by Kieran Scott
“Thanks,” I said.
“No problem. I just need it back after,” he said.
“Okay.”
I knew that if I tried to put the jacket on for real, I’d probably punch him in the face in the process, so I just laid it over myself like a blanket, cuddling back in the chair. Feeling giddy, I reached out for some popcorn and we knocked hands. My instinct was to pull my hand back, but Cameron caught my pinky with his and hooked it around mine. I glanced at him. He smiled at me.
My heart was never going to be the same again.
So we sat like that, for the rest of the movie, our pinkies entwined over popcorn. My arm went dead and my shoulder cramped, but I didn’t even care. It was all my sappy dreams come true.
ACT THREE, SCENE TEN
In which:
THERE’S AN UNEXPECTED MELTDOWN
I WAS SHOCKED WHEN CAMERON DROVE TO THE DINER AFTER THE movie. Not that I thought he wouldn’t want to be seen with me, but, well, part of me thought he wouldn’t want to be seen with me. That sounds lamer than lame, but Cameron and I were just not on the same social level, and a lot of people at school would probably have something to say about the two of us being out together. But Cameron didn’t seem to care about that. Not at all. And it only made me love him more.
“Richardson! Dude! Whaddup!” someone shouted the moment we were inside.
“Hey, Skeezo!” Cameron shouted. He glanced at me. “I’ll be right back.”
He left me standing there, in line for a table, by myself. I felt completely conspicuous, and caught a few sophomore girls staring at me, until I noticed Tama waving me down from across the room. Ha! Take that, sophomore haters.
I slid past the waiting crowd and over to her table. Lissa Burns and Jenny Fowler, a couple of Tama’s friends, were standing near the table with their coats still on, chatting with Tama. Robbie sat across the table, and as I approached, I saw that he was toying with the plastic salt and pepper shakers, stacking them and knocking them over, stacking them and knocking them over. Was he not having a good time?
Wait, no. I wanted this to work. I did.
“Hey, guys. What’s up?” I asked upon arrival.
Jenny looked at me like I had a booger sticking out of my nose. Lissa didn’t even bother. Robbie lifted a hand and attempted a smile. It was a failed attempt.
“I have to talk to you,” Tama said, getting up.
“We’ll be at our table,” Jenny said, looking at me with irritation.
“I’ll stop by and visit in a few,” Tama said. Then she grabbed my hand and dragged me toward the bathroom.
“I’ll be here!” Robbie called after us with a touch of sarcasm.
The bathroom door swung closed behind us and Tama grabbed my wrists. “Omigod, Robbie is the goods!” she squealed.
I couldn’t have been more shocked if she’d shoved me up against the wall and mugged me for my loose change.
“What?”
“He is so sweet, KJ! You have no idea!” Actually, I kind of did, but whatever.
“He’s been opening doors for me all night, and he keeps adjusting the heat in his car to make sure I’m comfortable, and he didn’t even get mad when I sent back my food at the restaurant,” she said, checking her hair in the mirror. “Leo has, like, a meltdown when I do that.”
“Well, that’s . . . great,” I said. “I’m glad you’re having fun.”
“This is not just fun. It’s fate,” she said, whirling to face me. “I didn’t even know guys like this existed out there. It’s like he actually cares what I think and how I feel. I really think I might dump Leo for him.”
My stomach churned. This was the best-case scenario, wasn’t it? Robbie wanted Tama, and Tama had done exactly as I’d hoped—she’d realized how great Robbie was. I was no longer responsible for the heartbreak of the century, I was responsible for a whole new couple.
“Of course, I’ll have to do something about his clothes,” Tama said, staring into space. “And those drumsticks have got to go. But he has potential.”
My mouth opened slightly, but nothing came out.
“I am so glad I did this,” she said, grabbing my wrist. “Come on!”
We stumbled back out into the diner and found Robbie and Cameron sitting across from each other at Tama’s table in silence. Cameron jumped up when he saw us.
“There aren’t any tables,” he said. “We’re gonna have to wait. Unless . . .”
“No! Sit with us!” Tama said, sliding in next to Robbie. “It’ll be fun.”
Robbie sighed and shook his head. He placed the salt shaker atop a rather large condiment pyramid he’d constructed.
“Something wrong?” Tama asked.
“Just wondering if we’re going to get five minutes alone tonight,” he said flatly, letting the salt shaker crash to the table. Tama’s face fell. Okay, tension!
“Maybe we should just go,” I said.
There was a commotion by the door and Leo appeared out of nowhere, his face red with fury.
“I knew it!” he blurted, storming toward us.
“Leo?” Tama said, feigning surprise. Badly.
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Robbie said.
Leo stopped at the head of the table. “Get up.” He flicked his fingers at Robbie.
“Why?” Robbie asked calmly.
“So I can kick your ass, twerp,” Leo said.
Tama slid out of the booth. “Leo. Don’t make a scene.”
“Gimme a break, T. You live for this,” Leo snapped. “I’m just giving you what you want, drama girl.”
