NotNicole1123: Sorry. I have plans.
“Playing hard to get? Nice.”
I continued to stare at the screen as I answered Amy. “I mean, it’s true. We finished our homework, and now it’s time to go to the mall.”
I saw her shrug from the corner of my eye. “I would understand. A date with Neal beats walking around the mall.”
“First of all, it wasn’t really a date. He said a bunch of us. And second, I’m not going to break our plans just because a cute boy asks me out.”
“He’s really, really cute though. That whole tall, dark, mysterious vibe he has going on? Muy Caliente!”
My computer dinged again, and Amy was pushing her way into my space to read the screen.
Neal_XC4Life: If you change your mind, we’re seeing Freddy vs. Jason at 7.
NotNicole1123: Ok.
After that, he signed off, and I was looking at Amy in disbelief. “He just signed off.”
“Yep.”
“Does that mean he signed on AIM just to talk to me?”
“I think so.”
“Eeeeeek!” I jumped and started doing a weird dance that probably looked like Elaine from Seinfeld when she danced. Amy was doing the same thing with me, although she looked more graceful as she did it.
“Neal is so into you!”
I didn’t answer, too afraid to let myself believe it. He might be a little on the arrogant side, but I thought that must be part of being popular. Weren’t most cool people that way? Chase certainly was. And why was I suddenly only attracted to the out of reach guys? Because I still was convinced Neal was way out of my league.
“Hey, Amy?”
She stopped dancing. “Yeah?”
“How would you feel about going shopping and then swinging by the movies?”
The smile she gave me was all the answer I needed.
Shopping went well. I bought a new sweater, and Amy sighed over all the dresses in Betsy Johnson.
When I asked her why she never bought anything, she told me she didn’t think she could pull it off. I argued, telling her that her coloring was perfect and her body was smokin’. She countered by telling me there was a lot more to it.
I couldn’t say much after that because I totally understood.
We grabbed some Chinese food from the food court and went to the theater.
“It’s times like this, I wish my mom would buy me a cell phone.”
“I know, right?” I responded to Amy as we pulled up to the movie theater. “I tried to convince my mom that I needed one, but she said my private line was enough.”
“It would be nice in times like this.” Amy looked around. “I don’t see any cars I recognize, but the parking lot is packed.”
“I wonder if they’re inside?”
We bought tickets for the seven o’clock showing and wandered around the lobby for several minutes. I didn’t see Neal or any of the people I assumed would be with him. Disappointment filled me. The only reason I would ever pay for a movie was because it was almost a date type thing.
I normally just waited until they were released on DVD and VHS.
“I don’t really want to see Freddy vs. Jason,” I admitted, turning to Amy.
She tipped her head back in relief. “Oh, thank goodness. Girl, I was excited to do something with Neal, but I do not like scary movies.”
“Wanna sneak into something else?”
I looked at the signed that hung above each theater entrance. “What about Freaky Friday?” It was a comedy starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsey Lohan—a remake of a classic. My inner movie snob was practically drooling in anticipation.
“Sounds good.”
The two of us snuck inside with no problem, and the theater was empty except for a couple families and us and maybe one or two couples. We weren’t taking a seat from anyone, and we paid for a ticket for a movie we weren’t going to watch. I didn’t feel guilty at all.
It was funny, and not at all scary. Amy and I laughed all the way through it, and by the time the movie ended, I’d forgotten the reason we came to the movies in the first place.
That was until we bumped into Chase in the hall. He was also coming from the theater playing Freaky Friday. In his hands was a giant tub of popcorn. Did that mean he was here on a date? For some reason, that made me embarrassed. I did not want to catch him here with some girl who was probably perfect.
Maybe he was with Ms. G-string from a couple weeks ago. What was her name? Andrea? I suddenly wished I was watching Freddy vs. Jason—with or without Neal.
“Nic?” There was that nickname again. Amy’s head jerked in my direction, but she didn’t say anything.
“Hey,” I answered lamely.
“Amy,” he smiled at my friend.
“Chase.”
“Now that we’ve established that we all know each other’s names,” I grumbled.
It earned me a brilliant smile from Chase, and an elbow jab from Amy.
“Are you here on a date?” she asked, cutting straight to the chase–with Chase.
“You could say that.” He lifted his shoulders and looked toward the exit doors.
It seemed a little strange that he went to Freaky Friday on a date, and that he’d gotten separated from her. It didn’t make sense until I saw a younger girl emerge from the crowd.
She was a freshman at Rosemark, and basically a mini version of Chase. Light blue eyes, long blond hair. I’d completely forgotten he had a younger sister. I couldn’t remember her name, but Chase was quick to make introductions saving us all from any embarrassment.
“Nicole, Amy, this is my sister, Aubrey. Aubrey, this is Nicole and Amy.”
I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to shake her hand or not. Thankfully, Aubrey looked as perplexed as I did. Her eyes were wide. “I’ve heard a lot about you.” Chase cleared his throat from beside his sister. “What I mean is, my friend bumped into you on the first day of school, and you were really nice to her. I’m not sure if you remember, but she thought you were cool.”
