The Game Changer

by Trio, L. M.

  “You don’t have to go. I don’t mind sharing.”

  “Oh, no. It’s not that. I don’t want my dad to wake up and be worried because I’m not home.” I call out as I rush off.

  I must look like a complete idiot for running away from him, I think as I get closer to home.

  As I enter my house I have this strange, nervous feeling in my stomach. My dad is sitting at the table having his coffee and reading the paper when I get in. “Good morning. How did the sketching go?

  “It was great; it felt good to start drawing again,” I answer breathlessly, feeling flustered for some reason.

  “You okay?”

  “Luke was there.” I’m not sure why, but I feel the need to blurt that out. “He said he runs in the morning and then sits out by the dock for a while. I sort of felt bad that I invaded his spot. He said he didn’t mind.” I wait to see what his reply will be.

  “I’m sure he doesn’t,” he answers as he goes back to reading the paper.

  That was it. No big deal. Why am I thinking it is a big deal?

  Deanna stops by later that morning to offer her help, once again, with the unpacking. As we get to work, I casually mention that I ran in to Luke at the docks. I’m surprised when she replies that he told her and has mentioned my drawings. “I would love to see them sometime. He said they were awesome.”

  I try to hide the grin that I can feel slipping from my lips. It makes me feel happy that he thought to mention it. I slide her over a box with some of my framed artwork that had been hanging up in our old house.

  “Oh, my God, these are good enough to be in a gallery somewhere,” She says, sounding impressed.

  Later that day we shop on the boardwalk and I buy some really cool stuff for my room. Her parents are sitting with my dad when we arrive home.

  “Hey, JJ. Come meet Mr. & Mrs. DiAngelo,” Dad says cheerfully as we enter the room.

  “Hello, JJ, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Maria and this is Lucca,” she says, rising to greet me. I can see immediately where Deanna and Luke get their looks from.

  After they have left, my dad has a look of relief on his face. It eases his mind knowing they are a stone’s throw away. It won’t be long before he will be returning to work, on the night shift, at the restaurant.

  Chapter 6(Jesse)

  The next morning, the sun has barely touched my window when I jump out of bed, quickly dress, grab my sketchpad and hurry out the door. As I near the docks, I can see a figure in the distance stretching on the same bench where I had been sitting the day before. I get that same fluttery feeling in my stomach as I did yesterday. My hand unconsciously goes to my head; thankful that I at least took the time to comb my hair today and put it in a ponytail. My second thought is to turn and run, but then I remember the promise I made to myself so long ago; the one about doing something each day out of my comfort zone.

  By the time I reach the end of the pier, he has finished his workout and has moved to the edge of the dock. He sits, mesmerized by the scenery before him with his legs dangling over the sides, seemingly in deep thought as he stares out into the calm water. He is wearing ear buds, so he doesn’t hear me approach. I stay quiet, not wanting to disturb him. After all, this is his spot.

  I sit on the bench behind him and study him for a few minutes, wondering what he is thinking about. Finally, I open my sketchpad and begin to draw. I haven’t been this relaxed in a long time. It’s peaceful, except for the sound of the water, the seagulls, and the faint sound of music coming from his IPod. I’m not aware of how much time has passed, so when he makes the sudden move to get up it startles me and, apparently, him, too. We both jump, he is extremely close to the edge of the dock and almost loses his footing.

  “Jesus, JJ, you scared the hell out of me! Why didn’t you say something?” He laughs.

  “Sorry. You looked like you were in deep thought when I walked up. I didn’t want to disturb you. Then I started drawing and I kind of forgot you were there,” I say, laughing, picturing how he almost fell in the water.

  “Oh, thanks,” he says sarcastically as he sits down on the bench next to me. He pulls off his hooded sweatshirt, revealing the sweaty t-shirt that clings to his broad chest.

  He stretches his long muscular legs and crosses his equally muscular arms behind his head in a relaxed position. I quickly divert my eyes, not wanting him to know that I noticed. There goes that fluttering again.

