by Kylie Key
But an hour would be too late. Way too late.
Because I’d broken my promise.
To a little girl, and her adorable big sister.
CHAPTER 14
I asked my friends if anyone wanted to go for ice cream with me and Hayley. There was an ulterior motive, of course; I didn’t want to drive. I was having physical therapy on my hand, but granted, the exercises were pretty basic. I had to squeeze a soft rubber ball and flex my wrist and extend my fingers. I still wore the brace, but I could shower and bathe without it now.
I told the girls how Cole Parsons had let Hayley down, not following through on his ice cream bet. They groaned in sympathy, Trieste especially, who had only said nice things about him since the first walk.
“Is that the kid who was in the walking squad?” Ethan piped up from the middle of the table, “Up in the front group?”
“Yep,” Trieste answered. “He genuinely seemed like a nice guy.”
“He’s a top soccer player,” Ethan said, “I heard he got into the academy program.” I had no idea what that was. Ethan clarified, “He’s one of the best players in the state in his age group and has been picked up by a professional team. Even Javi Lopez didn’t make it.” Javi was, apparently, our school’s top player.
“Oh, maybe he had to go to training or something,” Dominique said.
“His girlfriend picked him up,” I reminded them, and there was a collective subdued murmur.
“Well, it sounds like you should congratulate him,” Domi said, “That’s a huge achievement. Like humungous.”
Dominique’s ability to look on the positive was astounding. Although her knee reconstruction had gone well, it was still early days in terms of resuming her gymnastics career. Her plan was to be ready to compete in her sophomore year, and in the meantime had revealed that she had applied to the college’s nursing program.
I’d been so quick to condemn Cole, not giving him a chance to explain, jumping to conclusions. And what did being angry at him achieve? Nothing. Sure, Hayley had been disappointed, but she was resilient and she’d moved on. And if Cole had been awarded a place in the academy, then he should be congratulated.
Domi said we would walk down to Mooki’s to pick up Malachi, who was working a longer shift. It added an extra three or so miles to our walk, which made me inwardly grumble. I’d definitely need a coffee when we got there.
Trieste came to the rescue and said she’d meet us there. Then she could give us a ride home if we needed it.
“When are you going to start driving again, Selina?”
“Can’t till my brace is off. Another two weeks, maybe.” The physical therapist had said a week, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
“Bet you can’t wait.”
“Though I might wait until after the marathon. That way I’ll be sure to keep up my training.”
The girls smiled, nobody suspecting my real anxiety.
Mooki’s was bustling when we got there. Word had spread that the cupcakes they sold were by The Caped Caker, a YouTube star who baked in a mask and cape. He was a sort of cult figure among young and old alike, and although I wasn’t a fan, his videos were funny and his cupcakes delicious. Felix and Malachi denied knowing The Caped Caker’s true identity, it was a closely guarded secret.
With new customers coming in, we didn’t always get our regular table. Today was one of those days. I groaned as I spotted a bunch of Hillcrest Prep kids in their burgundy blazers and striped ties sitting at our spot. Seemed they were now encroaching in our hang out. That made me laugh—imagine telling Cole Parsons that.
I stood at the counter, choosing a cupcake, debating whether to buy one for Cole. Or should I sarcastically offer to take him out for ice cream to celebrate his news? But that would just be spiteful. I was better than that. I bought him a berry crumble cupcake. If I changed my mind, I could eat it myself later.
“Hey, hello.” I turned to see Kaedie, hair in a low ponytail, wearing a white blouse, loosened tie and short pleated skirt. Surely that length wasn’t allowed at a prep school.
“Oh, hi,” I mumbled, wondering if I was that recognizable. Last time she saw me I was in pajamas, and now I felt just as self conscious in my activewear and sneakers. Since walking to school my clothes style had slipped considerably, I hadn’t worn a dress or skirt for weeks—they kind of looked nerdy with sneakers.
“You’re Cole’s neighbor.” She stated it so loudly that Domi came and stood next to me.
I nodded, turning to the cashier to give my hazelnut latte order.
