Jerk Magnet, The (Life at Kingston High Book #1)

by Melody Carlson

  “Welcome.” Nicholas seemed to study her, not in the way Chase had, but as if he was curious about her. “So I take it you’re not into volleyball?”

  “Not today she’s not,” Chase answered for her.

  “I’d rather just watch,” she said.

  Nicholas nodded. “That’s understandable.” He turned to Chase. “What’s your excuse?”

  “I’m keeping Chelsea company.” Chase gave a cheesy smile. “We want to make newcomers welcome, right?”

  Nicholas looked dubious. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Chelsea—and I do hope you feel welcome.” He pointed at Chase. “But watch out for that one.”

  Chase just laughed. Nicholas jogged over to join in the reorganizing of the next volleyball game, inserting himself right in the middle of the action.

  Janelle came back. “Hey, I see you’ve met trouble.” She sat down next to Chase, jabbing him with her elbow. “Why aren’t you out there playing?”

  “Why aren’t you?” he retorted.

  “Didn’t you see me out there busting some moves?” She acted offended. “Excuse me for taking a break, but it’s like a hundred degrees in the sun.” She fanned herself with her hand.

  He chuckled. “Why don’t you go get yourself something to drink?”

  “Why don’t you go get me something?” she shot back at him.

  “Okay, okay.” He held up his hand and stood. He looked at Chelsea. “How about you? Can I bring you back a soda too?”

  They told him what they wanted, then while he was gone, Janelle asked Chelsea what she thought of Chase.

  “He seems nice enough.”

  “Just nice?” Janelle questioned.

  Chelsea shrugged. “I guess.”

  “Because I’ll warn you,” Janelle said quietly. “Chase and I have been involved in an on-again, off-again relationship for more than a year now.”

  “Oh . . . right.” Chelsea slowly nodded. “I get it. So what are you now? On again or off again?”

  Janelle frowned. “Off again . . . unfortunately.”

  “I see.” Chelsea looked up to see Chase coming back.

  “Don’t let on that I told you anything, okay?”

  “Sure. No problem.” Chelsea glanced over to the volleyball match. Nicholas reached down to help a guy back up to his feet and slapped him on the back with a warm smile. For some reason it was Nicholas Prague who interested her most. Even his name was interesting.

  “I noticed you met Nicholas too,” Janelle said.

  “Uh-huh.”

  “He’s really a good guy.”

  “Who’s a good guy?” Chase asked as he presented them with their sodas. “Are you talking about me again, Janelle, darling?” He winked at Chelsea. “You know, Janelle is president of the Chase Lassiter Fan Club.”

  “You are seriously disturbed, Chase.” Janelle made a face at him. “Not to mention totally narcissistic.”

  “But you still like me, don’t you?” he teased.

  “And did I say delusional?” She took a sip of her soda, then wiped the cool can across her forehead. “I’d rather go out there and bake my brain in the sun than listen to your self-absorbed egotistical blather.”

  He laughed loudly. “Self-absorbed egotistical blather? Really, Janelle, is that any way to talk to your brother in Christ?”

  She rolled her eyes and stood. “It was better than resorting to foul language.”

  Chelsea giggled.

  “You sure you don’t want to come out and play with us?” Janelle smiled appealingly. “Get away from this conceited jerk?”

  “Thanks, but I’m not into baking my brain today.”

  “Besides, I plan to talk Chelsea into helping me with the grilling.” Chase smiled. “I’m the head burger chef tonight, and I really could use an assistant. You interested?”

  “Sure,” she said, then looked at Janelle with uncertainty. “I mean, unless Janelle wants to help,” she added quickly.

  Janelle waved her hand. “No way. You go ahead. It’s probably hotter by the grills than the volleyball court anyway.”

  They parted ways, and soon Chelsea, garbed in an apron, was flipping burgers and squirting sauce and trying to keep the barbecue from turning into an inferno. As she worked to keep the burgers from becoming burnt offerings, she wondered whether she was assisting Chase or doing all the work herself. What had become of the head burger chef? She was flipping the burgers for the second time when she felt someone massaging her shoulders.

