Good Luck Charm

by Kellie McAllen

  “Unwrap my sausage, will ya?” I ask, feeling silly and a little horny, and a laugh bursts out of Kerri.

  “Is that what you say to all the ladies?” she retorts, grinning at me.

  “Only the one’s I trust to touch my meat.” I grin back, and she winces and laughs.

  “Glad to know I make the cut.”

  Kerri pulls the sausages out of the fridge and slices open the package while I tip the dough out of the bowl.

  She watches, fascinated, as I cut it up into sections then roll one out into a long rope. “Sausage?” I hold out a hand to her, and she slaps a sausage on it.

  I roll the sausage up in the dough in a neat spiral like a total pro. “Easy, huh? Wanna try?”

  “Sure.” Kerri shrugs and grabs a sausage, rolling it up like I demonstrated.

  “You’re very good at wrapping sausages, Kerri. Are you sure you haven’t done this before?” I wiggle my eyebrows at her, and she grins and shakes her head.

  “There are just so many jokes that could be made about this, Connor. If my brothers were in here, we’d never hear the end of it.”

  We roll up the rest of the sausages, then I grab a box of baking soda and pour some into a measuring cup. “Now for the fun part.”

  I dump the soda into the boiling water, and Kerri gasps because it fizzes and bubbles like it’s going to explode. It never does, though, and I drop a couple of the sausages into the water then pull them out after a short soak. They look slimy, and gooey, and nothing like soft pretzels, and Kerri gives me a skeptical look.

  I laugh. “I know they look gross now, but this will make them brown up nicely and give them the right texture.”

  When all the sausages have had their bath, I brush them with butter and sprinkle salt on top then pop them in the oven, dusting off my hands.

  Kerri leans against the counter, crosses her arms, and stares at me, looking surprised and impressed. “You’re really something, Connor Murphy. I don’t think anybody would’ve ever guessed that you could do all that.”

  I grin and dip my head when I feel my cheeks start to turn red. “It’s no big deal, really.”

  “Well, I’m impressed.”

  Kerri starts cleaning up while I heat up some nacho cheese, and by the time we’re done the food is, too. When I pull the tray out of the oven, Kerri’s mouth falls open. The dogs have completely transformed, and they look and smell incredible.

  “Should we just take them to the living room since your dad can’t really sit at the table? They’re finger food.”

  She waves a hand. “Yeah, that’s fine. We eat half our meals standing in front of the open fridge.”

  I carry the tray into the living room and set it down on the coffee table. For half a second, everyone stares at it, then suddenly they swoop in like vultures. They groan as they eat, taking huge bites, smacking their lips, and double-dipping into the nacho cheese like barbarians.

  I take one, and it’s just as delicious as it looks — salty, yeasty, meaty, and cheesy. The tray is empty in minutes, and Kerri’s brothers are staring at it like they’re hoping more will fall from the sky, even though I made enough for everyone to have two, and Kerri and I only ate one each.

  “I guess next time I’ll make a bigger batch.” I grin, happy and relieved that they liked it. I’ve never cooked for anyone but my family before.

  “You’re coming over again tomorrow, right?” Niall says, and everyone nods and begs me.

  “Kerri, if you’re not gonna go out with him, can I?” Sean teases.

  “Don’t worry, he likes tacos better than sausages,” Kerr fake-whispers, and I blush while the rest of her family cracks up.

  We hang out, watching TV and talking till the game’s over. I stand up and stretch and wonder if I should get going. I’m having a great time, and the day has flown by. It’s not late, but I’ve been here a long time, and I don’t want to overstay my welcome.

  Kerri gets up and stretches, too. “We’ve been sitting all afternoon. Feel like getting some exercise?”

  “What do you have in mind?” I ask, happy for an excuse to stay a little longer.

  “Basketball, of course. You and me versus my brothers.”

  “Three against two? That doesn’t seem fair.”

  “You obviously haven’t seen my brothers play basketball.” She winks and grins at me.

