by L. L. Ash
“Sounds yummy, both of them.” I admitted.
Genie laughed.
My eyes caught a glimpse of movement from what I eventually began to think of as the Barnett brother’s table, and found Clarence there, as he usually was. His book was open, a pen was in his hands as he sipped from a thermos, but instead of being alone there was another boy with him, of similar age.
This boy had dark, shaggy hair and a clear scowl on his face as he talked to Clarence. They looked like they were arguing over something, and Clarence looked annoyed until he looked my way and smiled a small grin at me.
“Who is that?” I whispered to Genie as I whipped around, pretending that I wasn’t staring… AGAIN.
“That’s Mason. They’re brothers.”
I glanced back again, this time Clarence was talking and Mason sat there with a blank face.
“They look nothing alike.”
“Maybe they’re step brothers. I don’t know,” Genie sipped her apple juice.
“Mason looks angry.”
“He’s mean. I think that’s the main reason people stay away from Clarence. Mason is a dick.”
“I don’t want to meet him. But Clarence looks nice.”
“Oh my God. If you’re going to keep freaking fawning over him, go talk to him. I’m so incredibly Clarence-ed out. Just get it out of your system. I’m sure the school royalty will forgive you cause you’re new.”
School royalty? What the hell did I care if the popular kids liked me or not? So far they’d ignored me completely.
“Maybe I will.” I agreed. “Just not today. Not with Mason around.”
Genie and I both looked over at the pair of boys and I caught Clarence’s eyes again. He propped his cheek against his palm as Mason rambled about something, and stared back, a faint, resigned smile turning up his lips just the slightest bit.
“Geez, girl. I think he likes you too. I’ve never seen him smile.”
“Really? He smiles at me all the time.”
Genie raised an eyebrow. “Maybe he’s got the hots for you too than. You should definitely talk to him. Maybe it'll make you famous if you tapped that.”
“Tapped that?” I groaned, my cheeks flaming.
All of a sudden Clarence started laughing from three tables over, in perfect time to Genies terrible word of advice.
“He laughs?” was all Genie said.
I looked back over and saw Clarence grinning at me, biting at his bottom lip before sipping from his thermos again.
“Do you think he heard you?” I whispered harshly at her.
“No way, they’re too far away.”
Mason was looking our way now, his stony glare bouncing from me to Genie, than landing on me to rest heavily. He said a couple quiet words, swung his arm toward me before talking to his brother again. The two spoke quietly but intensely to each other for another moment, than Mason stormed off, leaving Clarence alone.
Clarence didn’t stay though. He flipped his books closed, capped his drink and left the cafeteria through the other door.
“Now that’s more like it,” Genie nodded. “They’re almost always arguing when Mason decides to show up to school. Funny thing though, I heard he’s like a genius or something. So he doesn’t need to come to school to pass. He just takes the tests on test days.”
“I wish I could do that,” I sighed, watching Clarence’s back as he dodged tables and students, heading for the exit.
His shoulders were broad for a 17 or 18 year old, clad in red and black plaid, wrapped tight around his shoulders and arms, revealing muscles that made him even more attractive. His pants were baggy, but hugged his butt just enough to know that the muscle there was firm too, shapely.
I was the most awkward, worldly virgin ever. Yeah, that’s right. Me, the girl who doesn’t like most people hadn’t hooked up yet. Imagine that! But it made sense considering I’d only been on a handful of first dates, and no second dates. I guess that’s what the life of a loner brings you.
After school, I waited outside near the bus until Genie eventually caught up.
“Hey,”
I turned quickly at the deep voice over my shoulder. Wavy blond hair and startling blue eyes met me.
“Hi,” I managed to squeak out.
A grin spread over Clarence’s face.
“I figured we should stop staring at each other and I should introduce myself. I’m Clarence.”
“I...know.”
OH GOD!
“I mean, I’m Addie. Madeline. Shit, just call me Addie.”
