by Anna Katmore
I was also grateful for a timeout from Chloe. There were no jibes from her for the rest of the week. Whew. I could breathe again.
But she was so silent, it started to scare me. I didn’t trust her one bit. Especially after what Tony had told me about her—how scheming she could be. I kept a wary distance.
On Saturday, I got up early, because the girls and I had a plan. The Bay Sharks would go up against the Rabid Wolves at two thirty. And we intended to wear our school’s colors for the game.
Since boring slacks and a blue tee didn’t seem like enough, we’d decided to first go shopping together, then meet the guys before the game and borrow some old jerseys from them. Shortly before noon, I came back home with stone-washed blue jeans I got from H&M, a brand new pair of dark red tennis shoes, and a matching bandana in my bag. All I needed now was a spare jersey from Nick, which he’d promised to lend me on Wednesday at Charlie’s.
After I showered and dried my hair in a saucy style, making the ends stand out, I slipped into my new clothes, topping them with a gray tee for now. Downstairs, I twirled in front of my aunt.
“You look great. I love those shoes!” she exclaimed. “Did you just get them?”
“Yes. All my friends got the same ones. To support our school’s soccer team.”
Chloe entered the living room then, already dressed in her soccer jersey. If she’d been a little more my cousin and not my enemy since I’d come to live in her house, I would have asked her if I could borrow one of her jerseys. But she was cold as ever, and I decided I’d better stick with Nick.
“They look rather expensive,” Chloe said with a knowing voice, nodding her chin at my red Nikes. Then she arched one brow at her mom. “I’m wondering now if we know who took the money from your purse.” After that she gave me a sly smile and walked into the kitchen.
Slowly, I turned to my aunt. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Pamela grimaced, obviously at a loss for words. “The two hundred dollars you gave me from Jack last weekend. I went to pay Jab Jenkins for his work this morning, but the money had disappeared.”
My throat went dry. “Disappeared?”
“I had it in my purse all week. But it wasn’t there this morning. So we think someone must have taken it.”
My eyes grew wide. “And you think that someone was me?”
Pamela came forward and took my hands, her look sincere. “Of course not! I know you’re not a thief, Sammy.” As she sighed, I had the feeling she didn’t even realize she had. “But you would tell me if the money your mom sends isn’t enough for you, right? I mean, if you need anything, you can ask me, anytime. You know that.”
Oh my God. She did think I’d taken it. How could she? If it was Jack who’d accused me, I would have been more likely to believe it. But Pam? I loved her like my own mother. I would never steal anything from her—from anyone, ever.
My hands shook. I pulled away and took a step back. My throat constricted with hurt. It took quite an effort to keep my voice steady and cold as I said, “I’ll be at a friend’s party after the game. You don’t have to wait up for me.” Then I turned around and headed out.
“Sammy! Wait! Sam…”
Ignoring her pleading, I slipped out the door and strode off. The mistrust of my family cut deep into me. Honesty was one of my main principles, if not the top one. Pamela knew this. She knew me. What made her doubt me?
I swallowed against a tight throat. But, of course, I knew whose doing it was. Clenching my teeth, I walked a little faster. That was the last straw. I wouldn’t take shit from Chloe any longer. I would make her pay for trying to destroy my life.
But not today.
It was sunny and warm, and the day had started out too nice with my friends. I was looking forward to the soccer game and even more so to the party at Ryan Hunter’s house later. I’d finally found a way to deal with the problem called “Anthony J. Mitchell” by not looking at him and staying away. Now I simply refused to let my cousin destroy it all for me.
After a few deep breaths, I could finally shake the anger off and Chloe out of my thoughts. Today, I was going to have fun. No matter what.
When I reached the soccer field, some of the players were already there and in the middle of stretches while others jogged back and forth between the goalposts to warm up. I spotted Susan with them, and Sasha and Alex. Allie and Simone sat on the first bench of the bleachers. They both wore bright blue jerseys with a red shark on the back, which they’d gotten from Sasha and Alex.
