by Charley Lynn
“I heard about what happened in the hall before the pep rally.”
“Mmhm. Not fun. I’m fine, though.”
“You need to go to the principal.”
“Nope, not doing that.”
“Why not?”
Rosemary sighed. “The ringleader is Amy, Mike Studor’s girlfriend. Her mom is on the school board and, according to what I heard, she’s protected because of that. Even if I wanted to complain, I’d be spinning my wheels.”
“You’ve only been in the school for two weeks; what is her problem?”
“She seems to think I’m after her boyfriend.”
Connor rolled his eyes. “That’s just stupid.”
“Yeah. I’ve got to go.” Rosemary threw her bag on her shoulder. When she walked past her brother, she stopped and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, C.T.”
Connor, very uncharacteristically, hugged his sister. “I love you, Rosie,” he said gruffly.
“I love you, too, Connor.”
Chapter 20
Mike wondered a little when he saw the email from Rosemary, cancelling their Sunday tutoring session, but he didn’t get the sinking, ‘something-bad-wrong’ feeling until he was listening to Miranda chatter about church and heard her say that Roma hadn’t been in church.
He spoke up. “Roma emailed me to cancel our tutoring session today, Peanut. Maybe she doesn’t feel well.”
“But she was so sad at dance. And Leesa said Roma forgot to pick them up at school Friday and Roma never forgets.”
“Honey, John picked the kids up. Rosemary didn’t forget.”
“No, Leesa said Roma forgot. Connor had to call their dad.”
“Rosemary’s fine, baby. There’s nothing to worry about.” But his mom looked worried. Mike took a big bite of the pot roast and watched his mom push her food around her plate. He wanted to ask, but he had a feeling Patty wouldn’t tell him. He created a flimsy excuse to send Rosemary a text after lunch, but she didn’t answer.
He put his feet up in his dad’s recliner and turned on a football game. He couldn’t figure out what was bothering him, but he knew it centered on Rosemary; he just didn’t know how to figure out what it was.
Jake was eating breakfast at the team’s table when Mike dropped his own food on the table. “You usually eat at home, Stud. Did your mom forget to buy milk, or something?”
“No, I ate. I just feel like eating again.” Mike frowned. “It’s so quiet.” He looked around. “Where is everybody? There’s nobody here.”
“Lots of people are in AM detention. There were so many, they had to put them all in the auditorium because there wasn’t enough room in Smalley’s classroom. There must be a half dozen teachers in there, milling around. Coach Fowler told me the principal and the assistant principal were meeting people at the doors, checking names off a list and sending people into the auditorium. All the teachers are in there to confiscate phones and tablets. Nobody is allowed to talk and they all got AM detention for two weeks.”
“What happened? I didn’t hear anything.”
“Fowler said we’d talk about it at practice tonight but I heard the cheerleaders led a cheer with a ton of people, making fun of that girl you tutor.”
Mike swore.
Jake looked shocked. “Studor, you never cuss.”
“Forget that. What else did you hear?”
“Somebody videoed the whole thing and put it on Insta and the school newspaper Facebook page. Tons of people saw it. I heard that anybody from school who commented or liked the post got detention. Anybody who was identifiable from the video got detention if they were doing the cheer. I made the mistake of sticking my head in the auditorium before I knew what was going on and Smalley about chopped off my head.” Jake took a big bite and swallowed. “The cheerleaders are all on in-school suspension. They don’t get to travel to Friday night’s game.”
“Who cares about that? They’re annoying.”
Mike looked for Rosemary all day, but he didn’t see her until after school. He was headed to the locker room to dress for practice when he caught a glimpse of her. She was almost at the back door, but before he called out her name, she dropped her backpack and slammed open the heavy glass door. Outside, she leapt six feet down over a terraced flower bed and crossed the yard at a dead run. Mike ran after her.
Connor was bent over the front of Rosemary’s truck, flushed and breathing hard, his backpack spilled on the ground. Rosemary lifted Amy up with one hand and held her above the ground against a parked car. Amy’s friend Bella watched with horror on her face.
