Tatum would do. When he didn’t I continued. “I go there with my mom sometimes to find good deals and the last time we were there I found this old letterman jacket from Coolidge High School. The jacket was pretty beat up, so they gave it to me for $5. I really just wanted the patch. That was your dad’s year, right? Didn’t he win state in 1976?”
“Yeah,” Reed swallowed. He looked up at me and then back at the patch again, reaching his arm out to pull me in for a hug. “Thanks, Nolan. This was really nice.”
“I just thought you’d like it,” I said, my heart pounding out of my chest at both being in his arms again and at the thought of Sean and Tatum seeing me there. And just then, he kissed the top of my head.
We froze for a few seconds, though it felt like minutes. A line was crossed, however small, and we both felt it. I knew I had to be the first to break it, but I fought against my heart to do so. “Happy birthday, Reed,” I said backing out of his arms and looking down. “Hey, we should hurry. Don’t want Tatum freaking out,” I kidded, though not entirely.
“Oh, right,” he said, his eyes holding mine just a little longer than normal.
We ran back to the parking lot and found Tatum and Sean just walking out of the gym doors. Never one for quiet and simple, Tatum squealed Reed’s name and came skipping over. I saw that he had shoved the patch in his pocket long before she saw it, and part of me was pleased that he didn’t want her to cheapen it with one of her tasteless remarks.
We all piled into Reed’s Jeep, which he still wasn’t technically licensed for. They dropped me off first, and Sean smacked my ass as I leapt out of the Jeep, whistling as I ran up my driveway and entered my house.
“That Sean with you?” my dad said, as I came in.
“Yeah, sort of. Well, Reed and Sean,” I responded, rubbing my rear a little embarrassed by the swat and catcall Sean gave me.
“Big game this Friday. Reed feel ready?” my dad asked, one thing on his mind – football.
“I think so,” I said quickly and turned to head to my room down the hall. My mom stopped me on her way out of the laundry room.
“Did Reed like the patch?” she whispered. My grin giving away a little too much.
“Good… careful, ok?” she said.
“OK,” I said, with a bit of an eye roll.
I shut my door and pulled out my phone to wait for my text from Reed. Hours passed and I was starting to think I wouldn’t hear from him. Sean called first just to say good night. I was a little quick to get him off the phone, but thought he bought my studying excuse. I was about to give up and take my shower and call it a night when my phone vibrated.
“Hello?” I said, quietly.
“Hey, sorry. Did I wake you?” Reed said.
“No, I was up. I was just waiting…” I stopped short and decided not to finish.
After a short moment of silence, Reed continued. “Thanks for my present. Seriously, that’s maybe the most thoughtful thing anyone ever gave me,” he said.
“Well, it’s not a Jeep,” I laughed, self-effacing humor always my go-to.
“No, it’s not,” he said, without a hint of sarcasm. “Thank you. It meant a lot.”
“You’re welcome,” I said. “I’m glad you like it. Happy birthday, Reed.”
“Good night, Nolan,” he said, lingering on the phone just a bit before hanging up.
I was in trouble.
9. Not Really
Reed spent his birthday weekend with Tatum in the city, and I spent the weekend casting evil spells into the air then shaking my head at my own ridiculous thoughts. Imagine my surprise when I heard from Reed Sunday afternoon and he told me that he and Tatum spent the entire night and next day vomiting from food poisoning. I felt strangely guilty for my apparent witchcraft abilities.
While Reed and I continued to talk and text almost nightly, the conversations always remained platonic. Admittedly, I never attempted to take them anywhere beyond our friendship. But neither
“Yeah,” Reed swallowed. He looked up at me and then back at the patch again, reaching his arm out to pull me in for a hug. “Thanks, Nolan. This was really nice.”
“I just thought you’d like it,” I said, my heart pounding out of my chest at both being in his arms again and at the thought of Sean and Tatum seeing me there. And just then, he kissed the top of my head.
We froze for a few seconds, though it felt like minutes. A line was crossed, however small, and we both felt it. I knew I had to be the first to break it, but I fought against my heart to do so. “Happy birthday, Reed,” I said backing out of his arms and looking down. “Hey, we should hurry. Don’t want Tatum freaking out,” I kidded, though not entirely.
“Oh, right,” he said, his eyes holding mine just a little longer than normal.
We ran back to the parking lot and found Tatum and Sean just walking out of the gym doors. Never one for quiet and simple, Tatum squealed Reed’s name and came skipping over. I saw that he had shoved the patch in his pocket long before she saw it, and part of me was pleased that he didn’t want her to cheapen it with one of her tasteless remarks.
We all piled into Reed’s Jeep, which he still wasn’t technically licensed for. They dropped me off first, and Sean smacked my ass as I leapt out of the Jeep, whistling as I ran up my driveway and entered my house.
“That Sean with you?” my dad said, as I came in.
“Yeah, sort of. Well, Reed and Sean,” I responded, rubbing my rear a little embarrassed by the swat and catcall Sean gave me.
“Big game this Friday. Reed feel ready?” my dad asked, one thing on his mind – football.
“I think so,” I said quickly and turned to head to my room down the hall. My mom stopped me on her way out of the laundry room.
“Did Reed like the patch?” she whispered. My grin giving away a little too much.
“Good… careful, ok?” she said.
“OK,” I said, with a bit of an eye roll.
I shut my door and pulled out my phone to wait for my text from Reed. Hours passed and I was starting to think I wouldn’t hear from him. Sean called first just to say good night. I was a little quick to get him off the phone, but thought he bought my studying excuse. I was about to give up and take my shower and call it a night when my phone vibrated.
“Hello?” I said, quietly.
“Hey, sorry. Did I wake you?” Reed said.
“No, I was up. I was just waiting…” I stopped short and decided not to finish.
After a short moment of silence, Reed continued. “Thanks for my present. Seriously, that’s maybe the most thoughtful thing anyone ever gave me,” he said.
“Well, it’s not a Jeep,” I laughed, self-effacing humor always my go-to.
“No, it’s not,” he said, without a hint of sarcasm. “Thank you. It meant a lot.”
“You’re welcome,” I said. “I’m glad you like it. Happy birthday, Reed.”
“Good night, Nolan,” he said, lingering on the phone just a bit before hanging up.
I was in trouble.
9. Not Really
Reed spent his birthday weekend with Tatum in the city, and I spent the weekend casting evil spells into the air then shaking my head at my own ridiculous thoughts. Imagine my surprise when I heard from Reed Sunday afternoon and he told me that he and Tatum spent the entire night and next day vomiting from food poisoning. I felt strangely guilty for my apparent witchcraft abilities.
While Reed and I continued to talk and text almost nightly, the conversations always remained platonic. Admittedly, I never attempted to take them anywhere beyond our friendship. But neither
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