In My Father's Shadow by Jl Paul Page A

darkness so
they couldn’t see the heat in his cheeks. “I did kiss her back. But
I stopped it before it got out of control. She got pissed and when
I tried to explain that I didn’t think a relationship between the
two of us was a good idea, she got even angrier.”
    “I’m pretty sure she’s liked you for a long time,”
Jamie admitted. “She just didn’t tell anyone. But I could see it by
the way she was acting.”
    “Dude you told him she had a crush on Parker,” RJ
reasoned.
    Jamie sighed as he plopped on the bench of a picnic
table. “Well, I think she did at one time. But anyway, why would I
tell Cole that Ally had the hots for him? She is my cousin! And
yeah, he’s my friend, I know. That’s why I just kept my mouth shut.
I didn’t know what to do.”
    “Okay, okay,” Cole interrupted as he started to pace
again, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You guys would be cool
with it if Ally and I got together?”
    “Why not?” RJ said, shrugging his shoulders.
    “I don’t care, man,” Jamie agreed. “As long as you
don’t make out with her in front of me.”
    “We don’t have to give you the old ‘you hurt her you
die’ speech we gave the last guy she went out with, do we?” RJ
asked with a broad smile.
    Cole barked out a short laugh. “Nah man because if
ever do hurt her, you two better kill me.”
    ***
    Ally walked into her room and prepared for the verbal
assault she figured was coming from her cousin. Jeana’s silent
treatment was beginning to grate on Ally’s already fragile nerves
and she knew that Jeana was bound to burst sooner or later. No time
like the present. And if Ally was being honest with herself, she’d
admit she was itching for a fight.
    “Hey, Ally,” Jeana called from her prone position on
her bed as soon as Ally entered the room. She was flipping through
the pages of one of her beloved fashion magazines. “Have a good
weekend?”
    “Yeah,” Ally said slowly. “It was nice.”
    “How are Uncle Jay and Aunt Liz?” Jeana asked, her
eyes still glued to her magazine.
    “Good. They send their love.” Ally dropped her bag at
her feet, stunned by Jeana’s lackadaisical attitude. She shrugged
and heaved her bag to her bed and began to unload it, her mind
suddenly sprinting out of the room and back to the past couple of
weeks.
    Jeana sat up on her bed and watched Ally unpack.
“Look, I’m sorry I was so…mean…but you know how I am. Megan says
I’m jealous because you’re closer to Jamie than you are to me.”
    Ally dropped the armful of freshly laundered socks
and sat down next to her cousin. “I don’t mean to be. I mean, I
wish you and I had more in common.”
    “I try to include you in things I do,” Jeana pointed
out. “But you’re always hanging around with the boys.”
    Ally gave her a wry smile. “I know. My dad says I’m a
tomboy.”
    “You are,” Jeana said with a grin. “But that doesn’t
mean you and I can’t hang out sometimes, huh?”
    “Okay, that’d be nice.” Ally gave her a quick hug.
One of the many stones in the bottom of her stomach disappeared.
“Sometimes it sucks when all your friends are boys and you don’t
have a girl to confide in.”
    “Oh, speaking of confiding,” Jeana said, eyes shining
in excitement. “Did Cole tell you who he’s taking to the Fall
Festival dance?”
    Ally’s heart sank as hurt and betrayal reentered her
system, stirring the pot of anger that constantly seemed to be
boiling just under her skin. “No, he didn’t mention it.”
    “Jennifer Mansfeld was telling anyone who’d listen
that Cole invited her last week.” Jeana was beside herself with
excitement. “I thought they broke up last year.”
    “They did,” Ally said, getting to her feet. She bit
her lip. “I wonder why he didn’t say anything all weekend.”
    “Boys don’t talk about that stuff unless they’re
asked about it,” Jeana said with a careless shrug. “I thought you
of all people would know that.”
    “Yeah, you