The Romeo Club

by Rebekah L. Purdy

  When we loaded back on the bus, I wiped sweat from my forehead and chugged a bottle of water.

  “I so need a fan. I’m roasting,” I said.

  “Good game, girls. Saw some great passing. And Kellogg, way to keep them from scoring,” Coach said to our keeper. “If we keep this up we might end up getting into the playoffs this year.”

  Kenadi and I tossed our bags in one seat, then flopped down in another. I just got situated when my phone went off. Rex’s ringtone.

  “Double-D, just calling to see how your game went before my relay’s up,” he said. “So, did you win?”

  “Yep,” I said. Should I be worried that he didn’t even say hi first? Great, I had the feeling I’d be dissecting every conversation from here on out.

  “Gotta give me the details so I can brag about my girl to everyone. Did you score?”

  I laughed. “Yeah, I got three goals. Ken had one. We whomped Cedar.”

  “That’s my girl. Listen, I gotta go. I’ll give you a celebratory kiss tomorrow.”

  Kenadi popped a bite of granola bar in her mouth. “So, what’d he want?”

  “To talk about my game.”

  She snorted. “That’s it?”

  “Yeah. Pretty much.”

  She shook her head, but didn’t say anything else. Gah, I blamed Trey for making me question my relationship. Hell, I’d been perfectly happy and okay with mine and Rex’s conversations before he’d mentioned it.

  I bent down to put my cell away, when it blared to life once more. For a moment, I thought maybe Rex decided to call back, but when I saw the number, I groaned. C.C.

  “Hello?”

  “Delyla, it’s C.C. I wondered if you could maybe tell me what outfit to wear to school tomorrow?”

  “Go with a pair of your new jeans and that green polo shirt.”

  “What shoes?”

  “Your tennis shoes.”

  “Are you sure? I don’t want my feet to look too big. On second thought, you know what they say about big feet,” he said.

  “Ew, I think I just threw up in my mouth. Again.”

  He chuckled. “Ah, you think I’m funny. Admit it.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far. So, is that all you needed?”

  “I decided to try out for the play at school. I’ve been in Drama Club for a while, but never had the guts to go out for one of the leads.”

  “Imagine that, you, a drama queen.” I rolled my eyes. “So why did you decide to do it now?”

  “Liza’s going out for the female lead. So-so I, you know, thought maybe now would be a good time. D-do you think you might help me rehearse some lines on Sunday too?”

  I smiled. It was crazy how nervous he got when he talked about Liza. “Sure.”

  “I owe you one,” he said.

  “And I’m keeping track of how many times you tell me that.”

  “Listen, I have to go. My mom’s hollering for me to take the trash out.”

  Geez, the things I did for these guys.

  Chapter 12

  Steam billowed into the locker room from the showers as girls got dressed and changed out of their gym uniforms. The mixture of sweat, perfume, and body spray nauseated me. All I wanted to do was get some fresh air. However, it was probably better than the stench that came from the boys’ locker room. Sweat. Butt. Cologne. Farts. Yeah, it could definitely be worse.

  I hopped up and down, trying to get into my skinny jeans. Today definitely wasn’t the day to wear these things. It was like trying to squeeze a watermelon into a straw. Once, I got them on, I put on a pair of flip-flops and adjusted my T-shirt.

  “Oh. My. God, you guys,” Portia said. “Trey Garrett is so adorable.”

  “Yes, we know. You’ve only told us like thirty times today,” her BFF Jasmine said.

  Portia giggled. “It’s just, he’s been talking to me a lot this week. And it’s kind of cool. I mean, he likes a lot of the same shows I do. Get this, he even watches Celebrity Dance Off.”

  “Are you sure he’s not gay?” Jasmine puckered her lips as she dowsed them with gloss.

  Portia rolled her eyes. “He’s not. Besides, you’re jealous because Bart hates anything dance related.”

  I grinned. This was perfect. The Romeo Club worked. Portia noticed Trey. I so couldn’t wait to tell him. But, as I listened to Portia change the subject to the dance routine she planned to do at her next beauty pageant, I wondered for the zillionth time what he saw in her.

