Jade made a move after them as if she meant to grab the redhead's mane, but Emma quickly reached out for Jade’s shoulder. “Down, girl. It’s not worth it.”
“Ooo!” Jade seethed but let out a calming breath a moment later. “Just give me two minutes with her away from her friends, and she’ll be smelling through a tube!” It seemed that each time the friends ran across Kendra, Jade’s temper got more intense. Emma was afraid the feud was going to turn into a real fight soon.
After the heated exchange, Emma made it to to her Economics class and settled into a seat. She stifled a laugh when her teacher, Mr. Biggs, turned to the side to print his name on the whiteboard. His nose was enormous and protruded noticeably. A few barely audible comments floated around the room at once. Most of them were snickers and whispers about the economics teacher, his name, nose, and comparisons she did her best not to hear.
The class was about to start when the door opened, and Jordan Riley walked in. Emma’s breath caught in her throat, and she barely noticed that Kendra had walked in with him holding tight to his arm. In a word, he was gorgeous. When did that happen? She wondered having never given Jordan much thought before.
All the other girls in the school—no, the planet—could see he was hot. As Emma gazed at him, she couldn't help but mentally list his many striking features. He was naturally tan with the sort of skin that made pale Emma envious. Jordan had an unruly mop of dark hair that hung over his brows accenting his eyes that were the color of mint ice cream. He was on their school’s junior varsity football team, tall, and cut like an underwear model. Jordan had it all.
Emma shook herself and glanced around to the rest of the girls and some of the guys who eyed Jordan as if he were carved from a block of milk chocolate. He greeted and smiled widely at the teacher—Perfect teeth, too. Are you kidding me!?—who told him and Kendra to find seats. He was respectful in a non-mocking way to Mr. Biggs, too. As Jordan scanned the room for seats, his green eyes met Emma’s for a brief second, and her stomach traded places with a butterfly colony. He had been in a handful of her classes over the years, but something was very different about him now. Their gaze could hardly be called “a moment,” but it was enough that Kendra noticed. Jordan looked away as his girlfriend directed them to the open seats in front of Emma. Before the class had even begun, Kendra raised her hand. In a tone that could trigger a sugar coma, she asked, “Mr. Biggs, will there be assigned seating, or can we choose our own seats for class?”
Everyone knew that Kendra and Jordan had become a couple over the summer. The couple. The redhead’s request was a public service announcement letting everyone know she was claiming the seat beside Jordan in this class and in every other class they shared. “Where you are sitting now will be all right so long as it doesn’t cause any distractions, Ms. Radcliff.” Mr. Biggs replied.
Mr. Biggs continued by going over the classroom rules and what to bring. What followed was a drone of rehearsed instructions that caused Emma to zone. Her eyes drifted over to a small window that offered a decent view of the hill country and crystal blue horizon over parched, but still green, trees. She could imagine herself flying over the top of the trees, sailing along the breeze in sheer, exquisite freedom. Musing was interrupted by a small bird with crimson feathers flitting by the window and darting around in tree branches. It was so vivid that Emma opened her notebook to sketch it. Drawing was the way Emma coped with terminally boring lectures. As she drew, she didn’t fail to notice the two times Jordan glanced back at her. She felt her face heat and fought back a smile.
Emma stared at the back of Jordan’s head. She narrowed her eyes as if to drill thoughts into his mind telepathically. If I were you, I would run from her and not stop until I hit ocean. He seemed such a decent person and deserved someone better—or someone less Kendra. Then Emma’s gaze shifted to Kendra sitting smugly next to Jordan with bright, auburn-silk curls bouncing around her symmetrical, porcelain face. Just like Jordan, she was perfect. She was the head of the Spirit Team, head of the student council, and her family was loaded. Why wouldn’t he be with someone like her? Kendra was all that and a bag of fries! The fact that Emma and her friends despised her didn’t change anything. But with all that going for her, Kendra still somehow managed to be a rotten person as far as Emma was concerned. And Kendra’s amazingly hot boyfriend was checking her out. Emma shook her head and tried not to grin. She turned her eyes to her drawing and one ear to Mr. Biggs’s overly-rehearsed per-year lecture.
