Try and Catch Me: A Young Adult Fiction

by Sarah Kirchner

  Aspen mumbled something that I couldn’t quite hear and followed me out of the lake. “We should get you back then,” he shouted after me.

  “Crap. I am in so much trouble!” I grasped my phone and noticed that the call was most definitely from my mother. “And I just got done with being grounded!”

  Aspen nudged me when he got back to our picnic site. I looked to him and noticed he was holding my dress. Wasn’t this uncomfortable? I was standing on the blanket in nothing but my undergarments. This was such a wonderful second first date.

  “Thanks,” I said shyly and slipped into the dress.

  “Let’s get you home,” Aspen said and quickly packed up the picnic and headed toward the car.

  He didn’t even open the door for me.

  ***

  “I had fun,” I said to Aspen as his car pulled into my driveway. Looking at my house, I saw my mom standing by the front door. How embarrassing was that?

  “Yeah me too.” He tried to smile, but he couldn’t hide his sadness. Was he really that upset that I wasn’t able to stay out longer? Would he have kissed me if I did?

  “Well, this just gives us an excuse for another date.” I beamed.

  “Yes, yes it does.” He nodded and grabbed my hand. “I had a lot of fun with you tonight, Branson. To be honest I was really nervous about this date, but you make it really easy.”

  My heart skipped a beat. “You were nervous about a date with me? That’s impossible. What could you be nervous about?”

  “I have my reasons, Branson.”

  “Of course, you do,” I laughed. “I’ll see you around, Mr. Carder.” I pressed my lips against his cheek and pushed open the car door.

  “Mr. Carder, huh?” He nodded, considering the name. “I like it.”

  “Good.” I winked at him and shut the door. As I waved at him, Aspen pulled out of the driveway and into the road.

  Now that was what I called a perfect date. Sure, sometimes Aspen was a total jerk. But this date showed me the exact side of him that I knew I would love. Aspen had a lot of secrets that I learned that night, and I’m sure there were still a lot more for me to find out later on.

  Chapter 12

  Playing a Game

  “All right ladies!” Taylor shouted at the soccer team. We all snapped up our heads and stared at the tall brunette. “Now,” Taylor began once she had everyone’s attention, “By some miracle, we were blessed with winning our past five games. This means that we may have a slight chance winning against Crestful this year.”

  “Way to boost our self-esteem, Taylor!” Another player on our team, Sophia, shouted.

  “I just don’t want you guys to think that we actually have a real chance of going to states this year.” Taylor scoffed with narrowed eyes at Sophia. Sophie, in response, rolled her eyes and gave her the middle finger once Taylor turned her back. The team snickered, but Taylor ignored them, thinking it was nothing.

  “Such a loving team,” I mumbled under my breath. Thankfully, no one heard me.

  “Everyone, be here at two thirty sharp on Thursday for the game,” Taylor instructed.

  “But Taylor, we don’t get out of school till then.” Madison pointed out.

  “Well, you better figure out how to get here, then.” Taylor waved us all away and headed toward the locker rooms. The team mumbled things under their breaths, but headed to the locker room as well.

  I walked over to the sideline and slugged on my backpack. The boys’ soccer team had an away game today, so unfortunately, Aspen couldn’t drive me home. It had become a habit for him to drive me. Usually, he would hold my hand during the whole ride. We hadn’t planned on another date yet, and that bummed me out a little. Our first date was loads of fun, and it allowed me to learn so much about him. Sam cornered me with questions after the date, of course. I figured that would happen anyway. Even though she had a boyfriend, it didn’t prevent her from crushing on my date.

  “El!” I heard someone shout from the parking lot.

  My eyes glanced up and I saw Caleb’s familiar face smiling at me and waving his hands.

  I jogged over to meet him with a smile on my face. “Hey Caleb, I didn’t know you were picking me up,” I said once I reached him.

  “I figured that your usual driver wasn’t here today, so I thought I’d take the chance to drive you.” He beamed.

