“Maybe they’re right to,” I grumped, burying my head into my pillow where I could continue my marathon of sulking.
Everything had been so perfect in the hospital when Lucas kissed me. For a moment, I even imagined my life was finally beginning. And it was even better than the perfect junior year I’d been dreaming of. It was so much more. It was love.
But then Lucas’s parents had burst into the exam room and ripped us apart.
Okay, so maybe it hadn’t been that dramatic. But it sorta felt that way.
The shock of Lucas’s parents catching us locking lips had been enough to send both of us to opposite corners like we were polarized magnets. I could feel my face flushing fifty shades of red as his parents sized me up. Suddenly, the exam room seemed much too small for the four of us.
I was all too happy to follow Mr. Hargrove to the hallway when he suggested we talk. But then he handed me a cease and desist document that basically forbade me from talking to the press or anyone else about Lucas’s involvement in the fight at the stadium. And though he hadn’t said it, he’d pretty much implied he’d like my involvement with his son to cease and desist as well.
Ever since Mr. Hargrove left me standing in the empty hospital hallway, I’d felt like I was stuck in a nightmare.
Alex’s efforts to cheer me up were nothing short of heroic. If there was a World Series of best friends award, she would win it. But still, nothing she said made me feel better. But that’s the thing about Alex—she didn’t know the word quit.
She sat down next to me and nudged me with her elbow. “Come on, Casey. This will all blow over. Once school starts, you’ll be able to talk to Lucas and I’m sure everyone will forget about the stupid video.”
I rolled onto my side and shoved my laptop at my best friend. “It’s not going to blow over, Alex! I’m viral!”
I watched her click through the video links that I knew by heart. I’d been hiding in my room since I left the hospital, watching the views of the Channel 2 News clip climb higher and higher. With each new view I grew sicker. I was stuck in a nightmare. Worse than a nightmare . . . this was my life! The nightmare was real!
Lucas was being charged with assault, his parents forbade him from speaking to me and my dad was so mad that I’d called out Northwood’s baseball program that he could hardly look at me. He even took my phone away!
“Casey . . .” Alex started, but she trailed off because there was nothing to say.
Nothing was going to make this better. Because as if all those aforementioned consequences weren’t bad enough, the pale pink dress I’d worn had turned nearly translucent thanks to the bright lights of the camera crew. I’d become that girl. The one who goes from nobody to notoriety overnight thanks to poor choice of undergarments.
I flopped back onto my stomach and sulked into my pillow again while Alex furiously typed on her phone. She was probably defending me against an onslaught of rude internet comments. But what did it matter? I’d read them all. Casper the flashing ghost. Prudish panty flasher. Shrewd nude. Fem-bot flash. And my all-time favorite, Pippi no-stockings. Many were much worse, but I’d done my best not to go too far down the rabbit hole of hate.
I glanced up at Alex who was still valiantly defending my honor, or maybe she was just texting Grant.
Way to rub salt in my wound.
I knew Alex would never do anything like that on purpose, but the mere thought of her boyfriend made me ache even more for the boy who could’ve been mine.
I buried my head deeper in my pillow and screamed. Why was the universe against me?
“Hey,” Alex said with forced enthusiasm. “I have an idea. Why don’t you come to the batting cages with me to take your mind off things?”
I sat up and took Alex’s hands trying to convey my seriousness. “Alex, I blew my chance with Lucas and I’m a panty-flashing meme! There are mashups of me getting air-humped set to music on the internet! And have you even seen the Monster Flash one where someone dubbed over the Monster Mash? Hitting some balls is not going to distract me from that!”
“Okay fine, I’ll admit the internet is not your friend right now. But I wouldn’t be so sure you’ve blown it with Lucas.”
My eyes snapped to hers. “What do you mean? Did he say something to you?”
She grinned but evaded my question. “Come on. You can’t stay in this room any longer. It’s depressing. We’re going to the batting cages.”
“I already told you I don’t want to hit baseballs right now.”
“And I think you do.”
“Alex, the only thing I want is to see Lucas, or maybe find a time machine to make everything go back to normal.”
Alex stood up. “Well, I can’t help with the time machine thing, but I can take you to the batting cages where maybe you’ll have a better chance of running into certain people than you do wallowing in your bedroom.”
My head jerked up. “Lucas is going to be at the cages? Why didn’t you lead with that?”
Alex pulled me to my feet, grinning. “Because you’re a terrible liar. The less you know the better. Now get dressed.”
Chapter Nine
Lucas
“Will you stop pacing,” Grant muttered. “You’re wearing a hole in the turf.”
“You said they’d be here at four. It’s five after,” I grumbled.
“Chill, they’ll be here. Alex texted me when they left Casey’s house.”
“Well, can you tell her to hurry? My parents will skin me alive if I’m a minute late getting home. It’s a miracle they even let me come here for a few hours.”
“Relax, Luc. You’re with me. Your parents love me. Besides, they can’t still be pissed. Everything worked out. They’ll loosen their grip once school starts and life goes back to normal.”
“Yeah. We’ll see.”
I hoped Grant was right, but nothing would feel okay until I saw Casey.
