“You don't know about Kelsey?” Dean said, leaning forward.
I threw my hands up. “Hello? New guy, remember?”
“Well, I wasn't here at the time, but I've heard the story a lot since I started here,” said Baz.
“What story?” I asked.
“Three years ago, Kelsey made friends with a couple of eighth graders that rode the bus with her. One of them was a boy who was getting beat up real bad by four other guys, and the other was the boy's girlfriend.”
He paused. “She wanted to help them, so she started this 'anti-bullying' thing in the school; she got lots of people, including the teachers, involved in it. But one day, the boy was on his way to that huge oak tree next to the fifth-graders' building, when the four guys snuck up and attacked him.”
I blinked. “Damn.”
He held his hand up. “Oh, it gets better. Before they could beat the guy up any more, Kelsey got right in their faces. All by herself, against four eighth-graders.”
My eyes went as wide as saucers. “Okay, now you're just messing with me.”
“Swear to God, man.” His smile was huge. “And before the guys knew what was happening, half of the class had joined her, standing between them and the other kid.”
“I heard she ninja-chopped them,” said Bailey.
“Yeah, well, you believe everything you hear, dumbass,” teased Baz.
I rolled my eyes. “Anything else I should know?”
“Well, her dad's a cop …”
“Yeah, she told me.”
Baz gave me a stunned look. “Wait a sec … she talked to you? Ya never said that! That changes everything!”
I met his gaze, suddenly nervous. “Why?”
“A few guys have asked her out, but she turned them all down. She's not, like, mean about it or anything, she's just … really picky. When exactly did she talk to ya?”
“A few days ago.”
Baz exhaled in disbelief. “She just, like, came up to ya and started talking?”
“Yeah.”
He looked over the faces of his friends, who were shaking their heads. “Well, congrats, bud. In only two weeks, you've done something no guy has done before.”
I smiled, unsure of how to react to this statement. “Great. Is that all?”
“Only this,” Baz said ominously, “if Kelsey wants to hang with ya, yer in for an interesting ride.”
“Oh,” I said, slightly deflated. “That's not exactly what I'm looking for right now.”
Baz clapped me on the shoulder. “But hey, if ya do get friendly with her, can ya get her to put in a good word for me?”
“What do you mean?”
“So many girls dig me accent. They can't get enough of it. Frankly, it gets a little boring sometimes …”
“Yeah, poor you,” said Tim, making a face.
“But Kelsey's friend … she's something else. I want to talk to her, but she's got a freakin' boyfriend. In high school. He used to go here. He was a real nut-sack. I just want to be there when that relationship goes blammo.”
“Which friend?” I asked. “The little blonde girl?”
A strange look crossed Baz's face. “Bryanna? No, no, no, so not my type. I'm talking about April … you know, tall, long hair, great bod.”
I nodded. “I've seen her. They're all in my Algebra class.”
“Well, keep me in mind, is all I'm asking.”
Just then, something hard and round slammed into my head. A basketball. I cupped the back of my head, turning around to face my attacker. If I'd had a few seconds to guess who it was, I'd have guessed correctly.
The rich prick stood a few yards away, picking up the basketball that he had perfectly bounced off my head.
I was instantly irate. “You son of a …!”
“Wow,” he said, laughing. “You've got so much gel in your hair I was sure the ball would stick right to it. Guess I was wrong.”
I stood up, making a motion to go kick his smug face in, but Baz put a hand on my arm. I turned to face him, and saw him shake his head.
“Not here, Ethan,” he said softly. He turned to face my attacker. “Leave him alone, Kirk.”
“Stay out of this, Lucky Charms,” he sneered. “This is between me and the new guy.”
“He's with me, beach ball,” Baz retorted.
He laughed. “Oh, isn't that sweet, you've got a new girlfriend already! You're really into the tall chicks, aren't you?”
Baz took another step forward. “You want another dance at the Big Tree, beach ball? Fine by me. I'll give you a shiner under the other eye this time.”