  With a sigh, I shoved my uniform into my locker and walked into the hall. I wanted to catch Trey before our next class. Even if I didn’t approve of his choice of girls, I still couldn’t wait to tell him what I’d overheard.

  People hurried down the hall toward their next classes, pushing and shoving to get through the crowd. Up ahead, I spotted Trey. He smiled when he saw me and called out, “Hey, I need to talk to you.”

  “Me too,” I said.

  He pushed his way through the masses. Over his shoulder, I noticed Rex who waved for me to come over. I held up my hand to let him know in a minute. When I did that, he also started toward me. Crap, why was he being so dang clingy lately?

  Trey reached me first. “Do me a favor,” I said.

  “Yeah?”

  “Duck and run.” But before we could, I saw Bart catch Rex first. Thank God. As the two of them talked, Rex kept looking in my direction. “Follow me.” I yanked on Trey’s arm.

  “What are we doing?”

  “Trying to lose my boyfriend.”

  Trey peeked over his shoulder. “Just stay low then.”

  With a smile, I stared back at where Rex had been standing to find him deep in conversation with Bart. After a second, the two of them began moving in our direction. Damn. I spotted the janitor closet and grabbed Trey’s sleeve.

  “Quick, hide in here.”

  We rushed into the closet and the door shut behind us. Darkness enveloped us. My leg brushed against his. My heart leapt into my throat. Whoa. Settle down girl. This is Trey.

  “Okay, what are we doing in here?”

  “Rex has been snooping around a lot lately. He actually went in and talked to Mr. Braxon about tutoring me instead of you guys. And he keeps showing up, when he knows I’m supposed to be hanging out with the Nerd Herd. I don’t know what’s gotten into him.”

  “Maybe he’s jealous of our new stud status.” Trey moved, this time his arm brushing my shoulder.

  I laughed. “Maybe. So, what did you need to talk to me about?”

  “Oh, right.” His warm breath tickled my cheek as he leaned closer. “I talked to Portia again this morning. She actually sought me out.”

  “That’s awesome,” I said.

  “Except for the part where all we spoke about is dancing. I need more stuff to chat about. Something not dance related.”

  “Okay, we can fix that.”

  “So what did you want to talk to me for?” Trey said.

  The scent of cleaning supplies burned my nose. Maybe the janitor closet wasn’t the best place to be carrying on a conversation.

  “Well, Portia seems to be into you. I overheard her in gym class talking about how adorable you are.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “Nope. If you keep doing what you’re doing, that girl will be eating out of your hand in no time.”

  “Dude, you rock. You know that?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Duh. I’ve been trying to tell you guys that for years.”

  He chuckled. “So, do you think we’re safe to get out of here now?”

  The warning bell sounded. “Yeah.”

  I reached for the door handle and twisted. But it wouldn’t turn. I pushed my shoulder against the door. Again, it wouldn’t budge. “Um, we might have a slight problem.”

  “Like?”

  “Like we’re flipping locked in.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes.” My voice squeaked as panic set
in. God, what if no one heard us? What if we got stuck in here overnight?

  “Here, let me try.” He moved around me. I heard him rattle the handle. “Shit.”

  “We’re gonna be late for class.”

  “Hate to tell you, but I think being late is the least of our worries.”

  “Wait, I have my cell.” I fumbled in my pocket and pulled it out. The light blue glow shined like a beacon in the dark. With a sigh, I dialed my brother’s number. It rang then went right to voice mail. Damn. Now was so not the time for him to have a social life.

  “Let me try C.C.’s number. His uncle’s the janitor here.” Trey grabbed my phone from me and put in his number. “C’mon, C.C. pick up,” he said. “Thank God you answered. Hey, I need you to do me a favor. Yes, I know class is about to start, but I’m locked in the janitor’s closet down by Mr. Duncan’s room.” Trey gave me a quick look. “Never mind how I got stuck in here, just let me out.”

  After he hung up, he handed me the cell. “Is he coming?”

  “If he knows what’s good for him.”