I heard the door creak open behind me and turned, deflated when I saw a group of pimple-faced boys spill into the room.
“You’re seriously so lucky that your dad is a lawyer,” Grant said.
“Yeah. I guess.” I sighed, because sometimes it didn’t feel that way.
My father had been able to make what could’ve been a bad situation disappear, but it hadn’t come without his own personal sentencing.
Again, the squeak of the door drew my attention and I turned just in time to see Alex walk into the batting cages. When Casey stepped out from behind her and smiled at me it felt like I’d taken my first breath in days.
This girl is my oxygen.
“Casey!” I’d barely gotten her name out before she launched herself into my arms.
The rest of the world faded away with Casey back where she belonged.
“I missed you so much,” she whispered against my neck.
“Me too.”
“Lucas, I’m so sorry. My dad took my phone and I was afraid to email you after what your dad said.”
Anger flashed through me again as my father’s harsh words replayed in my mind. He’d been livid when he strolled into the hospital room. He had no kind words for me so I could only imagine what he’d said to Casey. That was days ago and I hadn’t seen or heard from Casey since.
“What did he say to you?”
“Nothing I didn’t deserve.”
The guilt in her big brown eyes was devastating. “Casey, that’s not true. This wasn’t your fault. Besides, it’s all over now.”
Casey blinked up at me in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“The charges were dropped.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Thanks to the news catching the whole fight on video. It proved that the other boys were just as at fault as I was, so everyone agreed to save legal fees and drop all charges.”
“So, does that mean you can still go to Harvard?”
I smiled. “Nothing went on my record and unless the Harvard admissions team is trolling local Pennsylvania news I think I’m good.�
�
Casey squealed with joy. “Omigod! Lucas, that’s the best news ever!”
My heart soared. But not because of Harvard. Only Casey could make my heart beat like this.
I’d never met someone whose joy for others was so genuine. Deciding to harness the confidence her smile gave me I blurted out the words I’d been rehearsing since her lips left mine. “Now that that’s over, I was hoping we could pick up where we left off?”
Her answer was an adorable squeal right before she pressed her lips to mine.
This time, I was the one gasping in surprise. I hadn’t meant literally pick up where we left off, but I would never object to her lips against mine. I laughed between kisses, admiring how the girl sure knew how to go after what she wanted.
With her in my arms it was easy to ignore the fact that my parents hadn’t lifted their ban against Casey. My dad didn’t like some of the things she’d said about the Trojans baseball program and my mom thought Casey was a bad influence since I’d gotten into the fight defending her honor. But, like Grant said, all I could do now was hope that they’d come around once life went back to normal.
And this, kissing Casey Beeler at the batting cages, this felt like the best kind of normal I could think of.
Today was the last day of summer and I was determined to make the most of it.
Casey smiled up at me and I grinned back.
“I’m so happy everything worked out, Lucas.”
“Me too,” I replied, planting a gentle kiss on her heart-shaped lips. “I missed you like crazy.”
“Really?”
“Of course. How could you even ask me that?”
“Well, I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t want to be friends with a viral internet star.”
“Friends? I was sorta thinking this made us more than friends,” I said, dropping another kiss on her lips.
“More than friends? I like the sound of that.” She grinned and leaned in for more.
“What do you mean viral internet star?” I asked when I came up for air.
Casey frowned. “You haven’t seen the videos of me?”
“No. My parents have me on lockdown. No phone, no internet, no TV, no video games.” No you either, but semantics.
Her eyes bulged. “What have you been doing?”
I made a face. “Reading.”
“Ugh, that sounds awful!”
I laughed. “It’s not that bad. I finished half of my English essays already.”
“Okay, nerds,” Grant interrupted. “Stop making out and talking about homework. It’s time to hit some balls!”
I rolled my eyes at him, then turned back to face Casey. “Ignore him. Tell me about the videos.”
“It’s nothing,” she said. “Grant’s right. Let’s hit.”
“Are you sure?”
Casey grinned. “More than sure!” She kissed me once more for good measure, then grabbed a helmet. “Twenty bucks for the most consecutive hits?”
“You’re on!” Grant exclaimed.
And just like that everything was back to normal.
Chapter Ten
Casey
“See,” Alex said as she pulled into my driveway. “I told you everything would work out.”
“You were right,” I replied still unable to pull the grin from my face.
Spending a few hours with Lucas and my friends at the batting cages had been all I needed to set my world right-side up again. And with school starting tomorrow things would go back to normal.
I turned to Alex as she parked. “Thanks so much for sticking by me through all of this. You’re seriously the best friend ever.”
Alex smirked. “I know. Now go tell your dad he has his star catcher back, so he’ll drop your phone ban. I’m gonna need your help if I’m gonna get out of the dress my mom is trying to get me to wear to school tomorrow.”
I laughed and gave her a hug. “I’ve got your back. Just bring a change of clothes and you can switch outfits at my house when you pick me up in the morning.”
Alex grinned. “You, my friend, are an evil genius.”
I laughed. “No, I’m just relieved this nightmare is over. Wearing a dress to school would be a walk in the park compared to the stress of these past few days.”
