by Emma Dalton
Dad heads back to the kitchen. “I think he’s a good boy,” he calls over his shoulder.
“What do you mean by that?” I ask as I follow him inside.
“He cares about his family, he has goals, he was very well behaved and well spoken. He’s a good guy, honey. You chose well.”
“Do you like him?” I press.
“Yes, I do.”
My whole body sags with relief. “Will you come watch him play?”
“I told you, pumpkin. When the opportunity presents itself.”
I know I need to be patient, but it’s so frustrating! Then an idea pops into my head. “Dad, you should watch him at homecoming.”
“Homecoming?” he asks as he loads the dishwasher. “Is that in two weeks?”
“Yep. You’ll love watching Brayden play—”
“Sorry, honey. I’ll be out of town that weekend, checking out a promising player in San Diego.”
Ugh, seriously? Talk about rotten timing.
He rubs my arm. “I know you want to help him achieve his dreams, but if it’s meant to happen, it’ll happen. If he’s as good a player as you claim, I guarantee it won’t be long before I attend one of his games.” He kisses my forehead. “Can you take care of the rest of the cleanup? I want to rest a bit on the couch.”
“Sure.”
As I finish tidying up, something once again dawns on me. If I push Dad to watch Brayden play and he recruits him, my arrangement with Brayden will be over. We wouldn’t have a reason to hang out anymore.
But it would be selfish of me to stretch it out. Even though I want to spend eternity with him, I’ll do whatever it takes to help him get recruited.
I guess I have to try to cherish every moment I have with him before it’s gone.
Chapter Eighteen
The girls and I decide to get together at Dani’s house. After school on Monday, we meet at her locker and head to the city bus, since she lives a few miles away from school.
“You’re so lucky you live near school and can walk,” Dani complains as we wait with all the other people for the bus. Kids from school and people from work, and many others.
“Sorry you have to take the bus every day,” I tell her.
She waves her hand. “I’m used to it. Sort of. Not really.”
“Sometimes it’s not so bad,” Ally says.
“She’s trying to look at the positive,” Charlie says with a frown. “But I don’t think there’s anything positive when it comes to the city bus.”
It doesn’t take too long for the bus to arrive. And like we expected, it’s packed. I don’t know why I’m surprised—our small town of Edenbury has only one bus route. And the school is located in the busiest part of town.
“Are we going to fit?” I stare at the people packed in like sardines.
“You’d be surprised how many people can fit on these things,” Dani says as we wait in line. And like a miracle, we get on.
Let’s just say the ride isn’t a pleasant experience. I can’t remember the last time I rode on one of these things—maybe when I was a kid?
“Bet you can’t wait until you get a car, huh?” I say to Dani.
She smiles, but it looks like it’s forced, and then she tears her gaze away. Huh. I wonder what that’s about. I glance at Ally and Charlie, but they don’t seem fazed by it.
We finally reach the stop and get off. I gulp in the delicious smell of fresh air.
Dani laughs at my expression. “Now you know why I prefer to get together at your houses.” She nods to the right. “My house is this way.”
I examine the neighborhood as I follow the others to her house. It’s pretty obvious this is not the richest part of town. Dani leads us to a small house at the end of the block, one that seems slightly rundown.
She stops and turns to me. “So if it isn’t obvious…this is how my family lives. I’m not embarrassed by it or anything. My parents are hardworking people.”
I put my arm around her. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about.”
She smiles thankfully. “Okay. Ready to see the inside? I promise it looks much nicer than the outside.”
We walk up the few steps and Dani sticks her key in the lock. She wasn’t kidding—the interior looks beautiful. There isn’t a lot of space, but everything appears homey and inviting.
“It’s beautiful,” I tell her.
“Thanks. Mom?” she calls. “Are you home?”
Footsteps sound, and then a familiar-looking woman enters the hallway. “The lunch lady?” I ask. Then I catch myself and say with a smile, “Sorry. Hi, Mrs. Wood.”
