Page 33 of Notice Me, Jameson Hart
Warmth blooms in my chest at the way he cares about his brother. “Okay, let’s check out some of the crowd-pleasers. Have you heard ofCemetery Boysby Aiden Thomas?”
Jameson shakes his head, and I pull the book from the shelf. The cover shows a boy surrounded by marigolds and candlelight.
“It’s about a trans Latino boy who’s trying to prove himself to his traditional family and accidentally summons the ghost of his school’s bad boy. They end up falling for each other while solving a murder.” I hand it to him. “It has romance, mystery, and beautiful cultural elements.”
Jameson studies the cover, turning it over to read the back. “This sounds cool. What else?”
I grab another book. “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agendais a classic. Funny, sweet, and deals with coming out and first love. They made a movie out of it—Love, Simon?”
“Oh, I’ve seen that!”
“Perfect. The book’s even better.” I’m on a roll now, moving down the shelf with purpose. “If he wants something with more adventure, tryIn Other Landsby Sarah Rees Brennan. It’s fantasy, but also hilarious, and the main character is bi. Always a plus.”
Jameson follows me, adding each book to his growing pile. “You really know your stuff.”
“I read a lot.” I pause at another shelf. “Oh, and if he wants something swoony that also deals with real issues,I’ll Give You the Sunby Jandy Nelson is gorgeous. It’s told from two perspectives—twins—and one of them, Noah, falls for the boy next door.”
“These all have LGBTQ characters,” Jameson observes. It’s not said with judgment, but curiosity.
My stomach clenches. “Is that okay? I can recommend some straight romances?—”
“No, it’s great,” he cuts me off gently. “I think he’ll appreciate these.”
I pause. “You know, it’s really cool that your brother is interested in reading. Most boys his age would thumb their noses at this type of stuff.”
“Kid’s braver than I was at fifteen,” Jameson says as he adds the book to his pile. “I couldn’t even tell my parents I hated baseball until junior year.”
“You hated baseball?”
He grins sheepishly. “Still do. But my dad played in college, so I suffered through Little League for years before finally admitting I’d rather be on the football field.”
Wow. I’m learning more about Jameson Hart in five minutes than I have in four years of high school. “That must have been tough.”
“Dad came around eventually. Helps that I’m decent at football.”
I scoff.Decent?
He shifts the books in his arms. “What about you? Always been into theater?”
I nod. “Since I could walk. My brothers say I came out of the womb with jazz hands.”
Jameson laughs again, and it feels as though I did something right, but I don’t know what it is.
He glances down at his armful of books. “I think these will keep him busy. But, um…do you have any recommendations for someone who wants to read a romance that tugs at the heartstrings but isn’t for a fifteen-year-old? Asking for a friend.”
I cover my smirk by scratching my nose. Totally not subtle at all. “The Fault in Our Starsmight be something along those lines. Again, another book that’s been turned into a movie.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” He backs toward the checkout counter. “Thanks for this, Kevin. Seriously. I would have been wandering around for hours.” He gives me another one of those incongruous little waves and heads to check out.
I stand frozen in the stacks, surrounded by stories of first loves and happy endings, trying not to clutch my heart and squeal in delight.
My phone buzzes with a text from Dad saying he has to use the restroom.
Good. That gives me just enough time to have a complete emotional breakdown and pull myself together before facing the world again.
“Find anything good?”Dad appears from around a bookcase, looking lighter on his feet than he was when we first walked in.
“More than good,” I say with a grin.
