by L B Pavlov
Charlotte looked at me. “Daniel, be nice. He probably just wants everyone to know he plays football so you guys will welcome him to the team,” she said.
She had a way of making me soften and bite my tongue.
“Well, I think he’s a douche bag, so I wouldn’t count on it!” I said as Charlotte rolled her eyes.
We approached the crowd around the new self-proclaimed super star, and the crowd opened up so we could face him. He looked like a California surfer dude. He was definitely cocky and enjoying his new-found fame at St. Viator’s.
He smiled at me. “So you’re the famous quarterback Daniel, huh?” he said as he put his hand out to shake.
“I’m Daniel,” I said with a scowl. Blane looked surprised by my lack of excitement.
“Blane is the name,” he said as he quickly turned his attention to Charlotte. His jaw dropped, probably in reaction to her beauty, and he said, “And who is this lovely lady?”
The guy was a douche bag for sure. I wanted to punch him in the face just for the way he looked at her. Chandler Hoboken had nothing on this guy. He just may have been the most annoying person that I had ever met. I was stunned by Charlotte’s reaction to him.
“Hi, I’m Charlie,” she said in a shy voice. She was actually blushing. I couldn’t believe she could fall for this load of crap.
He beamed at her. “Well, hopefully we will see a lot of each other, Miss Charlie,” he said with a wink.
“Miss Charlie? How old are you dude? Who talks like that?” I said, disgusted.
Charlotte gave me a look that let me know she was not happy with what I had said. Charlotte and I walked away, and she was actually beaming because this guy had flirted with her.
“What?” she said to me.
“I can’t believe you’re falling for this guy’s crap,” I said.
“Why? He’s cute, Daniel. He seems really nice,” she said softly.
I felt bad. I had ruined her moment, but I would be damned if I didn’t warn her about poser right away. I walked her to her first class and told her I would see her at second block for marine biology. We had four classes together this year, and we were both happy about that. She said good-bye and turned to walk into her classroom just as Blane DiAmico turned into her class right behind her. I grimaced when he looked at me, but he just flashed his cheesy smile that made my stomach turn.
I took my seat in my AP calculus class and noticed Blane enter the room.
He smiled at me and took the seat next to mine.
“Hey, Charlie. Long time, no see.” He laughed.
“Hi, Blane,” I said nervously.
“Hey, what’s up with your friend Daniel? He seems to hate me, and we’ve barely met. Do you guys go out or something?” he inquired.
“Oh Daniel? No. He’s my best friend. He’s a great guy. You just have to get to know him. He’ll come around,” I said, surprised by his question. Why did he think we were going out? Most importantly, why would he care? I was intrigued.
Everyone was staring. Clearly the girls were all checking out the new guy and were ready to pounce on this novel, beautiful creature that they were seeing for the first time.
“Well, I’m glad he isn’t your boyfriend, but I’m sure you have one,” he said casually, slyly inquiring again about my dating life.
What was going on here? This kind of stuff just didn’t happen to me. I awkwardly responded, “Um, no, I don’t have a boyfriend.” I felt myself flush.
“What? How is that possible? The cutest girl in the school is single? I’m shocked!” he said loudly.
Everyone was definitely staring now. My heart was racing. He was very handsome, with long, blonde, messy, beachy hair. He would be forced to get a haircut soon because its length was well beyond the school’s hair policy. He had tanned skin, big, blue eyes, and a charming dimple on his cheek. He was around six feet tall and muscular. Did he really just call me cute?
I took a deep breath and calmed myself in an effort to not sound shaky. “It’s true. I wouldn’t lie about such a thing.”
He started laughing and replied, “Well, this is good news, Miss Charlie,” and we smiled at each other.
All I could think about was how irritated Daniel would be that he called me Miss Charlie again, but I actually found it rather charming and endearing.
Steph came in and sat on the other side of me. “Hey, Charlie, what’s up?”
I introduced her to Blane, and they both said hello.
Blane turned to Steph and said, “So, Steph, tell me how it’s possible that Miss Charlie doesn’t have a boyfriend.”
