failed you for that?”
“And gave me a ticket.” He crossed his arms and added a hmph of displeasure. “I mean, it’s not my fault some idiot was jaywalking.”
“So when can you take the test again?”
“Next week, which brings me to my next question. Do you think you can give me a ride on Monday?”
“Sure.” After all, I didn’t think Brett would want any more tutoring sessions with me after today.
Richard wiped his brow in relief. “Great! In the meantime, I’ll expect you at my house by six o’clock. We have to drive all the way up to Bothell for the game, but since you’re driving me, we can take the carpool lane. See you then.”
It wasn’t until he’d walked away that I realized I’d been suckered into going to the game.
Was it wrong of me to hope I got to witness Summer tumbling from the top of the cheerleader pyramid?
I tried to conjure up the same negative wishes for Brett, but I couldn’t. Even when I tried to picture him throwing a bad pass or getting pummeled by the entire opposing team, I felt more sympathy than satisfaction.
Damn it!
No matter how much I wanted to hate him, I couldn’t. I cared too much about him, and that was a dangerous place to be.
My phone buzzed again, and I checked the screen.
Another message from Brett. Are you going to wear my shirt to the game tonight?
As far I knew, I hadn’t stained it with drool, so technically I could wear it. Why? I typed back.
School spirit?
I turned toward the biggest testament to school spirit, the football field some hundred yards away, and saw him standing on the edge of it, looking in my direction. He was safe within his realm, in the place where he belonged.
But where did I fit in there?
Please? he added before Summer and her entourage approached him and pulled him off in another direction.
I watched them disappear with an odd sensation churning my gut. To call it jealousy would mean I wanted to be part of their clique, which I didn’t. There was only one person in the group I’d consider giving the time of day to.
Time to get my head on straight, and there was one person I could count on for that.
I called Morgan. “Please tell me I’m an idiot,” I said as soon as she answered.
“Depends on what you’ve done.”
“So, Brett asked me to help him with his college admission essays—”
“Hold on. He asked you to help him ?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure he wasn’t just trying to come up with an excuse to spend more time with you?”
“I considered that at first, but when I read his essay, I knew he wasn’t lying.” I got into my car and gave her the play-by-play of yesterday and this morning. “He’s still at Summer’s beck and call.”
“What do you expect? He’s a guy. He’s not going to turn down sex.”
“But after Wednesday night, I thought maybe—”
“Wednesday night?” Morgan asked, her voice rising to one note below shrieking. “What happened Wednesday night? No, wait, don’t tell me over the phone. I’m coming over to your place.”
I heard an engine starting in the background before she hung up, and when I pulled into my driveway, she was already there waiting for me.
At first, I did a double take when I saw her. She’d bleached out the ends of her black dyed hair and recolored them with bright red that almost looked like flames. “You changed your hair.”
“And got a new piercing.” She touched the top of her left ear where a new stud sparkled in the sunlight. “I needed something to pick me up.”
I didn’t even need to ask if she was still moping over Gavin. I knew her too well. “You’re way too hot for that douche bag.”
“I know,” she said with a sense of false bravado. “But I don’t want to talk about him. He’s history as far as I’m concerned. I’m more interested in hearing about you and Brett.”
The maids were cleaning downstairs when we entered the house, so I led her up to my room and pulled out the T-shirt he’d given me. “Well,
“And gave me a ticket.” He crossed his arms and added a hmph of displeasure. “I mean, it’s not my fault some idiot was jaywalking.”
“So when can you take the test again?”
“Next week, which brings me to my next question. Do you think you can give me a ride on Monday?”
“Sure.” After all, I didn’t think Brett would want any more tutoring sessions with me after today.
Richard wiped his brow in relief. “Great! In the meantime, I’ll expect you at my house by six o’clock. We have to drive all the way up to Bothell for the game, but since you’re driving me, we can take the carpool lane. See you then.”
It wasn’t until he’d walked away that I realized I’d been suckered into going to the game.
Was it wrong of me to hope I got to witness Summer tumbling from the top of the cheerleader pyramid?
I tried to conjure up the same negative wishes for Brett, but I couldn’t. Even when I tried to picture him throwing a bad pass or getting pummeled by the entire opposing team, I felt more sympathy than satisfaction.
Damn it!
No matter how much I wanted to hate him, I couldn’t. I cared too much about him, and that was a dangerous place to be.
My phone buzzed again, and I checked the screen.
Another message from Brett. Are you going to wear my shirt to the game tonight?
As far I knew, I hadn’t stained it with drool, so technically I could wear it. Why? I typed back.
School spirit?
I turned toward the biggest testament to school spirit, the football field some hundred yards away, and saw him standing on the edge of it, looking in my direction. He was safe within his realm, in the place where he belonged.
But where did I fit in there?
Please? he added before Summer and her entourage approached him and pulled him off in another direction.
I watched them disappear with an odd sensation churning my gut. To call it jealousy would mean I wanted to be part of their clique, which I didn’t. There was only one person in the group I’d consider giving the time of day to.
Time to get my head on straight, and there was one person I could count on for that.
I called Morgan. “Please tell me I’m an idiot,” I said as soon as she answered.
“Depends on what you’ve done.”
“So, Brett asked me to help him with his college admission essays—”
“Hold on. He asked you to help him ?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure he wasn’t just trying to come up with an excuse to spend more time with you?”
“I considered that at first, but when I read his essay, I knew he wasn’t lying.” I got into my car and gave her the play-by-play of yesterday and this morning. “He’s still at Summer’s beck and call.”
“What do you expect? He’s a guy. He’s not going to turn down sex.”
“But after Wednesday night, I thought maybe—”
“Wednesday night?” Morgan asked, her voice rising to one note below shrieking. “What happened Wednesday night? No, wait, don’t tell me over the phone. I’m coming over to your place.”
I heard an engine starting in the background before she hung up, and when I pulled into my driveway, she was already there waiting for me.
At first, I did a double take when I saw her. She’d bleached out the ends of her black dyed hair and recolored them with bright red that almost looked like flames. “You changed your hair.”
“And got a new piercing.” She touched the top of her left ear where a new stud sparkled in the sunlight. “I needed something to pick me up.”
I didn’t even need to ask if she was still moping over Gavin. I knew her too well. “You’re way too hot for that douche bag.”
“I know,” she said with a sense of false bravado. “But I don’t want to talk about him. He’s history as far as I’m concerned. I’m more interested in hearing about you and Brett.”
The maids were cleaning downstairs when we entered the house, so I led her up to my room and pulled out the T-shirt he’d given me. “Well,
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