by Nicole Nwosu
“Whichever,” she said, knowing she got it wrong on purpose every time she said my full name for emphasis. “I know nothing about soccer. I go to your games, cheer you on, you come to my games, cheer me on. When I ask how practice is, I don’t want details. It’s a system.”
“System would work better if you understood the game,” Austin mumbled.
Jasmine shot Austin a playful glare. “There’s a party on Saturday.”
Austin groaned. “There’s no way I’m going to another party for a long time. Remember the last one we all went to? Where Macy basically got with Cedric? I cannot get that drunk ever again.”
“Austin,” Sam said. “You were out of it. Caleb and I had to hold you up at one point.”
“Fuck.” Austin ran a hand over his face. “That was a very interesting night.”
“Didn’t you kiss someone too?” I recalled. “That’s what you told me and Cedric.”
Austin frowned. “I told you?”
“Yeah, Sam and Caleb were helping you at that point.”
Austin kept his eyes on Sam. “You saw.”
“Caleb and I did,” said Sam.
Austin’s voice was quiet. “And you didn’t tell anyone?”
“Not our position to,” Sam said.
“What are you talking about?” Jasmine asked on behalf of me, her, and Andrew.
Austin looked down for a brief moment. Jasmine and Andrew waited for him to get to the point when I realized the golden tint of his skin had turned a very familiar pink.
“Did you kiss someone we know?”
“Was it Stevie?” Jasmine groaned. “I didn’t think one of you boys was going to—”
“It wasn’t a girl.” His words were blurted out hoarsely, as if he had struggled to get that off his shoulders.
Oh. Silence fell upon our group.
“Okay.” I spoke up first. “Who was it?”
“Oh my God, you didn’t kiss David from physics, did you?” Jasmine made a face of disgust. “Because he was acting gross at that party.”
Austin looked stunned. “You don’t care?”
Andrew shrugged. “Did you think we would react badly?”
“Anything was possible.”
“Does anyone else know?” I asked him.
“Jon Ming knows.” He and Austin were best friends. “Now you guys and Caleb.”
“All right,” Jasmine said. “We’re not going to tell anyone. It’s a good thing Caleb or Sam didn’t either.”
“Thanks,” Austin mumbled. When I ruffled his hair, he groaned loudly and pushed my hand away.
“Watch the hair.”
“Play the game,” I replied, grabbing the ball from Sam’s hands and kicking it, watching it soar into the net.
Before the last period of the next day, I was hastily finding the binder for my next class in my locker while talking to Stevie, Andrew, and Jasmine. Jasmine and Andrew explained that they didn’t have last period class because their teacher wasn’t in and they were going to go on a date. Stevie asked me what I was doing after school and I replied, “I’m not doing anything.”
“I’m surprised you don’t have plans with Cedric,” Jasmine said.
“He has a match,” I explained.
“I was surprised when you two got together, to be honest,” Stevie mused. “I thought you and Sam were together, not you and Cedric.”
“Me and Sam?” I repeated. Me and Sam?
“Macy falling for someone in general is a little odd considering how she used to cringe at any of us talking about relationships.” Andrew pointed at me. “See, that’s the face. Before Cedric, Macy never talked about anything involving love or boys. All she needed was a soccer ball and she was set.”
I pulled on the strings of my sweater, wishing this topic would end. “Besides, I like Cedric, not Sam. Cedric’s sweet and I’ve known him for a long time.”
“Did you say sweet?” said Andrew. “If having a boyfriend is turning you into a total girl, can I break you guys up? This is weird even for me.”
Jon Ming approached us, looking frantic. He wasn’t the only one. People in the hallway were moving in the same direction, and it was suddenly more chaotic than usual.
“Fight,” Jon Ming said. Hearing that a fight had broken out was always intriguing, but there was panic in his eyes.
“Between who?” Jasmine voiced.
“Sam’s involved.”