  “Thanks, Caleb,” I said and reached for his shoulder. I looked at my feet, guilty. “I’m sorry.”

  “It is what it is.” Caleb shrugged and opened the car door for me.

  I crawled into his car and threw my bag into the back. “Will you be attending my soccer game against Crestful?” I asked him once he got into the car.

  “Of course! Just remind Aspen that I’m always going to be your number one fan.” He winked at me as he pulled out of the parking lot.

  I laughed. “I’m sure you guys can share that position.” The idea of having Aspen rooting for me at all my games made my feet tingle. It would make me feel like we were actually a couple. Then again, we weren’t “official” yet. We only went on one—well, technically two—dates and the only other times we hung out was when he drove me home.

  “I just don’t like sharing,” Caleb said.

  “Oh please,” I said, laughing at him. Caleb smirked. His hand shot off the wheel and poked me in the side. “Caleb!” I squealed as he dug deeper into my sides. Laughter escaped from my lips. “Caleb, please.” I gasped for air as I slowly died from being tickled.

  “That will never get old.” Caleb smiled.

  “Well, make it get old, because I’m tired of it!” I flicked his arm and he barely even flinched.

  “Whatever you say, Isabella.” He waved me off.

  My eyes rolled. I hated when he called me Isabella. Sam called me that, and I hated her. Didn’t Caleb know that saying my full name would just force him out of our friendship? Good thing, he was only doing it to tease me. But it still bothered me. Why wasn’t he calling me Ella?

  “Wow, you really hate that name, huh.” Caleb chuckled as he watched my ears begin to steam.

  “Sam calls me that.”

  “No way! Her Highness calls you that?” Caleb asked and faked a gasp. “I had no idea!” He caught my eye and winked.

  I whacked his arm. “I hate you.” Caleb continued to smile. “No, I’m serious. I really hate you.”

  “Whatever you say, princess. Whatever you say.”

  ***

  “Are you going to come in?” I asked Caleb once he parked the car.

  Caleb shook his head, his blond hair bouncing. “I have places to get to,” he said with a smile.

  “Ew!” I exclaimed. My body leaned in toward him. “Are you going on a date with Becca?”

  Caleb’s face became stern. “No, Ella.” He sighed. “I just have to go to dinner with my parents.”

  “Oh. Good, because I don’t know if I can support your love for her anymore.” I folded my arms and scrunched my nose, displaying my anger.

  “I didn’t realize you guys were still on such bad terms,” he said, raising a brow.

  “Well, she did a horrible thing.” I grunted.

  Caleb rolled his eyes. “Okay, then I’ll try to hold in my love for her ‘till you guys are on good terms.”

  “If we ever get back on good terms.” I corrected him with a raised finger.

  “Sure, ‘if’.” He waved me out of his car. “You guys have to make up sooner or later. After all, you guys are best friends.”

  I slammed his door shut and he winced a little. “Best friends my ass,” I mumbled.

  “Hey! Cheer up!” Caleb shouted from inside the car. The window was rolled down so I could still see his ridiculous smile and golden locks. “Go eat some ice cream!” He winked and quickly backed out of the driveway. The car’s horn beeped before Caleb hit the gas and he disappeared down the empty road.

  Hanging out with Caleb made me realize how much I’ve missed him. All my guy time had been going to Aspen and I’
m sure that Caleb felt a little left out. He always knew what to say, and what not to say. To think that a sweet guy like him would want a sneaky, two-faced, manipulative, two-timing, good for nothing—I’m sorry. That had gone a little too far.

  To think that Caleb could like a girl like Becca was beyond me.

  When I entered my house, I overheard giggling in the living room. The giggling belonged to only one person. Sam.

  “James, stop it!” She squealed. “No, don’t!” She continued to giggle then… moaned.

  What the hell was going on in that living room? Were they actually doing the deed while my parents were in the kitchen?

  “Hello, young Ella!” My dad called from the kitchen counter. He was hunched over a pile of documents. For work I presumed. He was a lawyer, so he was always going over case files.

