Chapter Six
Eli
I limp in from practice on Thursday, glad I have a day off tomorrow to rest my knee. The locker room reeks of sweaty pinnies and jockstraps. It’s a smell that makes most people want to hurl. Not me, though. It’s just part of the game, and as far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing bad about lacrosse.
We take a lot of shit from other athletes who say we’re just a bunch of rich, white assholes, but we’ve got all kinds of kids on our team. Black, white, Hispanic. We’ve got Sam Liu, the best goalie in central Florida. We’ve got rich kids like Alex Koviak—he’s got a trust fund. Middle-class kids like me. Dad’s the police chief and does okay, but he’s also a cheap ass who believes in making his kids work for things. I bought MJ with my own lawn mowing money. Then there are the Ponti brothers—their mom is Donna the waitress at the Mermaid, and they live in the trailer park on the way out of town. They’re pretty much always broke. All these guys, though, no matter what, give 150 percent on the field, and together we’re more than a team, we’re brothers.
Koviak comes over as I’m getting dressed. “Hey, dickweed,” he says. He likes to act like an asshole, but I’ve known him a long time and it’s mostly just show. He’s a good guy. “What’s wrong with you? You played like shit today.”
I want to punch him. “Fuck off. Nothing’s wrong.” That’s not entirely true, my bad knee is stiff. It’s not that bad, it just makes me paranoid. I can’t have any more injuries. If it keeps up, I’ll have to let someone know.
“Better not be.” Koviak shakes his head, throwing sweat everywhere with his shaggy-ass hair. “I need a good season this year.”
I grab my towel and slam my locker shut. “Yeah, we all do,” I say. I’ve already committed to State but I’m not taking anything for granted. My season last year was shaky after the injury, and I’m lucky they still want me.
“You’re coming tomorrow, yeah?” Koviak asks.
The beach party. I nod. “Yeah, I’ll be there.” I still can’t believe I got Nora to agree to go. Not that I gave her much choice. If my plan is gonna work, we need to spend time together.
“Cool, cool,” he says. “There’s someone there that I want you to meet.”
I groan because Koviak, in spite of his fake douchiness, also has a reputation as the romantic of the team. He likes to play matchmaker, too, which can be annoying as hell.
“It’s all right, Alex. Thanks, but no thanks.”
He pushes my shoulder. “What? No, you don’t wanna meet a smokin’ hot chick? Dude, she’s a junior at Cross Creek. She’s seen you play, man. Wants to meet you.”
Koviak means well, I know that. The last girl he set me up with, though…she had some serious issues, bordering on stalker territory. “No. I’m just gonna ride out the rest of the year. No more set ups, okay?”
“I mean it, man. She’s like, made for you.”
He’s not giving up. I laugh at his serious face. “How is she made for me? Have you even met her?”
He leans against the lockers. “No, but I’ve seen her Snapchat stories. She loves lacrosse players. Like, loves them, loves them.” His eyebrows jump up and down.
“Then you go out with her. I’ve already got plans.”
He smacks my arm. “No shit,” he says, “you bringing someone?”
I give him a shove back. “No. Not like that. We’re just going together. Driving together. To the beach. In the same car.”
“Who, man, who?”
Tex walks in, towel wrapped around his middle. “Mind if I… I just need to get to my locker,” he says with that southern drawl. He’s new, just transferred from somewhere in Texas. I can’t remember his real name, and I don’t know him well, but he seems okay. We move out of his way.
Koviak smacks his own forehead. “Wait. Hold on. No. You are not talking about who I think you’re talking about. Not Nora.”
I scowl at him in warning. “Yeah.”
“Dude, what is it with you? You know how she rolls. You are cemented in the friend zone with her, my brother. As in, not going anywhere, ever.”
I close my locker with a bang, hoping to drown him out. “We’re going. As friends.”
For now.
“Don’t mean to listen in”—Tex says over his shoulder—“but are you talking about Nora Reid?”
Koviak watches me while addressing Tex. “Listen, Tex, don’t even think about it. Trust me, go after her and you’ll end up with the bluest of balls.”
Anger flares in my chest. “Shut up, Alex. She’s my friend.”
“E,” Koviak says, “you have to admit, no one gets anywhere with her.” He turns to Tex. “Trust me, many have tried.”
Tex ignores Koviak and turns to me. “You know her pretty well, Eli?”
“Yeah.” It’s weird, I don’t like talking about Nora like this. “She’s my neighbor.”
“Huh.” He raises his chin, runs a hand through his hair, which isn’t easy since it’s a buzz cut. Must be a hockey thing. Word is he played back in Texas, and now he’s giving lacrosse a try.
He squints at me. “So you’re not into her?” he asks.
“Me?” I force myself to say no. Just because I’m trying to get her to fall in love with me doesn’t mean I’m into her.
Or maybe it does, but it’s complicated.
He smiles, and I almost flip my shit. “Good to hear. She’s in AP bio with me,” he drawls on. “Damn, that girl is smart. Funny. Cute. I just don’t want to step on anyone’s toes.”
Kov pats his shoulder. “Listen, Caleb. I’m telling you, let me work my magic. I’ll set you up with a girl who you can actually get somewhere with. Nora’s too serious. Uptight. Don’t waste your time.” He turns his attention to me. “And you”—he points—“I don’t care if you bring her. I’m just saying if you do, the odds of getting laid tomorrow night drastically decrease.”
“Thanks, I’m pretty sure I’ll survive.” I pull my shirt over my head.
“Just trying to help!” he shouts and heads for the showers.
“Douchebag,” I mumble and grab my bag. Tex chuckles.
He shouldn’t.
I close my locker and glance at his bare back. He’s cut. Steroids probably. I guess he’s smart, too, in that AP class with Nora, and he’s interested in her, which pisses me off.