From her peripheral, she saw Kendra look to Jordan and then back toward her. The redhead’s eyes narrowed into venomous slits. This time, Emma didn’t try to hide her smile.
3
EMPTY TRUTHS
During that first day, the dull hum of classes lasted until second lunch. When the bell rang, a torrent of teens rushed freely down the halls like flood waters over a levy. Students scrambled to the lunch room, and a line formed around the outside for the take-out windows. Emma sighed heavily, seeing the line, and opted to use the nearest vending machine instead.
“Perfect. Chips and a water bottle,” she complained.
“You know, chips will kill you,” Rai announced from behind her. “I read that one out of every three people ends up with artery problems because of them.”
Emma glared at him, sighed, and gestured with her bag to the continuous lunch line. “You have any useful trivia, like how to shorten the line?”
“Wow! I see that.” Rai glanced over his shoulder. “It looks like the opening of The Avengers movie but less fun. More like the opening to a bad vampire flick, on second thought. I do see Jade in the line. She’d probably let you cut in, but that goes completely against the heroic ideal.”
“Good thing we’re not superheroes, Rai,” Emma snarked.
“Just saying, standards are important.” Rai shrugged and followed her over to their usual lunch table.
Olivia was lying with her head on the table when Emma and Rai arrived.
“Is she okay?” Emma asked.
Jade walked up a moment later and set down her food tray. She palmed Olivia’s head and lifted it from the laminated surface. Olivia glared at Jade and slapped at her hands.
“She’s okay,” Jade replied as she let her friend’s head drop back to the table. She took a bite from a BBQ sandwich and shrugged.
“Yoo-hoo!” Emma sang near Olivia’s ear.
Olivia mumbled into the Formica without lifting her head.
“What?” the friends chorused together.
Jade reached for Olivia again, but the dark-haired girl raised her head without help this time.
“He’s in my chemistry class!” She looked wilted and stared straight forward. Emma, Jade, and Rai turned their heads, following her line of sight, and saw Ryan Dunn, a few tables away.
“So?” Jade said. “Some of those douches are in my classes, but I’m not going to slink away. You shouldn’t either.”
Emma and Rai nodded.
“But, you don’t understand.” She slumped her head down into her hands. “He wasn’t douchey to me. He was like super sweet.”
Emma reached around and held her shoulder. “He’s a Rad.”
Olivia nodded emphatically. “I know! But I think he’s totally into me.”
Jade snorted derisively. “You have got to be kidding me, Livs. He’s the enemy! He’s probably messing with you.”
“Ryan!?” Rai griped. “Really? That jerk has been picking on me since fourth grade!”
“People can change, you know?” Olivia shot back. “I’m going to see where this goes.”
“I think you’re making a huge mistake,” Rai said.
“Yeah, I figured you guys would be this way, but I wasn’t asking permission or anything. I’m just letting you know this might be a thing,” Olivia said adamantly.
Emma frowned. She didn’t like where this “thing” was going but she would back her friend either way. “Are you sure, Livs?”
“Not even a little sure.” She l
aughed. “But, you guys need to be there for me if it goes well.”
“And if it goes badly?” Jade asked.
“You’ll have to be there even more!”
The bell rang, and students made their way to the last two classes before the end of the day.
***
After school, Olivia dropped Emma off at home. Emma headed up the front stoop and paused when she heard her mother yelling at someone inside.
Emma quietly slipped through the front door and tiptoed down the hall, settling within her father’s untouched study. Across the corridor, Cassandra sat in the formal dining that was now her home office. The pocket doors were closed, but since her mom had the conversation on speaker, Emma could hear everything.
“No!” Cassandra shouted. “I already told you, I can’t.”
A reply of equal volume resounded from the phone. It was the distinct sound of a man’s voice but distorted.
