Page 40 of Out on a Limb

“You want us to walk you home?” Ethan asked.

“Nah. I can take care of myself,” Cameron replied, his voice extra loud thanks to the extra drinks. He was drunk, but used to being drunk, so it was no big deal really.

“Okay. Get home safe.” They hugged each other goodbye.

“Taints Misbehaving!” Cameron screamed when they reached the door.His friends went one way. Cameron stood outside the bar. A stray car zoomed by, but otherwise Duncannon was fast asleep. He couldn’t stand living in a town that had an unofficial bedtime.

Instead of walking, Cameron pulled out his phone, ready to call a cab. His finger hovered over the keypad.

Nope.

He was still in the mood to celebrate.

Φ

“Cameron?” Walker did a double-take when he opened the door. He wore a ratty Browerton shirt that hugged his chest and plaid pajama bottoms that didn’t do much for the imagination.

“What’s up?” Cameron hung on the door. His feet had carried him here on autopilot. “We won!”

Walker got a whiff of his breath and winced. “Who won?”

“Taints Misbehaving! We did it!”

“I’ll get you a glass of water.” Walker let him inside.

“Do you remember when you helped us with the sports round? Because you know sports. I mean, le sports. Le spooooooortzzzzzz. It’s a fun word to say.”

Cameron strutted around the condo, taking in all the decorating flourishes he had missed on previous occasions. Walker had framed artwork on the walls. And not the same faux-arty black-and-white photo that everyone bought from Target. Real, one-of-a-kind shit.

“You know what sucks about being a senior?” Cameron said from the hallway.

Walker met him with the water and akeep it downhand motion.

“Everyone gets all mushy all the time.” Cameron gulped a sip. Water dribbled onto his shirt. “This is the weakest vodka ever.”

“Why don’t you come to the living room?”

“We’re not dying here. We’re graduating! Why do people have to get sad? I can’t wait to firmly enter my twenties. I’ll take another.”

He stuck the empty glass out.

“Coming right up.” Walker grabbed the glass.

“Thank you, kind sir.”

Walker gave him anotherkeep it downsignal. He made himself passive-aggressively clear, even to a drunk guy.

“Just chill out in the living room.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll go there in a second.”

Walker returned to the kitchen. Cameron continued staring at the painting in front of him. So many dots and shapes in muted colors. Maybe it was a puzzle? Or a treasure map?

The door creaked behind him. Cameron pivoted around to find little Hobie staring at him from his bedroom. The kid was the picture of cuteness in pajamas holding onto a teddy bear.

“Hi, Hobie!” Cameron whispered. He squatted down and waved.

“Are you here for a playdate with my dad?”