by JL Paul
“Hmmm,” she said, tapping a finger to her bottom lip. When she’d first spotted them, she hadn’t intended to mention Jennifer Mansfeld but she couldn’t help it – couldn’t hold back any longer. “How about…oh…I don’t know… the Fall Festival dance?”
“Oh, hell,” Cole cursed, smacking his forehead. “I totally forgot!”
“What dude?” Jamie asked.
“I have got to get out of this,” Cole mumbled as he stood and paced. “Damn it!”
“Why?” Ally spat at him, launching to her feet to stand in front of him, fists firmly planted on her hips. “I know she’s been dying to get back together with you. What’s the problem, huh?”
“Okay, stop,” RJ ordered, squeezing between the two of them. “What the hell is going on now?”
“I forgot I’m supposed to go with Jennifer Mansfeld to the Fall Festival dance,” Cole explained sheepishly.
Ally tensed and rolled to her toes, reaching over RJ’s shoulder to shake a finger at Cole. “How could you forget? You asked her!”
“I didn’t ask her,” he shot back. “She kept bugging me about going and I finally just said okay to shut her up!”
“Oh, is that what it takes?” Ally asked, pushing RJ’s arm out of her way and moving closer to Cole. “I just have to keep bugging you for you to say okay?”
“Ally,” Cole warned, anger burning in his eyes, warning obvious in his tone. “It’s not the same thing and you know it.”
“Anyone got a knife?” Jamie asked as he grabbed Ally’s arm and pulled her back.
“No kidding,” RJ said, standing in front of Cole.
“What are you talking about?” Ally asked Jamie.
“Nothing, cuz, let’s walk,” he said, draping an arm around her shoulders.
She shook him off, once again close to tears, and snatched her backpack strap. “No. Leave me alone. I’m going to bed.” She shot one last angry glare at Cole before brushing past RJ and striding purposely down the sidewalk, the sound of her footsteps fading fast.
“Damn, you got your hands full,” RJ stated.
Cole ran his fingers through his already messy hair. “Yeah, I know.” He could still hear her stomping down the sidewalk and figured he only had a few more minutes to catch her before she made it to the girls’ dorm and out of his reach. “I’ll be right back,” he told them and tore off after her.
“Oh, man! So not good,” Jamie said.
“Why?” RJ asked in a panic. “I thought you wanted them to get together?”
“Yeah, I do. I meant he said ‘I’ll be right back’ and ran off in the dark after a psychotic girl. It’s a horror film’s dream!”
RJ laughed. “Yeah, we’ll find him gutted and hanging on the flagpole by the cafeteria tomorrow morning.”
***
His reached her before she could reach the girls’ dorms and she let out a shriek as he grabbed her arm and twisted her to face him. Her eyes grew when she saw who he was.
“Let go of me now,” she ordered, her jaw clenched.
“No, not until you and I talk,” he told her, yanking her off the sidewalk and into the dark near the cafeteria building.
“I have nothing more to say to you, Cole,” she said, standing with her feet slightly apart. She yanked her arm out of his grip and crossed it over her chest with her other one.
“Good,” he smirked. “Maybe you’ll shut up for once and listen to what I have to say.”
She gasped, astounded, dropping her arms to her sides. Her backpack slid off her shoulder and fell to her feet. “What do you mean, shut up for once? I listen to you all the time!”
“You do? You’re not exactly listening now.”
“I…ugh,” she fumed. “One of these days I’m going to smack that smirk right off your face Cole Crawford!”
He took a step closer to her, forcing her to take a step back. “I only told Jennifer I’d go to shut her up, I swear. I’m going to call her tonight or talk to her tomorrow and get out of it.”
She glared defiantly in his eyes. “Why don’t you just go with her?”
He stepped closer but she refused to budge. “I don’t want to go with her.”
She snorted, turning her head. “So, I suppose you want to go with me now?”
He grinned and touched her cheek. “Yep, you suppose right.”
