I turned around to leave, then stopped once I saw Aaron standing there. He looked just as shocked as David at what I had just done.
After adjusting the strap on my backpack, I walked out of there.
Maybe neither of them would ever forgive me, but I had said my piece. There was nothing else I could do.
Aaron and I had lost what we had forever, but if I could help fix David and Aaron’s friendship, then maybe I would be okay.
27
Scarlett stood on the grass in my front yard, watching me attempt stunt after stunt and failing at it.
“Maybe you need to run a little faster,” she offered. “I think you’re hesitating a little bit too.”
Ben was due to pick her up in a few minutes, but she had agreed to help me practice my back flips and back tucks.
It had been two weeks of not being able to do anything, and I was done. I was determined to figure it out, no matter how many more times I landed on my head or my back or hurt myself in general.
The bad thing was that Scarlett didn’t really know what she was doing either. She was a flyer. She didn’t have a ton of experience with what I specialized in so she was trying her best to help me.
Needless to say, I was still struggling.
Five minutes later, I still couldn’t do even one good back flip, and I wondered if I should just give up and ask Coach Collins to help me one-on-one.
The thought of it was embarrassing because I had been doing this since I was eight, but if I couldn’t figure it out on my own…
Ben pulled into his driveway, and Scarlett left with a wave. “Good luck!”
A second later, I heard Dad’s truck coming down the road. He pulled in, and I stood back up, not wanting to give up just yet.
I had maybe three more fails left in me.
Plus it was a good distraction.
I ran and tried again, only to land on my back, hard.
It was so frustrating that I lay there and shut my eyes.
“You’re trying too hard,” I heard. I sat up. It was Dad. He shut the door of his truck and walked over.
“What?” I hadn’t even realized he was watching me.
“You’re thinking too much,” he said. “Stop thinking about it. Just do it. Trust yourself. Ever since you were a little kid, that’s what your teachers always said. That you were good at just trusting yourself to do it, even when they had barely shown you what to do.”
He turned around and left without another word. I watched him go into the garage and pull out his tools, surprised he had offered me advice. He had kept to himself more than usual lately because of me and David, and he never really got involved with cheer.
Even so, his words rang in my head.
Trust yourself.
You’re thinking too much.
He was right. I’d gotten into my own head.
I got up, got back in place, and closed my eyes.
I shook out my fingers and hands and feet, shook away all of the fear and bad energy from the past couple of weeks.
Then I took a deep breath, my eyes still closed.
I thought about the hundreds, maybe thousands, of times I had done this before, all without thinking about it.
Every time I had landed a stunt, I hadn’t been thinking about what I was doing or how to do it.
I had been thinking about how fun it was, the exhilaration, the adrenaline, the cheers from the crowd.
Feeling my body move and stretch in ways that most humans couldn’t.
Then I opened my eyes and ran.
I didn’t let myself think. I just let my body do what I knew it knew how to do.
I launched my body into the air.
Round off.
Back flip.
Three more times.
I landed on my feet.
Done.
Just like that, I had stuck it.
I jumped up and down, screaming. Then I turned around to find Dad giving me a rare smile from where he was working. “See,” he said. “You were thinking too much.”
I did five more backflips in the opposite direction just to prove that it wasn’t a fluke. And then I jumped and screamed some more.
I screamed and laughed all the way to where Dad stood. All of a sudden, I felt like giving him a hug. So I did. “Thanks, Daddy.”
He chuckled. “You’re welcome.”
We hadn’t had a moment like this since I was a little kid.
I watched him work for a minute, taking in the car he was working on. “This one’s new,” I said.
He nodded. “Just bought it yesterday.”
It looked like the worst beater he’d ever brought home, and that was saying something. “It sure needs work.”
Dad searched for a tool in his box. “It does. It needs lots of work. But I was thinking maybe it’ll be ready by the end of the summer for you, if you keep up your grades.”
“Really?” I asked, tears in my eyes. “But what about…”
“Your mother told you’ve apologized,” he replied. “And you’ll have served your time by the time the next school year starts.”
So there was time to be served. I drooped a little, but it was only fair. “Thanks, Dad.”
Just as I went to go back inside, I noticed Aaron across the street. He was walking towards the cul de sac, where he and David usually played one-on-one. He carried a ball under his arm.
For a second, his gaze met mine. My stomach dropped like a stone, and I froze.
Then our front door opened, and out stepped David. He had a ball in his arms too.
In an instant, he saw me, then Aaron, and he stopped.
Without so much as a second glance, he spun on his heel and went back inside the house.
Aaron hung his head and kept walking.
The joy and excitement from just a few minutes ago disappeared.
“Rachel,” I heard my Dad call behind me.
I wanted to go inside too, go to my room and crawl under the covers, but instead, I turned around.
Maybe the moment had finally come for Dad to lecture me on what I’d done. I definitely deserved it. I braced myself and walked over to him, keeping my gaze on the ground.
“Never forget your self-worth,” he said, setting his wrench down.