She looked over at me, and I shrugged my shoulders. With a huge smile on her face, she replied, “I just don’t know, Mr. Blane. I find it shocking myself.” All three of us laughed, and I could feel my face flush even more with embarrassment.
Steph loved it. When we were leaving class, Blane turned to me and said, “I hope I see you later today, Charlie.”
He had dropped the Miss Charlie business, and I figured that would be better if Daniel was around the next time I saw him.
“Oh, sure, that sounds great, Blane,” I said, and we waved good-bye.
Steph stared at me. “Who is the hottie? How happy are you right now?” she said.
“What do you mean? He is just being friendly,” I retorted.
“I don’t think so, Charlie. He seems really in to you,” she replied. I flushed again just as Daniel came walking up.
“Hey, Steph, what’s up? How was class?” he asked us both.
Steph beamed and said, “I’ll tell you what’s up. The new guy, fancy-pants hottie Blane, is smitten with our little Charlie,” she said with a great big smile.
Daniel glowered. “The guy’s a prick. He needs to stay away from Charlotte.”
Steph laughed and said she would see us at lunch, and she walked off.
Daniel looked at me. “You don’t actually like this guy, do you?” he asked with a very concerned look.
“Well, he is cute, and it’s nice that he seems to like me,” I said shamefully.
He stopped walking and looked at me. “Charlotte, everyone likes you. They just know you are out of their league. And you are definitely out of this guy’s league. I don’t like him. I get a bad vibe,” he said, showing even more concern that I seemed interested in Blane.
“You don’t even know him, Daniel. And I don’t tell you who to like and who not to like, do I? Can’t you just be happy for me? Nothing like this ever happens to me.” I could tell he felt bad that he had hurt my feelings.
“Fine. But you don’t tell me whom to like because I’m not like you. I’m an asshole, and you don’t need to look out for me,” he said.
I stopped and looked at him. “Daniel, you’re the best person that I know. Please don’t say that about yourself. I don’t tell you who to date because I trust you.”
He sighed. “Of course you do. You are a much better person than I am,” he said, and we both burst out laughing as we walked into our marine biology class.
The day was going by quickly. Before I knew it, the lunch bell rang. I always sat at Daniel’s lunch table per his insistence, and Steph and Kathleen would sit with me at the end of the table. The rest of the table was full of football players, and we stuck out like a sore thumb. We would laugh about it, but Daniel was relentless about me sitting at his table. I couldn’t deny him this small request when he just wanted to hear about my morning because I liked to hear about his morning as well. Kathleen and Steph didn’t seem to mind sitting with a bunch of cute football players, and they went along with it like good sports.
Daniel ate like a horse. It was always a topic of conversation at the table. He ate the lunch that Grace would pack him and a hot lunch as well. He was very curious about what I would eat. This had gone on for years, and he constantly questioned whether I had eaten enough. I always joked that he was a worried old man.
Suddenly I felt a jolt. It was Crystal Bryant, shoving her voluptuous bottom half in
between Daniel and I at the lunch table. She squeezed in and put her arm around him. Daniel immediately tensed up. He looked over at me to let me know that he was annoyed, as if to check to see if I was bothered. I gave him a smile and honestly hoped that he would talk to her. If I had made out with a guy a few days before, I would expect him to talk to me. He frowned at me, and I gave him an encouraging look to behave.
“Hey, Daniel,” she said very enthusiastically.
“Hey, Crystal, what can I do for you now that you have shoved your ass in between Charlotte and me and disrupted our conversation?” he said, obviously annoyed.
I tried to ignore their conversation to be respectful, but she was sitting so close to me that it was hard not to listen. However, Steph, Kathleen, and most of the football team all appeared to be listening to this awkward conversation. Sean burst out laughing at what I can only assume was the “ass” comment.
Crystal was not put off one bit by his comment, and she replied, in her very flirtatious way, “Ohhhh, should I take you commenting on my ass as a good sign?”
This girl truly oozed sex appeal. For a seventeen-year-old, I found this impressive. Most girls feel awkward and self-conscious at that age, but not Crystal Bryant. Even if you insulted her, she could flip it into a compliment.
