by Sally Henson
I fled the dance floor to the bathroom and hid in a stall, crying my eyes out. There was no way I could go back out there with my giant fish lips blown up on that screen.
Cayla and Roan found me. It was so sweet that he barreled into the girl’s restroom and shooed everyone out. Cayla stayed with her date, but Roan snuck me out of the building and drove me home.
He had since tried to get James to take the video off his post, but James wouldn’t do it.
I needed the courage to ask James myself.
Juju whined.
“I know, girl. I haven’t been able to face him.”
Guys made kissing noises or sucked their cheeks together until their mouth formed fish lips as they passed by in the halls at school. Of course, they only did it when Roan wasn’t with me.
My phone buzzed with a message from Cayla.
Cayla: Want ice cream?
Tommie: No thanks. Going to sleep.
I wasn’t really tired, but I didn’t want Madi coming into my room and bragging about how much fun she had. The baseball guys used to be my territory. I had my eyes set on a couple of them when school started. That was my hope. But it never happened. Until the debacle with James.
Another message came across.
Roan: Won one. Lost one.
Tommie: Sorry. How did you play?
Roan: Not great. Stopping at the Burger Bar with the team. Cayla and Madi will be there.
Tommie: I’m sure you were fine. Have fun.
It was Saturday night, I was eighteen, and I was at home in bed. If I stayed in Sweet Water, North Carolina, the rest of my life, I’ll die without ever being kissed again.
2
Pastor Bryant spoke from the short platform at the front of the church building. I tried to listen, but I wasn’t able to focus. His son, Jett, had his arm around his girlfriend in the second pew. Jett was so nice and tall and good-looking.
Across the aisle from him, Charlotte and Lucas were just as cozy. Lucas was gorgeous and treated her like a queen. Their cuteness had my heart in a free-fall, and I had to close my eyes so I’d stop feeling sorry for myself.
Roan bumped my shoulder and whispered, “Wake up.”
We didn’t always sit together. His grandparents liked to sit in different spots and he usually sat with them.
I wanted to pull my phone out and see how much longer I had to endure watching these couples, but Mom would confiscate it for a week.
I leaned close to Roan and asked, “Have you noticed how many couples are in this church? It’s depressing.”
He glanced around. His eyebrows rose as he asked, “You’re jealous?”
I shrugged and then nodded.
The corner of his mouth lifted. He slid his arm behind me, resting it on the back of the pew. “Is that better?”
I narrowed my eyes, pouting my lips, and huffed, “Not quite the same.” I didn’t ask him to move it though.
Mom nudged me and gave me the look that said I better stop talking or else.
As soon as the service was over, Roan and I weaved in and out of the crowd to get out of there. If I had to watch the lovebirds holding hands one more second, my heart would turn into stone. And the way the day was going, James would show up any second to shatter it .
When I hit the fresh air, I was able to breathe.
“Want a ride?” Roan asked, navigating us down the steps toward the parking lot.
“Yes. Get me out of here. I need to send Mom a quick message.” I typed the passcode into my phone.
“Already told her we were leaving.” He unlocked his Toyota truck, and we split apart to climb in.
“You know me so well.” And he did know me. For half of my life, we had been best friends.
As soon as we were both in, Roan brought the engine to life and took off.
“I think I was getting claustrophobic.” At least that was the excuse I gave Roan.
He scoffed. “Is that what you call it?”
I let out a groan. “I can’t help that I’m not Roan Martin, baseball beast and heartbreaker.”
“Whatever,” he mumbled and turned into our subdivision.
I shook my head. “Don’t ‘whatever’ me. You’re getting a scholarship to Tennessee. That says you’re a beast. And you have a ton of girls who would go out with you, but you’re too good for them. Which,” I poked his shoulder, “I don’t mind because then we’d never get to hang out.”
He made another turn and drove down our street. “Hey, that goes both ways, you know.” He grinned, glancing in my direction.
Roan had a way about him that always kept me from falling apart. He didn’t allow just anyone to see that side of him. Or maybe it was that I knew him for so long and ignored the grizzly bear act.
