The Crushes

by Pamela Wells

  She had to get him to her without him knowing it was her.

  An hour later at home, she plopped down at her desk and the Crush Code caught her eye. She flipped through the printed pages. Anonymous Email, she thought. That was blatantly breaking one of the rules, but it was all she had. Plus, the whole point of sending an anonymous Email was so Drew would think she was someone else. She was afraid a meeting with her would scare him away if he knew ahead of time.

  She logged into an email account she’d set up forever ago so she could surf a fashion message board. Her name wouldn’t come up on the email anywhere because she’d set it up using the name Trisha Keller.

  Drew, she typed, meet me at Eagle Park at the fountain at ten. We need to talk.

  She clicked the SEND button before she changed her mind.

  Drew’s computer dinged with a new email message alert. Sydney set her book aside on his bed and got up. She poked her head down the hall and heard the rushing of the showerhead coming from the bathroom.

  She opened the email program and checked the new message.

  Trisha Keller? Who was that?

  Drew, meet me at Eagle Park at the fountain at ten. We need to talk.

  There was no name, no nothing. But whoever Trisha was, she obviously knew Birch Falls if she knew Eagle Park. Was this a secret meeting? Was Drew seeing someone else behind Sydney’s back? Her stomach knotted into a mixture of emotions: anger, betrayal, curiosity. Curiosity because Drew wasn’t an outgoing person. How would he meet a girl, someone who didn’t even go to their school?

  It just didn’t make sense.

  Sydney deleted the Email, shut the program down, and went back to her book. She was going to find out what was going on.

  “I’m going to the store,” Sydney called through the house. “Anyone need anything?”

  Drew and his mom were at the kitchen table playing an intense game of chess. Sydney had hung out at the house all day because her house was too quiet and gloomy.

  “No,” Drew said, barely looking up from the chessboard.

  “I’m fine,” his mom said, her game face on. A headband held back her long, black bangs. She’d tied the rest of her hair into a loose knot.

  When those two got into a game, the rest of the world was a haze they paid little attention to. And they’d probably be playing for another hour. It was plenty of time for Sydney to sneak off to the park, find out who’d Emailed Drew, and get back home before he realized she was gone.

  Plus, Drew had been downright irritable lately. The game of chess would do him some good.

  Sydney’s watch said it was just after nine forty-five. The sky was pale with the impending darkness. Sydney turned on the headlights once she got inside her SUV.

  A men’s baseball game was playing over on the first ball diamond at Eagle Park. Cars lined the front parking lot. Sydney found an open spot farther down and got out. She hurried over to the fountain with fifteen minutes to spare.

  It was darker over here without the lights from the baseball game. Sydney found a good hiding spot behind a large chestnut tree.

  The wait seemed to spread out into an hour. Her heart beat at the back of her throat, her knees felt weak.

  What if Drew really was cheating on her? Maybe that’s why he’d been in such a bad mood lately. He didn’t love Sydney, he wanted someone else, and he didn’t know how to break up with her a second time.

  A darkened figure cut through the trees. The gurgling of the fountain quieted the footsteps. Sydney held her breath.

  The person walked into a sliver of moonlight slicing through the thick canopy of trees.

  It was Kelly.

  Sydney took in a breath, clenched her jaw, and stalked out from her hiding spot.

  “Why were you meeting Drew?” she said.

  Kelly’s eyes grew wide, her mouth dropped open. “I…uh…”

  “And why did you send an Email as Trisha something-or-other?”

  Kelly raked her teeth over her bottom lip. “It’s…well…Drew and I were meeting because we’re worried about you.”

  “Me?”

  “Yeah, I mean…” Kelly shifted her gaze to the mossy forest floor. “You’ve been distant lately. He’s noticed it and I noticed it and we were trying to come up with a way to cheer you up.”

  Hands on her hips, Sydney steeled her spine. “What, were you planning an intervention?”

