“Hi,” says Trevor. “I’m competing. Like, today, I’m going to swim.”
“Tickets and ID, please.”
I pause, because I don’t have a ticket. Suddenly I’m worried that I should have one and it’s going to be really embarrassing to admit that I don’t. Thankfully, Trev’s dad steps forward and slides a piece of paper into the slot in the plastic.
After we produce our student IDs, the disappointed pool employee hands Trev’s dad a bunch of tickets and we walk inside. The room smells like chlorine. People are rushing about everywhere, buying snacks, heading to their seats, taking photos. The whole place is buzzing.
“This is it,” says Trevor. Behind him is a long hallway. A bunch of guys carrying duffel bags are walking down it toward a set of navy double doors. I assume it’s the professional version of the sign-in area from the school swim meet.
“We’ll scream super loud,” says Juliet.
“Go crush them,” I say.
“Thanks, you guys.”
Natalie leaps into his arms, pressing her body hard against him, and places a kiss on his open lips. Donnie makes a show of looking away, but he’s smiling.
“You can do this, babe.”
“Thanks, babe.”
Juliet and I glance at each other. She smirks but doesn’t say anything. Nat and Trev separate, then he and his dad head toward the lockers.
The rest of us go in the opposite direction, up to the bleachers. Our assigned seats are in the very back row, giving us a freaking fantastic view of the entire pool. The tiles are sky blue and the water is clear. Above the pool are triangular red and yellow streamers. In the very corner of the room is a large screen that shows a bigger version of the events happening in front of me. It cuts to commentators, one male and one female, who are sitting in a booth. I had no idea this was televised, and for some reason that makes it seem so much bigger and therefore scarier. The stadium is already almost full, which really adds to the intensity level. I don’t know what I was expecting, but this is obviously a huge frigging deal, and it feels kind of weird that someone I know is such a big part of it.
A horn blares, and a bunch of muscular girls in one-piece bathing suits step up to the starting blocks. A few of them swing their arms, others fiddle with their goggles or swimming caps.
“He’s already got a good time,” says Natalie, more to herself than to anyone else. “He doesn’t need to win. He just needs a good time.”
Juliet places her hand on Natalie’s thigh. “He will win, though, right?”
“I hope so.”
A horn blares and the girls dive into the pool. They slide into the water making only tiny ripples. I scratch my chest, remembering how red it was after I dived in during the school’s swim meet.
“My boyfriend is out there,” says Natalie. “He could be a star by the end of the night. He’ll be on TV and everything. It feels like he’s doing what he was made to do, you know? Living his destiny.”
“Lucky him,” I say.
“You’ll get there one day, Caden. I can tell. You have a destiny.”
I look out at all the faces in the crowd. How many of them have accepted that they can’t have everything they want? Not many, I’d guess. “The problem is that everyone feels that way.”
Natalie purses her lips.
Juliet is staring out at the pool. “It’s so weird,” she says. “This whole world exists and I wouldn’t even know about it if I didn’t know Trevor. It’s like the world is full of all these little worlds that only matter to some people. It’s kinda nice, but kinda exclusive in a bad way. I’m not sure how much I like it.”
“You’re getting a bit existential, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, watching one of my oldest friends live his biggest, craziest dream is having that effect on me. People always forget but, of our group, Trev and I have known each other the longest. You and Natalie came later. Trev’s been the most stable person in my whole life. And I’m so damn proud of him.” She leans closer to me, her voice almost a shout so that I can hear it over the sound of the crowd. “Hey, I want to tell you about something.”
“What is it?”
“So, Dyl is having a party at his place to celebrate the end of the semester. And he doesn’t want you to come.”
“I can’t say I’m shocked.”
“Well, screw him. I’m inviting you. I want you to come to the party with me.”
The speed of my heartbeat doubles and my stomach clenches.
“Really?”
