I listened. Nickelback? “Yes.”
Her hand waved. “Stay here.”
“OK.” I pulled a piece of gum from my pocket and tossed it in my mouth. The granite was smooth as I ran my hands over the clean stone. This whole kitchen was spotless. A brown dog suddenly shot into the kitchen and introduced itself to my legs sniffing every inch.
“Hey buddy.” I nudged her ears and her tail whacked the island with a thud, thud, thud.
The music echoed over the speakers and an unexpected solace inched through me. When the lights go down in the city…. Journey sang and she waited in the archway of the kitchen measuring my response. I wouldn’t tell her that Otis Redding’s Sitting on the Dock of the Bay was my favorite but this was a close second. The unfamiliar feeling inside my chest made me anxious, creasing my brow, which, by reading her expression, caused her anxiety in return. She had reached out to me through song. She had reached out to someone that she shouldn’t trust. I got to my feet and moved toward her.
“I’m sorry,” she quickly whispered and started to make a meal of her thumb nail. A nervous habit obviously that I noted. I towered over her and she seemed intimidated. Terrifying her was NOT my objective, but it was sort of cute to see her neck at a ninety degree angle as she looked up at me.
“Thank you,” I said softly.
When her upper teeth pressed into her bottom lip my thoughts bordered on inappropriate and I backed away. The next thing I knew we were heading back into the living room to watch some movie she’d rented, and as much as I wanted to distance myself, I found it utterly impossible.
She giggled a lot during the movie, which made me smile, but when a full blown snort came from her little body, I lost it.
“You snorted!” I laughed.
She shook her head and the smell of her shampoo wafted through the air and blasted me. Refocus.
“No I didn’t.” Blood invaded her cheeks making her more vulnerable to me than before. Thoughts raced through my head like a barrage of bullets whizzing past. I could bag this chick right now, walk away and only be shy a few points of an official win or explore this feeling that she sparked in me. The difficulty of the latter was ten-fold.
I glanced at her. She was still attempting to contain her laughter but failing miserably. Keeping it playful, I began tickling her and before I knew it, laughter filled the silence between us. But in the end, silence was victorious after our eyes locked in a way confirming she wanted me. Locked in a way that mine had many times with the female species, usually with the girl wanting me more than me wanting her, but I wasn’t sure in this case. I was on my knees after the tickle fest and she was lying on her side in a defenseless position.
“May I kiss you?” I asked her. The throbbing of my heart scared me. It hadn’t beat so hard in months, maybe a full year, and I anticipated her response. Her head nodded, or did it? I wanted it to, but it wasn’t until I tilted my head and she reacted accordingly, moistening her lips, I did it. I moved in, brushing her lips with mine. Touching her lip with my tongue, savoring the taste of her and realizing that this could possibly be her first kiss. I wasn’t sure, but I wanted to know. What could she have possibly seen in me to bestow such trust? I was not trustworthy and I would prove that. My hand touched her hip. God, she was tiny. I stopped the kiss and looked at her. Her eyes were still closed and I wondered if she was breathing. Deep down, I knew I could have her.
FIVE
Emma
I glared at my mom in the car. “I don’t know why you don’t believe me. Daddy acted like a psycho that night. I’m sure that Zach doesn’t even want to see me.”
“Your father was, as was I, shocked to see you and him sleeping on our sofa.”
“You treated him terrible. Like we were naked or something.” I rubbed my temples as the red returned to my cheeks. I was glad to be gone all summer. Though the thought of seeing him again thrilled me to the bone, it also mortified me.
When I woke up that night and saw my dad standing over me with rage burning in his eyes, I was confused until I realized Zach was still there. Then I realized what my dad must be thinking. There was no way I could allow him to voice those thoughts. Little did my father know that this sweet guy wanted nothing more to do with me. After what must have been a torturous and inexperienced kiss, he chose sleep!!
“Daddy. Stop,” I begged.
“Stop? I have only just gotten started.”
Zach rose to meet my father’s eyes. “Sir. I am so sorry. I was waiting for Ryan and…”
The tightness in my father’s jaw and protrusion of his chest was pretty indicative of hostility and it was obvious I wouldn’t walk away from this a winner.