  I don’t want him to think I’m nervous to talk to him so I decide I’m not about to run off like I did yesterday, although, that’s my first instinct. Instead, I initiate a conversation. “So, what were you thinking so hard about?”

  He smiles that amazing smile again. “Did I look like I was thinking hard?” He coolly gazes into my eyes. Definitely full of himself, I think.

  “Yes, you did. I thought I smelled smoke,” I answer sarcastically.

  “Oh… So you’re funny? I didn’t know that about you.” He laughs. “Actually, you’re right. I guess I was thinking hard.” He nudges into me. Again, my stomach flutters. “I have a lot of big decisions to make this year and I don’t want to screw it up. I just think if I come here and stare into the water long enough, the answers will somehow appear.”

  “How’s that working so far?” I ask as I stare out into the water, wondering if I can see the answers to my questions, too.

  “Nothing, yet, but I do feel better every time I leave,” he says, flashing me a wide grin as he, stares at me intently.

  “Yeah, I can see what you mean... Do you mind me asking, what kind of decisions?” I ask nervously, afraid to pry, but for some reason I’m enjoying his company.

  “Baseball decisions. It’s important; it’s my future. I don’t want to make any mistakes. What college do I choose? If the opportunity comes up, do I pass on college? Things like that. I’m good, I know that, but a lot of times I’m thinking to myself... and now you,” he emphasizes, playfully nudging me. “…am I good enough? There’s a lot of pressure. I just try not to let it get the best of me. Ninety percent of the time, I’m relaxed and confident, but then there’s that little ten percent of uncertainty that sneaks up on me.”

  “Would you want to pass up going to college?”

  “The thing is, it’s a gamble. A lot of guys pass on the draft and stick with college, banking that at the end of three or four years, they’re gonna be worth more.”

  “Are you thinking that may be better?”

  “Honestly, it’s not about the money with me. I just want to play. I love it.”

  “I guess the downside would be if they realized you weren’t any good after three or four years.”

  “Thanks for reminding me. Yeah, that would suck. Then I wouldn’t be worth shit,” he says, busting out into laughter. “Believe me, it has happened.”

  He went on to tell me about his dad and how he had played in the minors. He had to give it up, due to an injury. His dad, a coach at Rudder’s University, thinks Luke is much better than he was. Luke continues telling me how supportive his family is to him and Mikey. They want them to enjoy the game and not get caught up in all the hype that surrounds them.

  Boy, could he talk, but I like listening. It feels good to have someone confiding in me for a change. No one has ever done that before. My dad is always so busy trying to make everything cheery for me, like I’ll break if he tells me something negative. Luke and I continue to talk easily and I try to offer him advice the best I can. He seems to appreciate it.

  “So, tell me about the other spots that you like, besides here?” I ask, beginning to feel more at ease with him.

  “Maybe… I don’t know if I should let all of my secrets out,” he teases, still watching me as if he’s trying to figure me out.

  Uncomfortable with his eyes still lingering on me, I look out at the water. I’ve always had a tendency to look away when I get nervous. In the little time I’ve sat here with him, I notice Luke never takes his eyes off you when he’s talking. His gaze is so strong that it�
�s almost as if he can see right through you.

  He continues, “I guess I’ll share... but only ‘cause I think you’ll love it as much as I do.” I look up at him and smile, excited that he will share his secrets with me. “First... this spot, at night, with the moon over the water. It’s so quiet except for the rippling sounds of the water splashing against the wood. I have to say it’s equally as good as early morning. The other spot is the beach at night. Far enough away from the boardwalk that you can barely hear the sounds of people and amusements. You can faintly smell the food, sitting in front of the ocean with no one around, listening to the crashing waves. That’s an awesome smell, too… The mixture of the sand, salt and water at night. It’s different from day; you can appreciate it more without everyone around.”

  “That does sound nice. Do you go often?”

  “Not nearly as much as I would like, but now that you mentioned it, I’m going to have to make it a point to get there more often... I’ll show you sometime,” he adds casually.

