Right Kiss Wrong Guy

by Natalie Decker

  “What doesn’t get old?” Layla asks as she plops down next to him.

  “Hey, you. Oh, we were just messing with Austin. How was your day so far?”

  She makes a face and sighs. “My day has been okay.”

  “Still bummed about today?” Tyler asks her.

  She nods. “Juliet takes it much harder than I do though. Like she went postal on my mom this morning.”

  “Wait like even crazier than you did when she told you about that guy Evan?” Tyler asks with a smirk.

  “Um yes.” She blushes then looks over at me. “Did Juliet tell you anything in class about what today is?” She asks.

  I nod.

  Layla looks worried. “You aren’t going to say anything about why Juliet is a little cranky today are you Jared? I don’t really want everyone giving me and Juliet pity looks.”

  I shake my head. “I’m sorry, it really sucks he’s not here with you all now.”

  “Thanks. Life is cruel sometimes. Nothing can bring my dad back. He would have been forty-five today,” Layla comments.

  Tyler pulls her against him and she sobs. “I got you,” he mumbles to her.

  “I love you,” she says to him. I wish I could do these kinds of things with Juliet. Comfort her on this day and tell her I’m here for her. I’d give anything to take away that pain from Juliet. It’s impossible though. Even if we were closer that kind of scar can’t be fixed.

  “Yo, Jare, you okay over there?” Tyler asks.

  “I’m fine. Why?”

  “You totally zonked out. I was asking you something and you just went all blank stare and didn’t say anything.”

  I blink. “Oh. What did you say?”

  “How did the project thing with Juliet go?”

  I shrug. “Well, my dad was being a special brand of douche, hounding her for not wanting to play soccer in college. Then my brother asked if we were dating. That stirred up some shit.”

  “It could be worse man,” Tyler says. “They could have had the whole sex talk while you’re just chilling in the living room with her.”

  Layla blushes then smacks his arm. “You told me no one would find out about that.”

  Tyler chuckles. “Relax babe, it’s just Jared. He doesn’t tell anyone anything.” He turns to me. “It totally sucked. My dad came in all hammered and said, ‘Now son, to prevent accidents, wrap it, don’t just tap it.’”

  Layla sinks down in her seat as a laugh busts out me. “Dude, I can totally see your dad saying that.”

  “Yeah, it wasn’t cool. We were fully-clothed. I can see if we were a little PG-13 or some shit but we weren’t even at PG stage. More like total minus G,” Tyler says.

  “Tyler,” Layla growls.

  “What? Babe, we were.” He lifts her hand and kisses it. “And I love being minus G rating with you.”

  She shakes her head. “You’re so lucky I love you.”

  Tyler smiles. “Love you too.” He turns to me. “But honestly I think parents’ whole goal in life is to embarrass the hell out of us.”

  “I don’t know man. I’d rather have endured a sex talk than have to repeat stupid phrases my dad says all the time.”

  Austin returns to the table with a whole lot of snacks and two glasses of water. “What did I miss?”

  “Nothing much,” Tyler answers. “Just a lot of boring exercises Coach made Jared do,” he lies.

  Austin nods. “Yeah, your dad was riding my ass this morning about my future. He needs to realize there are other sports besides football that I play man. No offense.”

  “I’m not offended. It’s not his business what you do,” I say.

  “Exactly. Speaking of, I heard he’s making you tour colleges during spring break. That sucks bro,” Austin says.

  “He thinks Jared’s going to be stuck in a minivan going from school to school, but the truth is Jared’s coming with me to Florida aren’t you man?” Tyler says with a smile.

  I shake my head. “I told you a thousand times by now I don’t know how I’m going to be able to go. Underaged remember. My parents would call the cops on yours if I ditched them and went with you all to Florida.”

  “Dude. Why not tell your dad you wanted to check out the campuses there and the ones on the way?” Austin suggests.

  Tyler and I both glance at each other then at Austin. “What?” Austin asks.

  “Wow, he really does have some insight when you actually need it,” Tyler laughs.

