nowhere

by Marysue Hobika

  The song playing sounded like a cat getting run over. I didn’t understand how anyone could enjoy the sound of twangy country music. “We’re here?” I stuttered. “We’re out in the boonies, Tyler. Be serious.”

  “I am.” He jumped out. Emma and I exchanged looks before cautiously following Tyler’s lead.

  “This is where you go for fun on a Saturday night?” Emma asked. “What’s there to do out here? Get eaten alive by mosquitoes?” She swatted her leg.

  At least I wasn’t the only one who thought this was absurd.

  Before Tyler could defend himself, another car approached.

  “The boys are here,” he shouted, a note of excitement reflected in his voice.

  “Hopefully, they remembered the beer this time. This is supposed to be a B.Y.O.B. party,” Austin noted with sarcasm.

  “A what?” I asked.

  “Bring Your Own Beer, duh. Last time they didn’t bring any, the leeches. Tonight I could only muster a twelve pack, and that won’t be nearly enough.”

  “Wait.” I held up my hand. “We’re miles from civilization just to stand around and drink beer?”

  “Exactly,” Austin responded, shrugging his shoulders.

  “Don’t forget we’re also here so you can meet some friends,” added Tyler.

  “I can hardly wait,” I mumbled with sarcasm.

  “Hey guys,” Tyler called to the three unusually large guys who piled out of a black pickup truck. Tyler shook hands with two of the guys and slapped the other one on the back.

  I waited for a secret handshake, but thankfully there wasn’t one. “I want to introduce you to my cousins who just moved here. They’re going to be starting school with us in September.” He led them over to where Emma and I leaned against his truck.

  “Hi, I’m Emma.” Emma looked at me, standing next to her, and added, “This is my big sister, Mike. Her real name’s Mikayla, but everyone calls her Mike.”

  I didn’t need Emma to speak for me, but since I didn’t want to be here in the first place, I let it slide.

  Tyler introduced us to a guy who instantly reminded me of him. If I didn’t know better, I’d think they were brothers. They had the same color hair and similar haircuts, but different eyes. Tyler’s eyes were big and brown like mine, while his friend had small hazel eyes. He must be Tyler’s best friend. It was weird how sometimes best friends tended to look alike. People were always asking if Paige and I were sisters, and seemed surprised when we told them no.

  Sure enough, Tyler introduced him. “This is my main man, Casey. He and I go way back.”

  “We’ve been friends since the first day of kindergarten,” Casey agreed. “Tyler was so dumb back then he couldn’t even read his own name. He took my crayon box instead of his own. I set him straight and we’ve been watching each other’s backs ever since.” Casey smiled, which caused his small eyes to close. The rest of the guys joined in the laughter.

  I bet this whole town was full of friendships that went way back. Their camaraderie made me miss Paige more than ever.

  Tyler continued to introduce us to the rest of his cohorts. “This is Tank.” He pointed to the biggest guy. “I wasn’t sacked one time last year thanks to him.”

  “I admit, I don’t know much about football, but even I can see why you go by Tank.” I raised my eyebrows as I took in the sheer size of him. He was easily the biggest and the thickest guy I’d ever met. I couldn’t help but wonder how many grades he’d failed.

  “And this here’s Ray.” Tyler mentioned what position he played too, but I’d stopped paying attention. Ray was the cutest of the three, with shaggy blond hair and clear blue eyes. Compared to the other guys, he actually looked like he put some thought into what he wore. Unfortunately, he’d doused himself with way too much cologne. I could smell him from three feet away.

  “Hi,” I said simply, without adding anything more. I wasn’t into small talk, especially when it centered around football.

  Austin opened the tailgate of the truck and lifted down the cooler. Casey noisily added two six packs and a handful of Smirnoffs that he’d brought.

  “We have a whole case now. Hope it’s enough,” commented Austin.

  “Wow, Aunt Carol must really be slipping,” I said, peering into the cooler. “What did she honestly think we were going to do tonight, go on a late night picnic?”

  Tyler laughed and threw a beer to each of his friends. He held one out to me in a questioning gesture.