Kirk gazed at Baz with pure anger. “You got in a lucky shot. Won't happen again.”
“Run along, Blaisdell, before me Irish temper gets the better o' me.”
Kirk glared at Baz, then back at me. “This ain't over between us, monkey boy.” Then he turned his back and strode away.
Baz exhaled in relief. “Geez, what an arse.”
I looked at him with gratitude. “Thanks, Baz.”
“No prob,” he said.
“I can take care of myself, you know.”
He shrugged. “Oh, I have no doubt o' that, but if Kirk Blaisdell comes after ya, he won't be alone when he does it. He needs to know you won't be alone either.”
I looked at him in sheer puzzlement. “You barely know me … why would you stick your neck out for me like that?”
He pointed at my T-shirt. “'Cause anyone who likes AC/DC is automatically cooler than him. That's reason enough.”
I smiled back. “Works for me. Um … why do you call him 'beach ball'?”
“'Cause one good punch and all the air goes out of him,” he said with a wicked grin.
I laughed so hard at this, I'm pretty sure I had bubbles coming out of my nose.
* * *
Later that evening, Logan was taking me apart in an old Halo game Pop had bought, but that was nothing new. Pop had turned in early, and my mind was on other things.
After all I learned about Kelsey from Baz and the guys, I needed time to think about what I was doing. I hadn't acted all that interested during our conversation on the outdoor stage, but there she was today, asking to talk to me again.
She was interested. In me.
But am I interested in her?
My name is Ethan Zimmer, and my life just got complicated.
Chapter 9
~ DAY 12 (Fri.) ~
KELSEY
“You guys will never believe who came up to me today before second period,” said April as the four of us took our usual spot on the bleachers.
“Eric?” I asked.
“Warren?” Penny chipped in.
She shook her head. “Tonya Sykes.”
My jaw dropped. “You're kidding.” That was a name I'd not heard in a long time.
Bree looked up. “You too? She tried talking to me last week.”
Penny looked back and forth between them. “This is the girl that used to tease you, right?”
April nodded. “That's an understatement. She spent all of third and fourth grades spewing fat jokes at me. For a nine-year-old, she was a real monster.” She gestured at me. “Until Supergirl here came along and punched her lights out.”
“April!” I shouted, blushing. “You know I'm not proud of that, right?”
“Why not?” she retorted. “It was awesome! It got her off our backs for good, didn't it?”
Before I could reply, Penny said, “What did she want?”
“Don't know,” April said, staring fixedly at the ground. “Don't care, either. I'm not letting that witch within ten feet of me ever again.”
“Same here,” said Bree.
Penny frowned. “It's been three years, you guys … maybe she's changed.”
April shook her head. “She's been out of my life since fifth grade, and she can stay that way for all I care.” A sad look crossed her face. She was clearly remembering the short, pudgy girl she once was. “That girl rode my butt for two years
. If she wants to talk trash again, she'll be in for a surprise.” She smacked her palm with her fist in demonstration.
This was a big surprise. Ever since the first day of fifth grade, Tonya had kept a low profile. She'd been practically invisible. She hadn't made any more trouble since then, at least not that I knew of. If she hadn't been in my Home Ec class last year, I would have figured she'd transferred to another school.
I turned my attention to Bree, who was staring sullenly into space. She hadn't said much during lunch, and she'd barely touched her food. She clearly had something on her mind besides Tonya. “What's wrong, Bree?” I asked.
Bree looked at us, watching our concerned faces. She sighed heavily, and then looked down at the ground. “It's nothing,” she said.
“Bree, it's obviously not.”
“I'm just …” she paused, then sighed again. “I'm just not feeling well, that's all.”
Penny reached over and grasped her hand. “Do you need to go see the nurse?”
She shook her head. “No, I'll be okay.”
“Any news about Ryan Butler?” April asked.
