by Megan Sparks
“Will do,” said Dad, then turned to Annie. “You’ll have to stop at Rosie Lee’s on your way to let Lexie in and give her a quick tutorial on the opening routine. I’ll be there later to teach her the rest of it.”
When Dad disappeared into the house after giving Jesse some petrol money, Jesse walked around to the back of the pickup truck. He smiled when he saw the amount of luggage Annie was bringing.
“Guess you’re not a fan of packing light,” he joked.
Annie just smiled. She was not about to tell him she expected to spend the next seven days sweating like a pig!
He shifted her bags around, searching for something in the flat bed.
“What are you looking for?” she asked. “Tools? Owner’s manual? Spare tire?”
“Why would I need the spare tire to fix a fan belt?”
Annie gave him an innocent look. “How should I know? That’s why I called you.”
“Actually, do you have an extra pair of tights in your suitcase?”
“You want a pair of my tights?” Annie echoed, confused.
“Not to wear,” he said, smiling. “They’re for the truck.”
“Oh.” Still confused, Annie dug into one of the duffles and pulled out her least favourite derby tights – a pair of black-and-red striped ones that had so many runs and tears in them they were practically fishnets. “Will these do?”
“Yep.”
Ten minutes later, Jesse had fashioned a makeshift fan belt out of the tattered tights.
“Wow,” said Annie, duly impressed. “You’re amazing.”
“Thanks.”
“Who’d have ever thought my derby gear would also have automotive applications.”
“Right?” Jesse laughed. “Just goes to show you how being a roller girl can serve you in all aspects of life.”
Jesse transferred Annie’s luggage into the Volvo’s boot while she ran into the house to say goodbye to Dad, and then they were finally on their way.
As he guided the car cautiously towards Rosie Lee’s, Annie couldn’t help sneaking glances at him from her place in the passenger’s seat.
He’d come to her rescue. Proud as she was to be a tough roller girl, she had to admit that getting in touch with her inner damsel was kind of fun. As she watched the muscles in Jesse’s forearm flex when he shifted the gears, an interesting thought occurred to her.
Maybe a hero doesn’t necessarily have to be a knight in shining armour riding a white stallion. Maybe sometimes, all you really need is a great guy in jeans and a Green Day T-shirt, driving his mother’s Volvo.
Because Jesse had saved the day. He’d been there for her when she needed him. And Annie knew that even the most independent roller girl in the world couldn’t argue with that.
* * *
Lexie looked confused when the blue estate car pulled up in front of Rosie Lee’s with Jesse behind the wheel and Annie in the passenger’s seat.
“Well, this is unexpected,” she said, as they climbed out of the car.
“Look who’s talking about unexpected,” said Annie, taking in Lexie’s attire.
Lexie did a little spin to show off her outfit. “You like?”
“I like!” said Annie, bobbing her head in approval.
True to form, Lexie had taken her temporary waitressing gig to the next level by going all out in the wardrobe department. She was wearing a snug-fitting, pink polyester dress, with an oversized collar and a scalloped white apron. There was even a little name tag pinned to the lapel that read “Dolores”. She was also sporting a pair of cat’s-eye glasses and a little paper crown on her head. She’d tucked a pencil behind her ear and had done her eyes up with old-school, powder-blue eyeshadow.
“I feel like we’ve just stepped back in time to 1957,” laughed Jesse. “Who’s Dolores?”
“Dunno,” said Lexie. “I guess she was the waitress who donated this vintage diner uniform to the thrift shop. Isn’t it great?”
“It’s brilliant!” said Annie. “My dad’s gonna love it.”
Lexie beamed. “Well, it was between this kitschy look, and a Victorian dress with a bustle, a pinafore, and a little lace mob cap. Technically, that would have been more in keeping with the whole British theme, but nowhere near as much fun.”
“I think you made the right choice, Dolores,” Annie giggled.