“I’m outta here,” Robbie said, standing up. Leo reached right around Tama and grabbed Robbie’s shirt. Both Tama and I shrieked. A couple of busboys hovered, waiting to see if they’d have to intervene.
“You’re not going anywhere until we do this,” Leo said.
“Save your energy, man. I’m not with your girl,” Robbie said calmly. He turned and looked right at Tama. “In fact, I have zero interest in being with your girl.”
It was so blunt even my heart broke. The kids at the tables around us laughed and oohed. Tama looked like she was about to hurl. Leo, confused, released him. Thank God.
“You set this whole thing up, didn’t you?” Robbie said to Tama, grabbing his jacket. “You just wanted to make your man here jealous. I’m so stupid. It’s so obvious you had no interest in me. I mean, you talked about yourself seventy-five percent of the night and spent the other twenty-five checking yourself out in every reflective surface you could find. Oh! Or looked around the room to see if there was anyone better to talk to. That was way fun.”
That got an even bigger cackle. Even Cameron laughed. I felt like I was witnessing an act of mass destruction.
“Well, you wanted him? Here he is. You got him,” Robbie said, thrusting both hands at Leo. “And he can drive you home.”
With that, Robbie turned around and walked out of the diner with his head held high. His exit was followed by a smattering of appreciative applause.
ACT TWO, SCENE ELEVEN
In which:
WE KISS
“I CAN’T BELIEVE HE DID THAT, MAN. WHO KNEW ROBBIE DELANO had such balls?” Cameron said gleefully as he turned his car onto my street. “That was classic. I mean, that’s gonna go down in Washington High history!”
I stared out the windshield, wishing he would stop talking about it. Ever since Robbie had left, I’d had a hard time concentrating on our date. Tama and Leo had left together, shouting at each other the whole way, and everyone in the diner had spent the rest of the night gossiping about them. Meanwhile, all I could think about was whether or not Robbie was okay. He’d seemed okay, but maybe he was just putting up a front. I knew how much he liked Tama. How much time he’d put into wooing her. He couldn’t be totally okay.
“You’re up here on the left, right?” Cameron asked.
“Yeah.”
My heart skipped a beat. We were almost home, which meant we were almost saying g
ood-bye, which meant . . .
Oh no, did I really eat an onion ring with my burger?
“This is me,” I said, pointing at my driveway.
“Oh. Right.”
Cameron made a quick, skidding turn and pulled in. My father’s car wasn’t there. It was past ten o’clock. Suddenly I had a whole new reason to feel nauseated. If my father pulled in behind Cameron, there was going to be hell. He’d have to move his car so that Cameron could get out, and then he’d have to meet Cameron, and if he wasn’t home yet, that meant he was going to be in awful condition. Who knew what he would do? What he would say? I had to get Cameron out of here as quickly as possible.
“So,” Cameron said.
“Thanks for tonight,” I told him, reaching for the door handle. I was just turning my head to go when he swooped in and his lips landed right on my earlobe.
Mortifying. Completely and utterly mortifying. I opened the car door, desperate for a quick escape.
“Wait,” Cameron said.
I glanced at him and he grabbed my face between his hands. My eyes widened in surprise and he pressed his lips into mine. My heart seized and I froze up, one foot outside on the ground while the car door pinged uncontrollably. After ten seconds of lip-mashing, it was clear Cameron wasn’t going to give up, and I realized that this was it. This was my first kiss. It was actually going to happen this way.
So I tried to kiss him back. I closed my eyes and moved my lips. The second I did, his tongue shot into my mouth and I almost gagged. What was happening here? This was not magical. This was not romantic. There were no fireworks. There was only the strain in my neck from my awkward position, the taste of ketchup in his mouth, and the terror that at any second I’d hear my dad’s car pull up and he would drunkenly pummel this guy for mauling his daughter in the middle of his driveway.
And then, he released me. It was over. It was all I could do to keep from running my sleeve across my lips. Cameron grinned at me.
“I guess I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” he said.
“Okay. ’Night.”
I turned away from him, blinking back tears, and slammed the car door behind me.
ACT THREE, SCENE TWELVE
In which:
IT GETS WORSE
I COULDN’T BELIEVE THAT HAD JUST HAPPENED. BEFORE I EVEN realized I’d made the decision, I was walking around the side of my house toward the backyard. I just couldn’t go inside right now. Couldn’t deal with my mom, who’d be worried about my dad. Couldn’t deal with my dad when he did come home. I just wanted to get away.
I was halfway into the woods when I realized what a bad idea this was. I had no idea where I was going and it was pitch-black under the trees. I took a wrong step and my entire foot sank in gooey mud.
“Ugh!” Great. Now I was not only lost, cold and badly kissed, but I had also ruined my only good non-sneaker shoes. As I checked out the damage, a branch snapped nearby and my heart started to pound.
“Is someone there?” A rustle of leaves. My vision went black from fear. I gripped a nearby tree to keep from fainting.
“Hello?” I cried. Whatever you are, please just don’t kill me.
“KJ?”
