Senior Week Fling

by Maggie Dallen

  “But what I’m dying to know is, when did it happen? Why were you guys keeping it a secret?” Tyler asked.

  “Umm...”

  “And how did it happen?” Madison asked. “I want all the gushy details.”

  “Um. Well...” Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap.

  As if sensing my mini panic attack, Adam came swooping in to the rescue. Again. If I didn’t know better I would say Adam had a serious hero complex. And apparently I had been cast in the role of the damsel in distress.

  “What are you ladies whispering about up here?” Adam said, coming up beside me and wrapping an arm around my waist.

  My two gossip girls adeptly changed the topic and I was off the hook. For the moment at least.

  A little while later we were munching on cotton candy and joined a group of kids we were were friendly with at school. They were playing a game that involved throwing a ball into a rotating jug and were handing money over to the man behind the counter hand over fist in an attempt to beat each other.

  Adam and Mark were pulled into the competition and I found myself in the center of a circle of girls. Uh oh. I felt distinctly like prey. I could sense they were just waiting for an opening to make their move and I had never been happier for Victoria’s ability to lead a conversation. Any time talk turned to romance or to me and Adam, Victoria adeptly swept in with a diversion.

  A roar erupted from our friends at the game and I turned to see Adam triumphantly waving an ugly bear over his head.

  “Looks like your boyfriend won,” one of the girls said to me.

  “Looks that way,” I laughed.

  Much to everyone’s delight, Adam bounded over to me and presented me with the bear before pulling me in for a kiss.

  I kid you not, I could actually hear the happy sighs from the girls around me. Adam really knew how to work a crowd.

  He also really knew how to kiss. For a moment there I actually forgot about the crowd around us and let myself enjoy the feel of his lips on mine.

  No wonder he was so popular with the ladies. The guy had moves.

  He pulled back and rested his forehead against mine. “So sweetheart, what are you going to name him?”

  My brain felt fuzzy and muddled. What was wrong with me? Had it really been that long since I’d been properly kissed that I was actually getting weak-kneed over Adam, of all people?

  “Baby?” Adam prompted.

  It felt weirder than weird to hear the words “sweetheart” and “baby” rolling off Adam’s tongue as though it was the most natural thing in the world.

  “I don’t know... pumpkin,” I said. He gave a little snort of amusement at my endearment.

  I looked down at the grungy, cheap stuffed animal in my hands. “How much did you spend on this little treasure?” I asked.

  “Don’t you worry your pretty little head about it,” Adam teased. “Nothing is too good for my little princess.”

  I couldn’t help but snicker at that one. I lowered my voice, “Don’t you think you’re overdoing it just a bit?”

  “Oh please. They love it,” he said. I glanced around and saw we were still very much the center of attention. It looked like Adam was right. With the exception of Lindsay, it seemed like our classmates loved the idea that we were a couple.

  Adam released me from the hug but took my hand in his as we led the group toward the rides. We passed classmates left and right as we walked and it was rather amusing seeing the way their eyes would inevitably hone in on our intertwined hands.

  If anyone had missed our little spectacle at the party the night before, they were sure to know about the new couple now.

  Every once in a while Adam would pull me up against him and plant a kiss on my nose, my cheek, the top of my head.

  “Is all this PDA really necessary?” I asked.

  “We have to keep up appearances,” he said. I had the distinct impression that Adam was enjoying the act. He seemed to get a kick from trying to fool our fellow classmates.

  “I’m glad you’re having fun,” I said.

  Adam leaned over to whisper in my ear. “Are you telling me you’re not having fun? Just a little bit?”

  I bit my lip to hold back a laugh. “Maybe just a little.”

  * * *

  “Aaagh!” I could hear Victoria shrieking behind me as the roller coaster plunged down a nearly vertical drop. I knew without having to look that she had Adam’s hand in a vice grip. That was why I refused to ride with her this time. My arm was black and blue from the last ride.