We came to a stop in front of my house. “We’re supposed to drive to Myrtle Beach to meet some old client of Gramp’s today. I’d rather stay home, but that wasn’t an option.”
I smiled and hitched my shoulder. “Guess I’ll swim without you.”
“Where were you Saturday?” he asked.
Guilt put a knot in my stomach. I tilted my head. “Roan…”
His grandparents drove past and honked.
I changed the subject and said, “I don’t know why you have to drive separately.”
He shrugged. “I like to drive. Gramps likes to drive. You’re coming to the game tomorrow, right?”
The knots in my belly twisted like a pretzel. I tried to worm my way out of going. “I don’t know. I have practice.”
He looked out his windshield. The teasing smile he’d been wearing was gone. “I gotta go.”
“Okay.” His grandparents had turned the vehicle around and were waiting for him. I opened the door and hopped down to the pavement. “Have fun.”
“Yeah.” He didn’t sound thrilled. I don’t know if it was because he didn’t want to drive to Myrtle Beach or that he knew I wasn’t going to his game.
I shut the door and crossed behind his truck as he took off. Pre-prom, I wouldn’t have missed a game or even a practice of his if I didn’t have my own going on. Cayla was right. I coached Roan, and he coached me. That’s the way it had always been.
But that was before my first kiss turned into a nightmare.
3
I opened the back of Cayla’s Jeep, tossed my stuff in, and closed the door. She said Brendan helped her put the rag top on before she drove to the baseball game Saturday. Which was odd because I thought he was working.
When I climbed in the front, Madi’s voice shot out from the back seat, “You got your butt chewed again?”
I jumped. My hand flew to my chest. “Oh, my gosh!” I took a few breaths. “A warning would have been nice.”
“I thought you heard us talking when you put your stuff in the back,” Cayla said with a giggle.
“I had other things on my mind.” I twisted to look at Madi. “What are you doing here?”
She gave me a sheepish grin and shrugged. “I had a volleyball meeting after school. Cayla said she’d give me a ride home.”
Cayla gave my sister rides? This was new. I raised my eyebrows at my best friend and silently asked what was going on.
“What did Coach say?” Cayla asked, ignoring my look and starting the engine.
I tossed a hand up in the air. “Mazzie’s starting.”
“What?” Cayla and Madi responded at the same time.
“I suck, I guess.” I knew I needed to snap out of my funk, but it was easier said than done.
Cayla pulled out of the parking lot.
“You don’t suck,” Madi said, leaning forward between the seats.
Cayla turned out of the parking lot in the opposite direction of my house.
“Where are you going?” I asked. “My house is this way.” I pointed with my thumb behind us.
“Well,” she sang, dragging the word out, making it two syllables. “Madi and I want to watch the rest of the baseball game.”
“What? No. I’m not going.” I swiv
eled in my seat and glared at my sister. “Is this your idea? You’re only a freshman, you know. And Cayla’s not your personal driver.”
Cayla patted my arm. “Calm down. It was my idea.”
The pounding in my head from Coach’s booming voice and demotion doubled down in my skull. I pulled the hairband out of my ponytail and tried to ease the pain by massaging my scalp. “My day has been bad enough. I can’t take another punch to my pride.”
“Baby steps,” Cayla said, smiling as if she was doing me a favor. She turned down the path for baseball parking.
Most people sat in the stands or in foldable chairs they brought with them. Only a few people stayed in their cars, parked along the first and third base fences. My jaw was set tight. “I’m not getting out,” I said.
“That’s okay.” Cayla said, driving down the third base path. “We can see Roan catch on this side.” She maneuvered the Jeep in an open spot with a view of home plate. Unfortunately, it had a prime location to see directly into the home dugout too. Ugh.
The scoreboard showed the game was at the bottom of the eighth inning, and the Lions were up 3 to 2 over the Panthers. One on first base and one out.
“Watch the runner on first,” I said. “I’m calling it. He’s going to try to steal second.”
