Meet Me There

by Judy Corry

  "I was kind of crying because Noah was a jerk, as usual, but this new guy from England was so nice. Most guys run in the opposite direction when a girl is crying, but he stayed and made me laugh again. He actually wanted to get to know me better, unlike most other guys at school."

  "Stupid Noah. But I'm glad this guy was nice and not some sort of Chem lab creeper."

  "He actually asked me to meet with him again."

  "He did?" Nervousness crept into her eyes. "Are you sure that's a good idea? This guy could be anybody, really. It could have been Janitor Earl for all you know."

  "Gross!" My ‘creeper radar’ hadn't gone off once during our whole exchange…and I had a pretty good creeper radar. But her comment did make me think. "I think this guy’s fine. Don't they make guys more gentlemanly in England anyway?"

  "I think they just sound more gentlemanly." Eliana laughed. "I'm pretty sure guys are the same everywhere. There are always good guys and bad guys."

  "Do you know of any new British guys at school?" I asked.

  She shook her head. "Can't think of any. And I'm sure I would have noticed a British accent. Pretty sure all the girls would be talking about him, too. But it’s a big school. So who knows."

  I thought about it. "Maybe he's just quiet. He was hiding in the Chem lab."

  A sad thought came over me. Maybe this British guy didn't have any friends and planned to spend every lunch period hiding in that dark room. He had wanted to meet tomorrow at lunch. Was he just so lonely that he was desperate for any sort of company?

  "Are you gonna meet up with him again?" Eliana interrupted my thoughts.

  I had to. I needed to show my new countryman that the people in Ridgewater, New York were just as nice as the people in London, England. We'd become friends, and maybe he'd feel comfortable enough at school to make friends when he wasn't in the dark.

  "I'm gonna go back to find out more about him. Who knows, maybe he won't even show up." But I hoped he would.

  4

  Luke

  Football practice sucked. Coach Hobbs was having a bad day and decided to take it out on us by making us run ladders until we all collapsed. And to top off my night, I remembered I still hadn't washed my laundry since Coach issued us our uniforms, which meant it stank like butt. So, instead of leaving my bag in the Jeep tonight, I had to haul it back in the house and do a freaking load of laundry. Lame.

  I opened the front door to my family's two-story brick house and stepped into the tiled entryway. "I'm home," I called out of habit. No one answered. Of course, no one answered. No one was here anymore. And my dad was probably working late just like he'd been doing almost every night since July fifth.

  I strode into the laundry room and emptied my football bag into the front-loading washing machine. Once the load had started, I heated up a frozen burrito for dinner, smothered it with salsa and sour cream, and sat at the kitchen island.

  Don't forget your veggies, my mom's voice sounded in my head. I sighed and grabbed a cucumber from the fridge, biting into it with the crunch.

  I followed my meal with a cold glass of milk then headed to my room to do my homework. I hated how quiet the house was now. My brother, Alec, was in the Army, and now that my mom was gone, my dad didn't think he needed to be home anymore. Or at least that's how it seemed. I knew he was just trying to cope with our loss, but still.

  My Psychology assignment didn't take long. I checked the time on my phone. It was only eight-fifteen p.m. Definitely too early to go to sleep. I texted Kellen and Jake to see what they were up to.

  Kellen: Got stuck picking up my sister from soccer.

  Jake: Can't hang out. Maren's coming over tonight. ;)

  I sighed and pulled out my laptop. Looks like I'd have plenty of time to figure out my next prank for Ashlyn. But instead of looking online for ideas, I found myself researching things about England. I didn't even know if I wanted to go back to the Chemistry lab on Monday. Sure, the idea of talking to someone without them knowing who I was sounded awesome and all, but did I really want to talk to Ashlyn? I mean, she was okay to look at. I'd probably admit that she was hot if forced, but she was also annoying. I probably wouldn't go back after all. Standing her up would be a great prank...even if she didn't know it was me.

