by A. K. Evans
My best friend was wearing a grin on his face. He’d listened to my mom beg me to be ready for school earlier every morning since the school year started. Heck, he’d heard it all last school year, too.
Despite that, it didn’t seem to bother him at all that I was never waiting by the door when he strolled up.
Mack and I were the same age, in the same grade, and went to the same school. He lived across the street, a few doors down from me. Since my house was on the way to the bus stop, Mack always stopped by in the morning to wait for me so we could walk to the bus stop together. I found it to be incredibly sweet of him to do.
Once we were outside and walking down the sidewalk, I lamented, “I’m sorry I never seem to be ready on time.”
“You know it doesn’t bother me, Marley,” he replied. “It’s like you said inside. The bus hasn’t arrived yet. And it’s not like we’ve ever actually missed it anyway.”
“You make a very good point,” I returned. “But it’s so strange to me. It seems that no matter when I wake up, I still am always rushing at the last minute. Granted, today I woke up late because I stayed up late reading, but even when I wake up early, I struggle to be ready on time.”
“Probably because you know there’s more time, so you end up taking it easy and you lose track of time,” he suggested. “Maybe you just need better time management skills.”
I huffed and looked over at him as we came to a stop at the corner. “As long as you keep showing up at the time you do, I should be okay.”
Mack looked over at me and smiled. “Don’t worry, Mar. I’ve got your back.”
I returned the smile and said, “Thanks, Mack.”
We looked both ways and crossed the street. After we made it across, Mack shared, “Hey, before I forget to tell you, I’m not going to be on the bus this afternoon.”
“What’s going on?” I asked.
He groaned. “Dentist appointment. My mom is picking me up right after lunch to take me, and since I’d probably only have like an hour left of school after the appointment, I’m not coming back.”
“Ah, the dentist. Well, good luck,” I teased.
“I hate going to the dentist,” he grumbled.
“Even more than being in Mr. Coleman’s science class at the end of the day?” I retorted.
Mack shrugged. “At least my friends are there.”
He wasn’t wrong about that. I was in Mack’s science class, along with several of our other friends. That helped to ease the painfully boring monotone sound of Mr. Coleman’s voice. We were all suffering through it together.
Three or four minutes later, Mack and I boarded the bus. We sat together, as we always did. Sometimes, we remained quiet, part of that being the both of us feeling too tired first thing in the morning. Other times, the ride seemed to fly by because we didn’t stop talking the whole way there.
This morning, Mack and I did not remain silent.
Instead, he asked, “Did you study for the history test?”
Mack and I did not have history class together, but we both had the same teacher. Today was test day.
I nodded. “Technically, that was the reason I was up so late last night reading. I studied after dinner last night, but I’d started a good book two nights before. I wanted to read a few chapters before I went to bed.”
Mack chuckled. “I can’t get over how much you like reading. It just puts me to sleep.”
“Maybe you’re not reading the right things,” I explained.
He shook his head. “No. I just think it’s boring. Well, and I struggle to comprehend any of it. I’ll read the same paragraph five times because my mind starts to drift when I try to read. I’d rather have someone read to me. Or, honestly, I’d rather just watch television.”
“Well, speaking of television,” I started. “Are you still coming over after I get back from school to watch with me?”
“When have I ever missed watching with you?”
I shrank back in the seat and smiled inwardly.
The answer was never.
Mack knew how much I loved watching cooking shows, and he never missed coming over to watch them with me. Of course, that also meant that he told me about all the things he wanted to try one day.
But I didn’t care about that.
I loved how much he cared, and for that reason, I’d started writing recipes in a notebook so that I’d remember all the foods he wanted to try.
“Never,” I rasped as I looked out the window.
We made it to school, walked in together, and eventually separated after Mack walked me to my locker. That’s what I told myself he was doing, but the truth was that my locker was on the way to his.
Hours later, after a test, lunch, chats with friends, and a science class without Mack, I was heading out to the bus in the pouring rain. And I was doing it alone.
The ride home wasn’t nearly as enjoyable as it usually was when Mack was with me, but because I believed he deserved to be able to eat all the food I hoped to make for him, I figured I couldn’t be mad about his trip to the dentist. He was going to need his teeth.
When the bus made it to my stop, I tucked my hair into my sweatshirt, pulled my hood up over my head, and mentally prepared myself to make a run for my house.
But when I stepped down off the bus, Mack was there. And he was holding an umbrella.
I smiled at him as he said, “I didn’t want you to have to walk in the rain, so I figured I’d wait here with an umbrella.”
“Thank you,” I replied, feeling my heart swell.
He really was the best guy ever.
Minutes after we made it back to my house, Mack and I had parked ourselves on the couch in the family room and turned on the television.
It was Friday, and that meant we’d binge cooking shows until my parents ordered pizza for dinner.
Somewhere in the middle of our binge, though, Mack looked over at me and said, “Next week, we should just make pizza on our own.”
My eyes widened. “You would do that with me?”
He nodded. “Of course.”
We’d been friends for years. Best friends. I didn’t know what I’d ever do without him in my life. But at that statement, I swore I fell in love with him.