  “Great work,” Chase said. “Keep it up, champ.”

  “Hey, aren’t you supposed to be doing this?”

  “Yeah, but I had to go help with the condiments.”

  “Oh, sure,” she joked, “leave me over in the hot spot while you slice tomatoes.”

  “I didn’t get to be head chef for nothing.” He continued to rub her shoulders like he was enjoying it more than she was. “But if you work hard enough, I might promote you from grill patrol to pickles.”

  She laughed and turned around, noticing that Janelle was watching her from the table area. “Here,” she said, handing him the burger flipper. “I’m taking a break.” She removed her apron and handed it to him as well, then she walked over to where Janelle was opening a package of paper plates. “Your Chase is quite a character.”

  “My Chase?” Janelle looked skeptical.

  “Well, he’s more yours than mine.” Chelsea picked up a package of napkins and started to open them.

  “Don’t be so sure.”

  More kids were coming to the table now, and it was clear that everyone was getting hungry. Janelle introduced Chelsea to lots of them, but the names were getting jumbled in her head. So she just smiled, made eye contact, and acted like she was perfectly at ease with the group. She was surprised at how friendly everyone seemed, like she was an old friend.

  As the evening progressed, first with food—which was followed by some hilarious icebreaker games—and then with dessert, she couldn’t help but notice that the guys in this group were even friendlier than the girls. With the exception of one guy. Unfortunately, it was the only guy that Chelsea felt interested in. For some reason Nicholas Prague was acting chilly toward her. It was as if he wanted to keep her at a distance. For some reason she found this rather unsettling.

  Eventually the youth leader, Raymond, picked up a guitar and called everyone over to a grassy area. “We don’t have the band all set up tonight, but I thought I’d lead us in some worship songs.” He started playing, and everyone started singing along—they knew the words—and the whole mood of the group got a little more serious, or perhaps focused. Chelsea was standing with Janelle and Bretta. She knew that Chase was behind her, but she couldn’t see where Nicholas was, and even though she told herself not to, she was looking around, hoping to spot him.

  After the singing portion ended, Raymond invited everyone to sit down on the grass and then said a prayer. After that he began to introduce someone who was going to speak. Judging by Raymond’s words, this person was pretty special.

  “I’ve known this guy for years, and I’ve watched him go through some struggles, some losses, some changes . . . but I’ve also watched him growing in the Lord—more so than ever during the past year. So why don’t you all give it up for your buddy and mine, Nicholas Prague.”

  Chelsea was surprised to see Nicholas step forward. She was equally surprised to realize that somehow, as they’d rearranged themselves to sit down on the grass, Chase had managed to squeeze in between her and Janelle. Of course, this should please Janelle . . . sort of. But Chelsea felt uncomfortable with how close Chase was sitting next to her, like he was leaning into her on purpose. And every time she glanced his way, he seemed to be fixated on her. Seriously, it was like he had stars in his eyes.

  For sanity’s sake, she decided to ignore him, locking her gaze on Nicholas. She wanted to figure this guy out. For some reason she’d assumed he was her age or thereabouts. But here he was up in front, speaking to the youth group—and
doing it as if it came easily to him. Did that mean he was one of the youth leaders, or was he already in college, or what?

  Nicholas was telling them about his family history. Although his parents had always been a churchgoing family, they’d suddenly gotten divorced when he was fourteen. He told about how hard it was for him to learn that his dad had been involved in an affair, and how it had really unraveled his life when his dad seemed to abandon his family. Nicholas talked about going through some rebellious times for a couple of years. It sounded like he’d broken all the rules. Then he talked about how the youth pastor, Raymond, had befriended him, spending time with him. And how he had recommitted his life to God.

  “I’m not saying that it’s all been easy since then,” Nicholas said. “I’m just saying that when I finally reached the end of myself and I accepted my need for God, it did get better. It was like the clouds cleared away. I started to feel hopeful about the future. A lot of you guys know about how I’ve had my ups and downs. But thanks to a relationship with God, my ups are becoming more regular, and when I’m down I know that God is ready to lift me up.”

