Sell Out

by Tammy L. Gray

  “People take loyalty very seriously here. But I can’t condone violence.”

  My mouth dropped. “Wait, Henry just said he was in a car accident.”

  “Henry’s learned how to lie. Truth is, some guys jumped him for showing up at school during senior skip day. They wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to rat them out again.”

  My head ached. Henry hadn’t exaggerated when he said he was an outcast. But to hurt him that badly? “How could they—”

  “I’ll stop it.” Our eyes connected, and there was a fleck of something dark in his. Like he shared my outrage. “There are some perks to being the king of Madison. This is one of them.”

  I felt a hint of something I couldn’t define. It wasn’t Blake’s fault that Henry was jumped; yet, something in me wanted to put distance between the two of us. Maybe it was the casual way he said “king,” like he was proud to hold puppet strings over the entire school. Or maybe I was just looking for any excuse to justify my growing fascination with his quiet friend.

  *

  Cody didn’t sit next to me in sixth period. He took a chair three rows up. The same one he sat in yesterday when he didn’t text me.

  He’d kept his promise not to tell my secret, and that should have been enough. But it wasn’t. He said I might be his soul mate and then completely stopped talking to me. Who did that?

  I reached down and slid my phone into my lap.

  Me: Any advice on a movie choice for tomorrow?

  His motions were so slow I barely caught them. But he reached back, pulled a phone from his pocket.

  Cody: I’ve been scolded for texting you in class

  Me: What? By who?

  Cody: Doesn’t matter

  Me: What if I want you to text me?

  Cody: Then I’m flattered. Big plans tonight?

  Me: Date night with my dad. It’s our Friday ritual.

  Cody: Movie premier or rock concert?

  I smothered a laugh. I guess my life was a little fairytale-like. Daddy made Fridays an event. One time, he’d left a trail of presents to the movie theater we had in our California home, the final one being a visit from Kelly Clarkson, who was just as cool in person as she was on stage.

  Me: I think it’s just Monopoly tonight. :)

  A dark-headed guy leaned over and whispered something to Cody before looking back at me. I didn’t recognize him, but his stare said he knew exactly who I was. I didn’t like it.

  Cody: Gotta go. Don’t spend too much time in jail.

  Me: You either.

  I eased my phone back into my bag, a weird creepiness taking root in my gut. Who would tell Cody not to text? And why would he listen?

  CODY

  I was the first to show up at the movie theater on Saturday. It wasn’t intentional. In fact, if given the choice I wouldn’t be there at all. I needed a Skylar cleanse. I’d known her less than a week and already felt addicted.

  She kept my stomach in a constant state of unease. The way she chewed her pen in class or touched my shoulder when she sat at our lunch table yesterday. The way she watched me with those transparent eyes that said she wanted to know all my secrets.

  A flash from headlights pulled my attention to the parking lot and the sweet black Mustang that Skylar drove. Her hair was the first to emerge—red and curly with all the sass and fire I’d expect from the daughter of Donnie Wyld. What I didn’t expect was her genuinely kind nature or how comfortable she was in her own skin. I didn’t expect the confidence she carried that lacked any conceit.

  “Hey!” Her bright smile had me pushing off the wall. It took a monumental amount of self-control, but I resisted pulling her into a hug. “Are we the first ones here?”

  “Yep. Seems that way.”

  She looked around at the movie posters lining the outside walls then back at me. Her fingers tugged on the locket around her neck. “Wow, I’m never the early one. I guess I’m nervous.”

  I wanted to take her hand in mine. Calm her nerves. But if I started touching her, I wouldn’t stop. With Blake coming in minutes, that was equal to starting a war I couldn’t possibly win.

  I cleared my throat. “So, who won last night?”

  “My dad! I couldn’t believe it. He never wins.” Her face lit up when she talked about her father. It made her eyes sparkle like blown glass. “I blame you. You jinxed me with all that jail talk.” She lightly hit my arm, sending heat to my middle. I should’ve run five miles before coming to the movies instead of three.

  I pulled out my phone to check the time. They were late. A blessing or a curse, I wasn’t sure.

