Ghetto Wear by Selma McCrory (EstiRose) c. 2003 part 2

"What?" Wendy asked, feeling like she was on the edge of understandingÊ something. Maybe even something profound. "Your *cousin*?"

"My cousin." His cheeks colored the same way they had when they'd been on the date, when she'd said something that had slightly embarrassed him. "We look a lot alike."

"Yeah, just slightly!" she exclaimed. Was he playing a joke on her, or was the joke played on him? And to be exact, both of them?

"He thinks I don't have a life," Cam explained, looking apologetic. "And a lot of people can't tell us apart. Even some of my friends have been fooled."

Wendy could only nod, as if the whole situation, the whole store, was part of something she was watching on TV. "Right."

"Look, I'm sure he didn't do this to hurt you... Or me," Cam said. "I'm sure he had his reasons."

"Right," Wendy said. "So? what happens next?"

"I bring C.C. here, he apologizes, he gets out of your life, end of story," Cam said. He seemed to be talking to himself rather than her.

"Oh," Wendy said. If this was a joke, then... she'd... she'd... she didn't know what she'd do.

"Let me give him a call," Cam said. "Could you hold my order for me?"

"Sure," she said as he withdrew a cell phone from his pocket and headed out. Like she wouldn't hold his order, given the circumstances?

So she put the order behind the counter and waited.

A few minutes later, Cam came back. "He'll be coming in a few minutes. Why don't I pay for the order?"

"Um, sure." This was something she knew how to handle. She took the credit card in the outstretched hand and mindlessly looked at the ID, ringing up the sale.

"Thanks. Let me get this in my car, and I'll be back."

So she obediently sat and waited until Cam came back, leaning on the counter. There were no other customers in the store at the moment, and so there was nobody to distract her. And she desperately, desperately needed a distraction right now. Something that would save her from Cameron Watanabe and his cousin. What was his cousin's surname? Real name?

But every time she opened her mouth to say something, no words came out. She was stuck waiting. Hoping that something would prove to be a lie. She didn't know what, but *something* had to be a lie. It had to be.

The side door's bell tinkled to indicate a new customer, and she straightened up. Finally! A customer!

But it was only C.C. Which meant that Cam wasn't C.C., and that she'd gone out with a guy pretending he was another guy. C.C. was probably laughing behind his miffed expression. Though *miffed* might not be the right word for it. He looked... kinda upset that he'd been found out. Like she probably wouldn't have found out eventually anyway?

But his gaze met hers, and his look changed... as if he didn't care a thing about Cam. She had his attention. All of it.

"Apologize," Cam said, his voice hard. He folded his arms.

"Sorry," C.C. said, and she was amazed she couldn't distinguish between him and Cam earlier. Sure, they looked the same, but she could see the way both of them moved now, and CC did *not* move or act like Cam. "I really didn't mean to hurt you. It's just that... he doesn't have a life, and well..."

That earned him a glare from Cam. "So you decided to play matchmaker with him and me?" Wendy interrupted, not liking the explanation one bit.

"Well, yeah," C.C. said. "I mean, you're pretty, and you're not like most of the other girls he talks to. Can you say major *boring*?"

"Tori," Cam pointed out to his cousin.

"Tori's interesting, but she's taken, Cous, and I'm not, like, suicidal enough to get in a fight with Blake." C.C. spread his hands and arms out, looking at Wendy and obviously ending the side discussion. "Anyway, I wanted you to be happy."

"It didn't work," Cam said to his double.

"Out," Wendy said, finally deciding she'd seen far too much of the impostor, and wondering if her Dad minded if she took a break and cried. She wiped her eyes. "Out, C.C. I don't want to see you again."

"But..." C.C. looked pleadingly at her, with an expression that would have melted her heart if she hadn't been on the verge of crying.

"Get out of here, and the next Cam Watanabe that I see better be the real one," she warned, glaring at C.C.

"Okay, okay," he said, holding up his hands again. "I know where I'm not wanted. See you later, Cous." With that, he turned around and left, the door ringing behind him as he closed it with a lot of force.