Madi and Cayla chattered about me getting out of the house, but I tuned them out. My eyes roamed back and forth between Roan and the runner. I knew the runner was going for it. I had that gut feeling.
“That’s it!” Cayla yelled, startling me and turning my attention away from the game.
I glanced at her for only a second, and just as I was turning back to the runner, Cayla clasped my face in her hands. Her eyes wide and excited, she burst out, “A kissing tutor!”
My eyebrows knit together. I didn’t know what she was talking about, but I had a feeling the runner was going to steal. I twisted out of her grip and focused back on the game. The player slid into second base as the ball hit the dirt in front of it. “What? No!” I called out.
The outfield umpire’s arms flew straight out to his sides. The runner was safe.
My gaze made a beeline for Roan. He sat back on his heels, hand and glove perched on his thighs, and knees in the dirt. Judging by the jerky movement of his head, he used a few choice words to chew himself out.
Madi made a hissing noise. “Ooo, that’s not good.”
I leaned out the window and yelled, “Shake it off, Catch!”
Roan’s head popped up. He called a time, got off his knees, and stalked toward the pitcher's mound, searching in my direction. He pulled his mask up and gazed at me.
I cupped my hands around my mouth and yelled, “You’ve got this, Martin!”
He touched his glove to the top of his head, then to his chest, and tapped his leg twice with it. That was our sign that said, “I hear you.”
I slid back through the window and growled at Madi, “What’s the deal with you and baseball all of a sudden?”
“I told you,” she said. Her voice was full of tenacity. “I was invited.”
I rolled my eyes. I would find out, eventually.
“Did you hear me?” Madi asked. It wasn’t a question she intended me to answer because she continued without pause, “Cayla and I have a good idea.”
“Good?” Cayla raised her hands in the air. “It’s brilliant!”
While Cayla took a breath before spilling whatever was on her mind, I watched Roan march back to the plate as I took my cleats and socks off. Yuck, I hated sweaty feet. At least they didn’t stink.
“Tommie, my friend, we’ve solved your problems.”
I scoffed. “Oh, yeah?” The crack of a bat cut through the buzz of their chatter. The batter hit a pop fly. James ran underneath it and caught it for an out. It had been two weeks since I watched Roan and the baseball team play. I missed it.
The continued clap of Madi’s hands made it clear she was excited about their solution. I already had my doubts. If my sister was involved, it would be a plan where she would end up winning.
“You remember when I was having trouble with chemistry last year?” Cayla asked.
I nodded.
She tilted her head down with her dark eyebrows arched. Cayla had nicely shaped, well-manicured eyebrows that were a bit darker than her russet hair. Which was equally as nice, but it was pulled back into a ponytail at the moment. She continued, “And what did I do to catch up?”
The crowd cheered, and I glanced up to see our team jogging to the dugout. The scoreboard showed no change in runs. The Lions were up to bat. Would Roan bat this inning?
“Uh,” I mumbled, turning back to the girls. “You got someone smarter to teach you. Who was it, that science nerd who sits in the middle of our English class? Roy something.”
Madi snickered, but Cayla sighed. “Rudy. Rudy Lopez. The guy’s name is not the point. The point is I found someone who knew what they were doing and asked for help.”
“And?” I tilted my head back and forth, waiting for her to spell it out for me before the first Lion’s batter stepped into the box.
She let out a growl.
“Come on, Tommie. You’re not that dense.” Madi smacked my knee and leaned back in her seat, folding her arms against her chest.
I giggled. Not that I was trying, but aggravating my sister was a bonus. “Sorry. Between the game and your riddles, I’m not following.”
The clink of a baseball making contact with an aluminum bat rang out. I scanned the ball diamond to see Logan Scott running to first base and then to second. Nice start to the ninth inning for our Lions.
“Tommie Sue Jenkins,” Cayla said, using her stern, I-mean-business voice.
I turned and gave her my full attention, wearing a smirk. “Yes, Cayla Louise Masterson?”
Cayla let out a frustrated growl. “We’re trying to help you here.”
