Split

by Alicia Rades

It amazed me how Aaron could encourage his competition in such a genuine manner. I guess he didn’t win a sportsmanship award last year in football for nothing.

  “Guys,” Logan said sternly. “It’s fine. It was a fifty-fifty shot.”

  I could tell he was only saying that to cheer himself up, but I didn’t know what else to do to ease his heartache. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “Yeah, I just …” He stood. “I should probably go.”

  “No!” I said almost too quickly. “That’s not fair.” I glanced at Alaina.

  “Yeah, Logan,” she said. “Stay. Have lunch with me.”

  I stood. “Aaron and I will go. I’m sorry it had to be this way.”

  Logan shrugged, but I knew it bothered him.

  Aaron took one last sip of his water and then slid out of the booth. “Sorry, man.”

  I exited the café with Aaron by my side, not once looking back at Logan. As we walked to Aaron’s car, I pulled the necklace out of my pocket and clasped it around my neck.

  “What now?” he asked.

  I wasn’t sure. My parents weren’t home, so I couldn’t take Aaron back there, and I was still hungry. “Can we go find somewhere else to eat?”

  “Sure.” Aaron pulled out of the parking lot. “You know, I meant it in there.”

  “Meant what?” My skin grew hot just looking at him. I itched to reach over and grab his hand that rested on the gear shifter between us.

  “I meant that he’s a good guy. I really do think he’ll find someone else. And hey, if you still want to be friends with him, I’m okay with that.”

  I nodded with a smile and slipped my fingers between his. “Thank you.”

  In that moment, I knew I’d made the right choice with Aaron.

  CHAPTER 5

  LOGAN

  The next day, I received a text from Alaina saying we were all meeting up for lunch at the café. By “we all,” she meant herself, Logan, Jordan, Emily, Holly, Blake, and me. Jordan had returned from his family’s last trip up north for the summer, and Alaina was eager to see him. She picked me up on her way there.

  I twisted Logan’s bracelet around my wrist as we drove. “I didn’t tell any of them yet.”

  “Oh?” she said curiously.

  “It seems like everyone’s been away all summer except me, you, and Logan. I’ve hardly texted Emily and Holly all week.”

  “Me, either, but don’t worry. They’ll be happy with your choice.”

  As soon as we entered the café, my heart leapt in my chest. Logan sat beside Jordan and Blake in the corner booth and laughed at something Jordan had said. I wanted to be right there holding his hand and laughing with him.

  Alaina tugged at me. Right. I had to actually make my feet move for that to happen.

  The boys smiled up at us as soon as we approached. Jordan slid out of his seat and pulled Alaina into a tight embrace. Logan stood and smiled at me, but he didn’t move in for a hug. It was like he wasn’t sure we were at that point in our relationship yet. I didn’t care. I threw my arms around his neck and pulled him close. He could probably feel my heart beating wildly against his body, but if he noticed, he didn’t show any indication of it. I grinned so wide it almost hurt my face. I pulled away quickly. Was hugging him okay? I brushed a few stray strands of hair out of my face and slid into the bench next to Blake. Logan sat beside me on the end.

  “So, Aaron’s out of the picture, then?” Blake asked.

  I looked at him. Blake had short brown hair, dark eyes, and deeply tan skin. His eyebrows rose in interest.

  “Yep. I—” I glanced at Logan as if searching for the words to explain it. “I’m Logan’s girlfriend now.”

  “Yeah, my man!” Jordan said from across the table. “Congrats.”

  Logan blushed a deep shade of red, but in the next moment, he composed himself. “Yeah, well, she was worth the wait.” He draped his arm across my shoulder, sending my insides melting once again. It made me feel better about hugging him a moment ago, like he welcomed the affection.

  “Aww,” I heard from across the café. We all looked up to find Emily and Holly approaching our table.

  “You two are so cute together.” Emily sat, forcing Alaina and Jordan to the middle of the circular booth.

  Holly slid in beside her and pushed the dark curls out of her face. “This is great news.”