“What?” I shut my locker and followed the moving crowd until we ended up in the parking lot. Pushing aside the crowd of students in my way, I stopped moving when Sam shoved the other figure away.
“Oh shit,” Andrew mumbled.
There was blood on Sam’s cheek and his lip was split. The other guy was Oscar, a guy Jasmine used to have a crush on. His face looked as beat-up as Sam’s. And because this was a fight at school, nobody was going to stop it because their phones were recording it to share on social media.
“Admit it!” Oscar pushed Sam.
“She came onto me.”
“Stop lying.” He threw a punch at Sam’s face. Sam tried backing up but still got caught, staggering back. He coughed violently, pity in his eyes.
Stevie gestured to where Beatrice was watching with her friends. Of course she’s involved. “They got back together recently, her and Oscar.”
Beatrice had a gleam in her eyes, probably hoping that her boyfriend would beat the heck out of Sam for ignoring her.
“It’s not my fault your girlfriend’s a conniving bi—” Sam’s words definitely didn’t help as he got shoved to the ground. Beatrice frowned at the insult. Sam got up, wiping the blood from his mouth. “I feel sorry for you.”
“For me? I feel bad for you,” Oscar spat out. “You clearly have issues since your parents shipped you off here.”
Oh no. If Oscar knew that, then the rest of the school probably knew courtesy of Beatrice. The sore topic caused Sam to throw Oscar a harsh look. Like I’m-about-to-put-you-six-feet-under harsh.
Sam caught Oscar off guard with a punch across his face, and my jaw dropped at Sam’s fast retaliation. And he didn’t stop. Sam swung furiously and Andrew and our friends pushed by me to pull Sam away from Oscar.
“What is going on here?” a loud voice bellowed and everyone scattered in front of the authoritative figure. “My office now.”
14
R-Rated
“Why are you going with him?” Cedric’s question to me after school was filled with irritation.
I zipped up my windbreaker as the rain splattered hard against the front doors of the school. Although they were related, Cedric didn’t care that Sam got hurt. The disinterest even though their relationship was strained annoyed me. He could have at least been concerned.
After the fight, Caleb had told me that he was going to drive Sam to his house. I offered to tag along because Sam could use the company. If this was any of my other friends, I would have done the same. “Because he’s my friend and I’m going to check in on him. Besides, I’ll still see you. What’s the problem?”
“That you’re going with him.” What?
“If you’re not going to give me a better answer, I’ll see you later.” Cedric didn’t protest anymore and I pushed through the doors, rain hitting my jacket as I headed toward Caleb’s car.
Oscar had been suspended for three days for starting the fight, proved by video evidence from a student. Sam got sent home to recover but was given two days of detention for being involved. Sam sat in the back seat, an ice pack on his cheek and a dark bruise forming around his right eye. “You didn’t have to come,” he said as Caleb started the car.
“I can’t leave Caleb alone with your grumpiness.”
Caleb sang along to the radio as he drove along the road, and Sam kicked his seat. “You’re giving me a headache.”
“One da
y,” Caleb announced, “I want to write a song that will be known worldwide. Or an album.”
“The title will be ‘World’s Biggest Douche Bag,’ with your face on the cover of the album,” Sam muttered.
“Sam, it’s not good to talk about yourself that way,” Caleb jested. “It can hurt your self-esteem.”
“If I wasn’t in pain right now I would do a lot more than hurt your self-esteem, Caleb.”
“Prick,” Caleb said.
“Dick,” Sam mumbled.
“They’re the same thing!” they said in unison, laughing uncontrollably—apparently a big inside joke I didn’t even want to know about.
We pulled into the driveway and Caleb and I helped Sam out of the car. “It’s like this house gets bigger,” I muttered, pulling Sam up the steps.
Caleb shook his head. “Trust me, you’ll get used to it in a few years.”
“Are you used to it?”
“No.”
“Aunt Liz!” Sam yelled once we were inside.
Liz appeared within seconds, sighing at the sight of him. “Let’s get you to the kitchen.”