The lights of the stadium make her dark hair shine. Her eyes don’t leave mine. “Really. I want you there with me.”
Is three dates enough for the LIC? Are they preparing the Stalker right now?
“Then I’ll be there.”
After about two hours, Natalie leaps to her feet and screams. “Oh my God!” she says, looking at Juliet. “He’s there! He’s there!”
She points down at the pool. A line of eerily similar-looking guys walk out to the pool. Trevor is third from the right, and he’s wearing a silver warm-up suit. He unzips the jacket, then takes it off and puts it in his bag.
I count the competitors. There are eight of them. Trevor is jumping up and down, his arms slack against his body.
“This is it,” whispers Natalie. “Everything has led to this.”
A horn blares, and the boys step onto the blocks. Trev crouches.
3.
2.
1.
The horn blares again. Trevor dives forward, his arms out in front of him, his body stretched out.
“That was a good dive,” says Juliet.
“Swim, you beautiful boy!” screams Natalie.
I scream with them. In the pool, it seems like everyone is level. The crowd screams and cheers. I cup my hands to my mouth and shout Trevor’s name. The wall is coming up. Go, Trev, go! They all touch the wall. I turn to the screen to see Trevor lift his head up out of the water.
The camera is focusing on him.
“He won!” screams Natalie. “Oh my God, he broke twenty-three!”
I look at his time, which is being displayed in big white numbers on the screen: 22.89.
She tilts her head down and smiles. “My boy did it.”
We clap and cheer along with everyone else as the competitors climb out of the pool. Trevor looks up at the crowd, his dark eyes flitting from left to right. We wave, but his eyes move right by us. He obviously can’t make us out from all the faces in the crowd, but he keeps scanning, looking for us, which makes me grin.
A woman in a tight jacket and an even tighter skirt waddles up to Trevor. She waves a black microphone in front of her face as a cameraman crouches in front of them. “Congratulations,” she says. “Do you realize what just happened?”
The pair of them are on the screen, with Trevor as the focal point. On screen, he somehow looks different. His eyes are clearer and his muscles are more pronounced. His massive chest is covered in droplets of water. He looks like a bona fide superstar.
He runs his fingers through his hair, shaking off the water. “No, not really.”
The reporter clamps her hand down on his shoulder. Her fingernails dig into his muscle. Trev smiles a wide, slightly goofy smile.
“You, young man, just scored a time six-tenths of a second under the previous trials’ cutoff. So I think it’s safe to say that you, Trevor Flagg, are going to compete in the Olympic trials!”
Trev’s smile grows wider, and his eyes light up. “Wow, I mean, I can’t even … Wow. That’s huge. I did it? Oh wow, I actually did it!”
The reporter turns away. “And that, viewers, is the face of an extraordinary young man’s dreams coming true. Remember the name Trevor Flagg: he will be a champion soon!”
A dangerous feeling fills me. If Trev can achieve his biggest, craziest dream, what’s stopping me from doing the same? Why can’t I find a way to stay alive and make sure they don’t kill Dyl? I grit my teeth. These thoughts are pointless and make me hate myself for thi
nking them. I’m not Trevor. He’s free, and I’m a Love Interest. We aren’t the same. Only a moron would compare us.
“He’s done it,” says Natalie. “He’s done it.”
For some reason, her smile fades. Her teeth sink into her lips and she can’t seem to stop staring at Trevor. I go to ask her what’s wrong, but she catches me looking and shakes it off, the smile returning to her face.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-TWO
My phone vibrates, making a sound like an angry wasp. I reach out and grab it from under my pillow. It’s a text from Juliet.
Panic stations. I repeat, panic stations. Come to the park in front of the library. We’re here.
I go to type a response and my phone vibrates again.
Actually, no. Go to Trev’s place. Try to talk some sense into him.
I swing my legs over the side of my bed and sit up. I call her.
It rings twice, then she picks up. “Hello?”
“Hey, it’s Caden. What’s up?”