“Yeah,” Dani says, looking slightly guilty. “Sorry I didn’t tell you before. I guess I…I don’t know, it was stupid.”
“I told Danielle she could keep the secret if she wanted,” Mrs. Wood says as she extends her hand to me. “I know it’s not cool for your mom to be the lunch lady.”
“But you’re the best lunch lady in the world!” I say as I shake her hand. “You always ask me how my day is going. You have no idea how good that makes me feel.”
“I noticed you seemed a little lonely,” she admits. “I thought I could brighten your day.”
“You did,” I tell her. “It really made my day better.”
I take a moment to study mother and daughter. They don’t look very similar, other than that beautiful dark, wavy hair. But Mrs. Wood usually keeps it in a hairnet. It’s no wonder no one at school could figure out they’re related.
“And Mrs. Wood makes the most delicious food on the planet,” Charlie says with a smile. “That’s the only reason our school lunch doesn’t suck.”
Mrs. Wood waves her hand. “Oh, hush.”
“I agree,” Ally adds. “Sometimes I look forward to lunch because I know I’ll eat something yummy.”
Mrs. Wood’s cheeks grow pink. “Thanks, sweetheart.”
“By the way, thanks so much for helping me with my chicken alfredo,” I say. “You seriously saved my butt.”
“I heard this was to impress a boy?” she teases.
I give Dani a look.
“What?” She laughs with a shrug. “I don’t keep any secrets from my mom.”
I feel a pang in my chest as I watch the two of them giggle with each other. I miss having a mom to share secrets with.
“There’s peanut brittle in the kitchen if you girls want a quick snack,” Mrs. Wood tells us. “I’m heading out now to the Reyes’s.” She kisses Dani’s cheek. “There’s a casserole in the fridge. Can you bake it?”
“Sure. See you later, Mom.”
She blows her a kiss and leaves.
“My mom cleans other people’s houses,” Dani tells me. “Lunch lady by day, cleaner at night.”
“I love her,” I say. “She’s always so nice to me. She was the only person at school who noticed the Invisible Girl.”
“She tries to stay out of the students’ business,” Dani says as she leads us to her room. “But she’s also kind to everyone, even the jerks who barely look her way.” Dani bounces on her bed and motions for us to join her. “She and I agreed on my first day of freshmen year that she wouldn’t get involved in my school life. She said it was hard at first because she couldn’t stand to see me so miserable without friends. But she never overstepped.”
“She really is awesome,” Ally says. “She secretly gives me an extra slice of cake. And that started before Dani and I were even friends.”
I smile as I glance around. Dani’s room is pretty small. There’s a bed against the wall, a small dresser and matching closet, and a bookcase packed with books. There are posters of famous dancers all over the walls.
“What about your dad?” I ask Dani.
“He’s a janitor for a huge office building. He works from morning to night. I don’t know if you’ll meet him, since he comes home pretty late.” She leans back against the wall and stretches her arms over her head. “I sometimes work after school and on the weekends. Though my mom always tries to convince
me not to work. She wants me to hang out with my friends and have fun. But it sucks to see my parents working so hard.”
It really does suck for her parents. I know I’m lucky that my dad has a good job that pays well.
“Anyway, on to more interesting things,” Dani says. “How was dinner last night with your dad and your boyfriend?”
“Fake boyfriend,” Charlie reminds her.
“Whatever.”
“Pretty great,” I tell them. “He was perfect. I think my dad was taken by him.”
Dani claps her hands. “Awesome.”
“It would be if he didn’t have selfish intentions,” Charlie says.
I hold up my hand. “Don’t accuse him of being selfish, Charlie. I agreed to the arrangement.”
She sighs. “I know, you’re right. I just don’t like seeing my friend being used.”
I give her a wry smile. “Even if this friend is a willing participant?”
She returns the smile. “Even if my friend is hopelessly in love with her assignment.”
I chuckle lightly and start to fan myself. “He looked so sexy in dress clothes.”
“I’ll bet,” Dani says with a grin.
