Playing Cupid

by SC Alban

  As if hearing my words, Jay looked up and met my gaze. I waved awkwardly, my cheeks flushed with heat. So embarrassing. He waved back and headed down the curb to my car. I rolled down the window as he approached.

  “Hey, Megan, what’s up?” he asked, shifting the books in his arms.

  “Oh, just doing some last-minute errands. Christmas shopping and stuff. You?” I discreetly read the titles of the books he carried: Mental Health Explained: A Genetic Study, The Subtle Art of Not Falling Apart, and I Never Promised You A Rose Garden. Interesting.

  “Not much.” My eyes darted back to his face, and he smiled. Then, after a brief pause, he added, “So, listen, I know we, um, kinda…had a tough time getting through the project and stuff and I just wanted to, um, you know…make sure you know I meant it. The apology. I was thinking about it and, well, it was just a real crappy thing to do; you know, leaving you to do most of the work. No matter what I had going on.”

  I scrunched my eyebrows together. Again with the apologies. Was he for real? Red flags flew at the top of the wall that encased my heart.

  “Why?” I asked. It didn’t make sense. The semester was over. He owed me nothing. Why would he feel the need to apologize again? The surprise on his face told me I had taken him off-guard. Good. Maybe I’d finally get a straight answer.

  “Why?”

  “Yeah, why apologize? The project’s done. School’s out.”

  He shrugged. “I guess I feel bad for putting so much of the workload on you. I mean, I knew you could handle it, and I took advantage of the situation.” He paused, his teeth tugging at his bottom lip. Why was I totally digging that? He continued, “You’re not like everyone else at school. I mean, you’re not weird or anything, just a little bit of a loner. No, that’s not what—this is coming out wrong. I…I just don’t want you to think I’m a jerk. Despite popular belief, and I know I have flaws.” He raised one eyebrow. “I don’t think I’m perfect. I just wanted you to know I know what I did was wrong, and I’m sorry. Really. That’s all.”

  “Hmm,” I said. Was he for real? Did I trust him? I wasn’t sure. But the high from hitting my first mark must’ve filled my brain with serotonin because I was in a forgiving mood. “Okay. Apology accepted. Thank you.” My chest felt light, and I smiled. Well, that was quick. Who knew forgiving could be so easy? Motioning to his purchases, I asked, “Some light reading?”

  He glanced down at his books, shifting them slightly until their covers were shielded under his arms.

  “Yeah, something like that. It’s for a class project,” he blurted out as he stepped away from my car window. “Um, I gotta go. See you around.” He turned and hurried in the opposite direction. “Bye,” he called out from over his shoulder.

  And people give teenage girls a hard time for being hormonal. He went from hot to cold in zero point one seconds. I shook my head.

  “Who was that?” Amadeo asked, reappearing in the passenger seat.

  I jumped, having forgotten he had been there the entire time. At least I’d managed not to yell in surprise. Small victories.

  “No one important,” I answered as I started the engine. My shoulders tensed as I saw Jay’s truck turn down the main road. “Just some guy from school.”

  As I let the car warm up, something continued to bother me about the conversation. Class project? The semester just ended. What could he possibly be working on for school? And his abrupt departure, what was with that? I shrugged my shoulders and pushed the thoughts away. Oh well, I wasn’t going to let him ruin my mood. I’d just have to accept that Jay Michaels was a highly confusing, sometimes infuriating, boy. One I had no desire to figure out.

  I took a deep breath and let it go with a long exhale. For the moment, all I wanted was to focus on the warm fuzzy feels vibrating through me since I left The Country Home. I’d just made two people very happy. I smiled. Who would’ve guessed I’d be so mushy about the whole thing? But there I sat, all googly-hearted and repeatedly thinking about how I helped my teacher and my principal fall in love. Well that, and who would be our next mark. Man, shooting people with arrows was addictive.

