Sweet 16

by Kate Brian

  "Teagan!" Lindsee said with a false grin.

  "Backstabbing slut!" Teagan replied in the exact same chipper tone.

  Lindsee went pale. Teagan could have sworn the volume on the music went down a touch. She could practically feel Shay watching her from behind. Fine by her. The more witnesses to this, the better. Lindsee and Max had tried to make a fool of her tonight. Now it was her turn.

  "We weren't doing anything!" Lindsee protested, clearly not realizing her MAC Ruby Woo was smeared all across her cheek. Max really could be a sloppy kisser sometimes. That was one thing about him Teagan was not going to miss.

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  "We were just--was

  "Deciding exactly what Max should say when he shot me down tonight?" Teagan asked, turning her raised eyebrows on her boyfriend.

  Max had the decency to look momentarily appalled and snagged. But then he let his shoulders fall and adopted his normal hot-boy demeanor. Slight slouch, one hand in pocket, head tilted like he was just so cute he could not be denied.

  "Come on, princess. You know it's not like that."

  Teagan took a step closer to him. "Oh, I know exactly what it's like. Let me save you from burning the brain cells you'll need to string the appropriate letdown together. I wouldn't have sex with your silk-boxer-sporting self if you ingested a lifetime's supply of super-strength Viagra." She looked at Lindsee. "Which, I'm sure you've already discovered, he will need."

  The handful of students milling around the scene gasped and laughed. Max's mouth opened and closed a few times, like a fish gulping for water. Teagan realized that it was quite possible that the poor boy had never been insulted in his life. He had no idea what to do.

  Good. It was always nice to make history.

  "Oh, and Lindsee? I know you said you wanted something sparkly, so the diamonds, if you're interested, are in the storage cellar," Teagan said. "I've been given something much better," she added, placing her hand on her chest over the crystal. "Later."

  Teagan flipped her hair over her shoulder and took the steps up to the DJ booth. She smirked as she thought about the dark stairs and that scary knotted step. Maybe Lindsee was in for a little ghostly encounter of her own. If not, at least she'd have a nice big bump on her head come tomorrow.

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  Okay, so Teagan was supposed to be turning over a new leaf, but a girl had to stick up for herself.

  "Nice tongue-lashing," Shay said as she arrived at his side. "Remind me never to piss you off."

  "Speaking of, I have a favor to ask," Teagan said.

  "Looking for a little Chaka Khan now?" Shay asked.

  "Chock-a what now?" Teagan asked.

  "Never mind," Shay said, amused.

  Teagan got the distinct feeling he was laughing at her, but she swallowed her pride and chose to ignore it. Not snapping back was torture, though. This being a better person thing was going to take some work.

  "I was just wondering if you'd be able to fit my gifts in your van. I mean, if the food you slipped out of here isn't taking up too much room," Teagan said.

  Shay blinked and looked over his shoulder. "How did you know about that?" he asked, leaning toward her. He smelled of sweat and suede. It made Teagan flush.

  "I have eyes everywhere, my friend," she said coolly.

  "Okay, that's scary," Shay said. "But yeah, I think I have the room. Why?"

  "Good. I need you to help me load it up and then I need you to drive me somewhere," Teagan said.

  "Problem number one, you didn't hire me to be your chauffeur," Shay said. "Problem number two, I'm kind of in the middle of the job you did hire me to do."

  "Trust me, you'll want to do this," Teagan told him. "And if you're worried about the DJ'ING duties, why don't you just let the busboy finish the party? You were going to let him sub in anyway."

  Now Shay looked positively freaked. She could see his

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  Adam's apple going up and down. "Did you have a security system installed in here?"

  "Shay, Shay, Shay," Teagan answered, shaking her head and smiling wickedly. "You underestimate me. Now, you deal with DJ Busboy. I gotta go find George."

  "He's right there," Shay said, pointing.

  Sure enough, George was walking hurriedly past the DJ booth toward the kitchen. "Hey, George!" she shouted.

  He stopped instantly, spotted her, and snapped to attention.

  "Meet me by the presents in five," Teagan told Shay, starting down the steps.

  "Yes, Your Highness," Shay replied.

  Teagan stopped, ignored the shiver that ran through her, and took a breath. "Please," she said, turning to face him. "Meet me in five, please."

  Shay looked her up and down, impressed. "Maybe the sweet sixteen really does signify a passage into adulthood."

  Teagan rolled her eyes and approached George Lowell.

  "Miss Phillips?" he said. "Is there a problem?"

  "Actually, there is," Teagan began. "It's about that woman you fired. . . .was

  "Oh, sweet ketchupy relief."

