Teen Idol (10 page)

"So I finished
Lucifer’s Hammer
" Scott said to me, as I was picking dried-up mud out of his hubcap.

I’d forgotten I’d loaned him that one. We both have a fixation on books that feature huge disasters that threaten the destruction of Earth as we know it.

"Oh yeah?" I said. "What’d you think of it?"

"I thought it was a load of right-wing bull," Scott said.

And then we were off. Trina even went, "There they go" and rolled her eyes, because she’d heard Scott and me arguing over a book before.

And it probably isn’t the best way to get a guy to like you. I mean, by telling him that his views on a book are all wrong. But the fact is, with Scott I have nothing to lose, since he obviously doesn’t like me that way, seeing as how he’s attached at the hip to Geri Lynn.

So we had a good time arguing over
Lucifer’s Hammer
, which is a science fiction novel about a giant comet that hits Earth and destroys huge sections of it and how the people who survive have to decide who gets access to what limited food is left. The book raises interesting philosophical questions, like who is more important in building a new society, a doctor or an artist? A lawyer or a convict? Who do you let live, and who do you let die?

I insisted that
Lucifer’s Hammer
was a survival story about the worth of the individual. Scott said it was political commentary on the socioeconomics of the seventies. Trina and Steve, who hadn’t read the book, stayed out of it and just groaned whenever one of us said a word like
facile
or
specious
.

But arguing with Scott about books is seriously fun.

At least until Scott looked at me and went, "You’re getting more water on yourself than on the car. "

Which was true. Washing cars, it turns out, requires the same amount of physical coordination as dancing. And while I might be able to settle arguments between people with ease, physical coordination is not apparently something I have in abundance.

I don’t know what came over me. I really don't. It was like for a second I was seized by the soul of some other girl, some flirty girl like Trina or Geri Lynn. All I know is, a second later I went, "Oh, yeah?" and threw my sponge at Scott, hitting him square in the center of his chest. "Well, welcome to the club."

Next thing I knew, Scott was chasing me around the parking lot, threatening to dump a bucket of soapy water over my head if he caught me. Everyone stopped what they were doing to laugh . . . everybody except Geri Lynn, that is.

She came stomping over to us, looking pretty peeved.

"Look at you," she said to Scott "You’re soaked'"

Scott looked down at himself "It’s just water, Ger," he said.

"But we can’t go to the mall with you looking like that," she said, stamping one of her espadrilled feet "You’re all wet."

"It’ll dry," Scott said. By that time, we were done with his car, so he handed the bucket of water back to me I was kind of disappointed he hadn’t poured it over my head like he’d been threatening to. Don’t ask me why.

"Not for hours." Geri cried.

"Aw, come on, Geri," I said "We were just goofing around. And besides, nobody at Compusave will care . . ."

"I care," Geri Lynn said, actually looking tearful "I care, Don’t
I
count?"

That’s when I knew this wasn’t about a wet T-shirt It also wasn’t something that I could fix. This had to do with Geri’s insecurities over leaving for college, Scott’s still having a year left of high school, and probably, though I didn’t know for sure, those little hearts in Geri’s date book.

Realizing this, I turned around and went over to where Trina and Steve and the altos were, snagged a new sponge and got very busy on the sedan they were cleaning.

"Looks like trouble in paradise," Trina sang, shooting a look over her shoulder at Geri and Scott, who were standing on the edge of the parking lot by his car, speaking very earnestly—but unfortunately inaudibly, at least to us—to each other.

"I never thought they made a very good couple," Bored Liz said. "Geri’s too needy. And what’s with all the flat Diet Coke?"

"Hey, now," I said, because I felt guilty. I knew their fight wasn’t my fault, exactly, but I shouldn’t have thrown that sponge at him. Loaning another girl’s boyfriend books is one thing. I mean, after all, Scott and I are friends. But throwing a wet sponge at him? That’s not as forgivable. "Geri’s nice."

"What she’s gonna be is single," Tough Brenda declared, "if she don’t watch herself. You can only push a boy like that so far."

"Yeah," Trina muttered in a voice audible only to me, "but if they break up, then he’ll be free, and you can finally ask him out, Jen, the way I told you to way back at the beginning of the year."