“Thanks, girlie,” said Lexie, affecting a twang. Then she popped a piece of gum into her mouth and snapped it a few times. “So are yous two gonna show me around this dump, or what? I ain’t got all day, and my feet are already killin’ me. Jeesh, what’s a gal gotta do to get a cuppa caw-fee in this joint, heh? And don’t try to gimme any a’ that new-fangled flavoured crap neither. A good old-fashioned cuppa joe, that’s what I like.”
Annie was cracking up as she unlocked the front door. She had a feeling that with a little help from “Dolores”, Lexie would earn enough tip money to buy her new graphics tablet in no time!
Chapter Ten
After giving Lexie a crash course in opening Rosie Lee’s and taking several scones and a handful of peanut butter cookies to eat along the way, Annie and Jesse were ready to get on the road.
“First things first,” said Jesse, opening the console between the seats. He took out a homemade CD and popped it into the player. “Road rule number one: good tunes should always be a top priority.”
As he pulled away from the curb, Annie tapped her foot to “Short Skirt/Long Jacket”, one of her all-time favourite Cake tunes.
But her earlier excitement had given way to a mild case of anxiety. As comfortable as she and Jesse were with one another when they hung out at the rink, this was really the first time they’d ever been completely alone together. Ordinarily they just seemed to fall into witty banter, but all of a sudden, Annie found herself tongue-tied.
Maybe it was because there was no getting past the fact that sitting beside a boy in a car felt an awful lot like a date.
“This is kinda weird, huh?” said Jesse, reading her mind.
“A little,” Annie admitted. “I guess.”
“The only person I ever drive anywhere is my little sister, and she’s too small for the front seat.”
“Want me to hop in the back?” Annie asked without missing a beat. “Maybe change Cake for The Wiggles and I can start asking ‘Are we there yet?’ every five minutes.”
Jesse laughed. And just like that, the anxiety was gone.
“You spend a lot of time with Katie, don’t you?” asked Annie. She had met Jesse’s little sister on Halloween night when he’d brought her trick or treating, and it was clear they had a great relationship.
“Yeah. I’m, like, a built-in babysitter, but I don’t really mind. Katie’s pretty cool for someone who still believes in the tooth fairy.”
Now that Annie was able to relax she began to take in the scenery. Even though they’d been in Illinois for half a year, she’d seen very little of her new home state. She knew the charming streets and quaint neighbourhoods of Liberty Heights like the back of her hand. But that hadn’t prepared her for what she was seeing now.
“It’s beautiful! Practically all farmland,” she observed, staring out of the window at the sprawling fields and wide-open land. In the middle of February, it wasn’t exactly an inviting landscape, but the rolling meadows, sturdy barns, and old farmhouses that appeared every few miles had a kind of rugged beauty that Annie couldn’t help but admire.
“I know this area pretty well,” Jesse told her. “My grandparents live out this way and I used to spend my summers here when I was a little kid.”
“That must have been amazing!”
“It was fun. One year there was this baby goat that followed me around constantly. Cute little guy, kind of clumsy and funny looking, but loaded with energy and very loveable.” He shot Annie a sideways look. “I guess he figured we had a lot in common.”
Annie laughed. “So when did you go from being a country boy to a skater boy?”
“I guess around
the time my dad split.” Jesse shrugged. “It was his parents who owned the farm, so naturally, things got a little weird for my mom after that.”
“Sorry,” Annie whispered. “I know how it feels.”
“Yeah, I guess you do.”
Annie realized this was the first time she and Jesse had ever talked about the subject of their parents’ respective divorces. She was glad it had finally come up. It was comforting to discuss it with someone who understood first hand.
“Maybe I’ll swing by and pay the g’rents a surprise visit on my way home,” said Jesse.
“That would be nice. I’m sure they’d love to see you.”
“Yeah. And I bet that goat has been wondering where the hell I’ve been, too!”
