Andrea and the 5-Day Challenge (4 page)

I wished I could help him out (I really did), but this was way out of my league. I had nothing with which to combat the likes of Miss Long Legs. He was on his own, but Luke looked like he could handle it. I'm sure he was part of the cool crowd back in California and knew exactly what to do.

What if
exactly what to do
included going out with Stephanie to homecoming?

Somehow, the thought set my stomach to churning again.

 

~*~

 

Rushing out of English class, I tried to stay a couple steps ahead of Amy. Thankfully, my legs were about double the length of hers. I really had nothing to say to her. Nothing I'd want repeated, anyway. I thought it might also be wise to avoid Stephanie because I just couldn't bear to look at her perfectly formed features.

I got it. She wanted Luke and who was I to stand in the way of their happiness—short-lived as it would undoubtedly be. Besides, there was no way I was getting between another couple like I had with Jeff and Kasey.

Quickly, I undid my locker combination, threw in my English notebook and grabbed up my Spanish book before banging the door closed again and dashing down the hallway to the comfort of
clase
Español
with Señorita Morales. Unfortunately, I had to pass one barrier before reaching a place of safety.

The person of Luke Ryan.

I watched as he exchanged books in his locker like everyone else around him. He didn't notice me coming until the very last second. I focused straight ahead as though I hadn't seen him. I just couldn't look into his splendid eyes after what had happened this afternoon.

That didn't seem to stop him though. “Andrea,” he called out just as I passed by.

And what did I do? I just kept on going. It's not like we had time to chit-chat. There were classes to attend, lessons to learn, and assignments to be received. I didn't know what he did after that as no way was I going to turn around. I only hoped he didn't think I was snubbing him, but I just couldn't talk to him. Not now…possibly not ever.

In class, I spied Alisha in the back row next to Mike McCutcheon. After taking the seat on the other side of her, I laid my head down on the desk and let them continue on with whatever they were discussing.

“Hey, Andrea,” Alisha said. “Is anything wrong?”

“Fine, just tired, I guess.” The desk felt cool against my feverish skin, but I suppose I did look like a fruit with my cheek plastered against the faux wood finish of the desktop. I raised my head, slumped lower in the seat and crossed my arms at my waist. “It's been a long day.”

“So, I've heard.”

I should have known Amy had figured out why I'd taken off like an Olympic sprinter before English. She or Angie must have filled Alisha in on another moment of my life I wish I could expunge from my memory bank. Not that I didn't want Alisha to know. I mean, the four of us never really kept anything from each other. It just meant one more person was in on my undying humiliation.

Alisha gave me a smile. “You stress too much. Just relax. Things will work out.”

Relax! How could I relax after…I didn't even want to think about it anymore. “Sure. I know it will…eventually, but what am I supposed to do in the meantime?”

“I know it sounds hard, but you just have to go on like nothing happened.”

Wrinkles formed on my forehead as I stared at my friend. Seriously, I could feel them.

Alisha laughed. “Deep breaths, Andi. Deep breaths.”

She was one to talk. Like she even knew what I was going through.
Deep breaths.
Whatever.

The bell rang and Miss Morales faced the class with her fresh as always complexion and warm smile. “
Buenos tardes, clase
.”

The rest of the class responded back. For some reason, I couldn't. My jaw felt tight and sore. Had I been clenching it ever since meeting Luke in the hallway? Possibly.

“Hey, Dion's having a bonfire at the lake Friday night. Wanna go?”

It was Mike asking Alisha out to some A-lister party. A party I wouldn't be invited to and wouldn't be allowed to go to, anyway, so what did it matter? Wasn't it enough that they already made the perfect blonde couple? I mean, did he really have to do this right in front of me? Not that I would ever wish for Mike to ask me out. The guy was a flagrant player. He broke more hearts than Cupid on extra-strength espresso.

Why had Alisha even agreed to go to homecoming with him? Who knows? She never took any of her dates seriously since the break-up with her boyfriend over the summer.