  “No! No way. We’re just worried is all. You know, with your mom…”

  The tension in Sydney’s shoulders slipped away. She wasn’t sure if she should be angry or relieved. Drew wasn’t cheating on her with some girl named Trisha. He was just worried about her.

  She’d wanted to kick him in the groin when she found out he was supposed to meet a girl in the park. And why had she automatically assumed he was cheating on her? Maybe because she didn’t trust people in general anymore. She blamed that on her mother.

  How could you have faith in other people when your own parent promised to be there for you and instead took off for another country?

  Sydney leaned over and set her elbows on her knees, put her face in her hands.

  Kelly hesitantly sat next to her and crossed one leg over the other. “Are you okay?”

  Sydney sighed and shook her head. She was just so tired—tired of her life spiraling down the drain. Why couldn’t things work out for her? Why couldn’t her mother come back and bring the family together?

  “Do you want to talk about it?” Kelly asked.

  “There’s nothing to talk about,” Sydney answered. “My mother left us, and I don’t think she’s coming back. There’s nothing else to say about it.”

  The sounds of the baseball crowd cheering filtered through the trees, reaching the girls in the darkness. Sydney straightened, dragging her fingers through the fountain water behind her.

  “I’m sure it’ll get better,” Kelly said, “eventually.”

  Sydney stood, dried her fingers on her black yoga pants. She didn’t want a pep talk, she didn’t want anything. “Don’t tell Drew about this, please?”

  “Of course.” Kelly got up, too, and tugged on the hem of her tunic top.

  “Thanks.” Sydney barely managed a wave as she hurried from the park.

  THIRTY-THREE

  Rule 28: Do not spend more than two months trying to find out if your crush likes you!

  Being grounded sucked.

  Alexia flipped through the TV channels for the third time, knowing the search was futile. It was the middle of summer; the only thing on right now was reality TV.

  Getting up, she went to her bedroom and grabbed her notebook. The Crush Code had been on her mind the last few days, and she’d wanted to go over the rules again.

  Kelly and Adam were hanging out, from what Alexia heard, but they weren’t together-together, which meant something with the Code wasn’t working right.

  Alexia had wondered a few weeks ago if perhaps they were missing a few rules. And like any work of creativity, the true work came through revising.

  Alexia called her friends and asked them to come over. Thank god, her parents hadn’t grounded her from them.

  Kelly was the first to arrive. It looked like she’d been hanging out around the house, too. She wore a pair of red terry-cloth shorts with a number nine printed on the thigh and a white halter top. Her arms and legs looked tanner, so maybe she’d been lying out in the sun.

  “So what’s up?” Kelly asked as she breezed past Alexia, her strawberry-blond ponytail swinging behind her.

  “I wanted to talk about the Crush Code.”

  Both girls headed for the kitchen, and Kelly took a seat at the breakfast nook, folding her arms over the glossy cedar table. She rolled her eyes before digging her cell from her bag.

  “We aren’t adding more rules, are we?”

  Alexia leaned back against the kitchen island. “Well, I thought about it. I really want to help you get Adam.”

  Kelly clicked through a few things on her phone and then sl
ipped it into her bag. “We’re not right for each other.”

  The front door opened. Alexia looked down the short hall and saw Raven and Sydney. Raven looked stunning as usual. She was in a jean skirt, a black vintage Ferrari T-shirt, and black boots that reached her calves. Her hair flowed around her shoulders in loose waves. Her eyes were hidden behind chunky white sunglasses.

  Sydney usually looked pristine, but today she wore a simple white T-shirt and bleached blue jeans. And…

  Alexia pointed at Sydney’s feet. “You’re wearing flip-flops?”

  “That’s what I said.” Raven plopped down across the table from Kelly. “Sydney has gone over the deep end.”

  “Who cares what kind of shoes I wear?” Sydney said, shoving her hands inside her jeans pockets.

  “That’s just it,” Alexia said. “You usually care what kind of shoes you wear.”

  Kelly nodded. “Yeah, I specifically remember you saying you wouldn’t wear flip-flops if they were the last pair of shoes on earth.”