Emma’s father left two years and two months ago. Her mother poured herself into work and showed no interest in dating. It had been lonely and rough without her dad. Before Michael left, Cassandra had been a full-time homemaker and mother. After he left, she had to go back to school and finish her real-estate license.
Sounds of exasperated pacing across the floor meant that her mom was mad. “That’s an awfully long way to go!” she snapped. “Are you sure it has to be in person?”
Emma didn’t know what any of that meant, but it didn’t sound like her mother was talking about real estate.
The other voice escalated again.
Her mother’s voice rose to match his volume. “All right, Jason! I’ll get it. Just make the arrangements.”
Then, all was silent.
Cassandra stepped into the hallway just as a message chimed loudly from Emma’s phone. “I’m home!” Emma announced, popping out of her dad’s study, trying to think fast.
Her mom narrowed her eyes at her. “What were you doing in there?”
“I…,” she fumbled for an answer and looked back at her father’s books. “I was looking for a book to use in English Lit.” She grabbed the nearest book from a shelf and headed to the kitchen.
Cassandra followed her. “How was your first day?”
“Hot,” Emma scoffed.
Emma put the book on the counter and grabbed a Coke from the fridge.
Her mom read the book title aloud, “Eighteenth Century Bavarian Cabinet Making.” Cassandra lifted a brow. “You’re doing a paper on German furniture for English Literature?”
Emma stared down at the book and felt her cheeks heat. Her dad had tons of books on ancient civilizations, but she took the one book that wasn’t literature. She groaned, “Okay I was snooping. I couldn’t help it! I heard you yelling at someone.” She took a liberal drink from her soda and eyed her mother. “So, who was it?”
Cassandra hedged, “It was Millie about work stuff.”
Emma frowned. Unless Millie started a radically different life-path in the last two days, that wasn’t her on the other end of the call. “What do you have to go pick up from far away?”
“Paperwork.” Cassandra said, not looking at her. “Are you hungry?”
Emma was famished. She was devoid of food and now slightly empty of the truth. Her mom had never been deceptive a single day. This was something out of the ordinary. Emma was hot and annoyed but too tired to get into it with her tonight.
It had been a long first day.
4
JORDAN’S RUN
The floodlights shone down and illuminated the field in rich, green tones. The stands behind him thrummed with excited murmurs of hundreds of spectators. In the late September night, there was an autumn crispness hanging in the air, belying the hot and humid day that had preceded it. It was Jordan’s first season as a Cypress High School varsity player, and it was going well. The coach was pleased with his performance over the summer and moved him up. Now, he was a starting player in the game, the Homecoming Game.
The Spirit Team posed, kicked, and looked appealing in their school colors and short skirts just a few paces in front of him. Kendra was in the center of that line. Her leading cheer rang over the combined noise from the stands. She turned and flashed a smile at him followed by a chiding elbow from Ryan Dunn on the bench beside him.
“Man, she’s hot. You should totally go for it.”
He gave Ryan a withering stare and nodded toward the field and the opposing team adjacent from them. “We’ve gone out twice. I’m thinking about it, okay? Can we focus on the game, for now, man? That girl is made of distraction.”
“Thinking,” Ryan shot back with a laugh. “That’s your problem, Jordan, you think about things that don’t need thinking about. You’re looking seriously wound up right now. What’s up? You nervous?”
“Yeah, I am. Coach Reynolds changed my position and told me yesterday. I’m starting tight end and defensive end as of tonight.”
“That’s a big shift from defensive tackle,” Ryan muttered thoughtfully. “Do you even have the plays down?”
Jordan nodded with his expression visibly pensive. “Yeah, I know the plays. I just feel weird tonight.”
“It's nerves, man. I’d be twisted up if the coach handed me a position change out-of-the-blue.”
Jordan nodded again and thought Ryan was right. He reached down and picked up a scattering of fresh grass clippings, worrying them through his fingers. He’d been feeling strange even before being moved up by the coach. His dad had made him go in for a check-up, which showed nothing, not even a sniffle. Jordan had no idea what was wrong with him, but every muscle in his body ached.