Finally, my ears cleared. My logic cleared. I knew that voice.
“Robbie?”
He emerged out of the darkness like a white knight. Except that he was still wearing black and gray. Just behind him, I saw the bridge. So maybe I wasn’t as lost as I’d thought I was.
“What are you doing here?” he asked. He looked down and grimaced. “And what’s with the mud foot?”
“I was . . . walking to the bridge,” I admitted. “The mud foot was just an added bonus.”
Robbie laughed. “C’mere.”
He helped me hobble over to the bridge and we sat down. I peeled my shoe off and wiggled my toe inside my tights. “My mom’s going to kill me.”
“I’m sure you can clean it up. It’s never as bad as you think it is,” Robbie said.
He was such a good friend, trying to make me feel better even though he’d just had the worst night ever.
“Robbie, I am so sorry about tonight. That must have sucked with everyone in the diner staring at you and laughing. . . .”
“Whatever,” Robbie said with a shrug. “I don’t care what they think.”
“God, I wish I could be like that,” I said, awed. “I would have died if everyone had been looking at me like that.”
“Yeah, well, I had more important things on my mind,” he said. “Like what an idiot I was.”
My heart panged. “I’m sorry. I should never have let you go out with her.”
“Please. KJ. I asked for your help with her,” Robbie said. “This is not your fault.”
I bit my lip. “Except that it is.”
“How do you figure?” he asked.
“Before you left tonight, she told me . . .”
Understanding lighted his face. “She told you she was just using me?”
“Kind of,” I admitted, feeling all sour inside. “And I wanted to tell you, but—”
“Unbelievable,” Robbie said. “She is unbelievable.”
“I’m sorry. I should have just told you. But I . . . I wanted it to work out.”
Sort of.
“Don’t worry about it, KJ. If you’d told me, I would have gone anyway,” he said.
“You would have?” I asked.
He nodded, but with a grimace. Like he was realizing just how silly he’d been. “I really liked her. I thought she was, like, an original, you know?”
My heart constricted. I stared down at the water beneath our feet.
“But I’ve been thinking about it and I just realized I barely even knew her. I just sort of made up all this stuff about her that turned out to be totally untrue.” He laughed derisively. “Stuff I wanted to be true, I guess. And that sounds completely and irrevocably pathetic,” he added, covering his face with his hand.
“No, it doesn’t,” I said, thinking of Cameron’s totally unromantic kiss. “Believe me. It doesn’t.”
“Thanks,” he said, ducking his chin.
We sat there for a moment, listening to the rustling of the leaves overhead. I took a breath. Felt at peace. Like nothing could touch us here.
“Dude, how psycho is Leo?” he said out of nowhere.
I laughed out loud. “I really thought he was going to flatten you.”
“Yuh-huh!” Robbie was wide-eyed. “Have you ever actually noticed how big he is?”
I laughed. “He does have an impressive girth.”
“You couldn’t have pointed that out to me before I went after her?” he joked.
“Hey. You were all ‘She deserves better than biker dude,’ ” I said, lowering my voice. “Who was I to stand in the way?”
Robbie laughed. “You know what, KJ? You’re the original,” he said. “You totally broke the mold, Grandma would say.”
I blushed and looked away, happy for the pitch-blackness so that he couldn’t see the full effect his words had on me. When I looked back again, he was still watching me. And was it just my imagination, or was his face closer to mine than before?
My heart expanded, filling my chest with hope. Was Robbie going to kiss me? Oh, please let it be better than that slop-fest with Cameron. Let kissing be way better than that was.
Robbie reached his arm around me and my eyes fluttered closed. This was it. Concentrate, KJ. Don’t mess it up this time.
And then, he slapped me on the back.
“So, it seemed like you and Cameron hit it off,” he said. “At least something good came out of tonight.”
My eyes popped open. My heart dropped like a carnival ride. “Uh, yeah. Totally.”
“Good. That’s good. If he likes you, then maybe he has more functioning brain cells than I thought,” Robbie said.
I forced a smile. Wow. I was really bad at this boy-girl stuff. I had thought there were signals there. Were there not signals?
“We should proba
bly get home,” Robbie said, standing, the soles of his good shoes scraping against the bridge. “There’s a clearer path a little farther up. I’ll show you.”
He offered me his hands and hoisted me up. I pushed my foot back into my mud shoe, which was completely and totally disgusting, then trudged after him into the trees. We walked for a few minutes in silence, but I was mentally cursing myself the whole time. How could I have thought Robbie wanted to kiss me? He didn’t like me. He asked me to help him get someone else. No one would ask a person they liked to help them get someone else. How stupid could I be? And that kiss with Cameron! Ugh! I was such an amateur. I mean, that had to have been me, right? Cameron must have kissed, like, hundreds of girls, so he couldn’t be that bad at it. And now he probably never wanted to come near me again. And, oh God, what if Robbie realized that I had thought he was going to kiss me? Had he read my signals well while I’d completely misread his? He probably thought I was so pathetic! He was probably laughing at me right now up there, while I stared at his back, totally clueless.