My Best Friend's Brother

by Chrissy Fanslau

  “Please?” He leaned in and planted a kiss on my forehead. “I want to spend time with you. If you’re afraid we’ll get caught someplace, we’ll just sit and talk in my Jeep, I don’t care.”

  I sighed. “Fine. But just this once, okay?”

  He inched down and kissed me. “Meet me by my locker before class.” He winked and left.

  I watched him walk away. He was too hot to handle.

  It was time for home economics. To my surprise, Tom sat quietly in his seat while Jenna tried to conceal running mascara in a mirror—she looked like crap. Oddly enough, the period did not start out with them bothering me.

  I reached on the floor for a pen I intentionally dropped. For a brief second, my eyes brushed Jenna’s. Then she looked away and sniffled, wiping her nose with the orange sleeve of her sweater. That’s kind of gross. I turned away.

  “Today we will learn some uses for flour,” Ms. Sanderson said as she slapped her pointing stick on the board. “I expect every person in the room to participate by providing me with one example of something that is made with flour.” She stopped, leaned forward to see clearer, and pointed. “Thomas?”

  Tom stood up to speak. “You can make bombs with flour.” He sat back down.

  Everyone laughed, but Ms. Sanderson was not amused. “This is serious, Mr. Belling.” Then she pulled out a twenty ounce container of flour and began passing it around as a visual aid. Who needs a visual aid for flour?

  Ninety more minutes of this? The day needed to end!

  ~ ~ ~

  Tom didn’t throw a volleyball in my face in gym, and Jake was sluggish, not even interested in soccer. I was more enthusiastic than he was—what was going on?

  Not that I’m complaining…

  At lunch, Jake, Tom, and Tristan stared from the next table over. Anna and I glanced back at them. I picked at my lunch. She stuffed her face and studied physics.

  As soon as Luke sat down he said something, but I couldn’t hear him over all the noise. He looked at me as if waiting for an answer, but I just shook my head.

  “What are they looking at!” He elevated his voice so I could hear him.

  “I have no idea! They’ve been acting weird all day!”

  “Jenna!” Luke pointed out Jenna three tables down. She sat with a bunch of girls I’d never seen before and a giggly girl who was not old enough to even eat in our cafeteria. She was picking at her mac and cheese. “We’re doing it after third period, right?!” Luke asked.

  Anna gaped at me.

  I shook my head at her. “Don’t worry, he doesn’t mean that!” I laughed and looked at him. He wore a cute grin. “Sure!” I told him, accidentally catching Jake’s eye. Jake looked like he was disgusted by us or something.

  Luke got up, tossed his lunch, and signaled for the doors. I gave Anna a reassuring look, dumped my lunch and followed him. That cafeteria is impossible to eat in—it smells like spoiled milk and soggy pizza, even when that nasty school pizza’s not on the menu.

  He was leaning on the yellow lockers when I next saw him, looking absolutely gorgeous. His head was tilted, his hair hung down, his eyes glowed, his teeth sparkled. He wore a silver muscle shirt that complemented his eyes.

  “Hey,” he breathed. We looked around the empty hallway, then back at each other. “It’s crazy even trying to think in there,” he uttered.

  “I know. It’s strange how sometimes there’s so little noise, and other times it could pop your eardrums.”

  He nodded and looked at the floor. When our eyes met again, he smiled.

  He is way too quiet! I’d had a bad experience in which a certain horny toad dumped me in the past, and he was quiet before he did it. But Luke just looked sad, like everyone else.

  Is misery contagious?

  “What’s wrong?” I asked. “You’re quiet.”

  He rubbed his sneaker on the floor, making those annoying squeaks and little wax marks. “Did you hear about that Halloween party?”

  “Yeah…” I suddenly felt woozy.

  He took a deep breath. “Wanna go with me?”

  “Yeah!”

  He nodded and smirked. “What about the prom?”

  I laughed, relieved. “Will I go with you?” I mumbled, asking his next question for him.

  He grinned. “I don’t know, will you?”

  I threw my arms around his neck. He kissed the top of my head. “I will,” I said, never more certain of anything in my entire life.

