Bending Under Pressure

by Lindsay Paige

  “Count us down, Hales,” I tell her, flexing my fingers on the stick.

  “Three, two, one,” she rushes.

  I laugh as we take off. Remembering she loves the speed, I get us going fast as soon as possible, so it doesn’t have to end sooner than it has to. Haley is much more relaxed than before. Our stomachs drop like clockwork as we drive over the hills and down the other side. Before long, I have to downshift before we get to the curve.

  “No,” Haley says softly and I can hear the pout in her voice. “It’s over too soon. We need to find a road that’s longer and doesn’t have curves. Can we go again?” she finishes, glancing over her shoulder at me.

  “Eyes on the road, Hales.” I chuckle when she quickly rolls her eyes and faces forward again. “And I’m afraid not. We need to get back so you’re not late getting home.” I stop at the end of the road for the stop sign. “You should get back in your seat. The last thing we need is for someone to see us like this.” I unbuckle the seatbelt.

  Haley surprises me when she doesn’t get out. Instead, she turns a little in my lap. The motion makes me want to groan as all the dirty thoughts I’ve had since I met her start bombarding me.

  “The guy who gets me to sneak out, go racing, and lets me sit in his lap while we drive at insane speeds wants to make sure I get home on time?” she smirks.

  “Yes, because how can we hang out when you aren’t sneaking out if you’re grounded?”

  “I guess you have a point,” she sighs in agreement.

  I grin. “Then get your butt over there.”

  “Fine.” She opens the door and runs around the car.

  Once she’s inside and is safely buckled in, we head back to my house. It doesn’t take us long, but it’s too soon. We get out and I walk with her to her car. I open the door for her and she turns to face me, turning her keys over in her hands.

  “So, you’re coming to my matches tomorrow?”

  “Yep.”

  “Keelan,” we turn to see Cam standing on the porch. “Glad you’re back. I need your help whenever you’re done.”

  “All right.”

  He disappears inside and Haley says, “I guess I should go then. Thanks for today.”

  I want to kiss her again, but I refrain because as much as I hate it, I don’t have the courage right now. Maybe it’s because Cam interrupted the flow of things. “I’ll text you later,” I say before kissing her cheek.

  She nods before getting into her car. I watch her leave before going inside and to find out what Cameron needs my help with.

  “Hey, Haley.”

  I smile as I take a seat next to Seth. “Hey.”

  “Did you have any trouble with the worksheet?”

  Worksheet? “Crap,” I mutter as it hits me. “I totally forgot about it.” I pick my bag up from the floor and unzip it, searching for the piece of paper. I think I put it in my binder and yep, there it is. The homework I was supposed to complete and instead was too busy contemplating my dad’s text and then hanging out with Keelan. Dad said he felt bad and wanted to meet me for dinner. I told him I couldn’t because I had a tennis match. The good thing about telling the truth is it bought me time.

  “Here.” Seth slips his paper onto my desk. “You have two minutes.”

  I glance at the clock and see he’s right. Two minutes until class starts. “Thank you.” Quickly, I jot down the short answers, purposely getting two wrong because I’m paranoid that it’ll be obvious. It probably wouldn’t because we just had to pick words from a box and match them, but still. With a smile, I return his paper. “You’re a lifesaver.”

  Seth grins. “Any time, Haley.” He flicks his eyes to the front of the room before leaning toward me a bit. “My birthday party is a pool party. It’s Sunday if you want to come. It’ll be the last fun summer thing before it gets too cold,” he adds as if he needs to convince me. When I don’t immediately agree, he continues, “Everyone will be there.”

  “Like Jess?” I definitely wouldn’t want to go alone. Plus, if Jess is there, then I can bet a certain pair of brothers will also be there.

  “Yep.”

  “Tell me the time and place and I’ll be there.”

  His grin widens. “Sweet.”

  The teacher claps her hands to get our attention and class begins. About halfway through, Seth rips the top corner off his sheet, writes something down, and passes it to me. He gave me his number to text him and he’ll text me the details in case I don’t ride with Jess. Honestly, I thought things might be weird with him after he asked me out, but they haven’t been. I’m so thankful because he’s my fourth period buddy. I have Keelan in first, Jess in second, everyone in third, and then I sit near Seth and do group work with him in fourth.