His grin spread wider and his hands slipped into his jean pockets.
“It’s nice to meet you Addie.”
We stared for a minute. My hazel eyes glued to his sky blue ones.
“Add!” I heard Genie call from behind me.
Clarence and I turned to her and she slid to a halt on the sidewalk, eyes big as saucers at the sight of a Barnett brother in the vicinity.
“Hello,” Clarence said to her now, his tone not as sweet as it had been with me but still passably friendly.
“Uh...b-uhh...” was all that left Genie’s mouth.
“You ladies look busy,” Clarence said suddenly, turning back to me. “I’ll talk to you later, if you’re inclined.”
“Uh, yeah!” I agreed dumbly.
Clarence gave a barely noticeable little bow of his head before doing the same to Genie and heading off down the road.
“Oh my God. Oh SHIT! Did Clarence Barnett just TALK to you?” Genie gushed.
I giggled. Actually giggled.
“Oh girl, you got it BAD,” she brushed a slap across my shoulders.
“He’s hotter up close,” was all I let out.
“That he most definitely is.”
She locked her arm around mine and climbed onto the bus before the last one took off without us.
“Bry!” Genie called once she got into her house.
“Back here!” came a low pitched, but still not quite manly voice.
Not like Clarence's voice…
Oh man, I was sunk…
“Did you order the pizza yet?” Genie called as we headed into the kitchen.
“Mom said you’re supposed to do it!” the voice called back.
“Lazy,” Genie breathed under her breath as she picked up the home phone. “You can sit in the living room while I order if you want. Pick a movie.”
“Ok,” I agreed and went to the room with two leather couches and a single suede chair.
Movies were stacked in a short shelf, dvds lined meticulously in alphabetical order. Someone in the house was OCD.
“Are you getting me the Meat-za?” the disembodied voice asked as the source appeared in the hallway, heading toward the kitchen.
A boy, somewhere around 12 or 13 years old hopped up to his sister and stayed close while Genie ordered over the phone.
Two hours and two pizzas later, we were all sprawled on the couches and chairs watching some action movie that wasn’t interesting in the least. Genie was on her phone most of the time, Ben, Genie’s brother, was watching the movie closely, and I was fighting sleep as 8 o’clock rolled around. But honestly, it was the nicest, most normal pizza-movie night I’d ever had. Maybe this is what it felt like to have siblings.
Growing up an only child had it’s perks, but it was also lonely, especially through the divorce. Genie and Bryan were lucky to have each other, and to have both their parents in their lives. It was nice to get to know Dad again after all those years, but it was hard to put aside all the resentment I’d built over that time. Mom never talked bad about Dad, though she had her reasons to, and it helped to keep what little relationship I had left with Dad. Mom was just an amazing creature in general.
“Helloooo!” came a whispered but cheerful greeting as the front door opened. Genie’s head shot up and she smiled at her parents.
“Hey! How was your date?”
“Good!” her mom said, then looked over at me before approaching and putting out her han
d. “You must be Addie! Genie has told us all about you! I hope you had a good time tonight! Genie’s been dying for a night without parents.”
Her parents chuckled and I smiled.
“Yeah, thanks for the pizza! I should probably get home now though. It’s getting pretty late.”
“Do you need to call your dad to pick you up? Or we could drive you home. It is pretty late. Almost 11 actually. You shouldn’t walk alone at night.”
“I used to walk in the city at night, I’m pretty sure I can handle the deserted streets of Grayland.”
Genie’s mom looked hesitantly at her husband, but he shrugged.
“Are you sure?” she asked one last time. “We don’t mind.”
“I’ll be just fine!” I insisted. “I’m sure I’ll see you again! Thanks again for dinner.”
Genie hugged me at the door, asked me one more time if I wanted a ride home, then watched me as I headed off into the night. We only lived a few blocks away, so there was a curve quickly up ahead that turned me into our street, than 10 minutes later I was going up the gravel driveway to Dad’s house. He was awake, well not awake but rather sleeping downstairs in front of the TV.
