by Carina Adams
She shoved my shoulder. “Are you kidding? The Highwaymen are my favorite!”
“You know how when you’re in the Chinese restaurant and the workers are having a conversation in Chinese and you can hear them talking, but you don’t know what they’re saying?” Carson asked, backing away from Lia – finally. “Yeah. That’s how I feel right now.”
Lia shook her head. “That’s sad. Just sad, Mike! Those men are the founding fathers of Outlaw Country. How do you not know who they are?”
“Outlaw Country?” He raised an eyebrow. “I’m more concerned that you know these people, Kelly.” He gave me a look that clearly said “loser!” and I just shrugged.
Now was as good of a time as any. “C.C. is my grandfather.”
“What?” Lia had turned now, arms crossed, and a glare set on me. “Clarence Carlton Kelly is your grandfather?” Then the light bulb went off. “Oh, my God. Kelly!” She pushed my shoulder, harder than she had the first time. “You’re Nathaniel Kelly! From Alabama!” She shoved me again. “How did I not put that together?”
All I could do was laugh. “Easy, tiger. You’ll hurt yourself.”
“Ugh!” She crossed her arms again. Then her face fell and she looked sad. “I read about…” She trailed off and looked back to the pictures. “I’m sorry for your loss.” She took a step, bringing her close enough so that the smell of violets invaded my senses. She leaned her head back to look up at me as her hand slipped into mine. “Will you tell me about him sometime? I’d love to hear stories when you feel like you can talk about him.”
It wasn’t the first time we’d touched. I’d pull on her hair in class, kick her feet under the table at lunch, and when the three of us were in my truck, she sat in the middle, shoulder to shoulder with me. She’d grab my arm to get my attention or pull me along, or hold on to my shoulder as she leaned over me to steal food off my plate. We’d never held hands, though. Hers fit perfectly inside mine. And it felt like the most natural thing in the world.
I agreed to tell her whatever she wanted to know. I’m pretty sure at that moment I would have agreed to anything she wanted. Giving me a smile, she turned and moved back to the coffee table, sitting next to Mike. We spent the next two hours studying, but I was way too distracted to retain anything. This girl had me all twisted up.
Chapter Seven
~ Cecelia ~
I yawned again, covering my mouth with both hands. Mr. Matthews was in rare form today, talking nonstop about… hell, I couldn’t even begin to tell you what. By the glazed looks on my friends’ faces, they didn’t know, either. At this point, stabbing myself in the hand with my pencil just so I could escape to the nurse’s office seemed like a great idea. Fuck me.
I was examining the end of my pencil to see if it was sharp enough to cut through skin when the note landed on my desk. I didn’t have to look around to know who sent it flying my way. If it had been from one of the girls, it wouldn’t have been folded into a little triangle football. Trying my best not to smile, I moved my hands under the desk and soundlessly opened it. Neil’s too-neat-for-a-boy handwriting proved it was from him.
You’re right, it is just a stupid dance. But if I have to go, you should have to go too. So, just to be clear Red, this is me asking you to go to homecoming with me.
I folded it in half, and then half again. We’d been having this discussion for almost a week. Homecoming festivities started this coming Monday and ended next Saturday night with the school-wide semi-formal. I didn’t go to school dances. Not my thing at all. I would, however, go to the game for the first time ever, just to support my friend. I might even participate in the silly spirit days and go to the bonfire. But that was where I’d drawn the line.
Originally, Neil and I agreed to blow off the dance and go straight to the city after the game. But then Mr. Matthews told all of the football players that their presence at the dance was mandatory and that they should bring a date. Ever since then, Neil had made it quite clear that he wanted me to go with him. I had laughed it off. This was the first time he’d asked me to go with him, though.
When I looked up, he was watching me intently. I shook my head. His eyes narrowed for a second, and then he glowered at me. Not backing down, I glared right back. He knew damn well he couldn’t intimidate me. Just like he knew there were a hundred girls in this school that would happily say yes if he asked them. I couldn’t figure out why he was still harassing me when he could be finding one of them.