  He’s pretty cool. If I weren’t hoping for something to happen with Keelan, I probably would have gone out with him. Is it bad that I turned him down because of that? Should I have said yes because Keelan and I aren’t technically something? But I think it would have put a damper on things with Keelan if I went out on a date with Seth. Obviously, right? Ugh, I don’t need to overthink this. It’s done and over.

  Once the bell rings, I quickly grab my things and head to my car. We have ten minutes to make it to the courts. Nervousness flutters in my stomach. Keelan is supposed to watch today. Usually, I don’t pay attention to whoever is watching, like my mom, my dad, or Walter, because it distracts me. How in the world am I going to focus with him here? How can I acknowledge him while ignoring him?

  There’s no time to think about it.

  Everyone seems to arrive at the same time. Coach Spell sends us straight to our stretching and only a few laps before he sends us, four a court, to rally for warming up. Jess stops to wave and blow a kiss to Cam when she notices they arrive. I only smile at Keelan. His returning grin is heart stopping.

  “So, how many times have you kissed Keelan?” Jess asks as the ball is returned to us.

  I completely miss the hit. “Jess!” I glare at her. “How can I get ready for tennis if you keep asking me that?” I ignored her when she asked the moment we got here and that has only made her ask me more. She’s relentless.

  She shrugs nonchalantly. “I’m curious. Cam said you were over there again last night.”

  I groan. Cameron has a big mouth. I swivel on my feet to face where the guys are sitting on the bench on the other side of the fence. “Stop telling her everything, Cam!”

  The brothers look confused, and it makes Jess laugh. “Just tell me.”

  “I don’t want to,” I say for the millionth time. Kissing Keelan is one thing, but telling people, even my new closest friend, is another thing. It’s private.

  “You don’t think he hasn’t told Cam and that I could easily find out anyway?”

  I falter during my return, the ball hitting the net. Would Keelan tell his brother about that? Did he tell him about the hilarious way we fell out of the hammock?

  “Hold your freak out,” Jess laughs. “I was kidding. Wow, you really don’t want anyone to know what you two do, do you?”

  I force a laugh to hide that I was indeed freaking out. It’s just the thought of someone else knowing and being included in what’s already an intense moment is scary. “I’d rather it be on my own terms if I do discuss it,” I say instead because that’s part of the truth as well.

  Jess nods. “Okay. I’ll patiently wait on all the dirty details of you and Keelan then. It’s been forever since he’s had a girlfriend. and I didn’t like her, so it’s not like I could hear about his love life from her.”

  “Jess?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Please shut up.”

  She laughs and we focus on the job at hand. Finally. Coach Spell calls us together for his pregame speech. It’s nothing special or motivational. He simply reminds us each of our strengths and to do our best.

  My first set goes okay. My opponent wins it though. It’s as if I’m off-kilter or something. My swings are a moment too late, my aims slightly
off, and my feet too slow. I get killed in the second set. I try to remind myself that the girl is simply good, so it’s possible my play isn’t as bad as it seems, she’s just that good. Her serves are strong and fast. Her returns are spot on and I’m running back and forth across the court like crazy because she keeps hitting them on opposite ends when she can. Plus, every so often, she manages to hit it so it lands close to the net on my side. I suck at the front of the net! And then, there’s the disaster of the doubles match. I’m so out of sync with Jess and we get clobbered.

  My shoulders droop after shaking hands with the winners. Of course, I have to lose in front of Keelan. My eyes widen when I turn to see not only my father but also Carly standing next to Cameron and Keelan. They’re talking! What is he doing here? Why is he talking to Keelan? Why did he bring Carly? How can I escape? I’m overwhelmed by all my feelings. Anger. Hurt. Envy. But I have to admit to a twinge of happiness.

  “Haley?”

  I snap out of my stare and turn to Jess frantically. “Please, please, please find a way to get Keelan away from him.”

  “Who is it?”

  “My dad!”