  Hopefully Lilly would call soon. She’s never in her hotel room, so I couldn’t call her. I had to tell her I’d found him—the one that completes me. This is sort of big.

  I could hardly believe I was looking forward to cutting my favorite class just to be with him! That says a lot!

  ~ ~ ~

  “Hey Beautiful,” Luke breathed at his locker after third period. “Wanna go eat something that’s not cafeteria barf?”

  I laughed at his vivid description. “I’d love to!”

  “Adonia!” Jake waved at me from a few yards away. “Can we talk next period? I need to ask you something.”

  Luke and I exchanged looks. I glanced Jake’s way and said, “Yeah, later.” Once he left and the halls were empty, Luke snuck me out the back entrance.

  We crept over to his Jeep, keeping a low profile, watchful for security. He cranked the engine. We whizzed by the stop sign and onto the main road, my heart pounding from start to finish. I’m such a goody two-shoes!

  I glanced out the rear windshield. I didn’t see school security—we had to be in the clear.

  At the McDonald’s drive-thru we ordered Big Macs, large fries to share, strawberry milkshakes and two apple pies. Then he parked, cut the engine, and we started eating.

  “Beats school food,” Luke said. “We should come here for lunch.”

  I nodded, arranging my lettuce on the hamburger. “I watch what I eat, though.”

  Luke laughed. “Oh, you’re not on a diet, are you? Diet-obsessed girls are a bit nutty. They eat like, celery for breakfast, a grain of rice for lunch, and drink water for dinner.” He laughed. Then he stopped and looked at me like he expected an answer.

  “No, I’m not on any nutty diets.”

  He nodded. “Burgers aren’t so bad.”

  “But they’re fatty…”

  He shrugged and swallowed up half his burger. “So are a bunch of other foods. Like ice cream or peanut butter. I’m sure if you make an effort they’re all relatively easy to burn off…” He stopped chewing and looked at me. I giggled and looked away. He swallowed and cleared his throat. “In any case, you’ve got a perfect figure. You don’t need to diet.”

  I ate some fries and had a mouthful of shake. “Thanks. You too!”

  He grinned, staring out the windshield. His cheeks were getting rosy. He drank most of his milkshake before he started talking again.

  I inhaled a few fries. It wasn’t my appetite, it was probably guilt—I was supposed to be in class, turning in my assignment to Mr. Tweezer.

  Mr. Tweezer is a cutie, despite his awful last name. His first name is Tim, so people call him Tim the Tweezer. But he really isn’t shaped like a tweezer—he is dark haired, Sicilian, and built—he coaches the wrestling team.

  I’m not a fan of wrestling, because guys shouldn’t roll around on the floor, ruin their noses and mingle in their own sweat. Plus, did you ever feel a wrestling mat? It’s all sticky and it smells like feet! That is so totally gross! I can’t imagine rolling around half-naked on that thing. How can guys stand it?

  “Sorry about the other night,” Luke said. “I didn’t mean to get you in trouble with your dad.”

  I gave him the rest of the fries and sucked on the straw, nearly choking on a huge chunk of strawberry. “My dad’s a bit overprotective.”

  He sunk back into his seat. “I guess if I had a daughter I would be too.”

  “Do you want kids?” I asked.

  “Why, how many do you wanna give me?” He grinned as I laughed. My cheeks flushed.
“Don’t know yet, Beautiful.”

  “Are you going to college?”

  “If I am, I’m not going right out of high school. I’m training for the Olympics, actually.”

  And to think I’ve never cared much for the Olympics, either!

  “And while I train for the Olympics, I’m going to be a ski instructor. I love skiing. I’m always skiing when I’m not in school or… with you.” He grinned. “That’s my life, now—skis and pretty girls.”

  “Your skiing is great. And I think it’s awesome that you skied in the Alps.”

  “You should come next time I go. Unless, that is, you have something you’re doing after high school?”

  I whimpered, not so thrilled to be back on the subject of me. “My parents expect me to go to college, but I don’t know what to do. I’m so undecided, it’s pathetic!” I turned my body to face him. “My friend Lilly, her parents are putting absolutely no pressure on her about it. When she graduates, she could go to the beach every day for the rest of her life and they won’t care.”