I glanced to the right, checking to see if Jules had seen the silent conversation. She was giving me her angry eyes, so it was pretty safe to say she had. Instantly, I felt guilty. Jules was one of those hundred girls that would say yes in a heartbeat, and I actually wouldn’t mind if she and Neil dated. Okay, that’s a lie. I would mind. But, I’d rather have her win The Game this year instead of Missy. At least Jules wouldn’t share every gory detail of their intimacy.
Competition between the two of them was heating up. It was pretty clear to all three of us that I was out. Neil and I were friends. Good friends. He took up the majority of my free time, and since I’d rather be with him instead of spending time with Jules and Missy, it was safe to say he was my best friend. I couldn’t imagine my life without him. Crazy, considering I’d only known him for a little more than a month. And because we were just friends, I wasn’t a threat. But they both still got irritated by my relationship with him.
Since we were so close, I had the inside scoop on his opinions of the other girls at our school. And it wasn’t favorable. He wasn’t interested in the fake girls, like Allyson, because he could see them for what they were. Girls like Missy were too forward for him; he was old school and wanted to be the one that came on to the girl, not the other way around. Jules, though, would be perfect for him; she was sweet, cute, and smart. If I could get him to pay attention to her for five minutes, he would see that.
When the bell finally rang, I couldn’t get out of the room fast enough. Mr. Matthews stopped me, though. When Neil held back, waiting for me, Mr. M. sent him on his way. Tossing a concerned look over his shoulder, he followed the rest of the class out.
“You and Neil weren’t paying much attention today.” Perching on the edge of his desk, he looked at me sternly.
I shook my head, ready to argue and defend Neil. I didn’t want him to have to do extra drills or something stupid because of me. “I don’t know…”
He held up another note, one that I hadn’t seen Neil try to send my way, raising an eyebrow. “Should I open it?” he asked and I swallowed nervously, knowing it could say just about anything because with Neil, one never knew what to expect. Mr. M. handed it to me instead. “We have an important game tonight, Lia. I need him focused. Not distracted.”
The way he said it made me feel cheap. “I’m not a distraction.”
He crossed his arms, eyes moving over my body. “I disagree.” His voice was huskier than it had been a few seconds before and I felt my embarrassment climbing to my face. “It wasn’t that long ago that you told me you didn’t need the help you originally asked for, now you’re barely staying awake in my class and passing notes. You can do better than that.” A few students from the next period came into the room, and he made eye contact once more. But he lowered his voice and said, “Go. If you’re late to math, she’ll be pissed.”
Neil was leaning against the door and grabbed my elbow as I rushed out. “Everything okay?”
The way his eyes searched mine made it feel like he was asking so much more than that. I never kept anything from him as long as he asked me outright, just like he told me the truth when I asked. That was our deal. There were still so many things about me that he didn’t know, simply because he didn’t ask and I didn’t offer. Yet, there were times that I felt like Neil knew more than I’d ever clarified.
I nodded, pulling away. “Yeah. We gotta hurry!”
We made it to algebra class just as the bell rang and I was thankful that we sat far enough away so he couldn’t pa
ss another note. As soon as we sat at lunch, though, he asked about the dance again. “Why won’t you come with me?”
I shook my head, annoyed. “Because I don’t want to.” I grabbed a carrot from his bowl. “You should really ask Jules. She has a little thing for you.”
“What a coincidence.” Mike laughed as he sat down next to me. “Kelly’s got a little thing, too.”
I chuckled as Neil flipped him off. “Who are your bringing, Mike?”
“To homecoming?” He shook his head. “No one. Yet. You wanna come with me, Red?”
“Get your own fucking date, asswipe,” Neil barked from across the table.
Looking at me, Mike winked. “I’m trying. She turned you down, remember?” he goaded Neil and I couldn’t help but laugh at their banter. “If you won’t come to the dance, you’ll come to the party with us, right?”
I looked up. “Party?”
