One of the Guys (3 page)

“
Well, going that fast I doubt the
guy meant for that to happen.” My Dad said.

The traitor was laughing at me
too.

“
Chase got mad.
She usually laughs at that stuff, but she was
really
mad. I
think it was at me, too, because I laughed, and I got only a little
spray on my face and hair. I easily got it out with a little
water.”

I walked round the corner, into the
kitchen, clutching my wet clothes in my hands. My Dad and Logan
both looked at me. My Dad grinned, and Logan had, at least, the
decency to look embarrassed and sit down. He propped his elbows on
the breakfast bar, leaning forward.

Yeah you better be sorry.
I thought to myself. The fucker still looked
immaculate whereas I had looked as if I’d taken a mud bath, fully
clothed.

I went into the laundry room and
took off my shorts, pulling on my loose cargo pants, before putting
my dirty clothes in to wash.

I took a breath to calm my nerves,
then walked back into the kitchen where my Dad was holding back a
laugh.

“
Dad, it’s not funny.” I said,
rolling my eyes.

“
What isn’t?” He asked, his smile
growing.

“
My mud bath, now drop
it.”

“
Ok, baby.” My Dad glanced to Logan
and then left the room.

Logan visibly relaxed when he
did.

“
So, do you still want to meet the
guys at the diner?” He asked. He wasn’t smiling now.

No. In fact, he looked sheepish, as
though he’d done something he shouldn’t. There’s no way he had
because he was with my Dad the whole time.

I should’ve really let him off the
hook. He was my friend, after all, and the fact that I had deeper
feelings for him was no reason for me to be a bitch about
it.

“
Sure. When are they getting
there?” I asked, pulling my hair round to braid it, and Logan’s
eyes moved to my hands.

“
In about half an hour. Do you want
me to do that for you?”

Yes, Logan could braid hair.
Actually, he’d done mine a lot.

I was fifteen and just before my
‘development’, I was practicing some tumbles at gymnastics. Logan
would occasionally come with me to watch. No, I wasn’t in a
leotard.
Hell
no!
As soon as I’d started high school, out came the extra baggy
T-shirts and pants. I still wore my leotard underneath just incase
my T-shirt lifted mid-somersault.

One of the days he came, he was
sitting on one of the benches and a girl from the club sat next to
him, batting her eyes and smiling. I lost my concentration and I
landed awkwardly on my wrist, spraining it.

Even in a bandage I could do most
things, uncomfortably, except write and do my hair. So, when Logan
met me at my house for school he saw me struggling and he offered
to help. He followed my instructions and loosely braised my hair.
Even when my wrist was better he would stop me, hold my ponytail,
and braid it; as if I hadn’t finished doing my hair.

When we’d watch movies, he’d take
out my hair tie and braid it.

I loved it.

It happened less and less and by
the time we started junior year, he’d stopped completely. To be
asking me now, was strange.

“
No.” I said bluntly as I worked my
hands quickly through my hair. “My wrist has been fine for two
years, Logan.”

“
I know.” He said, and I felt a
pang of guilt hit me in the stomach when I saw the sad expression
on his face.

I wasn’t going to apologize though.
I didn’t want him to think that he could walk all over me every
time he gave me the puppy eyes after annoying me, and I didn’t want
to give him any clue that I had fallen for him big time.

“
We should go. They’ll be there
soon.” I said before running back upstairs to get my black
hoodie.

I put on a little mascara, my black
converse and walked downstairs. Trying to let it go, I took a deep
breath as Logan and I got into his car to meet Stu, Carl, and Pike
at the diner.

They were good guys, essentially.
Except for Carl. He’s an ass and made it clear that he still wasn’t
ok with me hanging out. I mean, the others didn’t want me hanging
out with them either, at first, but once we’d all been out together
a few months ago, they seemed to accept me. I think it might have
been that they thought I was ‘girly’. Anyway, I don’t know
exactly
why, but
I
was
included so
I couldn’t complain. I still got to hang out with Logan although we
were alone a lot less these days.

Chapter
2

The five-minute
journey to the diner, we didn’t talk much. I was still angry from
the race and Logan constantly fidgeted in his seat, as if he were
uncomfortable.

We didn’t even talk about the
event, although number five won. Logan seemed to be preoccupied
with something else.

We arrived at the diner and when we
walked in, we saw that the guys were already there.

“
Hey guys.” Logan said as we neared
the table. They all turned and, for some reason, they looked at me.
Yeah they obviously didn’t want me there today. I was Logan’s
‘tagalong’.

Giving out the usual fist bumps; we
sat down in the huge booth.

“
Lex is coming. He’s bringing
Sian.” Pike said, glancing to me.

I suppose it was my fault that she
was coming along. After all, I was the only girl in the group.
However, Sian is Lex’s
girlfriend
so I didn’t see how that was the same
thing.

Then, I realized why Pike had given
me that look.

Lex walked in with Sian, holding
her hand. Her loose, dyed red curls bouncing as she walked in her
heeled shoes. Her white Capri pants and bright yellow off-shoulder
sweater clung to all of her curves. Her arm was raised with her
handbag hanging from her bent elbow; her bright pink nails in the
air for all to see.

She stared at me with her hazel
eyes, framed with thick false eyelashes; her shiny pink lip gloss
to match her nails.

The stereotypical
girly-girl.

Something I wasn’t.

