7. Sibling banter
The fact that Cameron was making progress toward his goal of becoming a competent cook didn’t make him enjoy Courtenay’s cooking any less. Mrs. Ross had told her older son that if he wanted to join the family for dinner, all he had to do was send a quick text, so she would be sure to make enough food for five (including two young men who ate more than one Sim’s share).
One Spring evening, Cam had sent such a text. Courtenay, delighted to have a full house to cook for, treated the family to Vegetable Chili, one of their favorites. They chatted as they ate.
“You’ll never guess who is back in town, Cameron,” Courtenay said.
“The Flower Bunny.”
“No, silly. Angie Reynolds.”
While the mention of the Flower Bunny didn’t make Halle snicker, Angie Reynolds’ name did. Angie was a classmate of Cameron’s, all through school. Halle had no reason to believe Angie ever had a crush on her brother, but when Halle felt like pestering him, she teased him about this possibility. She chose Angie because, of all the older girls Halle knew, Angie was the one she figured Cam would like the least.
Courtenay put her fork down and scowled at her daughter, giving her a withering “Mom does not approve” look. “That’s not kind, Halle.”
“Yeah, Halle. That’s not kind,” Cameron repeated. “Didn’t Angie want to be a doctor?”
Courtenay nodded. “She did, and she is. She’s joined the T. Pose Medical practice.”
“I’m impressed,” Dan added. “That’s where my dad got his start, too.”
Cameron nodded. “I’m not surprised. Angie is smart as plum.”
Cameron was right. Angie Reynolds had always been at the top of their class, a position for which nobody ever challenged her seriously. Cameron came the closest, but he was still a long way from Angie’s level. And while Angie was naturally intelligent, she worked to maximize her talents harder than Cam ever did. When Angie wasn’t bent over her homework tablet, she had her nose buried in a book.
Mean kids told her to keep her face there, so they wouldn’t have to look at it. Even as a Teen, Angie was completely unconcerned with her appearance. She wore her mousy brown hair pulled back so tightly it seemed to stretch her facial features out of place. Her outfits weren’t outfits, as much as they were combinations of bland garments she pulled from her dresser. She was as thin as a stick, and any figure she had was constantly concealed by her shapeless clothing. Angie was, in short, exactly the kind of girl a younger sister would “choose” for her big brother when she felt like being a Grade A brat.
Halle wanted to take one more shot at Cameron before the topic changed. “You ought to go look her up,” she teased. She added an exaggerated wink for effect.
Courtenay responded before Cam could. “Based on the picture her mom showed me, Cameron wouldn’t recognize her.” Then she smiled, very sweetly, at her son.
