At halftime, I’m going crazy with impatience. The show isn’t too long. The mascot does this little dance and then Mr. Mitchell takes the mic.
“And now what you’ve all been waiting for…the crowning of this year’s Backwards King,” Mr. Mitchell announces like a professional.
The Bengal Mascot runs around all the Backwards Princes. He stops at one guy, then runs back to stand in front of Ben. Oh No. Then, goes to the other dude, circles the other guy, before stopping in front of Alex Aguilar to hand over the crown. I scream till I can’t scream anymore. Even Keesh and Steph are jumping up and down. The guys clap and whistle, but not with as much craziness as us girls. Amy’s on the field so she runs up to Alex to congratulate him. It’s cute, really.
Alex won.
Alex is the King.
After the game is over, we all crowd on the field. It takes forever, but we finally make it to Alex to congratulate him. It just so happens Ben is there as well. I didn’t realize Alex is talking to Ben again.
“Damn, Alex. You had it all figured out how to win.” Ben chuckles. “It’s genius really.”
“Can you just shut up for once?” Amy yells.
“What? Alex is brilliant. I wish I thought of it. I actually didn’t even get it till I watched both of you on stage with him,” Ben taunts.
“What the hell are you talking about now?” Alex shouts at him.
“Hmm…let’s see. Hook up with a Freshman and it’s like you’re likely to win ‘cause they have the biggest class and most of them vote. But when you’re hooking up with one and you’re in love with the other…shit, the win’s guaranteed. Nice strategy, big guy,” Ben says intently, staring down Alex and shoving him in the arm.
Wham.
Amy slaps Ben right across the face and runs away from the crowd. Eric gives me a nasty look, and takes off too.
“You’re such an asshole, Ben,” I shout in his face.
“If it’s not true, then why’s Alex still here with you and not running after his girlfriend?” Ben yells back at me. He freakin’ yells at me.
Alex lunges at him, but he moves out of the way too fast. Alex tries again, but before he can get to Ben, Steph jumps in the way.
“Alright, that’s enough, you jerk. Let’s go, Meg,” Steph says.
She puts her arm around me, and with Keesha at my other side, we walk away.
“Uggh. I can’t believe I ever actually liked Ben. He’s such an ass. I hate him. I hate him.” I‘m so frustrated I have to hold back tears.
“Meggie, don’t even trip. Let’s just find Amy and Eric and go. Who gives a shit what he says anyway?” Keesha offers.
“Hey. Wait up,” Alex calls out, running to catch up with us.
We stop to wait for him.
“Meg, I’m sorry about that. He’s just stupid sometimes. What the hell are we gonna do? Amy and Eric looked pissed,” he says, catching his breath.
I take out my phone to call Eric. I don’t see him anywhere. “Eric’s not answering.”
Alex closes his phone. “Neither is Amy.”
“Let’s just go…we’ll figure it out later,” Keesh suggests.
“You guys wanna ride? Where you goin?” Alex asks.
“We’re going to my house. We’re all supposed to stay there tonight,” I explain.
Alex drops us off at my house. Amy texts to say she went home but she won’t pick up her phone to talk. Neither does Eric.
Tomorrow, this dance is going to suck.
Keesh, Steph, and I start getting ready for bed. We’re pretty simple, so we just get into some big tees and soccer shorts, and brush our teeth. Keesh turns on the radio and sets the volume to barely audible. It’s going to be a long night. We’ll probably rehash everything, especially what Ben said. Maybe the girls can figure out a way to smooth things over with Amy and Eric. My mind wanders to Alex. He is probably thinking about the same thing.
The girls tell me to just lay low and not say anything. They remind me Amy will speak to me when she’s ready. But I don’t know about Eric. This is unchartered territory for us. We’ve never had a fight before.
I’m starting to doze off when my phone startles me. It’s a text.
“Who is it?” Keesh asks.
I flip my phone open to view it.
“It’s Alex, wants to know if I’m up,” I whisper. Steph is snoring.
