Textrovert

by Lindsey Summers

  “I’m going to kill you,” she mouthed to Zach. For the next few minutes, she contorted her body over the messy mat, getting her feet and hands dirty with various condiments.

  She could hear the whole senior class cheering her on. She would win for them. After all, this was the last Edgewood-Crosswell game they would be a part of.

  “Left hand, chocolate sauce.”

  Balancing on her toes, she carefully lifted her arm and placed it on the closest dot. The movement caused Talon’s ring to dislodge from under her shirt. Like a pendulum, it swung back and forth, Crosswell’s green and gold colors clearly on display. Maybe no one would notice it in the mayhem.

  That’s when Keeley saw Zach’s eyes on her again. And then his eyes on the ring. Cort, who was standing next to him, whispered something, but Zach didn’t stir. Confused, Cort followed his line of sight. His mouth dropped when he saw it.

  Knowing she had to explain, she moved toward them, completely forgetting where she was. Immediately, her hands slid from under her and she fell onto the disgusting mat. The whole school cheered, loving the action. Ignoring Amy, who held out a towel, she made a beeline for her brother. “Zach, I can explain.”

  “I think that thing around your neck says it all.” Automatically, her hand grabbed the ring, protecting it.

  Their eyes met. A lump formed in Keeley’s throat when her brother broke their connection and looked away. She expected the anger — so hot it almost scalded her — but she hadn’t anticipated the hurt.

  “Are you really going out with him?” he asked quietly.

  She sucked in her lips and bit, not wanting to answer.

  “Are you?”

  Slowly, she nodded.

  “All right, everyone. Time to sit down,” the principal said, urging the students back to their seats, even though they were covered in a soup of ketchup, mustard, whipped cream and chocolate sauce.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Keeley saw Amy coming toward her, ready to escort her back. “Zach,” she said urgently, before she lost the chance, “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was waiting to tell you after the game. I swear.”

  “I guess this is payback,” he murmured quietly. “I took his girl, so he takes my sister.”

  Girl? What girl? Zach glanced at Talon’s ring again, and suddenly Keeley put it all together. He’d had a ring once, too. But he lost it his freshman year. The same freshman year Talon was dating his girlfriend. “The girl in the photo. The one you gave your class ring to … it’s Claire. You’re the one she cheated with.”

  He flinched.

  “Everyone to your seats,” the principal announced, looking directly at her. “Now.”

  Keeley staggered back to her best friend’s side. “You don’t look so good. Are you okay?” Nicky asked, handing Keeley a towel.

  “I don’t know.” Keeley wiped down her arms and legs. “Zach found out I’m seeing Talon. And get this — Zach stole Talon’s girlfriend our freshman year.” She quickly explained what she knew. “I didn’t even know Zach had been seeing anyone.” How could she have been so out of the loop? She knew they’d drifted apart in high school, but this?

  Nicky looked as shocked as Keeley felt. “That’s not possible. Zach wouldn’t do that.”

  Keeley couldn’t believe it either. Her brother was many things, but he had honor. Or at least, she thought he did. And was what he said true? Was Talon using her to get back at her brother? She didn’t think so, but adding Claire to the equation made her question.

  She looked for Zach after the rally but he’d disappeared. All she could find was Cort.

  “He doesn’t want to talk to you,” he announced, his body shielding her from the boys’ locker room. Cort acted like Zach needed protecting from her. That cut.

  “Please, Cort.” She felt awful for keeping her relationship with Talon a secret. Zach must feel so betrayed. “I need to see him.” To apologize. She could ask about Claire later, after he played.

  “He wants to clear his head. Leave him alone for now.”

  “Will you at least wish him good luck for me? And tell him I’m rooting for him?”

  He gave a sharp nod and walked away.

  Keeley went to the girls’ bathroom to wash her hands and splash some water on her face. By the time she got out, the gym had cleared so she stepped outside, hoping to find Nicky for lunch. Instead, she saw Gavin sneaking around the side of the building. What was he doing over here? Wasn’t he supposed to be with the football players? A tall, hooded figure crept behind him. Wait ... she recognized that hoodie. Talon? What was he doing here? And why was he with Gavin?

  She followed as they tiptoed past the gym to the far end of campus. They were huddled behind the weight room, whispering to each other. Coming up behind them, she asked, “What are you two doing?”

  Talon whipped around. He had a paint can and a brush. Was he crazy? He had to get off campus before anyone spotted him. Especially Zach.

  She pushed him into a corner, looking around to make sure no one saw. “Are you pulling a prank right now?”

  “Baby doll —”

  “Don’t baby doll me. Are you nuts? Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you could get in?”

  “It’s a harmless prank,” Talon explained, but Keeley wasn’t having it.

  “And you,” — she turned on Gavin — “why are you involved in this?”

  Gavin glanced helplessly at Talon. “He’s ... uh, he’s my cousin.”

  The revelation blindsided her. There was little resemblance between the two except for their blue eyes. “And you’re letting him into our school?” She hated the pranking that went on between Crosswell and Edgewood, but she did feel some loyalty to her school. And her brother.