As they drove on, their conversation sailed smoothly from topic to topic, covering everything from embarrassing childhood anecdotes to current academic interests and favourite pizza toppings. The only thing Annie couldn’t bring herself to ask Jesse was whether or not he had a girlfriend.
At one point, Annie’s phone beeped. She checked the screen.
“Hope that’s not Lexie, telling you she accidentally burned down Rosie Lee’s.”
“Nope. It’s my mum.”
Jesse smiled. “I like the way you say that – mum. What’s she like?”
“Busy,” said Annie, replying to Mum’s “Have you arrived yet?” with an “Almost there!” and a smiley face. “She works constantly. Even when we lived in the same house, I barely saw her.” Annie shifted in her seat and sighed. “And neither did Dad.”
“I guess that would explain the split.”
Annie nodded. “There was more to it, of course.”
“My dad was pretty much the same way. Work came first. And not because he was concerned about supporting us. It was more about him feeling important and powerful. Once I asked him to come watch me at the skate park – I was just learning how to board slide, which is a pretty tricky thing to do, and I really wanted him to know I was getting good.” Jesse gave a sad chuckle. “He spent the whole time checking stock reports on his phone. I could have fallen off the rail and busted my head wide open and he would’ve never even noticed.”
“I’m glad you didn’t,” Annie said softly. “Bust your head open that is.”
“Yeah.” Jesse grinned. “Me too.”
“Still, divorce sucks.”
“No argument there.” Jesse hit the indicator and veered off the highway onto a beautiful little country road. “You seem to be handling it pretty well, though.”
“It’s the new normal,” said Annie. “What else can I do?”
Jesse hesitated before he answered. “You could go back to London.”
Annie was so taken aback by his comment that she whirled to look at him with wide eyes. When he saw the hurt look on her face he quickly clarified, “Not for good. I was thinking more like a vacation. A visit.”
“Oh.”
“Did you really think I was suggesting you move back there? Like permanently?” He smiled and shook his head. “Because I’d hate that. I mean, I’d seriously hate that.”
His tone was so sincere that Annie’s heart actually fluttered. “You would?”
“Yeah. I would.” He was blushing again.
Emboldened, Annie tilted her head and asked, “Why?”
“Well, for one thing, the Liberty Belles would be in big trouble without Anne R. Key in the line-up. And for another, you’re the only girl I know who likes The Clash, the Sex Pistols, and Nirvana.”
“That’s true,” said Annie. “So maybe if I do go back to London for a visit, you should come with me.”
Jesse blinked. “Come to London with you?”
“Think about it! You could actually walk in the footsteps of David Bowie, Mick Jagger, and Ray Davies.”
“That would be cool.”
“And I’d take you on a guided tour of Camden Market! We could get matching T-shirts at Over the Top, and then we could stop by Cold Steel and get our eyebrows pierced.”
“And then,” said Jesse, laughing, “we could go straight to the US Embassy to see about revoking my citizenship, because if I ever pierced my eyebrow – or anything else for that matter – my mother would be waiting at the airport to kill me the minute I set foot on American soil.”
“Fine.” Annie rolled her eyes, pretending to be crushed. “No piercings.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“But what about everything else? You and me, rocking London town like it’s never been rocked before?”
“Oh, I’m in,” said Jesse, nodding emphatically. “I am so in.”
It was all in fun, of course. A silly fantasy. They’d allowed themselves to get swept up in the make-believe. But what Annie realized, as she settled back in the passenger seat to watch the countryside slip by, was that she really could picture herself and Jesse together in London, having a blast.
Not only could she picture it, but somewhere deep down inside, she’d begun to wish for it, too.
* * *
They pulled into the quaint little college town an hour later and Annie was immediately charmed by the old brick buildings and tree-lined streets. College kids seemed to be everywhere, sipping tall coffees from cardboard cups, wrapped in Great Lakes University fleeces and hats.
“Nice place,” said Jesse. “Looks like a page right out of the college brochure.”