“What’s your name?” she asked. Her eyebrows were perfectly symmetrical.
I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. “Selina,” I said, but then wished I hadn’t. She was probably intending to humiliate me by name.
“Selina, I’m Kaedie,” she said. “I owe you an apology.”
My eyelashes fluttered out of control. Dominique had rested her hand on my shoulder and was leaning on me. I waited for her punchline—a sarcastic remark about public school dress code, or a joke about bunny rabbit slippers.
"I kidnapped Cole yesterday." She put her hands up and made air quote signals. "He got accepted into the soccer academy and we wanted to have a party for him. I took his phone off of him. I didn't know he'd made plans with you."
I found myself holding my breath, stunned, embarrassed. Cole had been telling the truth.
"Well, it wasn't really me," I stuttered, "it was with my sister, my little sister."
"Well, I'm really sorry. Brody brought him home and said he was pretty upset." She sounded genuinely remorseful.
I was speechless, my lips twitching at how harsh I'd been to Cole. Wow, a cupcake wasn't going to cut it in the apology stakes.
"So, he really got accepted into the academy?" Dominique asked, "One of our friends heard he had."
"Yes, but he didn't tell anyone, only Brody. And his Mom. He's gone to a meeting today, to go over the contract."
"That's amazing," Domi said.
"It is," Kaedie agreed. "I'm super proud of him." I was too, but it probably didn't count for much. "He's worked really hard lately. And he wanted this so bad." My heart sank. I realized I knew nothing about Cole, and she knew everything. "Getting him to train for the charity walk was just what he needed." She laughed. "He's bleeding us all for money."
"So, his fundraising is going well?" Domi asked.
"Yeah. Our whole class has sponsored him. Been forced to sponsor him." She laughed again. No wonder he dated her. She was beautiful and fun and not bitter or twisted and I could guarantee she didn't freak out about driving.
"That's awesome," Dominique said.
"Hey, Stella." Kaedie turned and beckoned to the table. A girl with long, straight black hair came scuttling over, her skirt as short as Kaedie's. "Hey, what's Cole's fundraising total at?" She turned back to us, "Stella's helping him with the money."
"Uh huh," Stella smiled at us, "I'm his secretary.” She giggled. “And his accountant.” She looked through her phone. “It’s up to $4000 now. $4,240 to be precise.”
Domi and I gasped. And stared at each other. Four thousand dollars! I’d raised $100 from my grandparents and the Wilsons across the road, and thought I was doing well.
Kaedie and Stella told us how he had asked his classmates to organize different events. Some of them had done a bake sale, some girls had charged for manicures, others had pledged their weekly coffee allowance. “And now that he’s in the academy, his soccer boys will be owing him big time!” Stella said.
Dominique went out the back to get Malachi. He preferred to work in the kitchen, though he was starting a barista course. He’d been having laser treatment to remove his spider web tattoo, but it was a slow process that would take many months. He truly was very shy and unassuming.
Dominique introduced him to Kaedie, Stella and the other girls at the table. Everyone was so nice and polite, some of them opening their purses and donating directly to Malachi. It was one of those heart stoppin
g moments; Malachi was always overwhelmed when people were so generous.
I felt bad that I had judged Hillcrest kids by their school, their uniform, the cars they drove, and as much as I didn’t want to like Kaedie, I couldn’t. She, unfortunately, was the perfect girlfriend for Cole.
THE BERRY CUPCAKE SEEMED inadequate, well it was pathetic, because now it was being offered both as a congratulatory offering, and an apology for accusing him of lying. I was a terrible person.
I sat in the kitchen doing my homework. That way I’d be able to hear his car come home. My ears were on high alert and every time I heard a car engine, my heart jumped. But Mom came home, Dad came home, Millie came home, Millie went out, Millie came home.
There was no sign of Cole.
I hadn’t wanted to text—it was too impersonal, I needed to see him face to face, but in desperation, I sent: Hi Cole, can you please text me when you get a moment. I need to talk to you. Selina :)
My phone rang before I could put it on the table, his name flashing on the screen, causing palpitations.