I joined the girls, settling down beside Simone. A moment later, Lisa and Ryan came walking toward us hand in hand, Lisa wearing her boyfriend’s jersey, too. Nervously, I scanned the place for Nick. The game was going to start in fifteen minutes, and I still had to change. But he was nowhere to be seen.
Instead my gaze landed on Tony. He was sitting on the team bench tying his cleats. Once again I was struck by how gorgeous he looked in the light blue uniform. He came over with some of his team mates. As all the girls kissed their guys and wished them luck, Susan leaned closer to me and said in a deep rumbling voice, “How about it, Summers? Want to kiss me for some luck?”
Have I said that I love Susan? With her unexpected jokes, she could make me grin during the most difficult situations. And just for that, I blew her a romantic kiss, like I was a princess and she the stable lad. Everyone laughed. Even Tony fought against a smile when I sneaked a sideways glance at him. The sight of it eased some of the frustration in my chest from the events back home.
For one impossible moment, I wanted to blow him a kiss, too. However, he noticed my gaze on him and lifted his brows in question.
Yeah, right. As if I’d tell him I wanted to send him a kiss. I looked away quickly. But warmth sneaked to my cheeks. Fortunately, Nick arrived then and, already in a hurry, he tossed a bundle of blue fabric at me.
“Sorry for being so late. Here’s your jersey, Sam,” he said, slightly out of breath.
I hurried behind the bleachers to trade my gray top for the blue one, but when I looked down at myself, disappointment filled me. “Nick?” I shouted as I walked back to the others. “How old were you when you wore this?”
“Fourteen.”
As I turned the corner, Lisa sucked in a breath and Simone clapped her hand to her mouth.
“You’ve always been on the tall side, haven’t you?” I asked Nick with a wry face.
He stared at me, pursing his lips. “Maybe use a belt and make it a mini-dress?”
“Ha. Ha.” I lifted the hem of the shirt from my knees. “A ball gown would be more like it.” The short sleeves almost reached my wrists. Just my luck that I’d asked the tallest guy on the team for his jersey.
Susan coughed into her fist, saying in a slurred way, “Tony has one.”
“What?” I wasn’t even sure if she was talking to me.
As Tony fixed her with an annoyed scowl, Susan lifted her shoulders and heaved a dramatic sigh. “Now, come on,” she said to him. “I know you have a second jersey in your backpack. You always trade in the middle of the game. Would it kill you to lend it to Sam today?”
Not answering, Tony folded his arms over his chest.
“For heaven’s sake, give it to her already,” Lisa snapped at him, rolling her eyes. “We’re doing this for all of you guys. And you don’t want Sam to look like Casper the ghost, do you?”
She could be so charming. But it coaxed a smirk out of Tony as he stared at me for a long moment. Then he tilted his head in a challenge. “You want it?”
Ah, shit. I chewed on my bottom lip because, let’s face it, I needed one.
“Of course she wants it,” Simone cut in.
Tony didn’t take his eyes off me. “I’m not talking to you, Simpkins.” His tone was friendly but determined. He arched a brow. “Now?”
After another deep breath, I finally nodded, mumbling, “Yes. That would be great.” I rolled my eyes, hating how he’d gotten me to ask him for it.
The corners
of his mouth tilted up. As he went to fetch his jersey, I scowled at Susan and Lisa, who both smiled at me in the sweetest way.
Tony came back with the extra jersey draped over his shoulder. I tugged it down. Before I could head around the bleachers, though, he caught my wrist. Spinning me back to him, he dipped his head and looked me in the eye. I sucked in a sharp breath. His gaze softened the very next instant. “Don’t put paper shreds in this one when you give it back to me,” he said in a low rumble, so only I could hear.
“Won’t happen,” I answered, fighting against my shaking voice. “I don’t have any more of your drawings.” I pulled free and strode off behind the bleachers once more, my heart still pounding like a bass drum. Securely out of sight of the others, I couldn’t resist sniffing Tony’s jersey. Oh damn, how I’d missed that scent…
I took off Nick’s shirt and changed into this one. It was still too long, but the sleeves only reached to my elbows and the hem hung loosely at the middle of my thighs. Shoving it up to my stomach, I wound the fabric around my hand, then made a casual knot at my side. This way, it changed from a nightgown to a nice belly top, showing off my piercing. Far better.