  Chapter Nine

  It took the next few days for me to come down from the high of making my first love match. Even though I remembered the gross motor movements required to shoot an arrow, I was surprised at how exhilarating it was holding the arrow between my fingers, the resistance of the bowstring as I pulled back, and the soft vibrating twang as I let go when there was so much on the line. It was a definite rush. No wonder Amadeo was so cocky. He did this all year long.

  I rubbed the back of my right hand where the string had snapped against the soft flesh, leaving a slight red mark. I brushed aside the minor injury. It was nothing compared to the thrill that witnessing the arrow absorb into Principal Higgins’s shoulder had given me and knowing he and Ms. O’Dowd were a total match. It was intoxicating. Powerful. And it went to my head.

  “I could definitely get used to this feeling,” I bragged as Amadeo and I groomed Cosmo together.

  Amadeo sniffed loudly as he brushed the old horse’s mane. He stood on an overturned barrel, his arms straining to reach the top of Cosmo’s silky mane. I found his way with Cosmo very endearing, and I liked him a bit more for it. Though anyone who treated Cosmo nicely would always be okay in my book. However, minus his impeccable horse-grooming skills, his general attitude was starting to grate on my last nerve.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, affronted.

  “Nothing.” He continued petting Cosmo with care, his voice holding a level of indifference.

  “Well, something’s wrong. And I don’t appreciate your little sniffs over there. So you might as well tell me.”

  He stroked Cosmo’s mane with his hand, his fingers gently brushing the coarse hair smooth.

  “Well, if you must know, I’ll tell you. But you’re not going to like it,” he warned.

  “Try me.”

  He took a deep breath. His movements were exaggerated, his chest puffed out like a little human blowfish.

  What a drama queen!

  “To be honest, Megan, I understand you feel amazing about making the match, but truthfully, it wasn’t as close as it should’ve been. And quite frankly, one more inch to the right and your teacher would be living the rest of her life in love with the cow cookie jar on the shelf behind Principal Romeo.”

  “What! Oh, come on. That’s ridiculous,” I argued in self-defense. “Just because I’m not a trained cupid, doesn’t mean it wasn’t a great shot.”

  “First of all, you need a reality check because, no, it wasn’t. Second, it has taken centuries for me to perfect the art of the arrow. What you did, my dear, is what we call Cupid’s Luck. Plus, I didn’t want to say anything earlier because I didn’t want to hurt your feelings, but my arrows are magically conditioned to gravitate toward a match, so that’s probably the only reason it hit him at all.”

  My shoulders slumped. My expression must have shown my disappointment, because his tone changed.

  “Look, Megan,” he said gently, putting a hand on my shoulder. “You did well, but let’s not go overboard, here. We don’t have a lot of time. There are two arrows left: one for each mark. I thought I’d be happy with any old match, but when it came down to it yesterday, when you had to hit the target, I knew just any person, or inanimate object as in yesterday’s case, simply wouldn’t do.”

  He paused and tapped his forefinger on his lips.

  “I suppose that’s what makes me who I am. There’s a reason why I’m the fastest rising cupid in the business. I never settle for second best. In fact, I never settle. Period. It’s either true love or nothing in my book, and so far, I’ve hit the bull’s-eye every time. I just wouldn’t know what to do if I knew I was responsible for something other than perfection. This is love, Megan. Quite possibly the most important energy in the entire world. These are not only people’s lives, it’s their futures. It’s so much more than me getting a good rank for the ne
xt year—” He drew in a breath between his teeth. “I mean, it’s about that too, don’t get me wrong, but it’s also about giving people the greatest gift they’ve ever known. I suppose my standards are pretty high.”

  A stone sat low in my belly. I couldn’t imagine the responsibility he shouldered. What was his life like back in his realm? I had no idea, really, but if there was one thing I could appreciate, it was his motivation to succeed. It was more than making a quota to him; it was about a commitment to help others, to improve their lives. I could understand that.

  Was he hugely annoying? Absolutely. But I had to admit, albeit reluctantly, he and I had a lot in common. He was motivated to help humans experience love, one of the purest emotions in his mind. I was motivated to graduate early, not only to escape my small-town life, but also to begin my real life as an adult. I had no idea what I wanted to study yet, but I’d always imagined myself in a career helping others navigate through their tough times. And now, after listening to him, I knew that Amadeo and I were no different. Not really. At our cores, we were both helpers.

