A Second Chance (3 page)

Lunch period ends and I get up with Lily and make our way to our afternoon class; Tate and Ben are already off to their next classes. I don’t know what happened to Courtney, but after Tate announcing I was his bff she took off in a huff.

I spot Courtney before I make it to the classroom. “Listen here you little bitch, stay away from Tate.”

“I’m not sure what your problem is, but Tate is my friend. You can’t tell me, or him, who we can be friends with. So back off.”

And without her being able to say anything more I walk off. “Wow, no one has ever stood up to her before.” Lily says as we take our seats.

After the last class of the day, I walk to my locker to see Ben waiting on me. Seeing how Tate blocked him at lunch, he probably wants to see if I will actually make time for him this weekend.

“Hey Ben.” I say to him, as I reach my locker.

“Hey Rayleigh, listen I know Tate wants you to tutor him, but I was seeing if maybe you could tutor me too.” Ben looks at me with puppy dog eyes.

“I’m sorry Ben, but I have a full load. I have to keep up with my classes, and tutor Tate. I just can’t do it right now.” I give him my best apologetic eyes and smile as I could.

“Well, why don’t you ditch Tate and help me this weekend?” Ben brushes my cheek and pushes a loose strain of hair behind my ear.

I back away a little bit to give myself some space. “I can’t ditch Tate; I already told him that I would help him. I’m sorry. Now if you will excuse me, I have to get my books I need.”

Ben moves away from the front of my locker but doesn’t go away. As I was about to turn to ask him if he needed anything else, Lily joined us.

“Hi Ben.”  Lily says blushing.

“There is an idea, how about Lily tutors you?” I say brightly looking at Lily.

“Um yeah, I would love to help tutor you!” Lily says happily.

“Uh, no thanks. I think I got it.” Ben says backing away from us.

Okay, that was strange. Lily could have helped him just as much as I could.

“That’s was weird.” Lily says, looking after Ben.

Just by her doing that, I can tell that Lily does have a thing for Ben. But it doesn’t seem like Ben has a thing for Lily.

Lily and I head out of the building to her car, ever since I met Lily; she has been picking me up and taking me school every day. But soon she wouldn’t have to, because my birthday is a little over 2 months away. I finally got it out of my parents, that I will be getting a car for my 18th birthday, but since my birthday and Christmas is right there together. It will be both for me. I totally don’t care as long as I get a car!

As I was getting in Lily’s car, Tate runs up and taps on the window.  The window rolls down, and I see sweat dripping from his hair, and his green eyes burning into mine.

Rayleigh, stop he has a girlfriend and he is your friend. You don’t want to ruin this.
I shake my head as I feel a hand on my shoulder.

“Hmm, what?” I say looking at Tate.

“I said, is tonight good for you to come over and help me study?”  He says chuckling at me.

I feel my face turn warm. “Yeah, that’s fine. What time?”

“Um, how about 7? I should be home and showered by then.”

“Okay, see you then.”

Tate runs back to the football field, and Lily starts laughing at me.

“What!?” I ask her.

“Dude, your face is red as a strawberry!” She says laughing like a hyena.

“Is not!” I say with a screech. 

Lily drove me home, laughing at me all the way. I didn’t realize what Tate could do to me, being around him.  I really need to cool down before I see him tonight.

A
fter Lily drops me at home, I walk in the house with my mom baking a peach cobbler.

“Mom, that smells amazing!” I tell her.

“Hey honey, glad you like it. How was school?”

“School, is school.”

“No problems?” She asks me.

“Nope.” I say, popping the P and smiling at my mom.

“I am going to change clothes and go hit the bag for a few.” I tell my mom walking to my room.

Once in my room, I change into a sports bra and shorts, and grab my IPod I walk out to the garage where my punching bag hangs.

Putting on ‘Crazy Kids’ by Ke$ha and start punching the bag. This is my only alone time I get, to be able to block out the world and take out all my stress and frustration, and being able to practice all the moves that I learned in the gym, before I moved.

I must have been out in the garage for a long time, as I felt some one tap my on my shoulder as I just hit my bag. I turn around almost hitting Tate right in the face.  He dodged me just as I swung at him.

