Scarlett turned back to me. “Don’t worry. I’ll cover for you.”
I hesitated, but the voice in my head told me I needed to go. “Okay.”
She reached into her bag and gave me a couple of crackers. “Here. Eat.”
I took them. “Thanks.” Then I grabbed my phone and left.
The boy’s locker room was down the hall.
A few feet from the door, I saw one of the JV boys about to head in. “Hey, can you get Aaron for me? It’s important.”
“Sure,” he said, a ball in his hand.
He went in, and a minute later, Aaron came out. He was still in his warm-up long-sleeve shirt. Concern etched his face. “Hey. Are you okay?”
I took his hand and led him away. “I need to talk to you.”
We went to the science wing. It was dark and silent.
“It’s probably no big deal,” I said, “but I have to know.”
Aaron looked down at me. “What is it? Know what?”
I bit my lip. “I heard David talking to you earlier.”
I didn’t have to say anything else after that.
The expression on his face told me he knew exactly what I was talking about. “You heard that?” he asked, letting out a deep sigh.
I nodded. “I did.”
He stared at the floor for a second before looking back at me again. “He heard someone say something about us… He heard a rumor that you and me…”
Aaron didn’t have to say anything else. The knot that had been in my stomach all day grew even bigger.
“I told him that it wasn’t true, that I would never…” His voice trailed into nothing.
All of a sudden, worrying about prom seemed like this stupid, stupid thing.
Who cared about prom when this was happening?
David had asked Aaron point blank if that rumor he heard about us was true, and he had lied to his face.
This situation only got worse and worse.
I shook my head. “I’m sorry. You know, I’ve been thinking and maybe—“
“What?” he asked. I glanced away. “Maybe what?”
“Maybe it’s better we put an end to this now,” I went on. “Before he finds out the truth and everything blows up for good.”
He exhaled.
Neither of us said anything for a second.
It was because both of us were seriously considering it.
At least a part of us knew that this would be the smart thing to do. Nip all of this in the bud before it got any worse.
Before David found out, and it ruined everything.
Just when I got ready to tell him this, Aaron spoke up. “No.”
I blinked up at him. “What do you mean, no?”
He shook his head. “No. I know this sucks, and it’s not easy, but we just need to be more careful.”
“Aaron,” I told him quietly.
But it only made the resolve in his eyes stronger. “Rach, I can’t walk away from you now. I can’t. I know it’s the smart thing to do, what we should do, but I can’t.” He took my hands in his. “Your brother is my best friend. My best friend, and I hate lying to him, but you mean just as much to me. I don’t want to choose.”
I had no idea what to say to that.
“Please don’t make me choose,” he whispered.
Maybe I didn’t need to say anything.
Maybe words weren’t the answer in that moment.
So instead, I reached up, wrapped my arms around him, and I kissed him.
We held onto each other for what felt like a second.
But then someone’s voice had us pulling apart. “I can’t believe this.”
No. Please, no.
I spun around. It was David.
He stood there, in his basketball uniform, looking more angry than I’d ever seen him. But his gaze wasn’t on me. It was on Aaron.
“David,” I began.
He took a step towards us, still hardly looking at me. “I asked you today, and you—you liar—” he spat, his voice an angry growl.
Aaron took a step so he partially shielded me. Then he began to say something, but David wasn’t having it.
He was practically seething. “You call yourself my best friend?” he demanded. “How long have you been lying to my face?”
Aaron faltered then. He opened his mouth to say something, but no sound came out. He dropped his gaze to the floor.
I took a step forward. “David, I’m sorry. This is my fault.”
He finally looked at me, slowly shook his head, before turning back to Aaron. “Don’t ever talk to me again. I can’t believe I ever called you my friend.”
Then he turned to go. Just as Aaron went to go after him, David stopped and punched the wall beside him.
I covered my mouth from the shock of it.
Before I could even think to ask if he was okay, he was gone.
23
The next several minutes did not feel real.
The world seemed both far away and too close at the same time.
Somehow I made my way back to the locker room.
Scarlett came up to me. “Did you find him? Where’s Aaron?”
Aaron.
He’d left not long after David, without a word.
I think he’d been too crushed to speak.
I shrugged my shoulders and blinked to keep the tears at bay.
Scarlett came closer, concern on her face. “Rachel. What happened? Are you okay?”
I shook my head. “David knows.”
Her mouth fell.
“He came looking for Aaron,” I told her, taking a seat on one of the benches. The rest of the squad was already warming up, and we were in here. I knew we had to go and join them or Coach Collins would be mad. She didn’t like us being late, especially when it was a game, but I felt frozen.
I couldn’t move.
Scarlett sat down beside me. “What did Aaron say? And David? Are they okay?” she asked.
I shook my head. “They’re not okay,” I managed, my voice breaking.
I was not okay.
And it was all my fault.