“Yeah, you could say that,” Bree replied, her face blank. “Before third period yesterday, I saw him walking toward me, so I stopped and looked right at him. He just kept on walking. He didn't even notice me.”
“Sorry,” I said.
“And then today, I saw him with Suzanne Lundquist. They had their arms around each other.”
Penny nodded. “Guess Carly exaggerated after all.”
“Guess so.”
“You upset?” April asked.
“Not really. I wasn't that hopeful anyway.”
Penny squeezed her hand again, smiling her friendliest smile. “It'll happen. Someday. I just know it.”
“Of course it will,” I added, smiling as well. “You're too awesome for it not to.”
Bree just shrugged her shoulders. “Whatever.”
April, Penny and I continued with our random conversations. I glanced over at Bree on several occasions. She was eerily silent. Gradually, my thoughts drifted inward.
In seventh grade, she'd been happy. Joyful, even. But that had changed. Something was bothering her, something big, and it broke my heart that she didn't want to tell me what it was.
I'd known Bree for three years, and in all that time, I'd never seen her behave this way. She wasn't the most outgoing person I knew, but she wasn't shy either. Like April, Tonya chose Bree as one of her victims, and I never understood why. Bree was easily one of the prettiest girls in our class. She was a little on the short side, but she didn't have any physical features or habits kids typically tease you for. For whatever reason, though, she'd built a wall around herself since the school year started, and I didn't have a clue why.
The fifth-period bell rang, and all my classmates immediately stopped what they were doing and began their journey to their next class. April and Penny stood up, but I put my hand on Bree's arm before she could do the same.
I looked at April and Penny. “Guys, can you give us a sec?”
“Sure,” said April. “I'll see you in class.”
Penny looked puzzled at first, but then smiled. “Later,” she said, and then she and April hopped off the bleachers and walked back toward the buildings.
I looked directly into Bree's eyes. “Bree … you know you can talk to me about anything, right?”
Bree met my gaze, and whatever inner war she was fighting was apparent in her eyes. She smiled slightly. “I know, Kelse.”
I took her hand. “So what is it that's got you so upset?”
She averted her eyes, staring over my shoulder. “I'm just … going through some stuff, that's all.”
“Problems at home?”
She shook her head. “No …”
“What then?” I asked, squeezing her hand.
She looked back at me, then down at the ground. “It's personal.”
Dammit, Bree. Why won't you open up to me? This isn't like you! I thought about asking her again, but I didn't want to antagonize her in her current emotional state. “Okay. You can tell me when you're ready.”
Without warning, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around me. Instinctively, I returned the hug. We'd hugged before, plenty of times, the way best friends do, but this time it felt different. This felt like the hug of someone who was holding on for dear life. It was the hug of someone afraid to let go because the future was uncertain and possibly very painful. As we embraced, I could feel desperation vibrating through her entire body. Suddenly, I felt very frightened for Bree. It made so little sense to me, that at a time when she could depend on me the most, she chose to confide in me the least.
After a few seconds, and a few curious glances from students making their way off the playground, I broke the hug. She gave me an uneasy smile. I smiled back.
Sometimes, I thought, just being there is exactly what the other person needs.
But how long will it be before that isn't enough?
Chapter 10
~ DAY 12 (Fri.) ~
ETHAN
Baz asked me yet again if I was going to come over to his house and watch him practice today. I really wanted to go, if for no other reason than to not have to spend another Friday night staring at the walls of our house. I hadn't yet asked Pop's permission; I'd learned from experience that he's more likely to say yes if he doesn't have a ton of time to think it over.
I figured the drive home would be the best time to ask, because then we could leave within minutes of getting home. I told Logan about my friendship with Baz, and he told me he was becoming buds with Baz's brother Sean, despite being one year apart in age. Pop was very over-protective, understandably so, and I hoped all day that he'd be in a good mood when he picked us up from school.