Sam held on to Caleb and me as we reached the kitchen. Liz handed an ice bag to Sam, who put it on his swelling cheek, sighing in relief. “What happened?”
“High school drama,” Caleb said, helping himself to the fridge.
“Yes, take whatever you want, please,” Sam said dryly.
Caleb took out an energy drink then closed the fridge door. “I will! Besides, Mama Cahill loves me.” He walked around the table to kiss Liz on the cheek, who patted him on the hand.
“You really shouldn’t be drinking that.” She pointed at the Red Bull as Caleb drank from the can.
Caleb offered the drink to Sam, who grabbed the can and took a sip from it. “Don’t worry, Aunt Liz.”
The concern on his aunt’s face didn’t slip as she inspected his face. “Sam, you’re going to explain to me what happened when I return. I’m going to get Phillip from the bus stop but keep that ice pack on your face and rest, okay?” Sam nodded as Liz left the room.
Caleb and I helped him out of his chair and up the stairs. Caleb was accusing Sam of stepping on his toe purposely when Ivan stepped out of a bedroom, worry on his face as Caleb and Sam disappeared inside Sam’s room. “What happened to him?”
“This girl, Beatrice. Her boyfriend found out that she and Sam . . .”
“Slept together?” Ivan suggested.
“Yeah, that. And he decided that beating up Sam was the answer to everything.”
“It’s reasons like this that makes me happy I’m not in high school anymore,” he muttered.
“What are you doing now?”
“I finished university about a year ago. I’m shadowing my father at the company.”
“You’re going to take over a company and you’re getting married soon?”
“That’s the plan.” We walked down to the kitchen while I waited for Caleb.
“That’s crazy.” Ivan was an interesting person—it was easy to see he had a wild side with that gleam in his eyes. To imagine him in a suit and tie like Vince Cahill, taking over their company and married?
“What’s even crazier? Sam taking over the company instead.”
No way. “You’re lying.”
“I had a few bumps along the way that led to my dad and uncle thinking I was unfit and the next best option eventually would be Sam. I cleaned up my act and suddenly I was the chosen one.”
Caleb entered the kitchen. “He kicked you out?” Ivan asked as I sat down at the island.
“He kicked me out. He’s getting changed,” Caleb answered as Phillip walked into the kitchen, beaming at the sight of me.
“Macy,” Phillip said.
“Hey.” He took a seat next to me as Ivan retrieved a granola bar for his little brother.
“Are you here because of Cedric?” Phillip asked me. “He just pulled up with Lucas and Joey. He’s coming in a second. You want to play soccer since you’re here? You probably don’t because you don’t have cleats but you could borrow Sam’s—”
“Phil,” Ivan interrupted. “Just eat the granola bar.”
“Just eat the granola bar,” Phillip mimicked.
Cedric entered the kitchen, stopping at the threshold when he saw me. “Can we talk?”
Cedric had given me the tour he had promised a while ago at Phillip’s birthday party. He had shown me their personal library. I followed Cedric out of the kitchen, the two of us moving through the big house until we entered the library. He closed the door behind us. “Why were you upset that I went with Sam and Caleb?” I asked him.
“I didn’t think you had to go with them. It didn’t make sense to me.”
“Ced, I wanted to make sure that Sam was okay,” I explained. “He got hurt and I didn’t have practice today. I figured he could use a friend or two.”
Cedric crossed his arms. “I didn’t know you spent that much time with him.”
“He’s one of the guys.” I shrugged. That phrase explained enough. “We’re friends.”
Cedric sighed. “I’m just looking out for you. Sam’s Sam. I don’t want you to get involved in whatever follows him. You don’t deserve that.”
“I’m not going to,” I promised him. “What Sam does is Sam’s business, not mine. Don’t worry, okay?”
“All right, I won’t worry,” he muttered.
“C’mon, Ced.”
“I won’t worry,” he assured me.