Cypress High School won the toss. Jordan snapped his helmet strap in place and trotted onto the field.
***
Watching the players enter the field, Rai shifted in the school’s bleachers. “So, we’re football fans now?” He complained from his seat.
“Oh, stop whining already!” Jade shot back, “I’m not happy about joining this Rad-Appreciation party either, but you don’t hear me complaining.”
“What’re you talking about?” Olivia laughed. “It still counts as whining if you’re texting it, Jade.”
Jade glared at Olivia with comic intensity while shoving her phone into her back pocket. “Traitor.”
Olivia giggled. Her light mood was as infectious as always. She tapped a quick “^-^” emote to Jade and then put her phone away as well.
Emma smiled and watched the activity on the field and in the stands. True, they had never really attended sports events much, but Olivia had gotten involved with several school committees this year. One of her committees planned the Homecoming Dance. Olivia was expected to take part in the event, which included the Homecoming game. That meant that her friends, by extension, were also expected to take part. She would never admit it, but Emma didn’t mind being there at all. She might not be anyone’s idea of a sports fan, but she enjoyed the energy of the crowd and the intensity of the evening.
Emma suspected Jade would be enjoying herself as well if she didn’t have to watch most of Kendra’s social circle down on the field leading the Spirit Team. It only made things worse that Kendra was amazing at cheering, Emma suspected. She knew better than to say so, of course. Girlfriend protocol said that as Jade’s friend, Emma should never express anything resembling a compliment about Kendra Radcliff. Her thoughts trailed off as she watched Jordan take the field
***
Jordan’s movement caught her eye, and Kendra caught herself staring at him again. He didn’t hide that he watched her, too. Kendra smiled as her team executed their routine flawlessly. The bleachers were packed, and the crowd cheered along with every set. She was satisfied in the moment and by her current place at the center of it all.
Jordan fit every standard she had carefully set up for a boyfriend. He was tall, cute, and very popular. Unfortunately, he was also terribly shy. She hated having to be the aggressive one in a relationship. There were so many guys pestering her, and the one
she wanted was too shy to even ask her out. He lacked self-confidence, which was all, but she could fix that with enough time. Jordan moved to his position, and she smiled again, showing her teeth. She would start working on his shortcomings later.
***
Jordan noticed Kendra’s wide grin before turning his attention back to the game. The first half was almost over, but Jordan felt like he was coming down with the flu or something. He was sure he had a fever, and his legs were straining like he’d strapped on ankle weights. Still, he was determined to tough it out and not let some bug ruin the game for them.
St. Anthony High School’s starting quarterback was sacked hard just a few plays in and was benched with an ice pack on his shoulder. That should have been good news for the Cypress team, but the second string QB replacement was even better. Now, Cypress High School was trailing by six.
Jordan focused past the nagging ache in his legs and assumed a three-point stance on the defensive line. His coach’s voice echoed across the field, calling for them to “put more pressure on that quarterback!” Jordan’s job as defensive end was to hold the end of the line and make sure nobody passed outside of it. But his other job was to take down the quarterback whenever he had the opportunity.
The ball snapped, and the tall, slender St. Anthony’s quarterback shuffled quickly as the Cypress’ players struggled to reach him. The opponent shifted his stance, and Jordan shoved past, driving forward at the quarterback. A heartbeat before Jordan reached him, the QB spun sharply to the left as a swirl of long, thin dreadlocks fanned out from under the helmet. Jordan corrected and drove directly at him but somehow missed and hit the ground with a hard slide. Dirt and the coppery taste of blood filled his mouth. Jordan bit back a curse as he raised he got up.
Next, the teams lined up for the following play. St. Anthony had gained another fifteen yards, and it was their first down again. The mood on the Cypress defensive line turned ugly. Homecoming was supposed to be an easy game, but they were driven back by a team with a record barely half as good as theirs.
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