Noah made a face. “I don’t see what the big deal is. It’s just a dance.”
I swallowed hard remembering the last school dance I’d gone to. There had been nothing ‘just a dance’ about it. “Yeah, well, I still don’t want to go, so…” I let my voice trail off and hoped he’d let it go.
He didn’t.
“Is it because you don’t have a date?” he asked, glancing at me out the side of his eyes.
Ohmigosh! How embarrassing! We were so not having this conversation. “No! It’s not because I don’t have a date.”
Noah shrugged. “Because I’m sure you could find a date, Tierney.”
Good grief. I covered my face with my hands. The last thing I needed was Noah feeling sorry for me. We weren’t even friends.
“I don’t want a date, Noah.”
“What? Why not?” His brows were pinched together. “I thought girls loved dances and all that shit. If it was up to guys dances wouldn’t even exist.”
We’d reached the doors leading outside. Noah stepped ahead of me and held one open so I could pass through. I made sure not to touch him as I passed.
“What about you? Who are you going with?” Noah had this knack for getting me to revert to my old self, the one that flirted and had no problem asking guys like him questions shy Tierney would never.
He shrugged, obviously not thinking anything about me nosing into his life. “I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it.”
Really? Hmmm. “What about Trina?” Since I was nosing around anyway…
Noah’s whole body shuddered. “No. Freaking. Way.”
Not the response I was expecting. “Seriously? I thought maybe you guys were getting back together?” I hadn’t imagined them talking the other night.
Noah stopped abruptly, his eyes were so big I could see the whites around them. “Why would you think that?”
“Oh, my gosh. Calm down.” Stopping beside him, I put my hand on his arm before he had heart attack. “I saw you guys talking the other night,” I shrugged. “I just thought…you know.”
Noah shook his head back and forth, back and forth. “No. No. No. That’s never going to happen. Trina is craze balls.”
“Craze balls?” I giggled despite myself. “What does that even mean?”
“I don’t know. It means Trina.”
That made me laugh harder. “What did she do to get labeled ‘craze balls’?”
Noah lifted the sleeve of his jacket to reveal four long scratch marks on his forearm. My laughter dried up.
“Oh, wow,” I murmured, my fingers lightly reaching out to touch the angry looking red marks. I glanced up. His jaw was tight. I brought my hand back to my side. “That looks like it hurts. Why’d she do that?”
“Because she’s nuts.”
“Did you make her mad?”
Noah flinched and shoved his wounded arm in my face. “That would make this okay?”
“No!” I shook my head. “No, of course not. I was just trying to get the whole picture. I’m sorry.”
“I’ve never done anything to her except break up with her and she turned into a freaking lunatic.” Noah started walking again, his footsteps deliberate and angry. I felt bad. I hadn’t meant to say he’d somehow deserved to have Trina treat him like that.
“I’m sorry, Noah. I didn’t mean to say-” but he spun around and cut me off.
“I would never, ever hurt a girl.”
I nodded, but he kept going.
“It makes me so mad. She thinks because she’s a girl and I won’t hit her back, she can just do what she wants to me? How is that fair?”
Wow. He was right. I thought about all the times I’d gotten into physical little entanglements with guys I used to hang out with. I never thought anything about hitting or punching them, just playing around. They always seemed so much bigger and like anything I could possibly do to them wouldn’t hurt. But looking at the scratches on Noah’s arm, I realized I was wrong. And what was the guy supposed to say? That a girl hit him and it hurt? Talk about losing your man card. It was totally unfair.
“Man, that sucks. You’re right. I’m sorry.” Even though I hadn’t been the one to do it, I felt the need to apologize for my gender.
Noah stopped beside my car and sighed. “It’s not your fault. I’m not trying to blame you. I have a lot going on and I’m frustrated with Trina.” He ran his hands through his hair and barked out a laugh. “Jeez, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to unload all that on you.” His bright eyes met mine and I could see his frustration as well as his apology.
“No worries. Looks like we’re both kinda anti-Homecoming at this point, huh?” I nudged his arm with my elbow.
He laughed again. “Yeah, what a mess.”
Noah stuffed his hands in his pockets. It was cold and he was only wearing a hoodie.
“I should go.” We’d officially shared too much and I wanted to leave, but Noah had other ideas.
“Tell me again, since you’re so anti-Homecoming, why are you doing this?” he asked.
“I got steamrolled by Ms. Lowe. I needed activities for college applications.” I opened the back door of my car and tossed my backpack on the floor.
Noah nodded, some of the tension easing from his shoulders. “Where are you applying to?”
“Butler.”
Noah’s brows rose and he whistled. Butler was hard to get into. “Wow, that’s great. What are you going to major in?”
I pushed the back door shut and opened the driver’s side. “Creative writing, but I’ll get a degree in English with an emphasis in education.”
“So you want to be a writer?” He sounded impressed and my head swelled a little.
“I am a writer,” I told him. “I’m just not published yet.”
Noah’s lips curled up and it seemed like we were passed our earlier angst. “I like your confidence, Hiatt.”
I rolled my eyes. “Gee, thanks, Jacobs,” I shot back. “What about you? Why are you doing this?”
