“He didn’t mean it. He was just joking around, trying to get Nate to stop—” He clamped his mouth closed as if he’d already said too much.
“To stop what?” I asked, suddenly curious.
Dax shook his head. “Never mind. You know he can be a bit competitive, but he would never hurt someone on purpose. It was just a chain of unfortunate events.”
I closed my eyes for a second and gave a mirthless laugh. “I don’t know why you’d think I cared, Dax. Jake stopped being my responsibility a long time ago.”
Without waiting for a response, I turned and got to work on the booth. Lou was already on the phone with the insurance company and whoever else needed to be contacted about the incident. Claudia had practically dropped at the idea of cleaning up glass and blood. As long as I was careful, I could at least make it look less like a murder scene.
Only two more hours were left of my shift by the time I finished, and it seemed word had spread through Rosemont already. We got a few customers who actually wanted food, but the rest either came inside to look at where the incident happened or congregated outside the window, talking loudly about it.
As per usual, the story had escalated to unfair proportions, but there wasn’t much I could do. Jake was probably going to get some sort of probation, as long as Nate’s parents didn’t decide to sue him. Just one more reason I was better off steering clear of Jake White.
I rode my bike home, pulling into the driveway to lights on in every room. My dad’s old truck was there, which was some relief. After all that had happened that night, I just wanted to go in, shower, and head to bed. With Dad there, I wouldn’t have to wrangle Derrick into getting his homework done.
“Penny, I’m so glad you’re home,” my dad’s voice came from around a corner as I entered the house. He appeared and wrapped me in a hug. “Where’s your car?” His eyes glanced out the window.
“Still at the school. It wouldn’t start after tryouts today. Jake gave me a ride home, and then I rode my bike to work.”
He grabbed my face, turning it from side to side, looking for something. “Are you all right? You’re not hurt or anything, right?”
I pulled at his hands gently, feeling a bit claustrophobic. We weren’t the most touchy-feely family in the world, and I needed a bit more space. “I’m fine, Dad. Why the sudden concern?”
“Mrs. Montgomery came out when I was finishing mowing their yard and told me about the incident at the diner. I was worried something had happened to you, but you haven’t answered any of my calls or messages.” I could see the worry lines etched into his face. “I tried to call the diner, but the line was busy. I came right home just now to make sure you were all right, or I was going to head down to the diner and check on you.”
“Sorry, I must have forgotten to turn the ringer back on after tryouts. You know how Coach Dean always was about phones. I turned it off just in case the new coach was similar.”
My dad’s arms wrapped around me once again, and this time I let him, knowing he’d probably been panicking for the past few hours.
“Steer clear of the White boy from now on, all right? Sounds like he’s a magnet for trouble, and I don’t want you getting hurt.” He let go, and I took a step back.
“No problem there, Dad. I try to avoid him anyway.”
As I glanced up at him, my dad looked through the window at the White home, his head shaking back and forth a bit. “I’m not sure what happened between you two, but it sounds like it’s good you don’t hang out with him anymore, with the accident and now this. Although, you might’ve been a good influence for him. We all know his dad isn’t the best example.”
“Yeah, I’m just really tired, Dad. I’m going to take a shower and head to bed. Talk tomorrow?”
When he nodded, I wasted no time in jogging up the stairs. I needed the silence to put everything together.
My dad’s words echoed in my mind. I recalled those months after Jake started avoiding me, the hurt I felt at his betrayal of our lifelong friendship up until that point. Even if I’d had the chance, would I really have helped him avoid the problems he’d already been in?
I thought about Mr. White and all Jake had gone through because of him. He was a workaholic who tended to worry more about Jake’s stats on the ball field than anything else. Even as a young kid, I was scared of his temper. That’s probably where Jake got it from.
Not that it was my problem. I had to stay focused on the prize. A scholarship was the only way I would get away from Rosemont and create the life I wanted.
I looked at my bulging backpack on the floor and sighed. It wouldn’t be a quick shower and then bed tonight. I had too much reading to get done for the next day and an essay to finish.
Chapter 8
Jake
“You sent a kid’s head through a window?” My dad’s voice on the other end of the line caused my whole body to clench, as if he’d be able to deal me another blow through the phone. I’d turned off my own phone as it seemed the gossips had already done their job spreading the news around town.
The police had dropped me off at home thirty minutes earlier after Nate’s parents decided not to press charges. With Dax, Ben, and Colt’s side of the story, it was ruled an accident, but we’d have to pay for the window. Which is why I had to call my dad, who was on business in Missouri.
“It was Nate, Dad. We were joking around. He punched me, so I punched him back, and when he tried again, I dodged it and shoved him. The momentum just carried him through the window.”
There was a quick pause, and he said, “Well, at least you didn’t lose. I’d hate to have a son who can’t win in a fight.”
I wasn’t sure what to say. It wasn’t until my father said those words that I realized how much appearances really mattered to him.
“I’ve already gotten a call from the owner of the diner, and they want the window fixed.”
“Are you going to pay for it?” I asked, ready to be done with this conversation.