Huh? I looked up at him, not sure what he meant by that.
“Never forget your self-worth,” he repeated. He nodded toward Aaron. “Never let a man dictate how you feel about yourself. Keep your head high and remember the kind of woman you are, no matter what happens with a man.”
I looked around kind of confused. Dad never told me stuff like this. Was he okay? “Dad…” I began.
He sighed. “The truth is you’re becoming a woman, Rachel. I haven’t been wanting to see that, but I see it now. You’re becoming your own woman, and there will come a time—not now—where I won’t be able to tell you what to do anymore. You’ll make your own decisions, and you’ll have to trust yourself to make the right ones and learn from the wrong ones.”
I nodded, trying to understand what was happening. I had a feeling this was a moment I would remember for the rest of my life, and I didn’t want to forget it.
“Never lose sight of yourself and your happiness, Rachel. Happiness,” he paused, grabbing a different tool, “comes from inside of you, not from another person. Never forget that.”
“Is that why you and Mom have stayed together for so long?” I asked, curious.
He picked up his wrench and began working again. “Your mother and I… we were young and dumb. We were lucky. We figured out how to make it work. We learned these lessons the hard way and only because both of us decided there was no option to fail. You and David were too important.”
Carefully, he loosened a bolt until he was able to pull an entire part from the engine or whatever he was working on. “A man can only add to your happiness. He can never be your happiness. And if any one of them ever hurts you, I’ll take care of it.”
I started laughing. “Okay, Dad
.”
He looked up at me. “Chin up, Rachel.”
All of a sudden, the knot in my stomach was back. I knew there was something I had to do. “Dad,” I said. “There’s something I haven’t told you.”
“I know about Aaron,” he said, not looking up from his work.
I bit my lip. “Yeah, but there’s something else.” I exhaled and went for it, knowing I had to tell him. It was the right thing to do, and I was done keeping secrets. “When David couldn’t drive, and I was driving myself home from cheer… I was also driving Aaron home.”
There. It was out. I felt like throwing up knowing I had lied and now I was owning up to it, but at least it I was owning up to it.
Dad set his wrench down again and sighed. “I feel partially to blame.”
“What?” I replied.
“I know I’ve been strict with you. The truth is that your mother and I were raised very differently,” he said, meeting my eyes. “But we live in a different world now, and I didn’t want to accept it. The things you and David can do now…” he shook his head. “They’re things that just weren’t done in Puerto Rico back in my day.”
He stopped for a second, like he was thinking. “I want you to be able to come to me with anything,” he told me. “Me or your mother. Whatever you’re going through. I want you to trust us, to trust me.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
“You did go behind our backs, Rachel. You lied. So I’ll talk to your mother about a fitting consequence, but I’m trusting you. I’m trusting you to come to us when you need it. You’re growing up, and soon, you’ll be on your own, but let us be there and guide you.”
I hugged him again. “I will, Dad. Promise.”
28
Prom would start in a few hours.
The boys had just played and won another varsity basketball game, the first in their state tournament, and I had successfully completed several stunts.
Better yet, it looked like maybe Aaron and David were starting to get along again. That was all I needed to make me happy at the moment.
Even though I was kind of bummed about prom and what had happened between Aaron and me, it had been a good day.
Chin up.
Scarlett and Audrey put on their dresses in my room. Since Ben was picking them all up in a couple of hours and he lived right across the street, I had invited them all over to get ready at my house.
“Aw, Rachel,” Audrey said, “you should totally go with us. It’s not too late. I don’t have a date either, and neither does Nora.”
Nora sat on my bed in her jeans. “Oh, I’m not going either. I’m going home right after this to practice drums. We’ve got a big band competition coming up, and I’m not about to waste the next six hours of my life standing around watching you all do the electric slide or whatever.”
I laughed at that. “Is that what you think people do at prom?”
“Or worse,” she went on. “Slow dancing. Please.”
Scarlett adjusted the straps on her dress. “Oh, I can’t wait for the slow dancing. Shame you and Rachel aren’t going, though. It would be way more fun with you two.”
“Do you have a dress?” Audrey asked me. “Like, if you happen to change your mind?”
I shook my head, feeling kind of regretful all of a sudden. “I never went shopping.” Shopping was always half the fun, and I hadn’t let myself do even that.
Nope, just a solo night of rom-coms for me.
Audrey grinned and unzipped the large bag she’d brought her dress in so it wouldn’t get dirty or wrinkly. She pulled out a second dress. “That’s no problem. Because I bought an extra.”
Nora gave her this look like she didn’t understand how her mind worked. “You bought two prom dresses?”
Audrey shrugged. “I couldn’t pick so I got them both, and good thing too. I was going to return it tomorrow after I picked one, but… you can have it.” She walked over to me. the dress in her hands. “It just might fit you, if we can convince you to change your mind.”
“I don’t know,” I said, taking in the dress. I touched the sparkly fabric. The whole thing called to me, from the floor-length, figure-hugging style to the silver sequins and halter-style straps. “Besides, I didn’t buy a ticket.”
