Accidental Crush (7 page)

Shane’s
expression says he isn't going anywhere until he gets the truth. I look back down at the dirt field because I can’t bear to look at him when I say it out loud for the first time. I still haven't really admitted it to myself and, maybe, if I don’t tell anyone, then it isn’t real. Part of me is relieved to finally be able to tell someone and part of me isn't ready to fully admit it. I trust Shane more than anyone, but do I trust myself? Do I trust my feelings?

After a long
, internal battle, the truth finally wins. "Okay, you're right. I do care. I don't know exactly when it happened, but I can’t stop thinking about him. My stomach starts doing flips whenever I see him and it really bothers me that RTS is always grabbing his hand."

 
"RTS?" Shane asks, confused. 

Shoot
, I was so caught up in the moment I didn't realize I said that out loud. “Um, it’s just a little nickname that I have for her.”

“Ashley?" he
says, the same way my dad always does when I’m in trouble. The I’m-not-sure-what-you-are-going-to-say-but-I-already-disapprove tone.

“Ok
ay, it’s… Rebecca. The. Slut."

Shane let
s out a burst of laughter that is so loud the same couple I annoyed earlier actually gets up and moves.
Maybe that’s how we can finally clear the field and go home.
“I love that,” he says in short spurts through breaks of laughter.

Phew! That could have gone either way. He
is laughing so hard, I start laughing, too. It’s so great to see Shane happy, I haven’t seen him laugh this hard in a long time and it makes me happy. So happy, I almost forget that I just admitted out loud that I like Todd. ALMOST.

“Shane, you can’t tell anyone.
ANYONE. I mean it, especially not Sid.”

He
looks at me, still smiling, but his eyes tell me he is completely serious. “I know, Ash; don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me.”

“Ok
ay, because, if people find out, I’ll know who told.” He laughs, remembering where he heard that last.

Then he
stops laughing and looks at me. “Hey, Ash, I think you have a shot. Todd is a really great guy. He deserves a girl like you." I am so shocked, I can’t even ask a follow up question. I don’t know why, but it gives me a new sense of confidence.

“Thanks
, Shane. You’re the best!” I say, finally looking him completely in the eye. It is so great to spend time with him, even if we are surrounded by a love fest.

Ryan
finally comes over and he looks at us like he’s interrupting something. He is way off. I can’t help showing him just how annoyed I am for making me wait. “Well, well, well… look who came up for air.”

“Very funny
, Ash. Come on, let’s go.” He’s smart enough to know there is nothing he can say so he doesn’t even try.

I lean over and
give Shane a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks! Good luck tomorrow,” I whisper.

“Bye
, Shane,” Ryan says as he gives me a look like he is still trying to figure out what’s going on between us. Then he almost instantly shrugs it off as we walk to his classic, red Mustang to go home, finally. The only thing I think my brother loves more than football or making out with Gretchen is his car.  When he was fifteen my Dad and Ryan started rebuilding it and it took them over a year to finish. I have to admit it’s a pretty sweet ride.

“Man
, you owe me big time.” I say, knocking the side of my hip into his. He laughs, but he knows I’m right. It is so nice to finally have something to hold over my brother’s head!

***

Friday is Spirit Day, which means each class has to dress up in Black and Gold. The problem is we are the Easthaven High Trojans and our mascot is a big Trojan—like the warrior, not the condom—but of course this lends itself to really good props for spirit day.

On game night
, when I was a kid, I learned pretty quickly that those were not balloons being blown up. I vividly remember asking my dad for one of those pretty balloons to which he quickly turned fifty shades of red and started stuttering. I had no idea why until a few years later when it all clicked.