It took a lot of effort, but I was able to lay off teasing Logan for the last couple of days, and this seemed to make Pop a lot happier. Pop was under a lot of stress, and didn't need any more from us. Even so, I figured when Logan and I asked Pop to let us go over to Baz's house for a couple of hours, his instant response would be “no.” Surprisingly, he said yes, provided that we return no later than seven, and that we wear our watches so we wouldn't lose track of time.
“Have fun, boys,” he said as we headed for the door. “You sure you don't want me to come along?”
Sigh. “We'll be okay, Pop,” I said. “It's only a half a mile away.”
He stared at us for a few moments, then nodded. “Okay, then. Stay out of trouble.”
Finding Baz's house was easy. It was right on the corner of 5th Avenue and Mulberry, just like he said. With the garage door up, I could see a couple of good-sized amps, a drum set and a bunch of guitars. As we walked up, two older boys looked at us curiously, but before we could introduce ourselves, Baz came running out the front door. “Ethan! Ya made it!” he said, slapping me on the shoulder.
“Yeah,” I said. “Have you started yet?”
“Not yet.” He turned to face my brother, extending his fist. “Logan, right?”
“Hi,” said Logan, returning the fist-bump. “Never seen a dude with an earring before.”
Baz laughed. “He don't miss a thing, do he?” He turned back toward the house and shouted, “Sean! Yer bud's here!”
Another boy poked his head out the door. He looked a lot like Baz, and wore the same hip clothes, but he hadn't yet developed the need for a high-maintenance haircut like his older brother. Upon seeing Logan, his face lit up. “Logan! How ya doin', boyo?”
Logan smiled. It was great to see him smiling. “Doin' fine, Sean!”
He beckoned to Logan with his hand. “Well, come on, bud, I got Assassin's Creed Unity all warmed up! Let's kick some French arse!” Logan grinned, and without another word, ran up the steps and past Sean, into the house. Sean closed the door behind him.
Baz gave me a knowing look. “Well, that's the last we'll see o' them.”
“Yup,” I added. “He used to blow whole weekends playing Gears of Wa
r.”
Baz tugged at my sleeve. “Come on, I'll introduce you to me bandmates.”
Entering the garage, I got a better look at Baz's friends. They both looked to be around sixteen, give or take. One was tall, skinny, with brown eyes and flecks of bright green color weaving through his hair. The other was also tall, on the heavy side, with short hair and a pencil-thin mustache. “Guys, this is Ethan,” Baz said. “Ethan, this is Joey and Elijah.”
Joey smiled. “Yo,” he said in greeting. “You like Metallica too?”
I looked down at my shirt, nodding. “Yeah, they rock.”
“Damn right!” He strode forward and gave me a fist-bump. And then, without warning, he busted into the chorus of “Enter Sandman.”
Yeah, “busted” about describes his voice. Gack.
Baz nudged me with his shoulder. “And that, Ethan, is why he's not the vocalist in this band,” he said, making sure Joey could hear him over the caterwauling.
Elijah picked up an empty soda can and threw it at Joey, silencing him. “Geez, Joey, shut up already! You're giving every dog in this neighborhood a headache!”
Joey picked up the can and threw it back at him, missing by a mile. “Well, you'd know, wouldn't you? You've dated every one of them!”
Baz stepped forward, standing in between them. “Enough, guys! We've only got ninety minutes, let's use 'em!”
Joey stepped back with a grumble and took his position behind the drum-set. Elijah picked up a bass guitar and slung the strap over his shoulder.
Baz picked up one of the other guitars as well. To me he said, “Can you tell they're brothers?”
“Just a little. How'd you guys become a group, anyway?”
“We started a couple of years ago,” said Elijah. “In our freshman year. Our buddy Nick was the lead singer. Damn good one, too.”
“Yeah,” said Joey. “But he was also a pothead. You can probably figure out how that story ended.”
My eyes widened. “He's in jail?”
Baz continued the story, “No, he's on probation. But his parents have got him on lockdown for the next two years, so …”
“I see,” I said, nodding. “How'd you end up in the band, Baz?”
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