“My name is Zach Owens, Sir,” Zach continued.
“My name is Matt Hendricks, and this is my fifteen year old daughter you were sleeping with.”
My father was determined and unwavering in his stance and though I didn’t remember Zach leaving, I remember feeling like Iraq after some shock and awe mission- completely paralyzed from the attack and unable to recover. Even two months later, it seemed raw.
“Emma, we both feel bad about what happened. But we were taken back by it. You were in eighth grade. HEL-LO!” Her eyes were wide. She always said hello…like she was trying to get my attention…or like I was too stupid to grasp what she was saying.
“I’m a freshman, Mom.”
“You’re right. With so much experience under your belt.”
I grunted and hated myself for resorting to such an immature sound. Ryan was up with Dad probably chatting about the girls he’d conquered this summer, bumping fists with my father and discussing football plays.
“Why can Ryan do anything he wants with a girl and I fall asleep with a guy fully clothed and I’m a ‘ho. It’s so totally not fair.”
My mom’s eyes shot daggers.
Whew. I could tell she was pissed and done with me for a while. An unavoidable smile touched my lips.
Not that I was expecting to see Zach staked out at the city limits with a huge banner as I came back into town. After all, our uneventful arrival into Ashland was later than expected, but my eyes scanned every car as we drove including scouring the Burger King parking right off the 5.
Once home, I bolted from the car, tore through the house and grabbed my cell phone scrolling quickly through the texts looking for an unfamiliar number. I never had the chance to give him my number. Then again, he never asked.
My pounding heart took my breath away.
“Hey Runt. Go grab some crap.” Ryan hit me with his duffle bag.
“Give me a sec.” I kept scrolling as Reesy darted around the kitchen smelling for any unfamiliar scent.
“Did Zachy-poo text?”
“Shut up, you ‘tard.” I turned away from him.
“He’s too old for you and you’re not dating him. Where’s my phone?” he asked and dropped his heavy bag on my foot.
Ouch! “Ryan!” I didn’t have time for his games. I tried to shove him but his freakishly large body didn’t budge.
Ryan and I were siblings, but there was nothing about us that remotely resembled each other. For some unfair reason I’d gotten my grandmother’s reddish blonde hair while Ryan’s was a beautiful beach blonde, at least during the summer. I barely came up to his rib cage and he was easily six foot something and weighed over two hundred. If he wasn’t my brother, I’m sure I’d think he was hot because all the girls did.
My heart sunk as he scrolled through the names on his phone. Outside of Ali and Lauren texting in the past few days there were none on mine.
The night before school, I didn’t sleep well. It was too quiet. The roar of the crashing waves in my ear for the past two months seemed a constant now. I missed it.
The forecast was sunny and a warm eighty-five which, compared to the sixty-five on the beach, was a heat wave. I wore my plaid mini skirt and two tanks—dressier than normal but I had a guy to impress. I snarfed down a banana as I ran out the door.
Ryan pulled into the
back of the lot, where all the seniors parked, which meant I had to tolerate seeing his dumb jock friends. Once we parked, they rushed his truck, which was typical, following our summer hiatus. Brett worked the shocks of the truck, rocking it up and down with his foot.
“What’s up?” Ryan shouted slamming his door.
“Testosterone,” I whispered under my breath and grabbed my backpack.
“Hey Runt! I think you’ve grown.” Connor lifted me up and over his head. I dropped my backpack and opted to hold my skirt down. This is what I’d always been to them—a little rag doll—picked up and dragged around. Maybe fun when I was little but now, annoying.
“Connor, please.” I glared at Ryan.
“Put her down, dude,” Ryan said.
Connor immediately slid me off his shoulder, and on the way down, I spotted him—Zach Owens across the parking lot talking to Estelle Kramer. ESTELLE? Crap. I hid behind the older boys for a moment and spied between them. Zach’s posture was relaxed, too relaxed and his hands rested in his khaki pockets. Estelle was laughing, all 5 foot 8 inches with her glorious mane of black hair flowing half way down her back. I swallowed as I felt the banana rise in the back of my throat. Zach was tanner from the summer sun, his light brown hair touched with golden highlights. Dark sunglasses hid his eyes and when he laughed, my heart fluttered.
