Memoir | Klay Thompson

42 // She's Back

"Cam, you okay?" Delia asked as they drove to Cameron's apartment.

"No, I'm not."

Flashback

Cameron, Joey and Donny were walking home from school. It was a normal day like any other. She remembers it like it was yesterday though. As usual as they crossed the train tracks, she watched them kick the rocks and the broken pieces of wood along the road.

"How was practice today Donny?"

"It was good Cammie, they said I could start next game."

She was happy that he was excelling outside of their household. It had been almost a year since Donny and Joseph came to live with Fran and Cameron. They were growing on her. Donny, born Donte was the nicer one. Joseph or Joey was more of a hard ass, but lovable the same.

When they arrived home there was a car outside they didn't recognize. Joseph entered first, he usually did incase unwanted people were around and they younger ones needed protecting.

"Glad y'all are back. Took you long enough" Fran joked. Usually she wouldn't be joking. "Sit down, I need to talk to you real quick."

There was a woman sitting not too far in a bland suit but a welcoming face. Francis never had many female friends, and the ones that visited were sígnica by others of the guys who ran in and out of there.

"This is Ms. Chen. She's here from the agency."

They all waved at the stranger. Each needing to know why she was there in the first place. The agency never meant any good. Not for them.

"So we have some good news and bad news. Good news is, Donny is going back home. Joey is going to his Aunt's. Bad news is, my poor babies are leaving me." She sighed.

Joey was ecstatic. Although he liked Cameron and Donte. He had longed to be back with his family. They were fucked up, but he hated living with Fran more than his own situation. Donte on the other hand sat there in sadness. He would miss Cameron and the friends he made at his new school. He loved her just as much as his birth brother which was the upside to going home. Maybe his parents had gotten it together and he wouldn't gave to leave again.

After Donte packed his belongings, he waited on the porch to say goodbye to Cameron. Fran had to separate them because they wouldn't let go.

"Cam... what happened?"

"One moment he was there and then the next the took him back to his family. I haven't seen him in twenty years."

Cameron settled into her place, putting her items into the their respective places. All she could think about were the odds of seeing another person from her past in such a short timespan. As if all things happen twice, she wondered what could be next.

"Why didn't you tell me you were in foster care?" Delia had a list of questions and she wanted to ask some now before reuniting with the other girls. The conversation wasn't meant for everyone and she would honor Cameron telling on her own time.

"I don't like talking about it. When I tell you I don't like my family, this is why. They were terrible people. The kids that came along the way were sometimes cool. I only had relationships with Donte and Joseph before they took them away from me."

"Sounds like we gotta drink tonight sister girl."

••••

"How the hell did I miss her?" Klay asked Jordan. Shrugging, Jordan continued to his locker keeping minimal contact. He was still pissed at Klay for giving him the cold shoulder.