  A blush rose to my cheeks again. Calm yourself, Maddie! “Yeah, well, we’re pretty happy about it.”

  A moment later, our waitress, Laura, arrived at our table and took our drink order. After she left, Emily spoke. “Holly and I were thinking about going bowling on Friday. Are you all in?”

  “That sounds like fun—” I started to say, but Logan cut me off.

  “Actually, I was going to ask you if you wanted to go out on Friday night.”

  My eyes lit up. Our first date! “Oh. Sorry, guys. I guess we won’t make it.”

  Blake shrugged beside me. “I’m in.”

  “Yay!” Holly smiled.

  “Sorry,” Alaina said, “but Jordan and I have a date planned, too.”

  Emily didn’t seem to mind. “That’s fine. So, what’s everyone’s plans for senior year?”

  Our drinks arrived, and we ordered our lunch before returning to the conversation. It was nice to have the whole gang together again. It was the first time I remembered all of us being together this summer.

  “My plans aren’t very fantastic,” Holly said. “I have to work if I have any hope of paying for college next year.”

  “Where’d you get a job?” I asked. “Everywhere I looked wasn’t interested.”

  “My sister got me a job at the restaurant where she waitresses.”

  “Oh, I didn’t know they were hiring.”

  “They didn’t advertise it,” Holly told me, “but my sister’s a miracle worker. Sorry, but I don’t know if I can get you in.”

  I shrugged. “That’s okay. What about you, Emily? What are your plans?”

  “Same old, same old.” She waved her hand nonchalantly. “I’m taking choir again and hoping to get better roles in the plays this year.”

  “Hey.” Logan looked at me. “You should join us in choir.”

  Emily and Logan were the only two in our group who took that elective. It’s how they became friends and how Logan slowly eased into our circle.

  I glanced between him and Emily. She smiled like she thought it was a good idea.

  “Me? In choir?” I raised my brows.

  “Why not?” Logan asked. “Then we’d actually share a class together.”

  “You can sing soprano with me,” Emily encouraged. “I’ve heard you sing before. You’re not bad.”

  I wasn’t terrible, but I wasn’t exactly a performer. Still, I liked the idea of spending as much time with Logan as I could. “I’d have to drop something, and I’m not dropping art. I could maybe drop psychology.”

  Emily bounced in her chair excitedly.

  Logan pulled me even closer to him, sending heat to the surface of my skin. The chatter next to us seemed to fade as he whispered in my ear. “I can’t wait to spend more time with you.”

  The conversation traveled around the table as everyone discussed their plans for the year. Alaina was going to continue her paintings, and she was taking a graphic design class this year to see if it was something she wanted to do for a career. Jordan planned to continue his dancing. Unfortunately, our school didn’t offer dance classes, so he took lessons after school at a local studio. He’d spent most of the summer traveling with his dance team when he wasn’t on vacation at his parents’ cabin. Blake was on the yearbook committee this year. He was a great photographer and had even won money entering his photos in competitions, so the committee was thrilled to have him as their photographer for events.

  When our food arrived, everyone broke into their own conversations.

  “So, where are you taking me on Friday?” I turned to Logan and bit into my sandwich while he talked.

&n
bsp; “Can’t it be a surprise?” His lips twitched to hold back a smile, and I found his expression strangely attractive.

  “Come on, you can tell me.” I moved my hand below the table, intending to grab his for encouragement, but my nerves stalled me. Going from friends to couple was still so new to me. My hand instead curled into a fist and rested on my thigh.

  He sighed heavily for show as if I was forcing it out of him and he couldn’t help but give in. “Okay. I bought these tickets to Beauty and the Beast a while ago. I didn’t think it’d be a date when I bought them. I was actually thinking about taking my little brother, but I thought now that we’re together, maybe you’d want to go.”

  “Tickets?”

  He nodded. “To the musical. It’s at the performing arts center.”

  “Oh, right. I think Emily mentioned that. It sounds like fun. Are you sure your brother won’t be disappointed?”

