Eden

 

The party at Jason’s was almost an exact repeat of JJ’s. Marshall and I danced. He drank too much. I didn’t drink at all. And we kissed- a lot.

“So, next week is my birthday,” I plugged shamelessly between kisses. Marshall’s usual response when I started talking was to divert his lips to another part of my body, usually my neck. And as much as I hated to admit it, I typically lost my train of thought when he did that, and I stopped talking.

But not tonight. For some reason, Marshall’s kisses weren’t having the same effect on me that they usually did. Pushing down my irritation, I caught Marshall’s face in my hands. His eyes were heavy from the effect of our kisses and the alcohol he’d consumed. He leaned forward to kiss me again.

“Hey.” I leaned back. “Did you hear anything I just said?”

He looked momentarily confused. “Um, something about a birthday.”

“Yeah, mine. It’s next weekend.” Pausing, I waited to see what he would do with that information.

“Cool.” His head dipped down to the hollow of my throat.

I grabbed his head again and brought his face up to meet mine.

“I thought maybe we could go out. You know like a date.”

His eyebrows scrunched together. “Sure, we can go to the party next weekend. A bonfire at Jared’s after the game.”

“What about Saturday?” I was pushing but come on! It was my birthday. Couldn’t a girl expect to go on a date for her birthday?

“I can’t on Saturday. I have stuff going on.” Marshall evaded my eyes and leaned in for a kiss.

I stopped him with a finger on his lips.

“Stuff. What stuff?” What could be more important than my sixteenth birthday? Didn’t he care at all.

He must have picked up on the irritation in my voice because he sat back fully on the oversized chair we shared with a huff. He raked his hand through his hair, the hair that always fell in his eyes. For the first time, I wondered if he ever got a kink in his neck from holding his head to the side all the time.

“Stuff, Eden. Look, I don’t need this right now. Football takes almost all my time. And I’m practically failing Math. I had to get a tutor or coach was gonna bench me. I just want a little down time without a bunch of freaking pressure. Is that too much to ask?”

Stunned, I just gaped at him. That was probably the most words he’d strung together at once in all the time I’ve spent with him. Compassion filled me. The last thing I wanted was for him to feel like I was an inconvenience.

“What can I do to help,” I asked, placing my hands on his chest.

Marshall reached up to cover my hands with his, a sly grin on his lips. “What you’ve been doing, babe. Just what you’ve been doing.” With more tenderness than he’d ever shown me, Marshall kissed me, and I thought maybe, just maybe, we really had something.

 

Dylan

 

Josh: Dude what’s up?

Me: Same old work. How’s college life?

Josh: Par-tay!

Me: I’ll bet. Just remember, your parents will stop supporting your ass if you fail out of school.

Josh: Quit dogging me. I got this. You ready for basic, bro?

Me: One more week and I’m outta here!

Josh: Bet you can’t wait.

Me: Feel bad leaving my mom.

Josh: Don’t, dude. This is your dream. She knows that.

Me: I know.

Josh: You still hauling E’s butt around?

Me: Ha. Yeah, I’m in front of your house right now. It’s alright, tho. Took her to the gym. Taught her how to throw a punch

Josh: Damn! Why? Girl’s dangerous enough.

Me: Don’t I know it. She was pretty good.

Josh: Imma blame you when she hits me next time I’m home.

Me: Shit. You can still take her.

Josh: Not without mom yelling at me.

Me: She’s been hanging around Marshall Simpkins

Josh: WHAT

Josh: That guy’s an asswipe

Me: I know. I tried to tell her.

Josh: I’ll call her. Thanks for telling me.

Josh: Gotta go. Class time.

Me: Better you than me. Later.

 

Too bad I wouldn’t be around the next time Josh was home. It would be hilarious to watch Eden try to take him down. I gotta talk her into a membership just so she can spar with Mark and maybe kick Josh’s ass. I didn’t envy him the job of trying to talk some sense into Eden, though. I wasn’t sure if she’d forgiven me for butting in the other day, but she seemed willing to let it go for now.

 

“Hey, do you think you could take me downtown to pick up some job applications? Mom said she would, but she has to work late tonight,” Eden asked tentatively as she hopped in my truck, so I could give her a ride to school. A few more days and she’d be getting her license.

I ran my day through my mind. Derrick needed me to finish some tile work on a bathroom remodel. I’d done most of it yesterday, so today I would finish tiling and then paint the walls and that would be done. I might be able to get it done in time to pick her up from school. Maybe it would be a good thing. Maybe I should apologize for making her upset.

“So, do you need a ride after school,” I asked as I pulled up to the stop sign at the end of our street.

“Well… I was gonna bum a ride off someone since I didn’t know when you got done with work. I hate to bug you. I know you’re busy. I just wanted to get these, so I could fill them out and try to get hired by this weekend or next week,” she replied, her fingers fiddled nervously with a beaded tassel dangling from her backpack.

“I’m finishing up this remodel, but I think I’ll be done in time to get you. Would you be okay if you had to hang out at school for a bit if I’m not done right when school gets out?” I hoped it wouldn’t come to that but just in case.

She nodded. “That would be awesome, Dylan. Thank you.” Her smile was subdued, and I wondered what was going through her head. Was she still mad at me? I hoped not because I was leaving soon, and I didn’t want to get on that plane with Eden hating me.

Getting on a plane.

For the first time that thought seemed unsettling. And it was all because of the girl sitting beside me. I had no right to feel that way. Because of that and my inability to leave the Marshall thing alone, I’ve been avoiding hanging out with her the last couple of days. But I wondered if she needed me. She seemed a little too inside her own head and I wondered if there was something going on with Marshall.

“You okay,” I asked her after a few minutes of silence in the truck.

Her gaze snapped toward me, her nose crinkled up. “Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. You seem a little...something.”

Her face relaxed as she smiled. “A little something? What does that even mean?”

Squirming in my seat, I was thankful for the distraction of having to drive so I didn’t have to meet her gaze. “Just distracted or something.” I breathed deeply before letting the air out in a sigh. “Like sad or,” I glanced at her. She was looking at me like I was crazy. Maybe I was. “Ignore me. I don’t know what I’m saying.”

“Okay, weirdo,” she rolled her eyes and went back to staring out the window.

Get it together, man.

Breathing a sigh of relief as we pulled into the high school lot, I tried to act normal. Whatever that meant. Eden didn’t seem to notice anything, though, and hopped out of the truck as soon as it came to a stop.

“I’ll be here after school,” I called out her open window.

“Thanks, Dylan!” And with a cute little wave she was on her way.