  “Can I see your playlist?” Skylar asked.

  “Is that supposed to be a pick up line?”

  Her cheeks suddenly matched her hair. “No. I just want to see if you’re really the great music guru you claim to be.”

  I smirked, feeling completely sure in my music selection. “Don’t start a battle you can’t win.” I pulled up my iTunes before handing her my phone. She tapped and studied the screen. I moved closer to see what she found so fascinating. Big mistake. She smelled like springtime after a rain, when the sun has just popped through dark clouds.

  Her finger paused. “ ‘Redemption Road’ is your most played? It didn’t even get air time on the radio.”

  I slowly took the device from her. She couldn’t possibly understand what her father’s music meant to me. How that song kept me sane when my life was darkness and despair. “Yeah. It’s your dad’s best one.”

  “I think so, too.” She slid back into her carefree tone. “Your others aren’t bad either. Hendrix, Rolling Stones, Nirvana. It’s passable.”

  I flinched. “Passable?” I claimed to be good at two things—wrestling and music. No way I was going down without a fight. “Okay, rock star princess, let’s see what you listen to.”

  She put her phone into my waiting hand and allowed me to invade her iTunes. I think I fell in love with her right then. The girl knew music. Half the songs on her playlist had never even broken the top 100. Except one. The one I chose to focus on in hopes it would make my heart stop pounding.

  “You listen to One Direction? Really?”

  Her brows scrunched in a deliciously cute way and she leaned in, giggling. “I forgot that was on there.”

  “My image is ruined. The daughter of Donnie Wyld listening to pop music.” I “tsked, tsked” and passed the phone back.

  “Hey. The rest are stellar choices.” She gripped my shirt playfully and looked up. We were so close that if I leaned in a few inches, I could end my suffering and kiss those beautiful lips. “And, besides, Harry was really sweet to put that on there for me.”

  I rested a palm on the cool brick wall behind her. It closed the gap buzzing between us. Skylar was shorter than me by several inches, but I loved how she didn’t back away. “I’m going to forget you just said that.”

  She studied the curve of my bicep then refocused on my face. I’d been around women enough to sense attraction, and her eyes said I wasn’t the only one wondering what it would be like to make contact.

  A double honk had us both jumping. I took two giant steps backward. They weren’t far enough. My hand still trembled, and my pulse was creeping into manic speed.

  “Skylar!” Zoe waved from her open car door and slammed it shut. The passenger side opened a second later and my nightmare evening was confirmed. Jill Spencer—Blake’s little present—and she looked ready to pounce.

  “Hey, sorry we’re late,” Zoe said when she reached us. She hugged Skylar, and then she threw me a scowl that made me wonder if I offended her in a former life.

  Jill didn’t bother to say anything. She sauntered right up to me, gripped my face and pushed her lips on mine so hard my mouth hurt. It took a second for the shock to wear off, but she was already letting go by the time I processed what happened.

  “Hey, baby.” Jill smirked and wiped her red lipstick off my open mouth. She slid her arm around my waist. “Hey, Skylar. Blake is just behind
us. Zoe was so sweet to pick me up at the last minute.”

  Zoe rolled her eyes. “It’s not like you gave me much choice.”

  Jill blew her a snide kiss and latched on to my arm. The wide sidewalk outside the theater suddenly felt very narrow. I dared to look at Skylar for the first time since Jill’s display. She wouldn’t meet my eyes and instead gave Blake the hug I wanted for myself.

  “I’m a jerk. I’m so sorry we’re late.” Blake stared at me from over her shoulder and there was no doubt he’d seen something he didn’t like.

  Chugger bounced onto the sidewalk and lifted his hands. “My fault, Skylar.”

  Our circle had become a square with Jill and I banished to the outskirts. Blake released his hug and slid his hand into Skylar’s. I wanted to rip it right out.

  “It’s fine. Really. Cody was already here.” She fingered the locket again and met my stare for only a millisecond before glancing away.

  “I bet he was,” Blake said with an affection as fake as Jill’s nails. “So, you ready for some pool?”