“Tell him I said hi and good night,” Keesh says, as she yawns. She turns on her other side and goes back to sleep. I look at the time. It’s pretty late.
I take a look at my friends sleeping next to me and at the foot of my bed. I prop up a pillow and lean against my headboard.
I text Alex.
Yup, I’m awake.
Within seconds, I get a text back. He’s quick.
How u doin?
good…u?
ok
I type in the next one: so what up?
just wanted to say hi
I smile.
Hi.
I wait again.
g’night.
nite
dnt let the bd bugs bite
Oh my gosh, he remembers.
sweet dreams.
I smile.
merry xmas.
I giggle. I bet he’s laughing too.
I text: Happy New Year
Happy hannukah.
I laugh out loud. Steph stirs in her sleep.
thats a new one…happy kwanza.
I’m giggling like a little kid, waiting to see what’s next.
ooo good 1
I try
ur funny Meg
g thnx I do wht I can…lol
anytime
lol…thnx ill be here all week…
okay g’night
nite
say gnite to the girls 4 me
k
bye Meg
bye alex
I text this whole time with a giddy smile on my face. I’m so lucky to have such a good friend. I imagine Alex sitting on his bed smiling, thinking about me and thinking the same thing.
Chapter Twenty Five
“Hey babe,” Eric says over the phone. “So are we still meeting at your house?”
It takes me a second to register Eric’s tone as friendly. I think for a moment and decide to double check I’m hearing him correctly. “Yeah, why wouldn’t we be?”
“Uhh…uhh…I don’t know,” he stutters. “It’s just things got a little crazy last night and I just wanted to make sure.”
“Yeah, Ben’s just a jerk,” I say. “I don’t even pay attention to his bullshit anymore. He’s just a loser. Give me a break. What is he jealous or something ‘cause you and I are still together. He has Vanessa. You would think he’d just stop with the crap already. He’s just making himself look stupid. I just feel bad for Amy. I would hate for someone to say you liked someone else. Actually, I’d trust you.” I pause, giving him a chance to reply. But he doesn’t. “Hey, did you see where Amy went last night?”
“Uhh. Me. Uhh. No,” Eric mumbles. “I…I just went home. I guess I got a little sick of Ben and just needed to clear my head.”
“And? You good now?”
“Yeah…yeah, I’m alright,” he says. “Hey, I’ve gotta go get ready, so I’ll be over as soon as I’m done.”
“Okay, bye.”
I close my phone, thinking about Amy. She hasn’t answered any of my calls. Steph and Keesh suggest we get ready and head to the dance as planned. They think she’ll eventually show up either at my house or at the dance itself. I’m probably sweating over nothing, Amy welcomes drama.
By the time the guys all arrive, we’re actually ready to go. My room is a disaster, make-up and hair products are scattered all over the place. Hair spray, flat iron, curling iron, eye shadows, brushes…you name it, you can find it somewhere in here. But when the doors open, we look good. Damn good, if I do say so myself.
I love how this dance is casual. I feel so much better in jeans and a cute tee rather than a formal dress. The onl
y one of us who likes being all girlied up in heels and a gown is Amy, but she’d still look just as good today as she did at Homecoming.
We all take pictures in my backyard next to our pool. My mom thinks the pool is the perfect backdrop. We take couples pics first. Eric puts his arms around me but they may as well be cooked noodles. He drapes them on me like I’m his sister. Maybe he is still upset about last night. The rest of our friends join us for a ton of group shots, but it doesn’t seem to help. Eric still feels like a pal.
Just when I think we’re finished, I hear Amy yell, “Sorry, we’re late. Can we take a couple extra group shots?”
“Sure, get in there Amy…Alex,” my mom shouts.
They drop their stuff and run over to get in the picture. I’m happy, and relieved, to see them here. The guilt I feel about what Ben said in front of Amy—and Eric—runs deep and I don’t want to be the cause of any strain in our friendship or either one of our relationships. I just want to be happy and I want Amy to be happy as well. Even though, I can’t help but wonder if there is any truth in what Ben said.
