“Yeah, and my mom, and my little brother and sister. We live up the valley near the Indian casino. Have you ever been there?”
“No. I’m not old enough to gamble, but we’ve driven by it.”
I couldn’t hold back my laughter. “I didn’t think you were that old.”
She put her head down. Her long, silky hair slipped across her face, shielding her expression.
My belly twisted into a knot. I’d offended her. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have laughed.”
“That’s all right.” She snuck a peek at me. “Things seem to come out the wrong way when I talk.”
“I don’t think so. What you said was cute. That’s why I laughed.”
She looked at me again. This time, I caught a little twinkle in her blue eyes. She also smiled.
“You’re a junior, right?” I asked. “You must be about sixteen.”
Her head nodded. She took a tiny bite of what looked like a turkey sandwich on whole wheat.
Carson returned with his food and spread it on the table top next to where he parked his rear end. “Anyone want some?”
“Sure.” Sherry grabbed a couple with her fingers. “I love chili cheese fries.”
“How about you, X–man?”
I shook my head.
“Why does he call you X–man?” Lisa asked.
“Cause he’s the man,” Carson said before I could answer. “He’s always got my back.”
“He’s called me that since grade school. My last name has an x in it,” I explained when her eyebrows knitted together.
“Oh. Alexander.” She made a cute little giggle. “I get it.”
“So tell me, Sleeping Beauty,” Carson said around a mouthful of double burger. “Do you and the new girl have a lot of classes together?”
Sherry and Carson took over the conversation while Lisa and I ate lunch. Paul barely spoke, even though he’d already devoured his hamburger. I didn’t know if it was because he was afraid of saying another swear word, or if things between him and Sherry had reached the point where there was nothing left to say.
Lunch was almost over when Sherry jumped up and started cleaning the mess on the table. “We’ve got to get moving, Lisa, so we’re not late to class.”
“You can go with Paul,” I said. “Lisa and I have Spanish next. I’ll make sure she gets there on time.”
Sherry’s lips twisted together as she gave Paul a sideways glance. Instead of walking to him, she grabbed Lisa’s wrist. “We girls have to straighten ourselves up first so we look presentable for class.”
“Sleeping Beauty.” Carson’s bushy eyebrows lifted. “That trip is not necessary for either one of you.”
Silently, I agreed. Lisa looked flawless. “I’ll see you in Spanish class.”
She smiled at me from beneath her waterfall of blonde hair. “Save me a place close to you, so I’ll have at least one person nearby that I know.”
“You got it,” I said.
Right after the girls took off, I snagged the sack that still contained an apple and banana, and Grandma’s oatmeal cookies. I nudged Carson off the table with my foot. I wanted to get to Spanish class before Lisa showed up so I could rearrange the seating. As we hurried across the lawn to the entrance of the school, I tried to picture the classroom in my brain. Mentally, I moved the kids sitting around me before asking Carson’s advice. “How do you think that will work?”
“When did you get to be such a control freak?”
“What are you talking about?”
“The way you want to move everyone around in class just so you can sit next to the new girl. And at lunch, you made me sit by Paul.”
“Maybe you’re right.” I rubbed my fingers across my forehead. “It’s just that I’ve never felt this way about a girl before. I really want to get to know her better.”
“Why? She doesn’t seem like your type.”
I hadn’t had a lot of girlfriends, so I was curious about the kind of girl Carson would pick for me. “What is my type?”
When Carson went deep into thought, his eyebrows always furled together. “I don’t know, but the new girl’s too bashful. She barely said two words at lunch. I like my women more outgoing.”
“You mean, like Sherry?”
Carson’s head snapped around, and he stared at me through squinted eyelids. “She’s Paul’s girlfriend.”
“For now, but who knows how much longer.”
“It doesn’t matter. Sherry likes smart, pretty boys. Not big, dumb ones.”
Until now, I hadn’t realized how Carson felt about Sherry. I searched for something encouraging. “Sherry’s pretty boyfriends always seem to dump her for someone else. Maybe she’ll figure out looks aren’t as important as a guy who’ll treat her good.”
A shrug of his shoulders was his only response. He didn’t want to talk about Sherry, so I went back to figuring out how to get Lisa into a spot next to me. When we entered the classroom, I lowered my voice so no one would overhear. “Are you sure you’ve got the plan straight, Carson?”
“Yeah.” He led the way down the aisle to our desks. “When the new girl shows up—”
“Her name is Lisa.”
“Whatever.” He scrunched up his face, and I almost heard the gears turning in his head. “I’m supposed to let her have my seat.”
“Not there.” I grabbed his arm to stop him from sitting in his usual place behind me. “You sit in my desk, and I sit at yours.”
“Well, if you want her to sit in your spot, then why don’t you offer it to her yourself?”
I scooted into his desk, hoping the visual aid would help him understand. “Because I want to sit behind her.”