Mike nodded. “Yeah. Every year we go out to Ally’s family’s place, out on the lake. We tell our parents we are camping so it’s not a complete lie. It’ll be a blast.”
I had been interested until he said Allyson. “Nope. I have big plans that night. Sorry, boys.”
With a few more grumbles, they dropped it, but the scowl stayed on Neil’s face. When Joe came over, they started talking about game strategy and how they were going to win the game later that night. I was relieved.
Neil wasn’t ready to let the subject go, though. When he dropped me off at home a few hours later, he invited himself in. On game nights, he was usually in a rush, bringing me home then hurrying to his house to eat and change and then back to school for drills or to catch the bus for an away game.
“Is it a money thing?”
I didn’t need him to explain what he was asking. “No!” I snapped.
“Hey.” His tone was full of understanding. “If it is, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Let me buy you a dress.”
“You did not just say that to me!”
He held up his hands in surrender. “I’m not trying to be an ass. I’m just saying that if it’s a money thing, I can help.”
“Do I fucking look like a charity case to you?”
“Lia,” he said calmly. “You are the furthest thing from a charity case. I just want to bring you with me. Let me take you shopping Sunday and we’ll get something perfect.”
My hands balled into fists, but I took a deep breath, trying to calm down before I went into super-bitch mode. “I know the red hair confuses you, but I am not Julia Roberts. I’m not some poor whore that needs her rich john to buy her nice things. If I wanted to go to the fucking dance, I’d find a way to go. I sure as shit don’t take payment for dates.”
Neil stood a little taller, the change in his attitude extremely obvious. “Wow. That’s not what I was saying at all.” His eyes narrowed at me. “You may not have noticed, but I don’t have to pay for a date. There are plenty of girls I could ask who’d say yes.”
“Then ask one of them!” I bellowed, scaring the shit out of my cat, Buttercup. “What in the hell is your problem? I don’t want to go to this dance. Why is that such a big deal?”
“We had plans,” he hollered back. “You and me. Remember? I had to cancel, and I feel like shit about that. I don’t want to go, either! But I have to. So, stupid me thought my best friend would want to come and help me make the most of it. Not having a dress was the only reason I could think of that would make you not want to come. But that’s not it at all, is it?”
“What in the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Earlier you said you had big plans.” His eyes widened in anger. “If I asked Coach, would he tell me he had big plans, too?”
The color drained from my face. “What?” The words came out as nothing more than a harsh whisper.
“You think I’m an idiot, don’t you? I see the way he looks at you. The way you watch him. He never keeps anyone else after class. He never touches any other student. Only you. I don’t know what the hell you are doing, but you’re playing with fucking fire.”
“And you don’t know shit.” This was why I didn’t have friends. I pointed at the door. “Go.”
He didn’t hesitate, slamming the door behind him. I waited until I heard the truck roar to life and disappear down the road before I let the tears start to fall. I wasn’t sure what had just happened. I’d had arguments with Jules and Missy, yeah, but we’d never screamed at each other. And I’d never felt this sad afterward. I didn’t even bother to leave my mom a note. I went into my room, crawled under my comforter, and cried myself to sleep.
I didn’t hear from him all weekend. I didn’t call him either, though. By Saturday afternoon, the guilt set in. Neil had been offering to do something really sweet, and I, as usual, overreacted. Pride was a wonderful thing. It was also my downfall. He didn’t know that I worked eighty-hour weeks all summer just to build up my bank account so I could buy the school clothes and food I wanted. And no one knew that my dad sent me money every month that I banked away, planning for the day I could leave the area for good. In hindsight, I could see that Neil had just wanted to help.
The first Neil-free weekend I’d had in months and it felt weird, like I was missing something. No one else called me because I was usually with him. My mom was gone the whole time, leaving me to fend for myself. I was too miserable to call anyone else, and I was glad Mom wasn’t around because I didn’t want her to see me weepy over a boy. I hadn’t grasped how lonely and pathetic my life was before him, and that insight made me miss him that much more. The hopelessness of feeling like I was brokenhearted for the first time made me realize that somewhere along the way, lines had definitely blurred. I felt more for him than I should.