Ryan, Connor, Brett and Grant started walking toward the main building, which meant I had to move. Thankfully, I was positioned in the middle as we made our entrance inside.
“So, Runt…”
I cringed. “Stop calling me that. All of you, please stop!” I begged and it wasn’t the first time.
Grant tickled the back of my neck. “She’s no runt. Believe me boys; I saw Runt every day this summer at the beach. Our Runt is growing up. Mmmm!”
At that very moment, every one of them looked at me as if I was just being introduced to them for the first time. A mask of confusion clouded their faces and blood crept up mine. My eyes widened then closed. Grant Meiers just said mmmm in relation to me? WTF? I bit my lip. By the end of summer, Grant’s blonde hair touched his shoulders and his loose curls drove girls crazy. He was last year’s homecoming king for crying out loud. Stop the madness!
I opened my eyes in time to watch my brother grip Grant in a headlock.
“Stop checkin’ out my sister, you freak!” Ryan shouted and shoved him playfully. Grant grinned and threw his arm around my neck.
“Hey, Emma.”
I heard the voice and spun around trying unsuccessfully to maneuver out from under Grant’s arm. Zach was approaching my brother from behind. I darted out from under Grant’s possession.
Ryan glanced at me and my mile-wide smile then rotated his mammoth body stopping Zach in his path. Zach’s eyes abandoned mine and settled on Ryan’s. I swallowed dryly.
“EMMA!” the voices were shrill. Ali and Lauren were rushing to me. “How was the beach? When did you get home?” The warning bell suddenly sounded.
My index finger would hold them off only for a sec, so I spun back to Zach who back stepped away from Ryan’s intense glare, but not without a fierce glower of his own. With the hint of a smile, he veered down the senior’s hall without another look my way. Thanks, Ryan. My shoulders slumped knowing my chances of seeing him again today were slim; BUT…he remembered me!
SIX
I found my first and second hours without a problem but my third period, Advanced Algebra, was clear across the school. After snatching the book from my locker, I hoofed it past the cafeteria, up to the second floor and through the hall. The bell rang just as I stepped in. I hated advanced placement classes.
“Hey Runt,” Grant whispered.
I smiled. Great, this would make Ryan happy—me being in the same class as his buddies. Seriously, Grant in Advanced Alegbra? I didn’t figure him smart enough. Front row was all that was available, naturally, and I took the closest seat, in front of Grant. Mr. Bowman had written what looked like a homework assignment on the board and I jotted it down in my notebook.
“Please open your books to page 14.”
Math concepts. This was going to be fun.
“I believe I recognize most of you. Some of you because you failed this class before and are attempting it again.” Bowman smiled deviously. “And some of you I just know. First row, first seat, introduce yourself.”
Oh God! That’s me. “Um…Emma.” My face felt hot. “Emma Hendricks.”
“Any relation to our quarterback?”
“Yes. He’s my brother.” Ryan’s little sister, Runt. That’s who I was. The quarterback’s little sis. Ryan Hendricks, star football player and his kid sister.
“Mr. Owens. Mr. Meiers. Did you have something to add?”
Owens? My eyes widened and I stared down at my notebook. There was only one Owens in this school and that was Zach. Was he in this class? What had he and Grant said? I fought the urge to turn and look, hiding behind my drape of strawberry blonde hair. My chest tightened.
Grant’s pencil eraser jabbed me in the back. “What?” I whispered.
“You’re singing, where’s your inhaler,” he said quietly.
I concentrated on his words for a moment then heard myself. A soft wheeze accompanied each breath. I reached for my purse, but Grant had already retrieved my albuterol inhaler from the top and was shaking it dutifully. I lowered my head and did one quick puff, shoving it back in my bag.
“Thanks,” I whispered over my shoulder.
The hour seemed to drag past. When the bell rang, I gathered my books and casually glanced back—the room was half empty and no Zach. But, Estelle swayed gracefully between the desks. Even worse!