Rosemary snarled. “Keep your hands off my brother, Amy Lemon. Hassling me is one thing, but don’t touch my brother. Don’t even talk to him. Do you understand me?” Rosemary gave Amy a little shake.
Amy didn’t answer until Rosemary gave her another shake, this one more forceful. “DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?” Amy finally nodded, her face white. Rosemary dropped Amy and gave her a little push. “Get lost.” Amy ran to her car, looking like a scurrying rat. Bella ran after her.
Rosemary turned to Connor. “Are you okay, buddy?”
“I’m okay, Rosie.” He picked up his backpack.
Rosemary handed Connor the key fob. “I’ll be right back.” Rosemary crossed the yard. Mike followed her.
“Rosemary?”
“What, Mike?” Rosemary’s words were clipped and cold. She didn’t break stride.
“Are you all right?”
Rosemary didn’t answer. She climbed the stairs two at a time and went back into the Commons, Mike right behind her. “Rosemary. Look at me.”
Finally, she looked at him. “I’m fine. I’m furious, but I’m fine.”
“I’ve been looking for you all day. I didn’t know about the cheer thing until this morning. I’m sorry that she’s been messing with you.”
“I don’t care about that. But she crossed the line when she bullied Connor. I won’t tolerate anybody hassling Connor.” Inexplicably, Rosemary covered her eyes, tears leaking out. “Connor is off-limits. Off-limits,” she sobbed. Mike took her into his arms, feeling her tremble. “Off-limits…” she whispered against his shoulder.
“Okay, baby. Okay.” Mike murmured, while he stroked Rosemary’s hair.
“Studor!” Coach A yelled across the commons. “You’re gonna be late for practice.”
“I’ll be there in a minute, Coach.” Mike held his cheek against her hair, murmuring to her.
“Now, Studor.”
“In a minute.” Mike repeated.
“Now!”
Mike didn’t move.
“Go, Mike.” Rosemary tried to push him away, but he tightened both arms around her and held her against his chest. “I’m fine, Mike.” She wiped the tears from her face.
“Twelve laps, Studor!”
Mike nodded.
“Go.” Rosemary whispered. “It’s okay.”
“I’ll call you later.” Mike answered quietly. Pulling herself away, Rosemary nodded, picked up her backpack and ran out the door while Mike watched her go.
“Twenty laps!”
“Okay, Coach.” Mike grabbed his backpack and jogged towards the gym. “Twenty laps.”
Coach A stared at Mike. “You’ve got too much riding on this season to get distracted. Rosemary’s a nice girl, but you don’t need to get involved with a girl. You need to focus on football.”
Mike shrugged. “Some things are more important than football, Coach.”
Mike ran his twenty laps and finished practice before he showered and headed out to Amy’s house. She opened the door to his knock. “What do you want?” Her tone was unfriendly.
“I need to talk to you.”
“We’re getting ready for dinner; it’ll have to wait.” She started to close the heavy door in his face, but Mike pushed the door open.
“It can’t wait.” He stepped inside; she had no choice but to back up.
She rolled her eyes. “Okay, but make it quick.” Amy flounced into
the formal living room and sat on a couch, not bothering to invite him to sit.
Mike crossed his arms. “You want to tell me what was going on this afternoon in the parking lot?”
“That pukey little sophomore…talked to me.”
“Oh, big deal. Or did he talk to you about something you don’t want to hear? Did he talk to you about the way you treat his sister?”
“I don’t even know who his sister is.”
“Sure, you do. She’s one of your victims. Your newest victim.”
“I don’t know that guy or anybody he knows. He annoyed me!”
Mike snorted. “Connor Masters wouldn’t annoy a fly. You know he’s Rosemary’s brother.”
“I don’t take any guff from people like him.”
“You don’t take any guff, but you sure dish it out.” Mike shook his head. “I told you in July we’re done, but you’ve somehow convinced yourself I wasn’t serious. We. Are. Done.”
“No. We’re up for Homecoming Queen and King.”
