Old Enough to Love... (Just One of the Guys) (6 page)

“Shit!” I hissed as I pounded the steering wheel.

As I reversed down the drive, I watched the curtain, nothing.  I rolled down the window and spit. As I licked the residue from my bottom lip, I tasted who I knew I was going to fight hard to forget. 

Now, in the bathroom of this pathetic high school, in this shithole excuse of a town, I decided exactly what I wanted and what I was going to get.

Cross Country meeting and first run today. I qualified for the state run last year but as an eighth grader, I wasn’t allowed to go. The expectations for me this year made me nervous. I’d run on the beach every day this summer and felt more than ready.

It was our second year with cross country and Ali and I were excited. We changed in the locker room and met Coach Jones on the track.

“All right, kids. There’s a storm movin’ in so we’re stayin’ on the track today. I want three miles. Twelve laps. I need your physicals in this basket before you run and take these forms home to your parents.  Be sure you stretch. Our first meet is September 7
th
.”

Wow. No introductions or anything. Ali and I raised our brows simultaneously, giggled then started hamstring stretches.

“So, tell me about the beach.”

I shrugged. “Nothing to tell.”

“Yeah, but you were with your brother and Grant Meiers. It doesn’t get any better than that.”

Once upon a time, I would have agreed with her but not today.  “Ali…Grant’s like my brother.”

“Yes. But he’s gorgeous and so is Ryan. Plus you’ve been in love with Grant since birth.”

I rolled my eyes. Had she seen Zach?  “Come on. Let’s go.”

We made our way around the track as the football team burst onto the field. Could this be more perfect? My heart accelerated from the one lap around the track and skipped a beat or two when I spotted Zach, #18.  I hadn’t seen him since lunch. I realized I would live every day for third period—who would have thought I’d be this excited about Advanced Algebra. 

“
Em?”

“What?”

“What’s it like?

“What?” My breathing had reached a sustainable level.

“A good kiss…I mean a really good kiss?”

I chuckled. “You ask like I’m all experienced. We kissed one time. And besides, you kissed Jacob after the spring dance.” I had no doubt  my kiss beat hers.

“Oh, please. He pecked me like a chicken.”

I laughed out loud. “I don’t know, Al. It was great. Like I said at lunch before I got busted. How freaking embarrassing was that?”

Creepy dark clouds moved overhead and a light mist began to fall. As I rounded the corner, Zach, Ryan and Coach Saia stood together. Zach’s hands rested on his hip and he eyeballed Ryan, whose arms were flailing while he seemed to be berating the coach. I blinked hard to clear the rain accumulated on my lashes. Coach poked his finger in Ryan’s chest, said something and left them both. Zach began to step away and Ryan grabbed his arm. My stomach knotted as Ryan’s mouth began to move. Then, as if I’d called their names, they both looked at me. First Zach, then Ryan. My eyes dropped to the track.

“Did you use your tongue?”

“What?”

“Your tongue? When you kissed him?”

“ALI!” Oh my God. As distracted as I was, just the thought of it made my insides tingle.

“What? We’ve always told each other everything. Besides, I know you did or you would have said no.”

I bumped her pushing her sideways on the track but she fell back in rhythm. “A little. But it wasn’t like you shove the whole thing in; like in the movies…it’s softer…we just kind of touched them.  I so can not believe I’m saying this.”

“Doesn’t Zach have a friend you could set me up with?”

Ali was so pretty with her thick blond hair and she’d blossomed sooner than me. At 5’5’’, she stood over me by five inches. Her bra size was probably a C and I was still an A, at best. Her complexion was her only downfall but she had a special soap and cream. Even Ryan thought she was hot—but he wouldn’t be caught dead dating a freshman.

“We’re not
dating
.”

We were on lap eight—only four to go and rain was coming down. Only on the corners could I get a glimpse of him. They were running two sets of offense. Ryan and Zach both quarterbacking.
Uh-oh.

By lap twelve, my clothes were nearly dragging the ground and Ali and I headed back to the locker room.

Ryan’s truck was a good jaunt so we didn’t bother to change into dry clothes, grabbed our book bags and darted to the parking lot. The truck was, of course, locked. Football must have been over because the guys were no longer on the field. I dropped the tailgate and we waited in the downpour.

“So, how was Austin this summer?” she asked bumping my shoulder with hers.

“As gorgeous and rich as ever. We held hands, twice, but in that I-love-you-like-a-sister-way.”

Ali shook her head. “Wow, you must really like Zach, because Grant
Meiers said you looked good this morning and you and Austin held hands and those are the two boys you’ve been in love with for as long as I’ve known you.”

I grinned from ear to ear and shrugged.

“Isn’t Austin in college now?” she asked.

“Yep. Freshman.”

“Would Katie and Matt let you date a college guy?”

“Well, Austin’s different. I’ve known him for…forever. Doesn’t matter, Ryan wouldn’t let me date him or anybody.”

“What about Zach?”

“Hey, you two.” Ryan said. “Grab the blanket out of the carrier so you don’t ruin my leather.” He seemed annoyed.

Ali and I jumped out of the bed, grabbed the blanket, threw it in the cab and slid in finding relief from the pelting rain. A light tap at the window startled me. Zach stood at the passenger side window in the rain. Ryan rolled the window down from his side. I stared at Zach.

“
What?” Ryan barked.

Zach’s eyes narrowed protecting them from the water. “I have your sister’s book.”

He passed the book to me through the window. “Sorry, it’s a little wet.”

I’d forgotten about my Algebra book. Why was he addressing my brother instead of me? “Thanks,” I whispered. His eyes met mine for a second then flickered away.