“Trev broke up with Natalie. She keeps saying she’s going to kill herself, and I don’t think she’s being dramatic. Actually, I need to get back to her, to make sure she doesn’t do something dumb. Talk to Trev. Fix this.”
My mouth drops open. “Ummm, oh, okay. I’ll do it. Text me his address.”
I pull on the closest clothes, a pair of black jeans and a red hoodie, then run out of the house to my truck. The idea of driving makes my hands shake, but I don’t have a choice. Using the GPS app on my phone for directions, I drive toward Trevor’s place. As I drive, I think about my approach to this situation. How do I stay in character when Trevor is doing something that’s so out of his? I can tell being a Nice in front of him is going to be almost impossible. I just don’t have it in me to do anything other than be brutally honest with a friend who is making a dense, life-ruining decision.
Once I reach the house I park and run up to the front door. It’s a small, squat building. The cream-colored walls are faded. I knock on the screen door.
Trev’s dad answers it.
He eyes me warily. “Caden, right?”
“Yeah, is Trev here? Can I speak to him?”
“He’s in the gym. I’ll show you.”
He walks me through the house to a set of glass double doors that open onto an orange-tiled patio with an old treadmill and a set of weights. Beyond the equipment is a lap pool. Trev is standing beside the weight machine holding a dumbbell. He’s wearing a navy jersey and basketball shorts. The shirt is darkened from his neck to the middle of his chest.
He raises the weight, wincing as he moves. I dig my fingernails into my palms.
“Hey, Caden,” he says. “Did Nat send you?”
“Juliet, actually.”
“Figures. How’s Nat holding up?”
“Do you want me to lie?”
He passes the weight to his other hand and lifts it. “Kinda.”
“Well, I’m not going to. She’s not doing that well, man. She might even be suicidal.”
He raises the weight again.
My eyes narrow. “She was your world, man. Why did you do this? It doesn’t make any sense.”
He places the weight down on the shelf. The metal screeches.
“Love is complicated, Caden. More than anything, that’s what it is.”
“Not with you and Natalie. You’re so perfect together, everyone is jealous. Fine, I’ll say it. I was jealous of you. I want so badly to have what you had. And you just threw it away? Why?”
He finally meets my eyes. His eyes are bloodshot. “I cheated on her, man. And breaking up with her was easier than dealing. It’s hell, but it’s easier.”
It hits me like a punch to the gut, and all the energy leaves my body. I lean against the wall to stay upright. “Whoa, um, okay. What happened?”
“Did you see that reporter from last night? The hot one? She came for me in the locker room. I was so excited about everything and she made these sultry eyes at me. And then she invited me to the bathroom and she kept making those eyes at me, like I was the man I want to be eventually, but it was like I was him in that moment. Like I was already successful and famous. I think she could tell what I wanted, so she grabbed me and led me into the bathroom and she got on her knees and pulled my pants down and I … I didn’t stop her. Natalie had never done that for me; she thought it was gross. So I leaned back and closed my eyes and…”
His enormous chest heaves in a sob. He raises his hands and covers his face.
I place my hand on his shoulder. He doesn’t shake me off so I leave it there. “She might understand, man.”
He shrugs his shoulder and turns away. “I know she’ll forgive me. But that’s why it’s not fair to her, man. She doesn’t deserve to be with someone weak and scummy like me. Someone who has sex in a bathroom, where people piss on seats and take shits. I’m dirty and she’s pristine. She’s too good for me.”
Kaylee, can you help?
This is sorta out of my area of expertise, Caden.
“Don’t give up on what you have. Not yet. Talk to her.”
“I don’t know if I can bear the pain. It’ll kill me.”
I step toward him. “What you’re doing now is killing her.” There’s anger in my voice, making it deep and making it tremble. His eyes widen and he takes a step back. “Right now you have a choice. You can take some of the pain from her or you can leave her on her own with it all. It’s all up to you, Trevor. I advise you to make the correct choice, because if you don’t, you’ll have to deal with me.”