  Finally he talked about recently working at a summer youth camp for kids from divorced families. “Helping these kids for the past six weeks was so awesome,” he said, his blue eyes sparkling. “I didn’t realize that I had so much to give. It was like all the pain and crud I’d gone through the past few years was suddenly useful because I could relate to these kids. I could tell them I knew what it felt like. There’s a Scripture that says everything works together for good if you love God. It’s like that became reality to me. I could see how God took something totally miserable and turned it into something precious. It was amazing.”

  He talked a bit more, but Chelsea was so touched that she actually felt on the verge of tears. She’d never known a guy like this. So sincere. So sold-out for God. It was mind-boggling. She really wanted to hear more.

  But afterward, Nicholas was flocked by a small crowd of kids asking him questions or slapping him on the back. Although Chelsea wanted to talk to him, to ask him questions of her own, she held back.

  “So, Chelsea,” Chase said. He slipped an arm around her shoulders in what she assumed was meant to look like a “brotherly” way but felt like more. “What do you think of our little old youth group? Not as stodgy as you thought we’d be?”

  “I think you guys are pretty cool.” She tried to step away, but he just moved along with her. Janelle was over talking to some other kids, and suddenly Chelsea felt kind of trapped.

  “There’s going to be a really cool Christian rock concert over in Palo Alto next Saturday. Do you think you’d want to go?”

  “I, uh, I don’t know.” She didn’t like this feeling, like she wasn’t in control. But she knew she couldn’t let Chase or the situation get the best of her. She reached around, plucked his hand from her shoulder, and turned to look directly at him. “Do you mind if I think about it a little?”

  “Not at all.”

  “I wonder if Janelle would like to go too.”

  He shrugged. “Maybe so.”

  “How about getting a bunch of friends together?” she asked. “Then we could all go to the concert together.”

  He smiled. “Sure, why not.”

  She glanced over to where Nicholas was still surrounded. “Maybe your buddy Nicholas would want to come too.”

  “Yeah, I could ask him.”

  Janelle was coming back over to join them, and Chelsea told her about the plan. “Doesn’t that sound like fun?”

  Janelle looked somewhat surprised. “Sure, I guess so.”

  “Okay.” Chelsea nodded. “If Janelle is in, I am too.”

  “Great. I’ll give you girls a call with the details.”

  “Why don’t you call Janelle,” Chelsea suggested, “and she can let me know.”

  Chase cocked his head to one side. “Are you afraid to give out your phone number?”

  “No. I just need to change to a cheaper cellular provider, and we don’t have a landline yet.”

  He nodded. “Oh, yeah, that makes sense.”

  “I assume you know Janelle’s number.” Chelsea gave Janelle a sly glance.

  “If he can remember that far back,” Janelle teased. She tipped her head over to where Alice and Bretta were standing. “I think Alice wants to get going. She needs to get home before too late since she has to work in the morning.”

  “Well, let’s not be strangers,” Chase said to Chelsea.

  Chelsea smiled. “See ya around.”

  As they rode home, Chelsea was still thinking about Nicholas. She wished she’d had the nerve to go up and talk to him. Hopefully he’d agree to go to the concert with them on Saturday. Too bad she hadn’t told Chase that she wouldn’t go unless Nicholas went. Of course, that might’ve seemed a little odd.

  “I really liked hearing that guy speak tonight,” Chelsea said when there was a lull in the conversation.

  “You mean Nicholas?” Alice said.

  “Yeah. What he said was interesting . . . but somehow I’d gotten the impression he was still in high school.”

  “He is still in high school,” Bretta said. “He’s a senior this year.”

  “Oh?” Chelsea nodded. “He seems mature for a senior.”

  Bretta laughed. “That’s probably because you’re a junior.”

  Chelsea and Janelle exchanged glances, then giggled.

  “I’ve known Nicholas since we were little kids,” Bretta said. “Our parents are friends.”

  “So he goes to Kingston High too?” Chelsea hoped she didn’t sound too curious.

  “Yeah. Most of the youth group kids go there.”