"Trina!" I was shocked. I mean, poor Geri! Poor Scott!

Mr. Hall, who was the one collecting all the money, came over just then and clapped his hands.

"That’s enough chitchat!" he said, his goatee all atremble. "Work, people! Work!"

It was right then that Luke appeared, seemingly from nowhere. I mean, I hadn’t seen his limo anywhere.

"Luke!" I couldn’t help crying out when I saw him. Then I added, hastily, "Us. I mean, Lucas."

"Hey," Luke said, grinning in a kind of lopsided way as he strolled up to us through the parking lot. Unlike the rest of us, Luke wasn’t wearing a swimsuit and shorts. He was fully dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt. It seemed a little warm for flannel, but maybe that’s what Luke thought a high school boy would wear to a car wash. "Sorry I’m late."

"Wow, you came," Trina cried, bouncing up to him. "That’s so great, Jen wasn’t sure you’d be able to make it."

The truth was, Luke and I had never discussed his weekend plans. I’d just figured he’d stay at his condo at the lake and show up at school on Monday. It had never occurred to me he might . . . well, want to hang out with a bunch of high school kids instead. I felt a little guilty for not asking if he’d like to join us.

But Luke obviously had needed no invitation.

"Change of plans," Luke said, still grinning easily at Trina. "Besides, looks like you guys need all the help you can get. You got a line of cars all the way back to Rax."

Trina ran and got Luke a bucket and sponge, and soon, right before my disbelieving eyes, he started washing away right there with us, laughing and joking and having what looked to me like a genuinely good time. Everybody was. Having a good time, I mean.

Everybody but Scott and Geri, that is. They were still arguing down at the other end of the parking lot. I was trying not to stare and all—also trying not to tell myself that it was all my fault—but it was kind of hard not to when Geri suddenly shrieked, "Fine! If that’s how you feel, it’s
over
?" and started storming for Chi-Chi's—I guess so she could go into the ladies’ room there and have a good cry.

Scott called after her, but it was no good. Geri went tearing into the building, sobbing almost as loudly as Cara after a particularly rough mooing.

I laid down my sponge. I had a pretty good idea where
I
was going to be spending the rest of my afternoon.

But before I had a chance to go rushing off after Geri—before I had a chance to utter a single word of comfort to a visibly stricken Scott as I went by him on my way into the restaurant, before I could even so much as take a single step—Luke, who’d apparently missed the fight, went, "Man, it’s hot out here."

And took off his shirt.

Ask Annie

Ask Annie your most complex interpersonal relationship questions.

Go on, we dare you!

All letters to Annie are subject to publication in the Clayton High School
Register
.

Names and e-mail addresses of correspondents guaranteed confidential.

Dear Annie,

I am seriously in love with my best friends girlfriend. What do I do
?

Anonymous

Dear Anonymous,

Nothing, if you want to preserve the friendship. The only way you can make a move is if your friend and his girlfriend break up. Then, and only then, may you ask her out, but only after a suitable period of mourning has passed
.

Don’t be surprised if your friend gets mad at you anyway, even if you do wait until they’ve broken up. Friend do not date their friends significant others—even their exes
.

Annie

A
t first I
didn’t think anything of it. You know, Luke taking his shirt off. Half the guys at the car wash had their shirts off.

So the guy took his shirt off? Big deal. I had way more important things to worry about, such as Clayton High's. It Couple apparently breaking up before my very eyes and possibly—I know not solely because of, but partially, maybe—because of me.

Still, Trina’s sharp intake of breath stopped me in my tracks just as I was about to race off after Geri.

I don’t know why it stopped me. But it did. I stopped right where I was, then turned around slowly.

I looked at Trina. Her gaze was riveted on Luke. And not just on his truly impressive six-pack . . . the light smattering of fair hair that covered his chest before snaking down that six-pack and disappearing into the waistband of his Levi’s . . . his thoroughly impressive biceps.

Not that all of those things weren’t worth staring at. Because they totally were.

No, it was the tattoo on Luke’s arm, just beneath his right shoulder, that seemed to be holding Trina’s attention.