  “Don’t worry about it.” His fingers slid across mine, and he squeezed my hand.

  The butterflies in my stomach sprang to life once again.

  I remained mostly silent the rest of the meal. Blake talked loudly beside me between bites of food, but I didn’t want to be rude and talk with my mouth full. Apparently he’d missed that lesson as a kid.

  “Did you want a ride home?” Alaina asked me after we finished eating. She licked the last bits of salt off her fingers before wiping them down with the napkin in front of her.

  “I’m not sure what my plans are.” I exchanged a glance with Logan. “Did you want to hang out?”

  “Sure,” he agreed.

  “Let me just text my parents.” I pulled my phone from my purse at my feet and texted my mom. She asked what I’d be doing, if anyone else was going to be around, and all that.

  I don’t know yet, I texted back.

  After a couple of minutes of this, she agreed as long as I didn’t take Logan back home when she wasn’t there and that if we went to his house, his parents had to be home. Otherwise, she wanted me out in public with him. She also said I had to be home by ten. I nearly rolled my eyes, but I resisted. My friends always joked that my parents were too strict.

  I turned back toward Alaina to answer her question. “I’m going to hang out with Logan, so he can drop me off.”

  “Okay, have fun.” She waved as Logan and I stood to go pay our bills.

  I squinted into the bright sun as we exited the building. “Have any ideas?”

  He wiggled his eyebrows as he unlocked his car. It wasn’t the best car in the world. Rust lined the bottom edge, but at least he had a car. “Let’s keep this one a surprise, okay?”

  I climbed into the passenger seat and reluctantly agreed. Excitement sizzled in my bones. What could he possibly have in store?

  My phone buzzed as we drove.

  Change your mind yet?

  The text was from Aaron. I closed the message app and turned my phone to silent without responding. I didn’t want anything to distract me from this moment, from Logan.

  Logan drove to the older part of town where Alaina and I went the other day. I breathed a sigh of relief when he stopped before we made it as far as the psychic shop.

  “What’s this?” I eyed the building in front of us.

  “It’s a music store.”

  “Oh. Why are we here?”

  We exited the vehicle and headed toward the front door. “It’s one of my favorite places,” he said, pulling the door open for me.

  Cool air hit me when I stepped inside. Guitars hung from the walls, and drum sets stood in one corner. Amps and other accessories filled the additional spaces around the small, crowded room.

  “I didn’t realize this place existed,” I admitted. Each shop on this end of town blended into the next, and new ones came and went so often that I never paid much attention.

  “Not a lot of people do,” Logan responded.

  An older guy with long graying hair and a goatee stepped out from a doorway behind the counter. He was short and thin and hunched over slightly like he’d spent most of his life looking down at something. “Logan,” he greeted.

  “Hey, Jack.”

  “I take it you come in here a lot,” I teased.

  Logan smiled at me then turned to Jack. “Mind if I test her out?”

  “Go ahead.” Jack smiled.

  “Test what out?” I asked.

  Logan didn’t answer. He simply walked over to one of the acoustic guitars and pulled it down from the wall. Jack drew over a chair for Logan, and he sat down. He patted the guitar. “I call her Lucy.”

  I giggled. “You named a guitar?”

  “Sure did.”

  Jack returned behind the counter and spoke in a gruff voice. “He’s had his eye on that thing ever since it came in a couple weeks ago.”

  “Jack’s been nice enough to steer other customers away from it.” Logan winked, making me laugh even harder. “Just another hundred dollars to go, and she’s mine.” He strummed a chord. “Want to hear her sing?”

  I crossed my arms and leaned against the front counter in amusement. “I’d love to.”

  Logan began fingering notes to a song I didn’t recognize. As he sang, his voice filled the room and sent a shiver down my spine. I knew he could sing, but I had no idea he was that good. He continued without missing a beat.

  What will they say when I’m not around to hear?

  Will they call me just a pretty face?

  Or will they have better things to say?

  What will they say about me when I’m gone?

