Chapter Thirty-Eight
Tyler
I’m about two seconds away from losing my shit. How could he do this to me? There’s a bro code. I know I said that pursuing her was no longer an option when she endlessly rejects me. Still it hasn’t even been twenty-four hours. Jared was supposed to go with us to the damn Pizzeria, not hopping rides with the one girl I want and her best friend.
When I see him later today I’m going to put my fist through his face for lying to me. I thought he was into Juliet, but what if this entire time he’s been secretly into Layla? I’m going to kill him. Friend or not, he’s dead.
Selena’s disgusting perfume is only making my mood worse and my head is pounding. I don’t want to be a total dick right now, but God I want to shove her away from me. She’s been clinging to my side ever since Third Period. Normally I’d take this all in and use it to my advantage, showing the girl who ticked me off that I’ve moved on just fine. I can’t take it anymore. In fact, after I saw Layla hightailing it down the hallway after she spotted me and Selena, I wanted to ditch Selena. This girl doesn’t seem to take the hint. I’m not into her at all; she just followed me around all damn day.
“So what kind of pizzas should we get?” Mark asks.
Juliet mumbles something but the music is loud and the place is packed and I couldn’t hear a word she said. Mark, who’s sitting next to her, bellows out her request. “You guys good with sausage and cheese?”
I nod. Selena makes a strangling noise beside me. “Meat? Ewwwww! No thanks! I just want a salad,” she says. “Baby, will you order that for me? I have to use the ladies room. Oh, and get me a water. And make sure it’s bottled, not tap.”
First, I do not like being called Baby. Second, is she joking right now with the water? We’re in a pizza joint, not a country club. And third, she wants salad only, like a damn rabbit. I can’t. Nope. Sorry. Three strikes.
She scoots out of the booth, finally giving me a breath of fresh, nontoxic air. Austin rubs his temples and grumbles, “I think your girl bathed in that shit she’s wearing.”
“One, not my girl. Two, I know. Try being suffocated by it in your car.”
“Bro, seriously how are you still alive?”
“Not sure but I so need pain relievers soon.”
“I’m not going to be able to stomach anything. It’s like walking into a department store and getting doused in the face with that shit,” he complains.
I agree. Between her strong scent, worrying about what Jared and Layla are doing together, and wanting to kill Jared for it, I don’t really think I’m up for pizza. I pull out my phone and stare at the screen.
Layla sent me over a dozen messages. None of them I responded to. I told myself I wouldn’t but I can’t help myself.
Me: Hey. Sry. I misplaced my phone but found it.
Me: So Layla, how was ur day?
Layla: Crappy. I missed u. Sorry if that’s 2 much.
Me: Nah it’s cool. I missed u 2.
Layla: Good. What r u up 2?
Me: Getting pizza. How about u?
Layla: Burgers and shakes. It’s my go 2 when I’m having a bad day.
Me: Y was ur day bad?
Layla: It’s not a big deal. So, what # r u?
Yeah, I’m not telling her this. I want to know why her day was bad. Did Jared do something? I’ll kill him.
Me: I’ll tell u what position I play if u tell me y ur day was bad?
Layla: Really? We’re going 2 b like that r we? Fine. It was a lot of things.
Me: Yes we r. Go on.
Layla: LOL. I got a bad grade on my bio quiz. One of my friends is in luv with a girl who’s completely wrong for him. I thought I could pretend & b happy about it but I can’t. Now he won’t talk 2 me.
Me: Who’s the friend?
Please do not say Jared. I won’t be able to sit in this booth a second longer if she types that.
My phone dings.
Layla: Tyler.
Wait. What? She’s talking about me? Yeah, I gave her the brush off because she rejected me, but who the hell does she think I’m in love with? She’s gotta be talking about someone else.
Me: Richardson?
Layla: Yeah. Don’t say anything. I know u 2 r teammates.
Me: Lips r sealed.
What the hell? Selena slides back into the booth and I wish she hadn’t tagged along with us. Mark the dumbass invited her. I really want to continue texting Layla and find out who she thinks I’m apparently in love with. I can’t though. Not with Selena hooking her arm through mine and staring at me with doe eyes.
“What?” I ask.
“Nothing. You’re just so perfect.”
I have the urge to roll my eyes. She can’t be serious right now. She doesn’t even know anything about me. How can she sit there and say crap like that? Does she think this is something I want to hear? Do I really look like I need my ego stroked?
She walks her fingers up my arm. I wish she wouldn’t do this. I swallow hard and glance over at Austin. He’s looking at his phone. “Hey, did you watch the game yesterday?” he asks.
“Broncos and Chargers?” I ask.