  Mark, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. He leaned back in his seat, perfectly at ease. I glanced over at one point, when we were upside down, six stories in the air and I swear he looked downright bored. Adam and I, on the other hand, fell somewhere in between Victoria’s terror and Mark’s nonchalance. We weren’t scared on rides, just exhilarated.

  “Let’s do it again!” Adam yelled when the ride came to a stop. Mark and I laughed as we helped pull a pale Victoria from her seat.

  “I need a break from the rides,” she said, her voice practically a whisper. “That one was too much for me.” Mark half carried her down the stairs to a bench where she collapsed gratefully.

  “You two stay here,” Adam said. “Eve and I will go get us some ice cream shakes.”

  “Um….just water for me,” Victoria said, patting her stomach. “I don’t want to take my chances.”

  “Got it. One water, three shakes,” I said. Victoria was leaning against Mark, her head falling pitifully against his chest.

  “Will you two be all right?” I asked.

  “We’ll be fine,” Mark said as he carefully petted Victoria’s perfectly highlighted hair in an attempt to be comforting.

  “Poor V,” Adam sighed as we walked away. “I hope she’ll be okay.”

  “She’ll be fine,” I said. “This happened last year, remember? She just needs a time out.”

  Adam’s face lit up. “Maybe we should go to the arcade for a while!”

  “You really think you’re up for another beating?” I taunted. “You might want to rethink that.”

  “Oh, you think you’re hot stuff, don’t you?” he laughed. “I’ll have you know that I let you win our little battle last summer.”

  “Oh really?” I laughed. We both knew that I was the champion of the arcade. Always had been, always would be.

  “Yeah,” he teased. “I was feeling all bad for you, what with you being all mopey about what’s-his-name and all.”

  I rolled my eyes. What’s-his-name was what Adam had called Ryan ever since he split town.

  “Suure,” I drawled. “You just keep telling yourself that, Adam.”

  We passed by the haunted castle on our way to the arcade.

  “What do you think?” Adam said, giving me a little nudge. “Is this the year you finally conquer your fear?”

  I had upped the pace because I hated to even look at the castle, let alone hear the shrieks and screams from soundtrack that blared from speakers overhead. I had gone into the castle once when we were ten years old and ran out screaming in terror. I had stubbornly refused to step foot inside ever since.

  It was more than a little embarrassing that I was still terrified of a haunted house so of course I never admitted to it.

  “Shut up,” I muttered which caused him to laugh a little too hard. I pulled him along by the hand until we were a safe distance away and the much more pleasant sounds of the arcade drowned out the screams of horror.

  “Let’s go, princess. I’ve got some butt to kick,” I said.

  A little while later, our hands full of snacks and arcade tickets, we made our way back through the crowd to the flashing lights of the rides. Mark and Victoria hadn’t moved from the bench where we’d left them but they were no longer alone.

  “Who is that?” I asked. “Who are they talking to?”

  “You really need to wear your contacts,” Adam admonished.

  “They were hurting me,” I said. “Too much sand
and saltwater.”

  “Then wear your glasses,” he nagged.

  “They’re ugly.” I sounded like a petulant child and I knew it.

  “I think they look cute on you,” he said.

  Before I could argue further, Adam stopped me. “It’s Ryan.”

  I stopped in my tracks and was ready to do an about face and run in the opposite direction but Adam’s firm grip on my hand kept me in place.

  “Too late,” he said. “They saw us.”

  He gave my hand a squeeze. “You can do this. I’ll be right here by your side.”

  I meant to say thank you but I was transfixed, caught in Ryan’s stare like a deer in headlights. The best I could manage was a hand squeeze in return.

  Lindsay, of course, was right by Ryan’s side but she looked ecstatic to see us. “Hey guys!” Her ability to turn on the charm was amazing to witness. If you didn’t know better, one could easily believe that Lindsay and I were long lost buds.

  But I knew better.

  My smile was brilliant and far more wary. “Hey,” I said.

  “What’s up guys?” Adam said.