  “Aside from the obvious, we don’t want him around Keelan...why? You’re really freaking out, Haley.”

  “Because I’m not talking to him!” I rush out in a whisper. “He cheated on my mom, and that girl is part of his new family. Tell me how I can leave without anyone noticing.”

  Jess gives me sad eyes as she wraps an arm around my shoulders and we begin to walk to the court exit. “We’re in wide open spaces. There’s no way to leave without them noticing, especially when they’ve already spotted us.”

  As if this couldn’t get any worse, Walter and Mom are standing near Coach Spell, who is gathering everyone around. They aren’t frowning because I lost. They know Dad is here. I quickly run to them first.

  “I didn’t invite him,” I blurt out. “Can you get rid of him? Please? I’m not ready, Mom.”

  “Haley!” Coach Spell yells.

  Crap. I’m the only one not there. I give one last pleading look at Mom and Walter before jogging away. I stand so I can see what happens next. Mom and Walter exchange a few words as Keelan, Cam, Dad, and Carly get closer. My heart hammers faster in my chest as Walter walks over to Dad; Cam and Keelan break away from him. Why isn’t Mom talking to him? Why did she send Walter?

  My lungs stop working as I hold my breath, watching my stepdad shake my dad’s hand. He’s most likely introducing himself. I can spot the moment when Dad realizes who he is, when he spots Mom standing a few feet away with her stony glare. Dad straightens his posture. He glances my way, and I feel like a deer in the headlights, frozen under his gaze. He’s too far away for me to really read his face.

  Then, he nods and walks back to his car with Carly in tow. Coach Spell dismisses us. I think I surprise everyone when I run over to wrap my arms around Walter’s neck and hug him. It wasn’t until I was faced with seeing Dad that I realized I’m so not ready to deal with what happened yet.

  “Thanks.”

  Walter chuckles. “You’re welcome.”

  I pull away, feeling awkward now that the moment is over. When Mom comes over, her stony glare on me, I’m confused. What did I do?

  “How did he know you were here, Haley?”

  A touch of guilt washes over me, even though I’m certain it shouldn’t. “He texted me yesterday.” Mom perks an eyebrow, waiting for me to explain. I see Keelan from the corner of my eye, obviously waiting for me. “He said he was sorry and wanted to do dinner. I said I had a match. That’s it. Can we talk about this later? My friend is waiting.” I tilt my head toward Keelan, bouncing on my toes with eager excitement, even though I lost.

  “We will be discussing this later,” Mom promises. She gives me a hug. “Good game. You have an hour before you are to be home for dinner.”

  The moment they step away, I quickly walk over to Keelan with a ridiculous, goofy grin. “Hey.”

  “Hey,” he says with a mega-watt smile. It drops as he continues, “Sorry about your matches, Hales.”

  “Can’t win them all, right?”

  Keelan nods. “Right.” An uncomfortable looks passes on his face as he rubs his hand over the top of his head a few times, from his forehead to the nape of his neck. “So, turns out, I met your dad.” When my shoulders sag, he wraps an arm around my shoulders and leads me to the bench. “Want to talk about it? He said he was here to surprise you.”

  “Oh, he surprised me all right,” I mumble. “Maybe I’m not so ready to give him a second chance. I mean, did you see me hug my stepdad? I barely spoke to him before I found out what my dad did.” I pause. “He didn’t happen to say why he brought the girl, did he?”

  Keelan shakes his head. “Sorry. Will it make you feel better to know that I’m supposed to meet Natalie again on Thursday?”

  “How are you feeling about it?”

  He shrugs. “Kind of excited, but mostly unsure.”

  I bump his knee with mine. “I think you’re brave.”

  “What? Why?” He frowns.

  “Well, you don’t really know her, right? Just what you remember when you were a kid? You’re practically throwing yourself into an unfamiliar situation head on. Makes you brave.”

  Keelan laughs. “I wouldn’t say I’m throwing myself into it head on, Hales.”

  “You’re still doing it.” He shrugs and doesn’t seem to want to talk about it, so I move on with a smile. “You’re a lucky guy, you know.”