I pull my ear phones out of my ears, breathing heavy.

“Easy there, tiger.” Tate says sarcastically, smiling at me.

“Ha-ha, give a girl a warning next time.” I tell him as I take the top off my water and start drinking it.

“Well, it’s after 7 and I didn’t know if you were trying to ditch me.”

“Sorry, I lost track of time. Let me go change and I will be right over.”

“I will wait for you, to make sure you don’t try to make up an excuse.” Tate says, smirking, walking over to my bag, punching it a few times.

“Okay I will be right out.”

Walking out of the garage, I see a note on the kitchen counter from my mom telling me they went out to eat. That explains where my family went but then how did Tate get in?  I rush to my room to slip on a shirt and change into some pants. I rather Tate not have seen me in my work out clothes but then again I didn’t mean to lose track of time.

I walk back out to the garage, to find Tate taking stance and punching the bag. Watching him from behind gave me ideas that should have never come to mind.
Oh god, I’m in so much trouble
. I clear my throat to get his attention. He turns around catching the bag.

“I’m ready.” I tell him as he walks towards me. Tate stops right in front of me. The way I am standing in the door way and how tall he is, we are the perfect height with one another. Both of us stare into each other’s eyes.

“Okay, let’s go.” I say, turning away to walk to the door.

I walk with him across our yards. Everything is so quiet. You couldn’t even hear a cricket chirp.

“So I didn’t know you do kick boxing.” Tate says to me.

“Uh, yeah something that helps release tension.” I say, hiding my face.

“You’re really good at.”

“Thanks.”

Tate didn’t say anything else until we arrived inside his house and asked where I would like to sit at and help him. I told him the kitchen is fine with me. I figured, it would be better for both of us. More space and if I need breathing room, I can just back away easily and get some water, without looking like a total loser.

As I’m helping Tate with his assignment for the night, he asks me a question. As I answer his question, our eyes connect and Tate leans in closer to me. Just as he was close to kissing me, his doorbell rings. Tate sighs and excuses his self and answers the door. I’m sitting at the table, as I hear Courtney’s voice coming towards the kitchen.

“Hey baby.” She jumps on him, as she sees me in the kitchen.

“What you doing here? I told you earlier that Rayleigh was helping me study.” Tate says trying to push her off him.

“You did? But tonight is when your mom works late, I thought maybe we could have a little fun.” Courtney says, trying to grab his junk.

“No, you need to go. I need to get this homework done.  I have to get my grades up or I’m off the team!” Tate states angrily.

“Well, if I have to go, then she HAS to go.”

So that is why she is here, to spy on us.

“Courtney, she is helping me. Please go.”

Just as Courtney was about to say something else the house phone rings and Tate excuses his self to answer it. As he leaves the room, Courtney marches over and slams her hands on the table, then leans down to get in my face.

“Listen here, just because you are helping him in his study’s, does not mean that he is interested in you. Back off now or we will have problems.” She snarls at me.

I couldn’t hold myself back, as I got right back in her face. “Are you really that insecure, Courtney? Are you that jealous that you just HAD to come over here while I am tutoring Tate? You know being insecure and jealous is not attractive at all. Seriously get a life, we are JUST FRIENDS!”

“You BITCH!” Courtney yells just as Tate walks back into the room.

“Courtney, leave now! No one is going to talk to my friends that way and get away with it.” Tate says.

“But baby, you didn’t hear what she said to me...” She starts whining but Tate cuts her off.

“Actually, I heard everything. Go home, we will talk tomorrow.”

As Tate is kicking Courtney out, I gather my things. There is no way in hell I was about to be a part of this break up. I walk to the door as Tate is telling Courtney bye. 

“Where are you going?” He asks, frowning as he puts his hand on my arm.

“It’s getting late, and I need to get ready for tomorrow, I have a thing.” I make up an excuse.

“Oh, okay. See you tomorrow then.” I nod my head at him as I leave.

I get back over to my house, shower and change for the night. Good thing my family went out to eat, I wouldn’t be able to eat anything with all the butterflies in my stomach.

I hop into bed, only wearing a t-shirt and panties, and it takes forever to fall asleep. All I can think about is Tate, and our almost kiss tonight.

