CHAPTER FOURTEEN
I’D JUST CAUGHT MY FAVORITE GUY WITH MY NOT-so-favorite ex-captain, and I couldn’t even enjoy the weekend. I spent it on the couch with a pint of Chubby Hubby ice cream and a CSI marathon—at least some of those people were worse off than me. To make life more tragic, I had to go to school on Monday looking halfway decent. The whole “getting back on the squad” image.
I’d just arrived when I saw Joel leaning against my locker, dressed in dark jeans and a white Nirvana T-shirt, with perfectly mussed hair. Everything about him looked comforting—maybe because I felt like a perfect disaster.
“Oh, man,” he said, pushing off the metal locker to walk toward me, taking my backpack off my shoulder. “Kira said you were upset, but damn, Tess. You look bad!”
I smiled. “Thanks, Joel. That really helps.”
He stepped back, looking proud. “You’re getting more and more sarcastic every day. I’m loving it.”
“Glad somebody is.” I walked over to my locker, swirling the combo and looking over my shoulder at Joel. “I’m sorry,” I said with a sigh, and opened the locker to grab my language arts materials. “I have a lot going on, including faking perky. It’s so unpleasant.” When I found my notebook, I took my backpack from Joel’s hands and set it on the floor of the hallway. I unzipped it and tucked my book in. When I was done, I turned around to Joel and slammed my locker shut.
“Now,” he said, putting his hands in his pockets. “How are you really?” He pressed his lips together in sympathy, but I wished he would smile. It made me feel better.
“How much has Kira told you?”
“Up to the kiss between the ex-captain chick and your ex-boyfriend.”
I closed my eyes and scrunched my nose, the sight coming back to me all too quickly. “Thanks for reminding me.”
“Sorry.” He moved a little closer to me, filling me with the smell of him. Shampoo, soap, light cologne. “She said you took it like a champ and even asked for her to get you on the squad without a vote. Pretty bold.”
I nodded. “That’s true. I think it’s time for all the Smitten Kittens to get their lives in order.” I certainly couldn’t tell him about the copy-Kitten, but I was sure he already knew about Izzie and Sam.
Joel licked his lips, watching the ground as he seemed to think this over. “Brave answer, Tessa. Now again, how do you really feel?”
I blinked quickly, my stomach beginning to twist with the pressure of thinking about it. “Peachy.” But when I looked up to meet Joel’s eyes, my vision began to blur. By Cleopatra’s crown! I was starting to cry.
“Tessa?” someone called, and I sniffled quickly and looked down the hall. It was Megan Wright. She was jogging down the hall toward me, her books in her hand. “Could you do me a favor?” she asked, looking back over her shoulder down the hallway. “Will you tell Ms. Lipton that I’m sick or something?” She looked panicked as she continued to glance around, smiling politely at Joel once.
“Is everything all right?” I asked, my heart rate accelerating. “Do you need help?”
Megan swallowed hard, and for a minute, I thought she was going to tell me what was wrong; instead she shook her head. “I just have to get out of here,” she whispered. “You’ll tell Ms. Lipton, though?”
I nodded, feeling truly worried.
“Thanks, Tessa.” She exhaled before turning around. “Oh,” she said, looking back at me. “I heard you’re thinking of getting back on the Smitten Kittens.”
“Yep.”
“I’m glad. They need you.” Then she turned and hurried down the hall, her sandals flopping on the linoleum floor as she ran toward the exit.
“What was that about?” Joel asked, bumping his shoulder into mine.
I sighed. “I have no idea. But whatever it is, it’s not good.” I looked over, startled by just how close his face was to mine. Honeycombs! He was very handsome up close.
“Definitely not,” he said, quietly, his eyes flickering to my mouth. We stood, somewhat frozen, until the tardy bell rang. It snapped me awake.
“Dang it,” I said, spinning toward the English hallway. “I’m late!”
Joel was looking down at the ground, his eyebrows pulled together, as if he was in deep thought. I wasn’t sure why he looked so confused, but I did know that I wanted to avoid detention.
“I have to run,” I said, ducking down to catch his eyes. “I’ll see you later?”
He straightened up, staring at me with a curious look on his face. “Um…sure. Yeah, I’ll catch you later, Tess.”
I curled my lip at him, not sure why he’d suddenly gotten so weird. When I gave him a wave and turned to jog down the hall to class, I thought I might have heard him call my name, but when I glanced back, he was gone.
I was pretty sure I scored less than an A on that language arts test I’d taken about Death of a Salesman. Ms. Lipton kept calling on me, then having other students correct my wrong answers. It was humiliating. And I felt like a science experiment during lunch because everyone was staring at me. Apparently Chloe had caught sight of Aiden and Mary too, but she wasn’t as restrained as I was. She told the entire school. And although they asked politely (which I appreciated), the theme of today’s interactions was, “How is Tessa handling it?”