“Yeah, Tommie,” Madi added.
“Okay, okay. I’m focused.” I leaned toward her, giving her my full attention.
That seemed to satisfy her. A grin spread across her lips that meant Cayla had either a devilish or brilliant plan. Possibly both. She announced, “In order to boost your reputation and move past your very public, humiliating first kiss…you need to secure a hot kissing tutor.”
My mouth fell open. Heat spread from my ears to my cheeks. “A kissing tutor? You want me to ask someone to teach me how to kiss?”
“Not just a kissing tutor. A hot kissing tutor.” Madi said it as if “hot” made the difference in the whole idea that I even needed one in the first place.
“As if a video of me, swallowing James’ lips like a giant goldfish, playing on repeat at prom wasn’t humiliating enough? How do you think asking someone to teach me how to kiss will feel?” I covered my face with my hands. Had it come to this? “As if that would ever work out in a positive way.”
Cayla peeled my hands away. “Name the top five hottest guys.” She held a finger up, waiting for the first one.
I could think of plenty of hot guys. In fact, I had them doodled in a notebook I had hidden in my shorts drawer. Even though I was sure they had both lost their minds, I knew they wouldn’t let up until I gave them something. “I can name more than that. James Lowe, Jason Hunt, Jett Bryant, Logan Scott, Jeremiah Dermot, Lucas Addington, Brantley Nelson, Carson Brooks, Ky Andrews, Wes Shultz, Parker Lewis, Gabe Washington.”
Madi jumped in. “Except for James, they’re all taken, dork. You can’t use any of them.”
I shrugged. “You didn’t specify they needed to be single. Guess there’s no more humiliation in my future.”
“It doesn’t have to be like that.” Cayla shifted in her seat. “You’re a pretty girl. What guy wouldn’t want to have a few no-strings-attached make-out sessions?”
Madi bumped her fist to Cayla’s. “This is so brilliant.”
If there were any boys who agreed with Cayla, I wouldn’t have had to talk Roan into helping me find a prom date. I swiveled in my seat, turning back to the g
ame. “Brilliantly demoralizing.” I groaned. Roan stepped from the on-deck circle to the batter’s box.
Cayla continued her sales pitch. The more she talked, the more my resolve against the idea waned. I considered if I had the guts to ask a boy to be my kissing tutor. How many more blows could my pride and confidence take before they shattered?
I glanced to the field and watched Roan dig in to the batter’s box. Roan watched the first pitch float by. It was outside—ball one. The pitcher checked the runners on first and third, made his windup, and delivered. The clink of Roan’s hit echoed all the way to the Jeep. The ball flew to centerfield and bounced off the fence. I crawled up and sat on the frame of the door window, whooping and cheering for Roan.
Since it hit the fence, it was considered a double. But two runners where able to make it home. That meant we were up 5 to 2. I watched him settle on second base. His grin was missing though.
“What about Roan?” Cayla asked.
I stiffened for a few seconds, wondering what she meant. Was Roan hot? Duh. That didn’t mean he needed to know I thought that. Besides Cayla, Roan was my best friend. We practically grew up together.
I slid back inside and folded one leg on the seat. “What about him?” I asked Cayla, as if I wasn’t just thinking about how good-looking I thought Roan was.
“Maybe he can hook you up with one of the baseball guys,” she said.
It took a lot of begging to get him to help me with my prom date. “I don’t know. He did me a favor with James. Look how great that turned out.”
Madi gasped. “What about Max Yeager?”
“No.” I shook my head. “What is he, like twelve?”
“He’s a sophomore, but look at him.” Madi pointed toward the stands.
“He probably knows as much about kissing as I do.” I cocked my head to the side, considering it anyway, and scanned the area for a more likely candidate. Tucked around the corner of the stands was Jerrick Locke, tall, dark, and handsome in every way. He had a bad boy vibe. Coach Crawford kicked him off the baseball team last year. “Maybe I need to be thinking more along the bad boy path. Do you see Jerrick?”