  “Okay. I hear you. Really, I do.” I placed my hand on his shoulder. “Look, I don’t want to mess this up for you. I know how I’d feel if I were so close to reaching my goal and someone ruined everything for me. I’d be devastated.” I sighed. “And I know what it feels like to be disappointed by someone you are counting on, and I don’t want to be that person for someone else. That’s not going to happen. I promise. You can count on me.” I paused, making sure he knew how serious I was. “You know, I still have my old bow and arrow set around here from Christmas a while back…somewhere. Dad gave it to me. I think it’s still in the shed. He even took me out and gave me some basic lessons. Gosh, I bet he spent at least thirty minutes straight with me.” The sarcasm in my voice even made me a little uncomfortable. I cleared my throat and pushed it aside. “Maybe we should practice a bit out back. You know, sharpen my skills.”

  He considered me seriously and then nodded. “That’s the first good idea you’ve had since you hit me with your car, kid. I may just be rubbing off on you yet. Now, where is that set?”

  Really? The first good idea? Rubbing off on me? Pressing my lips tightly together, I took a deep breath…well, as deep as I could through clenched teeth.

  “This way,” I said, pulling my mouth into a tight smile.

  We walked out behind the barn to the small storage shed. Years ago, Mom had painted it purple with green trim. It was bold and vibrant and, at the time, had lit up our yard. Now it sat worn and faded. I grabbed the handle and yanked hard. With great effort, the door opened, scraping against the frame. Bits of old purple paint flaked away and fell like ashes onto the cold ground.

  The shed was dusty and dry. It overflowed with the forgotten things collected over the years. I found the old archery set stuffed behind a rickety wooden shelf. I had to move the fishing pole Dad had bought for my birthday four years ago, a five person tent still in its package, a camping stove, hiking poles, a tackle box full to the brim with lures, one dusty water ski, a deflated inner tube, and a set of aluminum paddles I hadn’t thought about since … heck, I didn’t know.

  “What is all this stuff?” Amadeo asked, holding up an orange life vest.

  I huffed.

  “This,” I grumbled as I yanked the bow and arrow set from behind the shelf, “is what accumulates when you have a dad who gets you stuff for your birthday and Christmas, but doesn’t have the will, or desire, to take you out and actually do the things those gifts are intended for.” Grunting, I gave one final tug to pull the set free.

  “Aha! Here it is,” I said, triumphantly holding my prize in my hands. “One bow and arrow set. I’m sure it’s not nearly acceptable for a professional such as yourself, but it’ll have to do.”

  Amadeo’s face paled, his rosy cheeks fading in hue.

  “What?”

  He looked around at the pile of stuff. “It’s just that most of this stuff looks untouched. Didn’t you want to use any of it?” he asked.

  I regarded him steadily, not knowing how much emotional information I should unleash. A hairline crack began in the wall around my heart. No, not today. He wouldn’t break down my walls. We had a schedule to uphold. There wasn’t enough time in the world for us to delve into the emotional quicksand that was my life. I decided to go with the simplest truth—the easy one, the truth that didn’t take too much effort to share.

  “Of course I did,” I replied. “But what fun is it to ride an inner tube by yourself? Have you ever seen anyone water ski solo? It’s not the same when the one person you want to do those things with would rather be alone, you know? So, instead of putting a ton of effort into trying to pretend I would use them one day, I just started collecting all of it back here. It’s not like he noticed, anyway. He never comes out here anymore.”

  I shifted from one foot to the other as the quiet of the shed pressed down on me.

  “Well, are you gonna give me some pointers or not?” I asked, holding the set up. “Or I suppose we could always just hope for the best.”

  I moved to put the items back on the shelf.

  “No, no,” he said, snapping out of wherever he’d been. “Don’t you dare think you’re getting out of it so quickly. Come on, let’s head out into the woods.”