“So…” He turns and catches my glare. “Nora’ll be at the beach tomorrow?”
“Yeah,” I say. “With me.”
“Just not with you.”
Jackass. I mean, I know I said he’s a good guy but right now I want to rip his throat out.
“Yeah.” That’s one thing I didn’t take into consideration in my plot to take down the first kiss hypothesis: other guys.
If this is gonna happen, her attention has to be on me—on us. I’ve got to make it so she won’t even want to kiss anyone new. She’s got to want me, even though our first kiss sucked. Her hypothesis will be blown to bits. She’ll have to admit she’s been wrong all along.
It’s genius, my plan, and there’s no place in it for this asshole.
“You know,” Tex muses. “I bet she’s just waiting for the right guy. She just hasn’t met her match—yet.”
I tell myself to relax. “Sure.” He’s not exactly a threat. Still, when I gather up my things to leave, I brush past him and have to fight the urge to body slam him into the lockers.
When I get home, Nora’s sitting in the middle of her driveway with Ari and the cat that she almost slaughtered in the road. Her mom is letting it hang out until Nora finds another home for it. She claims to be trying, but as far as I can tell, that’s a lie.
“Hey,” she says when I walk over.
I think of her with Tex and cringe. “Hey,” I say back. “Hey, Ari.” I turn to my brother. “You have a good day at school?”
“Yeah.” He’s petting the cat gently.
“What’s up with the furball?”
Nora beams. “We took it to the vet and got it vaccinated.”
“It’s a girl,” Ari says, holding it up and looking into its eyes. “Aren’t you a girl? Yes, you’re a girl.” Ari doesn’t really show affection to people, but he loves animals.
It makes me happy to see him respond to it. “Did you name it?” I ask Nora.
She pouts. “Mom doesn’t think we should keep it.”
“Why not?”
“Can I have it?” Ari doesn’t waste a second to ask.
I stick my hands in my front pockets. “We’re dog people, Ari,” I say, and then turn to Nora. “Why won’t she let you keep it?”
She shrugs. “Money. Pets aren’t free, you know,” she mimics her mom. “I’m not caving that easy. If no one claims her, she’s mine.”
“If not, can I have her?” Ari says.
“Ari, chill,” I say. “Chester will eat that thing alive.”
Ari’s face freezes in fear. “He will? That’s disgusting.”
“Yeah, it would be. Now, Reid.” I tap her knee with the end of my shoe. She looks up at me, dark-red hair framing those eyes. Damn. I need a second.
“What?” she asks.
The second passes and I’m back on task. “You’re driving to the beach tomorrow, don’t forget.”
A huge sigh escapes her. “I don’t think I can. I told Mr. Stokes that I’d come in tomorrow to help with the book drive.”
I dig my hands deeper into my pockets and rock back and forth on my toes. I knew she’d do this. “No, no way. That’s not happening. I mean, unless Stokes gives you a ride to school, and I don’t think the single male school librarian is supposed to be picking up students to help with his ‘book drive.’”
Her upper lip curls. “You’re gross. He’s like sixty. And gay.”
“So? Still wouldn’t look good. Let Stokes plan his own book drive. It’s your day off and you’re driving me to the beach.”
“Can I come?” Ari asks.
“No, dude, not this time.”
Nora pulls her knees up to her chin and wraps her arms around them. “What if I just don’t feel like going?”
“Come on, Reid. You have got to loosen up.”
Poison darts shoot out of her eyes. Or they might as well be the way she’s looking at me.
“It’s been a long time,” she says. “Most of those girls hate me.”
Probably, but I don’t want to ruin things by confirming it. “Come on. Don’t be such a drama queen. They don’t hate you. They just haven’t spent time with you in a while. I mean, what’s to hate?”
She gapes, so I keep going. “You’re fun. Hilarious when you want to be. Put yourself out there again, or at least try. I’m just saying, it won’t kill you. You might even have a good time. Plus, you want to practice driving, right?”
Her body deflates a little. “Can’t we just go to the mall or something?”
I hang my head. Nothing about her is easy. “You think Eli Costas just sits around waiting to give you driving lessons? Eli Costas is a busy man, sweetheart.”
She inhales. Ari lets the cat go and it pounces on some imaginary prey.
“Okay. I’ll do it. I’ll go.”
What? Did I actually convince her? I’m in shock.
“Really? Okay. Good. Tomorrow, then. Like eleven?”
“Yes, eleven. Just promise you’ll stop referring to yourself in the third person.” She puts a hand out for the kitten. “And don’t call me sweetheart.” She rubs her fingers together and makes a kissing sound with her mouth. “Come here, Marie.”
“Marie? I thought you didn’t name it,” I say.
She catches the kitten up in her hands and holds it to her chin, gives it a kiss on the nose. I’m weirdly jealous. “Well, I did. That’s her name,” she says.
“She’s named after Marie Curie,” my know-it-all brother chimes in. “Discovered radium.” He rolls his eyes at Nora, who rolls her eyes at him, sending each other a signal that they think I’m a total know-nothing moron.
I sneer. “That’s a dumb name.”
“Right.” Nora smiles. “We wouldn’t expect you to understand.” She lifts her free hand to Ari, who gives her a resounding high-five.
“Real loyal,” I say to my brother. He doesn’t pick up on the sarcasm. Nora chuckles, pushes herself up, and walks toward her house.
“Eleven o’clock, Reid,” I shout after her. “Mom’s packing a cooler. Bring a towel. Wear a swimsuit. Don’t even think about trying to weasel out of it.”
She waves. “Never.”
That’s not true. She’ll try again tomorrow morning, but I don’t care. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure it’s the perfect day, that she has a great time, and that she can’t wait to do it again.
Step one of my plan is underway.