“Yeah. I’m glad Denver picked up Caleb Morgan. He’s a great QB.”
“I still can’t believe he went into the draft as a sophomore. Most people wait it out, you know?”
“Who’s Caleb Morgan?” Selena asks.
I glance back at her. “New quarterback for the Broncos. He played for the Jets for a while.”
“Oh.”
Austin nudges me and pulls up a video on his phone.
We watch the replay of Caleb’s eighty-yard pass to his receiver, winning the game with only seconds left on the clock. It really was the Hail Mary of all plays.
“Tyler? Have you thought about the dance any?” Selena asks.
“Uh … nah.” Because that’s the truth. The things I have been thinking about are: how much Selena’s perfume bothers me, Layla hanging out with Jared, and why Layla thinks I’m interested in someone other than her.
Selena frowns. “Well, are you?”
“Am I what?”
“Going to think about it?”
I want to tell her no, but that will make me sound like an asshole. “Yeah, I’m going to think about it. My mind needs to be focused on the game tonight though. Cool?”
She bounces in the seat with a smile and bobs her head.
Our waitress comes over to our table and takes our order, saving me from conversing with Selena for at least a few minutes.
The waitress reads off what she wrote down. “I have uh o-one l-lar-rge p-p-pep-p-peroni. One l-lar-rge s-s-sausage. One s-salad w-with r-ra-n-nach. Is that it?”
Juliet suddenly smacks Mark in his arm and snaps, “That’s not funny.”
“Why isn’t that funny? The waitress read it off like she couldn’t read at all.”
“Maybe she has a learning disorder. Does that mean it’s okay to laugh at her?” Juliet looks livid and I missed most of what happened.
Mark smirks. “It’s hard not to laugh at it. I thought it was funny. Why are you so upset?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“All right.” Mark looks over at the rest of us.
Selena pipes up, “I thought it was funny.”
I glare at her. “Why would you think that’s funny?”
“You didn’t find it amusing that the girl was stumbling over our order?” she asks.
“No.” I tell her, then look across the table at Juliet. She’s still fuming.
She stands up. “You know what, I’m not hungry. Can someone give Mark a ride to the field? I feel ill.”
I look over at Austin. “You take him.” I toss my keys at him. “I’m going to make sure Juliet gets home okay.”
Austin gives me a funny look. Selena pouts, “What about me?”
“Austin can take you to the field too.”
She scoots out of the booth to let me out. Mark stops me before I can make my exit though. “Hey, thanks for going. I think she needs some space from me right now, otherwise I’d go.”
“Sure. Whatever.” I don’t want to tell him I’m doing this for him, because I’m not. I’m doing this for Layla, and because her sister’s in tears and probably shouldn’t be behind the wheel right now.
I hurry out of the Pizzeria and catch up to Juliet before she hops into her Jeep. “Hey. Let me drive.”
She turns and swipes a few tears from her face. “How will you get to the game?”
“Well, I was thinking that maybe you wouldn’t mind me driving us to Moe’s.”
“Oh, uh. Okay.”
She hands over her keys and we get into her Jeep. I stare down at the shifter and laugh. “Holy shit. This is a stick.”
“You don’t know how to drive one, do you?”
“You’re actually in luck. I was debating on getting a standard, but then my dad talked me into getting the automatic. Less things to worry about if I became distracted.”
“Distracted? I’m not following.”
“Girls trying to make out while I’m driving. Shit like that.”
“Oh.” She pauses for a moment then says, “Whoa. Your dad said that?”
I laugh. “Yeah. He’s always full of genius advice when it comes to when-I-was-your-age stories. Sometimes I’m embarrassed for him.” We pull out of the parking lot and I take us over to Moe’s. I hope her sister is still there.
“Why did you really leave the Pizzeria?” she asks.
I shrug as I shift gears. “Pretty sure a few people would kill me if I let you drive off all upset and get hurt. Plus, Selena was giving me a headache.”
“I thought you two were dating.”
I swerve a bit and then shoot her an incredulous look. “Why would you think that?”
“She is always around you lately. You didn’t seem to brush off her advances. Call me crazy, but those are signs of being an item.”
“Shit!”
If Juliet thinks this then Layla probably thinks the same thing.
“You like my sister, don’t you?” Juliet blurts out.
“Yeah. So?”
I catch her smirk. “No reason. I think you’d be good for her. A lot better than Adam. He was a dick.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Well, you know how I got upset with Mark for making fun of the waitress?” She sighs. “Adam used to do that same crap all the time. Layla would always laugh it off and be a good sport about it but he was jerk.”
He made fun of her? What a toolbag.
I pull into the diner. “Thanks for driving,” Juliet says.
