by Elicia Hyder
His lips spread into a wide smile. “That sounds awesome.”
Two hours later, the limousine driver dropped them off at Journey’s lake house. David was in awe when they walked through the living room toward the kitchen. He had heard her talk about the place, but it was the first time he’d actually been there. She pulled open the refrigerator. “Do you want a beer?” she asked.
“Sure.” He walked over to the large glass doors that looked out over the lake. “Do your parents not know that you come up here without them?”
She laughed as she handed him a beer. “Nope. I don’t think it’s ever even crossed their minds. I clean up pretty well when I leave, and I try not to get too crazy with the AC or the water so I don’t spike the bills.”
He nodded toward the other houses around the lake. “And no one ever rats you out?”
She shook her head. “Most of the houses are owned by northerners who just come down for the winter. So we don’t really know the neighbors.”
He lowered his eyes. “Sooner or later, you’re bound to get busted. You know that right?”
She laughed again. “I have no doubt. But until then, I’m going to enjoy it.” Journey stepped over to a stereo that was built into the wall. “Open the doors.”
He pushed the double doors open, and music flowed over the back deck. ‘Champagne Supernova’ was playing. He pointed up to the speakers. “This is a danceable song.” He put his beer on a side table and offered her his hand. “I think it’s a sign.”
She smiled and let him pull her outside and into his arms. Her hands were on his chest. “I hope I didn’t ruin your big night, Dave.”
He pulled his head back. “What are you talking about?”
“Well, first I didn’t ride with you. Then, you didn’t go to the after-party because you’re with me.” She darted her eyes away from him, out toward the water.
He tried to make sense of what she was saying. “You think I didn’t want to go to the party because of you? That’s crazy.”
“But Marcus and Justin and the rest of the team were going…”
He bent his knees to be eye-level with her. “Are you serious? Why would I want to go to a party when all I really want to do is hang out with you?”
“I thought—”
He cut her off. “Whatever you were thinking, it’s wrong. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else than right here, right now.”
She smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight. “Why do you like me so much, David Britton?”
He thought for a moment. “Because you’re different than every other girl in Emerson.”
She laughed. “I’m not sure if that’s meant to be a compliment or not.”
He nodded. “It’s most definitely a compliment.”
She sighed and looked up at the stars. “This has been a crazy day. My first date and the prom.”
“Prom was your first date?” he asked, surprised.
She shook her head. “No, dinner with Steven was.”
She could have stabbed him in the chest and it wouldn’t have hurt any worse. “Your date with Steven was your first?”
“Yeah. Crazy, huh?”
He blew out a sigh. “Yeah. You really like him, don’t you?”
“I’ve liked him for years.”
He shook his head. “But it wasn’t your first date. I’ve taken you out a few times before today.”
She rolled her eyes. “But those weren’t dates, David.”
Of course they weren’t, because she didn’t think about him that way. He really wished she would just stop talking, but she kept going.
She started counting on her fingers. “Before today I hadn’t been on a date; I had never held hands with a guy; I’ve still never kissed anybody, or done anything else—”
He cut her off. “You’ve never kissed anyone?”
She scrunched up her nose. “Nope. How sad is that?”
He smiled. “I think it’s sweet.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I wouldn’t have pegged you as the innocent type.”
She laughed and put her hands on her hips. “What? Did you think I was a slut or something?”
He shook his head. “God, no. That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what did you mean?”
He sighed. “Just forget I said that.”
She put her arms around his neck again. “OK. I’ll forget it.”
He stopped dancing. “Close your eyes.”
“What?” she asked.
“Close your eyes,” he said again.
She huffed but obediently pressed her eyes shut. David took a deep breath and cupped her face in his hands. He leaned down and gently touched his lips to hers. When he pulled away, she was smiling.
He traced her bottom lip with his thumb. “Now you can cross ‘first kiss’ off your list.”
10
Sandbox Confessions
“Journey, phone!” her mother called down the hallway.
Journey jumped off her bed and grabbed the telephone. “Hello?” she answered, pressing it to her ear.
“We have got to get you a cell phone.” Steven’s voice was deep and playful.
Journey was so excited she did a drumroll with her feet on the floor. “Hang on a sec.” Pressing the phone against her chest, she walked over to her door and peeked down the hall. Her mother was on the couch, and her dad was in the kitchen. Neither of them had the other cordless phone to listen in on her call. She carefully closed her door without making any noise. “I’m back,” she told him as she flopped down on her bed.
“Are you still going to make it out tonight?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“What did you tell your parents?”
“That I was going to the movies with some friends from school,” she answered.
He chuckled. “Well, I guess that isn’t a complete lie. What time do you have to be home?”
“Eleven.”
He was quiet for a moment. “So, we’ll have some time after the movie?”
Her stomach fluttered. “A little while.”
“Cool. Well, I’ll see you at seven?”
“I’ll be there,” she said and hung up the phone.