Alex pretended to be appalled. “Casey! Tomboys don’t wear dresses!”
We both laughed and I gave her a quick hug before rushing into the house to find my dad and tell him the good news.
Relief flooded me as the realization that this storm was finally passing sunk in.
So what if I was a meme?
Lucas hadn’t ruined his future and he wanted to be more than friends! Starting tomorrow we’d get to see each other every day at school. Things were starting to look up. Soon, it would be like the stupid reporter interview had never happened and my life would be back on track.
Chapter Eleven
Casey
“I’m sorry!” Alex said breathlessly as she rushed past me and raced toward my bedroom. “I slept through my alarm and wasted twenty minutes trying to convince my mother I wasn’t wearing this stupid dress for senior pictures but she’s so freaking stubborn!”
“That’s the kettle calling the pot black,” I teased.
“Casey! I don’t have time for jokes. I need to borrow something to wear! Stat!”
“What? You were supposed to bring a change of clothes.”
“I couldn’t. My mom was watching me like a hawk!”
“Alex, you’re like a foot taller than me. My clothes are going to look ridiculous on you.”
“I don’t care. I’m not starting my senior year in a dress! Just help me find something! Fast!”
The desperation in my best friend’s voice spurred me on and I joined her in tearing apart my meager closet. Fifteen minutes later we were in Alex’s car racing toward Northwood High.
“Seriously, whose brilliant idea was it to schedule senior pictures on the first day of school?” Alex grumbled.
“This dress isn’t that bad, Alex,” I replied, running my fingers over the classic black silhouette that now hugged me instead of Alex. “It’s very Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”
Alex looked at me like I’d grown two heads. “Who’s Tiffany?”
“Never mind,” I replied quickly, embarrassed my closet Hepburn-obsession was showing. “Are you sure your mom’s not going to be mad you let me wear this?”
“She won’t know. I’ll change back before I go home.”
“Yeah, but she’s gonna notice when you get your senior pictures back and you’re in my Phillies t-shirt instead of this dress.”
“That’s a problem for future Alex. Besides, this is way more my style,” she said gesturing to the t-shirt and yoga pants she’d pulled from my closet.
“At least wear the pearls for pictures. They’re your mom’s. I’m sure it would mean a lot to her.”
“Case, if I’m not going to wear her ridiculous dress, I’m definitely not going to wear her ridiculous pearls.”
“They’re not ridiculous,” I said quietly, rolling the delicate pearls between my fingers.
Sometimes the world felt so backwards. I’d do anything to have my mother back, lending me jewelry and giving me fashion advice, and here was Alex taking it for granted.
I guess it was hard for people who hadn’t lost their mothers to understand how lucky they were.
“So, you and Lucas seemed good yesterday,” Alex said, expertly changing the subject. “Are you excited to see him at school?”
“Of course.”
“So, are you two official yet, or what?”
“He did say he wanted to be more than friends. But he just found out he’s not facing assault charges. I doubt asking me out is on his mind right now.”
Alex cocked a dark eyebrow. “Who says you have to wait for him to ask you out?”
I laughed, wondering how I’d fallen into this trap again. My best friend didn’t believe in waiting for boys to make the first move.
�
��What happened to going after what you want and making this the best year ever?” she sang, playfully mocking my pre-summer speech.
“You’re right. I’m gonna ask him out. Right after I sign up for baseball tryouts.”
“That’s my girl!” Alex rolled down her window and whooped. “Best year ever!”
I laughed and followed suit. “Best year ever!”
By the time we pulled into the school parking lot, blaring music, our hair wind-whipped and voices hoarse from laughing and singing, I’d truly convinced myself my horrible summer was behind me and this really would be the perfect year I’d dreamed of.
Boy, was I wrong.
As Alex and I pushed through the double doors into Northwood High, every pair of eyes swiveled in my direction. For a moment, I was bathed in the echoing sound of slamming lockers and silence as all conversation abruptly came to a halt. For a hopeful second, I looked behind me, imagining it was someone else everyone was staring at.
Nope! Just me.
Applause broke out when a group of boys began reenacting the jerks from my video.
Someone yelled, “Bat Girl got hot!”
I cringed. The only part of me that felt hot was my cheeks.
Alex grabbed my hand and dragged me forward. “Come on. Just ignore them.”
But as we moved quickly down the hall, I couldn’t help but focus on the whispered voices of the students we passed. With names like Ginger, Scarlet, Matchstick, and Blaze being tossed around, there was no doubt the gossip was about me. My optimistic bubble finally burst as I realized I’d been a fool to think I’d left my viral summer status behind.
No one survives becoming a meme!
“I liked your see-through dress better,” a guy called as I passed.
“Yeah, show us the goods!” another yelled.
I ducked my head and kept walking. Thankfully, Alex never left my side. She stuck with me from my locker and down the hall toward my first period class like a fearless bodyguard. For once I was glad I was short. I did my best to shrink into Alex’s shadow as I stared at the floor, willing the checkerboard pattern to open up and swallow me whole.
Tomboys Don't Wear Pink: How To Date A Tomboy Page 4