  He looked away for a second. “Maybe her parents know she needs to decide what she wants, and they really have no say in it.” He looked at me. “Maybe you need to stop stressing about what they want and think about what you want.”

  He’s right. I don’t know what I want, just what Mom and Dad do. But the only thing I truly wanted just then, was to be with him and not grounded.

  He shook my arm. “You okay?”

  I snapped out it. “I’m fine.” We kissed again. It got pretty fierce and I loved it. This time I wasn’t nervous. He smelled so incredibly good.

  Why did Dad have to work at home? Why!

  ~ ~ ~

  We made out in his Jeep until three. Then he dropped me off a block from my house and I walked home.

  I crept up to my bedroom, not seeing Dad anywhere. Apparently there were people who were expecting me home: Jake and Sullivan.

  “What are you two doing in my room?” I demanded.

  Sullivan tucked his hair behind his ears and crossed his arms. He wore a torn up black tee shirt with a faded rock band logo on it. He’s even more annoying when he gets all defensive like an eight-year-old. “It was Jake’s idea. He wanted to wait for you. I thought he wanted to help me with the next level in the game, but apparently he’s just here for you. I was just making sure he stays out of your stuff in here! You’re welcome.” He stormed out of my room, slammed his door, and blasted his music.

  Jake sat on the edge of my bed. He wore all black, his eyes were red and narrowed. I also thought I smelled an ashtray.

  “Well?” I asked like I had better things to do, which I did.

  “You weren’t there.”

  Of course I pretended I had no idea what he was talking about. “Wasn’t where?”

  “In class.” He crossed his arms. “So where were you?”

  I crossed my arms too and sneered. “And how is that your business?”

  “Are you sleeping with that guy? He’s a really bad influence on you, getting you to cut class with him!”

  Well that was quite an assumption! I shook my head in disbelief and looked away. I was not about to be lectured by my persistently horny ex-boyfriend! Seriously, who does he think he is! “Get out of my room! That is none of your business!”

  He looked hurt. “I’m asking because I care about you.”

  I laughed maliciously. “Oh, yeah, is that why you dumped me, for not giving in to your constant nagging? And he’s the bad influence?”

  Jake scowled. “Well, Adonia, it seems you have no problem giving in to him, huh?”

  I opened the door to show him out. “Like I said, that’s none of your business! You dumped me and now I found someone nice who respects me and you can’t stand it! You’re an asshole, Jake. Get out of my room!”

  He walked out and turned to face me. “Well, since you cut class, I guess I should ask you what I was going to ask in class!”

  I checked the hall, hoping no one heard that. “I want to know why you’re spending time with this creep, he even got you grounded! Then I want to know why you flat out ignore me at school!”

  I laughed. “Your best friend slammed a volleyball in my face! Your girlfriend gives me dirty looks, and you do nothing about either, why should I be nice to you? Wow, the nerve of you!”

  He narrowed his eyes. “I can’t control other people!”

  I could not believe he was accusing me of being rude! “Whatever! Look, we used to go out, and people who’ve dated can never be friends anyway, so let’s not!”

  “Fine. Don’t expect me to keep your little secrets, though, because I won’t. And by the way, Jenna’s not my girlfriend anymore, so don’t call her that!”

  “I guess she figured out even she’s got standards!”

  “If I see that blond prick touching you again, I swear to God I’m gonna smash his skull!”

  I chuckled. Apparently I’ve mastered the art of pissing him off. “Yeah, okay, he’ll just crush you! Did you see his arms?”

  “I’m sure you got a better look than I did.” He headed down the stairs, cursing and beating the wall on the way down, and slammed the front door behind him.

  Since Sullivan wouldn’t hear a knock over his music anyway, I just walked in.

  “Hey! What are you doing in my room!” he hollered. He turned down his stereo.

  I sighed. That crap was making my head throb! “Look at how filthy this place is! Why would I be in here if I didn’t need to be?”

  He threw his Wii controller at the television. “Okay, what?”

  “Why do you keep inviting Jake over?”

  “I won’t anymore! I thought before today that he really liked video games, but he’s just here to see you!”