Now I had a game to get through.
How was I going to stand up, let alone cheer tonight?
“What are you going to do?” Scarlett asked quietly.
I shook my head. “I have no idea.” Now the tears came. I tried not to cry, but it was impossible. “I’m pretty sure this is the end of us, Scarlett.”
Several tears streamed down my cheeks.
I let them.
Just then, Miranda came into the locker room, slightly out of breath. “Coach Collins is looking for you two.” She stopped once she saw the tears. “Are you okay? What should I tell her?”
Scarlett turned to her. “We’re okay. We’ll be there in a minute.”
Miranda left.
I let my head fall into my hands. “Just like that, he found out. In the moment we least expected it.” I still couldn’t believe it.
Everything had blown up in our faces in a single second.
Just like that.
I didn’t get it.
How had we let this happen?
There was no going back. We had caused this.
A few minutes later, I followed Scarlett out into the gym. She had helped me wipe the tears away.
I focused on our cheer routine, but I was a second behind everyone else. Everyone knew it, but they didn’t say anything.
Coach Collins could see it. She came over. I could tell she didn’t get what was going on with me. I wasn’t one to be like this. “What’s going on, Rachel? Do you need to sit this one out?”
I shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know.”
Please don’t ask me about it…
Please don’t ask me about it…
She sighed, glanced down at her clipboard. “Go take a five-minute breather. See if that helps.”
I turned and left without a word.
I didn’t come back out until the game started fifteen minutes later.
> After I joined the girls on the sidelines, I glanced at the clock. The seconds counted down to zero.
One of the coaches announced tonight’s lineup.
I looked over at the bench.
Aaron was starting, but he didn’t look good at all. His face said it all. He was still really upset about everything that had just happened. It was like he wasn’t even really there.
Then I found David. He sat on the opposite side of the bench, as far from Aaron as possible.
His gaze was locked on the floor, his arms resting on his knees. Then I noticed his hand. It was bandaged, and the coach did not seem happy about it.
The knot in my stomach grew.
This had been my fault.
Tears formed in my eyes again, and I finally looked away. I couldn’t do this.
How was I supposed to cheer on Aaron and the rest of the team when I felt absolutely terrible? When they were both hurting so much?
The gym coaches announced the lineup.
Aaron was up first. The crowd heard his name and clapped and cheered for their star player.
Even so, he seemed like he was hardly present.
The game started.
Aaron missed shot after shot.
He lost the ball again and again.
Ten minutes in, they were twelve points down.
The basketball coach yelled at him to get it together from the sidelines.
Finally, he called for a timeout and made Aaron sit down.
He put in someone else, and together, the rest of the team got into a rhythm. Despite their hardest efforts, though, they couldn’t catch back up on the scoreboard.
They were missing two of their best players, and it showed.
I tried to focus on cheering along with Scarlett and the rest of the squad, but my heart wasn’t in it.
Usually, my voice was the loudest. Today, it was anything but.
I just wanted the night to end.
I wanted to go home and pretend none of this had happened.
Wake up tomorrow and realize it was all a terrible dream.
By the time halftime rolled around, we were still down twelve points. The team was tired, and Aaron still wasn’t playing his best.
I saw the coach go over to David, but he shook his head. It was obvious he wasn’t gonna play on the same court as Aaron.
The guilt churned inside me as the buzzer went off and both teams left the court to rest up in the locker rooms.
I’d never seen them this defeated.
Kind of numb myself, I followed the squad onto the court.
This was it. Our big show, and I had no idea how I was going to pull off my usual stunts when my entire being felt so heavy.
Scarlett stood beside me. She turned to me. “Just three minutes, Rach. Just three minutes, and then it’s over. Promise.”
I nodded but couldn’t really make eye contact.
I was too busy thinking of what was going to happen when I got home later.
Part of me wanted this game to end so it would all be over, but the truth was that it wouldn’t be over.
David would go home angry and my parents would find out why. I’d be in so much trouble.
So would Aaron.
Nothing would be the same ever again, and it was all my fault.
If I had just been able to—
The music started.
I did my best to keep up. Smiling felt out of the question so I didn’t even try.
At one point, I helped launch Scarlett up. I didn’t let her fall. My arms caught her, kept her safe.
It was something.
We kept moving, cheering. I was supposed to be one and the same with the rest of the squad, but I felt alone.
The time for the grand finale came up.
I was supposed to do my signature move to tie everything together.
I found my spot in the front corner and got ready.
I’d done this countless times before. I could do it again.
I had to.
Failing in front of everybody was not an option, no matter how heavy I felt.
I ran, then launched into my first backflip. Then the next and the next. They weren’t my best, but I fought to keep going.
But I must have messed up because next thing I knew I was on the floor.
I hit the floor hard, managing to stick my hands out.
My butt hit first, though, and right away, embarrassment flooded my body. I could hear the gasps from the crowd along with a few laughs.