When the day was over, I was completely relieved, not to mention a little overwhelmed with emotion. But I was determined to make it home before even one tear eked out.
When I got outside, I noticed that the Washington sky had imploded! It was cloaked in dark gray rain clouds. Ick. It was dreadful.
Feeling the first sprinkle touch my nose, I glanced up once more before dashing toward my car. I jogged across the parking lot and unlocked my door, happy that I’d just beaten the storm, as the rain began to hit my window in fat splatters.
I refused to think about how perfectly this rain complemented my crumbling life. I stuck my key in the ignition and turned it. There was a series of clicks, but otherwise nothing happened. “Oh, no,” I said, trying it again. Nada.
I slapped my hand across the steering wheel, feeling annoyed. Even my car was breaking up with me? I stared at it, anger welling up in me, thinking about Mary. About Kira. About…Aiden. I slapped my steering wheel again, feeling it sting my hand.
“Stupid car,” I mumbled. I hit it again. “Stupid, stupid, stupid…” I left my key dangling in the ignition as I beat the leather steering wheel with my fists, screaming louder with each hit.
There was a knock at my window and I jumped, out of breath and shaking. Joel was out there with his backpack over his head, trying to block the rain. Embarrassed and still a bit crazed, I opened the door.
“You’re beating up your car,” he said, as if it was just a casual observation.
I nodded, not sure I could respond. My throat was still sore from yelling.
“Do you need a ride?” he asked loudly as the rain began to pour around him.
“Yeah,” I answered. “I think my battery’s dead.” I grabbed my bag off the seat and moved to get out, where I was immediately pelted with water.
“I don’t have jumper cables,” he shouted over the sound of the rain, reaching out to hold his backpack over my head as we walked toward his car. It didn’t help keep me dry, but I thought it was an awfully sweet gesture anyway.
“My dad has some in my garage,” I offered. I wasn’t sure when my parents would be home, so I’d need to find someone to get my car started again.
“Great,” Joel said, putting his hand on my back to lead me forward. “Let’s go get them.”
I sat in Joel’s front seat, my wet hair sticking to my forehead. I looked sideways at him and he laughed, pointing at me. I felt my mouth form into a pout as I flipped down the vanity mirror and tried to unstick my hair.
“Sorry,” he said, holding up his hands in apology. “I don’t mean to laugh. I’m just not used to seeing you looking so…wet.”
We both shifted with the uncomfortable connotation of his word choice.
“I mean damp,” he said quickly, then furrowed his brow. “Rained on?”
“Rained on works.” I wasn’t clear how Joel and I were supposed to act around each other because I’d never had a good guy friend before—other than Aiden—and I was pretty sure that didn’t count.
“I’ll just take you home now,” he mumbled, starting his car.
We drove to my house, easing into a conversation about school (who knew Death of a Salesman was totally heartbreaking!) and, oddly enough, cheerleading. When Joel pulled into my driveway, it was still pouring. I hated the idea of making him jump my car when the weather was so abysmal.
“Actually,” I said, tilting my head to look at him. “You don’t have to take me back to my car. The weather stinks. I’ll ask my parents when they get home tonight. It should clear up by then.”
“Really? I don’t mind,” Joel said, reaching to turn off his ignition.
“Thanks anyway. I’m just going to go in and watch TV until my parents get here.” But dread slipped over me as I looked back at my house. I didn’t want to be alone. It left too much time to…think. Not to mention that there was still a copy-Kitten out there with a habit of breaking in my house. And depending on who it was, I wasn’t sure how violent they’d be. I bit my lip, daring myself to go in.
“Everything okay?” Joel asked. I watched him, gauging the concern in his expression.
“Do…do you want to come in?” I asked quickly. “I can make you a sandwich or something.”
Joel looked at my house and then back at me, seemingly conflicted. “Uh…sure. But I’m not all that hungry.”
My stomach stopped doing flips and I exhaled. I was so glad I wouldn’t have to be alone. After the last few days, my nerves were shot.
Joel and I both got out, and he trailed me as we approached my front door. Just then, the rain stopped. Joel and I looked at the sky at the same time.
“Figures, right?” he asked with a laugh.
We walked inside my house, and I dropped my useless car keys on the counter, grabbing the house phone as I went. I’d have to call my father and leave him a message so that he’d know my car needed a jump. But before I could dial, it rang in my hands.
I shot a glance at Joel, hoping he wouldn’t think I was a bad host for answering while I had company. Oh, no. What if it was Aiden? I hadn’t talked to him since I’d seen him with Mary. What would I say?
“You going to get that?” Joel asked, pointing to the phone in my hand.
I nodded absently, looking down at it. Resting my hand on the cool granite counter, I took a steadying breath before returning the phone to my ear. “Hello?”