Wendy wiped her eyes again, wishing for a tissue.

"He really did mean well," Cam said to her.

"That's the scary part," Wendy replied. "Hey, get out of here. Just because you have a stupid idiot for a cousin doesn't mean you have to hang around this boring place."

"Right," Cam said. "Don't worry, he won't come in here again."

Wendy sniffled. "Thanks." She paused. "And thank you for shopping at Behrman's Electronics." It was the best she could do to make something sound normal.

Cam gave her a smile... the first that she'd seen in the real Cam, and followed his cousin's path out the door.

*Ê *Ê *

"Hi, Cam," Wendy said quietly as her customer came to the counter. "How's C.C.?"

It was an unexpected question, she could see that. But she wanted to have some closure, and heck, did she want closure on the big gaping hole that C.C. had left in her emotions. "Home, and told that he should *stay* there."

"So, he's back with your aunt and uncle?" Wendy asked idly.

"No, he's at my place," Cam said. "Dad's keeping an eye on him." He paused, and studied her. "Why do you want to know?"

Wendy favored him with a grin, weak as all get out. "Closure. Maybe wanting to know that this isn't going to happen again."

"It won't," Cam said with certainty. "I've made sure of that."

Wendy nodded. "Thanks. 'Preciate that. I know you said he didn't mean it, but..."

"C.C. is the kind of person who is always being taken places twice."

"The second time to apologize?" Wendy guessed.

Cam nodded at that.

"Anyway, why are you letting him hang about, anyway? Your aunt and uncle not letting him come back home?" Wendy asked.

Her customer shrugged. "He ended up with us because my Dad's sick and I can't be there 24/7. He's supposed to be keeping an eye on my dad and helping keep the place up."

"Oh," Wendy said, understanding dawning. "So, he decided to pick me up in his time off."

"Exactly," Cam said grimly.

"Thanks, Cam. I'm glad to know that all this is a bored teenager with cabin fever. Not that I'm not angry at him, but..."

"He won't trouble you any more," Cam promised.

She watched as he walked out of the store.

* * *

Wendy bit back a yawn as she finished her lunch. Normally, she'd have gone across the street to campus to eat, but Cam's visit that morning had bothered her. Was she going to have problems every time he came to shop here because of C.C? She hoped not.

Maybe it was time she got to know the *real* Cam, now that C.C. was out of the way. Just so that she wouldn't associate him with C.C. Well, other than the obvious. He couldn't help being related to C.C., and if she got around that geeky shell of his...

"Hi," a very quiet voice said, causing her to jump.

"C.C.," she said crossly. "I thought you'd had enough of being in trouble." She crossed her arms. She would *not* cry.

"Hey, just wanted to come back and grovel. You know how much trouble I had getting around the restrictions dishwater-dude put on me?"

"I can guess," Wendy said, crossing her arms. "And if you leave *right now* I won't even tell your cousin you were here."

"But, Wendy..." C.C. looked at her pleadingly. "I, like, didn't mean to upset you."

"Well, you did, you idiot!"

C.C. shrugged. "Haven't you ever made a mistake before?" he asked. "I mean, like major dumbo mistake?"

"This was way more than a mistake," Wendy stated. "You played with my emotions! You made me believe you were somebody else, who isn't even in love with me, and doesn't even see me as anything more than a store clerk!"

"He would if he'd give you half a chance," C.C. pleaded. "I mean, you're a wonderful person. You're pretty, you're intelligent..."

"I couldn't pass pre-calc in high school," Wendy pointed out.

"I like you," C.C. said, racing in front of her and kneeling. "I really do."

"You know, that's a really good way to get kicked," Wendy said, ignoring the pleading look.

"Hey, trying to apologize here!" C.C. exclaimed defensively.

"What part of 'no' don't you understand? What part of 'go away' don't you understand either?"

C.C. sighed. "If that's what you want."

He disappeared into thin air. Or thick. Wendy blinked, and then ran into the store.

"Hon, you all right?" her father asked, doing something at the counter.