  “Don’t be mad at him. It’s my fault. I guilted him into it,” Talon confessed. “I wanted to get back at Zach for painting my truck blue.”

  That had been just a prank. Petty, yes, but harmless. But Talon sneaking onto school grounds? That was a different matter. “Can’t you just let it go?”

  “Everyone expects us to pull something.”

  That was his reasoning? Suddenly, Talon seemed very much like the teenager he was. But, Keeley didn’t want to argue about it now. She had more important questions on her mind. “Talon, why didn’t you tell me it was Zach that Claire cheated with?”

  His mouth dropped a little. “How did you find out?”

  “That doesn’t matter.” She turned to Gavin, who was eyeing them like they were in a soap opera. “I need to talk to Talon alone. Can you leave?” She knew she was being direct but she needed to be. If she was going to find out the truth, she had to become that girl on the phone who didn’t overanalyze, but went straight to the point. She waited till Gavin was out of earshot. “Talon, why didn’t you tell me it was Zach?”

  Talon swallowed. Hard. “Because I know how bad it looks for me. What happened with Claire has nothing to do with us.”

  How did Claire and Zach’s cheating look bad for him? If anything, wouldn’t he come out better? “So you’re not dating me to get back at him?”

  “No! In fact, I wish you weren’t his sister. That’s why I left at Java Hut. I knew it would get complicated. I thought it’d be easier to put a stop to it then. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t get you out of my head.”

  A sharp whistle caught her attention. She turned and angled around Talon. Two boys she didn’t recognize stood off to the side. The shorter of the two wore a dark-blue cap and a gray hoodie. She guessed he was the one who whistled because he kept tapping his watch impatiently. The other was his complete opposite. Twirling a set of car keys on his finger, he appeared almost bored with the whole situation.

  “Wrap it up. We gotta go,” the one in the cap said.

  Talon looked at his watch and swore. “We’ll talk more later. After the game. I’ll text you.” He leaned down
to kiss her, but she turned and gave him her cheek. She didn’t feel right about kissing him. Not while she was processing what happened and certainly not on campus where her brother was.

  As Talon drew away, she saw his pained expression. She squeezed his hand. “We’ll talk tonight. Promise.”

  Talon squeezed back, then the three boys hurried past the weight room and out of sight.

  After school ended, Keeley fished out her books from the locker and went to the parking lot to wait for Nicky. The game didn’t start till seven so they planned on hanging out at the pier before heading back to campus. She was almost at Nicky’s car when she saw a gathering of students near the back of the lot. Interested, she veered toward the crowd. On her tiptoes, she strained to see what was so fascinating, but there were too many people.

  Through the throng of people, she could see Cort’s car. It was plastic wrapped and painted exactly like Talon’s had been. But Talon had taken it one step further. He’d drawn a middle finger on the hood.

  “Oh, crap,” Keeley murmured.

  The crowd hushed as her brother and his friends pushed their way through the masses. Everyone stared, waiting for his reaction. If they were expecting an outburst of anger, though, they were sorely mistaken. Instead, Zach’s spine went ramrod straight. His expression frosted over, his face a mask of cold, hard ice. The only sign of emotion was in his eyes, and Keeley was the only one who knew what it meant. This was a declaration of war. Zach was out for blood and he would be gunning for one person on that field tonight — her boyfriend.

  “The game hasn’t even started yet. Calm down,” Nicky said, putting a hand on Keeley’s knee. “You keep twitching like that and people are going to think you’re on something.”

  “I can’t help it.” She jiggled her other leg, expelling some of the energy building up inside her. Every minute that passed increased her anxiety. It didn’t help that the football stands were jam-packed. She couldn’t move without getting trampled.

  She watched as people passed by, proudly wearing their school colors. And it wasn’t just the students either — parents and teachers were outfitted in Edgewood’s blue and white; hell, even the mayor was there. There was everything from T-shirts to bandanas to face paint. It looked like the whole town had shown up for this game, ready to cheer their hearts out.

  Her eyes traveled to the opposite side. The Crosswell fans were packed into the visitor bleachers, every bit as enthusiastic, their side a sea of green and gold. This rivalry went back as far as anyone could remember.

  At the far end of the field near the goalpost, Keeley could make out the Crosswell players. They were warming up — stretching and passing the ball. She looked for Talon’s number, but his team was too far away.

  “I don’t see why you’re so nervous. It’s just a game,” Nicky commented.

  Normally, she’d agree, but not this time. “You saw Zach. He’s itching for a fight.” When Zach got angry, all reason flew out the window. If he were angry enough, he could get physical.

  Nicky waved her hand at the field. “The refs would interfere before blood started flying.”

  “And that’s supposed to make me feel better?” Keeley didn’t want anyone to end up in the emergency room.

  “Nothing will happen. They both play offense. When Zach’s on the field, Talon will be on the bench and vice versa.” Thank God for small favors. She couldn’t imagine what would happen if one played on the defensive side. It would be a bloodbath.

  “I’m still trying to wrap my head around the whole Claire connection. What are the chances that he’d be the person I switched phones with?”