“Hey, Emma,” she greeted. “How’s Ryan?”
She was so pretty. “Fine, I guess. Haven’t you talked to him?” I hated when girls asked me about my brother. He was a player and everyone knew it. And here stood Estelle, with her ebony hair and perfect body—asking me about him. Wait, maybe this was a good thing. Maybe she’d stay away from Zach.
“He hasn’t really talked to me since prom,” she complained.
“Hmm, well, we were gone most of the summer.” I moved to the door hoping for an easy escape.
“Tell him hi for me.” She beat me out the door. “Hi Zach,” she chimed.
I heard her greeting before my eyes found him. Suddenly my throat went dry—again.
“Are you going my way?” Estelle asked with a mild southern drawl—she was from Seattle.
I tried not to roll my eyes. Mainly, because they were too busy searching for him.
“Hey ‘Stelle. I’m not sure. Hey, Emma. Where you headed?” His eyes met mine.
This time it was my eyes that danced from him to her and back to him. As hard as I fought—a smile touched the corners of my mouth. My arms felt weak and I tightened my grip on my Algebra book. Estelle’s eyes narrowed back at me, apparently not feeling the camaraderie we had just shared.
She stepped closer to Zach touching his bicep with her hand. “Emma is Ryan’s sister and a freshman.”
My mind was racing. Estelle said ‘Ryan’s sister’ like it was a crime and the word ‘freshman’ hissed off her tongue. I, of course, said nothing. But she was right; Ryan had run off every guy I’d ever liked. Not that there were many, but even his friends knew I was off limits.
“Hey, Runt.” Connor whacked me with a book from behind.
“Hey, Con.” I couldn’t pull my eyes away to look at Connor and was getting more annoyed each time I was referred to as Runt.
I watched Zach, eager for his response. My eyes were wide and Estelle’s smoky lashes fluttered.
“We were all freshman once.” He smiled and strolled in my direction.
Estelle flipped around stomping away.
No words came from my mouth as much as I wanted them to.
His eyes bore into mine. “So. Where you headed?” he asked. He was walking me to class?
“Um…I…gym…P.E. I have P.E.” I had three words to get ou
t and couldn’t do that clearly. My thumb acting on its own accord pointed toward the gym.
“Well, we don’t have much time. You’re gonna be late.” He whirled me in the opposite direction. It must have been obvious I was unable to do it on my own. His hand rested at the small of my back, as he directed me through the hallway toward the gym. A jolt of electricity shot through my body as his hand shifted up and down. We moved fast and didn’t talk. As we neared the gym, he glanced at his watch.
“About 20 seconds to spare.”
“Now, you’re gonna be late.” I smiled guiltily but I didn’t really feel bad.
“I have Spanish. Ms. Padilla won’t care. Do you want me to put your Algebra book in my locker?” he offered.
“That’s OK. Thanks though. I should go.” God, I did not want to leave. His beautiful brown eyes seemed amused. Had I said something?
“OK. I’ll see you after.” He smiled then jogged down the hall.
I wished I’d let him take my book. Then I would have had to get it after school because of the homework assignment. What did he mean ‘I’ll see you after’—after what? After class? After school?
Gym passed more slowly than Algebra and when the bell rang, I left by the same door I came in so there would be no confusion. Zach was waiting, his big brown eyes staring at me. I fought a smile and didn’t win. I couldn’t believe this was happening.
“Hungry?” he asked.
“Kind of.”
“You staying on campus?”
I shrugged. I hadn’t given it much thought and had never had a choice. Ali and Lauren would be looking for me.
“Do you want to walk across the street?” he asked.
“Sure.”
We swung by his locker, and I threw my stuff in after all, then headed down the stairs and out the front. The sky was overcast and smelled of smoke from the California fires.
“How was your summer?” he asked.
“It was OK. Kinda boring.” We walked close. I wondered if he could hear my heart. “Yours?”
“Stuck here most of it. Went back to the City for a week. Anyway. I wanted to talk to you.”
Old Enough to Love... (Just One of the Guys) Page 3