Actually, I secretly hope there is.
I know. I’m a horrible friend. And a horrible girlfriend. But this is Alex.
My mom snaps a few more. “Now make silly faces.”
“Just look normal than Jonathan,” Keesh jokes. We all laugh. He grabs her and pretends to put her in a choke hold. “Hey, watch my hair.”
“Okay, I think I got enough,” my mom says to us with a chuckle.
I skip over to my mom. “Thanks.” I give her a hug and say goodbye.
We walk over to school for the dance as planned. Even Amy and Alex walk with us even though they can drive there. I’m sure it is Alex’s idea because Amy would never want to exert any unnecessary energy. She might break a sweat if we walk too fast or her make-up might melt in the sun. Sometimes I think I’m a little hard on her, but then she does something to prove me right.
The guys walk ahead together, talking guy stuff and acting like little kids. Anyone can tell the difference between the three immature freshmen and the one senior. The younger guys goof around while they walk, smacking each other in the back of the head, pushing each other into one another, and talking about which girls are hot. Josh and Jonathan brag about the latest chicks they hooked up with and give each other knuckles, nugs, pounds, whatever you want to call it. Alex just smiles and laughs here and there but is a lot calmer than the others. Maybe this isn’t normal behavior for older guys…maybe Alex is just mature.
Keesha starts talking about how she can’t wait to get to the dance to get her swang on which leads to a discussion of the rally and how hot all the guys looked, and how well they danced, even Ben. Ugh. Unfortunately, the topic of last night’s game invades our conversation.
“Amy, what happened to you last night anyway?” Steph screeches. “We were worried.”
“I texted you guys,” Amy says.
“I hope you didn’t let dumb ass Ben get to you. He’s an idiot, so forget about him.” Leave it to Keesh to put it all out there.
“Yeah, I’m over it. I just want to have some fun tonight,” Amy exclaims.
I don’t say anything. I just keep walking and listen. I’m not about to open my mouth and say the wrong thing. I’m fine just being an innocent bystander right now.
When we get to the dance, tons of people are already there. The cafeteria is decorated like a club scene. There are tall round tables everywhere, without chairs so we all have to stand. The multi-colored spinning lights and the strobe light make it hard to see much else other than the pulsing bodies already on the dance floor.
We find one empty table and throw our things down. Steph says she’ll stay behind and watch our stuff while we go dance. We decide to take turns relieving each other at the table so none of our crap gets stolen.
Dancing is the same as usual…just like any party we’ve been to—well, without the drinks. The last party we went to a couple of weeks ago, Amy got so wasted I was sure she used her lunch, but she assured me she didn’t. I drank too but made sure I didn’t get out of hand because I’m not sure I’d be able to stand my ground with beer goggles on. Eric would probably end up getting lucky. He kept trying to give me another beer, but I kept saying no.
We all take a break at the same time to get something to hydrate ourselves. We’re all sweaty and gross, and we weren’t even dancing too long. I pull my hair back to get some air and can feel the moisture on the back of my neck. My face is itchy from the sweat mixing with my make-up. I knew I shouldn’t have worn any. I never wear this much, but when you get ready with the girls, anything can happen.
The guys go to get us some drinks and cookies. Yes…I said cookies. Without all the grinding bodies, it would look like snack time in preschool. This “club” serves sodas and cookies. Whatever. It’s better than nothing.
“Alex, Mr. Mitchell is looking for you…he said to go up front where the D.J. is,” one of the ASB officers tells Alex.
Alex shrugs, gives Amy a quick peck on the lips, and slithers his way through the crowd.
Just moments later, Keesh yells, “I love this song. Let’s go dance.” I’ve barely had enough time to take a swig of my water but I go anyway. We follow the path she makes to the dance floor. Eric stays back this time.
We all jam as The Anthem blares through the speakers. This song is hot. If you dance the whole thing, I swear you can burn a thousand calories.
