Textrovert by Lindsey Summers
For my Wattpad readers, I love you guys
Fate had a twisted sense of humor. Either that or it hated her, because there was no way she should have been paired with a twin like this.
“Come on, Keels,” Zach pleaded. The wide-eyed, earnest expression might work on their mother, but Keeley knew better.
“You’re not getting the keys,” she told him.
“Please?”
“No way.”
“You’ve had the car all day.”
“And you got up an hour ago.”
“So?” he taunted, acting nowhere near seventeen.
“It’s already dark. That’s a problem.”
“It’s summer. And you shouldn’t be talking. You slept till noon yesterday.”
She was hoping he’d missed that. “I was tired.”
“Because reading is so exhausting.”
“You don’t get it.” Marathon reading wasn’t for the faint of heart. It took dedication and a big bladder to sit on a chair for hours on end.
Zach scoffed. “The only time you move is to turn a page or grab a snack.”
“But I’m moving up here,” she told him, tapping her temple.
“Keeley,” he said in that placating tone that drove her nuts. “This is my first day off in three weeks, and as captain of the varsity football team —”
She rolled her brown eyes, the rich color identical to his. If she had to listen to his Mr. I-Am-Captain-Therefore-I-Am-God speech one more time, she’d pop him in the nose. He’d been strutting around the house ever since the team voted two weeks ago. Not that the decision was surprising. Zach was a natural leader. She just wished he would leave the need to control on the field. His attitude got real old, real fast.
“Mom and Dad gave the car to both of us so I have as much right to use it as you do,” he concluded.
“And you drive it ninety percent of the time.”
“Because I’m the one who actually needs it.”
The implication hurt, but she let it go. It wasn’t worth the headache. “Well, I need it now. The fair closes in thirty minutes.”
“Then get Nicky to drive you home. I’m sure she’s here somewhere.”
Of course Nicky was here. They’d been best friends since kindergarten. Most people considered Nicky her twin, not Zach. But keeping the car was about principles. Keeley had the keys first, therefore she got the car, even if there was someone else to give her a ride.
Just then Nicky came back from scoping out the line at the Ferris wheel. “It’s not too long,” she said. “But the fair closes in twenty minutes, so we should head over.” Every year the girls rode it as their last hurrah of summer. Zach used to come with, but he stopped once they started middle school. Claimed he was above something so juvenile.
“See? Now hand over the keys,” Zach said, wiggling his fingers in Keeley’s face. “I have things to do.”
Keeley batted his hand away. “Why are you in such a rush?”
“Does it matter?”
That’s when she knew. “You’re going to Cort’s house.” Cort was Zach’s best friend. He threw legendary parties whenever his parents were out of town. “I thought he was away for the weekend.”
“He decided to stay home.” Rubbing the back of his neck, Zach let out a long sigh. “Listen, if you give me the keys, I’ll let you copy my homework.”
It was a tempting offer since she hadn’t opened a single textbook all summer. Enrolling in AP classes had seemed like a good idea last spring, especially because Zach and Nicky were in them, too, but now that summer was over and she was faced with a year of college-level work … well, regret was creeping in.
“And I’ll do your chores for a week,” he added.
“A month,” she countered.
“Two weeks.”
“Three.”
“Two and a half.” When she started to protest, he tugged at the end of her ponytail, just like he used to when they were little. “Please? For me?”
She felt herself softening. Damn it. He didn’t play fair. “Only if you promise to call if you need a ride home.” Zach didn’t drink a lot, but when he did, he went full throttle. She was always worried he might do something stupid like drink and drive. He was annoying, but he was her brother. She didn’t want anything bad to happen to him. If she didn’t look out for him, who would?
“And you’ll cover for me with the parentals?” he asked.
She tossed him the keys. “Don’t I always?”
“You’re the best,” he called over his shoulder as he jogged away.
“I think I know why he’s in such a hurry,” Nicky commented. She nodded toward a stunning redhead with fair skin and cleavage Keeley could only dream of. Zach leaned down to whisper in the girl’s ear, then hooked an arm around her waist and led her to the exit.
“Not in the car. Absolutely not.” Keeley dug in her purse, ready to call and chew him out. The last time Zach took a girl for a ride, Keeley found a bra in the backseat. “Um, Nicky … you wouldn’t happen to have my cell, would you?”
“Not again,” Nicky groaned. “This is the third one you’ve lost in six months.”
“You don’t have to remind me. I was there,” said Keeley. Her parents’ lecture on responsibility still burned in her mind. “Do you have it?”
“You never gave it to me.”
Cursing, Keeley sunk to her knees and dumped out her purse. She had to find that phone. Her parents would refuse to buy another one, and there was no way she was starting senior year cell-less.
Nicky crouched next to her. “You had it when we were pigging out on funnel cakes. I remember because Zach kept texting you.”
“Right.” Keeley had swallowed the last bite of funnel cake, downed the rest of her vanilla shake, grabbed her purse and then — “Crap! I think I left it on the table.” Her parents were going to kill her. That phone was brand new. She hadn’t even bought a case for it yet or downloaded any apps.
Nicky helped scoop up her stuff. “It’s only been half an hour. It could still be there.”
Biting her lip, Keeley glanced at the Ferris wheel. There was no way they could dash across the fairground to the food area and still make it back in time. But they couldn’t not ride. It was tradition. Pushing herself off the ground, Keeley slung her purse over her shoulder and took off running. “Get in line,” she yelled, ignoring Nicky’s confused yelp. “I’ll meet you there!”
Weaving her way through the crowds, she moved as quickly as she could, but there were too many people. Seeing a clear path around the perimeter of the fairground, she dashed to the outside edge and sprinted the rest of the way to the food area. Gasping for air, Keeley spotted the table and slowed to a walk, both legs trembling.