I did remember that, but thought it was strange that she considered that a lot about me?
“Um… okay. Cool.”
Chase took the opportunity to jump in. “I’m surprised to see you at the movies.”
“Yeah, we don’t typically go but…” My voice trailed off.
“But we…” Amy also struggled for words.
“There you are!” a voice called from across the lobby. The four of us all turned to see Neal and a few other people walking in our direction. Among the crowd was Victoria from the girls cross country team and two other senior guys from the team.
Neal walked over with a huge grin on his face that disappeared as he got closer. It was like he didn’t notice Chase until he was standing right next to him. Neal’s brows crinkled in confusion. “We waited out here for you. I didn’t think you were going to show.”
I stole a quick glance at Chase before answering. “Yeah, we looked for you, but couldn’t find you.”
He looked up at the sign on the theater we were standing in front of and made the connection. “Why didn’t you come into where they were showing Freddy vs. Jason?”
“I…”
“She knew I didn’t want to see something scary, so she came and saw this with me,” Amy added quickly.
The five of us stood there awkwardly for several seconds before Chase spoke up. “Well, I think Audrey and I are going to head home. Have a good night, Nic. Everyone.”
He walked away while Neal watched him like a hawk.
When Neal faced us again, his mood was unreadable. I didn’t know what to say. “So, how was the movie?”
“It was good. Did you know Chase was in there?”
“Huh?” I said, caught off guard. “No, we just bumped into him in the hall. We even bought tickets for your movie but didn’t know if you were inside or not.” I pulled out my ticket stub to show him.
His smile returned. “I guess next time I’ll wait longer for you to show up.”<
br />
“Is there going to be a next time?” I asked, feeling strangely giddy.
“I hope so.”
Chapter Twelve
The weather started becoming cooler with each day. September was almost gone, and October was right around the corner. Amy and I traded in our shorts and tanks for more appropriate gear. Today, I wore black leggings with an athletic tee. Amy sported similar clothing.
I still had the weekend’s strange encounters on my mind as we walked out to the track together.
“Whitman,” Coach yelled, always with his ominous clipboard. “You’re in charge of warmup today.”
“Sure thing,” Cassidy answered with a smile.
Once everyone was accounted for, we started running around the track at Cassidy’s orders. I was pleasantly surprised when Amy stayed by my side for both laps. She was improving almost daily. It didn’t seem humanly possible to see such drastic results, but she was proof that it could happen. I could only hope she would be on varsity with me by the end of the season.
That would be so cool!
We did our usual stretching session, this time with Cassidy in the center. She called out numbers, just like Neal did when he ran things. I noticed him on the other side of the circle that formed around Cassidy. Every once in a while, we would make eye-contact. And every time, I felt my face heat up. I still couldn’t believe that someone like Neal could be interested in a former nobody like me.
Coach Smith blew his whistle. “Listen up, folks. We have two weeks until our first meet. I’d like to see us start this season out strong. Show me a little extra hustle as you’re running today. We’re going to do a quick two-mile run and meet back here for some extra conditioning.”
“A quick two mile run?” Amy whispered from beside me. “I never thought I’d see the day that phrase actually made sense.”
“Neither did I, but it seems completely normal now.”
Amy started to laugh, but was cut short by the shrill sound of Coach’s whistle. “While we’re young ladies.”
We started jogging, and Amy stayed by my side for a couple minutes. But was soon shooing me to run faster without her. She was getting better every day, but I still ran faster than she did.
I picked up my pace, and was surprised when another runner fell in step with me. Especially when I looked over to see Chase next to me. My breathing was getting heavier as I pushed myself. Meanwhile Chase looked as worn out as someone who had been standing still for ten minutes.
“Saunders.”
The corner of his mouth quirked up. “Andrews.”
“Shouldn’t you be up there with the rest of the guys?” I asked, hoping he couldn’t hear how difficult it was for me to talk as I struggled to keep pace with him.
“I was hoping to get a chance to talk to you.”
I turned left on Maple, talking the shortcut that would shave a mile off our usual route. Once we made it around the corner, and I had a chance to take a couple of deep breaths, I answered. “You think this is the best time for a conversation?”
Chase chuckled, and I found myself joining in. Unfortunately, it sounded much more like a wheeze coming from me. Real attractive, Nicole.
Chase’s features filled with concern. “I think you might be pushing yourself too hard if you can’t keep up an easy conversation.”
I smacked his arm, careful not to break my stride. “You talk. I’ll listen.”
He laughed again. “Fine.”
We ran about a block before he started speaking again. All the while, I was all too aware of the way my arms pumped. I hoped my form was correct. I stole glances at the way Chase held his body, and then attempted to mimic it without being too obvious.
“I...” He cleared his throat. “Coach Smith sees a lot of potential in you.”
“Thanks?” I answered, the word coming out as a question.
“You’ve already qualified for varsity. We think you could end up being the team leader by mid-season, maybe sooner.”
“That’s why he said that thing about my time,” I managed to get out without sounding winded. I was proud of myself.
