Chapter 4
Mom was making cookies when I got home. The smell soothing as I stepped through the door. James sat on the couch playing Madden. He barely glanced at me, paused and looked up again. “Is your hair curly?”
I’d gotten most of the makeup off, but pulled my hair back rather than wash it as I’d been eager to get home, have mom and dad approve this contract thing, and go get my dream camera. “Where’s dad?”
“Golfing with friends.” He still stared at me. “Are you wearing eyeliner?”
I rubbed at my eyes. My cheeks felt hot.
“You’re so weird,” James muttered.
“Jameson, leave your brother alone,” mom called from the kitchen.
I stopped in the kitchen to ask my mom, “Will dad be home soon?”
“Before dinner? So a few hours?” She smiled at me. “You look nice. Did your aunt let you play in front of the camera today?”
“Um, sort of. That’s what I need to talk to you and dad about.” It didn’t sound like I’d be getting my camera today. I set the folder of contracts and the check on the counter. “I need you two to go through this stuff. And thought maybe I could get my new camera?”
Mom reached over to open the folder, the check on top making her blink. “Tory, what?” She flipped through the stack, eyes going wide when she got to the sample of photo sheets inside. They were low resolution prints, meant to act as a guide for different segments of the shoot. The entire set was digital and could be resized, cropped, and edited a thousand ways. But Aunt Patty had printed a few large quality ones too. Including the one of Lucas and I almost kissing. Before the actual kiss, perhaps?
My cheeks felt like they were on fire. Would she be mad? Embarrassed? Ashamed of me? “Sorry,” I whispered.
“Why are you sorry, peanut?” She asked. “You’re gorgeous in these pictures, but is this what you want?”
“It was fun,” I admitted. “And I can buy my camera.”
She put everything away and reached for me, pausing before touching me. Mom knew I didn’t like being touched that much.
“It’s okay,” I told her.
She wrapped her arms around me in a gentle hug, not the squeezing sort of thing everyone else did. “How about I give you the credit card and you go get your camera?” She pulled away and looked at me. “You have a few hours before your dad is back anyway.”
“Will he be mad?”
“About what? You making money taking pictures?” She flipped back through the stack. “You’re fully dressed.”
“As a girl,” I whispered.
“Okay,” mom said. “Did that feel strange?”
“I kind of liked it. My eyes were crazy cool in the end. The colors were nice. I don’t get to wear colors like that very often.”
“Do you feel like a girl?” She asked carefully.
“I feel like me.”
“When dressed like this,” she waved her hand at my jeans and hoodie, “Or like this?” She held up the print of me with Lucas.
“Both?”
She seemed to think on that for a minute. “Okay.” She grabbed her purse off the chair and took out a credit card. “Go get your camera. Your dad and I will work out the rest of this.”
Was there more to work out? I frowned at her, but she patted the back of my hand and shooed me out. “Go. Be home by six.” It was only one thirty, as the shoot had ended a little early due to me passing out.
I dialed Jenny. She picked up on the second ring.
“Hey, Tory, what’s up?”