  Chelsea felt a wave of relief. Maybe she’d get a chance to know Nicholas better after all. Hopefully he’d want to get to know her too.

  It wasn’t until the following afternoon that Chelsea began to wonder if she’d done something to offend Janelle. She’d called her cell phone a couple of times, inviting her to come over to use the pool and hang out again. But Janelle’s initial response was vague, and on the second call she was actually chilly.

  As Chelsea was putting books on a bookshelf, she started to flash back to the time when Virginia had grown cold and distant and their friendship had quickly disintegrated. Was it possible that was happening again? Not that Chelsea had entertained any illusions that Janelle would become her instant best friend. But she thought they’d had fun yesterday, and she really did like Janelle.

  Taking a break by the pool, Chelsea was absorbed in a book when she heard someone calling to her over Janelle’s side of the wall. To her surprise, Chase Lassiter was waving at her. “Hey, Chelsea, what’s up?”

  Wishing she’d put on the swimsuit with more coverage, she waved meekly and grabbed her towel. “Not much. Where’s Janelle?”

  “In the house.”

  “Oh.” Chelsea nodded. Naturally, she was wondering what Chase was doing. If he was visiting Janelle, why was he gawking at Chelsea over the stucco wall?

  “Want any company over there?” He grinned.

  Chelsea stood, wrapping her large beach towel around her like a sarong dress. “Well, I invited Janelle over, but she didn’t seem too interested.”

  “I didn’t mean Janelle.”

  “Maybe you didn’t, but I did.” Chelsea secured the top of her towel. “I’d like to talk to her.”

  “Want me to get her?” he offered.

  “Sure.” Chelsea felt uneasy as she watched him disappear from the wall. Was it possible that the problem with Janelle was related to Chase? If so, how could Chelsea assure Janelle that she had absolutely no interest in him? She thought hard as she waited, trying to construct some kind of plan or strategy in her head.

  “Chase said you want to talk to me.” Janelle’s head was now visible above the wall.

  Chelsea slipped on her flip-flops and walked over to climb onto the rock. “I wondered if I did something to offend you,” she began. “If so, I’m sorry.”

&
nbsp; Janelle’s lips were pressed tightly together.

  “Chase was kind of inviting himself over here,” Chelsea continued. “But I hinted to him that I’d prefer your company to his.”

  Janelle looked surprised. “Seriously?”

  Chelsea nodded. “I’m not into Chase, Janelle. Not even a little.”

  “Really?” Janelle still looked skeptical.

  “I swear I’m not.”

  “Maybe you should tell him that.”

  “Hey, I’d be happy to.”

  Janelle’s brows arched. “Fine. I’ll go get him.”

  “Why don’t you guys come over here,” Chelsea suggested. “Might be easier than hanging over this wall.”

  A few minutes later, the three of them were sitting in the family room at Chelsea’s.

  “Go ahead,” Janelle told Chelsea. “Tell him.”

  “Tell me what?” Chase looked hopeful.

  “I’m not sure you care,” Chelsea began uncertainly, “but in case you had the wrong idea, I was just telling Janelle that I’m not interested in you. I mean, for anything beyond a friend.” Now she felt really embarrassed. What if she was making a fool of herself? What if Chase only wanted to be friends too?

  “So you don’t want to go out with me?” He looked surprised. “What about the concert next weekend?”

  “Did you think that was a date?”

  “Sure.” He nodded.

  “Well, I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. I thought it was just going to be friends going out together.”

  “You’re serious?” Chase still looked unconvinced.

  “Listen to her,” Janelle told him with a hint of impatience. “She’s making it pretty clear.” She smiled at Chelsea.

  “Really, Chase,” Chelsea continued. “I’m sorry if I was unclear. To be honest, I haven’t, uh, dated much, and this is a little new to me.”

  He laughed. “Yeah, right. And you’d probably like to sell me a bridge too.”

  “Huh?” Chelsea didn’t know what else to say.

  “She’s telling the truth,” Janelle said quickly.

  “Not that I want to go into all that,” Chelsea told him. “How about we just leave it at this—I’m not interested in dating you, Chase. You seem like a nice guy. But I’m not into you.”