Nervously I answered, "Hello?"
"Selina? Is everything all right?"
"Yes, well, yes, everything's fine," I said, "But I was worried about you. I've been waiting for you to come home and it's getting late and I wanted to say sorry about last night. Your girlfriend told me what happened, and I'm sorry I didn't believe you."
There was a brief pause and I was sure he was going to blast me for the way I'd attacked him, but he said, "My girlfriend?"
"Kaedie. We saw her at the cafe and she explained what happened, so I'm really, really sorry for not believing you. I guess I was mad at you for letting Hayley down, but I can see it wasn't your fault. And she told us your news about being selected for the soccer academy, but Ethan, he had already heard about it-"
"Selina? Stop talking," he said, making my body go into a sort of paralysis—heart stopped beating, lungs stopped breathing, tongue stopped jabbering. I waited for him to slam me, to tell me to stay out of his life, to mind my own business. But he lowered his voice to not much more than a whisper. "I'm with my Dad," he said, "he flew in, so Ryan and I are with him for the night. I'll be back tomorrow. I'll see you then."
Like a flicked switch, my body rebooted. "Okay," I breathed.
"And tell Hayley we'll do ice cream, but it might have to be on Saturday."
"Okay."
"Okay." I could hear him smile.
"Oh, I bought you a cupcake." The maniac was back. "A berry cupcake. To congratulate you on your academy selection. But it'll be stale by tomorrow."
He laughed. "You didn't have to. But thank you, and you should eat it, don't waste it."
"I'll give it to Charlie then."
"You do that. Goodnight Selina."
"Goodnight Cole."
I WAS LATE HOME FROM school the next day because Ms Cartwright from the Wellbeing and Yoga Club wanted to talk to me. She had an idea to hold some lunch time yoga classes as a way to raise funds for the marathon, and wondered if I could help to arrange it. I jumped at the chance. I was able to do some yoga now, but nothing that put weight onto my wrist. Ms Cartwright had roped several girls into organizing it, so we brainstormed together and made a list. I said I'd recruit Trieste to design us a poster. Ms Cartwright wondered if Malachi would be willing to come to the Club's next meeting, and tell his story. She thought it would be a good fit, a shining example of how adversity could be turned into positivity for someone's wellbeing. I was unsure if Malachi would agree to this, being as shy as he was, but I promised to ask.
As I sauntered up the driveway after my walk home, I didn't see Cole's car, so when I went inside and found him sitting next to Hayley at the kitchen table, my eyes popped. The two of them were shoveling spoons into a large tub of ice cream.
He looked up with a sheepish grin, his tongue reaching to the corners of his mouth as he licked the chocolate from his lips. Gah...that was mesmerizing.
Hayley's smile exceeded her face—eating ice cream straight from the tub was a definite no-no in our house. Yet Mom was standing a few feet away, apparently not opposed to this behavior.
Then I saw the spoon in her hand, and the slight trace of chocolate on her own lips. Mom hadn't only approved, she'd partaken.
"Uh, what's going on here?" I asked, dropping my backpack to the floor.
Hayley giggled. "Look, Sleena, it's all mine." She pushed the tub towards me. "Want some?"
"That's a silly question," I said, sitting across from her at the table. "I hope you're not going to eat that whole tub."
"It's Cole's favorite," she said. "Chocolate cookie dough."
"Oh." Another thing I didn't know about him. Mom handed me a spoon and it felt quite indulgent to dive straight in.
"It's my favorite," Hayley said, taking another spoonful.
"What!" I said, "Your favorite is rocky road."
"Not now. This is my new favorite," she said adamantly, while she looked up at Cole, doe-eyed, a cheeky smile on her face. He winked at her and they knuckle bumped like they were besties. It was the cutest thing, seeing my little sister and the future soccer star happily eating ice cream together.
"Okay, it is pretty good," I conceded, the creamy flavor sliding down my throat. Cole and I reached into the tub at the same time, but it felt like more than our spoons colliding—it was a magnetic force pulling us together, the world spinning on its axis, an instant where the stars in the universe sparked and exploded, and Cole Parsons and I were at the center of it.