After I tied the bandana around my neck, I shook my shoulders to look relaxed before I strolled back to the others. No one, least of all Tony, should know how excited I was to wear something of his again.
Avoiding his gaze, I walked up to Nick and handed him his jersey back. Whistling through his teeth, he gave me a slow once-over. “Nice, Summers,” he purred aloud for everyone to hear.
Wondering if he really liked what he saw or if he still was on that “let’s make Tony jealous” trip, I offered him an easy smile. Then Simone surprised me as she exclaimed, “Hell, Sam, you look hot in that! What do you think, Tony?”
All my nonchalance was lost in an instant. The smile slipped from my face as I turned around. My palms got sweaty. What was he going to say?
He looked at me for a long time. Multiple emotions played out in his eyes, but I couldn’t label even one precisely. Then his expression turned totally blank. “Well, it’s better than before.” He shrugged, spun around, and headed out onto the field.
Everyone was silent for a couple of seconds. Finally Lisa nudged my shoulder with hers and said in a low voice, “Ah, never mind. He’s a jerk.”
I took a deep breath then lied, “I don’t mind.” Fighting for my casual smile to come back, I stepped onto the bench, kissed Nick on the cheek, and wished him good luck for the game.
While the guys headed out after Tony, the girls and I found a seat on the bleachers again. The game started a few minutes later.
It probably wasn’t the most interesting match in the world, but it was the first I’d ever watched from beginning to end. Our team was playing really well, taking the lead quickly. Ryan and Alex each scored within the first fifteen minutes. Then the Rabid Wolves turned the tables on them. It was Chloe who scored next and balanced the score once more.
Susan looked adorable out on the field, but she didn’t get the ball very often and had even less chances to shoot. It didn’t matter. She seemed to be enjoying herself.
In the second half, Tony and Ryan were on a roll, as both of them scored another goal, leaving the other team far behind. Lisa, Simone, Allie, and I jumped from our seats each time, hollering and whistling.
The atmosphere among the spectators was amazing. Intoxicating. Every time the Bay Sharks scored, people started shouting:
Watch out!
Turn around!
The Bay Sharks are on the field.
We will win and you will yield.
Back off!
Look around!
They bare their teeth—you watch your back.
The Sharks are ready to attack!
Go, Bay Sharks!
It was the team’s anthem, and everyone clapped their hands and stomped their feet in rhythm.
There were only fifteen more minutes to play when the Wolves apparently decided they needed to change to a more aggressive style if they wanted to turn the game around once again. One of their female players had a nasty go at Susan when she had the ball. The girl, with long poppy-red hair, kicked Susan in the leg, disguising the foul as an accident. Susan gave an ear-splitting shriek and slumped to the ground, clutching her knee.
My heart stopped. I clapped my hands over my mouth, staring, paralyzed. Then our guys rushed to her and blocked my view of Susan. Everyone had fallen silent.
“What’s going on over there?” Allie whispered, shock lacing her voice.
Simone answered, “I don’t know. Should we head over?”
Turning to Simone, I grimaced, feeling the same urge. “I don’t think we’re allowed to.”
It took an endless half minute until the crowd finally split and Ryan emerged, carrying Susan in his arms. He sat her down on the team bench, and we girls started off toward her.
“Is she all right?” Lisa shot anxiously at Ryan.
For once, Ryan ignored Lisa, his concentration on Susan as he squatted before her, gripping the edge of the bench at both her sides, looking at her face. “Don’t stand up. Frederickson is calling your parents. They can take you to a doctor.”
“No,” Susan whined, her face red and blotchy. “I don’t need a doctor. I can bend my knee. It just hurt an awful lot when she kicked me. The pain’s easing now.”
“I don’t care. That was an ugly crash. I want to make sure you don’t have any torn ligaments.”
“Hunter’s right,” Simone said as she hunkered down next to him, placing a hand on Susan’s good leg. “For a minute there, we thought the bitch had popped your knee.”