When the song finishes, Mr. Mitchell takes the mic, “Heeelllloooooo, Carver Bengals. Welcome to the King’s Ball.” We all cheer and clap. Mr. Mitchell looks insane. He is decked out like a Jabbawockee, only he has his face painted instead of a mask, and big thick dreads are hanging from his hat. This is not out of character for him. He dresses in tiger print pants and a tutu for all the rallies.
He introduces all the princes one by one, and finally announces the King…Alex…King Alex, at last. Bleeding Love screams through the cafeteria, and Alex comes running over.
“Where’s Amy?” he shouts.
We look around. She was just here a minute ago while we were dancing.
“I don’t know…maybe the bathroom…want me to go get her,” Steph asks.
“Oh shit…there’s no time,” he says, hurriedly. “I’m supposed to be dancing right now.”
We all look at the dance floor and the rest of the guys are out there with their girlfriends or dates.
“Meg, I know I probably sound like an ass…but will you dance with me?” he asks in despair.
“Uh…I don’t think I should,” I say, looking back for Eric. Where’s Eric? He isn’t at the table anymore.
“Meg, go on. Alex is gonna look whack if he’s not out there,” Josh yells at me.
I look from Keesha to Steph.
“Go, Meg.” Steph pushes me toward him.
I take Alex’s hand and he pulls me into the center of the dance floor.
What the hell is going on here? Where’s Amy? Where’s Eric?
They’re going to die if they see us right now. That’s it. I am the worst friend and girlfriend in the world.
We dance at a good distance from each other. I keep looking everywhere hoping I won’t see Amy and Eric watching us. And I don’t. Before the song finishes, I have relaxed in Alex’s arms. I look into his eyes and smile. He smiles back and I feel something weird between us. Something different. Something new. I feel…hope.
It is hope.
Instantly, all my feelings from the summer come back, all those feelings and more. It isn’t just an obsession with this older guy and his hot body, it’s more. It’s the realization that he, who has become one of my best friends, can maybe become more than just my buddy. Not right now, of course. But maybe…someday.
The song finishes, everyone cheers, and they begin to crowd in as a new song starts. Alex doesn’t let me go right away. He hugs me tight and whispers into my ear, “Thank you, Megan. You’re such a good friend.” He kisses me on my cheek and pulls away to dance, wit
h our friends who have now joined us.
We’re all here. All but Eric and Amy.
Chapter Twenty Six
Carver High has an awesome girls’ basketball team. They’re like undefeated and are expected to win CIF. ASB has been making tons of posters—congratulating the team and announcing upcoming games—and putting them up all over school. So when none of us can think of anything to do this Friday, we decide to show our support and make an appearance at the game. It will be a nice change to see a team win, unlike our sad football team.
Basketball fans are wild. This is my first game. Since their season is at the same time as soccer, I can never make it. I usually go home after practice or games, but now the season is over so I have some free time. The fans at soccer games are usually just parents, students rarely go. But it seems like the whole school is here, along with teachers and parents. Huh…maybe it’s because this is the final game for league champs.
The cheerleaders are fairly entertaining with all their stomping and cool cheers.
“We’re heading for a basket, we’re moving down the floor, we are the Bengals, and we know we’re gonna score,” they chant and the fans follow along. It’s like a freakin’ sing along.
It’s intense until the final minutes of the game when our girls pull ahead and end up beating the other team by 12 points.
We all charge out of the gym and into the quad. “So what next?” Steph shouts. We’re away from the crowds already, so Steph doesn’t have to shout. But you know her.
“Hey. My mom is at another New Kids concert tonight and my dad is at a poker night,” I explain. “So we can just kick back at my house, maybe light a fire again and just chill.”
We all agree and begin the pilgrimage to my house. Everyone seems to be getting along pretty well, even after the dance, when I was sure Amy was going to be pissed with me. Amy and Eric missed the whole thing and were totally okay with me filling in. Amy had to go to the bathroom and didn’t want to walk over to them in the dark by herself. Since Alex was busy, she asked Eric to go with her. Amy actually thanked me for dancing with Alex. She said she would’ve felt bad if he had to look like an idiot standing there by himself because of her.
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