  I pointed toward the living room with an eyebrow raised.

  “Oh, they’re just playing.” Mom, who was situated near the stove, explained with a smile.

  “Playing what?” I grumbled as I barged right into the room.

  Sam was definitely playing with James. But they were not playing in the way I thought they were. Instead of banging one another, they were sitting around our glass table playing monopoly.

  “Oh, hi Isabella.” Sam grinned at me.

  “Hi.” James beamed across from her. His stupid white smile bothered me. All he cared about was his looks and how he appeared next to the famous Samantha Branson.

  I just stared back and forth between them. Were all those noises seriously just from them playing a board game?

  “What’s that face for, sis?”

  “Nothing,” I mumbled and left the room as quickly as possible. There was no way I would stand less than twenty feet near James. He was like a walking hair gel. I swore he loaded his thick brown hair with nothing but hair gel and spray. It was no wonder that he was so dumb. All those fumes could damage a person, and for an airhead like James Smith, it would be the only thing filling that thick head of his. How original was that name, too? James Smith? Seriously, if I gave birth to a child with the last name Smith, the least I could do is give my kid a unique first name.

  When I entered the kitchen, my mom smiled at me.

  “I told you they were only playing,” she said, laughing over the boiling pot.

  Ignoring my mom’s comment, I headed over to the counter to greet my dad. “What’s for dinner?” I asked as I took a seat.

  “Pasta,” Mom simply replied, going back to her work, her mind consumed in the cooking. It was a hobby of hers.

  Dad peeked up from his rectangle glasses. “You have a big game tomorrow.” He nodded with a firm look.

  “I know,” I murmured. The game was making me stressed. Everyone was counting on that game for the girls. Crestful was our biggest competition. We lost against other teams, but this year we were pretty confident we would beat them. It was only Crestful that gave everybody nerves.

  “Will Aspen be at the game, honey?” Mom looked over her shoulder at me, her eyes gleaming.

  I shrugged. “Probably.”

  “And you two are not dating, correct?” Dad glanced toward me.

  “That’s correct, Dad.” I smiled at him. Dad wanted me to date Aspen. It was a shock to me. What sane dad encourages their high school daughter to date?

  “Will you be sure to tell us when you do start dating?” Mom asked. She gleamed, probably thinking of us together.

  “That’s most likely never going to happen, Mom.”

  “Is it because of Caleb?” Dad asked and finally dropped his papers.

  “No!” I exclaimed. Mom just stared at me from the stove. She was wondering the same thing. “There is nothing going on between Caleb and me. He’s practically my brother.”

  “Does that mean there’s hope for Aspen?” Mom joked.

  I jumped off the stool. “Ugh, I can never have a conversation with either of you!” My feet spun around and I stalked off to my room. It bothered me how much my parents wanted me with Aspen. They were in love with him. If they could adopt him, they would. But then again, that would ruin their dream of Aspen and I having little soccer star babies. Ew. Just thinking of that brought shivers down my spine.

  Chapter 13

  Now We Got Problems

  I had Chemistry for my last period that day, and that sucked. The teacher, Mrs. Peronne, was the strictest teacher ever. Coach Lavester had emailed all the team members’ last period teachers so that we could leave early.

  However, Mrs. Peronne didn’t like allowing anyone to leave her class early no matter what the reason. She felt that her class was above all the rest, and I slightly agreed with her. If I ever missed her class, I would be lost for a week. With my other classes, I was still able to catch up later that day. It sucked a little that that was the class I had to miss because of soccer. I wouldn’t even receive playing time, so why would I have to warm up? How I wished that I had the last period free that day, but nope. I had to have Chemistry.

  Unfortunately, every single varsity player had to get to the field by 2:30, so my hand shot up at 2:15.

  “Yes, Ms. Branson?” Mrs. Peronne asked in the middle of her lesson, her hands resting on her hips and her glasses hanging on the tip of her red nose. It had been red for months. I swore that she was Rudolph the Reindeer’s mother, but she claimed that it was only a cold. A cold that lasted for months? Yeah right.