Almost
everyone participates in this dress up day, although some people get a little more into it than others. A few even take the Trojan thing too far. Barry Richards actually came to school dressed as a giant condom; his response was, "What? I'm a Trojan." He has balls—no pun intended—and at least he’s smart enough to wear clothes underneath. I can’t say the same for a few other kids who were sent home. I guess this is some kind of a school tradition. If you get sent home then you have the ultimate school spirit, but unfortunately, you don’t get any extra points for your class so I’m not sure what the ”ultimate school spirit” gets for anyone other than huge trouble with their parents. I honestly can’t think of a worse phone call for your parents to get from Principal Marks.

Ryan, Todd and Brian literally paint
ed themselves gold from head to toe. I know Ryan didn’t leave the house like that, so somewhere between home and school he spray-painted himself gold. As soon as I see them, I quickly have visions of all of them spray-painting each other. There is school spirit and then there is stupidity; I’d vote this one on the side of stupidity, but amazingly enough, everyone loves it.

All day I
hear, “Did you see the Three Musketeers? They look incredible." Even Blythe laughs when she sees them. I’ve been keeping an extra close watch to see if last night was just a hookup or if there really is something going on with her and Brian. By lunch, Gretchen has gold paint smeared all over her—I guess that paint didn't really stay on very well—but both Blythe and RTS are paint free. I immediately start to have a new love for this gold paint; it makes figuring out who's doing what with who pretty easy!

Sid, Shane and I
take the more human approach and just wear school colors with normal, everyday clothing. Sid and I paint EHS on our cheek, but that’s as close as we get to body paint. 

Today
is also the day of the big pep rally. I am beyond excited to see what Principal Marks has planned. Of course, I’m  picturing a full concert and I have to keep reminding myself that there’s only so much you can do in a school gym. I’m  desperately waiting for classes to be dismissed at one forty-five, but it is taking FOREVER. It’s as if time is standing still.

I look over at Sid as Senora
Gonzales drones on and on in Spanish, she literally has no idea what is about to happen. How is that possible? I mean she lives with Todd; hasn’t he said anything? She is also completely convinced that Shane has joined the school band since he gets to miss Spanish today. I look over at Shane’s empty desk and can't help feeling jealous. Not only is this performance going to catapult him into a new level of notoriety, but he’s been spending so much time with Todd and he gets to miss Spanish. 

Finally the bell
rings and we are dismissed from Spanish hell. Everyone is moving at a snail’s pace walking to the gym and it’s driving me crazy. My heart is pounding with excitement, but I have to pretend I’m just as bored as everyone else so Sid won’t catch on.

Oh
, forget it, we’re on our way there. I can tell her now, right?
“Sid,” I say, super excited. She turns to look at me with a questioning look but then I think about it. If she finds out I’ve known the entire time, she will not be happy. “You ready for our first Homecoming Pep Rally?” I quickly try to cover so she doesn’t think I’m insane.

“Uh
, yeah. I guess?” Her tone tells me she isn’t buying my sudden enthusiasm. “Do you know something, Ash?” She eyes me up and down as though she is trying to read my mind.

“NO
!” I answer too quickly, which only piques her suspicion. Luckily, we are being ushered into the gym at that moment and her own excitement interrupts her questioning. All of the bleachers are pulled out from the wall and the wooden floors are glistening as if even they know they are about to hear something special. A makeshift stage with microphones, drums and a keyboard is set up in the middle of the floor.

Principal Marks
kicks off the pep rally by shouting into a microphone causing loud reverb to resonate through the gym. Everyone immediately grabs their ears and groans but he continues unflustered.  “Thanks to the entire student body for making this the best Homecoming Week in the history of Easthaven High.”

Then
, from all sides, we are inundated with back flipping cheerleaders who promptly go into a cheer about Trojans being the “B-E-S-T”. As the spectacle continues, I feel the butterflies in my stomach start to flutter. I’m not sure if it’s excitement to see what I know is coming or if it is nerves for Shane and Todd. If I’m  feeling this way, they must be going crazy. 