“Then where am I supposed to sit if I give up my place?”
“I don’t know.” I glanced around. Behind me to the left sat one of the football players on the junior varsity team. “Vanetti, go sit somewhere else.”
“I like it here.” He hunkered down in the chair, like he wouldn’t give it up without a fight.”
“Señores,” Mrs. Hayes said. “Sólo hablan español, por favor.”
The teacher always insisted we speak just Spanish in her class. I leaned closer and lowered my voice to a whisper. “Come on, Vanetti. I’ll show you how to time your turns better at practice.”
He hesitated for half a second before giving up the desk. Carson headed for the empty seat, but I stopped him. “Not now.” I grabbed the belt loop on his Wranglers and jerked him into the chair. “Sit in front of me until Lisa gets here so no one takes her spot.”
Carson flopped into the chair, but turned around and gave me one of his stupid grins. “There’s your girlfriend now.”
I shushed him, then scrunched down in the seat so I’d look relaxed.
While Mrs. Hayes looked over the transfer slip, Lisa glanced around the room. When her gaze caught mine, she started to smile, but the teacher summoned her attention. Mrs. Hayes introduced Lisa to the others in the class, then pointed to a couple empty desks. “Siéntese, por favor, Señorita Stratton.”
Lisa started down the aisle to Vanetti’s empty desk. I poked Carson in the back.
The desk feet scraped across the vinyl floor as he climbed from the chair. “Lisa, you can have—”
“En español,” Mrs. Hayes said.
Carson stumbled for the words. “Señorita, usted, ah, tomar, ah, mi silla.”
Lisa glanced at me instead of Carson. “Gracias.”
Her smile warmed my body. I smiled back. “Da nada.”
She slid into the seat. With one hand, she slipped her fingers behind her neck and flipped her hair away from her back so she could lean against the chair. The shifting of her hair fanned her scent in my direction.
I love the way girls smell, so sweet and perfumed. Her scent wasn’t strong, just a hint. Roses were the only flowers I could name, but that wasn’t what I detected. Her fragrance reminded me of some exotic, mysterious flower. I leaned over the desk so my face hovered a short distance from he
r hair and breathed in deeply. Her scent drifted through the air and entered my brain. Heat zinged through my body.
Giggles and snickers wafted through the air as well as her scent. Lisa turned around and looked at the smirking kids before glancing at me. She yanked her hair over one shoulder “What are you doing?” she asked in a hoarse whisper. “Are you making fun of me?”
I shook my head, but she’d already turned away.
My first instinct told me I’d overstepped her comfort zone. She probably thought I was some stupid caveman who liked to sniff girls. Maybe she was right, but I wasn’t making fun of her.
When Mrs. Hayes dismissed the class, I scrambled from the chair to offer Lisa my assistance. “If you need help finding your next class, I’ll be happy to show you where it is.”
“No, thank you.” Her lips tightened into a grimace, as if talking to me left a nasty taste in her mouth. Without another word, she walked away, her long, blonde hair swaying down her back.
“Wow, X–man.” Carson slapped me on the back. “If looks could kill, you’d be dead.”
Chapter Four
Football practice was brutal. Even after a shower, I still sweated. I tugged on a white tank and pulled the bottom edge over my cutoff jeans. The rest of my clothes were crammed into the backpack except for a hooded sweatshirt. I’d need that after I cooled down.
“Hurry up, Carson.” I slung the backpack over one shoulder and tossed the hoodie across my other. “I want to get home and eat. I’m starving.”
He stood in front of the mirror trying to get his hair parted in a straight line. “Don’t get your panties in a bunch. I’m almost done.”
“Why don’t you just cut it all off?” I rubbed my hand over my short, damp hair. “Then you won’t have to mess with it.”
“Don’t rush him.” Paul stuck his foot on the bench and tightened the laces on his shoe. “The hair on his head is all he’s got left.”
“How would you know?” Carson glanced at Paul’s reflection in the mirror. “You been peeking at me in the shower again?”
“Yeah, right.” Paul snorted out a sound of disgust. “Like I want to stare at your hairless butt.”
I shook my head. If the two of them got wound up firing insults at each other, we’d be stuck in the locker room for another half hour. But I had to wait for Carson since he was my ride home. “I’m going outside to cool off,” I said as I headed for the exit.
The outside wasn’t much better. A clammy moisture hung in the air and clung to my skin. The storm we’d had last night blew through fast, leaving mostly clear skies. The temperature pushed back in to the eighties, but the humidity lingered. I followed the path around the gym, hoping to catch a breeze when I got into the open.
Just as I rounded the building, I spotted Lisa sitting on the grass near the sidewalk. Her bare legs were curled beneath her, and she stared down at an open book in her lap. She was about twenty feet away, but hadn’t noticed me yet, so I quickly considered my options. I could try apologizing, but I wasn’t really sure what I did to make her mad. Plan B was to ignore her while making my way to Carson’s pickup, but I’d end up sitting in a hot vehicle while I waited. Backing up without being noticed sounded good, but before I could retrace my steps, the hundred and thirty–five pound quarterback pounced on my back. I landed on my hands and knees in the grass.