  A minute later the doorknob turned and we stumbled into the hallway. C.C. grinned at us. “So, if I pay more can I get locked in the closet with you?”

  My face burned. “I-it’s not like that … we were talking.”

  C.C. tugged my hair. “Is that what the kids are calling it now days? Talking?”

  “Do you want my Trig book to become a part of your butt? Because I can so make that happen.”

  Trey smiled. “As much fun as getting locked in the closet with you was, I need to get to class.”

  My heart skidded into my ribs like a car on ice. Which wasn’t the reaction I was looking for.

  Chapter 13

  With the closet fiasco behind me, I sat on the couch in my family room, waiting to get The Romeo Club meeting started. We were only missing one person. I fingered one of the plaid throw pillows, twisting the colored fringe around my finger.

  When Kevin rushed in, I stood. “Okay, everyone’s here. So why don’t you go around and report back on your joining a club assignment.”

  C.C. set his notebook down on the recliner next to him and cleared his throat. “I’m happy to say that I grew some balls today.”

  Trey took his glasses off and cleaned the lenses on his T-shirt. “Oh, so you were a girl prior to today?”

  “Ha-ha, real funny. What I’m trying to tell you is that I talked to Liza. And she asked if I wanted to help her on the Prom Committee. So I said yes.”

  I didn’t know whether to cheer or cringe. C.C. planning one of the biggest moments of my life made me nervous. What if he got us some crazy theme, like, Zombie Apocalypse? And everyone had to wear shredded clothes or something? Or what if he convinced Liza to do a camouflage formal? Gah.

  “That’s great,” I said. “Kevin?”

  “I managed to get into Astronomy Club. They’ve got some cool telescopes up at the college observatory that we’ll get to use.” He tugged a blue beanie down over his ears. Seriously, how many beanies did he have?

  “Perfect.” The Nerd Herd made me proud. They were actually taking my advice and going with it. “Trey?”

  He gave me a sheepish look. “I didn’t get a chance to join anything yet. But, before you chastise me, I want everyone to know that Portia invited me over to watch the dancing show tomorrow night.”

  “Oh. My. God. Seriously?” I squealed, hopping off the couch.

  His mouth twitched. “Yeah. But pretending to like that show around her is gonna be hard as hell.”

  My eyes met his. “Then maybe she’s not the right girl for you.”

  C.C. interrupted. “Of course she is. Have you seen her rack? And that tight bu—”

  “Um, can we not talk about her body parts?” I covered my face with my hand.

  “She does have nice tits,” Kevin agreed. “And her legs are pretty hot too.”

  “Who’s got nice tits?” Drake sauntered in carrying his school bag.

  “Portia,” C.C. said. “Apparently she’s invited Trey over to watch TV tomorrow.”

  Drake grinned. “Bet they do more than watch television.”

  “Okay, I’m done listening.” I plugged my ears and headed for the stairs.

  When I got to my room, I collapsed on my bed, dragging my textbooks from my bag. Portia and Trey. My stomach knotted. It just didn’t make sense to me. By his own admission, he hated dancing—which was all she talked about.

  And why does this bother you so much?

  I spread my homework across my bed then pulled out my cell to text Kenadi.

  Portia asked Trey over 2 her house. Might need more info 4 him.

  A knock sounded on my door. “Come in,” I called.

  The door swung open and Trey came inside. His gaze wandered over my soccer posters, trophies and bookcase before it landed on me. “I wondered if you might have time to meet up with me tomorrow before I go to Portia’s.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I might need help picking out clothes and getting some ideas of things to talk about.”

  “Sure. Coach cancelled practice tomorrow.”

  “So, do you want me to give you a lift home from school?”

  “Sounds good,” I said. “Oh and don’t forget our movie comes out in two weeks.”

  He snorted. “Like I’d forget. Are we still going to the midnight release?”

  “Hell, yeah. Not sure about Drake, since he and Chloe are attached at the pelvis. But I think Kev and C.C. are still in.”

  Just then my phone rang. Trey waved goodbye before stepping out of my room.