She jerked her face away from him and took another step backwards. Her back brushed against the harsh bricks of the cafeteria building. “Well, maybe I don’t want to go with you.”
He paused for a minute, uncertainty flashing in his eyes. “Why not?”
She smirked at his uncertainty, gaining confidence, and took a step forward, away from the wall. “Maybe I want to go with someone who actually likes me and I mean for more than a friend.”
He stroked her cheek again, calling her bluff. “I like you more than a friend.”
The confidence she’d gained at his uncertainty left her like a bullet from a gun and she backed up once again. “But…what about all the things you said?”
He shrugged. “Maybe I wasn’t right about everything.”
She blinked slowly, allowing his words to penetrate. “What about our friends? What do you think they’ll say?”
He stepped closer and gently took her hand, tangling his fingers with hers. He rubbed his thumb over the top of her hand and felt the slight shiver rush under her skin. “They’re fine with it. Matter of fact, I think they were taking bets on us.”
She swallowed nervously, mind turning to mush at his mere touch. “You…umm…talked to them?”
“Yeah. Today. A little while ago.”
“What about our parents?” she asked as he gave her hand a squeeze.
“My dad isn’t bothered at all about it and he said he thought your parents would be thrilled.” He tilted his head, surveying her carefully.
“You talked to Nate? About us?” She asked, bewildered. He nodded. “You’ve certainly thought a lot about this.”
“I have,” he admitted.
“What about our friendship?” she persisted, squeezing his hand. “What if we don’t work out?”
“I thought you wanted this, Allyson,” he asked, a bit perturbed.
“Of course I do,” she exclaimed. “But you asked these questions and you made me think about them! And I did. Constantly. Now I want to know what your opinion is. I want this out in the open.”
He sighed and released her hand. He rubbed her arms before hugging her to his chest, resting his chin on the top of her head. “I think that you and I would be the best thing ever. But, if for some reason we didn’t work out, I think we’d be able to mend our friendship in time.”
When she edged back from his chest, her smile was slow and beautiful. She linked her hands behind his neck. “I agree.”
He bent his head and brushed his lips softly over hers. She broke the kiss abruptly and rummaged through his jacket pockets. “What?” he asked, confused.
She handed him his phone. “Call Jennifer. Call her right now. I know you’re a stud, Cole, but I’m still not letting my date take two women to the dance.”
He kissed her forehead and took the phone from her hand. He flipped it open and scrolled through his numbers until he found Jennifer’s. He called her and turned away from Ally, rubbing the back of his neck frantically. He talked for a couple of minutes then returned to Ally, shoving his phone into his pocket.
“Well?” Ally asked, worrying her bottom lip, not liking the look in his eyes.
“I told her I was sorry and that I shouldn’t have said that I’d go with her. I told her it was a mistake and I didn’t mean to hurt her.” He shrugged as if the whole thing were just some minor inconvenience. Maybe to him, it was.
“What’d she say?” Ally whispered, nearly holding her breath.
He smirked and inched closer, gripping her hips. “She said to have fun with Ally and then she hung up on me.” Before she could verbalize her astonishment, he dipped his head and kissed her.
Chapter Ten
Ally shuffled along the sidewalk on her way to the cafeteria, kicking the multi-hued leaves that littered the sidewalk, her mind filled with questions. She had practically floated to her room the night before and dreamt of nothing but Cole but when the harsh rays of reality woke her in the morning, new doubts had hit her.
Was she his girlfriend now? He had kissed her last night, slowly and thoroughly and her heart still turned when she thought about it. But did that necessarily mean they were a couple? And how was she supposed to act around him if they were? Or if they weren’t?
She reached the doors to the cafeteria and took a deep breath before entering. She decided she would just go in like usual, get her food and sit where she always sat. She’d let Cole take the lead from there.
***
He was totally aware of her the minute she walked through the door. He bent his head over his breakfast and fought off a smirk. He watched through his thick bangs as she chatted with a couple of volleyball teammates as she waited in line to get her food. He briefly wondered, as she made her way to their table, if she would sit in her customary seat across the table or in the vacant space to his left.