“Me neither,” Nora said, inspecting a cuticle.
Audrey pulled something out of her purse. Were those—
“You bought extra tickets?” I asked, way more excited than I would’ve expected.
She nodded, handing me the pair of tickets. “I had a feeling you might change your mind.
“This is awesome,” Scarlett cried.
I held the dress and the tickets in my hands, super tempted. “I’ll go if Nora goes,” I teased, spinning around to see Nora.
Her mouth fell open. “You can’t be serious!” She held up her drumsticks. “I’ve got practice!”
“Practice, shmactice,” I told her. “We only get one junior prom. Let’s go and have fun.”
Nora stared at me. “I’m a sophomore.”
“Who cares?” I said, grabbing her by the hands and lifting her up so she could stand. “Live a little, Nora. Maybe we’ll find dancing partners.”
She put her hands on her hips. “I’ll go, but it’s a hard no on the dancing.”
“Fine,” I said with a smile. I turned back to Audrey, who gave me the dress.
Scarlett shrieked in excitement. “Oh, yay! Group date!”
An hour later, we were all ready.
Hair done.
Make up on point.
High heels on.
“I call shot gun,” Nora said we reached the front door. She was the only one not in a dress, just in her usual grunge-shique attire, and she was rocking it.
We’d set beachy waves in her hair and gone all out on her eye shadow, which really dressed up her favorite pair of black jeans, gray and white tee, and black ankle booties she had on already.
I stopped when I saw Aaron, though. His gaze met mine, but he didn’t say anything.
I had not been expecting to see Aaron. It had been ages since he’d been at my house. Then I realized he and David must have finally made up. As happy as I was about that, it was also bittersweet.
David walked past me and joined him. “Hey, bro.”
Aaron turned so he could talk to him. “Hey.”
The sound of Mom’s voice finally had me turning away.
“Oh, Rachel, you look amazing. I’m so glad you decided to go after all,” she said, pulling out her phone. “You girls stop right there. I have to get some pictures before you go.”
I didn’t even complain about the embarrassment of pictures in front of David and Aaron.
All of a sudden, it hit me, seeing Aaron all dressed up and handsome, how sad it made me that we wouldn’t be going to prom together.
We wouldn’t be doing anything together, ever again.
We couldn’t be friends or anything, not unless I wanted to blow up his friendship with David, possible for good.
And that was one thing I could never do again.
I’d learned my lesson.
Mom looked at the pictures she took. “Rachel, you’re not even smiling. Smile for me. I’m going to take some more pictures so I can show your Dad. He wouldn’t have gone into work if he’d known he was going to miss out on seeing you all dressed up for prom.”
After I managed a decent smile, she gathered all of us for a group picture.
Then it was just me and David, which was super awkward.
We hardly looked at each other, and I felt a pang in my stomach when I realized he was probably still mad at me even after all of this time or that maybe our relationship would never be the same because of what I had done.
“Oh, Rachel,” Mom told me after. “I wish you would smile.”
Then my shoulders seemed to kind of droop, and my eyes fell to the floor and she stopped. She pulled me in close. “Have fun tonight, okay? No more sad eyes.”
It wasn’t until then that I rea
lized I had tears in my eyes, but I nodded.
Ben, Scarlett, Audrey, Nora, and I barely fit in his Jeep, but we made it to dinner and then prom downtown.
“Oh my gosh, it’s beautiful,” Audrey said as we walked into the venue.
It really was. It was stunning, from the golden light that the large chandelier cast from the middle of the ceiling to the flower centerpieces on the tables covered in thick white tablecloths.
And the music was perfect, just what I needed to get back into a good mood.
Seeing Aaron had caught me off guard, but I was determined to have a good time tonight.
The entire group of us joined the rest of the student body on the dance floor.
Even Nora jumped and moved once the rock songs came on, her dark red tresses flying to and fro.
After a while, the first slow song came on. Everyone took it as a cue to grab some water, but Scarlett and Ben stayed on the floor, swaying back and forth together.
I watched them for a minute, and then I searched for Aaron. I couldn’t help it.
A big part of me still ached for him, for us to have our chance.
Or at least one song.
I would’ve settled for one dance with him before letting go of him forever.
I saw him. He stood across the room with David. His eyes met mine, and I turned away, not expecting it to hurt so much.
I had to look at something else, anything else, or it would be too much.
With a pang in my chest, I turned around and walked away. I needed some air.
Maybe I’d been wrong to come here. If I called Mom, maybe she could pick me up. My friends would understand.
Just as I reached the entrance, I heard someone yell. “Rachel, wait!”
I stopped when I realized it was David. He reached me. “Where are you going?”
I shrugged, refusing to look at him. “Home,” I cried, a single tear escaping my eyes.
“Why?” he asked, still slightly out of breath.
Dating Aaron & Other Forbidden Things (Garcia Brothers Book 2) Page 12