“I couldn’t care less about that. I’ll only go along with it if you leave Rosemary and Connor alone.”
Amy’s eyes narrowed. “Every guy in school wants to be with me—you’re lucky I’ve been dating you. Nobody breaks up with me.”
Mike barked out a laugh. “I am so done with you.”
“I’ll make your life miserable.” Amy hissed. “I’ll make that fat freak girl miserable. I’ll make you both sorry you broke up with me.”
“You may think you’re untouchable because your mom is on the school board, but if you don’t leave Rosemary alone, you won’t like what happens.”
“You are an idiot! You’re an idiot for breaking up with me, Studor!” Amy screamed. “I’m the best thing that ever happened to you, and you’re just a stupid jock! Nobody breaks up with me. We don’t break up until I say we do, you dumb jerk!”
He threw his arms up when Amy threw a large crystal vase. The vase hit his arms before it crashed to the hardwood floor and shattered. Even over the crash of the breaking glass, he heard Amy screaming insults.
“What’s going on here?” Amy’s father strode into the room.
“He broke up with me! He threw me over for a dumb fat girl!” Amy picked up a crystal bowl, but her father wrenched it out of her hands.
“Amy Olive Lemon!” Amy’s mother came through the dining room and tried to grab Amy from behind. “That’s a five-thousand dollar Tiffany bowl.”
“You’d better go, Mike. We’ll take care of this.”
“Yes, sir.” Outside, he said a little prayer. Hopefully, this time it was done.
Mike drove the short distance to Rosemary’s house. Connor was shooting baskets under a spotlight in front of the garage when Mike parked. He walked to the garage as Connor dribbled the basketball.
“Hi, Mike. What’s going on?”
“I stopped to tell Rosemary something. But how about a game of Horse first?”
“Sure.” Connor took a shot from the right of the key painted on the driveway and sunk it. Mike lined up his shot from the same spot and made it.
“Was Rosemary okay by the time you got home?”
“She was calmer.” Connor flushed and looked away. “She’s always been protective of me.”
“I get that. You weren’t embarrassed, were you? By Rosemary defending you?” Mike passed the ball to Connor.
“I wouldn’t ever be embarrassed by Rosemary. She’s the best.” Connor took a shot, turning his face away again.
“I agree with you. She’s the best.”
Connor dribbled the ball for a long minute before he lined up his shot. “You like her, huh?”
“Yep. I do. I’m not sure if she likes me, but I like her.”
Rebounding his shot, Connor dribbled the ball. “It takes Rosemary a long time to feel okay with people. The last guy my mom was married to was really mean to us. She’s never had a boyfriend. She had a guy friend, Pete, but she didn’t go out with him or anything like that. She and Cruz are friends, but he’s not a boyfriend, either.”
“Connor, I’ve never heard you say so much at one time.” Mike took another shot when Connor passed him the ball.
Connor shrugged. He swished another basket, rebounded it and dribbled the ball. “I heard my parents talking about Rosemary the other day. Mom said she wished Rosemary had a boyfriend. Dad said that a guy would have to take it real slow and not get discouraged.” Connor took the shot without looking at Mike. “Thought you should know that.” He rebounded his shot and passed the ball to Mike.
Mike grinned. “Thanks, Connor.”
A few minutes later Rosemary came out to the deck to call Connor in for supper. “Hi. Can I talk to you for a minute?” Mike stepped onto the deck.
“Sure, what do you need?” Rosemary stepped out of the house.
“I talked to Amy. Told her to leave you alone. Told her to remember we’re broken up.”
“Okay.”
“And I know I was an idiot for dating her.”
She nodded slowly. “I would agree with that.”
Mike cringed. “You can be tough, can’t you?”
“If I have to be.” Rosemary turned without another word and went into the house. Mike felt very lonely walking to his car in the October evening.
Chapter 21
“Roma! Roma!” Miranda ran into the gym with Mike following, carrying her bag. Rosemary smiled when Miranda jumped into her arms.
“Hi,” Mike said quietly.