  Will they call me someone?

  Or just forget my name?

  Well, I don’t want to be forgotten.

  I want someone to know

  that I’m not just a stone.

  And I won’t be

  just measured in square feet.

  There’s so much more to me,

  and I’ll let everybody see.

  What will they say in ten years down the road?

  Will they read the words I left behind?

  Or will they be too hard to find?

  What will they do when I’m not there to see?

  Will they look at pictures of me

  or just use them as firewood?

  Well, I don’t want to be forgotten.

  I want someone to know

  that I’m not just a stone.

  And I won’t be

  just measured in square feet.

  There’s so much more to me,

  and I’ll let everybody see.

  Logan sang the chorus one more time before strumming the last few chords. The last chord echoed through the air and hung there for a moment before fading to silence.

  It took me several seconds to speak. “Oh my gosh. That song. Those lyrics. They were beautiful.”

  He quickly turned to hang the guitar back up, but I already noticed his face flaming red. “Thank you.”

  “Wait, you don’t mean …” I glanced at Jack, who was beaming. “Logan, you wrote that?”

  He nodded shyly.

  “That was amazing! You should get people to pay you for playing.”

  He shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal, but I knew it mattered to him more than that. Music to him was what drawing was to me. “I don’t know. It’s not really finished yet.”

  “He’s lying,” Jack accused lightheartedly. “I hear him come in here almost every day and play that same song. He’s good, isn’t he?”

  I nodded enthusiastically and thought about how lucky I was to have such a talented boyfriend.

  ***

  I greeted Logan at my front door on Friday night. He wore a gray sweatshirt and black pants.

  “Hey, we match,” I teased. My shirt was darker than his with three-quarter length sleeves, but it was close enough.

  He smiled back at me. “You ready?”

  “I am.” I pushed my way outside and began to shut the door.

  “Don’t you want me to say hello to your parents or something?” he asked quickly.
>
  I paused and raised my eyebrows. “You want to? They’ve been teasing me about this date for the past two days. It’d be easier if you didn’t.”

  Logan shrugged like he was unsure. “Okay, I guess.”

  I adjusted my purse strap on my shoulder and clicked the door shut behind me. A light drizzle sent me running to the passenger side door to keep my hair from getting wet.

  Once we were on the road, I spoke again. “Guess what I did yesterday.”

  “What’d you do?” He glanced at me then back at the road. Small raindrops dotted the asphalt.

  I giggled at him. “I said guess.”

  “You spent the day dreaming about a hunky blond musician?”

  I rolled my eyes. “I meant besides that.”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “I went into school and got them to change my schedule. I’m going to be in choir with you now!”

  “That’s great. Do you think we have any other classes together?”

  “I don’t have my schedule with me, and I haven’t memorized it yet. Changing my elective screwed up my whole schedule. I’m in a different homeroom and everything. I think the only thing that’s the same is my art class. We’ll have to compare later.”

  “Too bad Mr. Grady left,” Logan said with a fallen face.

  “I know,” I agreed. “He was the best.”

  Mr. Grady had been our chemistry teacher last year. He retired at the end of the year, but I think he gave up teaching long before retirement. We spent most days talking amongst ourselves when we were supposed to be doing worksheets. Since Logan and I sat together the second semester, it’s what gave me the time to get to know him.

  “Remember when our experiment boiled over and Mr. Grady just looked at us and shrugged?” I reminisced.

  Logan laughed, and I joined in. “I know. Our senior year is gonna be great.” He said it like it was a promise. As long as we were together, I had to agree.

  We listened to music on the long drive to the performing arts center in the city. He told me stories from last years’ choir performances, and I shared my own tales from art class. It all made me eager to start school again.

  We arrived and found our seats. Logan didn’t hesitate to slip his fingers into mine and pull me closer to him. I leaned my shoulder into his and could feel the heat radiating off his body. At this point, I hardly cared about the musical. I could sit here the rest of the night simply listening to Logan breathing and still have an amazing time.