“I’m home,” I told him as I shook his shoulder, waking him up.
“Oh, good,” he ground out, wiping the sleep from his eyes. “Guess I’ll head to bed than. You too?”
“Yeah, it’s late. See you in the morning.”
He nodded and waddled off to bed in his jeans and white t-shirt.
Upstairs I dumped my shoes on the floor, quickly tore off my sweater and tank, then shimmied out of my bootcut jeans before crawling into bed. The cool cotton felt beautiful on my skin, moistened with sweat from my brisk walk, and I was asleep in minutes.
The weekend consisted of me and Dad passively avoiding each other. We both spent the weekend at home, with the minor deviation of Dad going to church on Sunday. He had invited me but I politely turned him down. I hadn’t gone to church since I was a kid, and didn’t feel the need to since our current situation was temporary. Other than those short hours, we did our own things around the house, only eating dinners together as we regularly did.
So our routine became clockwork. A few words exchanged here and there between dinner and bedtime, and my days spent between Genie and classes. Clarence didn’t show up the next couple of days to school, and as disappointing as it was, I realized that I was getting obsessed so the distance was eventually appreciated. The next time I laid eyes on him, however… My entire body flushed with heat and my stomach fluttered, my head growing light with nerves.
Again we did our strange stare across the cafeteria, with only a small wave exchanged the first time we set eyes on each other. He studied, I ate, Genie’s tongue wagged.
“So? Are you going to go talk to him?”
“What am I going to say?” I groaned, stabbing my bunless hotdog with my fork. “I’m not interesting or hot or anything. I don’t even know why he approached me that day.”
“Maybe you should go find out than?” her eyebrow quirked.
“What do I say?”
“Hey sexy, you’re hot. Let’s make out?”
I groaned again.
“Like I would ever say that.”
“C’mon! You’re a senior now! It’s your last year of high school. Next thing you know we’ll be in college where grades actually matter and we’ll have no social life cause we’ll be studying all night long. Now’s the time to have some fun. You’re here for a few months, minimum. Why not have a tryst with a sexy Northwesterner to bring back to your friends in Tucson?”
“Did you just say tryst?”
“Is that honestly all you got from that speech I just gave?”
“I’ve never… I’ve never really dated a guy before. Just those awkward curiosity dates that the guys hope to cop a feel after. I haven’t gone on a date with a MAN before.”
“So? Now’s the time.”
I glanced back over at Clarence and he was chewing on his pen in the most adorable manner I’d ever seen.
“You’re toast anyway, Addie. Get him out of your system before you have to go home.”
“Maybe you’re right,” I agreed quietly and pushed food around my plate. “So what do I do? Just go up to him and ask him out?”
“Why don’t you start with a conversation? See where that goes.”
I nodded and glanced over my shoulder, Clarence’s dark blonde hair glimmering under the fluorescent lights. Man, he was handsome.
“Wish me luck,” I groaned as I took my tray and left the comfort of Genie’s table.
She squealed as I turned and headed straight to Clarence’s table. He looked up at me and a pleased smile twisted up the corners of his mouth.
“About that conversation,” I started as I stood in front of him, tray in hand, heart thudding faster than a race horse's hooves.
“Please,” Clarence said smoothly, standing slightly in his bench and waving to the spot in front of him. “About that conversation...”
I smiled and took a seat, feeling my nerves all firing off at once.
“I’m glad you approached me,” Clarence admitted, lining his pen up with his book, closing the cover to reveal an advanced chemistry workbook.
“Well, we didn’t get to finish our conversation before, and there’re a few minutes left before lunch is over. I figured now was as good a time as any to see if you’re any good at talking.”
His lips tipped into a half smile.
“So I have to show my skills as a conversationalist and then…?”
“And then maybe I’ll grace you with more conversation.”
He laughed. God it was a beautiful sound.