  “No thanks.” I couldn’t stand the smell of beer, let alone the taste. The mere thought of drinking one made me nauseous. How anyone could drink the nasty stuff was beyond me.

  “What about you Emma, you want a cold brew?”

  “Sure.”

  Say what? Since when did Emma drink beer? She was a dancer who worshipped her perfectly sculpted body. She wouldn’t even drink juice, because she said it was too fattening, let alone beer. I shook my head in disbelief.

  “You should have one, Mike.” Emma tried to coax me into taking a beer.

  “No thanks. I’m all set.”

  “You’re such a buzz kill. You know, a beer might help you relax and loosen up a little.” She frowned. “You’re just afraid to have fun. Sometimes I can’t believe we’re actually related.”

  “I know the feeling.” I cringed as she took another sip of the foul-smelling brew. I hoped Emma knew what she was doing. If beer smelled that bad going down, I could only imagine the stink of it coming back up. My stomach did a back flip just thinking about it.

  Tyler interrupted our argument, shouting in order to be heard over the hillbilly music. “Liz and her friends are here.” I watched as two fake blondes and a brunette got out of a Jeep Liberty that just joined the party.

  The girl wearing the tiniest tank top and the shortest shorts marched directly over to Tyler, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him hard on the mouth. I even saw a flash of tongue.

  I hated public displays of affection. It only proved how shallow a person was. As soon as the make-out session was over, Tyler introduced his girlfriend, Liz, and the rest of her friends to us. Emma joined their little circle to talk about cheerleading tryouts, which left me standing alone in the middle of the dirt road wishing I hadn’t come. I should have stayed home and called Paige.

  Casey saw me standing by myself and came over to talk to me. “Hey, I’m Casey.”

  “Yeah, I remember Tyler saying that.”

  “You’re going to be a senior, right?”

  “Right.”

  “Me too. We should hang out together sometime.” His gaze went from my face, slowly down to my feet, and then back up.

  I didn’t like guys checking me out like I was a piece of meat. A shiver shot down my spine.

  “I don’t think so,” I responded harshly. Then I caught Tyler’s eye, and he winked at me. I decided to let him down easy, since this was Tyler’s best friend. “It’s just that I’ll be busy unpacking and getting settled in. I promised my mom I’d help her set up her classroom. She’s going to be the new freshman English teacher.”

  “Well, I can help you find your way around school if you want.”

  “I’m sure I’ll be able to find my classes.” Wow, this guy just didn’t get it. “I’ll tour the school while I’m helping my mom.”

  “Independent. I like that in a girl,” he said, moving closer. His breath smelled like cheap beer and bad bologna. I thought I might be sick. I took a giant step back, but Casey didn’t seem to notice and kept right on talking. “You like football, right?” Not giving me a chance to answer, he continued, “I’m a starter. We have two practices a day right now.”

  “So I’ve heard.” I wondered if he detected my intentional note of sarcasm.

  “It’s exhausting, but it’ll be worth it when we have another undefeated season. Coach is riding us hard so we’ll be ready for our opening game against our biggest rival, the Spartans.” He barely took a breath, obviously enthused about his football. “I can’t wa
it to see the look on their faces when we crush them.” Casey crushed the empty beer can in his hand to emphasize his point. “You’ll have to come to the game. Everyone in town comes to watch us win. I play a defense position called free safety. It’s my job to read the other team’s QB and stop the team from scoring a touchdown. Let’s just say, it’s usually a total blow out.”

  Obviously, he’d taken one too many hits to the head. How was it possible for one guy to talk so much and say so little? Did he really think girls were into listening to someone go on and on about themselves? This guy was a real piece of work.

  “I don’t follow football.” I couldn’t resist the dig. I had to swallow laughter when he looked at me like I was from Mars.

  He quickly shook my remark off and asked, “Would you like to wear my away game jersey to school on the day of our opening game?”

  “Excuse me?” I stuttered. What was he talking about? Did he just ask me if I wanted to wear his smelly jersey?