  But I looked up popular British-English phrases anyway. If I did go back, I could just throw in a "brilliant" or "tea and crumpets" into the conversation and she'd never even know the difference. In fact, pretending to be some British dude would be an awesome prank in and of itself.

  A huge grin stretched across my face. She’d have her revenge ready for me by Monday, so it would be perfect to pretend to be some understanding, gentlemanly guy that she felt she could trust. All I would need is some juicy information, and then I'd flip on the lights and tell her it was all fake. That would be awesome.

  I closed my laptop and switched on the lamp. The sun was starting to set, and I hated what it did to the lighting in my room. Ever since my mom died, I couldn't stand twilight. There was something about the dim lighting that made me feel like I was going crazy. I put on some music, hoping it would help, and then I made my way back to the laundry room, turning on lights the whole way there.

  Game day. Ridgewater High vs. Homer High. I grabbed an early dinner and drove back to the school to warm up for the game. I pulled my football bag over my shoulder and made my way toward the locker room. The drill team was practicing their dance for tonight's halftime show. Ashlyn was in the front row, dancing to the beat of the music. When our eyes met, she smiled. If I didn't know any better, I'd think she was happy to see me, though I couldn't imagine why. The only thing I could think of was that she might have found a way to put something in my locker to embarrass me. Hopefully, it wasn't any more teddy bears. I had enough of those to last me a lifetime.

  But when I opened my locker, all that was in there were my stinky P.E. clothes. Yeah, I should probably take those home and wash them, too.

  I dropped my duffel bag by my locker then took a stroll around the room, passing through a maze of my teammates wearing differing amounts of clothing. But I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Maybe Ashlyn's smile had just been that, a smile. Hopefully, she hadn't somehow figured out it had been me in the Chemistry lab.

  I went back to my blue-and-white bag and unzipped it. It smelled like peppermint. Did Dad switch detergent brands? Probably. He never had to do laundry before, so he most likely didn't even know what kind of soap Mom usually bought.

  “You psyched?" Kellen clapped me on the shoulder after I stripped off my shirt.

  "Sure. Should be fun, if not for their linebacker. Have you seen him? He’s like Bigfoot’s cousin." I'd lifted weights all summer to get my mind off my mom, but this guy had to be using steroids or something because he was huge.

  “Dude, you’re not our captain for nothing. So stop worrying about it like a little old lady.”

  Coach Hobbs yelled for everyone to get on the field, so I hurried to put on the rest of my uniform. About thirty seconds into my run out to the field, it felt like my crotch was on fire. It took everything I had in me not to scream! I turned around to go back to the locker room. I had to get in the shower immediately. Something bad was happening. Was this some sort of allergic reaction to the new peppermint detergent my dad bought?

  "Turn around and get on the field, Davenport!" Coach yelled when I passed him on my way back to the locker room. "Get your butt out there now or you won't be starting tonight!"

  "What's with the dancing, dude?" Jake called to me as we passed the football back and forth along the thirty-yard line. "Drink too much before practice?"

  I shook my head. If I said anything it would probably come out sounding like a strangled kitten. But the jumping and stomping around were helping. Maybe not so much with the pain, but at least it was distracting me from it. “Running passes?” I suggested to Jake, managing not to squeak the words out and retain whatever dignity I had left.

  Plus, jogging around had
to help. The bleachers were already half full, so moving across the field would be less humiliating than having everyone think I was like some kid doing the potty dance.

  Running around did help, and after a few minutes, the burning sensation turned into more of a cooling sensation. Maybe I wasn't going to die after all. I could handle this. It was like wearing jock itch powder, just with a bit more of a burn. It was manageable…but still, the first thing I was going to do when I got home was throw that detergent in the trash.

  I peeked across the track. The bleachers were almost full now, and a few of the cheerleaders pointed at me while talking to each other. Great. I looked down, just to make sure I didn't have something visible going on. Nope, my blue football pants were still blue, and they hadn't started smoking yet.

  Coach gave us one final pep talk. As soon as he was done, I ran off toward the locker room to make sure I didn't have some gnarly rash.