  Sydney took a seat on one of the barstools at the island. “Can we not discuss my footwear please?”

  Alexia grabbed her notebook and sat down at the table, leaving Sydney alone at the island. “So,” she began, flipping to her handwritten notes, “I was thinking maybe we’d add a few more rules to help Kelly out.”

  “Oh, and I needed to be here for it?” Raven said. “I mean, it’s not like the rules are for me anyway, right?”

  Alexia took in a breath. Apparently Raven was still mad about the accusations Alexia had made about Blake. Well, that was just fine, Raven would get over it eventually.

  Alexia uncapped her pen and without looking over at Raven said, “When we made the Code, you said you were going to follow it so you didn’t develop a crush. These new rules might benefit you, too.”

  “I’m really not sure if we need more rules,” Kelly said.

  Sydney sauntered over from the barstool and plopped down next to Raven. “We can still add the rules, can’t we? And then if Kelly decides she doesn’t need them, fine.”

  “What about you?” Alexia asked Sydney. “Are you still using it for your relationship with Drew?”

  Sydney shrugged. “I’m taking a Code break right now.”

  “Oh,” Alexia said, wishing Sydney would explain more.

  “All right.” Kelly sighed. “What are the new rules?”

  Alexia read the rules out loud without interruption.

  “Rule 39: Do not be indecisive. Once you make up your mind stick to it.

  “Rule 40: Do not be needy, clingy, or possessive!

  “Rule 41: Do not crush on a boy who has a girlfriend!”

  When Alexia glanced up from her notebook, she noticed Kelly looked three shades lighter than she had when she arrived at the house.

  “What’s wrong, Kel?”

  She swallowed, gave a diminutive shake of her head. “Nothing.”

  Raven fished her cell from her pocket as it went off. She read the text message and said, “I gotta go. Lexy, why don’t you Email me the new rules.” She paused, seemed to consider what she should say next. “Unless, of course, you think I will use them on someone else.”

  “What’s up with her?” Sydney said when the front door slammed shut.

  “I made her mad,” Alexia replied.

  “How?”

  Honestly, Alexia was kind of embarrassed that she’d accused Raven so blatantly of cheating on Horace. It might have been a bit inconsiderate on her part, and she didn’t want to admit it to her other friends.

  “It was nothing, really,” she said and moved on to another subject. “So, how’s work at the hospital going?”

  “Fine,” Sydney said.

  “Just fine?” Alexia leaned forward. “Have you met any hot guys?”

  Sydney grabbed the saltshaker from the middle of the table and spun it between her fingers. “No. No one.”

  “I was there the other day with my brother.” Alexia sat back against the padded chair. “And there was this one guy with long black hair and glasses. Who’s he? He reminded me of Drew. Except with long hair.”

  Sydney stood up. “Speaking of work, I have to go home and get ready. I have to be in soon. I’ll talk to you guys later.” She threw an afterthought of a wave over her shoulder before leaving.

  Alexia looked at Kelly. She was on her cell again, punching in a text message. She’d been aloof since she got to Alexia’s. Kelly used to get that way whenever she had a fight with Will, her ex-boyfriend. Boy troubles always made her quiet.

  “So how is it really going with Adam?”

  Kelly glanced up. “Like I said, I don’t think we’re meant for each other.”

  “Yeah, but if you just use the rules—”

  “I don’t want to use the rules on Adam.” She blinked and looked away. “I just…”

  “What?”

  She got up and slung her bag over her shoulder. “I just wish you’d stop trying to fix my love life, Lexy. I mean…” She threw up her hands and shook her head. “I just can’t right now.”

  She disappeared from the kitchen, and a few seconds later, shut the front door behind her.

  Alexia watched through the kitchen window as Kelly pulled her car out of the driveway.

  What was going on with her friends? Suddenly, they felt further apart than they’d ever been, and The Crush Code was supposed to make them feel closer.

  Or at least that’s what she’d told herself. The Breakup Code had brought them back together; she just automatically assumed The Crush Code would do the same.