The tattoo that said
Angelique
.

"Oh my Go—"Trina started to say. She didn’t get to finish, however, because I slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Mmm, mmm," Trina said urgently into my palm. But I had her in a grip of iron.

"Shut up and come with me," I hissed in her ear, and started dragging her toward the doors to Chi-Chi's.

"Buh mmm," Trina tried to say, but I wouldn’t let go of her.

"Girls," Mr. Hall said irritatedly as we went by, "this isn’t time to play games. We have a
lot
of cars to wash."

"Yeah, I know. We’ll be right out, Mr. Hall," I assured him. "We just have to go to the ladies’ room."

Then I pulled Trina into the Chi-Chi’s vestibule, and shoved her into the ladies’ room . . . where I finally released my hand from her mouth.

"Oh my God, Jen!" she screamed. "That’s Luke Striker! The new guy is
Luke Striker
!"

"Shhhh " It was taking a little while for my eyes to adjust to the darkness of the restaurant after having been out in the bright sunlight for so long. Still, I didn’t need to be able to see to tell that we weren’t in the rest room alone. I could hear Geri sniffling in the last stall. . . .

At least until she heard the words
Luke Striker
.

"I
knew
it!" Geri Lynn came bursting out of the stall like a bucking bronco from its pen. "I
knew
he looked familiar! Lucas is Luke Striker?"

"Listen," I said, looking from one girl to the other. Trina’s face was flushed with excitement and sun. Geri’s was puffy from crying. But both wore expressions of eager interest. "Okay. Yes, Lucas is Luke Striker. He’s here to research a part. And Dr. Lewis himself asked me to please keep Luke’s real identity a secret, so you guys have to—"

But it was like talking to a couple of two-year-olds. Because instead of a rational conversation taking place, Trina and Geri turned toward each other and started jumping up and down, shrieking at the top of their lungs: "
Luke Striker! Luke Striker! Luke Striker!
"

"Hey," I said, really afraid half the people in the restaurant were going to come running in. "Cut it out. I told you, it’s supposed to be a secret—"

"Oh my God, I
knew
it was him," Trina stopped jumping long enough to say. "I knew it the other day at lunch, when he said he was a vegetarian. Because you know I stopped eating meat when I read in
Teen People
that Luke has been a vegetarian since his days on
Heaven Help Us
."

"
I
knew he was Luke Striker," Geri said, "at last night’s
Register
meeting. You know, Jen, when he started talking about a celebrity’s right to privacy? I swear when he said that, I was actually thinking to myself, 'You know, he looks so much like Lancelot from
Lancelot and Guinevere
, I wonder if he IS Luke Striker?"

"You guys!" I yelled in my meanest voice, the one I only use when I’m baby-sitting and the kids start squirting ketchup at each other or whatever.

It did the trick, though. Both Trina and Geri stopped talking and looked at me.

"Listen to me," I said in a low, even voice. "Luke’s real identity is supposed to be a secret. Nobody is supposed to know the truth, understand? That’s how Luke wants it. He’s here because he’s researching a part. He can’t research a part if people don’t act normally around him. And if it gets out that he’s really Luke Striker, nobody is going to be acting normally around him, now, are they?"

Trina and Geri exchanged glances.

"I wholly respect that," Trina said. "Luke has such deep appreciation for his craft that, as a fellow artist, I could never do anything that might in some way interfere with his creative goals. I won’t say a word to anyone."

Not to be outdone, Geri made the Girl Scout sign with her fingers. "I’ll take it to the grave."

For the first time since Luke had taken his shirt off—no, since Geri had started yelling at Scott—I felt myself relax a little.

"Okay," I said. "Good. Then it’s agreed. Neither of you is going to say a word to anyone about Luke not really being—"

"Oh my God," Trina said, smacking herself in the forehead. "
Why
did I tell Steve I’d go to the Spring Fling with him when I could have gone with
Luke Striker
?"

"In your dreams," Geri said. "He’s taking
me
."

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. "Did you two listen to a word I just said?"

"Yeah, sure," Trina said. "Pinky swear to secrecy, yadda yadda yadda. I can still dream about him, can’t I?"