“Hunter! They want to continue!” Sasha shouted from the field.
Ryan cut a look over his shoulder. “I’m coming!” Then he stood and briefly hugged Lisa. “Take care of her until her parents show up. And maybe bring her some ice for that knee.”
“I’ll get it,” I said and hurried over to the water cooler. It took me some time to find a box big enough to transport a few handfuls of crushed ice. Just when I was done loading the box, another gasp from the audience made me spin around.
I didn’t know what had happened, only that this time it had hit Tony. He lay on his back, knees bent, and his hands clapped over his face. Ryan reached down, pulling him up to stand. Apparently, this foul—or accident—wasn’t as bad as the last one, because Tony walked away on his own after talking to Ryan for a second. But when he turned our way, my breath caught in my throat.
Blood ran down from his nose in two thick streams.
I hurried back to Susan, giving her the ice for her knee, and waited impatiently for Tony to reach us. His eyes were glassy, but that was normal when you got hit on the nose. He wiped his face on his sleeve and sat down. Lisa tended to him with a tissue that she’d dampened from a water bottle.
Tony took the tissue out of her hand, tilted his head back, and tried to stop the blood flow. “Relax. It’s just a nose bleed. Nothing’s broken.” After a minute, he rose to his feet. “I’ll go wash my face.” He took a few steps in the direction of the school building, then stopped. Stumbling slightly, he pressed a palm to his temple. “Whoa, my head’s spinning.”
“What? Something finally got past your thick skull?” I taunted him in a wry voice. Only when he slowly directed a surprised gaze at me did I realize what I’d actually let slip. “Sorry,” I mumbled and grimaced. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”
His eyes narrowed briefly at me before he headed off, swaying.
I sighed, hurried over, and steadied him by his elbow. “Come on. I’ll walk you to the restroom.” Draping his arm over my shoulder, I felt his reluctance. It didn’t matter. He was in no condition to be on his own. With my arm wrapped around his waist, I steered him toward the entrance of the school and farther on to the boys’ bathroom.
His side being pressed so tightly against mine made me remember how he’d escorted me out of the woods last Saturday, and what a good time I’d had with h
im that weekend. Wishing myself back there, I wondered where we would be now if he hadn’t kissed me on Sunday. Or again on Tuesday.
Maybe we’d still be the good friends we’d been for a short while.
As we stopped in front of the restroom, I searched his face. “Can I let you go in there alone?”
“Sure, Summers. I’m a big boy,” he mocked me then went through the doorway.
Leaning against the wall, I counted the minutes on the big clock hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the hallway. After ten minutes, he still wasn’t back and I started to worry. Cautiously, I opened the door and slipped my head around it.
“Tony…you all right?”
“Mm-hm.” His moan came from the floor. I found him sitting up against the wall, his long legs stretched out on the white tiles. His head was tilted back, and two pieces of tissue were plugged in his nose and soaked with blood.
He opened his eyes to slits as I walked closer and squatted beside his legs. “Can I do anything for you?” I asked, unsure how to help him.
Tony slowly shook his head.
I was at a total loss. Since he seemed to just want another minute to recover, I scrunched up my face. “Do you want me to leave you alone?”
Our gazes locked for an eternity. Then he shook his head again.
TONY
SAM JUST STARED at me. I must have looked terrible with the tissue stuffed up my nose and the blood on my jersey. I wanted to reach out, cup her lovely cheek, and tell her that it wasn’t as bad as it seemed. That she didn’t need to worry. But seeing that she actually did worry, I kept my mouth shut and enjoyed her nearness after the awful past week without her.
“I can wet that paper towel again, if you want,” she offered.
I took it from my neck and handed it to her. Sam threw it in the trash, then pulled two new ones from the dispenser, held them under the tap, and finally knelt down beside me once more. Carefully, she placed her hand at the back of my head, making me tilt it down so she could place the cold, wet towels on my neck again. I complied.
When Lisa had tried to clean up my face earlier, I’d stopped her because it made me feel weak and sort of like a toddler who couldn’t do those things on his own. But with Sam in here, it was different. Silently, I watched her and enjoyed everything she did to me.