  She smiled, but it wasn’t the same one she had on earlier. It looked unsure and forced. “Sure. But I must warn you. I’m really good.”

  “Oh, no, we have a fighter,” Chugger teased and belted out four air punches as if to demonstrate.

  The foursome walked toward the double glass doors on the arcade side of the theater. Zoe giggled like Chugger was the king of her universe. Stupid girl. At least I understood the whole group date thing now. Zoe wanted to be Chugger’s next castaway.

  Jill held me back from following. When they disappeared inside, she dropped her arm and spun around to face me. “Do you have a death wish?”

  I started walking. The last thing I wanted was Jill’s advice.

  She gripped my bicep and tugged. “Cody.”

  I blew out a frustrated breath and turned to listen.

  “This won’t end good. You know that.”

  Yeah, I knew it. But when Skylar was near, I forgot to care.

  SKYLAR

  “Earth to Skylar.”

  Zoe waved a hand in front of my face blocking my view of Cody at his locker. His jeans hung just slightly lower than his hips and each time he lifted a book, I could see a strip of tan skin. Tight, muscled tan skin.

  I closed my eyes and sucked in air. “Sorry.” The guy was driving me crazy. Cody…the gorgeous, emotionally shut off, made my heart swoon, most fascinating person at Madison… hadn’t looked at me all week. I’d even texted him two awesome songs that he never acknowledged.

  “Who were you staring at?” She leaned around me to catch a peek, but it only led to another warning glare. She had sent at least twenty of those my way on Saturday. “Chugger’s having a party on Friday. Will you come with me?”

  “I can’t. Every Friday is a no-go, remember? Dad time.”

  “You can’t get out of it?” she growled.

  “I don’t want to get out of it.” The chemo hit my dad hard this week. Vomiting, more pain, sleeping five to six hour stretches in the afternoons. But it was like that last time, too. A sure sign we were fighting back.

  She sagged against her locker. “Fine. I guess I’ll skip it too. My other friends won’t go, and no way I’m getting stuck with Jill again.”

  Her name scratched at my skin. “What’s the deal with her and Cody, anyway?”

  “Who cares?”

  Odd. Zoe usually loved to gossip.

  She picked at a fraying paper from her binder. “They’re both terrible people.”

  “What? Why do you think that?”

  Lockers jerked open and clanged shut. Chatter filled the hall, and I watched Cody head up the stairs without a look in my direction. Or anyone’s direction for that matter.

  Zoe’s voice lowered. “Do you remember I told you that some girls were really mean when I first got here?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, Jill was the ringleader. They acted all nice to my face and then slammed me behind my back. I even ate lunch at their table for like two weeks before I found out.” Her lip quivered, and it took her a second to continue. “And Cody’s not a whole lot better. He doesn’t do the commitment thing or the whole date in public thing, so he just uses Jill when he needs…you know.”

  Her “you know” made me wish I could have rewound time and never asked.

  Zoe shook my arm. “Forget Cody. You have Blake Mason, the perfect boyfriend.”

  Perfect was subjective, and Zoe and I had a very different definition. Yes, he was cute, but he also knew it. Yes, he’d invited Henry to join us at lunch yesterday when I asked him to, but Blake didn’t speak to him. Yes, he was a perfect gentleman, kissing me on the cheek when he walked me to my car. But his touch didn’t make my skin burn, and his love for rap music was sacrilege.

  Plus, I was pretty positive Blake’s interest in me was less about me, and more about his ex-girlfriend. When he saw her, he would either shift closer or longingly stare at her until she disappeared.

  “Hey, what do you know about Lindsay?”

  “Only that she’s as much of a skank as Jill. Why? Are you worried they’ll get back together?”

  More like wishing for a solution. “Just curious. Everyone talks like she and Blake were on the marriage track.”

  The warning bell rang, and Zoe and I became engulfed in a mob of seniors heading toward fifth period. We followed the crowd, but Zoe remained close enough to give me the scoop on the school’s favorite jock.