“Good morning, boys,” she said as she put her tray on the table, directly across from him, next to Jamie. She sat down and gave Cole a quick, shy smile.
“Morning, Al,” he said, draining his orange juice.
“You’re pretty peppy for a Monday morning, Ally,” Jamie observed, hiding his smile behind his juice glass.
“Yeah, no kidding,” RJ added, trying to keep a mask of innocence firmly on his face. “Something happen?”
She narrowed her eyes and transferred her glare warily from one to the other. “Don’t be morons,” she told them. She unwrapped her silverware, her eyes continuously darting between her friends.
“What?” Jamie asked, lifting his brows in mock oblivion. Ally recognized it immediately and wasn’t fooled in the least.
“Honestly, Ally, we have no clue what you’re talking about,” RJ continued, not able to meet her steady gaze.
She shook her head and picked up her toast. She nibbled on the ends but maintained constant vigilance over them, knowing sooner or later they’d slip and start ribbing her.
“Seriously, Ally,” Jamie said. “Did something happen last night?”
She knew they knew and were playing with her and decided she could play just as hard. She’d grown up with them, after all, and was more than familiar with their little tricks. “I have no clue what you’re talking about.” She lifted her chin arrogantly as she opened a carton of milk.
Jamie put his arm around her shoulder but she shrugged it off as if it was a pesky insect buzzing about her head and concentrated on her breakfast. “Come on, cuz, you can tell us.”
She turned her murderous glare on Cole who was calmly eating. He felt her gaze and looked up, raising a brow. “They’ve been bugging me all morning.”
“We figured since Cole wasn’t gutted and hanging from the flag pole that you two must have kissed and made up or something,” RJ said, admirably maintaining his look of innocence. He even had the gall to smile angelically at her.
Cole, who could stand it no longer, smirked at RJ and offered up his fist. RJ bumped it while Ally glared at them.
“I knew it,” Jamie proclaimed, practically bouncing in his seat. He leaned over the table to offer up his own fist.
Ally groaned. “You guys are pigs,” she complained as she grabbed her tray and stood, surveying the cafeteria.
“Where you going?” Jamie asked, puzzled.
“To sit with my new favorite cousin,” she retorted and marched to Jeana's table to plop down between her other cousin and her friends.
RJ whistled. “Dude, you pissed her off already.”
Cole shrugged. “A pissed off Ally is an amusing Ally.”
Jamie shook his head, grinning. “You were right; you’re terrible with girlfriends.” He paused and shot Cole a questioning look. “She is your girlfriend, right?”
“I don’t know, man,” Cole said, standing up with his empty tray. “We didn’t really discuss it.”
Jamie covered his ears and winced. “I don’t think I want to know what you did.”
Cole rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Don’t worry, there’s not really anything to know.” He took his tray to the appropriate place and waited for the other two. Ally remained stiffly seated beside Jeana and he figured he should at least rescue her to make up for earlier.
He nodded his head at his friends. “Come on,” he said, striding toward Jeana’s table. “We owe it to Ally to save her.”
As he walked up behind her, her spine grew rigid, signaling that she sensed his presence. “Ladies,” he greeted with a charming smile, causing half the table to either blush or giggle.
Jamie sat down next to a cheerleader, stole her toast, and gave her a wink. She giggled and scooted closer to him. RJ sat on Jeana's other side and grinned.
“Go away you idiots,” Ally mumbled, her jaw set and her eyes hard.
Cole bent over and placed his mouth next to her ear. “You don’t really want that do you?” he asked. Before she could answer he continued. “I came to rescue you, like a gentleman, and walk you to class.”
“Thanks but no thanks,” she muttered, trying unsuccessfully to stifle a shudder.
He put his hands on her shoulders and gently massaged them. “Please excuse us, ladies, but Ally and I have a matter to discuss.” Two of the girls shot Ally envious glances and she just rolled her eyes. She groaned and got to her feet, snagging the strap of her backpack. She reached for her tray but Jamie stopped her.