I wake up the next morning to the smell of bacon; Mom always makes a huge breakfast on Saturdays. I slowly get out of bed and throw on my zebra print fuzzy pajama pants, and make my way downstairs.  When I walk into the kitchen, everyone is up and chatting. I look over to see who they are chatting to, and notice it’s Tate. I frown. “What are you doing here?” I don’t mean to sound rude, but really, what the hell is he doing here.

“Rayleigh, don’t be rude. I saw Tate outside doing yard work, and invited him in for breakfast. Now, come over here, and help me serve up these plates.”

We all sit down to breakfast, and everyone is making small talk.

“Mrs. Bell, do you guys go to church?”

Oh great, don’t get mom started with this.

“We were looking into the church a few streets over. Do you go?”

Tate looks up at mom and grins. “Yes, my dad is the pastor there.”

“Oh great, a preachers boy.” I mumble.

Never would have known it though, the way he acts, especially with what I’m sure he does with Courtney.

“You should talk Rayleigh into going then. She doesn’t believe she has to go.” Mom and I have fought for years over this. I believe there is a God, but that’s about all I believe.

“Why don’t you go Ray?” He says staring at me.

“I just don’t believe in organized religion. Not for me. Most of the people that go to church are the biggest hypocrites you’ll ever meet.” I blurt out, not paying attention to what I just said.

Oh great, I’m ganna be in trouble now.

No one says anything more after that, we just finish up eating and I help mom clean up the kitchen.  I see Tate go back outside to finish up his yard work. I can’t help but stare as I watch him take off his shirt. My jaw drops, damn that boy is fine!

“Raleigh, dear, you’ll catch flies.” Mom says. Shit, how embarrassing.

I quickly finish up in the kitchen and then go up to my room to shower and change. I think back to breakfast, and realize that it was pretty awkward. I barely talked to Tate at all.

I probably insulted Tate with the way I acted about the whole church deal. My mom should have never said anything about it. Now that I know Tate is a preacher’s boy, things may get awkward. Definitely not want I need or want at the moment.

I look out my window to see where Tate is at; I figured I should apologize for the way I acted at breakfast. I walk out of my room down the stairs, running into my brothers laughing.

“What’s so funny?”

“You’re in trouble!” John tells me. “With a capital ‘T’.” Jacob says, and then scurries off to their room.

Great, I knew this was coming. I walk into the living room where my parents are talking. My dad gives me a stern look, a look that I hate to see and tells me that I am in deep trouble.

“Rayleigh, sit down please.” My mom is always the good cop; my dad acts like the bad cop.

“Before you say anything, I know what I said at breakfast was rude, but mom you already know that I don’t go to church.” I tell them.

“We know that, but you didn’t have to be so rude to Tate, he was being polite. Maybe with him going to church that will encourage you to go.” My mother smiles, with a smirk on her face.

“Oh no, just because you think I have a crush on the boy next door does not mean that you can talk me into going to church. Plus he is the preacher’s kid! Do you know how weird that is!?” I look both of my parents in the eye.

“You better go apologize to that boy.” My dad says sternly.

I stand up and pull down my shirt, “I already planned on it.” I tell them, as I walk out of the house over to Tate’s.

I
walk across the yard, around the house and spot Tate raking leaves. God he looks so good, No shirt, tan, muscles bulging out of his back. So hot, wait is that a tattoo? I squint my eyes to get a better look, it’s some sort of black lettering on his back. Just big enough that you see the outline of it, I really want to get closer to see it, but I bet if he saw me right now he would hide it.

I walk up behind him; just close enough to get a good look of his tattoo. I was right, its black lettering that says ‘R.I.P. Tess Davis’, Huh, I wonder who that is, not wanting to make him even more upset with me, I didn’t want to question it right away.

I move in a little closer since he hasn’t heard me yet. “Why don’t you just use a lawn mower?” I ask him, making him jump a little. He turns to look at me; trying to look at a mad Tate in the eyes is not easy.

“What you doing over here? Now you want to talk to the ‘preacher’s kid’.” He says angrily.

I can hear the hurt and anger in his voice, I didn’t think he heard me at the table.