The next week and a half drag by and Cameron wasn't kidding when he said he'd be busy. I haven't heard from him since last Monday and Avery told me in painting this morning that he's been working nonstop. She also told me that she was going to be heading over to the exhibition space Cameron got assigned after class to help him set up and that if I was free I should tag along because that way it'll go faster.
I agreed because I wanted to remind Cameron that I'll be coming tonight. I really hope that he hasn't changed his mind about inviting me. He probably hasn't, but this thing he does where he basically drops off the face of the earth to work on projects kind of freaks me out. It always makes me feel like he's decided he doesn't want to be around me anymore.
When the time comes, I get dressed and trudge across campus to the gallery. Upon entrance, I spot Avery.
"Hey!" she calls me over, waving. "How's it going?"
"Fine, you?"
"Fine."
Will I have to go home and change before the event starts tonight? Am I supposed to look formal or is it going to be casual? I look like a slob right now. Cameron would probably want me to change. Should I ask or would that make me sound stupid?
"Uh," I shift from one foot to another. "Should I like, put on something fancier?"
Avery chuckles. "You can but I'm not going to. I don't think it really matters."
I nod and then look her up and down. She just has a sweater and jeans on. Pretty equivalent to what I'm wearing.
"So...what're we doing?" I decide to ask, glancing back and forth across the room. "How can I help?"
"Well," Avery brings a hand to her chin and looks thoughtful, "Cameron went to go get more lights. When he gets back I'll probably help hang them."
"Should I do that?" I wonder.
"Yeah, unless Cameron asks you to do something else, I guess," she says. "It'll make things go quicker, though."
I nod. I wonder if he told Avery that I took part in his project. If he did, she doesn't seem like she's going to mention it. I guess it doesn't really matter if she knows. Or if anyone knows.
When Cameron appears, he greets me with a solid nod and says, "Hey."
"Hi," I respond.
"You're early," he comments.
"Yeah. Avery said it'd be good if I came and helped set up."
Cameron gives Avery an annoyed look. "We're pretty good here," he tells her.
Jeez. That makes me feel insecure. Why doesn't he want me here? Does he think I'll just get in the way? Am I being a nuisance?
"Oh come on, it'll go way faster this way," she argues.
He doesn't seem convinced though. "Whatever," he says dismissively. "Just help with the lights when they show up."
Well, fuck. Cameron must really think I'm just some stupid kid who doesn't know what the hell he's doing.
He stomps off after that. I turn to Avery and quietly ask, "Should I leave?"
"No, don't worry about him, he's just stressed out and trying not to show it," she laughs.
"Oh," I mumble. I guess that would make sense. He seems prideful. Not the kind of person to willingly show their weaknesses.
Avery claps me on the shoulder. "Seriously, don't worry. He'll be fine once all this shit is over."
"Okay," I say, taking her word for it.
Not too long after, Patrick and a couple of other people I recognize wander in carrying lights that look like they'll fit into the ceiling tracks.
"Weren't there lights already here?" I point to a few that are already in place.
Avery shrugs. "Yeah, but...Cameron said he needed more."
She disappears for a second and then returns with a ladder from the supply closet.
"Will you just hold the base for me while I'm up there?" she asks. "I'm not a fan of heights."
I agree and that's what we do. For a while, I stand there and pass lights up to her until eventually, Cameron wanders over to check-in.
"Do you like how it's looking?" Avery asks, securing the one she was just working with in place.
"It's fine," he says flatly.
She pauses for a second and peers down at him, pushing out the post of her lip ring.
"It's hot up here," Avery comments after a second. "Hey, catch."
She strips off her sweater and tosses it down to him. Cameron grabs it with one hand and then lets it drop to the floor, crossing his arms.
"It's warm down here too," I say, trying to ease the tension. "It's probably all the extra lighting."
When neither of them responds I unzip my hoodie and set it on the ground next to Avery's. I still have a long-sleeved shirt on underneath, but this is at least a little better.
I glance at what Cameron is wearing, which is a nice-looking turtleneck. There's no way he's comfortable.
"Aren't you hot too?" I ask him cautiously.
"Uh, yeah, but I don't have time to go home to change and I needed to wear something where my parents couldn't see my tattoos."
"Oh," I state. "That makes sense… They don't like them, I take it?"
"Well, they're not fond of them," he mutters.
I wonder if he's worried about seeing them or having them see his art. It's always hard to show your art to people and I'm sure that goes double for when it's people you care about.
"Shitty…" I comment.
"I'll fucking say," he bites. "It's inconvenient."
"It's not like you HAVE to hide them," Avery butts in. "You just choose to."
"Yeah," he snaps, "because I know they'd start shit over it and it's just not worth it."
Avery rolls her eyes and then holds up a hand. "Okay, calm down."
"I AM calm!" he practically shouts.