“This would be so romantic if he was secretly in love with you, too,” Ally says.
I sigh heavily. “Wouldn’t it? But it’s pretty obvious he only sees me as a means to an end. Maybe not even a friend.”
“What do you mean?” Charlie asks the same time Dani says, “I’m sure he at least sees you as a friend.”
I puff out some air. “I asked him if he wanted to watch Netflix with me after dinner, and he said he had to read his little sister a bedtime story.”
“Ouch,” Charlie says.
“That was sweet of him,” Ally supplies. “That he wanted to hurry home to read to his sister. It was probably past her bedtime.”
“Yeah.” Charlie rubs her chin. “That is kind of sweet.”
I moan as I face-plant on Dani’s bed. “See why my crush on him only grows the more I get to know him?”
Ally rubs my back. “Maybe you should tell him how you feel.”
My head springs up. “No way! He’ll run for the hills faster than a cheetah.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Sorry, Ally, but I’m with Kara on this one,” Dani says. “This isn’t one of your romance novels where both the guy and the girl secretly have feelings for each other. Kara will have to ride this out until it’s over.”
“And not get the guy,” I say with a groan.
She gives me an apologetic smile.
“Join the club,” Ally says. “Who knows if I’ll ever have a boyfriend?”
“Me, either,” Dani says.
“Count me out,” Charlie grumbles. “I don’t want a boyfriend.”
I gape at her. “You don’t?”
She shakes her head. “I don’t do drama. And everyone knows boys are drama, drama, drama.”
“But they’re so worth the drama,” Dani whines.
“That’s what you think.” Charlie throws her arm around Ally, who’s the closest to her. “I have everyone I need right here.”
“Thanks,” I say. “I feel the same.”
“But your life would be more complete if you had Brayden,” Dani teases.
I sigh as I stare up at the ceiling. “Heck yeah.” I look at all of them. “He asked me to go running with him on Saturday. At five o’clock in the morning. But it was so worth it because we watched the sunrise. It was so pretty. And romantic. Well, it would have been romantic if we were actually a couple. Could have been the perfect place to make out.”
“Sucks,” Dani says.
“It’s fine,” I say with a brave smile. “I’m just glad I was able to experience it with my crush.”
“Are you sure you’re okay, Kara?” Ally asks.
“I’m keeping my heart in check,” I assure her.
She doesn’t look so sure, but she doesn’t say anything.
“And I’m so freakin’ sore!” I complain. “I knew I was out of shape, but sheesh.”
“Is that why you were ambling like a little old lady?” Charlie teases.
I grab a pillow and throw it at her face.
“No!” Dani cries. “No pillow fights. My room is too small!”
“Sorry.” I put it aside.
“So,” Dani says, “your fake boyfriend didn’t want to watch Netflix with you. Will you settle for second best?”
“You guys are not second best,” I say firmly.
“Shouldn’t we do homework?” Charlie suggests.
Dani groans. “No! I want to watch Netflix with my friends.”
“You guys go ahead,” she says as she zips open her backpack and yanks out her notebook. “I’ll get started on my homework. I have three papers to write for the cheerleaders and jocks, and then trig for a guy in theater.”
My jaw hangs open. “Are you ditching us to do other people’s homework?” I demand.
She shrugs. “Sorry.”
“No. That is so not happening.”
Dani rolls her eyes. “It’s a doomed battle. Charlie loves school more than anything.”
“You love school more than us?” I joke, though I’m not really joking.
“Of course not,” she says. “But Netflix is a waste of time.”
I clutch my heart like she stabbed me. “Did she just call Netflix a waste of time?”
Ally and Dani giggle. “You have a lot to learn, my friend,” Dani says. She reaches for the remote and logs in to Netflix. “One hour, then we’ll do homework.”
I glance at Charlie.
She groans. “Fine. Just one hour.”
But one hour turns to three. Then we freak out that we didn’t do our homework and scramble to do it.