Daniel turned toward her and coolly said, “I wouldn’t.”
Sean had just taken a sip of water, and he spit it across the table when he heard Daniel’s response. He looked very apologetically at Crystal, as if he just couldn’t control himself. This was probably true because Sean was a genuinely sweet person.
Crystal snapped at him, “Grow up, Sean,” and then she turned to Daniel. “You know where to find me when you want to talk about my ass some more.” She winked at him and walked away.
Of course she gave me a big shove with her fleshy bottom as she got up. She looked right at me and said, “Oh, sorry, Charlie. I bet you get that a lot,” and she burst out laughing.
Daniel glared at her, but I wasn’t too fazed. This was typical Crystal behavior. Daniel and I started laughing as she walked away. “Guess I asked for it, huh?” he said, looking at me with his big smile.
“You certainly did. Guess you better start thinking about who you choose to make out with from now on,” I said. He winked at me.
All of a sudden, someone came up and squeezed in at the end of the table across from me. It was Blane. He had jammed himself in right next to Kathleen, who was staring at him as if she was in awe. Clearly Kathleen had not yet met this new, handsome boy at our school.
He looked right at me and said, “Hey, Charlie. How was second block?”
I was absolutely shocked that he had come to find me and talk to me. I could feel Steph’s excitement because she was sitting so close to me and beaming at me. Daniel, on the other hand, seemed less than impressed.
I turned to Blane and said, “It was great, how about you?”
Blane had an all-American boy look, with pearly white teeth and a stunning smile. He went on to tell me how great his second block was and how much he liked St. Viator’s. He recognized Steph and said hello to her and then nervously said hello to Daniel.
Daniel gave him a half smile, and I pinched his knee under the table as a warning that he better be nice. I introduced Blane to Kathleen, who could barely speak because she seemed entranced with his good looks. I had to give her a little kick under the table as well just to get her to snap out of it. She mouthed, “Sorry,” to me, and I smiled and held back a laugh.
Blane boldly turned to me and began, “Well, Charlie, if you happen to still be single, which I find ever so difficult to believe…”
At that moment I thought I heard what sounded like a growl slip out of Daniel’s throat. He was beyond annoyed with Blane, and the only conclusion I could come up with was that Blane had upset Gomez. Daniel was a loyal friend, and obviously he didn’t like that Blane had upset his friend.
Blane continued, “But, if this is really true, I wondered if you would like to have dinner with me on Friday night?” He flashed that magical smile again after he asked me out.
I was in absolute shock. No one had ever asked me on a date, and I just never imagined it would happen at the lunch table in such a public arena. My first thought was that Blane hadn’t looked around yet, being his first day of school. He must not have noticed that St. Viator’s was home to many females who were more comely and sought-after than myself. I figured I better jump at this opportunity before he realized how many girls were seriously interested in him.
But before I could form a response, Daniel spoke. “Are. You. Serious? We don’t even know you, dude. You could be a serial killer for all we know.”
At that moment I saw Kathleen’s, Steph’s, and Sean’s jaws drop. My jaw was also on the floor. But Blane didn’t miss a beat.
He burst out in laughter. “Seriously, dude? What an imagination! I can assure you I am not a serial killer,” he said, and then he added icily, “And I think that Charlie is the one that I asked out, not you.”
The entire table seemed to go quiet at that moment. Daniel just stared at Blane. I squeezed Daniel’s knee again hoping to calm him down.
I turned to Daniel and whispered through gritted teeth so only he could hear me, “I am sure he didn’t mean to offend Gomez. You need to calm down about that. Gomez doesn’t seem upset anymore.”
Daniel looked at me, completely confused. He couldn’t even remember why he hated this guy.
I looked back at Blane, who was waiting patiently for a response.
I smiled at him and said, “I would love to go to dinner with you, Blane. Thank you so much for inviting me.”
Now it was Daniel crushing my knee, and I was holding my hand over his hand to try to calm him down. Kathleen and Steph were stunned. They could not figure out what was going on, and this was more excitement than my life had ever seen in my seventeen years thus far.