“Exactly.” He paused. “I know you’re in this for the varsity letter, but I want you to think about how you can contribute to the team if you put your mind to it.”
I made my best attempt at a scoff, but knew it sounded a lot like my wheezing laugh from earlier. “You don’t think I’m taking this seriously, do you? Chase, I am literally running every single day of the week. I don’t take the weekends off. I am pushing myself harder than I have for anything else in my life.”
“I’m not saying you’re not.”
“But you implied it.”
“I wasn’t trying to.”
I wanted to offer some biting remark, but decided it wasn’t completely fair. Chase was genuinely trying to give me encouragement, he just sucked at it. Every time he tried to convince me to do something, he insulted me. But the more I got to know him, the less I thought he was doing it intentionally. Maybe it was just the way he was.
“Just think about it, Nicole.”
With that, he sped ahead. I didn’t even bother trying to keep up. I knew he would leave me in his dust either way.
I made my way back to the track, where the guys, including Neal, and Cassidy were already drinking some of the bottled water Coach provided. Chase stood talking to Coach. No one was stretching as they waited for everyone else to arrive. I walked over to the group and grabbed my own bottle. Even with the cooler weather, the cold water was refreshing after running so hard.
“So, what exactly does Coach mean when he says conditioning? I kinda assumed we just ran every day.”
“Oh, Andrews,” Neal said with a smirk. “You have so much to learn.”
“What he means,”—Cassidy interrupted—“is you’re about to feel the burn.”
A few guys laughed at that, and I knew I was in the dark about something. The look of confusion must have been clear on my face, because Cassidy clarified. “It’s what Coach likes to say on conditioning days. He wants us to work all our muscles, especially our core, to make sure we’re in performance shape.”
The same guys laughed again, but I still felt lost.
“Don’t worry, Andrews. You’re about to wish you never heard the word conditioning.”
Thirty minutes later, I understood why.
After what felt like hours of crunches and pushups, I hobbled back to my car, ready to give it all up. Everything burned, even more so during those two weeks before school started when I’d pushed my limits.
When Neal smiled and waved goodbye, I felt a flutter in my chest. When he told me how I’d done a good job keeping up with everyone, I decided I didn’t have to quit just yet.
Chapter Thirteen
Homecoming was fast approaching, and Rosemark was showing signs of it everywhere. Banners announcing the upcoming dance were hung in the halls, and it was only a matter of time before candidates for king and queen began hanging posters on lockers and in the bathrooms hoping to gain extra votes.
Was it really only last year that Amy had been a part of all this?
One glance in her direction made me realize similar thoughts must be going through her head. The pep in her step had diminished significantly, and she was worrying her bottom lip as she took in the scene before her.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded her head.
“Want to put write-in candidates on all the ballots?” I suggested, which earned a small smile.
“Like Chase Saunders?” My face heated up, and her smile turned wicked.
“I was thinking more like people from the team, like Neal.”
Amy nudged her shoulder against mine as we walked toward our homeroom classes. “Poor thing. You’re stuck in a real-life love triangle.
I stopped dead in the hall. Amy followed suit, earning a few colorful words as people bumped into us or one another.
No, I’m not.”
“Oh, chica, you are so full of it
.”
“I’m not.” When she raised her eyebrows, I continued. “Look, I’m the first one to admit that both guys are super-hot. Unnaturally so. And yes, Neal might be interested in me, but there’s no way Chase is. I really am okay with that. I’ve never had any guy interested in me. One is more than enough.”
“If you say so.”
“I do,” I said with a huff.
We started walking again, nearing our lockers that were side by side. We were excited to have lockers in the fine arts wing, even though neither one of us was taking any electives that were remotely artistic. It was all about location, and this section of the school was the best place to drop books between classes. It was dumb luck that we became neighbors.
We opened our locks in unison, and Amy started up again.
“You might not think Chase is interested, but it’s only because you haven’t seen the way he looks at you.”
My laughter was a loud roar that caught the attention of some of our classmates as they walked by.
“Amy, this isn’t some teen romance movie. Believe me, I’ve seen enough to know what you think is going on. Somehow the popular boy falls for the nerdy girl, and—”
“You’re not nerdy,” Amy interrupted.
“Maybe not, but I’m not popular either. Chase isn’t into me, and that’s fine because Neal might be.”
She slammed her locker shut, dropping the subject. We pushed our way through the hallway that had become much more congested as the tardy bell loomed. Amy looked down at her watch. “Crap! I gotta race down to Mr. Peterson’s class. I didn’t realize we were cutting it so close.”
She took off down the hall toward the science wing, and I moved in the opposite direction toward my math class.
Neal appeared out of nowhere and fell into step with me almost immediately.
“How you feeling today?”
I assumed he meant after the previous day’s work out. Coach wasn’t kidding when he said we were going to feel the burn. The amount of core work seemed over the top, but he assured us, repeatedly, that a weak core was the fastest way to injury in running. I didn’t know if I bought it, but I had followed along with every work out he threw at us.
Chasing Love (Mountain Creek Drive Book 3) Page 7