  I saw Lindsay’s eyes drop to our hands but she didn’t linger and if she was pissed, it was impossible to tell. I, on the other hand, couldn’t tear my eyes away from Lindsay’s small, perfectly manicured hand on Ryan’s arm. She was sort of wrapped around his arm in a more-than-friendly way.

  She wouldn’t. Wait, yes of course she would.

  He wouldn’t.

  But who was I kidding? He wasn’t mine anymore. I had no dibs on him and no say in who he moved on to. And as for Lindsay? As far as she knew, I had just stolen her man right out from underneath her. Lindsay was old-school in an Old Testament kind of way—an eye for an eye and all that.

  “Nice bear you got there,” Ryan said. He was looking at the ugly excuse for a bear that I was still toting around. I shifted uncomfortably and shoved the bear into my bag.

  “Thanks, man. I won it for her,” Adam said.

  I wanted to kick him at that moment. I knew every one of Ryan’s smiles and the smirk he shot me at that moment said loud and clear that he thought the bear was lame and that I was a child for carrying it around.

  “Aw, that’s so sweet!” Lindsay cooed. And the Academy Award goes to...

  She pouted up at Ryan. “How come you haven’t won me anything?”

  Ryan gave her an all-too-familiar smile of a shared joke. At that moment I wanted to punch something. Hard. Preferably Lindsay’s pretty, perfect face.

  The worst part was, they looked like the perfect couple. True to her chameleon form, Lindsay had flawlessly transformed herself into the picture of an emo hipster.

  How could he not see that it was an act? How could he not see that she wasn’t genuine?

  I felt Adam’s arm snake around my waist.

  Ryan’s eyes were mocking me and I felt like a fool for going along with this whole act. The only person that mattered if I fooled or not was Ryan and there was no way he would buy it. He knew me too well. He’d always been able to see right through me. I found myself inching away from Adam. Who was I trying to kid? Ryan of all people would never fall for this.

  I was dimly aware that Adam was regaling the new uber-cool couple with the highlights of our night. “That’s right, folks, our little Evie here is the grand champion of mini-golf,” he was saying. “However, we just battled it out on Dance Revolution at the arcade and Eve didn’t stand a chance.”

  Oh my God. Was Adam trying to embarrass me? Was this some sort of evil payback?

  Lindsay, Mark, and Victoria were cracking up. Ryan was listening with a tolerant smile, another one I’d seen way too many times.

  It was a smile that said “You’re so young and cute. Immature and ridiculous, but cute.” It was the kind of smile you gave your friend’s pesky little brother.

  Stop talking, I silently screamed. Please, for the love of God, just stop talking.

  Maybe I had actually succeeded in communicating with Adam telepathically. Or maybe he just finally came to the end of his story. Either way, he finally stopped talking long enough for Ryan to ask us if we were coming to his show the next night.

  “Of course!” Adam said. “We wouldn’t miss it. Right, babe?”

  He turned to me with a smile.

  “Sure,” I said, trying to sound bored by the whole thing.

  “Great, we’ll see you guys there,” Lindsay said. Then she slipped her hand into Ryan’s and led him off toward another group of seniors.

  Chapter Thirteen

  There was a deafening silence after they left.

  Then Victoria said, “Listen guys, I’m sorry to be a party pooper but I think I need to head home.” She patted her stomach. “I think my body has taken all the abuse it can handle for one day.”

  “I’ll walk you back,” Mark said.

  Adam and I watched them walk away.

  I waited for him to say something, to say anything. Adam almost always had something to say. He headed toward the beach and I tagged along behind him.

  It wasn’t until we reached the water’s edge that Adam finally turned around to talk to me.

  “Who was that back there?”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “I mean what happened to you? We were having a great night and then Ryan comes along and what... you’re embarrassed to be seen with your friends?”

  “No, of course not,” I protested.

  “Well that’s how it looked,” he said.

  “Well why were you telling him all that stuff? You made me sound ridiculous.”