We made our way to the living room where more Cahills were chatting—Christian and his two brothers, Lucas and Joey, who were wearing school uniforms, greeted me before heading into the kitchen. Sam was sitting next to Caleb, the ice pack no longer on his face. I took a seat next to Phillip on the floor and a foot lightly pushed against the side of my face. “Really?” Sam’s sock-covered foot was in my face.
“Anything for you, Hazel.”
Christian pushed between Sam and Caleb. “Macy, you know that blond girl who sits with you guys in caf?”
“Stevie?” I hoped he was joking. He was Justin’s age. “I’m not sure you’re her type.”
That didn’t faze Christian. “Let her know I’m available.”
“What he means is to put signs up at your school that Christian is on the alert,” Joey muttered and the boys laughed.
“Jacob and Brandon mentioned your birthday’s coming up,” Caleb said to me. “What do you want?”
“Be careful with your response,” Ivan said. “A gift from Caleb could mean anything.”
“And,” Sam spoke up, “by anything he means R-rated.”
“X-rated,” Ivan corrected. “What day’s your birthday?”
“The thirteenth,” Cedric answered.
“Like Friday the thirteenth?” Phillip asked.
“Friday the thirteenth,” Sam mused, and I knew where he was going with this. I grabbed the pillow and threw it at him. It hit him smack in the face and he groaned. “What was that for?”
“We don’t speak of that day,” I said, knowing that he was definitely going to share something I had told him.
“What about that day?” Cedric’s eyes flickered between me and Sam.
A mischievous expression crossed Sam’s face. “I don’t know if any of you know this, but Hazel here is terrified of horror movies.”
Caleb looked surprised. “I’ve seen you play the most graphic video games.”
“Not the same thing,”
“She’s right,” Lucas agreed, and I grinned at him, glad a Cahill was on my side.
“She was going to a park to celebrate her thirteenth birthday with some friends but before they got there they watched Child’s Play,” Sam said. “Hazel felt fear course through her entire body. Her soul was shaking—”
“Leave the storyte
lling to me, please,” Caleb muttered, but Sam continued.
“Because her birthday was the thirteenth and she was turning that very same age, she had the idea that the doll was going to appear. Her friends decided to buy her a present for the next day. When she opened it, she cried and ran all the way home. There’s video proof on her laptop. I’ve seen it.”
He had taken my laptop and locked himself in my bathroom for an hour trying to find it. A part of me regretted ever letting this idiot in my home.
Caleb headed toward the kitchen. “I know what I’m going to get you now.”
“We agreed on something PG,” I yelled, but my voice went unheard. I tapped Sam. “You sure you’re feeling better? No need to go to the hospital?”
Ivan snorted behind me, then handed an acoustic guitar to Sam. “Sam and hospitals? Not a good mix.”
Sam positioned the guitar, picking at the strings. Caleb, water in his hand, took a seat on the couch again. Conversation ceased; the boys who were standing took seats on the floor or in the empty spaces on the couches as we watched what was on the TV.
Cedric’s hands played with my hair as mindless humming came from Sam’s direction. Sam and Joey mumbled to each other as Sam played. But when Sam sang a familiar song quietly, I was surprised by how good he sounded.
His cousins and Caleb weren’t fazed. “You’re good,” I said.
Sam shrugged. “It’s nothing.”
“He has a voice, right?” Ivan said. “He was so annoying when he would constantly sing when we were younger. Cedric wanted to shove a sock in your mouth whenever Aunt Liz would force us to go shopping together, remember?”
My head tilted up to look at Cedric, who kept his eyes on the TV, not wanting to engage in yet another conversation about his cousin. The rest of his cousins and brothers agreed, telling different stories about growing up with Sam.
If it wasn’t for Cedric’s cousins, who were all practically brothers, this house wouldn’t seem full. All of the extended family together in one place made the Cahill house more lively and joyful.
My phone buzzed in my pocket and I took it out, reading Jasmine’s contact name as I answered it.
“Don’t freak out,” she said.