“No,” he said, his voice gruffer than at the beginning of the call. “You’re going to do that. You’ll work off the cost of the window at the diner. Lou knows you play baseball, so he’ll make sure to schedule you around practices and games. But I told him you’d be working for free until the end of the school year.”
“For free?” I stood and slammed a fist into my pillow. At least it was softer than Nate’s nose.
A mocking laugh sounded through the line. “Yes, for free. Just because I work hard to give you everything you have doesn’t mean you’re going to squirm out of anything else, young man. I got you off scot-free from the accident, even had your Jeep fixed up when the insurance wouldn’t pay the full amount. But it seems you need to learn a few things about life.” He paused a moment, and I fell back on the bed, knowing this was going to be the longest few months of my life.
“Jake? I’ve got to go. Tell your mom I’ll be home next week. I’ve got to meet some clients for drinks. I better have no more phone calls about your behavior, you understand?”
“Yes, sir,” I choked out through the anger brimming in my throat. I hung up the phone and was ready to chuck it across the room when I remembered it was my mother’s. I took it back downstairs, finding her in the kitchen. “Here’s your phone, Mom.”
She turned around, stirring a cup of tea, the dark circles under eyes looking more prominent than they had in a while. “What did he say about the window?”
“I guess the owner already called him. Dad made a deal so I have to work at the diner for free until the end of the school year to pay it off.” I spat out the last few words, feeling the injustice of it all.
“Maybe this will be good for you. Because it doesn’t seem like you learned your lesson from Troy’s death.” She raised her eyebrows as she took a sip from the cup, her words slicing through me. I’d learned plenty from the accident, and with the nightmares that recurred several times a week, I wasn’t sure I’d ever forget. “You might want to call your coach and
tell him what happened. I’m sure if you wait until practice tomorrow, he won’t be too happy to find out then, if he hasn’t already.”
I scrubbed my hands over my face. “That’s just the conversation I want to have right now. ‘Hey, Coach, I kind of pushed Nate through a window.’”
“Would you rather still play baseball or be suspended? Doesn’t he have a no-violence policy?”
I nodded. Coach also had a no-alcohol policy he’d put into place ever since his star third baseman died driving home from a party. Even with a phone call, I might not be playing baseball this year. And that, most of all, crushed me.
When the police had gotten word to me that Nate just needed about thirty stitches and several butterfly bandages, I don’t think I could describe the relief. At least he hadn’t lost his sight or anything. After that worry had worn off, I’d moved on to baseball. My teammates would be furious, but my coach would be irate.
“I’ll go call him right now. Then I’m heading to bed.”
“Good night, dear. Make sure you stay quiet. Your sisters are already in bed.”
I trudged up the stairs and past my twin sisters’ room, hearing them giggling about something. Probably boys.
Turning my phone on, I lay on my bed and wrapped an arm under my head, holding it up a bit. My text message sound went off several times, most of them from numbers not saved in my phone. I clicked on the phone icon and found my coach’s number. It rang a few times, and I hoped it would go straight to voicemail. My heart skipped a beat when I thought he picked up the phone, but luck was on my side.
After the beep, I said, “Hey, Coach, this is Jake. There was a little mishap today at Lou’s Diner. Nate and I were joking around, and I pushed him harder than I thought, right through the front window. He’ll be okay, and I’ve never felt worse. Just, uh, call me tomorrow.”
I clicked end and chucked the phone onto my desk. Falling back on my bed, I closed my eyes, wishing for this day to end. But as usual, the demons of my past came out in full force. It was going to be another long night.
Chapter 9
Penny
I wiped the sweat from my forehead and stood on the line once again, getting ready to run the next sprint. Coach Ambrose had led a decent second day of tryouts, but it had quickly turned into practice with the twenty-two remaining girls. Just like most of the coaches I’d had before, we were ending with conditioning, and combined with the Texas heat even at the end of January, my legs and chest were feeling the intensity of it.
We were set up in lines of two, paired with someone who was about the same speed we were so we “could push each other to the finish,” as Coach explained. Starting from the foul pole on the first base side, we ran the warning track to get to the pole on the third-base side. I was paired with Lacey Montgomery, one of the sophomores this year, and for a minute I was sure I was going to lose, until a burst of energy surged through me and I crossed the line two steps ahead.
“Nice run,” Lacey said, hands on hips as we walked back and forth, waiting for the rest of the pairs to go.
“Thanks,” I said, breathing hard. “I needed the push from you.” There were times when I thought I should just quit the high school team and make sure to keep my grades up because I’d get a scholarship from my travel team anyway. The competition wasn’t nearly as tough as my other team, but with the amount of work we’d already put in on day two, it seemed Coach Ambrose had dreams of taking a state title.
We ran and ran until several girls threw up on the side. My stomach didn’t often get rattled, and even I was feeling the effects of the sprints.
“Okay, we’re done for today,” Coach Ambrose said, to a host of exhausted cheers. “Bring it in for a cheer.”
Now that practice had ended, my brain turned to the rest of the evening. I was scheduled again at the diner, meaning I had to hurry. Since my car still wasn’t working, I’d asked Kate to come back and get me so I could make it home with enough time and get to the diner. As I passed the baseball field, I glanced at the guys as they took grounders and fly balls on one side of the field while several were doing batting practice at home plate.