  Kerri changes her clothes, and we help her dad out to the driveway where he can watch the game from the sidelines. We layer blankets on him since the evening air is a little chilly. We go over the rules of the game and toss a coin to decide who gets the ball first.

  Despite what Kerri said, her brothers are all good athletes even if basketball isn’t their sport of choice, and we’re neck and neck with them most of the game. Kerri is a great player and teammate, though, and we quickly fall into a rhythm. She knows how her brothers play, and she’s good at stealing the ball from them.

  If we were playing one on one, she’d probably beat me, so I’m glad I’m on the same team as her. She doesn’t brag or trash talk, though, she just racks up point after point, always a point or two ahead of her brothers. We finally win the game 21 to 20.

  “See, I told you we could take ‘em.” Kerri shoves the basketball under her arm and nudges me with her elbow.

  “You’re an amazing player, Kerri,” I admit, and she grins and ducks her head.

  “You’re pretty good yourself, Connor. Wanna play again sometime?”

  I nod with no hesitation. “Yeah, I’d love to.” I realize I wouldn’t mind spending a lot more time with Kerri.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Kerri

  I slump against my locker and stare at the tickets trying to make up my mind what I should do. This should not be this complicated!

  The concert is in two days, and I still haven’t asked anyone to go with me. I was originally planning to invite Mia, and it’s not that I don’t want to take her, it’s just… I’d really like to take Connor instead. He helped me win the tickets, after all, and I’ve since learned that he loves Florida Georgia Line. In fact, he loves almost all the same music as me and lots of other things, too. We have way too much in common for it to be a coincidence. It’s like we were made for each other.

  Mia won’t be upset; in fact, she’s already told me she thinks it’s a great idea. Ever since I started hanging out with Connor, she’s been making little comments about how nice he is, how cute, and how great we get along with each other. It’s totally obvious she thinks we should go out.

  Well, technically we go out all the time, but not like that. Not on dates. No, Connor and I are just friends and probably always will be because he still gets moony-eyed every time he sees Mallory. Whenever we go out, it’s always because I have an excuse why I needed him there for good luck.

  But attending a concert isn’t something you need luck for, especially when you already have great seats. So how can I invite him to come with me without making it look like I’m asking him out on a date?

  “What are you doing, Kerri?”

  “Kerri?”

  “Woohoo, earth to Kerri, come in, Kerri.”

  Connor flicks me on the forehead, and I jolt back to reality. “What’d you do that for?” I whine.

  “Cuz you’ve been spaced out, staring at those tickets forever, and I was worried you’d gone catatonic. What are you thinking about, anyway?”

  The opportunity pounds on my door like I have a giant, metal knocker stuck to my forehead.

  “Uh, I was thinking about who I should invite to go to the concert with me.”

  He frowns. “Aren’t you taking Mia?”

  I suck in a deep breath to fortify myself. Here goes nothing. “Well, I was thinking about inviting you, instead.”

  He raises an eyebrow at me, and I instantly worry about what he’s thinking. I babble out my reasoning. “You know, as a thank you, since you helped me win the tickets, and you’re doing all this other stuff for me.”

  A tiny frown creases his
brow. “Oh, well, that’s nice, but you don’t have to do that. I didn’t really do anything. I wouldn’t want you to disappoint Mia.”

  Okay then, I’ve just been totally shut down. Do I insist that I want to take him and risk weirding him out or making him feel obligated to go when he might not want to, or do I let it drop and risk him thinking I wasn’t sincere? Maybe I should make up an excuse why Mia can’t go. But then, what if he agrees out of pity? I definitely don’t want a pity date.

  The silence gets awkward between us as I weigh the options in my head. Thankfully, Mia comes to my rescue.

  “Hey Ker, Connor. What’s up?” She leans against the locker next to me and gives me a questioning look. My distress must be obvious.

  “Oh, we were just talking about the FGL concert.”

  “Are you taking Connor?” she asks, grinning, and I bug my eyes out at her, but she just winks at me.

  “Well, she asked me, but don’t you want to go?” Connor asks her, and I can practically see the gears moving in Mia’s head.