I could feel my cheeks and neck turning hot. Plus my hands and left wrist hurt.
At least it was over.
I went to stand up, and pain shot up my wrist.
A pair of arms helped me up, and a friendly and familiar face was there.
“Thanks,” I told Scarlett.
She helped me walk off the court while the squad shook their pom-poms and yelled like we always did at the end of our routines. “Are you okay?” she asked.
I held my wrist carefully. “I think so. But I might’ve sprained my wrist.”
Saying it out loud had the tears coming back.
As if everything hadn’t been enough. Now I wouldn’t be able to cheer on top of it.
Scarlett walked me to the locker room. “It looks a little swollen. I’ll go find some ice.”
The door slammed shut behind her.
I spent the rest of the game in the locker room. Afterwards, I held the small bag of ice to my wrist, grabbed my stuff, and headed out. The girls had just gotten back in the locker room, but I wanted to be left alone.
Apparently, the boys had lost by over thirty points in the end. Aaron and David had to be crushed.
At some point, I was going to have to find both of them.
Aaron would probably find a ride home with someone else, but I had to talk to him first.
And then I’d find David so he could drive us home. Maybe he’d have some pity on me once he saw my wrist.
I made my way to the bench outside the gym. I could wait there. It was a little out of the way.
Several people made their way out of the gym in small groups. Students and some parents, and a basketball player here and there.
David came outside, and I got up.
Aaron was still inside.
I would have to talk to him tomorrow then.
After catching up to David, he glanced at me. He didn’t say a word, but he did pause at the sight of my bandaged wrist.
He glanced at his own bandaged knuckles and kept walking. When we got to his car, I handed him his keys.
He took them without a word.
24
Our parents were watching TV when we got home.
It was weird, seeing them like that. They never did normal things like sitting down to watch TV.
And they never saw David and me come straight home after a game either.
David went straight to his room and slammed the door shut.
Dad looked like he was about to go give him a piece of his mind. He hated it when we slammed doors shut.
I stepped in. “They had a really tough game,” I explained.
Mom’s gaze landed on my injured wrist. “What happened? Do we need to go to the doctor?” She stood up and came over.
Dad did the same.
“I’m okay,” I told her. “We can go tomorrow. It just hurts a little. It might be sprained.”
She took it in her hand and carefully touched and prodded it. I grimaced. “You never get injured.”
“I know,” I replied. “I guess we all had an off night.” It was hard to meet her eyes when I said it. “I’m gonna go lay down if that’s okay.”
They let me go. I shut my door quietly, wondering what had happened to Aaron after the game and glad I wouldn’t have to face everyone’s wrath until tomorrow.
That was something, but in the meantime, I was really worried about Aaron.
I wanted to text him and ask him if he was okay, but at the same time, I was terrified of making everythi
ng worse.
What if he hated me?
He had good reason to.
If I hadn’t gone looking for him before the game, none of this would’ve happened. I should’ve just waited until after the game. Texted him tonight.
Something. Anything, but what I did.
This was on me.
I took a shower and kept an eye on Aaron’s house across the street.
I was pretty sure I hadn’t missed him coming home. It had been a quick shower.
After sitting on my bed with my hair in a towel, I grabbed my phone and texted him.
Rachel: Are you home? We should really talk.
I went back into the bathroom to blow dry my hair, keeping an eye on my window, but nothing.
No text back. No Aaron.
About half an hour later, I lay in bed just staring out into the sky, wondering what tomorrow held for me.
For us.
My phone buzzed.
It was Scarlett, asking me if I was okay and what had happened.
Just as I went to text her back, the flash of headlights got my attention.
At first I thought maybe it was a neighbor driving past, but the car turned into Aaron’s house. I recognized it. It belonged to one of the guys from the team. Music blared from the vehicle, faintly reaching my ears. It came to a stop at the end of the driveway. Aaron stepped out, his stuff in tow. He gave his friends a wave and watched them go.
Meanwhile, I texted him again.
Rachel: Aaron, please. We need to talk. Come to my window?
I’d never dared do anything like that before, ask a boy to sneak into my room late at night, but I had to talk to him before tomorrow.
Tomorrow, I wasn’t sure there would be a chance.
I saw Aaron pull his phone out of his pocket and take pause. He glanced towards my bedroom window for a second, and then he went inside his house.
I’d been standing, but seeing that made me fall back onto my bed.
So he didn’t want to talk. What now?
We just wouldn’t talk anymore? Would we have to stay away from each other at all costs if he was going to have a chance at fixing things with my brother?
I turned to my side and stared at the opposite wall, trying to figure out how we’d gotten here.
Just when I’d resolved to my close my eyes and somehow fall asleep, there was a tap at my window.
Dating Aaron & Other Forbidden Things (Garcia Brothers Book 2) Page 10