Sid
turns to me and yells over the cheers, “Where is Shane? I knew it. I knew he joined the band." As if on cue the marching band comes out playing,
We will Rock You
and everyone is on their feet. I look at Sid as she is frantically searching the band to find Shane. She looks back at me with utter confusion when she doesn’t see him. I just do my usual
I-have-no-idea-what’s-going-on
shrug. As the band plays, Principal Marks announces the varsity Football team and the entire team comes running out all dressed in their jerseys. Coach must have made Todd, Ryan and Brian shower because they are no longer gold. I kind of miss it!

Principal Marks
continues, “And to really rock this homecoming, I’ve asked some of our students to do a special performance. Go Trojans!"

W
ith that, Todd separates from the team along with a few other guys. Rebecca joins them on stage decked out in her cheerleading uniform, and there, behind the drums, is Shane. I look at Sid whose mouth is wide open. I have to fight the urge to laugh because, for once, she is speechless. I realize that I, too, am supposed to be shocked so I say, “Oh My God!” Luckily she is so shocked that she doesn’t even notice what a terrible actress I am.

Todd’s voice
booms through the gym “This one’s for you, EHS!” And the band kicks into “We are Young” by FUN. They sound amazing!

I look over at Sid and
can’t help laughing now; she almost looks catatonic. Not only is her brother up there singing in front of the entire school, but Shane is playing the drums. Now I know what I must have looked like when I walked into the auditorium that day. Todd’s voice is incredible and he seems completely natural up there; he isn’t nervous at all, which is good because I think I’m nervous enough for all of them on stage. Well, except for RTS. Shane looks so good, like he really knows what he’s doing. Even RTS sounds good, unfortunately. Their secret rehearsals have really paid off. Everyone in the entire gym is up on their feet, jumping up and down as if they’re at a real concert. The excitement is palpable.

“He’s not in the band?” Sid finally
screams to me over the cheering.

“I guess not
. You were close, though, he is in
a
band.” Sid starts to laugh.

I finally
have an excuse to just stare at Todd without worrying what anyone else will think because everyone is staring at him. He is breathtaking. His hair is perfectly messy, his voice is unbelievable and he looks incredible in his football jersey. I could watch this forever.

Yet
forever doesn’t last very long. Before I know it, the song is over and the entire auditorium is going crazy. Shane has a huge smile on his face, which makes me almost as happy as getting to stare at Todd for three and a half minutes. Almost.

Principal Marks
jumps back up on stage and takes the microphone from Todd. “That was incredible!” For once I agree with him; Principal Marks is a very smart man. This was a brilliant idea. The crowd starts chanting, “MORE! MORE! MORE!” Todd puts his arms up in the air and the crowd goes wild. Is it possible that he gets hotter by the second? 

“Thank you to the
Sour Lollipops.” I look at the clock and it’s almost two forty-five, so the dismissal bell is about to ring. That went so fast.
Wait;
Sour Lollipops
? “And now the moment you’ve been waiting for, the winning class of Spirit Week. We had record participation from each class this year and you should all give yourselves a big hand. “

The bleachers erupt again;
I think everyone is still on a high from the performance. I glance over at Brian who is trying to quiet down the team. I know he is convinced the juniors are going to take it from the seniors this year and he really wants this win.

“And the winning class for Spirit Week
for the first time in school history is the Junior Class. Nicely done juniors!”

The
juniors’ section is going insane. Brian jumps up and down while pumping his fists screaming, “YEAH! We did it.” Brian and Ryan hug, Todd jumps off of the stage and they all chest bump each other. You would think they just won the National Championship game with how pumped they are. The entire senior class starts screaming “Boo.”

Principal Marks
shouts into the microphone to regain control of the room. “Ok. Ok. Settle down. The seniors came in a close second, followed by the sophomore’s and finally the freshman. Thank you all for participating and making this an incredibly successful Homecoming Week. That wraps up our Pep Rally.” The dismissal bell rings and Principal Marks continues talking as everyone starts leaving the gym, “Remember, be safe and have fun tonight. Go Get ‘Em Trojans! We’ll see you all at the game!”