  I give him a slight smile. I know he is just being nice to me, being new and all. We sit silently for a few more minutes taking in the view and enjoying the silence.

  Luke finally gets up. “Well JJ, I have to get going. Mikey should be over in a little while to pick me up. We have work today. Thanks for listening.”

  “Anytime. See you later, Luke.” My heart races as I watch him walk away. So maybe he does have another side to him.

  Chapter 7(Luke)

  The heat of summer is in full force as Mikey and I move about a thousand bags of top soil to the outside tent at McKnaulty’s Garden Center. I’m having a hell of a time getting my conversation with JJ out of my head. Something about her gets to me. I’ve never been that open with anyone, besides my family and Mikey. Even with them, I keep a lot hidden. Maybe it’s because I feel sorry for her since she lost her mom. I don’t know...

  “Yo, what are you doin’?” Mikey hollers over to me.

  “What?” I ask, confused as to why he is yelling.

  “I’ve been talking to you for like five minutes. What the hell are you thinking about?”

  “What? Nothing, I didn’t hear you,” I answer, shrugging him off as I sling two more bags over my shoulder. He continues to rattle on about something; I still don’t hear him as my thoughts drift back to her.

  Maybe it’s those green eyes or maybe it’s her mouth; the way it slightly curves when she’s trying to hide a smile at something that I say. Wait, what the hell am I doing? Do not even think about going there... She is beautiful, though, the crazy thing is, she has no idea.

  Later that afternoon, the clouds grow a deep shade of gray and the thunder can be heard in the distance out over the ocean. The rain isn’t far behind, so Mikey and I decide to hang in for the night and finish our MLB2K12 tournament on Xbox.

  ***

  (Jesse)

  Deanna invites me to stop by after dinner, so I run through the downpour of rain over to her house. She and Maria are sitting at the kitchen table having coffee when I arrive and Luke is eating at the counter. Shortly after I arrive, Mikey walks in from the family room and joins him. I like the way they sit around together as a family.

  “What are you guys doing tonight?” Deanna asks.

  “Nothing, hanging in; it’s crappy out,” Luke answers casually.

  “We should play Rockband!” Deanna says excitedly.

  “Wow, JJ’s gonna play, too?” Mikey asks.

  “I have no idea what you are talking about,” I answer nervously, not knowing what Deanna is getting me in to.

  “You’re kidding me? We have to make her play!” Deanna says amusingly. They can’t believe I have never heard of it.

  As we walk to the rec room, Deanna explains what Rockband is. “You have to try it, and you can’t be embarrassed.” She giggles as we enter the room.

  The rec room belongs to them. It was a private room built off of the garage. A big screen TV hangs on one wall, sports memorabilia and framed newspaper articles cover the others. A pool table sits off to the side of the couch. A large trophy case holds Luke’s trophies, along with a few cheerleading trophies and what looks to be, by the dates, a couple of Lucca’s. I begin to read some of the articles that cover the walls. Luke arrogantly, but jokingly, asks if I’m impressed with his fascinating baseball career.

  “See, now you can see for yourself how amazing I am!” he exclaims.

  Mikey adds, “Whoa, what about me, I also cover these walls! Impressive, huh?”

  Luke laughs and throws in, “Yep, we rule the world around here.”

  I just look at them and roll my eyes. There’s some truth to that first impression after all.

  Deanna adds her two cents, “You two are such idiots.”

  “What? You don’t think we do?” they chime in, high fiving each other. “C’mon De, admit it. You know everyone treats us like Kings around here!” Mikey teases.

  “JJ, please do not listen to these two morons.” She turns back to them. “Just set the game up. We could care less about how great you think you are.” She looks over at me, not allowing them to witness the smile that crosses her lips.

  Luke’s phone rings. He looks at the number and hesitates before he picks it up. “Hello? Hey, what’s up?” He looks at Mikey and rolls his eyes. Mikey makes a motion for him to hang up, but continues talking, “No, not tonight. I’m staying in... Mikey... my sister... Why? No, not tonight... I told you. I’m hanging out with Mikey... Look, I gotta go, I’ll call you tomorrow, I’m in the middle of somethin’... Okay, I’ll call you later then... See ya.”

