“Shush.” I hold a hand up towards Ana. “I don’t want to hear either of you for at least ten minutes. Relax, listen to the ocean, and watch the damn stars, okay?”
“Fine,” Ana sighs.
I raise my hand again. “Shush.”
“Hey, you started?—”
“Shh.” This time, it comes from Cam, and I bite my lip, suppressing my giggle.
After a couple of minutes, I’m somewhat relaxed and recommendgetting ice cream. Cameron suggests a place called Mia’s Creamery that’s a town over and my sister and I agree.
Twenty minutes later, we’re all sitting down eating our delicious creamy and cold desserts. Except Ana, who’s eating a small cup of sugar-free lemon sorbet. She’s determined to lose five pounds by prom, which is not for another month and a half. No carbs, no refined sugars, and no lactose. I’ve reassured her that she already looks great—and she does—but in the end, it’s her body and her business.
Cam, on the other hand, is eating three scoops of cookie dough ice cream. I settled for a soft serve chocolate and vanilla swirl in a cup with extra cherries and hot fudge. Crash diets are something I stopped doing before I joined the cheerleading team. Self help books about eating disorders and body dysmorphia saved me, as well as my mom, who held my hand through it all when we couldn’t afford therapy.
I’m not as thin as Ana or other girls in our class, but with time and help, I learned to love the only vessel we’re given in life. My thighs are thick as hell but toned and strong, my lower belly never goes away no matter how much I work out, and my boobs are a lot bigger than I’d like them to be, but I’ve accepted it…for the most part. I’m a lot more confident than I used to be, and I’m proud of that.
“So, are you taking Jordan to prom, Kami?” Ana hikes her legs up on the table.
Cam rubs his hands down his face.
I’m suddenly very interested in the dents on the wooden table.
“You already know that he broke things off with me, Ana. So no, he’s not going to be my date.”
“Oh, right, sorry. It must’ve slipped my mind,” she says, sounding insincere.
Cameron drops his hands down on the table aggressively, making Ana and I yelp.
“You know what we should do?” he asks loudly.
My sister and I look at each other with confused expressions. She’s the first to speak.
“What?”
“Let’s get a tattoo.”
My mouth falls open. Is he insane? “What?”
His eyes meet mine. There’s something different behind them. Determination but also exhaustion. From what? I’m not sure. Ana? Driscoll? Prom? Graduation? I’m having trouble reading him, still I can tell that he needs something like this. Something new, exciting, and spontaneous.
My mom’s going to kill me.
I drop my spoon into my half-empty cup. “Fuck it. Why not.”
“Since when are you such a daredevil?” Ana says with an evil grin. “You’re the well-behaved twin, remember?”
Ignoring her comment, I return my attention to Cam. “How and where?”
He smiles at me in appreciation before looking at us with determination. “Ethan’s apartment is five blocks away from here. I’ll text him now.”
Less than ten minutes later, we’re knocking on Cameron’s cousin's door. It opens, and there he is, shirtless, sweaty, and sexy. Maybe he can take me to prom. I let out a small smile at the delusional thought and Ana shoots me a death glare.
Jeez, what’s her problem?
“You owe me for this, asshole. Big time,” Ethan grits.
“You got it.” Cam pushes his way through, and we enter a small living area where Ethan’s roommate is smoking from a bong.