  “I’m going to go visit Juliet for a bit. I’ll be back,” Layla says as she stands.

  “Okay.” Tyler states then he looks over at me “Tell her we all say hi.” He throws a wink my way and I shake my head.

  “That’s not cool,” I mumble.

  “You’ll thank me later. So, are you going to convince your dad that the whole Florida adventure is a great idea or what?”

  “I feel like I missed something,” Austin says. “Shit! Hide me.”

  Austin scrambles to hide behind his book bag which looks utterly ridiculous. Tyler laughs. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  “Is she glaring at our table?” Austin asks in a voice that almost sounds like he’s nervous or scared not sure which.

  “Dude. Why are you acting like that? What girl has you so freaked out?” Tyler asks. “Did you forget to wrap before you tapped?”

  Austin smacks Tyler. “No man!”

  I glance over at Juliet’s table and notice her friend Adaline has her eyes laser in our direction. “What did you do to Addy? She looks really pissed off,” I say.

  “What did I do? Not a damn thing. She’s the devil! They call her frost queen for a reason,” Austin says.

  “Adaline Frost has always been nice to me. You had to have done something to tick her off.” Tyler chimes in.

  Austin raises his head then ducks it back down. “You two do not know her very well then. I’m telling you, that girl has issues.”

  Tyler and I bust out laughing and Austin scowls at us. “It’s not funny. She’s scary when she’s mad.”

  “The hell it isn’t. She’s like, what, a hundred pounds soaking wet? God, the way you talk, it sounds like she kicked your butt,” Tyler says while his hand slaps the table.

  Austin groans. “I do not. She’s a total control freak. Our schedules conflict. I can’t help it she’s working when I’m free. I also can’t help if we have one car and I gotta use it to take my mom to work. Unless one of you yo-yos want to pick me up and bring me here at six-thirty in the morning.”

  Tyler makes a face. “Hell no, dude.”

  “I can do it,” I offer. “I got my truck back over the weekend.” It wouldn’t hurt if Addy puts in a good word to Juliet about me.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Juliet

  “He’s such a tool! And her, she’s worse. All they do is flirt and talk about hooking up. Well, he tries to get her to hook up with him again, but she giggles then twirls her hair like a twit,” Adaline snarls.

  “Maybe she isn’t interested in hooking up with Austin again,” Chase says a little too defensively.

  “What peed in your cornflakes this morning?” Adaline snaps.

  “Hey, you,” Layla says to me pulling me away from my friend’s bickering. “Wanna stop at the bakery after school and get some awesome cupcakes?”

  “I would … But I have soccer conditioning.”

  Layla wrinkles her nose. “Can’t you skip?”

  “Mom said she didn’t want us skipping our activities today.”

  “Juliet, when are you going to break a few rules?”

  I raise a brow at her. “When pigs magically fly. Don’t start.”

  “Well, you know what I think, Adaline? I think you’re in love with the dumbass and you don’t want to admit it because that means you are into someone who is into people like Rachel Little!” Chase yells as he shoves himself from the table.

  “What did I do?” Addy asks me with the blankest look on her face.

  “Really, even I can
see why he’s mad and I haven’t heard nearly any of the conversation. He’s totally crushing on you and you’re obsessing over Austin, his teammate,” Layla pipes in.

  I glare at my sister. “What? It’s true,” Layla says.

  “Chase … no. We’re like … he’s like my brother,” Adaline says. “And I most certainly am not obsessing over Austin. He’s the bane of my existence.”

  Layla shakes her head. “That is how it all starts right?”

  “Don’t listen to her. Not everyone is like you and Ty,” I tell my sister. “Addy, if you don’t feel the same for Chase just let him know. Be gentle though. I mean he’s been into you for a while now.”

  She gasps. “Wait. You knew he’s been into me? How long and why? I mean I’ve never given him any kind of hints that I’m into him in that way. And how could you not tell me until now?”

  I shake my head. “A while. It wasn’t my secret to tell. If I wasn’t his friend too, of course, I would have said something to you.”