  “Why? Because you were having fun? Or because you were having fun with me?” he asked.

  “I just don’t get it, Eve. I don’t get why you’re so hung up on him.”

  “That’s because you’ve never been in love,” I said. “You wouldn’t understand.”

  “What you had with him wasn’t love,” Adam snapped. “It was infatuation.”

  I could feel heat rush to my cheeks as anger coursed through me. “Don’t you tell me how I feel—how I felt,” I amended. But it was too late, he’d caught my slip.

  He stopped pacing and turned to face me. “What are you saying? Are you still in love with him?”

  My mouth opened but no words came out.

  “I don’t believe it.” Adam groaned.

  “I didn’t say that,” I said. “Don’t put words in my mouth.”

  “I don’t believe you’re doing this again,” he practically shouted.

  Adam started pacing along the water’s edge and I could only watch, I couldn’t remember ever seeing him this angry. And certainly never with me.

  “You know, I was glad when he left,” Adam said. “I hated seeing you hurt but I honestly thought it was for the best.”

  “You never even gave him a chance. You never got to know him,” I said. “Just because you didn’t like him doesn’t mean what we had wasn’t real. Besides, how do you think I feel, I never like your girlfriends, but you don’t hear me judging you for being with them.”

  Adam shot me a look of disbelief. “You’re joking, right? You do nothing but judge the girls I date—and me for dating them.”

  I’d never seen Adam so angry and I could feel myself getting more and more defensive in response. “Oh, please. Are you really going to stand here and defend girls like Ashley to me?”

  “What’s wrong with Ashley?” Adam demanded. “She’s pretty, she’s funny...”

  I rolled my eyes at that one.

  “And she’s nice,” he shouted.

  I gaped at the accusatory tone. “What, so now I’m not nice?”

  Adam shook his head in frustration. “Not when it comes to the girls I date. No, you’re not nice.”

  I was really starting to hate the way he said that word.

  “You judge these girls without even getting to know them. You never do that with anyone else. And you’d hate it if anyone ever judged you like that.”

  “I don�
�t—” I started to protest.

  But Adam cut me off before I could get any further.

  “How well did you get to know Ashley before you decided she wasn’t worth your time or respect?” he demanded.

  That’s when it dawned on me. Maybe he really had liked Ashley. Maybe he was angry that I’d come between them...

  The thought made my insides twist like a dirty wet rag.

  “Is that what this is about?” I asked. “Are you pissed because this little ruse of ours is keeping you from being with Ashley?”

  I spit her name out like it was poison.

  Adam dropped his head into his hands. “You just don’t get it, do you?” he asked.

  “This isn’t about Ashley.”

  “Is it about Lindsay? Are you going to tell me now that I judged her too quickly too?” I asked, my voice dripping with so much cold sarcasm it was barely recognizable.

  “Oh no, you were right to be angry with Lindsay for the way she treated you in junior high,” Adam said. “But that was five years ago! I’m not saying Lindsay is the nicest person in the world and I know the way she’s been treating you since we broke up has been horrible but—”

  “But?!” I yelled.

  “But you never gave her a second chance,” Adam said. “She’s not perfect. She knows that. But she wanted to be friends with you again. She wanted a second chance. But you had already judged her for something she did when she was young and immature and you refused to let it go.”

  It hurt more than I could have imagined to hear him sticking up for Lindsay. And to hear him criticizing me. A little part of me recognized the truth in what he was saying but I was too defensive and angry to admit it—not even to myself.

  Instead I mocked.

  “Please stop making Lindsay out to be some poor innocent victim,” I said. “She only tried to be friends with me because of you.”

  “Yes, that’s true,” Adam said.

  I was stunned for a moment that he conceded that much.

  “She tried to be friends with you because I asked her to,” he added. “And she swallowed her pride and did her best to make up for her past behavior because she knew how much it meant to me.”

  Despite my anger, I had no response for that. I had never thought of it like that and the new twist on Lindsay’s motives gave me pause.