  “Well, on game days we all wear our home jerseys to school to show spirit and get everyone pumped. We each ask a girl to wear our away jersey that same day,” he explained slowly, as if I was some kind of an idiot.

  There was no way in hell I’d ever wear Casey’s—or any other jock’s—filthy, sweaty jersey. If this was common practice in Nowhere, then the whole town must be mental. Not to mention the fact that I couldn’t care less about school spirit; I didn’t even want to be a student at Railroad Mills High. I needed to put a stop to this madness. He hadn’t taken the hint when I was trying to be nice. So, I gave him a malevolent look and hissed, “Casey, I’m not interested in wearing your dirty jersey. I’m happy wearing my own clean and boring T-shirts.” I gestured toward what I was wearing.

  Casey took it as an invitation to check me out again before he said, “Oh, okay, Mike. Just let me know when you change your mind.” He walked over to the cooler and grabbed another beer.

  I stared at him, thinking he had no reason to be so cocky. I was never going to change my mind about him. He was the kind of guy I stayed as far away from as possible. I let out my breath. Now that he was gone, I could breathe freely again.

  Emma cheerfully approached. “The cheerleading tryouts are on Monday.” She grinned. “I’m so excited. I hope I make the squad. I mean, why wouldn’t I? I’ve been dancing and tumbling my whole life. These girls are great.” Emma seemed so optimistic and bubbly. I wished I’ve could mustered that much enthusiasm.

  Instead I rolled my eyes, but before I could comment, another truck came rambling down the road, its bright headlights aimed at us, momentarily blinding me. A few seconds after the driver cut his lights, I watched as everyone exchanged looks of surprise. Apparently, no one else had been expected at this shindig.

  “Ah, shit!” exclaimed Austin angrily. “What’s he doing here?” He turned to Tyler. “I didn’t know you invited him, too?”

  Whoever he was, no one seemed happy about his sudden appearance. Immediately, my curiosity was piqued.

  “I didn’t invite him. Just because we had a good practice today, and he caught all the passes I threw at him, doesn’t mean I suddenly want to hang out with him.” Tyler shrugged. “I can’t imagine how he knew about this.”

  A hush settled over the small circle of friends. Several seconds ticked by as everyone looked at each other curiously. The only sound was the buzzing of mosquitoes and a low and melancholy voice singing about a broken heart.

  All at once, Ray nervously spurted, “Oh, no. Sorry guys. It must have been me. I saw him uptown today at the mini-mart getting gas and I mentioned how we were all gettin’ together to meet your cousins.” He glanced in our direction. “I didn’t know you didn’t invite him. I think he’s kinda cool,” he added sheepishly, looking at his feet while waiting for Tyler’s reaction.

  “Damn it, Ray! I swear your mama dropped you on your head when you were a baby.”

  A few of the guys laughed.

  Ray’s face turned red. “I said I was sorry.”

  I felt bad for Ray that Tyler was going off on him. As kids, he always had a temper and he’d lash out for the stupidest reasons. Like the time I got his new kite stuck high up in a tree and he screamed at me until I climbed a rickety old ladder to get it down. I guess I thought he would’ve outgrown that by now.

  The mystery man’s pickup truck was more rugged and older than the other trucks there. I wasn’t prepared for what happened next. The hottest guy I’d ever seen hopped out and confidently strutted over to where we were all standing. My gaze moved upward from his dusty cowboy boots to his strikingly handsome face. I gasped, in pleasant surprise. I hadn’t thought it possible for such a combination of good looks and perfect body to exist anywhere, let alone in Nowhere.

  He had on faded blue jeans and a long-sleeved button down shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His muscles were taut and natural looking, as if they were a result of hard work and not from pumping iron in the gym. He smiled at me when he realized I was unabashedly checking him out. He had the deepest set of dimples I’d ever seen on a guy. I bet they’d be there even when he wasn’t smiling. I looked directly into his unusual green eyes and wondered—who was this football-playing cowboy? Where’d he come from? And why didn’t anyone want him here?