  “From what I’ve heard, Blake and Lindsay began dating freshman year but broke up this summer. Last year they were like the ‘it’ couple. Did everything together. I swear Blake worshiped her.” Zoe grimaced. “Oh, gosh, Skylar. That sounded bad. I’m sure he’ll feel the same for you eventually.”

  “It’s fine, really.” She didn’t understand her words were more a relief than a slam. From the beginning, I sensed something missing with Blake. Now, at least, I knew what it was. We both wanted someone else. “Why did they break up?”

  We entered class and took our usual seats by the back window. Zoe leaned in. “She cheated on him this summer. No one knows who with. Blake found out about it or maybe Lindsay told him, I don’t know. But he broke it off. I’ve seen her crying in the bathroom more than once.” She shrugged and pulled out her book. “It’s poetic justice if you ask me.”

  I nodded because it seemed like the right response. But nothing felt right. Not Blake or Cody or Jill or Lindsay. It all felt like the real story hid behind a thousand shadows. And I was so sick of complications. Just once, I wanted something in my life to be easy.

  CODY

  Blake strolled into my room, looking cocky as ever in his jeans and tight Trojan wrestling shirt. “Come on, man. I’ve got a hundred people at Chugger’s just waiting for us to get there. I’ve been calling you for the last hour.”

  Yeah, and I’ve been avoiding you for the last hour.

  He closed my calculus book. “You can finish this weekend.”

  I set my pencil down and leaned back, the leather chair squeaking in protest. “No can do. I’m on lockdown tonight. Parentals say I’ve been out too much lately.” It was a total lie and Blake’s “yeah right” expression said as much.

  “Since when? Your parents are usually kicking you out of here.”

  As if on cue, my mom walked in the room and set a laundry basket on my bed.

  Hands on her hips, she sent me a reprimanding stare. “I want this done now, and fill it up with your dirty clothes when it’s empty.” She’d asked me to put away my clothes at least five times. Now I wished I’d just done it.

  She turned a smile to Blake. “How’s school going this year?”

  “Wonderful, Mrs. J. I was just trying to talk Cody here into hangin’ at Chugger’s house tonight. You know, going through some strategy for our first match.”

  Mom quickly glanced in my direction but ignored my pleading eyes. “Well, if you can get him to put his clothes away, he’s all yours.” She turned back to me, her
pleased expression reminding me how happy she was that I now had a social life. “If it gets late, stay there and come home tomorrow.”

  Great. She just ruined my excuse not to drink.

  My mom patted Blake on the shoulder, told him it was nice to see him and exited the room leaving a whole lot more than laundry in her wake.

  Blake smiled smugly. “Get your undies put up so we can go.”

  I sucked in a frustrated growl and grabbed a pile from the basket. Blake picked up a picture of me on the podium at state and examined it while I stuffed shirts and socks in my drawers.

  “Skylar coming tonight?” The question burned in my mouth and made my phone feel heavy in my pocket. I hadn’t sent her a text all week, despite the numerous drafts I’d started.

  “Nah. She does some kind of date thing with her dad on Fridays. Why do you care?”

  “I don’t.”

  “Good.” Blake set the frame down and watched me finish emptying the basket. “’Cause I get the sense you’re holding out on me.”

  I didn’t like his tone. It was calm, like the eye of a storm. Blake had never been one to yell. He didn’t need volume. He had all the power.

  “Nope.” I tried to repress thoughts of Skylar: the way her forehead wrinkled when she concentrated or the fact that I’d played her two songs on repeat for days now. “Just trying to focus on the season. More pressure this year.” This, at least, was a partial truth. I still hadn’t been back to the gym, unwilling to grovel after Matt had thrown me out.

  “You sure that’s it? You’ve been a walking bad mood for days now. Ever since Saturday at the movies.”

  The temperature spiked and sweat beaded around my collar. “Nah. Just need to relax.”

  “I agree. We’ll have to make sure that happens tonight.” Blake pulled his keys from his pocket and strolled toward my door.

  Grabbing my own set, I told myself this was the last time I’d let him dictate my weekends. “I’ll follow you.”

  “Whatever you want. It’s not like you’ll make it home tonight, anyway.”