"Selina?" I could hear Mom's voice like an echo, calling me from far away, "Selina?" Then her hand on my shoulder.
I popped back into reality. "What?"
"You're dripping ice cream everywhere." She nudged me to the side as she wiped down the table with a cloth.
"Oh." I jumped up, my heart pumping furiously, but none of the blood seemed to be getting to my brain. It was like I was trying to find my way out of a fog, trying to find clarity.
"Are you okay?" Cole asked, his eyes drilling mine, seeming to search into the depths of my soul.
Okay? No I was not okay. I was very, very far from okay.
I raced over to the kitchen sink, dropping my spoon into it.
"She's got brain freeze!" I heard Hayley say, followed by a titter.
Mom's hand tousled my hair. "You'll be all right in a minute, love,” she said with amusement. I nodded, as I steadied myself. I'd turn around and everything would be normal again. I'd turn around and see my sister eating ice cream from the tub with the boy next door.
After a slow, deep inhale, I swung around, a smile plastered on my face. “I’m good!” I declared. “Too much ice cream!” I kept my eyes on Hayley, scared to look further.
I couldn’t look at Cole.
I just couldn’t.
Because if I did
If I looked at his face
I’d know that I was
falling
in
love.
CHAPTER 15
I went to Trieste’s house everyday after school to work on the yoga posters. It wasn’t necessary; I was absolutely no help to her. But I didn't want to be home any earlier than was necessary, didn't want to be in such close proximity to Cole, didn't want to see the silver Mercedes coming up the driveway. Didn't want to be tempted by someone who was already taken.
And it worked. Since the ice cream incident I managed to not catch one glimpse of him for the rest of the week.
George had changed his tune on him, now singing his praises, his achievement in coaching Hayley second only to man conquering Everest. I also understood the less than subtle hints about my own college applications and majors. With Dominique, Ella and Trieste having decided their future paths as nursing, music and graphic design, I was seemingly at a standstill. For four years I'd been waiting and planning for this moment, yet now that it was upon me, I was floundering. I hadn't discovered any passion or talent or special ability. There was little comfort in knowing that Ainsley w
as also undecided, because she knew that dance was going to be her profession, she just wasn't sure how she was going to make it happen.
For once Hayley was excited for her tee-ball game, dressed and ready to go without Mom or Dad nagging at her. She'd practised three hits everyday and her confidence was high. So was mine. I was sure she would be a star.
And she didn't disappoint. As usual, she placed herself at the end of the batting line, but when it came to her turn, I saw her stride up, grab the bat, check her grip, count her footsteps and watch the ball. Not a glance over to us. And with a shoulder to shoulder swing, she blasted the ball off of the tee to the surprise of her coach and teammates.
We cheered as she ran, all the way home, the furtherest she'd ever been, and putting her team in the lead. As our applause stopped, there was still a loud clap coming from behind us. Looking behind, my heart almost stopped as Cole and Ryan stood there.
Hayley hit the ball in every innings, taking the team to their first win. She was given the Player of the Day certificate and treated like a champion.
"This calls for triple scoop ice creams today," Dad said. I blinked in amazement at his generosity. George never let us have more than a double scoop and we were never allowed chocolate dipped, either. "If you want chocolate all over it, choose the chocolate flavor," he was fond of saying.
"Uh, Mr Brown?" Cole stepped forward. "I promised I'd take Hayley and Selina for ice cream." Now Dad looked stunned. Probably I did too. He had bought Hayley ice cream earlier in the week, and now he was offering to take us out? "Please. I don't want to break my promise."
He winked at me, causing a near on heart attack. With Hayley jumping up and down in glee, Dad relented, and we did a swap, with Mom and Dad taking Ryan and Charlie, and Hayley and me going with Cole. My hard work of avoidance was snubbed out in a flash, and not only that, our proximity was less than five feet as he helped me step up into the passenger seat.
I was going to make a fool of myself, that much was certain. I'd trip, I'd fall, drip ice cream on my shoe or nose, the possibilities were endless.