At six o’clock Journey dressed in her favorite pair of jeans and a dark gray jersey shirt that didn’t quite meet the top of her pants. When she walked out of her room, her father frowned. He pointed back down the hall. “I don’t think so,” he said, scowling at her midriff.
She groaned, rolled her eyes, and stalked back to her bedroom. She changed into a button-up flannel and shoved the jersey into her purse. She walked out and did a turn for her dad. “Better?” she asked.
He nodded. “Better.” He handed her a crisp twenty dollar bill. “You’ll be home by eleven?”
She folded the money and tucked it in her back pocket. “Yes, sir.”
He adjusted his glasses and looked at her seriously. “Not a minute after?”
“I promise,” she said.
He gave her a side hug and kissed her forehead. “Have fun.”
She bolted out the door before he could say anything else. It was a twenty minute drive to the theater. She pulled in and parked in the most abandoned spot she could find. When she was sure no one else would see her, she stripped off the flannel and put the jersey back on. As she checked her hair in the mirror, she heard the rumble of a loud engine. Steven’s car pulled into the space next to her’s.
It had been two weeks since prom, and it was the first time she’d seen him since. Her parents seemed to foil every plot they put together to see each other. The day after prom, they needed her help at the store. His next day off, they insisted she attend a revival night at church. The weekend before, they forced her to visit her grandparents. He had called her almost everyday, but quiet chats on the phone weren’t nearly enough. When he stepped out of his car, with his hair pulled back and wearing her favorite black button-up shirt, she had to remind herself to breathe.
She got out of her car and lea
ned back against the door to close it. “Long time, no see,” she said.
“Too long,” he said, walking toward her. He stopped when they were toe to toe, and he put his arms around her. He let his head rest against hers. “We could just forget the movie.”
It was a tempting idea, but Steven still made her a little bit nervous. She looked up at him. “We’d better not.”
His grin was playful. “Are you sure?”
She bit her lip to keep from saying no. Stepping away from him, she tugged on his hand. “Come on or we’ll miss the previews.”
Groaning with reluctance, he draped his arm around her shoulders.
She sort of expected him to be all over her during the movie, but he wasn’t. He just held her hand, and stroked her fingers with his thumb. They made it in and out of the theater without being seen by anyone who could rat Journey out to her parents. It was just after nine.
He looked down at his watch when they got back to her car. “What time do you need to leave?”
“10:30 to be safe,” she answered.
He thought for a second. “Wanna go to the park?”
“Sure. I’ll follow you,” she said.
The baseball fields of Johnson Park were lit up for the spring season Friday night games, but the playground was deserted. Steven and Journey walked hand in hand toward the monkey bars. She climbed up the ladder and swung her way across the bars to the other side. Steven watched from the ground as she climbed up the stairs to the slide. Peaking over the top, she smiled down at him. “Are you going to catch me?”
He grinned and stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Nope. I’m hoping you bust your ass in the sand.”
Giggling, she stuck her tongue out at him before she slid down the slide. When she reached the bottom without falling off, she dangled her legs off the end and shrugged up at him. “No sand for me tonight.”
He laughed and offered her his hand. “Too bad.”
She gladly slipped her fingers between his and tugged him toward the swings. “Come swing with me.”
“What are you, twelve?” he asked, laughing.
She led him to the swings and sat down. “Have you been on a swing since you were twelve?”
He shook his head. “I’m sure it’s been much longer.”
She nodded toward the other swing. “Try it. You’ll feel like a kid again.” She pushed back on the ground then began to pump her legs as she soared higher and higher. Leaning backward, she looked at Steven upside down as she flew forward. “Do it, you big sissy!” she teased.
Finally, he pushed off the ground and began swinging back and forth. After a few passes, he was laughing. Really laughing. She stretched her legs out straight, and when she swung forward again, she let go and sailed through the air, landing hard on the sand. She rolled onto her back laughing. He let go and jumped toward her. A moment later, he was covered in sand, lying on his back.
She crawled over beside him and sat down. Breathing hard, she looked down at him. “I think you just busted your ass, sir.”
He shook his head and laughed. “You’re the strangest girl I’ve ever met.”
She pointed at him. “And the coolest girl you’ve ever met.”
He grabbed her finger. “That too.” He pulled her down so she was leaning over him. He slipped his free hand behind her head and drew her lips down for a kiss. Her second kiss.
· · ·
Steven was breathless when he released her. He’d been dreaming for weeks about what it would be like to kiss her, and he wasn’t disappointed. Her inexperience was intoxicating as she awkwardly moved her lips against his. He was falling for her. Hard.
She sat back up, and he pushed himself off his back. His ponytail was covered with sand. He pulled the tie out and let if fall around his chin. She was watching him with excitement. “What is it?” he asked.
She wiggled her fingers in front of his face. “Can I touch it?”
He laughed. “I guess. Go ahead.”
Her mouth fell open with delight as she ran her fingers through his hair. “I’ve wanted to do this since the seventh grade.”
“What?” he asked, laughing. “The seventh grade?”
