Chapter 12
I’m completely exhausted when I wake up the next morning, but I couldn’t be happier. Coach can make us do drills for twelve hours straight, and nothing will take away the thrill of meeting Clarissa.
I lay in bed for way too long, reliving our perfect first date together. I can still feel her lips, taste her lip gloss, and remember the smell of her when I held her close to me.
This is the start of something amazing. I can feel it.
Mom’s made scrambled eggs this morning, and I scarf them down quickly and then give her a hug, which seems to surprise her. But I can’t help myself, I am in a fantastic mood.
At school, I take the first parking spot I find, and then I rush into the building. I should have thought ahead and asked Clarissa if I could drive her to school. She lives just a few blocks down from me, so it would be no trouble at all, and it’d mean I get to spend even more time with her.
But for now, my mission will be seeing if she’ll let me eat lunch with her and her friends. It dawns on me that I haven’t even told the guys that I’ve got a new girl yet. Oh well, they don’t need to know. They’d only make crass comments like they do with every girl I date. For now, this epic new beginning with the girl of my dreams is just between us. And I like it.
Clarissa isn’t in her desk when I get to homeroom. I keep my eyes on the door, waiting for her to come inside, but soon the bell rings and she’s still missing.
I take out my phone to text her but the teacher clears her throat. “No phones in class.”
With a groan, I slide my phone back in my pocket. The announcements come on, and I’m still glancing at the door, wondering if she’s just late.
And then the teacher’s office phone rings. “Mr. Voss?” she says, catching me off guard. “You’re wanted in the office.”
I grab my bag and notice TJ glaring at me as I walk past him. He’s an idiot, though. If they’d actually caught us, they’d be calling him too. Who knows what this is about.
The office secretary tells me to head down to Principal Walsh’s office. My heartbeat picks up pace because usually a visit to the principal is not a good thing.
My heart nearly stops when I enter the room and see Clarissa sitting there as well. Relief pours over me once I know she’s here at school and not home sick, or worse—avoiding me. She looks surprised when she sees me, but then her lips tip into a sheepish smile. I wink at her.
“Have a seat,” Principal Walsh says, pointing to the chair next to Clarissa. To her, he says, “It looks like Linda isn’t in town. She’s asked me to relay the information to you and you make the final call.”
“Okay,” Clarissa says, her voice sounding a little choked. She looks over at me.
I have no idea who Linda is, or why the two of us are called into the principal’s office. It’s not like making out on a girl’s porch is against school rules. It has nothing to do with the school.
Principal Walsh laces his fingers together on top of his desk, and he focuses his gaze on me. “Gavin, you’re a member of the junior’s soccer team?”
“Yes.” I’m barely able to hear myself talk over the sound of my own heart. Please, God, don’t let this be what I think it is. Not here. Not in front of Clarissa.
The principal clears his throat. “I know it was you, Gavin. You destroyed the greenhouse.”
Silence pierces through the room. I glance over at Clarissa, but she’s staring straight ahead, unmoving, and her jaw set.
“I don’t understand,” I begin, trying like crazy to think up a good excuse. A reason, an explanation. She can’t hear this. Not here, not now. Not this way.
“I think you do understand, Mr. Voss. We have video evidence that two soccer players wearing the hoodie that only the junior team has are the culprits in this vandalism case. After tireless inquiries, we have discovered that every other member of the team has an alibi for where they were that night. Everyone except you.”
“You didn’t even ask me for an alibi!” I say, suddenly feeling so left in the dark. They’ve been questioning my teammates this whole time and no one told me? What about TJ? He shouldn’t have an alibi.
“We also received three anonymous tips that name you as the culprit. One even said you were heard bragging about giving your extra hoodie to a friend to wear that night.”
My mouth falls open. Of all the truth in this, that I did the vandalism, this is covered in lies.
Clarissa still hasn’t said a word. I don’t even think she’s moved.
“There is no point in denying it, Mr. Voss. I measured the height of the one remaining wall of that greenhouse. Six foot six inches. On the video, you can be seen standing right next to it. You are the only member of the soccer team who is nearly that height.” His voice gets higher with each word he says. “Are you really going to sit here and deny something that we both know is true?”
Fear crashes into me. I am not afraid of the principal or the soccer coach. But I am afraid of one thing.
“Please don’t tell my parents.” My hands shake with the mere thought of what my dad would do if he knew. “Please—I—my dad, he can’t find out. I’ll do anything.”
