Page 57

“Cameron.”

“Cameron what?”

Shit. Ricky glanced around the table for inspiration, but somehow he didn’t think that they’d accept Tabasco as a last name. They must have noticed him struggling, because they stopped waiting for an answer.

“What’s his phone number?” Ken asked in helpful tones. “We can talk to his parents before you meet.”

“No!”

Ami set down her fork. “Why not?”

“Because he’s still in the closet.”

There. It was the perfect excuse. And it was true.

“Regardless,” his mother said, “I’d like his phone number in case of an emergency.”

Ricky glowered at his plate. “I don’t have it.”

“You’ve never spoken on the phone?” His mom already sounded panicked.

“Chatting online is so much cooler,” Ricky said, looking to his father for help. “It’s not as awkward.”

“Boys don’t like talking on the phone as much as girls do,” Ken said to his wife.

“I don’t remember you complaining when we first met,” Ami said, her scowl reorienting on her son. “I don’t want you meeting this person. Not alone. It isn’t safe.”

“We’ll be in public!” Ricky whined.

His mother wasn’t having it. “I said no!”

“I hate you guys!” Ricky said, pushing away from the table and stomping upstairs to his room.

He knew it was a mistake, even as he slammed the door behind him. His parents weren’t going to grant him permission because he threw a tantrum. If he was smart, he would have shrugged, asked how they met, and finished breakfast. Then, once they had left for the day, he could have taken the bus downtown. Actually… he still could!

He made sure to change his tune when someone knocked on his door.

“Sorry,” he said when opening it. “I just really wanted to meet him.”

His mother appeared somewhat mollified as she entered. “I understand. But you don’t know anything about this person. He could be a sexual predator who is only pretending to be your age.”

“I’m sure he’s not,” Ricky said.

“You can’t be,” Ami replied. “I don’t understand computers as well as you and your father do, but I’ve seen how anonymous it all is.” She nodded at his desktop. “Why don’t you ask him for his phone number so we can talk to him? We’ll leave his parents out of it.”

“I can’t,” Ricky said. “Cameron is only on at night.”

She raised her eyebrows at this, as if it was damning evidence.

“I do the same thing!” Ricky protested. “Besides, you never want me to give my number out to people online, so why are you acting like it’s a big deal that we’ve never talked on the phone?”

“Because meeting someone in person is even more serious.If you really feel like getting to know this boy, talk to him on the phone. You have my permission. And you can invite him over next weekend, when we’re at home. We’ll all meet him that way.”

“But we have plans later today,” Ricky said.

“Not anymore you don’t! You’ll be spending the day with us instead.”

“What? I don’t want to go shopping!”