  Layla shrugs. “Boys read things differently. Signals get crossed. Girls do the same thing. I mean look at my best friend, she swears this one guy is playing hard to get with her. The truth is he is in love with someone I know and it’s not my bestie.”

  “Ouuuu wait are you talking about Jared Black?” Addy asks.

  Then I look over at Layla and then Adaline. “Yep,” my sister says.

  “Who’s the person?” I ask feeling a jolt of jealousy splash through my veins.

  “I can’t say. Sworn to secrecy and all,” she says.

  I punch my sister in the arm. “You’re so full of it. Tell me.”

  She rubs the spot where my fist made contact. “I can’t. And for that little brat, I won’t.”

  What? I’m her sister. Blood is supposed to be the most important thing, right? I glare at her. “After all, I do for you?”

  Layla blushes. Crap. She probably thinks I am talking about checking her homework over to make sure her dyslexia didn’t cause her to screw it up. I wasn’t though. She loathes anyone knowing about her little hiccup if you will. Especially when some douchnoodles try to make her feel stupid because of it, which I never do. So, her brain doesn’t process words and numbers the same way a normal person would. It doesn’t mean she’s not smart.

  I sigh. “I didn’t mean that. I meant when I take out the trash on your days or wash dishes for you on your chore days.”

  “I can’t tell you. I promised I wouldn’t. You don’t go back on promises, do you?” She eyes me, daring me to tell her she’s wrong.

  I huff. “No.”

  “Well, I do. Remember Faith from eighth grade?” Adaline says as soon as I give her a bugged eyed look. “She was always in the bathroom after lunch puking her guts out. One day I asked if she was okay and if she needed me to take her to the nurse’s office? She finally confessed to hating herself and called herself fat. Then she begged me not to tell and she made me pinky swear I wouldn’t. I broke it. She was hurting herself and needed help.”

  “That’s understandable and under way different circumstances,” I say.

  My sister gasps. “Wow. I can’t believe she was like that. Is that why she hasn’t been to school since?”

  “I think she moved,” Adaline says. “Jared Black is staring hard at you Juliet.”

  I roll my eyes. “No, he’s not. Stop being absurd.” I glance over at his table and Jared’s cheeks turn bright pink then his blue eyes break contact.

  Suddenly something shoves my shoulder hard and I turn toward the blossoming pain. Selena stomps her foot and crosses her arms. “Mark is my man. You better lay off! Got me?”

  “Oh, hell no! You don’t come over here and start telling us what to do you troll of a sophomore!” Adaline yells as she throws her chair backward and moves toward Selena.

  “Can’t fight your own battles? Aw, that’s right, you have your little group of losers doing it for you,” Selena snaps.

  “I can fight, but I only do it for things that are worth my time. You, Mark, and your bullshit are an utter waste of mine and my energy,” I quip.

  Selena flips her glossy hair. “If we’re such a waste of your precious time, why do you keep insisting that he’s the one sending you love-grams. He doesn’t love you, honey. Never has. Never will. Get that through your thick-nerdball skull!”

  I swear I don’t care that Mark has never had true feelings for me. Still listening to her words sends a dagger to my heart. He was the first boy to ever show interest in me. He was the first boy who kissed me. He was the first one to say he liked me a lot. For some reason, a watery glaze blurs my vision. “You better step away from my sister right now,” I hear Layla say.

  “Oh, stupid Layla, if I were you I’d let your sister handle her own battles or your man might not be yours for very long either.”

  “Please, Tyler thinks you and your hooker friends are trash,” Layla says with a laugh.

  “Yeah, and Tyler has a little more taste. I mean he did send you packing when you tried to snag him first,” Addy says.

  Selena makes a noise like she’s offended. “Whatever. Better watch your back, Juliet. ‘Cause when your little entourage isn’t around I’m going to show you why you need to stay away from things that are mine!”

  She walks away from my table and I blink back my tears threatening to fall. “Hey, don’t worry about her,” Layla says.

  “I’m not. It’s just some other things she said.”

  “J, you know she’s an idiot, right?” Addy chimes in.

  I nod and sniffle a watery laugh. “Yeah. I know.”