Monday morning, I got up early, dreading the bus ride. The silver Ford parked across the end of my driveway instantly made me smile. The boy leaning against said truck, holding a Dunkin Donuts coffee out to me, made my heart flutter.
He grinned. “I’m not above bribery. A peace offering?”
I nodded, reaching out to take it. Instead, I was yanked against the wall of muscle that was Nathaniel Kelly.
“I’m a dick,” he confessed.
God, he smelled good. As ironic as it was, he smelled like the country. Fresh laundry and sandalwood. And he was warm. I wanted to stay right there in his arms forever. I pushed away slightly, looking up into his beautiful face. “I’m sorry.”
He was looking down at me, face blank, as he brushed the hair off my cheek. “Not as sorry as I am. Forgive me, Red?” he asked and I nodded, but before I could move away, one hand was gripping the back of my head and his lips were on my forehead. Then he was gone, opening my door all gentleman-like. “Come on.” He smiled that goofy grin I loved. “There’ll be hell to pay if we’re late to Latin.”
Chapter Eight
~ Nathaniel ~
I was worried that there might be some tension between us after our argument Friday, but everything seemed back to normal. I was so fucking thankful that she not only wasn’t still pissed, but also that she felt bad, too, and had apologized to me. We both seemed eager to put the whole mess behind us and I was on cloud nine all day. I kicked ass at practice and rushed home to get my homework done so I could call her.
When I walked through the door, Mom was still in the kitchen, so I grabbed her, throwing my arms around her shoulders. I’d been a miserable prick all weekend, snapping at anyone who dared to come near me. By mid-morning on Sunday, Mom had told me I needed to retreat to my room or she was going to make me wish I’d never been born. I’d gone in immediately and hadn’t come out again.
“What was that for?” she asked, hugging me back.
“I’m sorry.”
“Ahhh.” She nodded, pulling away and pointing at the table for me to sit. I knew I was in deep shit whenever she had me sit at the table. Fuck. She grabbed her teakettle, filling it with tap water and setting it on the burner before she sat across from me. “Everything with Lia is better I take it.”
&nb
sp; “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She gave me that look. The one I’d seen her use on Nikki a thousand times. It said, “I’m your mom and I can see right through you. I know you’re lying so fess up. Or die.”
“It was nothing. Just a stupid argument.”
She raised a single eyebrow. “Didn’t seem like nothing to me.” She stood, walking to the cupboard and pulling out two cups. Adding a tea bag to one and cocoa to the other, she propped her hands on the island and leaned forward. “I know you were too busy to notice, but your sister survived her fair share of heartbreaks over the years. It’s normal. I’m surprised it took you this long. Then again, you had April.” The whistle went off and she grabbed the kettle, filling both cups.
“You can’t compare the two, Ma. Lia and I are just friends.”
“That’s what you keep telling me.” She handed me the cocoa. “I just need to know if I should be worried.”
I blew on the hot liquid. “There’s nothing to worry about. We’re friends; we had a stupid argument. Now we’re over it.”
“You’ve never argued with your friends before. At least, not to the extent that you walk around here snapping at someone if they move wrong.”
“I said I was sorry.”
“I know you are, bud. I’m not mad. I’m just concerned that you’ve had a lot of changes in a short amount of time.” She hesitated, taking a sip of her tea. “Have you talked to April since we moved?”
“Ma…” I didn’t know what to say. She knew I hadn’t.
“Four years is a long time for someone your age to have been with just one person. You two always leaned on each other; you were best friends. I know that you say you and Lia are just friends, and maybe you are right now. But for you to have the kind of reaction that you did after an argument with her… Well, that tells me there’s something more going on. Even if you don’t see it. The women at work know Lia and her family and it seems like Lia may have”—she paused as if searching for the right word—“a little more experience than you do.”