She nodded. “Oh yeah. I don’t even care what a stupid fangirl I sound like right now.”
“You should have said something,” he said.
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah right. You didn’t even know I was alive till you almost killed me with that door.”
He cringed. “I still feel bad about that.”
She laughed out loud. “I don’t!”
Steven had dated plenty of girls, but none of them had been so blatantly honest. Or maybe none of them had liked him as much as she did. Whatever it was, she proved over and over how incredibly different she was from all the other girls in Emerson. He suspected he could get away with quite a bit with her, but he didn’t dare do anything that might diminish that goofy smile on her face.
Finally, when she had dusted all the sand out of his hair, she gathered it back and tied it up again. “Can I ask you a question?” she asked.
“Yes.” He bent his leg and draped his arm across his knee so he could trace his fingers up her bare arm.
“And you’ll tell me to shut up if it’s none of my business?”
“Ask me,” he said.
She hesitated for a second. “Why did you go to jail?”
For the first time ever, Steven was nervous around a girl. He looked down at the ground.
She touched his arm. “Sorry. Forget I asked. I’m sure you don’t—”
He cut her off with a reassuring smile. “It’s OK.” He took a deep breath. “Well, my dad hasn’t been around much since I was born. When he has been around, it’s never been a good thing. He’s a mean drunk, and he takes it out on my mom.”
Her shoulders sank, but her eyes urged him to continue.
“They’ve been divorced since I was five, but she’s never been able to completely get rid of him. She let him come back home last fall. It was right around the time I met you. When I came home from the football game that night after the fight with Kurt, she had a busted lip. I tried to call the cops, but he came in yelling and pushing me. I just lost it, and I hit him.”
She frowned. “Sounds like he deserved it.”
He nodded. “Oh yeah. He did. But my mom lied and said I started it, so I went to jail.” He sighed. “I had to do thirty-two hours of community service and got a year of probation.”
“That sucks.”
“Yeah.” He smiled and slid his fingers up the side of her neck. “Now, can I ask you a question?”
She smiled. “OK.”
“What’s with the pixie hair?”
She covered her blonde head with her hands. “You don’t like it?”
He laughed and pulled her hands away. “It’s not that. I think it’s pretty badass. It’s just really different.”
“It used to be long,” she explained. “I just got tired of looking like everybody else.” She giggled and held up her fingers just millimeters apart. “And maybe I have a tiny case of ADD.”
He gripped his ponytail. “Maybe I should cut mine off.”
She laughed and got up on her knees in front of him. She slid her hands back across his head. “Then you’d be like everybody else.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Like David Britton?”
She sat back on her feet. “What about David?” Her tone was a little defensive.
“What’s going on with the two of you?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Nothing. We’re friends.”
“I’ve seen the way he looks at you. He’s definitely got more than just friendship on his mind,” he said.
She leaned up over him again. “Do I detect a hint of jealousy in your voice already, Mr. Drake?” She grinned down at him. “Isn’t it a little early to be getting territorial?”
He slid his hand along the hipbone that had been peaking out over her jeans all night. “I don’t think so.”
&
nbsp; Her face went from playful to serious with a blink. “Really?”
“I like you.” He hooked his arm around her waist and lowered his voice. “I like you a lot.”
She bent and kissed him, hard on the mouth. It came more natural for her the second time, and he opened his mouth a bit and felt her tongue. Then, as quickly as she kissed him, she released him and sat back again. She laughed and stood up.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“I’ve got to go home.”
He groaned and looked at his watch. She was right. Somehow an hour had passed in a flash. He pushed himself up off the ground and followed her back to their cars. When they got to her door, he closed the space between them, cornering her against it. “When can I see you again?”
She hooked her finger between two buttons on his shirt. “I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”
· · ·
David hadn’t seen Journey outside of school in the two weeks since prom, and his suspicions as to why were confirmed on Monday afternoon when Steven Drake’s car showed up in the parking lot after school. He joined Kara and Justin in the courtyard as he watched Journey jog down the sidewalk and get in the passenger’s seat. David stuffed his hands in his pockets. “So, she’s officially dating him now?” he asked.
Kara gave a non-committal shrug. “I’m not sure what they’re doing. I know they went to the movies over the weekend. She hasn’t told you anything?”
He shook his head. “No. She’s hardly talked to me at all.”
Justin narrowed his eyes. “I’m a little confused. Have you ever actually asked her out?”
Kara looked at him and answered before David could. “No.”
Justin chuckled. “Then what are you so upset about?”
David wasn’t sure why he was so upset other than none of what was happening was what he wanted. How in the hell had Steven Drake ruined everything so quickly?
He kicked the grass with the toe of his sneaker. “Maybe it’s time for me to give up.”
Kara laughed and shoved him in the shoulder. “I’m not sure when you started anything to give up!”
David threw his arms into the air. “I asked her to prom. We stayed up all night together watching movies at the lake. I even freaking kissed her! How much more obvious could I be?”