“Yup,” he said flatly.

The window went up and I watched him jog down the sidewalk. As I folded my arms across my chest, a frustrated sigh slid through my teeth. 

Ali didn’t live far from the school and once she’d gotten out, I unleashed.

“Can you please tell me what
that
was about?” my voice was harsh.

“What?” he looked surprised at my anger.

“Zach! You weren’t even nice to him.  Then today, at lunch, did you have to call me a dumbass?”

“You’re acting stupid,
Em.” He turned up the knob on the radio, blaring the obnoxious hip-hop.

“Ryan. I’m not stupid. I like Zach and you were mean. I’m telling Mom and Dad what you said to me in front of everyone. I didn’t know I couldn’t leave and Zach didn’t either.”

He shrugged. “Maybe you’re both stupid.”

“What is your problem?” I flipped the radio to a different station. “He’s nice and I think he likes me. Besides he’s on your team. Coach won’t let you be mean.”

He pulled the truck into our driveway and thrust it into park. “Team has nothing to do with it when he wants my position.” Ryan jerked his backpack from behind the seat and slammed the door.

The truck was quiet. So. That’s what this was about. Football. Zach wanted to be the quarterback? I shivered at the thought of Zach and Ryan going head to head. Football was Ryan’s life. He’d already gotten a letter of interest from U of O and UCLA. No one from Ashland had been recruited D-1 before. I couldn’t imagine Coach Saia taking that from him. I had a hunch this wasn’t going to turn out well—no matter what.

I started dinner, as expected, and went with the easiest thing I could find. Spaghetti. By the time I’d browned the beef, Dad had gotten home. He always beat Mom but realtor hours were weird. My dad was a CPA and partner in a firm downtown and except for the first four months of the year, his hours were flexible.

“Hey, big freshman girl. How was the first day?”

“Fine,” I lied, sliding the uncooked pasta into the boiling water.

“How are your classes?”

“Good.” There was some truth.

“Where’s your brother?”

“Upstairs, holed up in his room, pouting like a little girl.”

My father’s raised brows wanted further explanation.

“Some guy wants his position in football. He is
freakin’ out about it.”

“I’ll go talk to him.” He kissed my head and grabbed a bite of the cooked beef. I smacked his hand with the spatula.

Ryan had been on the phone when Dad went upstairs and now dinner was the time for sorting this out.

“Your sister said someone else is wanting to quarterback?”

Ryan shoved a wad of spaghetti in his mouth and eyeballed me.

“Sounds like someone is going to have to do a little better.” Dad continued.

“Matt. He works hard as it is.”  Mom defended her son.

“Katie. He’s never had competition before. He’s never had to work. He’s a few months away from signing with the Ducks.”

Ryan shot his chair back and stood. “Never had to work? I work my ass off, Dad.
Here. At the beach. It doesn’t matter. I’m in shape and ready. The reason,
ZACH
…” his name was emphasized in my direction. “wants my position is because I missed the first week of conditioning due to the damn mandatory family getaway. So, he filled in and evidently did a great job. So coach wants to try us both there.”

“Honey, sit down, please.” Mom tried to calm Ryan, her voice always soothing.

Dad faced me. I knew this was going to happen. “Is this your Zach…the ‘we just fell asleep’ Zach?”

Ryan bellied up to the table again and grinned at me. “I don’t think Zach slept much this summer. Rumor has it he and Estelle became pretty good friends.”

“Shut up, Ryan.”
Estelle?
I wasn’t sure the noodles were going to go down my throat.

“Well, you need to know. This guy’s a jackass.”

I swallowed some water to help the noodles along then scooted my chair back from the table and tossed my breadstick onto my plate. What was he talking about? Zach didn’t like Estelle. I started thinking about the look in her eyes today when he chose me. The daggers she shot across the hall in my direction. Was she jealous…of me? I was no longer hungry.

“Ryan and Emma, sit down,” Dad demanded. “We will not allow someone…anyone to come between us. Do you understand me? This behavior and these attacks and your language…” he pointed at Ryan. “…will not be tolerated.”

“He’s too old for her,” Ryan spouted off.

“That will be our decision. Not yours. Am I clear?”

Ryan shook his head and wouldn’t look at me. His jaw was tight. I wanted to punch him.

I hid out in my room for the rest of the night. About 9:30 my phone buzzed with a text The area code was different than ours—415. Ours was 541. How weird is that!

May I call?

I bit my lip.

I
Googled the area code. SAN FRAN!

I jumped up and down typing in yes so fast that I spelled it wrong twice.  

Within an extremely long minute, my phone rang.

“Hey,” I said.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” I said a second time. “How’s it
goin?”  I wondered if he heard the smile in my voice.

“Um, it’s ok, I guess.”

“You guess?”

“Look, I’m sorry about after school. Your brother is kind of upset with me and I was... I don’t know.” He got quiet.

I sat quietly twisting my hair desperately wanting to say something but unsure what to say. It was never a good thing when conversation was left up to me. I wanted to ask him about Estelle.

“What are you doing Friday?” he asked.

“I’m not sure. Why?” Butterflies soared through my stomach. 

“There are a few of us heading to Crescent City to hang out at the beach, build a fire—you know the drill.”

There lay the problem.  I didn’t know the drill. This was all new to me.

“Apparently, it’s a good hour and half drive but this is one of the few weekends we won’t have a football game. Plus the weather is supposed to be awesome.”

“That sounds fun. When are you leaving?”

“We’ll probably head out after school. I can pick you up at your house.”

Problem number two. I wasn’t sure how this would fly with my folks. “Can I let you know?”

“Sure. We can talk tomorrow.”