Noah stepped away from my car. “Same as you, college. Notre Dame,” he said before I could ask.
“Whoa, now I’m impressed. That’s really awesome.” Notre Dame wasn’t the easiest school to get into, either.
Noah’s smile turned strained. “Yeah, well, expectations, you know.”
I studied his face, hoping to see the underlying meaning behind the words. Before I could figure anything out, however, he turned and started toward his own car signaling the end of our conversation.
“Drive safe, Tierney,” he called over his shoulder.
“You, too.” I slid into the driver’s seat and watched him get into his car and start it up. His eyes met mine over our steering wheels. He widened his eyes and gestured for me to get moving. I had to smile at his chivalry after our conversation about Trina.
Noah Jacobs was a good guy.
6
Noah
“Dude, you good?” Luke asked. We were sitting on the bench waiting for our names to be announced for the starting lineup.
“Yeah, man, I’m good.” I was just distracted. Spending time with Tierney earlier had thrown me for a loop. I’d been worried after our interactions at the beginning of the week that our meeting would be tense and uncomfortable. I’d been really concerned about our ability to work together and actually get anything accomplished, but Tierney had surprised me. First with her apology and then with how in sync we’d been making decisions about the theme and decorations for the dance. We’d gotten so much done, the weight I’d been feeling over the dance had all but disappeared.
In its place, however, was worry about Trina and her drama. The scratches on my arm still looked red and angry. Every time my gaze landed on them, I was reminded of how angry I was with her. I’d taken Grayson’s advice and blocked her from my phone and even went so far as to block her on my social media accounts. My next project was to scrub my accounts. I wanted every picture of her or us together to be erased from my life. I’d already deleted the o
nes on my phone and tossed the framed picture she’d given me for our six month anniversary into the garbage. I should have realized then that she was more invested in our relationship than I was and ended it then.
Add to all of that, my parents were acting suspicious lately. And today, my dad’s car had been in the drive when I got home from school after meeting with Tierney. It was about the same time I would usually get home from practice and I couldn’t remember the last time he’d beat me home. Usually he strolled through the door around seven or eight, never at five-thirty. Ever.
When I asked them about it, Dad admitted he’d taken the day off and alarms went off in my head. Dad never took random vacation days and he never, ever took sick days. I tried to ask if something was wrong, but they’d just shared a look that made my blood run cold before reassuring me that everything was fine.
Everything wasn’t fine.
They were hiding something from me and it was making me nuts that I didn’t know. When I asked if they were going to come to my game, they said they would watch it on the live stream instead. It just got weirder and weirder.
I added that to my list of things to stress about.
At least basketball was easy, like second nature, all muscle memory and adrenaline. As point guard, it was my job to run the offense and I’d been playing ball with my friends all my life. Our team worked like a well oiled machine. We were so familiar with each other, we just knew what the others were going to do, where they were going to be, and how we were going to win games. But we weren’t the only team who’d been playing together their whole lives. Basketball was a religion in Indiana and we’d all been raised going to church.
“Run it, Jacobs!” Coach Holden called from where he paced in front of the bench. We were down by three with two minutes left in the fourth quarter. It was our first game and none of us wanted to leave this court with an 0-1 record.
I held up two fingers on my left hand while my right dribbled the ball at the top of the key. Zeke was under the basket, but he ran out of the lane, drawing his defender with him. Mateo crossed under the basket while Luke circled around. The lane was clear. Dropping my shoulder, I plowed my way to the basket and threw the ball in the air. It banked off the backboard and dropped through the net.
On the edge of the court, Coach clapped his hands.
With a minute and forty-eight seconds left, we weren’t out of the woods yet. The opposing team took the ball out of bounds. Luke, Mateo, and I stayed in the back court in a full court defense. The inbound throw was high over our heads but Mateo’s fingers nicked the edge of it just before it reached the hands of our opponent who dribbled across half court long before the ten seconds he was allotted. I found my man and played him close. We’d worked on our defense all summer, knowing it was a weakness. This team had some big guys and I was thankful for the experience playing against Drew had given me.
Luke’s man pivoted. Luke stutter stepped the wrong direction and the guy jumped, shooting outside the three point arch. I followed the ball with my gaze, too far away to rebound if he didn’t make it. It didn’t matter.
Damn!
On our end, Zeke made a bank shot under the basket. After inbounding, the other team walked down the court eating the clock. Mateo fouled, sending their player to the free throw line. He made the first one, but missed the second. There was a scramble for the rebound. I dove for the ball at the same time as a guy on the other team and we tussled until the ref blew the whistle. Jump ball.
It was their ball. Luke and Jared double teamed the inbound pass. Mateo intercepted.
“Let’s go, guys!” I heard from the bleachers. It was Piper, Luke’s twin sister. The girls team was supporting us just as we’d be cheering for them next.
There was no mercy in high school basketball.
We followed Mateo down the court, but he had it under control, draining a three before the buzzer sounded.
“Good game, man,” Drew congratulated later after we’d all showered and made our way out to watch the girls.