"I just broke up," she said. "Breaking Up" was an understatement. Maybe she belonged in the looney bin. Obviously she'd imagined C.C. Watanabe coming over and then disappearing.

"With Cameron?" her father asked. "I hope that wasn't Cameron Watanabe you were dating?"

"Cam Watanabe?" Wendy laughed, but it sounded hollow, even to her. "I don't even *know* Cam Watanabe. At least as anything other than a customer."

"Oh," her father said, sounding uncomfortable. "So, who was it?"

"A guy named Cameron who wasn't Cam Watanabe," Wendy said. "Do you see me dating Cam Watanabe?"

Her father shrugged. "In all honesty? No."

"Good," Wendy said, wiping away a tear.

"Hon, why don't you go and just take a little bit more of a break, I'll cover for you," her father said.

"Thanks, Dad." She fled.

*Ê *Ê *

Wendy paced in the small sculpture garden. Who should she call? If she called Cam's place, C.C. was sure to answer, and she wasn't ready to deal with the non-reality of her imagined encounter with him. Of course, her thinking she was crazy would make him go away for sure. Well, unless he could teleport... but that was impossible and only underscored that she'd gone crazy.

"Cam, come in soon," she muttered. "Please. So I have someone to talk to about this."

And what would he say? That she needed to be sent to the funny farm? Probably. She had no idea what to do. But she should. "Maybe I really just need to get to know him. And then see my doctor about a chemical imbalance." She pulled out her cellphone, thanking herself for memorizing Cam Watanabe's number.

"Hello?" a male voice answered.

"Is this Cam or C.C.?" she asked warily.

"Hey, Wendy!" the voice answered cheerfully.

"Okay, C.C. I want to speak to *Cam*."

"Well, he's kinda not here at the moment. I'll tell him that you called."

"You'd better," Wendy said, hoping she had the right tone of voice.

"Okay," C.C. said cheerfully. "Stay safe, bye!"

Wendy shook her head as C.C. hung up. She headed back in, just to see her father locking up.

"Hi, hon, there's a monster attack," her Dad said.

Wendy nodded. Maybe it would keep her mind off C.C. Watanabe... and Cam.

* * *

About an hour after the Power Rangers finished destroying the monster, the bell above the door tinkled. Wendy looked up, mentally preparing herself for the first customer in an hour.

"Hi, Wendy." It was Cam. Or at least the person in front of her moved and dressed like Cam.

"Cam or C.C.?" she asked.

"Cam," he responded.

Wendy's shoulders sagged in relief. "Hi, Cam. I suppose C.C. gave you my message?"

"Made a big production about it," Cam said wryly, "But yes." He studied her. "He wants to know how you are."

"Okay, but... I still don't want to see him again."

Cam nodded. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"I'm not even sure it's something I can talk about," Wendy said. "I probably should have told him to not have you call me back, but..."

"Wendy, what happened?" Cam asked firmly.

"I... hallucinated him coming back to beg for mercy," she said haltingly. "I knew he was a hallucination when he disappeared in front of me. Maybe I belong in psychiatric care or something..."

She sniffled. "Maybe," Cam allowed. She looked away, at the special orders shelf.

"Thanks," she said. "Maybe I do. I mean, maybe I can't tell the difference. Maybe I *want* you to be C.C. and you're not C.C."

"No," he said. "I'm Cam."

"Makes sense," she allowed. "So..."

"I don't know what to tell you," Cam said.

She looked at him and smiled. "If you did, I'd be suspicious." She looked towards the door to where her father was no doubt working on the business's account. "I guess I do need to see a psychiatrist. Do something for me, though?"

"What?" Cam asked.

"Maybe... let me get to know you?" she asked hesitantly. He was a total stranger, and she'd just admitted she was crazy, but she had to. "Maybe if I knew who you were in the first place..."

"Right," Cam said, and she swore she saw a blush color his face. Of course, given the circumstances, she was probably just imagining it. "All right."

And for the first time since she'd found out the truth about C.C., she relaxed. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

Cam smiled, and went out the door. Smiling, Wendy leaned on the counter. Maybe it would be a good day, after all.

-end