A week later, we made pizza together.
Ten Months Later
The front door opened, and I was greeted by Mr. Slater.
“Hi, Marley.”
“Hi, Mr. Slater,” I replied as I walked inside. “Is Mack around?”
Mack’s dad nodded and said, “Yeah, I think he’s outside in the backyard testing out the volleyball net.”
I wanted to laugh. That sounded about right for Mack. “Is it alright if I go out and see him?” I asked.
“You know that it is,” he returned.
With that, I walked away from the front door holding the carrying cases for all the cupcakes I’d made and moved through the house. On my way to the sliding glass door that would lead me out to the backyard, I entered the kitchen and found Mrs. Slater working there.
“Hey, Marley,” she greeted me. “You’re early.”
Smiling brightly at her, I said, “Yeah, I wanted to make sure the cupcakes were here before everyone started arriving, and I thought I’d see if you needed any help.”
“Oh, that was sweet of you to do. I think we’ve got it all under control for now, but I’d love to take a peek at those cupcakes,” she advised.
I set the cupcake carriers down on the island and popped open the tops. Removing them, I revealed two options: lemon cupcakes and s’mores cupcakes.
“Those look incredible,” she praised me.
Before I could respond, the sliding door opened, and Mack walked in with a smile on his face. His eyes landed on me before they dropped to the counter. That’s when his smile grew about three sizes.
“You did make cupcakes,” he declared.
“Happy birthday, Mack.”
“Thanks. These look like lemon cupcakes,” he guessed
.
Grinning, I asked, “Is it the yellow wrappers or the lemon wedges that gave them away?”
Mack didn’t respond. Instead, he picked up a lemon cupcake, peeled off the wrapper, and ate half of it in one bite.
“Good?” I asked.
“Delicious,” he replied as popped the second half into his mouth.
Once he finished it, he nodded to the second tray and asked, “What flavor are those?”
“Well, since it’s July and the middle of summer, I thought I’d make cupcakes that reflected that. So, these are s’mores cupcakes, and I made them with real marshmallows.”
Mack plucked one off the carrier, wasted no time unwrapping it, and immediately sunk his teeth into it.
He groaned. “So good,” he mumbled through a mouth full of cake.
I didn’t care that he was talking with his mouth full. My heart hammered in my chest, and I was near to bursting with joy that he loved them both so much.
Nothing made me happier than cooking and baking and seeing people enjoy the foods I made. The fact that Mack was the one currently doing that made it so much more special to me.
“I’m going to suggest you cover those up now, Marley,” Mrs. Slater advised. “If not, there won’t be any left by the time the party starts.”
I heeded her advice and put the tops back on the cupcake carriers.
“So, Marley,” Mack called. When he had my attention, he asked, “Have you ever played volleyball?”
My brows shot up, and I shook my head.
He grinned at me before he jerked his head toward the sliding glass doors and said, “Come on. I’ll give you a quick lesson before everyone arrives.”
At that, I glanced over at Mrs. Slater. She gave me an encouraging nod. Knowing she didn’t need my help, I followed Mack outside for a volleyball lesson.
“Thanks for making cupcakes,” he said, once he’d slid the door shut behind us.
“Ah, it was no big deal,” I replied. “You know how much I love making new foods. I’m just glad you enjoyed them.”
“That’s an understatement. They were awesome. I just hope you don’t forget about me when you become some master chef for all the celebrities,” he returned.
That wasn’t possible. Mack meant too much to me; I’d never forget him.
“Yeah, well, when you’re some famous athlete living your dream, I hope you won’t forget me,” I challenged him.
Mack threw his arm around my shoulders and gave me a squeeze. “I could never forget you, Mar. You’re my best friend.”
“Even if I suck at sports?” I asked.
“You don’t suck,” he insisted. “You just haven’t been taught by someone who knows what they’re doing.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “And let me guess. You’re that guy?”
Throwing his hands up in surrender as we came to a stop by the volleyball net, he stated, “Listen, I’m not going to brag about my skills or anything like that, but I’m happy to give you a few pointers.”
Tapping one finger on my chin as I tipped my chin up at an angle, I pretended to think. “Well, I guess I’ll take you up on your lessons. Do you think you can teach me enough, so I don’t make a fool of myself at your party today?”
He narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips. “It’s a tough case, but I think I can handle it,” he teased.
“Good luck.”
With that, Mack taught me everything I needed to know about volleyball. So much of it had been things I vaguely remembered hearing in the middle of gym class, but for some reason, my determination to pay attention and actually do well didn’t matter until he taught me. Maybe it was because he was a better teacher and an incredible athlete. Or maybe it was because I refused to disappoint him.
For a little while, Mack taught me a bunch of techniques and allowed me to practice them. Once I’d perfected them enough, we played a one-on-one game. We weren’t keeping score, but I was certain I would have lost if we had been.
“I never thought this could be so much fun,” I told him when finished our first game. “What else can you teach me?”
Mack started laughing but still managed to respond, “Let’s stick to volleyball for today. You can hone your skills throughout the day.”