  Had she been wrong? Had the Code somehow gone awry?

  Her whole life felt awry right now, because of losing It and Ben leaving soon. She tried not to think too hard on the latter. He was leaving—going to another state—in just three and a half weeks.

  Her chest ached thinking of it. It didn’t help that she was grounded and the time she had left to spend with Ben was quickly dwindling.

  A tension headache bloomed behind her eyes. She set her head down on the tabletop and tried to breathe in deeply. This was supposed to be The Summer. So far it’d been a summer of hell and how was she supposed to enjoy her upcoming senior year when her boyfriend was leaving?

  THIRTY-FOUR

  Rule 24: Become his friend! Talk to him but do not become one of his boys!

  Kelly grabbed two braided leashes from the hook near the back door.

  She clipped a leash to Reba and then one to Nimmi, leading both dogs out the back door.

  The animal shelter was at the front of a wooded five-acre lot. Trails had been worn away in the forest where the workers at the shelter took dogs on walks.

  “Come on, you two,” Kelly said.

  The sun beat down on Kelly’s bare shoulders as she walked across the lawn to the perimeter of the woods. As soon as they entered the dense growth of trees, the temperature instantly cooled.

  The dogs, too, seemed happier. Reba surged ahead, but Kelly tugged her back. Nimmi was content to trot along Kelly’s right side, keeping with her pace.

  They turned a corner in the woods and walked through sun-dappled leaves. A squirrel scampered across branches overhead, the leaves rustling. For the most part, the woods were quiet until Kelly’s cell went off in her pocket.

  She checked the new text.

  Her heart leaped into her throat when she saw the message was from Drew.

  Are we still friends?

  She shifted her weight. Were they friends? Technically, they were more than friends if they both liked each other, weren’t they? You can’t be friends with someone you’re in love with.

  You just can’t.

  But Drew didn’t know how she felt yet. After that whole fiasco with Sydney, Kelly was afraid to admit her feelings to anyone, let alone the one guy who mattered. What if Sydney found out? She’d done something sneaky in order to intercept Kelly’s email and then hid in the park until Kelly showed up. What if she, like, bugged Drew’s phone or something?

&
nbsp; It was ridiculous, but still…

  And it would just further complicate everything if Kelly told Drew. He wasn’t likely to forget her confession and go on his merry way with Sydney.

  No, admitting would only make things worse.

  I dont know if we can b friends, she texted back, feeling all the blood drain from her cheeks. Losing Drew felt akin to losing her foot. She just couldn’t live without him, could she? He’d been a best friend for forever now. Could she really cut him out of her life?

  And would he even let her?

  I’m sorry I ever said anything, he replied.

  Dont be sorry!

  I just. I thought you and me. there was something there.

  Ur with Sydney, Kelly punched in on her cell while also trying to manage the dogs, even if there was something. we cant.

  What are you saying, Kel? he sent back. you either like me or you don’t. forget Sydney. forget everyone for one minute and give me a straight answer.

  Kelly stopped again, clenched a hand into a fist. She growled at the silence. Why did this have to be so hard?

  Why did she have to like Drew? Like, seriously, what made her like him so much? What was it about him? And why couldn’t it have been someone else?

  “Anyone else!” she screeched.

  The dogs barked.

  What was she supposed to say to Drew?

  Either she was honest with him and herself and told him the truth. Or she gave him an answer that was better for everyone involved. If she and Drew got together, the effects would ripple through Kelly’s entire group of friends.

  She felt the first stinging of tears as she typed in the new message. She didn’t want to do this, but it was the right thing to do.

  I dont think we should talk anymore. and thats the truth.

  She hit the SEND button and turned off her phone.

  “So what movie do you want to watch?” Sydney held up 10 Things I Hate About You and The Perfect Potion. “Comedy or mystery and intrigue?”

  Drew grabbed one of the velveteen throw pillows and propped it between his head and the arm of the couch. “I don’t care.”