The coach tossed a ball from behind a screen to someone at the plate, and as he swung, I recognized the fluid motion of Jake’s swing. I’d worked for years to get my swing to be a cheap copycat of his, yet he barely practiced but seemed to swing with ease, sending the ball into deep left field.
He turned at that moment and saw me, a bright smile on his face, before settling back into the batter’s box. I caught myself swooning a bit and shook my head, stomping in the direction of the parking lot and making sure to keep my eyes straight forward. I wasn’t going to let him invade my life and then drop it like he’d done so long ago.
“Hey, girl. How was practice?” Kate asked as I got into her car. “Wow, you look a little pale. Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. We just had to run a lot at the end, and I need some water.” I pulled my backpack from the back seat and dug around inside, looking for the water bottle I carried around at school. Taking a long swig, I breathed in, grateful I was in a car I trusted this time.
“How was your day?” I finally asked now that my tongue didn’t feel like a thick paperweight in my mouth.
Kate grinned. “It was really good. We worked on a bunch of posters for the girls’ game on Friday and then started talking about prom. We haven’t come up with a theme yet, but I’m so excited for it.”
“Prom is, like, months away. Aren’t there dances in between you have to get ready for?” Not that I was some sort of dancing expert. I’d only gone to one of the girl’s-ask dances in the fall, and that was only because Kate had forced the rest of us to go. As far as the formal ones, I wasn’t experienced in those.
“True. But the others are just smaller dances here at the school. With prom, we have to reserve the building it will be held in and get most of that done now, or else we’ll be in the school gym just like all the other dances.”
Kate had always been the outgoing one of our eclectic friend group, and Junior Class President definitely fit her. She was the most organized person I’d ever met, and I loved that she got so excited about things, even if I wasn’t that into them.
We arrived at my home with a few minutes to spare, and I thanked her for the ride before running in and changing once more. Grabbing my bike, I glanced at the clock on my phone, telling myself I was going to make it to the diner in thirteen minutes this time instead of sixteen like the day before. Yes, I’m just that competitive.
“Hey, Lou,” I said when I arrived, readying my apron. “How’s everything tonight?”
“We’ve got a lot of customers. I’m thinking some of that has to do with my large window being covered in cardboard.”
I looked through the kitchen window and saw several pieces of what looked like boxes duct-taped across the opening from the day before. “Well, it looks like you got some free advertising anyway.” I smiled as Lou chuckled, holding his stomach.
“Sara has already complained that customers just want the scoop on what happened before they order.”
I waved him off. “It’ll be fine. It’s not that exciting here in town, so when something like this happens, everyone swarms to it like flies to fruit.”
I turned to leave, then Lou said, “Oh, we’ve got a new hire that will be here in about an hour. You’re training, so get ready.”
“Who?” I asked. Our town was no city, and there was a chance I could know the person. At least knowing who it was would help me prep to teach them what they needed to know about working here.
“You’ll just have to wait and see.” The glint in his eye made my teeth clench. Lou liked surprises, but his usually turned out to be less than pleasant.
The hour passed quickly as I juggled trays of food and poured countless amounts of water and soda into glasses. The bell rang, and I turned to greet the new worker, only to see Jake White grinning at me.
“Seriously? Lou didn’t ban you f
rom this place?” I asked, setting the pitcher of water back on the waitress stand and moving past him to the kitchen.
“He probably thought about it, but I guess he wanted to get some compensation for the window,” Jake said from behind me.
I stopped and turned. Lou’s grin earlier came to mind, and my stomach sank. “You’re the new hire?”
Jake wiggled his eyebrows and chuckled, something I used to find so funny. Right now I just wanted to knock the smug look off his face. I probably would have, too, if there weren’t so many people watching.
Shaking my head, I turned back toward the kitchen and walked in, stopping a few inches from Lou. With my hand on my hip, pointing behind me, I looked up at him and glared. “Really? This is the surprise?”
Lou turned to see who I was pointing at and nodded. “Might as well get some work out of him for the damage he did to my window.”
“And what if he breaks another one?”
“I’m right here,” Jake said, waving.
“Better get training him. I just heard another bell, and he’ll need to get some of the tables cleaned up.”
I grinned, suddenly realizing I wasn’t training him as a waiter but as a busboy. “I’ve got it from here.”
After a couple steps to the rack of aprons, I grabbed one and tossed it to Jake. He caught it and stared at it a few seconds as if he had no idea what to do with one.
“It’s called an apron,” I said, emphasizing the words slowly and with my hands. “You wear it around your waist.”
For the first time since he’d bumped into me in the hall the day before, he frowned, and the thrill of satisfaction at making fun of him didn’t quite feel how I thought it would.
“I’m not an idiot, Davis.” He pulled the strap around his head and started tying the strings around his waist. Once he’d finished, he crossed his arms and looked at me, eyebrows raised. “What’s next?”
The Perfect Play: A Boy Next Door Young Adult Romance (Rosemont High Baseball Book 1) Page 4