  The drill team was just coming out of the school when I got there. I waited by the door as they all exited, bouncing on my heels as they took their pretty time coming out the doors.

  "Something wrong?" a female voice came from behind me.

  Ashlyn.

  I didn't have time for her and whatever prank she planned to play on me. I needed to make sure everything was okay down there.

  She stepped closer, lifting her face to scrutinize mine. "You're not looking good, Luke. Do you need me to help you with something?"

  "I'm fine. Just need to take a leak," I lied. Hurry up, drill team. How many girls did we need dancing during halftime anyway?

  "Well, good luck on the game tonight," Ashlyn said. "I just love watching you guys on the field. You all look so hot in your uniforms. Or is it more icy than hot?"

  I stopped my ridiculous bouncing as my heart stuttered to a halt. This wasn't some allergic reaction to peppermint detergent. Ashlyn had done this to me. Suddenly, it all made sense. The wave and smile in the gym, the smell of peppermint coming from my athletic bag that hadn't been there last night. Ashlyn must have gotten into my things somehow and put Icy Hot on my jock strap.

  Suddenly, getting Ashlyn to talk to a fake British guy wasn't nearly bad enough. I needed to make it hurt like I was hurting right now. Oh, yes, I would definitely go back to that room and pretend to be some dreamy guy from England, but I would take it one step further. I would use that deep voice and fake accent for all it was worth. I would talk to Ashlyn, tell her everything she wanted to hear and get her to tell me things she'd never tell anyone else. I'd make her fall in love with me. And then, I would find a way to humiliate her in front of everyone. I'd get her in front of the whole school and tell everyone that I'd just pulled off the biggest prank of all time. Ashlyn would regret the day she messed with Luke Davenport because once I was done with her, her cheeks would be burning way hotter than this Icy Hot ever could.

  It was on!

  5

  Ashlyn

  I couldn't keep from smiling about my prank all weekend. Finally, I had been able to get Luke back the way he deserved. It had been spectacular sneaking out for a moment to watch him dance around the field like he was on fire. Just seeing that with my own two eyes was awesome enough, but then the look on his face when he realized it was me was priceless. I'd totally consider digging through his gym bag again if it meant seeing him go into shock.

  But now the ball was back in his court, and I'd be lying if I didn't say I was nervous about him getting me back.

  I made it through the first two periods without running into Luke, but it was only inevitable that I'd bump into him before long.

  But I couldn't worry about that right now, because I'd be meeting with British Boy in a few minutes. When I wasn't laughing about my prank, I was daydreaming about what today might bring in the Chemistry lab. Would he be there again? And would he still be just as sweet and understanding as he’d been the first day?

  I hoped he would, because I definitely wouldn't mind listening to that accent again. Because that accent was way better in person than it was when I watched my old-fashioned English romance movies at home.

  The halls finally emptied as students headed to the cafeteria. I was just grabbing the lunch I'd packed for today when Luke turned the corner. He startled when he saw me standing alone in the hall.

  I bit my lip to keep my mouth from hanging open. His red V-neck fit his muscular physique perfectly—he looked hot…and not in the Icy Hot kind of way.

  I shook my head and blinked my eyes to get those thoughts out of my head. Luke was an annoying jerk who found joy in making my life miserable. He may look good, but he wasn't good.

  He sauntered up next to me, the startled look gone from his face. "What you got in there?" He nodded at my pink lunch box. It seemed like a friendly-enough question, but I needed to keep my guard up. He could attack with revenge at any moment.

  "It's my tarantula collection," I said, pulling something off the top of my head. "I was hoping to put them in your locker today, but since you haven't gotten me back yet after my epic prank, I guess they'll have to wait."

  Luke leaned against the locker next to mine and gave me one of his heart-stopping smiles. "Trick's on you Ashlyn because my brother and I had tarantulas for pets growing up."

  "Seriously?" I raised an eyebrow.

  "Seriously."