“Anytime. You coming in to get some food?”
“Sure.”
We walk into the diner and I immediately spot Layla sitting in a booth. Jared is next to her and Rachel is sitting across from them. My blood is bubbling again. My fists tighten as I march over ready to beat the hell out of him.
He looks up at me right before I reach the table, stands, and starts glowering at me. “Dude, what are you doing?” he asks as he steps out of the booth.
“I could ask you the same thing. Juliet and I weren’t really feeling pizza so we bounced. Mind if we join?”
Rachel scoots over with a smile. “Sure, hop on in.”
Juliet sits beside her sister and Jared slouches down beside her. I kick him under the table and nudge my head a smidge. He glares at me for a second then he says, “Not in the mood for pizza then?”
“It wasn’t exactly the pizza. More like the company. Tyler needed to get away from a clinger,” Juliet amends.
“She was upset and I didn’t think it was safe for her to be driving. But yes, I was getting away from a suction cup,” I admit.
Layla snorts. “Selena wouldn’t happen to be the supposed—what did you call her? —suction cup, would she?”
Rachel giggles. “That will be her next cheer.”
I shake my head. “You two are vicious.”
Jared asks Juliet, “Why were you upset? Did Mark do something?” There is an edge to his tone. I catch it quickly but I’m pretty sure the girls haven’t picked up on it at all.
“Kind of. He was acting like a jerk, that’s all. I just needed some space. Can someone pass me a menu please?” Juliet responds.
Jared leans over Juliet and snatches up a menu for her and me. He slaps mine on the table but hands Juliet hers as if it was made of glass. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.”
I notice Layla glancing over at them and then back at me. Then she pulls out her phone and starts texting.
Rachel growls, “Layla. You need to chill with the texting over there. He’s going to start thinking you’ve got issues.”
“He is not,” she argues.
“Oh Layla, please tell me you aren’t texting the mystery guy again. We’ve been over this. He could be a psycho trying to lure you into the woods and kill you,” Juliet says.
I laugh and everyone stares at me except for Jared. Pretty sure it’s because he knows they’re talking about me. Being described as a creepy serial killer is kind of funny. My phone buzzes against my leg.
I pull out my cell and push the ringer completely off. I look over at Rachel and she arches a brow. “Is the clinger texting you?” she asks.
“Nope. I’m not an idiot.”
Layla shoots me a scowl. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t give out my number to everyone. So why do you call that person a mystery guy?” I ask.
“He’s not a mystery per se. His name is R.”
“What?” I ask, laughing. “What kind of a name is R?”
Layla’s face scrunches up and her skin turns pink. “He’s sweet, unlike someone I know. He doesn’t sit there and be nice to me one day and blow me off the next without a reason.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, are you referring to me? You’re the one who told me to stop coming over and we should just pretend not to be friends. So, don’t turn this around on me and call me an asshole!” I stand up. “You know what, screw this. I’m not going to sit here on trial for something I didn’t do. I was just following a request.”
There is only so much time left before we have to get the fieldhouse. I’m carless, pissed off, and starving. Rachel and Layla seem to have a silent conversation going on between them. Juliet is chewing on her lower lip and Jared is staring at the table.
“Where are you going?” Layla finally asks.
“Who cares? We’re not friends, remember?”
Layla gets out of the booth just as I’m turning to leave. She stomps over to me and smacks my arm. “You don’t get to do this!”
“I don’t get to do what, Layla? I don’t get to walk away after being called an asshole for following your request?”
“You know why I did that!”
I take a step back. “No, I don’t. I’m not a mind reader!”
“You were making out with Selena in the hallway. I saw you.”
“Really? Were you really watching? Because if you’d seen the whole thing you would know Selena attacked me in the hall. I wasn’t reciprocating.”
She makes a face and laughs. “Right. Like I’m going to believe that you turned down making out with a pretty girl throwing herself at you.”
“Believe whatever the hell you want to. You already made up your mind.” I pull out my phone to request a cab and head for the door. She yanks on my arm and my phone falls to the ground.
“What?” I ask.
“Why are you acting so mean? I thought you’d want the distance. I saw you making out with her and I’m sorry if I was wrong. But if the tables were turned and you saw me making out with some guy what would you have done? Would you continue coming to my house?”
I shake my head. “I’m not going to tell you what I would have done. It doesn’t matter.” I bend down to pick up my phone at the same time she does and her phone drops to the ground too. It’s hard to tell which is which because she doesn’t have bedazzled shit all over the case like most girls. I need to get away from her before I say something I’ll really regret. I quickly snatch up both phones and hand over the one that is closest to her. “I gotta go.”
She doesn’t argue anymore and lets me go.