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“Man…” Cameron said while eyeing it. “I’m not sure if I’m ready for this level of commitment. Shouldn’t we move in together first?”

Anthony leaned close and whispered, “If you’re not willing to put my toothbrush in your mouth, then you’re definitely not ready for what else I’d like to put in there.”

Cameron swiped the toothbrush from him. “Step aside,” he said, moving toward the sink. “I’m ready!”

They kept joking around, and by the time they left the house, Cameron seemed more like his usual self.

“I can’t wait for you to meet Charles,” he said once they were on the road.

“How old is he again?” Anthony asked.

“I’m not sure. Fifty or sixty maybe?”

“Oh wow. How did you meet?”

Cameron grimaced. “I uh… Met him while doing community service.”

“What?!”

“Yeah,” Cameron said sheepishly. “I got into a little trouble last year.”

Anthony found that hard to believe. “What happened? Did you get caught littering?”

“In a way. I think the judge called it disorderly conduct. Or was it disturbing the peace?”

“I havegotto hear this story,” Anthony said.

“I was working at Wilbur’s at the time.”

“The grocery store?”

“Yeah. I mostly just bagged after school, but I’d also stock shelves when business was slow. That’s what I was doing when… Hey, do you know Diego Gomez?”

“You mean Satan incarnate? Yes. We’ve met.”

“Oh. I got into an argument with him during shop class last year. I think he was trying to be helpful, but when I criticized his technique… I don’t know. It set him off. He showed up at the grocery store one day, randomly I think, and started giving me a hard time. Like he wanted us to fight to prove who was the better at planing wood or something sad like that. Being the mature individual I am, I reacted by throwing food at him.”

“You did not!” Anthony cackled in glee. “Seriously?”

“Yeah.” Cameron chuckled. “I was only stocking bread, so it wasn’t cans or anything. He kept coming at me, and I kept backing away while tossing stuff at him. Including a bag of bagels, which weigh more than you’d think. I got him right in the face.”

“Ouch!”

“Yup. Diego flipped out. He chased me all over the store and knocked over a display of beer bottles, which broke and started spraying everywhere. Lucky for me—or not—a police officer had come inside to grab a few things and heard the commotion.”

“Uh oh!”

“Exactly. Diego took off running. I stuck around and got fired.”

“You should have ratted him out.”

“I did. My parents had to take me down to the police station. Not to file a report. Because I was in trouble. When they asked what happened, I was honest. Why would I protect Diego?”

“No kidding!”

“So he got in trouble too. The judge put us on diversion, which is like probation for amateurs, and sentenced us to community service. I chose to deliver meals to the elderly, since I couldn’t imagine Diego doing the same. The last thing I wanted was to end up working with him.”

Anthony grimaced. “Did he beat you up for what happened?”