Blane started to get up and said, “Sounds great, Charlie! Let’s exchange cell numbers in class so we can make our plans.”
I replied with a quick, “Sure,” and he smiled and went back to his table.
I turned to Daniel, and he looked completely distraught. I was beyond puzzled.
Before I could say anything, Sean burst out, “Dude. What the hell was that about? You really don’t like the guy, huh?” Daniel just shook his head in response. Kathleen and Steph looked at me, puzzled, and I just shrugged my shoulders.
I turned to Daniel. “Daniel, I know that you are mad at him for upsetting Gomez. But you are overreacting. You need to give him a chance. He seems really nice. Could you do this for me, please?”
Daniel turned and looked at me for a long time before he said one simple word: “Yes.” But he didn’t look happy.
The bell rang and we were off to the next class.
Daniel walked with me to my art history class, but we didn’t speak. When we got to the door, he just smiled at me, squeezed my hand, turned, and walked away. I didn’t know what to think. This was way out of character for Daniel, but I kept reminding myself of what a loyal friend he was, and he would always defend his friends. My art history class was great. I loved the new teacher who taught the class, and we were going to be doing some really incredible projects in her class.
I kept daydreaming about my date on Friday night. I couldn’t believe that this had just happened. I wondered what I would wear and where he would take me. I wondered how I would explain this to my dad and hoped that he wouldn’t tell my brothers. It was more likely that Daniel would tell my brothers before my dad would, especially because Daniel didn’t seem to care for Blane. I would have to talk to him and make sure that he didn’t tell them. I didn’t want a lecture, and it was just a friendly first date.
The rest of the day went by like a flash, and I was off to cross-country practice. Daniel would be going to football practice, and I was hoping that he and Blane would become friends once they became teammates.
chapter 3
c
hanges
I walked out to football practice with Sean and Gomez. I assured Gomez that his position was safe. I would continue to throw or pass the ball to him first, just as I had for the last three years. Gomez was a great go-to guy. He was reliable, and he was fast. He seemed to be relieved once I reassured him.
“Dude, you don’t need to worry. The guy is a douche bag. He’s probably used to playing football on the beach and probably doesn’t play serious ball. Not to mention that he asked out Charlotte, and we don’t know anything about him,” I said, annoyed.
Sean and Gomez gave each other a look that told me they got it: I don’t trust the guy, and we need to keep our eyes on him. These were two guys who always had my back, and I watched theirs in return.
Charlotte ran past me on the field. She was warming up with her team. Charlotte made running look like a leisure sport. It came easy to her, and she definitely had a gift. Even in races, when everyone else was breathing heavily and panting for dear life, Charlotte looked relaxed and at ease. There was something very peaceful about her. I always felt calmer when I was with her. I guess it was because I had known her most of my life, and she was my best friend.
I saw her face light up and she waved, but I realized that she wasn’t looking at me. I felt my blood boil when I looked up and saw that the cheese ball, Blane, was waving like an idiot in her direction. This guy was such a joke.
He came to the line, and we all huddled together. I heard him make a crack about Charlotte in her running shorts, and I felt an unexplainable rage take over inside of me. I had to keep cool. Coach Pank did not allow fighting within the team. I would have to keep this under control and just keep a close eye on this kid.
We all lined up and began our running drills. I immediately was caught off guard by how fast the douche bag could run. He was right on my shoulder and obviously quicker than Gomez. I observed him as we did our drills and quickly assessed that he was not only fast, but he was strong and could handle a ball well. He was definitely going to be a problem. My plan was to wear him down and see how much of a beating he could take. Unfortunately, he could handle more than I had expected. I wished I could play the line for just a minute. I was thinking about how hard I’d like to hit him for the comment about Charlotte in her shorts. Prick. I would have to keep myself calm. I despised this guy, and there was no way that I wanted to pass him the ball over Gomez. Coach Pank put us through a few different patterns, and Gomez was his usual reliable self. I was forced to try a few passes to the douche bag, and unfortunately he was also impressive. I could see Coach Pank’s wheels turning as he watched. Practice came to an end, and we headed for the locker room.