  “Chance or a perfectly orchestrated meeting? It’s the perfect revenge — use Zach’s twin to get back at him for what Zach did with Claire.” Any goodwill Nicky might have felt for Talon had disappeared as soon as she found out about Claire.

  “I’m not going to accuse Talon of something based on speculation.”

  “At least think about it,” Nicky said. “It could be true — you have to admit that.”

  Keeley had to get out of there. Standing up, she said, “I’m going to the bathroom.”

  Doubt plagued her as she made her way through the crowd of people and into the bathroom. Did Talon have a master plan all along? Was he pulling the strings on her puppet, using her to hurt her brother?

  She didn’t feel played. His words and actions seemed genuine. And their chemistry — God, their chemistry — no one could fake that. Confused and frustrated, she let out a loud groan.

  “Is everything okay in there?” a voice said from outside her stall. “I have some Tums if you need ’em, darlin’.”

  “U-um … I-I’m good,” Keeley managed to stammer out. Cue the awkward silence. The faucet turned on and Keeley prayed the lady would be quick. The game was minutes away from starting, and if she stayed any longer, she would miss the kickoff. As if to prove her point, her phone buzzed. An onslaught of messages popped up on the screen, first from Zach:

  Where are you?! I don’t see you anywhere in the stands.

  You said you were going to be there. Was that another lie?

  Then Nicky:

  Did you fall in the toilet again?

  Zach:

  Are you on Harrington’s side?! I can’t believe you would do that to me.

  Nicky again:

  Should I call 911?

  “Oh, for God’s sake,” she muttered. Zach wouldn’t even talk to her, and now he was complaining? She knew he was upset, but he should know that if she said she was going to be there, she was going to be there.

  What the heck is taking the lady so long? Keeley thought to herself. She was aware of how ridiculous she was, standing in a stall, waiting. What happened to the girl who fearlessly confronted Talon earlier? Why did that girl always fade into the background? She needed to keep her at the surface, but the only way she could do that was by making the conscious choice to do so. If she did that, maybe it would become second nature.

  With a firm nod, she lifted the latch and walked out. The lady, who was no more than five feet tall, stood in front of the mirror. From the back, she looked like a high school student. She wore tight jeans, fringed cowboy boots and a Crosswell jersey. Masses of blonde curls were piled precariously on top of her head, looking like they could fall at any minute.

  However, when she turned around, Keeley could tell she was older. Not that she was old in any sense. There was a maturity to her face, a knowing that only came with time. She’d seen the same look in her mother. She was absolutely stunning.

  “Hi there, suga’,” the lady said.

  Something in her voice nagged at Keeley’s memory. She wracked her brain, trying to figure out what it was.

  “You doing okay?”

  The lady’s eyes danced as she spoke. That’s when it hit her. Those eyes. That accent. This was Talon’s mom, Darlene.

  Was this really happening right now? She almost wanted to look around and see if there were hidden cameras. A sharp knock on the bathroom door saved her from having to respond.

  “Darlene!” a deep voice called. “You look fine! Stop primping and come out. We’re going to miss the kickoff!”

  “Men,” Talon’s mom said, rolling her eyes at Keeley as if letting her in on a secret. Another impatient knock. “I better go before his blood pressure starts to rise. He hates missing one second of our son’s game.”

  Keeley watched as she strolled out like a model with those high heel boots. She caught a quick glimpse of Talon’s dad. He was an imposing man, tall, with a fierce scowl. Keeley waited a few minutes before scurrying to her seat and sat down just as the players took the field. The energy around her was electric. Everyone was amped. She could only imagine how Talon and Zach were feeling. “All right,” she whispered as the whistle blew, “here we go.”


  The crowd hushed as the players crouched down, getting into position. She could hear Talon’s voice as he yelled, “One. Two. Three. Hut!” The ball flew into his hands. He moved left and then feigned right as he searched for an open player.

  She’d be the first to admit that football held no interest for her. There was too much grunting, tackling and huddling. But something about watching Talon play had her mesmerized.

  For such a tall guy, he was surprisingly graceful. While Zach was pure power, Talon had finesse. He moved like a panther, zigzagging through the defense, his long legs giving him spurts of energy. He was fearless and nimble and commanding … and all hers. She finally understood why girls pursued football players. Claiming one as your own was a powerful feeling.

  Talon’s arm went back and then his wrist snapped forward as he threw. While everyone’s eyes followed the ball, hers remained glued to Talon. His body was tense as he watched, his focus one hundred percent on the hurtling ball. When his teammate captured it, marking the first down, Talon punched the air.

  He might complain about his father and the intensity of the game, but underneath all that protest was a talent that couldn’t be denied. He deserved every award he won, even if Zach claimed otherwise. She couldn’t say who was a better player — Zach or Talon — but she knew it was close. Very close.

  By halftime, Crosswell was down by seven points. They’d gotten an early lead, but Zach and his teammates made a couple of great plays to put Edgewood ahead on the scoreboard. So far, both teams were behaving. There’d been a couple of hard shoves, but nothing serious. For the first time, Keeley started to relax. Maybe they would make it out of this game unscathed. She pulled out her phone when it vibrated in her pocket.

  I could really use a good luck charm, baby doll.