  A thin layer of packed down snow made the trek out into the woods behind the house easy work. In addition to the bow and arrow set, I had also found its accompanying target. It was a large, heavy cube covered in camouflage oilcloth and thick black stitching. I lugged it along with the bow and arrows that were slung over my shoulder as Amadeo led the way.

  “Here, this is perfect,” Amadeo said as we entered a dense patch of trees and shrubbery.

  Tossing the equipment onto the ground, I let out a sigh of relief. Thank God. After the few minutes it took me to regain my breath, I scanned the area for a spot to set up. The trees were clumped together in small groups. There didn’t appear to be an area where I could set up the target clear of obstacles. Amadeo must have noticed my indecision, because he suddenly spoke up.

  “Oh, here, let me help you.”

  With a quick flick of his hand, the target rose up from the ground, and in an instant, was set up clear across the area behind a thick patch of bushes. The bow and arrows had also magically appeared about a hundred feet in the opposite direction. My face fell.

  “Seriously. Now you choose to use your magic. Where was that fifteen minutes ago?” I said, wiping the sweat from my forehead.

  “Oh, Megan, be a sport,” he replied, waving me off. “Life’s too short to be ensnared with tiny details. Now, go stand over there and let’s begin.”

  I grumbled the whole way over to the bow and arrows.

  “Of all the cupids in all the world, I had to hit the bossy one.”

  “Pardon?”

  “Oh, nothing,” I sweetly replied. I was pretty sure, for every step closer I came to helping him meet his quota, the closer I also was to wanting to run him over again.

  “Okay,” he called from the other side of the space. “Set your arrow and hold it. Don’t release it until I say go.”

  I leaned over and took an arrow from the quiver with my left hand. Holding the bow in my right hand, I set the arrow in the sight and pulled it back. I held it tight and waited.

  “Now what?” I yelled. “There’s not a clear shot at the target. It’s partially blocked by that bush over there.”

  “Just aim and shoot,” Amadeo said, popping up next to me.

  “Jesus!” I yelled, releasing the arrow. It flew wildly into the trees and didn’t come back down. “Would you please stop doing that?”

  “You really need to learn to relax. What if this was the real thing? Would you still be able to make the shot after a little scare? And, as far as the target goes…well, in the real world, there are always obstacles. Pretend the bush is Ms. O’Dowd and the target is her match. You’re just going to have to shoot around those other people in the store,”
he said, pointing to a couple of trees near the target. “Remember, your shot determines the future of love for these individuals. You don’t want to regret a bad shot, do you?”

  “I’m beginning to regret it already.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “But I made that shot already,” I whined.

  “Megan, don’t be so difficult. This isn’t advanced love chemistry. Just play along with me,” he said. “Okay. Now, just pretend we’re back in the store and it’s all on you to make the shot, to hit the match, and give them both the gift of love. To give them their forever.”

  I bent down and picked up another arrow. Blowing off a bit of snow stuck to its feathers, I reset it and held it taut in the bow. If Amadeo wanted to direct my practice session, I was going to give him a shot a cupid would be proud of.

  Taking a small step to the left, I was able to focus on a much better visual of the target. My eyes zeroed in. I blocked out my surroundings. Time slowed until it came to a stop. Inhaling and exhaling one last time, I let the arrow fly. I watched breathlessly as it soared through the woods, straight in flight, never wavering until it landed squarely into the trunk of the tree just to the right of the target.

  I pulled in a sharp breath through my teeth. Amadeo was silent. The snark oozed from his pores before any words actually left his mouth.

  “Congratulations, you just hit the stock boy and turned your beloved Ms. O’Dowd into a serious cougar. Nice.”

  I bent down and picked up another arrow.

  “Shut up.”

  The second shot flew closer than the first, but still didn’t hit the target.

  “This is going to be a long afternoon,” he mumbled under his breath.

  “Oh, come on, cut me some slack. How many arrows have you shot? Like a million? A little patience and understanding would be helpful here.”

  It wasn’t until the fifth arrow I realized that somehow, my quiver never emptied.