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“Her parents must be mega rich,” Kenzie said and we all laughed. But we quickly stifled it as footsteps neared our table.
Picking up my juice bottle, I peered up to see a growing entourage of seniors being led out by Miss Piatti, the guidance counselor.
Bianca Holbrun was at the front. She was Covington royalty, the Homecoming Queen, a top tennis player and student ambassador, though Sawyer didn’t like her, said she was too much of a diva. Cullen wasn’t much of a fan either, but being Homecoming King meant they were often made to do things together. Diva or not, I was envious of her perfectly straight and smooth artificially highlighted hair. Several other girls followed, skirts bordering on the accepted length, jewelery in excess of what was school policy. And then there was Siri—she who had worn Cullen’s hoodie—making the school uniform look glamorous with her hair tied up in a tight bun showing off her enviable cheekbones and flawless skin and dark eyeliner that surely violated the school’s makeup rules.
But she wasn’t walking on her own. No, on the other side of her was Cullen, her arm threaded through his, walking against him like she needed assistance.
My heart pitter-pattered like the opening notes of a drum solo, and I shrunk behind my juice bottle, eyes lowered as a cloud of sweet perfume passed by. Only when the footsteps and voices subsided, did I look up and breathe again, absently twirling the end of my ponytail around my finger.
“Next year, that’ll be us,” Kenzie said, dramatically flicking her long hair over her shoulder in a model pose.
I forced a tight-lipped smile, sucking in every emotion of fear and failure. I’d avoided humiliation for now, but would I be able to stay out of Cullen’s way for the rest of the football season, heck the rest of my life! Why had I acted so foolishly, so impulsively? Gah, my stupidity was overwhelming, I’d made the biggest blunder in the history of humankind and I doubted I would ever get over it. I could never, ever face Cullen again.
Thinking about it made me want to curl into a small ball and hibernate like a bear. What had possessed me to think he’d want to kiss me? I had none of the sophistication of the senior girls he hung out with. I didn’t wear makeup or drive my own car or wear sexy clothes, and my hair routine of brushing and tying it with a scrunchie took all of thirty seconds. I was the epitome ofau naturel.No dyes had tainted my dark brown hair and almost poking my eye out with a mascara wand had made me appreciate my own set of eyelashes. With three older brothers, I’d never learnt to be girly and cute.
I’d been delusional to think he’d see me as anything other than Sawyer’s kid sister, that I could compete with girls like Siri and Bianca and Phoebe. And how pretentious was I to think that I could help Cullen, that I needed to save him from the trials and tribulations he faced as the football captain.
Ha! I was the one who needed help—who needed to be brought back to reality!
And I did come crashing back to real life when the shadow of Red Phillips loomed as he dragged out the chair next to me and plonked himself down.
“Hey, Sierra? Did you hear about training?”
“Training? What about it?”
Red put his juice cup on the table and leaned back, settling his arm on the back of my chair. “Nobody told you? No field training today.”
I was at a loss for words, my eyes widening in genuine astonishment.
“Sawyer didn’t tell you?” Red seemed pleased about being the one to inform me. I shook my head. “Cullen’s granddad had a heart attack, so we’re having a video session with Coach Amer instead.”
“Oh,” I finally managed to say, though I was wondering if that was the real reason. It was unheard of for football practice to be canceled. Maybe Cullen had called for it because he didn’t want to face me. Gah, would I ever be able to move on from the humiliation of Cullen’s rejection? Would I be sitting in a rocking chair sixty years from now still remembering the embarrassment?
“So, did you think anymore about riding in the bus?” Red asked.
With my mind still dwelling on that aborted kiss, my reply was somewhat curt. “Uh no, I’ll be going with my parents,” I said.
“Well, maybe you’ll change your mind when we win,” Red said, giving me a flirty wink.
To be polite, I responded with a tight smile and changed the subject quickly. “Have you heard how Cullen’s granddad is?”
Red shook his head and his hand brushed across my back, resting on my shoulder. It sent a shiver through to my core, but not the good type, his presence suffocating me. Not wanting to make a big deal about it, I shifted forward to the edge of my seat.
“Em, I have to go to the library,” I said, knocking my knee against the table as I reached for my backpack. “Do you want to come?”
“No, sorry, I have to see Miss Flower,” Emma said, seemingly unaware of Red’s hand on me. I stood, removing myself from Red’s touch. Funny how intrusive it felt, his unwanted touch.
Maybe that’s how Cullen had felt about me trying to kiss him. Maybe he’d been grossed out by it. Oh my, could things get any worse?
I made my way to the library, texting Sawyer as I walked, asking if he knew anything about Cullen’s grandfather.
Sawyer replied:Surgery went good. Did you know it’s a video session today?
Me:Yeah.
Sawyer sent back a thumbs up emoji, but I was thankful that I wouldn’t have to face Cullen. It was a relief to know his granddad was all right, but I wondered how Cullen was truly coping. Then I reminded myself how he’d walked arm in arm with Siri, so I presumed he was getting the comfort he needed.
In fact, I was having fleeting thoughts about handing in my notice. But with potentially only two games left it would seem bizarre and people would query it, and then they’d find out I tried to kiss Cullen and that he’d turned away faster than the speed of light. Okay, literally not possible, but let’s just agree he moved swiftly.
