Mistakes of a Perfectionist

Mistake Eleven - Paying for a Friend

"I think Hobby Lobby gets whiter every time I come."

"Yeah, I think they repainted."

"Never- I hate you." 

Cameron followed Luz down one of the aisles, looking at the bright paints and wooden reference sculptures on display. Luz was wearing a white t-shirt and gray basketball shorts, displaying their long thin arms and legs. Cameron found himself watching as they walked, pointing at each object that interested them with a giddiness that remained consistent, regardless of how long they stayed in the store.

"We need a six-inch frame vertically, and five inches horizontally," Luz said once they reached the picture frames.

"Isn't the picture only like, three inches?"

They gave him a judgmental look, which he gladly returned. "It's so we can have a colorful backdrop behind it. A picture like ours needs a colorful backdrop."

Before Cameron could respond, Luz had already rushed into another aisle, and he hurried to keep up. Luz was shorter than him, easily by a foot, but their speed was remarkable, either from the ADHD or their enthusiasm. By the time Cameron had reached the next aisle, it was empty, and Luz was nowhere in sight.

"Luz?" He called out, and an exasperated groan answered him an aisle over.

"There's nothing good in this store!" They cried when he reached them, gesturing wildly around. "I'm not looking for a 'I got divorced so I'm fucking down' frame, I need a 'I'm really different and really interesting to talk to' frame!"

They looked at him when he didn't respond. "What?"

"It's just you said 'fucking' really loud in a convenience store."

"Whatever, not swearing is for prudes. We have more pressing matters to attend to, Cameron."

"Right," He held up his hands in surrender. "Forgot we were in crisis."

They searched the next few aisles for the perfect frame, all of which did not reach Luz's standards and they blew them off with surprisingly creative insults (Cameron had held up a multicolored abstract frame, which they responded by asking him if he thought they were a "closeted single dad"). He was used to being afraid when people were angry, or even passionate, having the same confidence as a wilting flower. But Luz energized him, each reject encouraging him to find a perfect frame. Their energy, as always, was contagious. 

"This is why so many teenagers get into drugs." They said once the final aisle had been looked through thoroughly. 

"Because there are no exciting frames?"

"Exactly, there's nothing to take the edge off."

Cameron's eyes glanced over to an aisle adjacent to theirs, hosting large stacks of colorful papers. His mind drifted back to an old summer camp memory, consisting of scissors and surprising number of band-aids. It gave him an idea. He asked Luz for the drawing, and headed over to the paper, this time with Luz following shortly behind. 

He took a sheet of paper and folded it around the drawing, taking a few moments before it resembled a makeshift frame. "I did this when I was a kid, it's a paper frame. That way we can have as interesting a frame as you would like," He began unfolding it, but Luz stopped him. "We don't have to use this paper."

"I know," There was something in their eyes that he couldn't understand. "I like it. You picked a good paper."

There was a silence between them, their hands tangled around the paper, locked together. There was an electricity there, silent, unmoving. Cameron felt his heart race, and he became all too aware of the length of Luz's hair, how it curled and twisted on their forehead in a dazzling spiral. They needed a haircut. 

And just as quickly as it was there, it was gone. Luz demanded stickers, releasing the paper and leaving Cameron yet again as a glorified shadow. Luckily, they were less picky with the sticker sheets, choosing a wide selection that they bundled against their chest before walking swiftly to the exit. 

The machine beeped as the price came up on screen. "Fifty-four dollars?" Luz exclaimed.

"I can pay," Cameron offered, noting the cash in their hand could not have exceeded more than twenty dollars. "I've been graced with credit card debt."

Something ugly twisted in their face, before they relaxed into a soft smile. "Thanks Cam, I'll pay you back."

"No need." The machine beeped as it accepted payment, and they left the store.

Luz pulled out their phone as they reached the sidewalk and began frantically texting. Cameron stood with the products in his arms, silently watching them. The sun was beginning to set, indicating that they had been in the store far longer than he had thought. In the evening light, Luz's brown skin glowed with a shimmering intensity that Cameron forced himself to look away from.

"My mom should be here soon," They said, putting their phone in their pocket. "Traditional Cortez nature, late as always." Their voice skipped into an accent as they said their last name.

"I could give you a ride home, if you want." Cameron gestured to his car, but Luz shook their head.

"I'd rather not be murdered on the drive home."

"I'd wait until we had parked at my storage unit, at least. Who kills someone while driving?"

"Someone who's efficient."

"Or a reckless driver," Cameron shot back, sitting down on the pavement. "Speaking of murderers, I'm staying with you until your mom arrives."

Luz fell silent, they opened their mouth in an attempt to decline, but Cameron already started opening one of the stickers packages before they could. They sat down beside him, leaning in to take the drawing, their hand brushing against his thigh.

Whatever had come over Luz in the store faded as they began construction on the frame. Their eyes glowed with the intensity of an artist, their fingers working rapidly as they folded and decorated the page. Cameron watched them, helping sporadically by adding a sticker here or there, or helping firm out a fold on the page. 

They talked as they worked, mostly banter but occasionally about themselves. Luz clarified that they had four siblings, two sisters, two brothers, all of which that were younger than them. Cameron clarified that his parents did in fact exist but were just shy and anti-social people.

"Reminds me of someone," Luz snarked, earning them a deserved bit of head trauma from one of the sticker sheets.

They didn't notice the car until it honked, startling the both of them. The window was rolled down, revealing a thin brown woman with curly hair strikingly similar to Luz's. 

"Luz!" She called, a thick accent pervading her voice as she said their name. "Hurry the fuck up!" The accent faded almost immediately. 

"I've been summoned," Luz said, apologetically handing Cameron the drawing. "Let's finish this in Math tomorrow."

"Let's do math in Math tomorrow."

"Narc."

"Prick."

"Luz!" 

Luz rushed over to the car, waving frantically back at Cameron and climbing into the passenger seat. The car idled as the two quickly exchanged with each other, Luz obviously begging and his mother gesturing back at Cameron with one hand. It came to a head when his mom turned and looked out the window at him.

"Oh! You're the pretty white boy!" She yelled at him, and then drove away quickly, cackling.

Cameron blushed crimson.