Filed to story: That Campus Prince Is a Girl
Everything right now felt so perfect that it was almost like a dream, and deep down, she truly feared it was one.
Gavin walked in a few steps behind Levi, watching as his dad’s attitude completely shifted the second he looked at Cameron. Seeing the difference in treatment, Gavin felt mixed emotions.
He just hoped Cameron was really worth all this special treatment from the family. After all, she did share the same blood as them.
But Cameron had been out there for 18 years, so Gavin was wary about the person she had become.
A few minutes later, Lance came back out, and not long after, the five of them made their way to the dining room.
The table was absolutely covered with delicious dishes, and there were still plenty more that hadn’t even been brought out yet.
Gavin almost wanted to say something about food wastage, but when he saw his parents and Lance all practically fighting over who got to serve Cameron first, he bit his tongue.
He thought about what Levi had said earlier, and after a pause, he picked up his spoon and added a few things to Cameron’s plate too.
“Um… this is more than enough,” Cameron said softly, unsure how to handle the sudden flood of attention.
“Alright, alright, that’s enough.” Jacqueline looked at her with pure affection.
Levi chuckled. “You take your time, Cam. And if you ever want something specific, just tell me, I’ll have the kitchen make it for you.”
Cameron’s fingers tightened slightly around her cutlery. Then, she looked up at him and said, carefully, “Thank you… Dad.”
Levi froze and stared at Cameron in shock, wandering if his ears were playing tricks on him.
His eyes went wide as he stared at her. “Cam, what did you just call me? I didn’t catch that.”
Cameron smiled. “Dad.”
“Yes!” Levi answered, his voice loud and clear.
Jacqueline’s eyes immediately welled with tears. She hadn’t even been the one Cameron addressed, but her heart swelled all the same. That one word meant Cameron had finally accepted them.
It was everything they’d been hoping for.
Levi caught the emotion on Jacqueline’s face and gently nudged, “Cam, do you think you could call her ‘Mom’ too?”
Cameron looked at Jacqueline, stayed quiet for a few seconds, then called out, “Mom.”
“Oh, dear,” Jacqueline answered right away. Sitting next to Cameron, she happily wrapped her arms around Cameron’s shoulders.
She’d waited for this moment and thought she might have to wait forever. But it came so soon and so unexpectedly that she couldn’t stop crying.
Cameron, clearly flustered by the sudden wave of emotion, quickly grabbed a tissue to wipe her tears.
Jacqueline smiled through her tears, holding Cameron’s hand. “Let me do it.”
Across the table, Lance smiled. Being together with his family made him the happiest.
Meanwhile, Gavin watched the scene in bewilderment, thinking, ‘Seriously? Is this really that big of a deal? Were Mom and Dad this emotional when Lance and I first called them Mom and Dad?’
After dinner, everyone moved to the living room to chat.
Gavin, learning how not to stand out like a sore thumb, joined in here and there, just enough to blend in without drawing attention to himself.
Lance spoke up, “Mom, Dad, it’s getting late. Let Cameron get some rest.”
Jacqueline took Cameron’s hand. “Cam, the villa out back is yours. Will you be scared to stay there alone?”
Cameron smiled. “Mom, I’m not a little kid anymore.”
Levi chuckled. “You just turned 18, so you’re still a kid to us. How about staying in the guest room next to ours tonight? It’d be easier for us to check in on you.”
Gavin couldn’t take it anymore. “Come on, Dad. He’s 18, and he can’t possibly be scared to sleep by herself. Logan and I were living on our own by the time we were 12.”
Levi shot him a look. “Did anyone ask for your opinion?”
Gavin immediately shut his mouth.
Cameron said, “I’ll go with whatever you and Mom decide.”
Jacqueline smiled. “Alright, Cam. Then, you’ll stay in the room right next to ours.”
Cameron nodded. “Sure.”
Lance asked, “Mom, did the toiletries and clothes you had someone buy for Cam get delivered yet?”.
Just as Logal finished speaking, a housekeeper entered the place, carrying a load of paper bags.
Jacqueline quickly took them. “Cam, here’s the shirt, pants, bathrobe, men’s face wash, a razor, hair wax…
Cameron stood there, quietly and patiently, letting her finish listing everything.
Levi noticed the silence and the lack of expression on her face. “Cam, don’t you like them?”
Cameron nodded calmly. “Not really.”
Jacqueline looked a little flustered. “You don’t? That’s my fault. I’ll send them out to get something else right away.”
Gavin frowned. “Why don’t you like them?”
He thought, ‘Seriously? Is it because these things aren’t expensive enough?
A few days ago, they’d given him a house, a crest brooch, a sports car, and a designer watch. And now that it’s just some clothes and toiletries, suddenly he doesn’t like them?
‘Figures. He must’ve picked up some bad habits after being out there so long!’
Cameron shot Gavin a calm glance but didn’t answer his question.
Instead, she turned to Jacqueline. “Mom, it’s not that what you bought is bad. It’s just that I can’t use any of it.”
Lance asked, “Why not? Mom bought all the essentials.”
Cameron nodded. “I know, but those are things boys need. It’s just…”
“Just what?” Jacqueline asked.
Cameron said, “Dad, Mom, Logan, there’s something I need to tell you.”
Levi nodded. “Go ahead.”
Cameron said, “I’m not a boy. I’m a girl.”
Everyone in the room froze.
Levi blinked, like he couldn’t trust what he just heard. “What did you say? You’re a girl? That… that can’t be right.”
Cameron nodded. “It’s true. I’ve just been pretending to be a boy since I was little.”
Jacqueline’s voice came out soft. “Pretending to be a boy? But why? Cam, are you really a girl?”
“I am,” Cameron said. “And I’ll explain the whole thing later, as it’s a long story. But I promise I’m telling the truth. So it’s not that I don’t like what you bought. I just really can’t use any of it.”
Lance stared at her like the ground had shifted under him, “So you’re my little sister? That’s why you’re so short. It makes sense now.”
The second the words left his mouth, Levi smacked him lightly on the back.
“You little punk,” Levi grumbled. “Who are you calling short?”
Lance quickly ducked. “I’m short, Dad. It’s me.”
Meanwhile, Gavin’s voice was trembling. “Cameron… you’re really a girl? For real? Can you prove it?”
Gavin’s heart raced as he thought, ‘Cameron’s a girl? I actually have a sister now? Finally, I don’t have to envy those people with younger sisters anymore, do I?’
He couldn’t believe it. This was something he hadn’t even dared to wish for. But Cameron just shot him a cold look, as if she hadn’t heard his question at all.
Lance glanced sideways at Gavin, then looked back at Cameron. “Wait… are you messing with us right now?”
Logan couldn’t tell that Cameron was a girl who had been playing dress-up as a boy this whole time.
“Hold on.” Cameron pulled her ID out of her bag and handed it to Lance. Her ID was the only thing she’d brought to the island.
Lance took the ID card, and Gavin immediately leaned in for a closer look.
Lance read the details on the ID aloud. “Name, Cameron Wallace. Gender, Female…”
He looked up at Cameron, still in disbelief even after seeing the ID. “Cam, you’re really a girl? So you’re my sister, not my brother?”