  “I have to leave for a soccer game,” I said as fast as I could. I desperately wanted to escape the situation and head to my game.

  Mrs. Peronne watched me for a while, her pale blue eyes boring into me.

  “Go ahead, but I expect you to be all caught up with the work by tomorrow,” she instructed as quickly as I had told my request in her raspy, harsh voice.

  “Of course.” I nodded and scurried toward the wooden door. “Sorry,” I murmured before I slipped out the door. I could feel all their eyes on me, and I never enjoyed being put in that situation.

  Because I had soccer game, I had to use the car. Unfortunately, Sam didn’t know that. She had driven to school herself, so I hitched a ride with Quinn in the morning. But now, I was hurrying my way to Sam’s locker, which happened to be right next to mine. Since the lockers were in alphabetical order, we were always placed next to each other. It sucked, but at least I rarely had run-ins with her at her locker. I was just going to have to take the keys for myself and face the consequences later.

  Thankfully, I knew Sam’s locker combo. When the combinations came in the mail back over the summer, I made sure to memorize hers just in case we encounter a problem like this one. Still, it was surprising that Sam would just leave the car keys dangling in her locker. If I ever had the chance to drive the car to school, I would have kept the keys wrapped around my wrist all day. However, Sam most likely assumed I would never just take the keys without asking, but that was where she was wrong.

  After I got the keys from Sam’s locker, I scooted to my locker next to it to take and leave some stuff. Thrusting my jammed locker open, a piece of paper fluttered out and dropped to the ground. Confused, I picked it up to find that it was a letter sent by Aspen. My heart sped up.

  Branson,

  I better see you kicking ass on that field. I’ll see you at exactly 2:38 from the stand. After the win, we are going out to celebrate. You’re the best.

  Love, Aspen

  Suddenly Aspen’s letter and what it meant filled my head with fog. Having him attend my game meant the world to me. I barely set foot on the soccer field during games, but somehow Aspen made me feel as if I was the star of the team, although that was definitely not the case. There were eleven other girls on the team who were amazing on the field. I was average, and a game like that needed spectacular players.

  What was even better than Aspen coming to my game was that he was also taking me out after the game. Even if we lost, Aspen would take me out. He was sweet like that. It would be a pity party if we lost, but at least I’ll get to hang out with him.
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  “Hey Ella!” I heard someone scream from down the hall. Stretching my head, I looked for the person calling my name. It was Taylor. “Stop daydreaming and get down to the field!”

  I watched her standing at the top of the staircase.

  When I didn’t move, Taylor grew red.

  “Now Branson!” She screamed louder. I jumped up and quickly collected all my belongings before bolting down the stairs and to my car. I’m sure that she had just interrupted all the classrooms held on that floor, and I wasn’t planning on sticking around to bring the wrath of the teachers upon me.

  ***

  By 2:30, the bleachers were already filled with parents. Students would be arriving a little later because of their last periods. I noticed everyone in the stands was wearing soccer attires or Tree Fall’s school colors: red and (a little) blue. They looked like a bloody sea because of all the red in their clothes. Either some girl on her period dipped in the ocean, or there was a shark attack. I laughed at the thought.

  The starters were on the field and the kickoff had already happened. Unfortunately, the other team got the pleasure of starting with the ball. Thankfully, we had Caitlyn who was an incredibly fast forward player. Once the ball was kicked back to Crestful’s defense, Cait went onto the other players, blocking them away from the ball.

  “Go Caitlyn!” Coach Lavester shouted from the sideline.

  I nodded next to her on the bench. The game was making me nervous; my leg wouldn’t stop shaking, and all my fingernails had practically been chewed off. We were doing great this season. Counties was practically already ours; all we had to do was win this game. If we won this game, it was a surety that we could beat all the other teams. Even so, another part of me hoped we wouldn’t make it much further. It was exhausting to give all my effort at practice to just be a benchwarmer at all the soccer games.