Page 7 of The Love Duet
Because my mother was the director for the city’s rec center, I wasn’t a stranger to sports.While they weren’t my thing, I used to spend a lot of time with my mom at work when I was younger, so I knew the basic rules of football.I might not know the positions, penalties, and things like that, but I knew the objective of the game, what the defense and offense did, and that each quarter was an imaginary fifteen minutes.Imaginary because they weren’t a continuous fifteen minutes.So, a lot of the quarters could run from twenty to twenty-five minutes, depending on how the game was going.
Looking out onto the field, we were on defense right now, Royce sitting this drive out.When we’d gotten here, the game had already started, so there’d been no chance to talk to him before the game.Pepper had made us late because she’d been determined to ‘pretty me up’-her words, not mine.Though she had been adamant that I was already pretty enough, she had taken control of my clothing options for the night.While she’d sworn that she wasn’t trying to turn me into a groupie, she still had wanted me to stand out a bit.So, the compromise had been to leave my hair and makeup alone, but to wear something a little more feminine.
However, having shown up late, we’d been limited to a spot in the back row.Still, the seats were a coveted part of the stadium seating.The section that we were sitting in was for the starting players’ family and close friends, and since me and Pepper were neither to anyone on the team, it’d been a big deal for us to be sitting here.People had been giving us odd looks all evening to prove it.
Luckily, the game was going to be over soon.The game was already past the two-minute warning, and the other team was down by two touchdowns.So, unless a miracle happened, Yosemite High was going to have another game in the win column.
After another few minutes, the game was called, the stands were in an uproar, and teammates were rushing the field for their victory over a district rival.It was sweet to see the joy and excitement rushing through our students, parents, and faculty, and I could understand how a person could get swept up in this kind of high.
Looking over at me, Pepper did her best to discretely sign, “What do you want to do now?”
Now, wasn’t that a question?
I had no idea what Royce’s expectations were, and if his family was here, I didn’t want to intrude on their victory moment.Plus, there was also the fact that I’d rather avoid the awkwardness if he tried to introduce me to his parents.Though most of the time it was unintentional, a lot of people didn’t know how to act when first meeting me.
However, before I could tell Pepper that we should probably just leave, a sweaty, smiling, gorgeous Royce Cameron was making his way up the stands, straight for us.
I smiled because I just couldn’t help myself.
I was a teenage girl with a crush.
He looked between me and Pepper before signing, “I’m glad you were able to make it.”
“Thank you for inviting us,” Pepper signed back.
Royce grinned, then sent my head spinning when he grabbed my hand, laced his fingers in mine, then tugged.“C’mon,” he voiced.“I want you to meet my parents.”I glanced at Pepper, and her blue eyes were wide with shock.“My older brother, Quincy, is in college, so it’ll just be my parents.”
I pulled my hand from his, and he immediately scowled until he realized that my hands were my voice piece.“Are you sure?”I signed.
“Positive,” he signed back, then grabbed my hand again.
Royce started dragging me behind him, and when I looked back, I thanked God that Pepper was following us, not that I doubted that she would.However, I knew that people were staring and wondering, so I needed all the support that I could get.I wasn’t stupid enough to believe that Royce Cameron inviting me to his game, then introducing me to his parents wasn’t a big deal.
This was a very big deal.
When we made it back to the lower section of the bleachers, I was met with a beautiful couple, and it was easy to see where Royce had gotten all his looks from.He looked like both of his parents with his features coming from his father, and his coloring coming from his mother.They also looked like they would be his parents, very polished and put together.I wondered what his brother looked like, and if he took after their father or their mother.I had to shake my head of those thoughts.I still wasn’t sure what this was, so there was no point in speculating about Quincy Cameron.
“Dad, Mom, this is Roxanne Rafferty,” Royce signed, and my heart lurched in my chest at how he had carefully signed each letter with one hand.Looking back at me, he continued with signing.“Roxanne, these are my parents, Bram and Francis Cameron.”Before I could respond, he was looking back at his parents again.“And that’s her best friend, Pepper Milo.”
Bram Cameron reached his hand out.“It’s nice to meet you, Roxanne,” he said, his lips moving slowly and precisely.
After a few uncomfortable seconds, Mrs.Cameron said, “Royce, honey, you have to let go of her hand.”
Royce dropped my hand like it was on fire.“Sorry,” he signed.
I reached out, then shook Mr.Cameron’s hand, and everything in me wanted to be brave enough to speak, but I couldn’t.I didn’t want to mess this up by sounding like a tool.
However, to save me from any more awkwardness, Mrs.Cameron reached out, then shook my hand as well.In the same manner as her husband, she said, “It’s finally nice to meet you, Roxanne.”I shook her hand, then nodded.Sensing my anxiousness, she quickly addressed Pepper.“And it’s nice to meet you, too, Pepper.”
“Yes, it is,” Mr.Cameron added.
Pepper was immediately at my side, signing and talking at the same time.“It’s nice to meet you guys, too.”
With the introductions out of the way, Royce looked my way, then signed, “I need to go shower and change, but...well, would it be okay if you waited for me?I won’t be long.”I nodded because I didn’t know what else to do.“Okay, I promise I won’t be long.”Then, after exchanging goodbyes with his parents, Royce rushed off.
Mrs.Cameron looked back at me, then shocked the shit out of me when she signed, “Boys.”
What in the hell was happening?