Even though she stood out, it
was
me
that
looked out of place. My clothing style matched the boys, but not my
gender. Thanks to Sian, I now felt uncomfortable with my
friends.

“
Hey Sian.” The guys greeted
her.

“
Hello boys.” She said with a
sickly sweet smile. “How are all of you?”

“
We’re good.” They
chorused.

“
Chase.” She said, acknowledging my
presence.

“
Sian.” I replied in the same
tone.

“
What’s up?” Lex asked the group as
they sat; Sian next to me.

Yep. I was now the
outcast.

Usually that didn’t bother me. I
never wanted to be the center of attention, but the other guys now
treated me like I wasn’t even there, hanging on to every word Sian
said.

I don’t know why it hurt, but it
did.

I was tired of being in the
shadows. Tired of being overlooked. Hell, I actually
wanted
the possibility
of having a relationship and kids someday. But, the way I was
treated like I didn’t matter, that didn’t look like it was going to
happen. Especially with the one guy I dreamt it would be
with.

My best friend.

“
Hey, are you ok?” He asked, seeing
that I was quiet.

Kudos for noticing.

“
Yeah I’m fine. Why?”

Logan glanced to Sian then back to
me, which I knew meant ‘because
she’s
here’.

I just shrugged as if I didn’t
care.

Logan stared at me for a couple of
seconds, and I was getting lost in his eyes when he mouthed ‘ok’
and turned back to what Pike was saying.

“
So how was the race?” He asked
Logan.

“
It was cool. Jez won.” He beamed,
his eyes lighting up. “Chase and I got a really good spot at the
track”

“
You
went to see the dirt bike
racing?” Sian asked me, like I was insane.

“
Yes. My Dad got me tickets for my
birthday.”

“
You
actually
wanted
to go?” She asked in disbelief.

“
Yes. I did.” I replied like it was
nothing.

“
Ew. All that dirt. Didn’t you get
muddy?” Her nose wrinkled, and her mouth turned down in
disgust.

“
Yes, actually.
I was
covered
in mud. Head to toe.” I told her with a smile.

“
Oh my God. In your hair too?
That’s totally gross.” She held up her hands like she wanted to
back away.

“
Yeah, it was in my hair. All over
my clothes… and under my nails.”

Sian gasped in horror, and I could
hear Logan silently chuckling beside me.

“
That’s
disgusting.” She shook her head, her curls swaying. “I wouldn’t be
caught
dead
around all that.” She snorted.

“
It was
totally
awesome.”
I emphasized the word. I don’t think she realized I was mocking her
because she turned her attention to Lex.

“
Baby, give me some quarters.” She
said, holding out her hand. No ‘please’ or ‘thank you’
either.

Lex gave her some coins from his
pocket and she kissed him on the cheek before clicking on her heels
over to the jukebox.

“
She’s driving me nuts!” Lex said
suddenly. “She doesn’t do anything other than her fucking hair or
nails. Oh, and she shops.” He groaned. “But, she’s a great fu…” He
paused mid sentence, looking to me, realizing I was with
them.

“
Don’t mind me.” I said, waving
away his concern that I was sitting there.

“
She’s good for…
other things, but that’s
it.
She’s beginning to get on my nerves.”

Stu was about to say something when
Justin Bieber’s ‘Boyfriend’ sounded out over the speakers and Sian
took her seat between Lex and me.

“
Seriously?” Pike asked.

“
What? Justin is
awesome.” Sian said, like he was an idiot for not liking the music.
“Please tell me at least
you
like Justin.” She asked me.

“
Um… Not so much.” I
replied.

“
Hey Chase.”
Pike said, suddenly remembering I was there. “Why don’t you choose
something
you
like?” He smirked.

I could tell he wanted to start
something. Possibly between Sian and me, or cause more of a rift
between Sian and Lex.

I got up and started to walk
away.

“
Don’t you need money?” Sian raised
an eyebrow at me.

Oh, she expects
me
to sponge off the
guys too. I don’t think so.

I jangled my pockets, the sounds of
coins clinking together, as I turned away.

Choosing my song, I moved back to
the table and I instantly knew I’d been the topic of conversation
because they all stopped talking.

Lex looked bored, Stu and Pike
were trying not to smile, Carl looked happy and Logan looked
annoyed. At least
he
stuck up for me… I think.

“
What. Is. That?” Sian said in
horror as ‘Best Of You’ by the Foo Fighters started.

“
You don’t like Foo Fighters?” I
asked, like it would surprise me that she didn’t.

“
Uh…
No
!” Her tone implied that I was stupid for even suggesting
it.

“
Oh. That sucks.” I
smiled.

The waiter appeared with our
drinks followed by another waiter with the
huge
cheese pizza we’d
ordered.

It had only touched the table when
Stu and Pike went for their slices; followed by the other
guys.

“
Oh my God! You
guys are animals!” Sian whined. “You could use a
plate
!” She
looked round and when she didn’t spot any, I swear she turned
white. “Please tell me there’s at least some cutlery.”

“
No, babe. None. We just use our
hands.” Lex said with a smile, then took a big fat bite of his
slice.

Sian looked to me as I lifted a
piece carefully, and bit into it.

Ok, so I wasn’t as wild as the
other guys, and I wasn’t shoving it in as fast as I
could.

“
I
suppose
you
have a little decorum at least.” She snorted at
me.