For the first time in a while, I don’t think about Brayden. The epiphany knocks me hard over the head. I was having so much fun with my friends that he slipped my mind. Maybe getting over him won’t be as hard as I thought.
Chapter Nineteen
Brayden
“Dude, what’s up with you lately?” DeAngelo asks as he lightly punches my shoulder.
I glance at him and Jerry sitting at the table in the cafeteria. The cheerleaders went off to take care of something and some of my teammates ran to help them.
“Nothing,” I mumble as I stab my fork in my meat. It’s a little rubbery today, or maybe I’m not myself right now. I keep thinking about the dinner I had with Kara and Nigel Gander. Kara assured me I did well, but I’m not so sure. He didn’t even consider watching me play—said he would when “the opportunity presented itself.” What does that even mean? Everyone claims I’m an amazing quarterback, but if I can’t get the attention of a recruiter like Mr. Gander, then what am I?
“Dude.” Jerry slaps my arm. “Whatever it is, you’ve got it bad.” He bends close so the other guys can’t hear. “Is it the fake relationship? You suffering that much?”
My eyes shoot to the table at the back of the room, where Kara is laughing with her friends. Suffering? I wouldn’t call it that at all. Kara’s cool and fun. And kind beyond measure. And the way she’s smiling and laughing with her friends? Her entire face radiates joy. It makes me smile, too. It makes me want to make her smile more often, to see her face light up every moment of every day.
DeAngelo grips my shoulder, yanking my mind away from Kara. “Don’t tell me you’re falling for her, man.”
“No way.” Jerry laughs. “She’s cool and all, but so not for you. She’s smart and you’re…well...”
I lightly punch him in the chest. “I’m smarter than your dumb butt.”
He chuckles. “Finally, he’s back. I was worried there for a second. What’s got you all coiled up?”
I sigh, puffing out my cheeks. “I had dinner with Kara and her dad on Sunday.”
DeAngelo asks, “How did it go?”
I want to shrug, but my shoulders are stiff. “I think it went well, but he didn’t seem interested in me…as a p
otential recruit.”
My friends glance at one another.
“Maybe you just need time,” Jerry muses. “The man just met you and you can’t expect him to drop whatever he’s doing to watch you play. Be patient and it’ll all work out.” He slaps my arm. “You’ll see.”
I hope he’s right, though I’m not really listening to him. I’m focused on Kara and that smile. For some strange reason, it does something to my stomach, something that’s never happened before. I can’t describe it because I’m not sure what it is.
“The girl knows it’s fake, right?” DeAngelo asks. “You’re not stringing her along and then going to break her heart, are you? Because from what I see, it’s a fragile heart. Girls like her are like that.”
I face him. “Like what?”
He shrugs. “You know, the ones who cry at those sappy romance movies and wait for their knights in shining armor to sweep them off their feet.”
I furrow my brows as I watch Kara some more. She’s not like that. Kara is strong and smart and driven. She lost her mom three years ago, and I know how difficult it is to lose someone close to you. I might be the only one who understands what she’s been through.
“Don’t tell me she’s fallen for your charm,” DeAngelo continues.
Jerry chuckles. “Wouldn’t be the first time. How many girls have fallen for you? Got enough fingers to count them on? Maybe use your toes.”
It’s true that many girls have given me attention, but I’ve only given it back to a few, to ones whom I thought were special. Turned out most just wanted me for my looks or my reputation. I haven’t been able to find a girl who sees past the quarterback, who gets to know me for me.
But it doesn’t matter. Like I said, I’m focusing on football now. I wouldn’t lie and say I wouldn’t mind having that special bond with a girl, though.
Kara laughs from her table that’s so far away, but somehow I hear it. I wish we could have been friends when we each experienced our losses. We would have been there for each other. I would have helped her get through her mom’s death, even though I hadn’t experienced something similar back then. And maybe she could have helped me deal with Brock’s death. Maybe I could have done something to prevent my parents from growing so distant. They’re much better now, but I know it’ll take a while before they’re back to themselves. If they ever get there.