I walk back through the house. I pass Donnie, who is sitting at his computer. His watery eyes follow me as I pass.
That wasn’t very Nice, Caden.
Honestly, I don’t really care about that right now.
She gasps. I’ll pay for saying that later, I know I will, but I can’t stress about that now. I pull out my phone and stare at the contact list. It reads:
Juliet.
And then, beneath hers:
Dyl.
I want to call Dyl, but Kaylee is listening, so I press Juliet’s name. It rings twice and she picks up. “Did you talk some sense into him?”
“I tried my best.”
“Was it good enough? Did he at least explain why he broke up with her? I think that’s what’s hurting her the most, she thinks she screwed up royally in some massive way that she can’t remember.”
“It’s not something she did, it’s something he’s done. But he seemed to be in a daze. I think it’s best that he tell you himself, if he wants you to know. It’s pretty private, and I feel weird knowing it myself.”
“Fair enough. Caden, hang on, Natalie wants to talk to you.”
I hear the muffled sound of the phone being passed from one hand to another.
“Caden?” says Natalie.
“I’m here.”
She lets out a tired sigh. “Juliet, I want to talk to Caden in private. Is that okay? Caden, are you alone?”
I hear a door shut through the speaker.
I turn around. I’m on the sidewalk, surrounded by silent houses. Two blocks down, an old woman is clipping a hedge with a massive pair of shears. Other than that, the entire street looks deserted. “Yeah, I am.”
“Did you speak to Trevor?” Her voice is soft. “Did he tell you if he was going to get back together with me? Like, ever? Or are we officially done?”
“It’s not my place to say, Natalie. I’m so sorry, I don’t want to screw things up by telling you things he doesn’t want you to know. I couldn’t live with myself if I made things worse between you.”
A harsh sob sounds. “There never used to be anything he didn’t want me to know.” She laughs a harsh laugh. “I’m dead. This is it, I’m dead.”
“Natalie, don’t hurt yourself over this. He’s just a guy, and even though you love him you’ll get better in time. You’ll eat ice cream and watch movies that make you cry and then you’ll get better. Don’t you dare kill yourself over this.”
I picture her perfect eyes, her flawless skin, and impossibly white teeth. The extraordinary, almost unnatural length of her eyelashes. Her faultless model’s body.
She’s like me.
She’s a Love Interest.
I force myself to say, “Meet me at the lookout.”
* * *
Natalie is sitting upright on the lookout bench, running her fingers through her hair. Her eyes are red but her cheeks are dry.
“You’re …” I say as I step toward her.
“I’m a Love Interest,” she says. “There. Now your coach can’t get you in trouble for disclosing it. It’s not like it matters anyway. They’re probably already programming the Stalker to come for me as we speak. Hardwiring its circuits, planning the kill strike.”
Does it work like that, Kaylee?
No response comes.
I sit down beside Natalie and put my arm over her shoulders.
She nestles into my chest. Her breath is warm and it makes my shirt flutter. She smells sweet, like strawberries. “I suspected you were one as soon as Dyl appeared. You always act weird around him. When you both started courting Juliet I knew for sure. Plus, the fact that you’re both ridiculously good-looking kind of clued me in to what you really are.”
The label offends me. Does she know what I am? Does the term Love Interest define me? If she knows I’m a Love Interest, does she know everything she needs to about me?
Or am I something more?
I look down at the top of her head. “I suspected you as well, at first—when I saw your eyelashes, because they’re way too long and perfect to be natural. But you’re obviously a better actor than I am, because you fooled me. I was so sure you were in love with Trevor. It made me think I was just being paranoid.”
She pushes her head away from my chest and meets my eyes.
“I do love him. With everything I have.”
I roll my eyes. “Okay.”
The Love Interest Page 19