  “I can’t. I already have plans that night,” she blurts out then gives me a big smile, proud of her excuse. If Connor asks her what she’s doing, she’s going to have to think even faster, but he doesn’t.

  “Oh, well, if you don’t have anyone else you want to take, I’d love to go. They’re one of my favorite bands.”

  I nod and smile, and Mia wiggles her eyebrows at me. “Okay, great! It’s a date, then!” I say then freeze with my mouth and eyes wide open. Crap! I didn’t mean to say that! I immediately start backtracking.

  “Er, not a date! I mean, it’s a plan. It’s… it’ll be fun. We’ll have a good time, just two… friends… hanging out, listening to some great music.” I’m positive that my face is as bright as the Florida sun. I shove a ticket towards Connor to distract him from my idiocy.

  Maybe I should offer him a ride, since I invited him. That will make it seem less like a date than if he picks me up, right? “I’ll pick you up at six, okay? Friday night.”

  Connor gets a strange look on his face. “Oh, okay. I can pick you up, if you want.”

  “No, no! I’m happy to drive. Unless you don’t want to ride with me?” Another worry attacks my brain, but Connor just chuckles.

  “Either way is fine with me.”

  “Okay, great. I’ll see you then.” I wave and start walking away as fast as I can. Why did I have to act like such a moron? I never used to have a problem talking to Connor, so what’s wrong with me lately?

  On Friday, I drive to Connor’s house, my Florida Georgia Line CD blaring on the stereo. My embarrassment over how I acted when I invited him has mellowed, and I’m looking forward to an awesome concert.

  I knock on Connor’s door, and a new worry suddenly hits me upside the head. What if his parents are home and I have to meet them? What do they think about our relationship? Did Connor tell them that I consider him my good luck charm? Most people would probably think that’s crazy.

  When Connor answers and steps out onto the porch without inviting me in, I feel disappointed and relieved at the same time. Is he embarrassed by me and that’s why he didn’t want to introduce me?

  “Are your parents home?” I can’t resist asking.

  He tilts his head and gives me a strange look. “No, they went out. Why, did you want to meet them?”

  I sigh and chuckle at the same time. “No! No, that’s okay. Just wondering.”

  Connor climbs in my passenger seat, and it feels really weird, but I’m happy to have him with me. The stereo blares as soon as I turn on the car, and I reach to turn it down, but Connor stops me.

  “It’s okay, I don’t mind it loud. It’s gonna be a lot louder at the concert.” He grins, and I grin back.

  “It’s gonna be awesome!”

  I drive to the venue and weave through the long line of traffic leading in to the parking lot. When we finally find a spot and get out, I grab my cowboy hat out of the back seat and plop it down on top of my messy bun. Connor looks me up and down and chuckles.

  “What? You don’t like my outfit?” I’m wearing the quintessential country girl getup — a plaid shirt tied at my waist, jeans tucked into cowboy boots, and my hat.

  “No, no. You actually look really cute.” Connor smiles at me, and it makes my insides feel like someone is doing the two-step in my belly.

  “Thanks,” I manage to get out.

  We head inside, and Connor insists on buying us a peanuts, popcorn, and some sodas. The seats I won are great — floor level, just a few rows back, and the rest of the crowd seems as excited as I am. Everyone is jabbering, and a sea of cowboy hats bobs around us. Connor and I munch on our snacks and talk about our favorite FGL songs until the lights dim and the band comes out.

  I jump up and start screaming like most of the other people. Connor laughs at me, and I reach down and grab his hand, pulling him to his feet. “Come on, Connor! It’s a concert!”

  It doesn’t take long before Connor is just as into it as I am. By the third song, he’s clapping and singing, and we’re bumping hips, laughing, and smiling at each other. His deep voice is better than I expected, and I’m surprised that he knows almost every word. We turn to each other on the best lines, and Connor’s face is lit up with a wide smile.