  I crossed my arms. “He’s a total jerk, why invite him at all? Duh!”

  “Well, I just said I’d stop! Duh!”

  I changed the subject. “Where’s Dad?”

  “Buying dinner. And he said you can’t go out, because you’re grounded!”

  “I’m aware of that, thank you!” I slammed his door behind me and headed to my room. I changed out of my school clothes and threw myself on my bed, intent on finishing Life of Pi. But I couldn’t focus this time, either.

  I want Lilly to come home—everything will be so much better with her around.

  VIII

  In creative writing, Tweezer took attendance and gave the writing prompt. “In one page or less, write about the most embarrassing moment of your life.”

  I was expected to do that in one page?

  “Ms. Morrison, Mr. Pawlak…?” Tweezer said afterwards. “Is it a coincidence, or did the two of you miss the same classes while not being marked absent for the school day on both Monday and Wednesday?”

  I know, so much for cutting just once.

  Luke and I exchanged looks.

  Jake smirked. Asshole!

  And so, I was awarded the first two pink slips of my high school career, and we were sent to the principal’s office. Three pink slips equaled detention, so I knew the cutting of classes had to stop. Unfortunately.

  We sat in the waiting room outside Dr. Lang’s office, listening to his overweight secretary hum a song and type up a storm on her computer.

  Mom stood before us twenty minutes later. Luke looked perplexed from his chair a few feet away. God, her skin was completely fried! Along with her sunburn, she wore a thick black coat. It looked ridiculous. Her blond hair hung to the same length as her dreamcatcher earrings, just above the shoulder. She didn’t act like someone who’d been away for months. In fact, she didn’t even say hi. “I want your side of the story,” she demanded, raising a mostly drawn-in eyebrow.

  I sighed, kind of relieved she wasn’t Dad. If she were, I’d never hear the end of it. I pointed to Luke, who was still staring at her. “This is Luke, my boyfriend. Dad grounded me for a week for missing my curfew last Saturday. Cafeteria food is nasty and we wanted to have some lunch, so we cut two classes.”

/>   Her expression was blank. She has glasses that adjust to the light in the room, and the lenses were tan, so I couldn’t read her eyes.

  After a minute, she turned to Luke. “Do you need a ride?”

  Luke looked stunned. “I drive.”

  “Well, if it’s okay with your folks, I’d like you to meet us at our house. The three of us need to talk.” She grabbed my jacket off the seat to my left and thanked Dr. Lang and Mr. Tweezer for turning us in.

  A minute later we were in Mom’s Jeep. She did not say a peep until we reached our driveway and Luke parked behind us. Dad’s Dodge Stratus was not in the driveway, or the empty detached garage.

  She got out of the Jeep and staggered up the steps to the front door. Once she unlocked it, we followed her in. Luke looked nervous. I was scared. But Dad would’ve been worse—had to keep that in mind.

  We sat at the kitchen table. The time on the microwave read 2:35. No Sullivan for an hour.

  “I’m Mary, Adonia’s mother.” She shook Luke’s hand. He looked like he was wondering why she had to mention being my mother. “How old are you, Luke?”

  “I’m eighteen in December.”

  “Are you new here? I haven’t seen you before.”

  “I am.”

  Mom eyed me. “And you two are dating?”

  We nodded. I already told her that, too. She’s treating us like anthropological test subjects.

  “And Dad met him?”

  I nodded again.

  She looked at him. “Do you two use protection?”

  My eyes widened. In horror.

  When I finally got the courage to look at him, I could see Luke was staggered. And speechless.

  “Mom! We haven’t done that!”

  She took off her high-heel boots. “Well when you do, that’s one thing to keep in mind. Luke, would you like some coffee?”

  Luke’s glance shifted from me to her. “Um, yes Mrs. Morrison.”

  “You can call me Mary.”

  “Yes, Mary.”

  She began brewing.

  “Mom? I’m not supposed to be seeing him,” I disclosed. Just in case Dad got home.

  “Well, your father has to understand that punishing you will not prevent you from seeing Luke. God knows that kind of punishment never worked on me at your age!”