“I wondered if you were going to make it,” I teased as we climbed the bleachers. The guys ribbed Drew about not playing. I could tell it was getting on his nerves and wondered if we’d ever hear that story. I hated to admit I was just as curious as everyone else. The guy had skills.
He also had a mad crush on our girl Piper. There were always fireworks when the two of them were together, but watching him watch her? Dude was a drowning man. I figured it was only a matter of time before they announced they were a couple. I left him to drool and engaged in conversation with Luke. Which I soon regretted.
“What’s with you and that shy girl, Noah? What’s her name?” he asked, pumping his eyebrows up and down.
“I’m not talking to you about this.” The guys were worse than a bunch of girls.
“Tierney,” Grayson supplied. “Her name is Tierney. She’s in my Government class.”
“Ooh. Tierney and Noah,” Luke said in a sing-song tone of voice.
“What are we in elementary school?” I asked, punching his leg with my knuckle.
“No need to get all defensive, man.” Luke rubbed the spot where I’d hit him. “Just wondering if you’re looking for a rebound. You know, since Madison.”
“I broke up with her, asshole,” I reminded him. “And enough with the rebound stuff.”
Luke continued as if he hadn’t heard me. “I heard you’ve been spending time with this Tierney girl after school.” Luke pumped his eyebrows again tempting me to punch him again.
“Jeez, Luke, stop being such a douche. We’re on the Homecoming committee together.” He was really getting on my nerves. I moved up the bleachers, hoping some distance would keep me from maiming my friend.
“Just sayin’, man. Maybe Tierney’s got something going on, hiding under all those nerdy clothes.”
His suggestive tone had me nailing him in the back. “Lab. Partners. That’s all Tierney has going on.” I could feel my face getting red.
“Whatever, man,” Jared said. “You know what they say about the shy ones- they turn into wild ones.”
His words had my veins on fire. I crossed my arms over my chest and focused on the game. “You guys are assholes.”
I barely heard them when they started in on Drew, teasing him about all the girls at school that had been falling all over the new guy, while I tried to calm my anger. Especially when deep down, I knew there was a bit of truth to what they were saying. I’d caught myself thinking about Tierney way more than I should. But that didn’t mean I wanted to go out with her and I sure didn’t want the guys teasing me about her. Tierney was shy. She kept to herself for whatever reason and I had a feeling that reason was something bad that had happened. And word getting back to her about all this speculation had anxiety sitting like a weighted ball in the pit of my stomach. It didn’t help that we were thrown together during Biology as well as for the dance.
Conversation turned to the party later that night, which I knew I’d go to even though I didn’t want to. As they discussed, I was Mr. Perfect as in Mr. Perfect designated driver. Sometimes I wondered what they would do if I just let loose and left them all to their own stupid devices.
Whatever. I wasn’t going to find out tonight.
7
Tierney
“How is it possible you’ve never seen Twilight?” I was well and truly appalled.
Noah rolled his eyes. “When would I have ever seen Twilight?”
I considered this. Noah was a guy. When would he have seen it?
“Do you have a sister?” Hasn’t every girl seen Twilight? Even if it was against their will? And didn’t we all make some guy watch it with us because we were just like that?
Noah pulled his face away from the microscope. We were using it to determine the phase of cell division each slide represented for our lab in biology (exactly like that scene from Twilight).
“Anaphase.” He pointed to the number on our worksheet that corresponded to the slide under
the microscope. I wrote the answer and switched places with him.
“And I’m an only child. No sister to force me in front of the television to watch sparkly vampires.” He sat on the stool I’d vacated and poised his pencil over the next question.
I placed the next slide under the microscope and looked through the eyepiece. “Okay, fine. What about girlfriends? Surely one of them has tried to get you to watch it. And how do you know about sparkly skin if you haven’t ever watched the movie or read the books?” I studied the slide again to make sure I had the right answer. “Prophase.”
Noah jotted down the answer in his all-caps handwriting and tossed the pencil down so we could switch places again.
“Do you know how many memes there are about that guy? What’s his name? Edward? Jacob? Everyone knows about the sparkly skin.”
That was probably true. But still.
“And I don’t think I’ve ever had a girlfriend I liked well enough to sit through those movies,” he murmured as he removed my slide and chose the next one from the box.
I scrunched up my nose at that. “Well, that’s just sad.” Why date someone if you didn’t really like them? That made no sense to me. Relationships were hard enough, why go through that if you weren’t into it? “And his name is Edward.”
“I don’t care. Interphase.”
I wrote the answer, but couldn’t help but roll my eyes. Granted, the Twilight movies weren’t my favorite, but I loved the books. I still watched them all, though. It was a sick kind of hopefulness that kept me coming back for more. Like maybe Kristen Stewart would become a better actress or Robert Pattinson would become as good looking as Taylor Lautner.
Noah took up position on the stool again while I switched the slides.
“What is the obsession, though? The guy is a vampire. I don’t get the whole vampires are cool thing. And what’s with the other guy? Team Jacob, right? Who’s he? Another vampire?” Noah’s face screwed up with distaste, like he couldn’t believe he was engaging in this conversation, but couldn’t help himself, either.
Dating: On the Rebound Page 5