  Chapter Four

  Dooner

  “What’s going on Tyler, Austin...guys...and…girls?” I asked, nodding in turn at each of them until my eyes stopped on an unfamiliar brown-eyed beauty. I knew instantly that she must be Tyler’s cousin, because they shared the same color hair and eyes. I could tell right away that she was different. The girl was a breath of fresh air. She looked as out of place here as I felt. For the first time ever, I was glad that I came to a party.

  Drop-dead gorgeous, she had a natural beauty, one that didn’t need make-up. She was tall, probably close to six feet, with legs that went on and on in the short jean skirt and flip-flops she wore. She stood straight, her head held high, and her hands tucked in her back pockets. Some tall girls slouch in an attempt to blend in, but not this girl. Everything about her screamed confidence. Her long, brown, curly hair was original too, curls going in every direction. I could get lost in that mass of curls. It was impossible to look away. She was checking me out, too, staring at me as if she could see right through to my soul.

  “We’re hangin’ out, drinking beers, and shootin’ the shit,” Tyler answered. He must’ve noticed my eyes were still locked on his cousin’s because he added, “Oh, yeah…my cousins just moved here from California today. I’m introducing them to everybody.”

  I didn’t waste a second. I walked over to her and extended my hand. “I’m Dooner.”

  “Dooner?” she questioned. “What the hell kind of name is that?” She shook my hand. Her hand felt soft in my rough one.

  Tyler and his sidekicks chuckled.

  “Dooner isn’t my real name. It’s just what everybody calls me.”

  “Why?”

  “My last name is Muldoon, so I go by Dooner for short.”

  “Do you have a real name?” she asked.

  “Of course, doesn’t everybody?”

  “Well, what is it? It can’t be worse than Dooner?”

  “My real name is James Scott Muldoon.”

  “James.” She repeated it back slowly, nodding her head. Coming from her lips, it sounded like pure heaven. “I like it. You look more like a James to me than a Dooner.” Her smile lit up the dark dirt road.

  “Well, now that you know who I am, the question is do you have a name?”

  “Of course I do. Doesn’t everybody?” She turned my words around.

  “Well, I’m waiting.” I gave her one of my most sincere smiles.

  “I’m Mike.”

  “Mike? What kind of a name is that for someone as beautiful as you? All the Mikes I know have deep voices and hair on their chests.”

  “Mike is short for Mikayla,” she said in a huff.

  I could see a fire brewing behind her dark eyes. I liked
a challenge. That’s been part of the problem with all the girls around here—they were too easy and predictable.

  “Well, I don’t like the name Mike for a girl. It doesn’t suit you. I’m going to call you Mikayla.”

  “Fine, just don’t expect me to answer if you do, James.”

  I looked down for the first time and realized that I was still holding her hand.

  She followed my gaze and quickly let go of my hand. I didn’t want to loosen my grip, but I did.

  “You’re…a friend…of Tyler’s?” She stuttered the question, as if she knew there was some friction between her cousin and me.

  “We’ve known each other forever,” I answered in an offhanded tone. Now was not the time to tell her that the word rival would more accurately describe our relationship.

  “Hey Dooner, you want a beer?” Tyler asked, holding out a can. He knew I didn’t drink. Ever. He was trying to make me trip up in front of his honey sweet cousin.

  “No thanks, man. I’ll pass.”

  “What a surprise,” mumbled Casey under his breath.

  It was no secret that I didn’t drink. Hell, I was sure that was partly why no one invited me to parties anymore. That and the fact I rarely showed up. They couldn’t understand why I didn’t join them in getting drunk every weekend. I had my reasons for not drinking—I just didn’t share them with anyone.

  Then I noticed I wasn’t the only dry one at this gathering. “You’re not drinking, Mikayla?” I looked at her empty hand.

  At first she didn’t answer. I thought I’d pissed her off because I called her Mikayla and not Mike, but after several seconds she said, “No, I don’t drink. It smells repulsive and undoubtedly kills brain cells.” She glanced around at the fellow partiers.

  I laughed. Wow, this girl was knocking my cowboy boots off. She was full of surprises. All the girls I’d ever hung out with loved getting wasted and acting foolish. I wondered what other unexpected and intriguing qualities she had.