  “Oh, yeah? How come?” He bumps his knee against mine and it sends a bolt of electricity through me. I wonder if he feels it when I do the same to him.

  “You get to see me Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Seth invited me to his party.”

  He gives me his perfect smile again. “I am very lucky. So, why does Jess want you to stay over?”

  “She says we need girl time. Do you think I should be worried?” I joke.

  “With Jess, you should always be a little worried.”

  I laugh because I totally get what he means. Jess is a firecracker. My stomach rumbles, and I’m thankful he doesn’t seem to have heard it. “I should get home.”

  Keelan nods, stands, and holds out his hand. I take it. He walks me to my car, opening the door for me once I’ve unlocked them. His gaze drops to my lips. Then, he quickly looks into my eyes before placing a hand on the back of my neck and bringing me to meet his lips. Oh, boy. I’m so not made for kissing hot guys who know how to kiss. My entire body slacks, my knees weaken, and each breath is stolen from me because he’s inhaling them all. But I seem to steal each one of his.

  When he steps back, releasing his hold on me, I sigh dreamily like the crazy girl that I am. It just slips out!

  “Had to make up for the hammock incident,” he says in a low voice.

  “You’re redeemed,” I whisper.

  Keelan laughs. “Good. I’ll text you.”

  With that, I get into my car and head home. The good, high feeling Keelan left me with disappears when I walk into the kitchen. Mom doesn’t waste a moment.

  “Why didn’t you tell me your father contacted you?”

  “I didn’t realize you needed to know. I’ve never told you before.” I plop down at the table and start making my plate.

  “I thought after what happened, you would. It’s hard to know what’s going on with you when you won’t talk to me, Haley.”

  “You don’t exactly make it easy, Mom,” I snap. God, she all of a sudden wants me to tell her my every move? Is she serious? Even now, she won’t talk just to me. She’s having what I think should be a conversation between the two of us in front of Walter. I push my plate away from me and stand. “I’m not hungry anymore. I’m going to shower and go to bed.”

  “Haley, we need to talk about this.”

  “Talk about what?” I shout as I whirl around. “He texted me. I didn’t tell him to come. In fact, I didn’t even ask you to come! I shouldn’t have to tell you when Dad texts me.
I wanted to tell you, but I felt bad because part of me wanted him to come and it didn’t feel fair to you. I didn’t say anything because I thought you would be upset and now you’re upset because I didn’t tell you. It’s impossible to make you happy unless my name is Walter!”

  I turn on my heels and make a run for my room, locking the door behind me. Why is it so hard to get along with my mom?

  Natalie: Can I come to your game tomorrow then?

  I’m such a freaking idiot.

  An hour before I’m supposed to meet with Natalie, I text her to cancel. I’m tired, I have homework to do, and honestly, I don’t want to go. Maybe I’m conveniently procrastinating, too. And now, she’s sent me that message. How weird is it that she knows tomorrow is a home game for me? Is she following my football schedule?

  Ugh!

  I hate this.

  Me: Sure.

  “Shouldn’t you be getting dressed to meet Natalie?” Cam says as he enters my room, sitting down in his usual seat.

  “I canceled, and now, she’s coming to the game tomorrow.” The pressure I always carry around gains about a hundred pounds. There’s pressure to be a good kid for my parents. Pressure to do well in school. Pressure to excel on the field, so I can hopefully get a football scholarship. And now, I have the pleasure of adding the pressure to give Natalie a chance, to show her I’m just fine without her, and to prove myself. I don’t even know why I feel like I have to prove myself, and my family, to her, but the pressure to do it is there.

  What if I crack and break under pressure? I feel like I already am.

  Frustrated, I run my hand over my head.

  “That’s cool,” Cam says, ignoring my distress. “Why did you cancel?”

  “I have homework,” I reply simply, even throwing in a shrug for good measure.

  Cam laughs. “Good enough, I guess.” He clears his throat and rubs his knuckles over the five o’clock stubble on his cheek. The dude can grow a beard like no one’s business, but Jess doesn’t like it, so he keeps his face clean-shaven. He’s nervous about something. He always rubs his knuckles along his jaw.