“Leave it, cuz,” he told her with an apologetic smile. “I’ll get it. It’s the least I can do.”
She shrugged and started to swing her backpack on her shoulder but Cole beat her to it, removing it from her hands. She narrowed her eyes, her lips pressed so tightly they turned white. His lips twisted into a smirk.
“Ready?” he asked, grabbing her hand after hoisting his own backpack over his other shoulder. He didn’t wait for her reply.
She yanked her hand away, red anger coloring her cheeks. “Yes, let’s go.” She waited until they reached the sidewalk outside of the building before she turned on him. “You are such a jerk,” she said through clenched teeth. “I don’t know why I ever wanted to be with you!”
He stopped, grabbed her face gently, and kissed her. “Good morning, Al,” he whispered.
She gaped at his smirking face, all the angry words she’d wanted to spew at him evaporating from her tongue, never reaching air. “You…you can’t just do that to me!”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Why not? You don’t want me to kiss you?”
“That’s not what I meant,” she said, fury dancing in her eyes. “You can’t just act all ‘he-man who conquered the woman’ to your friends and then just kiss me and expect me not to be mad!”
He shrugged. “They’re your friends, too.”
She clenched her fists, anger on a roll. “You are so infuriating!”
“I know,” he said as he dipped his head and kissed her quickly again. “That is why you want to be with me. You find it charming,” he said as he took her hand and dragged her down the sidewalk. “Come on. It’s chilly out here and you’re going to be late for class.”
***
Cole’s entire face pulled into a frown when he entered the cafeteria that evening for dinner. He hadn’t seen Ally since that morning - not even at lunch – and he couldn’t see hide nor hair of her now. He wondered if she was still upset and therefore avoiding him. He grabbed some pizza and a soft drink and sat down next to RJ.
“You guys seen Al today?” he asked, his eyes darting between his friends.
“Just in class,” Jamie said. “But I didn’t get a chance to talk to her.”
“I just wondered why she didn’t eat lunch,” Cole frowned.
RJ smirked as he chewed a huge hunk of pizza. “She’s
probably still mad at you, man.”
Cole sighed, his shoulders slouching. “I’m sure.”
Just then the doors opened, allowing the cool autumn breeze to blow through the room and send a stack of paper napkins flying. The girls’ volleyball team sauntered in, still dressed in practice clothes, though some of them had thrown on sweatshirts to protect them from the October chill.
Ally grabbed a bottle of water and threw herself down next to Jamie. She plunked her head on the table and groaned.
“Brutal practice?” Jamie asked.
“Yeah and we’re not done,” she murmured, still head first on the table. “Open this, please,” she asked Jamie, handing him the bottle without lifting her head.
He opened it and set it on the table in front of her. “You need to eat something, cuz,” he said.
She picked her head up and sighed. “I will. Give me a minute.”
“Why the long practice?” Cole asked. She looked at him and smiled, causing his heart to skip a beat.
“We’re playing St. Francis on Thursday. They’re the only school that beat us last year during regular season and they beat us in the playoffs. Coach is on a mission.”
Jennifer Mansfeld walked past with two other girls from the team and glared at their table. Cole watched her carefully before turning back to Ally. “Is Jennifer giving you a hard time?”
Ally laughed and glanced over her shoulder. “I can take her.”
Cole smiled warmly, knowing she was probably right but hoping that things between Ally and Jennifer never came to blows. “Yes, but still, is she giving you hassles?”
“No,” Ally told him slowly as she got to her feet. “I’m getting some food. Anyone want anything?”
They all declined and Cole kept his eyes on her as she walked away. Her dark hair hung in a loose pony tail and swung freely behind her back. She was dressed in navy blue shorts, one of Jamie’s Woodsedge Academy football sweatshirts, and had her navy knee pads pulled down covering her shins. She grabbed two slices of pizza and another water bottle before returning to the table.
“Where were you at lunch?” RJ asked after he watched her wolf down her first slice.