Avery gives him a dull look and then looks back at me. "All right, Rudolf," she takes a few steps back and off the ladder, "let's go get a cup of coffee or something."
Cameron seems beyond pissed but he doesn't say anything. Instead, he just crosses his arms over his chest and walks away.
"Uh," I stare at Avery, looking for some sort of direction.
"It's fine, he just needs to cool off," she tells me loudly enough that I'm sure Cameron can hear. "We'll go and come back and it won't be an issue."
"Okay," I agree hesitantly.
We pick up our sweaters and she nods at me to follow her out, which I do without question. We walk across the building and down to the main floor where the cafe is. I get a large black coffee and Avery orders a butterscotch frappuccino.
"You like sweet stuff?" I ask her.
"Yeah," she says with a laugh.
"I wouldn't have guessed."
We sit down for a bit and I remove the lid from my coffee, letting it cool down a bit before taking a sip.
"I can't do black coffee," Avery says. "It tastes like ass."
"I like it," I reply. "But, yeah, it's not for everyone."
"It's probably better for you though, huh?" she asks, sticking the straw in her mouth.
"Not when you drink as much of it as I do."
Avery laughs.
"I don't really sleep," I continue.
"Yeah, I bet!"
I take another sip of my coffee and nervously tap my foot. "So…" I mumble, "what time should we go back?"
"The show doesn't start for an hour and a half. We can just go back then. Cameron has enough help and we were basically already done when we left."
I nod. "So, um, why was he so… tense?"
Avery chuckles. "He gets like that when he knows his parents are going to be around."
That's what I assumed, but I can't really imagine why.
"Even though art isn't their thing, they sound pretty supportive," I decide to say.
"They're supportive for the most part… I guess. I don't know. Cameron has a complicated relationship with them."
"Have you met them before?" I ask.
"Yeah," she nods. "A bunch of times. They always come to this sort of crap. His showcases and all that."
"That sounds supportive to me," I sip on my drink.
"Me too," she agrees. "I mean, he's told me before that they aren't that into him doing art as a profession...but they're still paying for him to be here! They have to at least be okay with it on some level, right?"
"Uh, yeah," I nod.
My parents wouldn't lift a finger to help pay for this place even if they could.
I never know what to say when people complain about their parents. I can never relate to the things they say and I can't even fake sympathy. Maybe that sounds cold, but I just don't care. It was like this growing up. Kids would complain that they had a curfew. I never had a curfew. My parents didn't care enough about me to set anything like that. I mean, I'm not saying people aren't allowed to feel the way they do… I just don't want to hear about someone wishing they didn't have a curfew when my parents were beating the crap out of me.
"Well, you'll probably get to meet them tonight," Avery adds.
"Maybe," I mumble.
I don't really want to. I don't think Cameron would introduce me to them and I'm not about to introduce myself.
"Are they nice?" I ask awkwardly.
"Nice enough. His mom is kind of like, intense? I don't know, she's really in your face about things. His dad is just sorta...there?"
"Just sorta there?" I repeat.
"Yeah!" she cackles. "He always seems bored out of his mind. I don't think he gets art at all and totally doesn't give two shits about it."
"That's too bad."
"I don't know," Avery shrugs. "He could be way worse. I think he's just not a very showy guy and Cameron's work is kind of a lot to take in sometimes."
"Yeah… his recent project was kind of…" I trail off.
She laughs. "All the penises? Yeah, that was weird… but very Cam."
"He asked me to be a part of it," I reveal.
She looks surprised at that, but I don't really know why. "Seriously?" she asks.
"Yeah," I confirm.
"And what did you say?"
"I agreed."
She laughs and says, "Wow…well, good for you. I could never take part in something like that."
"Well," I think about it for a second, "he kind of put me on the spot. I don't think I would have volunteered like all those other people did."
"Was it weird?" Avery asks.
"Surprisingly no," I tell her. "I kind of thought it might be."
"Oh yeah? What'd you think? That he was gonna put moves on you or something?"
"No," I pucker my lips, "of course not."
"Well, I wouldn't have been shocked if he did."
"It was just different," I explain. "I've never been a part of a thing like that before."
"Yeah, it sounds weird," she says. "Do you regret it?"
I shake my head. "No, it's probably one of the tamer things I've done."
She looks somewhat weary. "Oh, yeah?"
I don't want to get into that, though. So, I shrug again and say, "Yeah, I mean… it's art. It's not porn."
"Exactly," she agrees with a smile.
I nod along and then glance down at my drink, which I forgot to finish before it got cold. "Should we go back soon?" I ask.
"Yeah, we could probably head back now," Avery sucks down the rest of her frappuccino and then holds out her hand, offering to take my cup.
I pass my coffee off to her and she tosses both in the trash, walking back over to the table and throwing her jacket on before we head outside.