“Tess?” It was Kira. I exhaled.
“Thank goodness it’s you. I was afraid it was…” I stopped. It wasn’t Aiden. He wasn’t even trying to call me.
“Afraid it was what?” Kira asked, sounding distracted.
“Never mind. What’s up, K? I just got home from school, and I nearly collapsed from the horribleness of it.”
“Ugh,” she said. “I know. I heard everyone whispering about you.” She snapped her gum loudly and then continued. “I meant to tell you, Leona had a run-in with Chloe. All but accused her of being the copy-Kitten. But I guess Chloe shoulder-bumped her and stormed out. Now Leona thinks she’s totally guilty.”
Shoulder-bumping was hardly new for Chloe, but that was an interesting development. Still, I had company. “Um…I don’t know. We’ll definitely have to…look into it.” I was having trouble talking on my end with an audience. I glanced over to see Joel walking toward my living room wall, looking at all of our family pictures hanging there. Including several of Aiden and me.
“Cute,” he whispered, pointing to a picture of me in a pink dance costume with missing teeth and pigtails.
I smiled at him before turning away, pressing the phone to my ear. “Can I call you back in a little bit?” I asked Kira, lowering my voice.
“Sure.” She sighed. “I’m waiting for Joel to come over anyway. I don’t know where he is. Have you seen him?” She sounded hopeful.
“Um…” Should I tell her he was here? I thought that maybe I should, but then I wondered if it would cause friction. I’d just asked her to get me on the squad; I didn’t want to jeopardize that with a misunderstanding. I decided it was best to just ask Joel to leave. “I haven’t,” I said, feeling bad about lying. “But stop worrying. He’s totally smitten. Promise.” Although I was pretty positive that Joel was head over heels for Kira, we hadn’t exactly talked about his feelings for her today.
She squealed. “He so is, right?”
“Absolutely.”
“Thanks, Tess. I think I was just having a low-self-esteem moment. You always know how to cheer me up.”
“Talk to you soon,” I said, feeling horrible. I knew that I hadn’t done anything wrong by inviting Joel in, but it was inappropriate. It had to be.
I breathed in through my nose and straightened my posture. Then I spun around and smiled at Joel.
“Second grade,” I said, motioning toward the pink-costumed picture.
“Pretty cute, tiny Crimson.”
I laughed. “Thanks.” I was about to ask him to leave but then decided that it wouldn’t be awful to let him stay a few more minutes. It might be selfish, but I really wanted the company. “Would you like a glass of lemonade?” I asked.
“Please.” Joel put his hands in his pockets and made his way over to my couch.
I poured us each a glass of lemonade and carried them over to him, taking the seat across the room from him in the lounger. “So,” I said. “Are you going to Chris’s party next weekend?”
Joel lifted an eyebrow. “I might. You?”
I sipped at my drink and then set it on the coaster on the side table. “Yeah, I guess. Part of my deal with the squad is that I need to date someone…more appropriate. They think Chris is the one.”
Joel’s mouth opened, and he set his glass down and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees to stare at me. “Are you serious? They’re forcing you to go out with him…what? Because he’s a jock?”
“No.” I shook my head. “Nobody’s forcing me. They just think it’d be a good idea. I don’t know.”
“Do you like him?”
“I…I don’t really know him.”
“You don’t like him.”
My heart began to beat a little faster, and I sat up straighter. “Chris Townsend is a perfectly nice guy. He plays football, gets good grades. What’s not to like?”
Joel smiled. “Um…everything you just mentioned.”
I shook my head. “Don’t be judgmental. Chris is great.”
Joel pursed his lips and then leaned forward to pick up his glass and slowly sipped from it. “Not saying he’s not. Just wondering if he’s great for you.”
I watched as Joel drank from his glass until it was gone, then he stood up and glanced around the room one more time. “I should probably take off,” he said. “I’m supposed to go meet up with Kira.”
Despite the small twinge in my back, I stood up to walk him to the door. “Thanks for the ride,” I said, taking his glass as we got to the kitchen.
Joel paused, standing directly in front of me and looking down. “Anytime.” He smiled, his signature crooked grin, then moved to the door to let himself out.
“I’ll see you around, tiny Crimson.”
I watched as he walked out, but the minute he was gone, I turned the dead bolt and went straight to my room. As I lay there on my bed, I reminded myself of all the reasons I should focus on Chris. And how he was…perfect.
SOS CHEATER REQUEST
CASE: 004
CLIENT: Nancy Dwire
SUBJECT: Michael Machovelli
We have received your cheater request and are delighted to inform you that your assignment has been scheduled. This notice is to let you know that the process will begin shortly.
Mr. Machovelli is accused of having a sexual relationship with an unnamed accomplice, dating all the way back to June.
SOS will inform you of our findings as soon as possible.
Keep kicking ass,