Annie looked at the campus map she’d downloaded from the internet. “Take a left at the traffic lights up there,” she instructed, the excitement evident in her voice. Now that the proud domes and elegant spires of the university were visible, all traces of nervousness were gone. “I can’t believe I’m about to enjoy a week of derby, all the time!”
“I knew you’d be a natural,” said Jesse. “The first time I saw you bombing down Main Street on your inline skates. You almost took out poor little Sid Vicious.”
“You said so,” said Annie, remembering the moment Jesse’s dog had caused her collision with Kelsey. “You said something like, ‘Nice moves. You should be a roller girl.’ I had no idea what you were even talking about.”
“I think I actually said ‘sweet’ moves,” Jesse said, grinning. “But I was right.”
“Yes, you were,” said Annie, her tone reverent. “And now I can’t even imagine my life without derby. I can’t explain how I feel when I’m on the track. It’s as if I’m completely free. Empowered.”
“You don’t have to explain it to me,” said Jesse, a similar reverence in his voice. “It’s the same for me with skateboarding. It’s a chance to push yourself to your ultimate limit. To accomplish something that really matters to you.”
Annie nodded, liking the fact that he understood. Then she pointed and said, “Veer right here, then turn into the second driveway on the left.”
Jesse did as he was told. Unfortunately, instead of leading them to the student centre, where the camp-goers had been instructed to meet for registration, the second driveway brought them to the back of the science building.
“Oops,” said Annie, as Jesse executed a perfect three-point turn. “I guess I misread the map. Try the third driveway.”
But the third driveway took them to the outskirts of campus, to Fraternity Row – a street lined with stately old houses, each of which had large Greek letters attached to the front.
“I believe we’ve just found Party Central,” said Jesse, eyeing a boy asleep on a decrepit sofa on the lawn outside one of the frat houses.
“Wow,” said Annie. “Looks like someone had a rough night.”
Annie consulted the map again, and was finally able to guide Jesse to the proper building. He pulled up to the curb and for a moment they both sat there, not sure what to do next.
“I don’t want to make a bad first impression by being late to registration,” said Annie, turning to face him. Her eyes met his and her next words came out in a whisper. “I guess I should go inside.”
Jesse gave a little nod, but his intense blue eyes remained
focused on hers. “Guess so.”
In the close confines of the car Annie realized she could actually feel the warmth emanating from his skin; the light, clean scent of his shampoo filled the small space.
And his lips looked ridiculously soft.
She suddenly wanted to know how soft.
In the next heartbeat, she saw that he was leaning ever-so-slightly in her direction.
She was just about to mirror that action when a series of shrieks and giggles exploded just outside the car window. Annie jerked her head round to see a crowd of teenage girls running up the stairs to the student centre. They laughed and called out to another group of girls, who were hustling across the building’s lawn to meet them.
Talk about mood-kill.
“The roller girls have arrived,” Jesse observed with a chuckle.
Was it Annie’s imagination or was there an undercurrent of disappointment in his laughter?
“Right. I should go in.” She unbuckled her seat belt, still not ready to get out of the car.
But there was a steady stream of campers arriving now, so Annie forced herself to open the door. Jesse got out too and retrieved her three duffle bags from the boot.
“Have a great week,” said Jesse. “Take no prisoners.”
“I never do,” Annie assured him. “Thanks for the ride. Thanks for – ” she smiled – “everything.”
Feeling impulsive, she leaned over and gave him a hug.
“You’re welcome,” he said, close to her ear, sending a shiver up her spine.
Annie couldn’t help but wonder what it would have been like if he had kissed her goodbye.
She sighed, deciding perhaps it was better that he hadn’t. They were friends. A kiss would have just complicated things.
She waited on the pavement as he got back in the car, then watched as he drove away.
Annie felt desperately lonely for exactly one second.
Then she heard a familiar voice calling, “Yo, Anne R. Key!”
She turned to see Holly waving from the top of the student centre steps.
Boot camp was about to begin!