  "Good to know." I shut my locker, hoping he'd get the hint that he could leave now. I needed to get to the Chemistry lab soon or British Boy would think I was standing him up.

  But he didn't leave. Instead, he asked, "Where are you headed? I was thinking it might be time for me to admit defeat and call a truce after all."

  "Really? Giving up so soon?" I searched his face for a sign that he was lying. And while his mouth didn't slip into the half smile I expected, there was something in his eyes that told me not to trust him.

  "To prove I'm sincere, I want to have lunch with you today. It was rude of me to post those flyers. If I'd known you'd broken up with Noah over the summer, I would have picked something different."

  Yeah, right. Noah was on the football team with him, so there was about zero chance that it hadn't come up during football camp. In fact, they'd probably planned it together since they were so much the same: conniving and mean. But whatever—I'd gotten my revenge, and oh it was so sweet.

  "I already have plans for lunch, so even if I didn't think you were planning to put something nasty in my food, I couldn't go anyway."

  "Oh? What are your plans?"

  "Um…" My mind scrambled for something to say. There was no way I could let him find out that I was meeting a stranger in the Chemistry lab. He'd for sure find a way to use that information against me. "I have a, um…I just need to get help from Mr. Phipps. I was confused about something in History today."

  "I'll walk you there then. It's the least I can do to show you that I have no hard feelings over the way you burned my crotch at the game." He smiled, and this time there was totally something devious in it. Oh, he definitely had hard feelings still.

  "You go ahead and get your lunch. I'm fine walking there myself."

  But he kept pace with me, and that smirk was still on his face. Had he set up some sort of prank in the hall and was just waiting for me to walk into it?

  My heart started pounding as we turned a corner, and I braced myself for something. But the hall was empty. Just a wall of lockers and a flickering fluorescent light. I peeked at Luke as he walked beside me. He was as calm as could be. We were almost to Mr. Phipps’ door with a poster of Abe Lincoln on it when I stopped in my tracks.

  "Actually, I drank a ton of water this morning, so I need to hit the bathroom first. Thanks for walking me here." And I dashed away before he could stop me.

  Once I was in the bathroom, I set my lunchbox on the counter and unzipped the lid. Inside sat the scarf I'd packed just in case. I wrapped it loosely around my neck and slung my lunchbox back over my shoulder. After ensuring Luke was nowhere in sight, I snuck out of the bathroom.

 
I strode past a couple of band nerds who were making out like they thought each other's lips were lunch. I sighed with relief when I made it to the Chemistry lab without running into Luke again. Hopefully, British Boy hadn't left yet.

  I tiptoed up to the door and opened it just a sliver of the way. "Psst. Are you in here British Boy?"

  "I'm here," a deep, gorgeous voice sounded with its familiar English accent.

  I shut the door again and lifted part of the scarf over my head. I didn't know why it mattered if he knew who I was, but for some reason, I loved the idea of having anonymity for once. Scarf in place, I stepped into the dark room and shuffled along the tiled floor to the same spot I'd sat last week.

  "Did you just walk in here with a scarf on your head?" British Boy asked with amusement in his voice.

  "Well yeah, we're still keeping our identities a secret, aren't we?" And it was a good thing I had worn the scarf because if he knew about it he was obviously looking at me.

  He laughed. "That's one way to do it. Maybe I should find a paper bag to use in case I get here second next time."

  Next time? A warm feeling filled my chest. I liked the idea that there would be a next time. Which was weird. I didn't know this guy. I didn't even know what he looked like. The only British guy I'd seen recently was at the football game on Friday…but he was a middle-aged man who had sat with a boy who looked like he was in middle school.

  British Boy didn't sound like that boy had looked, but I had to ask. "You don't happen to be in middle school, are you?"

  "Do I sound that young?" he asked.

  I shrugged, though he couldn't see it. "Just wanted to make sure. It's a good idea to nail down a few particulars."

  "I'm not in middle school. I go here."

  I sighed, relieved. "Do you have a brother, by chance?"