CAMERON

"Cameron? We are just talking about you." Penelope says, and I smile.

"I am sorry I was supposed to bring her home, but your daughter happened to hate me; she would rather follow the cab, so I followed behind to make sure they brought her home safely."

"Aww, aren't you the sweetest?" Penelope asks her husband whose eyes are squinted at me. "He follows you. Darling, Cameron is brought up here, with Jake prioritizing his job; you will need someone to show you the city very well." She tells her daughter who is shooting daggers at me, that I ignore and resort to smiling at elated Penelope instead.

"Why does she hate you?" Anthony asks me a bit sternly.

I must say he's not as nice as his wife.

"That's a very good question. Cameron, why is that?" Amy mockingly remarks by the sink where she's standing, holding a glass cup, and everyone's eyes drives back to me, waiting for my reply.

Amy's brows rose in question marks.

Funny, she thinks she can set me up.

"She says I am too nice. That I should be rude to her all the time, but I do not have the tendency to do that to anyone, much worse to someone so pretty like that; who would want to hurt such beauty that deserves the world, Ma'am?" I feign a sad frown, sensing Amy's temper radiating in the room and coming at me in a troop. "She might be beautiful like you, but I wish she was as kind as you, though." I praise the woman who instantly blushes.

Amy scoffs, her lips hanging open in shock when I glance at her, winking slightly.

"She doesn't like meeting nice young men so she doesn't change her mind over Jake." Penelope accurately spoke and I laughed along with the woman, almost high-fiving her.

She couldn't be more right but I replied wisely, a bit easy on Amy, who's likely planning my murder with that look.
"I mean they are into each other; she may be right," I feel like puking after saying that.

Penelope scrunched her face, shaking her head in objection. "Where is he? It's dark and he's nowhere to be found."

I mean, she has a point, but Amy will tell you he's the best in a world full of Satans like me, so...

Amy like a bull who just catches a glimpse of a red material, rushes over, I almost thought she was going to slap me, but she yanks her mother's hand.
"Mom, come with me."

"You want some cocktail, Ma'am when you're done?" I politely ask before they turn and Amy huffs, annoyedly.

"Yes, son. And I said to call me Penelope." she corrects and I reply with a smile, bowing my head a little, and seething Amy pulls her mother's hand down the hall.

Just like that, I feel a lot better, not completely to my normal but Penelope's sweetness did me good, I go into the kitchen and start on the easiest and perfect cocktail.

I pull the fridge door, grab the ingredients needed, and get the juice blender from the storeroom. I am dicing the pineapple to garnish the cups when Amy's stepfather comes over and sits on the stool by the counter. "What's that?" He asks curiously, jutting his chin at the almost-ready cocktail.

"Pina colada, have you ever had it?"

"Yes, in Hawaii," he answers with a light chuckle.

"You travel a lot, I guess." He looks sophisticated enough.

"We are coming to be; Penelope wants to see the world now that the kids are all in college." He smiles contentedly at the mention of his wife.

"It must be cool."

"It is. You travel?" he asks me while I add a cherry to the three cups filled with pina colada.

"Never left Portland but maybe someday," I reply, and his pupils dilate. "Wow, I could have sworn, no."

Chuckling, I set a cup to his front and he takes it, tastes it, and lets out a moan. I burst out laughing.

"Okay, now I feel like you have a restaurant of your own somewhere."

"I wish. But it's just my mom's cookbook she let me have." I honestly answer, and he nods admirably, taking another sip.

I would love to stay and have more fun taunting Amy, but I promise Myles I will fight tonight, and it's getting late.

"I have a library study tonight; I will put Amy's and Penelope's in the fridge for when they come out." I let Anthony know, and he nods.

"Final year?" he asks me.

"Yes."

"It must be tough," he says and I nod, cleaning up the liquid on the surface and setting back the napkin.

"I will see you later or in the morning," I tell him, and he stands up.

"Thanks for having us."

"It's my pleasure."

***

The fights happen in school, in case I haven't mentioned, but since Myles is a staff in the campus with some solid connections, orchestrating them covertly is a breeze. The underground school building has been on pause for construction for quite some time, so it became a hidden place where tonight for the first time I will face a guy who's fighting nationwide.

"You made it," Myles greeted the moment I entered the room where his fighters prepared.

Chants echoed through the long halls, reaching into the space. Seth and Khalid were sitting on the bench, their faces showing signs of the usual rough beatings. Despite fighting every night, victories were scarce in their records, given they were still in training.

"There's ten thousand on the line. Some guy from the UFC regulatory team is coming to supervise the match. If you beat Kenny, there's a chance he'd want to know you. I vouched for you as our best," Myles explained as I removed my shirt.

"Like turning pro?" I inquired, and he nodded.

Wow!

"That would be great."

He squeezed my shoulders, saying, "It will be. You'll be known, making a hundred times more for a fight. That's what we want."

With the possibility that I might be a dropout on Monday, I could potentially secure a promising future through today's match. Chuckling at Myles's enthusiasm and the promise in his words, I reached for my hand wrap in the duffel bag.

"Make me proud tonight," he slapped my arm, leaving me to get ready.

I just need to win.