“Are you suggesting that I’m not very good?” I asked.
His face was lit up and his lips twitched as he answered, “I think you’re fantastic.”
He was still teasing me.
I loved it.
But despite it, in that moment, I grew very determined. Next to cooking and baking, the only thing I wanted to be was half decent at sports that Mack enjoyed. And if they were ones that I wasn’t interested in playing—like football, for example—then I wanted to make sure I knew everything there was to know about them so I could enjoy watching him play.
“You just wait, Mack,” I warned him. “I might need your help learning it all, but I’m going to knock your socks off.”
“I have absolutely no doubts about that,” he assured me. “You ready for a rematch?”
After mustering up the most determined look I could, I lowered my voice and countered, “Are you?”
Then I turned and walked back to the opposite side of the net while I listened to Mack laughing behind me.
It was safe to say it.
I was in love.
Ten
Marley
Seven months later
“There they are!”
Beth, Dakota, and I all looked in the direction Faye was pointing and immediately began heading that way.
The four of us had just walked into the lodge at the local ski resort. We were making our way over to where Ben and Ryder were sitting at a table. Easton and Mack were probably either in the bathroom or getting food.
All eight of us had joined our school’s ski club.
Dakota and I were the only girls in the group that rode snowboards. Dakota had learned as a kid from her dad. I learned last winter when Mack taught me. We’d come up to the mountain nearly every weekend so he could teach me everything he knew. Before I knew it, I was doing really well.
Beth and Faye had learned how to ski quite a few years ago, and all the guys rode snowboards.
Sometimes, we all rode together, but today we decided against it because the guys wanted to spend some time in the terrain park. The girls and I weren’t interested and figured it was best to split up.
The second we approached the table, Dakota shared, “You guys missed out. The trails were actually really good today.”
“Yeah, we probably should have joined the four of you,” Ben said as we began taking off our gloves, helmets, and jackets.
I’d gotten my helmet and gloves off and was in the process of unzipping my jacket when I asked, “How was the terrain park?”
“It was okay,” Ryder answered. “Well, until it wasn’t.”
“Too many people?” Beth asked as she sat down next to him.
He shook his head and gave Ben a solemn look.
“What happened?” Faye asked, clearly noticing the exchange between them and thinking the same thing I did. “Where’s Mack and Easton?”
There was a brief moment of hesitation before Ben shared, “Easton just walked out to the bus with Mack. I think Kelsey went with them, too.”
“Why would they go to the bus?” I pressed, feeling slightly alarmed.
“Mack went off one of the jumps and got hurt,” Ryder answered.
“Is he okay?” I worried, moving to put my jacket back on.
Ben stood and insisted, “He’s okay, Marley. He just hurt his shoulder. He thought he dislocated it, but it’s no longer dangling like it was. I don’t know how he managed to get it back in place, but he’s definitely feeling it.”
I shifted out from behind the chairs at the table and said, “I’m going to check on him.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” Faye offered.
Mack wouldn’t want a crowd. At least, not for something like this. I shook my head. “N
o, it’s okay.”
As quickly as I could, I ran out of the lodge, grabbed my board, and made my way to the bus. When I got there, I climbed on and found that Ben was right. Easton and Kelsey—the school’s biggest gossip—were both there with him.
I walked down the aisle to where they were sitting at the back and focused my attention on Mack.
“Mack, I just found out you were hurt,” I declared as I came to a stop in front of him. “Are you okay?”
“Hey, Marley,” Mack replied.
“What happened?” I questioned him. “Is there anything I can do?”
“Hey, Easton, why don’t you and Kelsey and head back in and meet up with everyone in the lodge?” Mack suggested.
“Are you sure, man?” Easton responded.
Kelsey scooted closer to Mack and batted her eyelashes. “Yeah, are you sure? I’m totally okay to stay with you in case you need anything.”
I rolled my eyes. Could she be any more obvious? And exactly how stupid was she? If Mack wanted her to stay, he wouldn’t have suggested that Easton take her with him and head back to the lodge.
“I’m sure, Kelsey,” Mack confirmed.
Kelsey huffed, got up, and all but stomped away.
“Take it easy, Mack,” Easton said. “We’ll be back later.”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
Once Easton and Kelsey were gone, I sat down on the seat beside my best friend and asked, “Can you tell me what happened?”
“I got a little too daring and decided to do a trick off a jump,” he started. “I ended up overshooting the landing, landed with my right arm outstretched, and all my weight went into my shoulder. I’ve never felt such horrible pain in my life. When I stood up, my arm was just hanging there. I don’t know how I did it, but I managed to swing it up and around and I heard it pop back in. It was still the worst thing I’ve ever felt.”
“Did you talk to the ski patrol and have them check you out?” I asked.
Mack nodded. “I went there, but they said that since nothing was technically dislocated by the time I got to them, there wasn’t anything they could do. They told me I needed to go and be seen by a doctor. Of course, they were questioning whether my shoulder could have actually been dislocated because they said it’s nearly impossible to put it back in on your own.”
