“Cam! My friend Javen showed me how to download an NES emulator to my computer. He gave me some cheat codes for the mutant turtle game I wanted to play and?—”
He skidded to a halt when he saw me, and his eyes popped wide. An awkward silence stretched out like some miserable piece of pre-chewed gum. The kid had the same dark olive complexion as Cameron. His hair, though not as curly as hers, was the same shade of raven. His bangs stuck to his forehead, a little sweaty from running from the school bus, if I had to guess.
The silence continued. Deciding to be the one to break it, I said, “You ever played that game before? The one you were talking about?”
“Huh?” the boy said, flinching at my words. “What? No, I’ve just read about it. I, uh, I like retro games. NES, Super NES, Sega Genesis. Stuff like that.”
“A man after my own heart,” I said with a grin. “I’ll give you a bit of advice. That ninja turtle game? Watch out for the underwater portion. You swim under a dam and disarm bombs.Majorpain in the ass.”
The kid grinned at me, excitement lighting up his face. “I heardabout that. It’s all over the message boards. Did you ever beat it?”
I shrugged and gave him a cocky smile. “I might have gotten through that one a time or two. Though, I didn’t have an emulator on a computer. I found an actual game system at a garage sale when I was about your age. Bought it and about two dozen games for like twenty bucks. The old lady I bought it off could have sold the stuff for probably a few hundred bucks even back then. It was like Christmas for a poor kid like me.”
“No way!” the kid exclaimed. “Are you for real? Do you still have it?”
“Unfortunately not,” I replied. “I’m more of a wanderer these days. No place to keep something like that.”
“A wanderer? Like a nomad?Sweet.” He swung his head to Cameron. “Is this your new boyfriend?”
Cameron choked on her coffee. “What?” she replied between coughs. “No.”
This was getting even more awkward now that the kid was looking at me in awe.
“My name’s Nate, by the way,” I said. “I take it you’re Gael?”
“Yeah! That’s me,” he said, obviously happy I already knew his name.
“Cameron, can I use your shower real quick?” I asked. “I’m a little dirty from earlier.” Brick dust from one of the buildings was still all over me, even after the wind from the bike ride, and I’d sweated through my shirt from the exertion of the fight.
“Sure,” she said. “Down the hall. There should be towels in there.”
I gave her a wink and strolled down the hall toward the bathroom. Behind me, Gael peppered her with more questions. I grinned as I locked the door behind me.
11
Cameron
“Isaw the motorcycle parked outside,” Gael said. “Does it belong to that guy? Can I take a ride with him?”
“Absolutely not,” I said, glancing down the hall to make sure Nate hadn’t heard.
“Aww, why not? If he’s your friend, it should be okay, shouldn’t it? I’ve never ridden on one before.”
“Because you’re freaking eleven years old, Gael. No motorcycles. Do you have homework?” I asked, trying to change the subject.
Gael’s face fell, and he rolled his eyes. “English and math.”
“Well, get to it, buddy.”
“Man,” he grumbled as he trudged to the kitchen table, where he started setting up his books and school-issued laptop.
“Hey, none of that retro video whatever, either,” I said. “Not until all your homework is done. And I’ll be checking on the screen every few minutes. Got it?”
He groaned in response before he flipped the screen open. A moment later, I heard thewhooshof the shower turning on andthe faintbang-bang-bangas the hot water rushed through the pipes of the old building. Unbidden, an image leaped into my mind.
Nate, naked and wet, running soap across his rippled abs and the thick muscles of his arms. The bar of soap slipped lower, then lower, then?—
I shook my head violently. What the hell was wrong with me?