  He looks so laid back and happy, and pretty darn cute, too, and for a moment I wish he was more than just my friend or my good luck charm. His eyes, the color of dirt, are just as rich and soulful as the song the band is singing about it, and when he looks at me, I wonder if he, too, wishes there was more between us.

  When the concert is over, we make our way towards the stairs leading up and out of the stadium. The crowd surges around us, and several people get between Connor and me. When he looks back and notices I’m not right behind him, he stops and waits for me to catch up with him, holding out a hand. I take it, and he guides me through the throng, and he feels like so much more than just a friend at that moment.

  When we get outside and the crowd disperses around us, Connor lets go of me, and I feel a touch of disappointment. I know he doesn’t like me that way, but I think I’m starting to like him. Could he ever feel the same way, or will he always be hung up on Mallory?

  Chapter Fifteen

  Connor

  My phone buzzes, and I pull it out, anxious to hear from Kerri. I grin when I see the message I was hoping for.

  Help! I need you! R U free after school?

  Don’t take that the wrong way. It’s not that I want Kerri to be in trouble. Of course not. But Kerri’s idea of impending doom is a little different from most people’s, and when Kerri is worried about her world falling apart, I get to play Superman.

  Job interview at Dick’s tonight!!!

  That’s great! I’ll be there

  “Dude, what are you smiling about? You look like you just won tickets to a Pacers game or something.” Eric peers over his hamburger at me.

  “No, just a text from Kerri. She’s got a job interview and wants me to go with her.”

  Eric scrunches up his face and raises an eyebrow. “And you’re excited about this? Aren’t you getting sick of that? You’re like a dog; she snaps her fingers, and you come running.”

  I shake my head. “I don’t mind helping her. She’s fun to be with.”

  Eric puts his burger down which doesn’t happen very often. “Wait, have you got a thing for her? I thought you were into Mallory?”

  “I am. Mallory is gorgeous and smart and talented. Who wouldn’t be into her? I just…”

  I can’t really explain what it is about helping Kerri that I like so much. Eric is right; Kerri calls me or texts me almost every day, wanting something from me.

  First it was her dad, of course. After he was released from the hospital, there were doctor’s appointments to see how he was healing, meetings with his auto insurance agent about his claim, and other days when he was just in a lot of pain and Kerri thought my presence would help with that. I don’t really believe that I’m good luck
, but yet, things did seem to go better when I was with her.

  After her dad started doing better, Kerri found other reasons to need me. There was the history test she was sure she’d fail if I don’t help her study. She got a good grade on it, but I think it had more to do with the hours I spent quizzing her on her notes than any magical influence.

  Then there was the time she found a Jerian Grant Notre Dame jersey on eBay that she wanted to win, and I sat next to her all evening sharing a box of Lucky Charms with her while she had a bidding war. She won, but she ended up mounting it on her wall when it turned out to be so big it looked like a night shirt on her. I questioned the luck in that, but she says it’s too pretty to wear, so it’s better that way, anyway.

  And of course, there are the basketball games she insists I attend. I love basketball, so that’s no chore, and watching the Lady Blazers beat the crap out of everybody else is always fun. I used to keep my eyes on Mallory the whole time, and I still can’t resist checking her out once in a while, but Mallory is nowhere near the player that Kerri is, and I can’t help but watch when Kerri has the ball.

  You’d think I’d get tired of Kerri’s constant requests, but instead, I look forward to them. Every day, I’m eager to get that text asking for my help. I guess I like feeling like I’m needed, wanted, and Kerri acts so grateful every time I’m there for her, it’s like my own, personal, one-member fan club. Plus, I get to be with Kerri, and we always have a great time. Maybe I am into her. Can you have a crush on two people at the same time?

  “You just what? Have a crush on Kerri, too?” Eric interrupts my musing. “Then why don’t you ask her out? She’s obviously into you.”

  I chew on a French fry, remembering our first “date,” the day I agreed to be her good luck charm. She didn’t need anything from me that night, but I asked her out to dinner, anyway, and we had a great time. Have I liked her from the beginning and I was just too dumb to realize it?

  “You really think she likes me?”