  “You gotta get rid of her; she’s a pain in the ass,” Mikey says.

  “I agree,” Deanna chimes in. I have a pretty good idea of who it must have been.

  “Alright guys, enough,” Luke says, blowing them off. “Are we going to play or what?”

  “I’ll sing,” Deanna said.

  “I’m on guitar,” Mikey chimes in.

  Luke takes the drums. I laugh so hard that it hurts watching them. They take turns and argue the whole time over who is better. After about four or five times they turn to me. “Okay, your turn.”

  “No, I can’t. I don’t know how.” I protest.

  “You can sing,” Deanna says.

  “No, I can’t sing. Believe me.”

  Luke is holding the guitar. “Here, try this.” He hands it to me. “I’ll help you until you get the feel of it.”

  I don’t know how to hold the guitar. “This is going to take more work than I thought,” Luke teases as he moves in, standing close behind me. His chest is skimming the back of my body, causing goose bumps from the back of my neck and down my spine. He wraps his arms around my own and places my fingers on the keys, and then he places his long fingers over mine. His breath is hot as he brushes the back of my ear, telling me to follow him. My heart is thumping so loud, I think they will all notice. All I need is for big head to think that he gets to me. I want to turn and run, but I’m frozen in the spot with Luke standing so close.

  I’m not sure how I do it because I can hardly concentrate with him standing so close, but I actually master it on my own. It’s fun. When we finally get bored with playing, Deanna and I watch a movie while the boys shoot a game of pool.

  It’s late by the time the movie has finished. As I head out the door for home, Mikey offers to walk me across the street since he is heading out as well. I overheard him tell Luke earlier that he was stopping by some girl’s house later. I thought I saw Luke shoot him a look when he offered to walk me out, but maybe not.

  “They’re crazy, aren’t they?” he asks as we step into the warm misty air.

  “Yes, you all are. I had a lot of fun tonight.”

  “Me, too. They’re great. They’re like my family.”

  “Yeah, Deanna said the same thing about you.”

  We are at the street now so I start to cross. “Thanks for walking me over. I’ll see ya later.”

  “See ya, JJ,” he says as he
gets into his car.

  Chapter 8(Jesse)

  I can hear the rain pelting against my window when I wake up. I can’t sketch at the docks today. I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to spend time with Luke and also a little disturbed that it bothers me so badly.

  Dad and I finish unpacking the house. It finally feels like our home. We both agree my mom would be impressed. We talk about her more frequently now. I like talking about her. It makes me feel closer to her.

  Deanna and I decide to make it a shopping day since the weather is crappy and there is not much else to do. She suggests we head over to The Walk in Atlantic City. My dad is more than happy to give me plenty of money to get whatever I think I need. I think he’s relieved that I found someone to do this task with me. My mom had always been the shopper. I’m not even sure if my dad has ever stepped into a store. I don’t think he would be thrilled with taking over that role. Not that I would have wanted him to. Having no idea where to start, I was happy to have Deanna go with.

  “Alright JJ, what style are you into?” she asks as we step off the bus and are now surrounded by a hundred stores.

  “De, are you kidding? Do I look like I’m into any style?” Pointing to my shorts, sneakers and oversized t-shirt. That is why you’re here. I need help.”

  “Oh, good. I was hoping you would say that,” she says, checking me out before giving me a wink.

  I love her sense of style. She always looks older and more mature than me. Well, that’s not hard to do... her clothes are stylish; they show off her perfect body, though not in a sleazy way.

  “Okay, what do we have to work with?” I can tell she is excited to get started.

  “I have $300. And he gave me an extra $20 to treat us to lunch. Will that work?” I laugh.

  “Oh… He’s so good. That’s perfect. I can’t believe he gave you so much.”

  “Well, he said I haven’t bought anything for myself for so long that he agreed I was in need of a new wardrobe.”

  “Great. Let’s go to H&M. They have a nice selection. You can get more clothes for your money.”