  “Good,” my sister and Adaline say together.

  But is it all good?

  The bell signaling the start of the eighth period has chimed. Hopefully, my third-year Spanish class ends quickly and doesn’t drag on. Chase has been in a manly PMS mood and refuses to talk to me. Whatever. Fine.

  Mr. Chivers has been at the board muttering different phrases which I should be listening to, but I can’t. My mind wants to be somewhere else like replaying those snide remarks Selena said to me. Then there is the fact my mom refused to let me have a day at home.

  “Todo derecho todos los pasatiempos,” Mr. Chivers says. “Or in English, it would be?”

  Jared raises his hand.

  “Yes, Mr. Black.”

  “All right everyone pop quiz,” Jared says.

  Mr. Chivers smiles. “Correcto.”

  A small sheet of paper is passed back throughout all the rows. I stare at the words and feel nauseated. My skin is itchy, like breaking out in hives itchy. I can’t get an F. This isn’t multiple choice. I literally need to translate.

  My panic is on full blast. Omigod I’m going to get an F and my entire average will fall. I pick through a few words I do know and jot them down. Bus, pen, café and then I try to string it into a coherent sentence.

  “Time. Please pass up your answers,” Mr. Chivers says. “Then start reading Chapter 5.”

  “You look stressed,” Jared whispers as I pass a quiz to him.

  I shoot him a glare. “I’m not.” I drag my nails up my arm three more times.

  “Are you allergic to something?”

  “Only to your constant questions! Mind your own business!”

  I feel like absolute crap. I shouldn’t have yelled at him.

  “Whatever.”

  Jared shifts in his seat and I frown. He wasn’t being rude. He didn’t deserve that. “I’m—” He interrupts me.

  “I don’t care.” Then he hands off the quizzes to Mr. Chivers.

  I am about to say something more to him because he does the same to me as of lately. Why should I just leave him alone? “Hey … I wasn’t finished,” I start and a loud knock on the classroom door stops me from continuing.

  Two people enter the room. A sophomore boy, I can’t remember his name but he’s wearing thick dark rims and has a sour expression upon his face. If I didn’t know any better, I would swear he’s one second away from snapping and pos
sibly smacking the girl standing beside him with the basket filled with those ludicrous love-grams. The girl is super cheery with a wide smile, pink lips, blonde pigtails, with bright bubblegum pink streaks to match.

  “Hi Mr. Chivers,” she says as she bats her eyes. Most of the girls in this school have this reaction to Mr. Chivers because he’s young, fresh out of college young. Two he’s attractive if you’re into someone who sports the scruff look and sometimes uses his ties to cover up the spills he obviously made throughout the day. Seriously, judging by his stains the man can’t drink or eat without getting something on him.

  “Hello,” Mr. Chivers says. “Class please pause for a moment until these love grams are distributed then we will proceed with going over who needs to do some reading tonight and who does not.”

  I know I’m going to be on the list of who needs to be doing some reading tonight. I bombed that quiz. I’ll have to get it done either way after soccer conditioning.

  “Juliet Valentine,” the smiley girl calls.

  I hold in my groan as I march up to the basket. The boy scowls and hands over five love-grams. I take a deep breath and return to my seat. I shouldn’t even give a crap what these say, but color me curious. My fingers lift the first card and I read, “I know you miss him.” What the hell?

  I smack Jared with the sucker. “Did you send this?” My rage is beyond boiling.

  “Why would I? You’ve pitched every single one of those things in the trash. Seems like a waste of money to me,” he snaps.

  Who the heck is him then? Who keeps sending me these things? I want it to stop.

  I read the next one hoping for a clue. “I’m sorry. I love you and I want you back.” This one is signed Mark. Well, that’s not happening. The next card: “You don’t see and probably never will. Please don’t throw it in the bin,” SA

  A little shivery jolt zips through my body and for some reason I decide to keep the gram. Obviously, it’s a clue that this person is in my classes and they’ve been watching me throw these things out.

  I read the last two. The one says: “I’ve loved you forever but could never tell you,” SA.