I examined the clock as the conversation between Miss Morales and the rest of the class continued. Only thirty-nine more minutes to go. That clock had slowed down to half speed.

¿Dόnde esta mi zapatos
? My jaw loosened up, and I joined in with the class. ¿
Dόnde esta?
Had my mind gone? I thoroughly believed I'd left it home today.

 

~*~

 

With school finally out, I knew I had like only a minute if I intended to avoid seeing Luke before catching the bus home. I started packing my backpack with a million pounds of homework. I sure hoped our school would switch over to electronic textbooks soon because my body couldn't take the strain much longer. I glanced down the hallway knowing that it was the direction of Luke's locker, but it was like I had no control. And there he stood, busily packing up to go home, too.

He didn't appear to have the weight of the world on his shoulders as I did. Thankfully, Stephanie was nowhere to be seen. I promise; the first time I see her hanging on Luke's arm is the last time I speak to him. Oh, right, I already vowed never to speak to him again on account of the way I embarrassed myself horribly in his presence today.

One of Luke's jock buddies walked past him and they laughed and did that male bonding, knuckle-bumping thing they do.

Sighing, I studied the contents of my locker and tried to ignore them.

The sound of Luke's masculine laugh flowed down the hall, which forced me to look his way again.

This time our gazes met like we were a couple of magnets experiencing the pull of opposite attraction. Time slowed to a jarring halt. I just stood there transfixed for a minute, and then I remembered that I'd hoped to avoid exactly this kind of thing. Quickly, I straightened my locker door, hindering Luke's view as I finished collecting my things.
Right.
Like that would stop him.

What was with him today? First, it was after Geometry, then before Spanish, and now here he came again. Did he have something that important to impart to me or what?

A couple minutes later he was there pulling my door back before leaning sideways into the lockers beside me. “Andrea Jamison, I haven't seen you since fifth period.”

That so wasn't true, as I knew for a fact that he'd seen me before English, as well as during the cold-shoulder treatment before last period.

I just wanted to go home, take an aspirin and forget this entire day had happened. “I've been around,” I said this while packing up the rest of my things.

“So, you didn't answer if you'd help decorate for homecoming. I told Stephanie I'd pitch in.”

This I already knew, straight from the cheerleader's lips. I opened my mouth to answer without raising my gaze because no way could I look into his dark brown, bottomless eyes and refuse. “I can't. I have a piano recital to prepare for.”

“Wow, piano. I guess you must be pretty good to be playing a recital.”

His voice had turned, I don't know, a little amazed. I guess it might seem amazing to think that plain Andrea Jamison actually had a talent—a talent my parents had pressured me into since the age of six.

I shrugged my shoulders and lifted my head. “I guess.”

“I mean, that's really cool. Could I hear you play sometime?”

Swiftly, I shifted my view back to the inside of my locker. He just looked too cute leaning there like a model escaped from a photo shoot. And
he
wanted to hear
me
play? This was a crazy world!

Then I zeroed in on the superhero decal inside my locker right below the “God Rulz” sticker. If Luke saw that, he'd know me for the big fat liar that I am. Although, I make it a point to never lie. OK, when Amy wears anything in orange and I say it looks great, that is technically a lie because it totally clashes with her skin tone, but she loves orange, so how can I burst her bubble? Other than that though, I keep to the truth. So, why had I told Luke that I hated superheroes? Of all the lies, that one was just plain stupid.

I slammed the locker shut.

Luke stood up straight, apparently surprised. His face scrunched up like I'd almost taken off one of his eyelashes.

“Sorry,” I tried to apologize while hoping he'd forget about the piano thing.

“So, when can I hear you play?”

This boy could not be distracted. Maybe if I fainted here in the hallway. Of course, he might have to catch me, and then he'd be touching me, and that was way too romantic for this Aubrey Academy girl. Besides, all that touching is against school rules, and we might get suspended. Better to just be honest.

I took in a deep breath and swallowed it. “Saturday morning I'll be playing my recital at the Kelton Auditorium in Chapel Hill. The same day as the homecoming game and the whole homecoming ceremony.”