“Good morning.” Rosemary held out her hand, studying a spot on his chest. “I’ll take her bag.”
“Mom said I should wait.” Mike had his book bag over his shoulder.
“You can wait over there, or if you need quiet, you know where the library is.” Rosemary took Miranda’s hand and led her into the studio without another word to Mike.
“I’ll stay out here.” Mike called after her, feeling the chill even through his hoodie. He pulled out his calculus book, listening to Rosemary give directions to her students. When the doors opened at the end of class, Miranda jumped on Mike’s lap so he could help her change her shoes.
“Did you have fun, Peanut?”
“I did. Dance is so fun!”
“I’m glad, Peanut.” Mike smiled at Rosemary as she sent her special needs students on their way, but she went back into the studio and quietly closed the doors without looking at him. Mike noticed the posted class schedules, noticing the two-hour gap between her last morning class and the mid-afternoon class. After he had Miranda buckled in, he called Connor.
Mike drove to a popular deli in Des Moines after he dropped Miranda off at home. He made it back to Ivy ten minutes early and waited in the hall for her class to leave. Once the hall was empty, he knocked on the open door. “Hey. Are you hungry?”
“What are you doing here?”
He held up the shopping bag from the deli. “Cobb salad from Fallons? Extra blue cheese? Double dressing?” Mike shook the bag gently.
Rosemary groaned. “Who told you my weakness?”
“I’ll never tell. Come on. Have a picnic with me.”
Rosemary took a bite of the salad. “It’s been so long since I had one of these salads. It’s so good! Which one of my family told you?”
“I’m not giving up my sources.”
“Oh, I don’t even care. You drove to Des Moines for this? You did this for me?”
“Of course I did it for you.”
“Well, thank you.” Rosemary sounded like she was thawing a little.
“You can thank me by eating the whole salad, plus a brownie.” Mike grinned before he took a big bite of his double-meat giant roast beef sandwich.
“Done.” Rosemary took another bite.
Rosemary was nearly finished with her salad when she looked up at Mike. “I just thought of something.”
“What’s that?”
“Two weeks from tomorrow…I can’t do tutoring. We have the fall fun fest here after church along with a potluck. I’m c
ancelling my Sunday class, too.”
“Okay.” Mike felt a stab of disappointment.
Rosemary smiled shyly. “Why don’t you come with your mom and Miranda?”
“Uh, I don’t know.” Mike peeled the plastic wrap off of a brownie.
“Mike, you can come after the service. It’s not required that you go to church first.”
“Mmm. Do you want half of this brownie?”
“No, I’m stuffed. Back to the fun fest—you’re stalling.”
“I am. But, I’ll come if you’ll hang with me.”
“Afraid the church police will get you?” Rosemary teased.
“Yeah, I’m scared that Mrs. Anders will get me.”
Rosemary laughed. “She is…enthusiastic.”
“You could call it that. But, you didn’t answer me. Are you going to hang with me at the Fun Fest?”
“I will. I’ll protect you from big, bad, Mrs. Anders. Hey. I forgot to ask. Did you guys win last night?”
“We did.” Mike grinned. “It was a rout.”
“Congratulations. John said he thinks you may go to the playoffs.”
“We could. Too early to tell.”
Rosemary nodded. “Would that help your scholarship chances?”
“Probably. Or it would get me some attention, anyway. What about you, Rosemary? Have you applied for any scholarships?”
“No, I haven’t. I’m financially prepared for college. I haven’t researched any scholarships. But, if I heard of something specific, I would apply.” Rosemary suddenly looked irritated. “My oma doesn’t believe that I have the money saved for college. She informed me that I ‘will go to Central’ and I will live with them. According to her, they’re paying for it because she doesn’t believe in school loans.”
“Your grandparents don’t seem to know you all that well.”
“No. Well, not Oma, anyway. She decides something is a certain way and she refuses to consider anything else. My opa is a little different. He never criticizes or challenges me, but he also doesn’t challenge her behavior. He’s really quiet and he lets her run things.”
