made them. But now that he lives here…I dunno. It’s stupid,” she said with a soft huff. “It’s like we have to make all the effort.”

No response came to mind; Elliot let it sink in as he tried to imagine what that had to be like; he could and he couldn’t. A few minutes passed where neither of them said anything. Cheryl moved the table forward and took another few steps. From the looks of things, they were almost done. Sensing that the conversation was over, Elliot let it drop. He’d heard his fill for the night.

After a few more turns, they finally sidestepped into the free space then lowered the table. Cheryl rubbed her hands together and quietly murmured a “thank you” to Elliot. Elliot returned the favor, the thought of the half-missing family and both Cameron’s and Cheryl’s troubled behavior not once leaving his mind.

Cheryl went to go pull out the couch as Elliot left to gather his things. Something immense and heavy sat at the very bottom of his stomach as everything finally began to sink in. The house was pretty quiet for a place that had just had a large birthday party.

Just as Elliot had gotten his shoes on, Cameron came bounding down the stairs two steps at a time, scratching his head thoughtfully as he approached Elliot. “Everything’s all set up now,” he said. “Probably not the best job, but it’s better than nothing. You try making a bed when you have a cousin trying to jump on it.” He paused as he looked around. “Where’s Dad?”

Elliot shrugged. “Probably with everyone else, wherever they are.” He bit the corner of his lip, the sinking feeling still deep inside. “So I take it you had a good birthday party, then?”

The freckled boy blinked, seemingly confused by the question. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I? I thought it went pretty well.”

Elliot wanted to ask further, but he shook his head. He couldn’t tell whether or not Cameron was still bothered or not, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know, anyway. It certainly troubled him a lot, and he barely knew the other people involved. Elliot didn’t know why it bothered him, though; he was used to disappointing families. Why did someone else’s family issues affect him more so than his own? Elliot crammed the bothersome thoughts into an ignored cranny in his head. “I’d better get going now, anyway,” he said, pulling on his coat.

Cameron’s lips pulled into a tiny pout, a small protest that went unvoiced. The freckled boy stood idly by while Elliot got ready to leave, hands fidgeting at his side as his gaze stared off into nothing. Elliot caught the far-off look, and an urge to take Cameron in his arms and comfort him immediately arose. He looked down the hallway, making sure no one was around or about to come into view. No one was around; the coast was clear. He took a step forward, his hand brushing against Cameron’s. He gently squeezed the freckled boy’s warm hand, hoping that it felt as reassuring as he’d intended.

“Regardless of anything else, I think your party went pretty well. Lots of people had fun, and you even got me to play Twister.” Elliot offered Cameron a soft smile. “That’s something.”

Cameron nodded, his stare focused on his socked feet. “Too bad I didn’t get to catch that on film. I wouldn’t have believed that if I hadn’t seen that for myself.”

“Heh. Yeah,” Elliot replied, squeezing the others hand again. This time, to Elliot’s relief, Cameron squeezed back. The freckled boy looked up, eyes focused on nothing but him for what seemed to be the longest time. Elliot leaned in so that his shoulder brushed against Cameron’s. “Try and have a good night.” Eyelashes fluttering slightly, he leaned in and pressed a feather-light kiss to Cameron’s lips, his own heart fluttering like butterfly wings at the simple and gentle pressure he received in return.

The kiss couldn’t have lasted longer than a few seconds. They pulled back quickly, aware that it wasn’t the smartest idea to kiss in a public part of the house.

“I should probably go now. Good night,” Elliot said as calmly as possible, reluctantly pulling away and turning to leave.

“ Yeah. G'night,” Cameron said with a tiny wave.

The front door closed behind Elliot as he exited the house. He walked down the front steps, the air he breathed coming out in misty clouds. He tilted his head up to see a fairly clear sky littered with twinkling stars, then continued on his way to his car just a little ways down the street. Although there had once in a long line-up of cars along the street, his was now alone. Elliot dug out the car keys from his pocket; all the while hoping Cameron really would have a good night.


~+~+~+~+~+~+~


To Be Continued