“Chapel Hill, well, that's less than an hour away, right?”

“About fifty-five minutes south of us. Why?”

“I was just thinking you could still come to the banquet afterwards, right?” He raised his eyebrows, his gaze searing down to my rapidly pounding heart.

“Um, I'm not planning to go to homecoming. I've never gone before. Never had a date.” Ugh, why had I said that? I just sounded pathetic and like I was fishing for an invitation, which was stupid since many of the people going weren't even taking dates.

“But if you had a friend to go with…like…with me, you might go. Right?” He smiled and his eyes sparkled.

Seriously, they needed to get rid of these florescent lights. They were creating problems with my eyesight. Maybe I should report it to the PTF aka: Parent Teacher Fellowship. Looking into Luke's eyes was just plain causing havoc to my entire system.

Something large and thick had lodged its way into my throat. I couldn't breathe. Had Luke Ryan just asked me to homecoming? No, not directly, but indirectly? Possibly! I tried to halt my heart from doing somersaults, and yet memories of Jeff flashed through my head. My heart wanted to say, “Yes, I'd love to go with you,” but I couldn't do it. My past held me back. Instead, I leaned down to pick up my backpack. “You've taken too many baseballs to the head.” A bit of disbelieving laughter escaped me to cover my embarrassment.

Luke laughed in response. The timbre of it sent shivers down my spine. “See, like I said, you're funny, Andrea.” He paused and just looked at me for like three seconds. “I like the way you laugh.” There wasn't a bit of humor in his voice when he said the last sentence. In fact, it sounded entirely too serious.

I didn't have a reply. I didn't even know which emotion I should be utilizing.

Just then, Dion Washington and Mike McCutcheon arrived with their entourage—that would be a couple other members from the football team and a few of their groupie followers. Dion punched Luke in the shoulder in that male friendship kind of way. “Dude, you coming to my party Friday?”

“Yeah, sure, I'll be there,” Luke replied.

“Cool. Oh, I have those notes from Monday if you still want them.”

“Oh, yeah. Thanks, man. I'll be with you in a sec.” Then Luke turned back to me. “Yeah, I need those English notes that I missed yesterday. Why don't you meet me by my car, and I'll take you out for a bite. We can talk some more.” He smiled, and then was gone before I could answer.

And what would I have actually said. No—to Luke Ryan? Or Yes—to an outing with Luke Ryan? I watched him with Dion. So, Luke was invited to the pre-homecoming bonfire bash, too. I so did not belong with this crowd.

Monday? That's right; Luke had been gone yesterday. Why hadn't I thought to ask him about it? Because I'm a horrible, uncaring person, that's why. Was it a doctor's appointment? A dentist appointment? He did have beautiful teeth. Or could it be something related to his parents?
Uhh
! Between my friends and this boy, I was ready for retirement, and I hadn't even finished high school. I stood there, a pile of nerves that a weak wind could have knocked over.

Amy joined me. “So what was that about?”

Her voice shook me out of my haze. “Nothing. It was nothing.”

“You've been saying that all day, but somehow I don't believe you.”

I grabbed my backpack which weighed the equivalent of a small pick-up truck and stared in the direction where Luke and Dion had taken off. “Luke wants to go out after school. And homecoming. He asked me to homecoming…I think.”

Amy grabbed onto my shoulders and almost knocked me over in her exuberance. “What? He asked you?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“That's perfect. Why don't you look excited, Andrea?”

“Because it's not perfect. I'm not going.” I swung my backpack over my right shoulder and headed for the library to drop off a book. I had to be realistic, and the idea of Luke and I together did not fall into the category of realistic thinking.

 

 

 

 

4

 

Outside, the brisk October air hit my face, and with it came the realization that I couldn't leave without talking to Luke again. It would be just plain rude and mean to stand him up. He'd been nice to me since the day we met. He didn't deserve to be treated like a miscreant. Honestly, the worst thing he'd done was to ask me to go out with him after school. The scoundrel. How dare he?