“Paul!” I locked my arm around his neck and flipped him over my shoulder. He fell sprawled out on his back on the sidewalk.
Carson broke into his donkey laugh while Paul rolled around on the cement walk, uttering swear words in between groans of pain.
“Oh, crap,” I mumbled. So much for backing away unnoticed.
“Way to go, X–man,” Carson said. “You tackled him with one arm.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Lisa toss her book on the grass. She staggered to her feet while staring directly at me. I brushed my fingers through my hair even though it wasn’t long enough to be messed. The one side of my tank hung down to my elbow. I shrugged it back onto my shoulder and offered Paul my hand. “You need help getting up?”
He continued to groan and swear as I pulled him to his feet. “Why’d you flip me like that, Alexander?”
“You knocked him on the ground, dude,” Carson said.
“You’ve got at least thirty pounds on me.” Paul carefully stretched his shoulders and neck. “I’ve never been able to tackle you before.”
“I wasn’t expecting it this time.” I’d been totally focused on not attracting Lisa’s attention. “Usually, I’m prepared for a tackle.”
Lisa forced her way between us. “Are you injured?”
Paul rotated his throwing arm. “I’m not too bad.”
She wasn’t talking to him. Her back was to Paul, and her gaze was locked on me.
“I saw a raised mark on you about here.” Her fingers brushed over the left side of my chest. “It was blood red.”
“It’s nothing.” I pulled the neck of my tank higher to cover the scar.
She thrust her fingers beneath the top edge of the cotton fabric and tugged at it. “The mark had a distinct shape.”
“I’m not hurt.” I forced the material from her clenched hand.
“She’s talking about the star, X–man,” Carson said.
Her eyes widened. “Star?”
When she glanced at Carson, I shook my head at him, hoping he’d catch on that I didn’t want to talk about it. I’ve had that bright red scar for as long as I could remember. Anyone who’d ever swam with me at the creek, or been in the locker room when I dressed for gym had seen the peculiar looking burn on my chest, but talking to Lisa about it seemed awkward.
“Yeah, star.” Carson’s eyes darted from me to Lisa. “X–man’s the star of the football team. The best wide receiver Esparto High has had in a long time. He might even make All American.”
She glanced at me. From the intense look in her eyes, she didn’t buy into his explanation. “Is it a tattoo?”
When she reached for my shirt again, I stepped back and scooped up the sweatshirt from the ground. I slipped the hoodie over my head and smoothed it down my body.
“Don’t put that on.” Her forehead wrinkled. “Take off your sweatshirt. I want to see your chest.”
“It’s customary,” Paul said, his voice heavy with sarcasm, “to ask a guy out on a date before you try to get him naked.”
Her mouth dropped open, and her eyelids widened.
I cringed at the vulgar remark. If Lisa believed I was as crude and disgusting as Paul, she’d probably never speak to me again.
“Isn’t that your ride?” Carson nodded to the orange Hummer flipping a u–y in the middle of the street.
She glanced in the direction he indicated before looking back at me. Her dark blonde eyebrows knitted together while she nibbled at her lower lip. “I’m not allowed to date anyone unless my mom approves of him first.”
When the car pulled to the curb, Lisa dashed to the grassy area to get her book and backpack before hopping into the vehicle. As they drove off, she stuck her head out the open window and looked at me. Her gaze held mine until the car turned left at the end of the block.
“That was weird.” I watched the car disappear from sight. “What do you think she meant by that?”
“X–man!” Carson punched me in the arm. “The new girl wants to get you naked.”
Chapter Five
Even with the bedroom door closed, I heard Daisy barking her head off in the living room. She only carried on like that when someone drove into our yard. The clock on the dresser showed it was after seven. Mom and Stevie were due back from karate practice soon, but Grandma’s dog never barked at them.
My attention went back to the calculus problem. I almost had it solved when light tapping rattled my door. “Yeah, what’s up?”
Grandma peeked her head through the doorway. “You have a friend here to see you.”
A disgusted sigh gushed from my lips as I tossed the pencil on t
he desk. The visitor had to be Carson. He didn’t believe homework should be done at home, so when he got bored, he’d come over to bug me.
Grandma shook her head to stop me before I reached the door. “You might want to put something else on before you come out. Your guest is a young lady.”
A female visitor wasn’t a surprise. Carson sometimes sent one of his sisters to fetch the homework for government class so he could copy the answers. He didn’t mind getting a D, but he didn’t want to flunk. I glanced down at the raggedy red tee shirt and flannel bottoms. Carson’s sisters had seen me in similar clothes. “Which girl is it? Peggy, or Patty?”
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