  “So, our little Trey is all grownup and has his first date?” Kenadi teased.

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, it just so happens I found out a few more things about Portia. Jasmine said she’s a vegan. She hates scary movies, loves going to the zoo and apparently loves to shop for pushup bras. As if we didn’t notice that from seeing her in tight shirts.”

  “Okay, I’ll let Trey know.” I wrote the info down in my notebook. “You know, the more I see them interact or hear him talk about her, the more wrong they seem together. I mean, they have absolutely nothing in common.”

  “Is someone jealous?” Kenadi said.

  “No. I-I’m looking out for Trey.” But was I jealous? Did I have some deep down infatuation with him I hadn’t recognized yet? I so needed to get things sorted out. Because right now, I had no idea what was going on with me.

  Chapter 14

  Rex held my hand as we walked down the hall. “Since you don’t have practice today, I thought maybe you might want to come watch my track meet,” he said. We came to a stop outside my Trig class and he pulled me into his arms. I rested my palms against his chest.

  I squinted and let out a low groan. “Actually, I can’t today. I have Science Club stuff.”

  “Again?”

  “Yes.” I laughed. “Some of us have interests outside of sports, you know.”

  He nuzzled my neck. “I just miss you. And you haven’t been to any of my meets this season.”

  “Because my soccer games and practices are normally at the same time. We can plan something soon, I promise.” I stood on my tiptoes and gave him a peck on his cheek. Over his shoulder, I saw Trey watching us. When he met my gaze, he gave a nod then turned away.

  “Oh, hey, I gotta get to class,” Rex said. “I forgot, I told Bart I’d loan him my Chem notes.” He released me then sauntered down the hall. How much longer would I be able to keep up the charade?

  Better question, how much longer would Rex put up with me ditching him?

  ***

  After school, I found Trey sitting in his truck, waiting for me.

  “Remind me next time Ms. Janston asks me for a favor to say no.” I climbed in and shut the door behind me.

  Trey grinned. “Yeah, she takes advantage of the kids who actually get their work done on time. Last year, she had me run errands for her because I alwa
ys handed everything in early.”

  “Sure, now you tell me.” I leaned over and changed his radio to a rock station. “Do you think if I fail a couple papers, she’ll quit giving me extra crap to do?”

  He smacked my hand away from the radio knobs and turned it back to a classical music channel. “Hey, the driver gets to choose the tunes.”

  “No. You’re supposed to be nice and let guests pick a station.” My fingers pushed his out of the way.

  He leaned over and tickled my side, until I slid away laughing. “Nice try.”

  “You cheat,” I said.

  “But I won, didn’t I?”

  “For now. But just wait, I’m gonna attack you when you least expect it.”

  He snorted. “Now I’m terrified.”

  Trey shifted his truck into gear and backed out of the parking spot. On the drive to his house we discussed a few movies we wanted to see, then switched over to talking about our favorite video game, Dwarves of Iconia.

  Soon we got to his house and he cut the engine. I followed him inside, where his mom stood in the kitchen over a sheet of chocolate chip cookies.

  “Hi, Mom,” he said, giving her a quick hug.

  “Hey, sweetie. How was your day?”

  “Good. Got out of taking a test in Government because I did that extra credit project for Mr. Carp.”

  “That’s nice.” She glanced up. When she saw me her smile widened. “Delyla, hi. I didn’t know you were coming home with Trey today.”

  “We’re working on a project together,” I said.

  “Then you two better take a couple cookies and get studying.” She snagged four steaming cookies and set them on a plate for us. “There’s milk in the fridge. Just make sure you bring the cups back downstairs. Oh, and Trey, leave your bedroom door open please.”

  I’m not sure whose face turned redder. Trey’s or mine. But neither of us hung out long enough to see where the conversation might lead.

  “Sorry about that,” he said when we got upstairs. “I don’t know why she said that.”

  “If it’s the worst thing she ever says to embarrass you, then you’re lucky. You should hear the things that come out of my mom’s mouth. Remember, I told you she actually accused you of stealing her bra?”