“Calvin’s upset because he doesn’t know how he’s going to get parts for his bike. And his family doesn’t have the money to buy him a new one.”
“That’s not … quite the whole story, but—” Tyler sighed. “Look, why can’t we all just have a good time today. No stress. Okay?”
“Calvin asked to go to the shop,” Flannery cut in. “So I thought we were talking about bikes. She’s the one—”
“Shut up!” Tyler snagged a napkin from the table, wadded it, and tossed it at Flannery’s face. It bounced onto her plate.
Stacey crossed her arms and turned toward the house.
“Come on.” Tyler touched Stacey’s shoulder again. “Let’s sit back down and pretend none of this happened. Just be cool, okay?”
Stacey settled back on the bench and stared at a crack in the concrete. As they waited silently for Calvin to come back outside, video clips of the argument replayed in Stacey’s mind. Flannery hadto know Calvin’s parents couldn’t buy him a new bike. Yet what did Tyler say? That it wasn’t the entire reason? Did Tyler know something that neither Flannery nor Stacey knew? Had something happened over the weekend that Calvin was keeping from her?
Bro-friend before girlfriend.
She blinked at tears, forcing them back just as she heard the patio door slide open behind her. She swung off her seat and went to his side to take his hand. “I’m sorry, babe. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
He shrugged. “I’m not upset. I had to go to the bathroom.”
“Oh.”
Pretend nothing happened … That’s what Tyler said
.
“Hey, I just want to eat this watermelon, go to the cycle shop, and have some fun with my girlfriend and two best friends on my one and only day off this week. Is that okay?”
She licked her lips. A little sweetness from her two bites of watermelon lingered there. She forced a smile, pretended nothing was wrong.
“‘Kay.”
“Dude, check it out.” Flannery slung her leg over the narrow seat of a bright blue motocross bike. “A 2012 Yamaha YZ250, practically brand new. Soon as I saw it, I thought, that’s Calvin’s bike. No doubt.”
Stacey walked with Calvin up the aisle of the motorcycle shop. The moment the bike was in front of them, Calvin’s grip on her hand slackened, and he brushed his fingers along one of the silver levers on the handlebars. Stacey looked down at the aggressive-looking lines of the front fender and the square treads of the tire, then up at the smile spreading on Calvin’s lips. Maybe Flannery was right; motorcycles were Calvin’s cure.
Which meant Stacey had guessed wrong. The thought stabbed her as Calvin squeezed the lever against the grip.
Flannery got off the bike. “Have a seat.”
He released the lever like it had sprung back on him. “Thanks, but, uh … no. I’ll fall in love with it and be depressed because I can’t ride it.”
Flannery’s shoulders slumped.
“Maybe later. I’m just going …” Calvin took a step back and pointed toward the sales counter. “I need to talk to your dad about my throttle cable.”
He tugged Stacey along. Another customer stood at the counter, so Stacey wrapped both her hands around Calvin’s one and brought him to a stop. “It’s okay. You can sit on the bike if you want.”
“I can’t afford it.”
Something like inspiration flickered through her mind. She smiled. “Do you feel you’re betraying your old motorcycle by looking at a new one?”
Calvin’s eyes widened. “Huh?”
She gave a coy shrug. “It’s kind of sweet. Being loyal to your first bike.”
He laughed. Much better!
Calvin pulled his hand from her grip and draped his arm across her shoulders. “Actually, it’s like I have to choose between going to college or riding motocross or becoming a farm boy.”
Too much to process in a rush. “What do you mean?”
He took a deep breath. “The farm and Dad’s auto repair place don’t bring in enough money for anything extra, including college. That’s
“That’s not … quite the whole story, but—” Tyler sighed. “Look, why can’t we all just have a good time today. No stress. Okay?”
“Calvin asked to go to the shop,” Flannery cut in. “So I thought we were talking about bikes. She’s the one—”
“Shut up!” Tyler snagged a napkin from the table, wadded it, and tossed it at Flannery’s face. It bounced onto her plate.
Stacey crossed her arms and turned toward the house.
“Come on.” Tyler touched Stacey’s shoulder again. “Let’s sit back down and pretend none of this happened. Just be cool, okay?”
Stacey settled back on the bench and stared at a crack in the concrete. As they waited silently for Calvin to come back outside, video clips of the argument replayed in Stacey’s mind. Flannery hadto know Calvin’s parents couldn’t buy him a new bike. Yet what did Tyler say? That it wasn’t the entire reason? Did Tyler know something that neither Flannery nor Stacey knew? Had something happened over the weekend that Calvin was keeping from her?
Bro-friend before girlfriend.
She blinked at tears, forcing them back just as she heard the patio door slide open behind her. She swung off her seat and went to his side to take his hand. “I’m sorry, babe. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
He shrugged. “I’m not upset. I had to go to the bathroom.”
“Oh.”
Pretend nothing happened … That’s what Tyler said
.
“Hey, I just want to eat this watermelon, go to the cycle shop, and have some fun with my girlfriend and two best friends on my one and only day off this week. Is that okay?”
She licked her lips. A little sweetness from her two bites of watermelon lingered there. She forced a smile, pretended nothing was wrong.
“‘Kay.”
“Dude, check it out.” Flannery slung her leg over the narrow seat of a bright blue motocross bike. “A 2012 Yamaha YZ250, practically brand new. Soon as I saw it, I thought, that’s Calvin’s bike. No doubt.”
Stacey walked with Calvin up the aisle of the motorcycle shop. The moment the bike was in front of them, Calvin’s grip on her hand slackened, and he brushed his fingers along one of the silver levers on the handlebars. Stacey looked down at the aggressive-looking lines of the front fender and the square treads of the tire, then up at the smile spreading on Calvin’s lips. Maybe Flannery was right; motorcycles were Calvin’s cure.
Which meant Stacey had guessed wrong. The thought stabbed her as Calvin squeezed the lever against the grip.
Flannery got off the bike. “Have a seat.”
He released the lever like it had sprung back on him. “Thanks, but, uh … no. I’ll fall in love with it and be depressed because I can’t ride it.”
Flannery’s shoulders slumped.
“Maybe later. I’m just going …” Calvin took a step back and pointed toward the sales counter. “I need to talk to your dad about my throttle cable.”
He tugged Stacey along. Another customer stood at the counter, so Stacey wrapped both her hands around Calvin’s one and brought him to a stop. “It’s okay. You can sit on the bike if you want.”
“I can’t afford it.”
Something like inspiration flickered through her mind. She smiled. “Do you feel you’re betraying your old motorcycle by looking at a new one?”
Calvin’s eyes widened. “Huh?”
She gave a coy shrug. “It’s kind of sweet. Being loyal to your first bike.”
He laughed. Much better!
Calvin pulled his hand from her grip and draped his arm across her shoulders. “Actually, it’s like I have to choose between going to college or riding motocross or becoming a farm boy.”
Too much to process in a rush. “What do you mean?”
He took a deep breath. “The farm and Dad’s auto repair place don’t bring in enough money for anything extra, including college. That’s
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