“I appreciate your humor,” he grinned, leaning forward on the table, resting his elbows on the top. “It’s not easy to get me to laugh.”
“So I’ve heard. Doesn’t seem too hard to me. Maybe it’s just my overabundance of charm.”
Another laugh.
The bell rang.
“Addie,” he said with a happy sigh. “It seems our time is up for the moment. But would you permit me to walk you home? We could enjoy more ‘conversation’.”
Permit him to walk me home? This guy talked like a grandpa, but it was so freaking sexy on him.
“Sure, you can walk me home. But no taking advantage of me when we’re alone.”
OH GOD! Did I really just say that?
His eyes twinkled.
“On my honor, I wouldn’t even dream of it,” he insisted with a grin as he stood again. “Until this afternoon.”
He gave me another almost imperceptible nod before grabbing his book and heading out of the cafeteria; his jeans hugging his butt and long sleeved t-shirt hugging the muscular expanse of his back, disappearing at a V to his little waist.
As I watched him leave, he threw a look over his shoulder, a knowing smile teasing his lips.
Caught. I was caught staring at his ass. It was almost embarrassing, if it hadn’t been for the pleased expression on his face and the wink he tossed my way.
Genie was right. I was freaking TOAST.
“Did he WINK at you?” Genie ran up to me, colliding as she whispered in excitement.
“He did,” I grinned, watching him as he disappeared through the double doors.
“I’m so jealous, Add. Seriously. I know those guys aren’t like… popular or anything, and maybe a tad weird, but DAMN he’s so hot! If you hit that you HAVE to tell me all about it. PLEEEEASE?”
I laughed.
“I don’t plan on hitting anything. But he’s walking me home from school.”
“So what? Your first date?”
“I don’t think so. Just...another conversation.”
“Conversation? The only thing you should be doing with your mouths is EACH OTHER. Geez, I’m going insane here. You can’t let me down Addie girl!”
“Oh stop,” I waved my hand around. “I don’t even know if I like him. Besides. Even though they’ve been short, I’ve liked
our conversations.”
“You’re lame,” Genie sighed and hooked her arm around mine, walking with me out of the cafeteria as the second bell rang.
Chapter Three
“Thank you for waiting,” Clarence said as he briskly approached. “My brother showed up for a minute to talk and kept me.”
“No worries,” I shrugged and stood from my spot on the lawn. “Do you still want to walk me home?”
“Of course!” he insisted. “Are you ready?”
Nodding, I started getting up from the grass when he extended his hand to me. I took it and he launched me up immediately onto my feet, his strength almost overwhelming, because I wasn’t a small girl by any means. Standing at an easy 5’9”, I was about 160 pounds with plenty of what Mom called ‘womanly’ curves. Clarence only stood a few inches above me somewhere around 6 foot, maybe 6’1”, but his body towered over mine. Shoulders, arms, head, everything eclipsed me and between that and the feeling of closeness as his fingers still wrapped around mine, I could almost see the flashes of light as electricity passed between us.
“Shall we?” he asked rhetorically as he tucked my hand into the crook of his elbow.
I simply nodded, my breath having sped up so much my only verbal response could have been sputtering and breathlessness. Neither of which I wanted Clarence to be witness too.
We started walking in silence, my hand tucked into his arm and our pace almost leisure.
“So, Addie,” he said eventually. “I feel as though we’ve talked twice now but we haven’t really said very much.”
“That’s cause we haven’t,” I agreed. “We’ve just flirted.”
He chuckled.
“Would you mind telling me a little about yourself, than?”
“Uh, sure,” I shrugged with my one shoulder not pressed against his. “I’m new here, been here almost 2 weeks now.”
“What brings you to the farthest reaches of the Pacific NorthWest?”
“Well, to be honest, it’s because my Mom’s cancer came back.”
“Addie, I’m sorry,” he said painfully, stopping to look at me for a moment. His deep eyes reflecting sympathy.