  Teagan let out a luxuriant sigh and leaned back in her folding metal chair, starting to feel semi-human again. Her toes were cozy and warm in a pair of brand-new white sweat socks, courtesy of the East Sheridan homeless shelter. All around her in the huge basement gym/cafeteria of the old Catholic school that served as the refuge, families gathered

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  around tables, handing out the bags and bags of food that Teagan and Shay had bought on the way over. Between all the burgers and fries and the hors d'oeuvres from the party, it was a haute-cuisine-meets-hoedown kind of meal. Everyone was going to bed full tonight.

  Over in the back corner, Cora Martin --the shelter's director--and a few of her staff members gushed and gasped as they tore into Teagan's tremendous stack of gifts. Designer clothes and bags were piled everywhere. All electronics -- MP3 players, portable DVD players, watches, and the like -- were laid out on a table. A middle-aged woman with a frizzy ponytail lifted a pair of red Manolo Blahniks out of a box and gave them to a preteen in denim overalls. The girl shoved her tube-socked feet into the couture shoes and started teetering around on them. Teagan shook her head and looked away. She could only imagine the gasps of horror her friends would chorus if they were to witness such a travesty.

  Shay sat down across the table from her and grinned as he opened the wrapper on his own fried chicken sandwich.

  "Are you sure about this?" he asked. "You don't have to donate all of it."

  "Do you realize those shoes are worth four hundred dollars?" Teagan said, lifting her chin toward the girl

  Shay whistled.

  "What could four hundred dollars buy around here?" Teagan asked.

  "Food for one of these families for over a month," Shay said.

  Teagan glanced over his shoulder at the father and two small children at the next table. The little boy was making designs in his ketchup using a french fry. The girl was pulling pickles off her sandwich and laughing as she put them on her

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  father's burger. Her dad smiled and kissed the top of her head. Teagan's heart felt all tingly just watching them.

  "Yeah, I don't need it," Teagan said, returning her attention to her meal. "This is what I need," she added, taking another huge bite of her cheeseburger.

  "Excuse me ... I hate to bother you," Cora said, joining them. She was a short, powerfully built woman with spiky gray hair. Her smile revealed one gold tooth and a completely kind soul. She held a stack of checks in her right hand along with a pen. "Here are the checks for you to write over. If you still want to, of course. There's a lot of money there. A lot."

  Teagan sat up straight, slid the checks in front of her, and started to sign. She didn't even want to think about money or clothes or any of it anymore. For once she wanted to think about something that really mattered.

  "I have to say, we've never had a windfall like this before," Cora said. you're going to be talked about at this place for months to come."

/>   Teagan smiled. That morning all she had wanted was for her party to be talked about for months to come by all the students at Rosewood. But she had a feeling that being remembered around the shelter would be much cooler.

  "Here you go," Teagan said, handing over the stack of checks.

  "Thank you so much," Cora said. "If there's ever anything we can do for you . . .was

  "I'll keep that in mind," Teagan said with a smile.

  Cora surprised Teagan by leaning down and giving her a huge bear hug. "You are a true angel," she said before returning to her work.

  "Hear that?" Teagan asked, beaming. "I'm an angel."

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  "All right, Phillips, spill it. What's with the Princess Diana act?" Shay asked, shifting forward in his seat. "What happened to you today?"

  Teagan groaned. "Please don't ever call me 'princess4'" Shay raised his eyebrows and Teagan shrugged helplessly. "It's a long story," she said finally.

  "I got nowhere to be," Shay said. "Tonight's gig kind of fell through."

  Teagan laughed and rested her arms on the table. "Fine. Let's just say I had a visit from someone tonight. Someone who made me realize that my current attitude wasn't really leading me anywhere good."

  "Who was it? The ghost of Christmas future?" Shay joked.

  "No!" Teagan blurted. "Nothing like that! It was just a . . . an aunt! A distant aunt who showed up for the party and kind of gave me a talking-to."

  Shay smiled. "Well, I'd like to meet this aunt sometime," he said, looking Teagan in the eye. "Sounds like my kind of girl."

  Teagan suddenly felt warm all over. "Maybe you will someday."

  The longer Teagan held Shay's gaze, the hotter her skin grew. He didn't look away. Neither did she. God, he really was munchable. What would it be like to kiss him? What would it be like to cuddle up in his arms and nuzzle his chest with her face? Was she really engaged in a flirtatious stare-down with Shay Beckford, man of a thousand veiled insults?

  Oh, man. I really hope I was always wrong about him and he actually can't see through me, Teagan thought. Now would be a really bad time for him to read her thoughts.

  "What're you thinking?" Shay asked with a smirk.

  Oh, thank God!

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  "What are you thinking?" Teagan countered.

  "I asked you first."

  "I asked you second."

  "Are we really going to go there?" Shay asked.

  "You went there," Teagan pointed out. "I just followed."

  Shay broke into a heart-stopping grin and sat back in his chair. "You so like me."

  'Yeah? We'll see about that," Teagan said, grinning uncontrollably.

  From the corner of her eye, Teagan saw one of the shelter workers hold up a gorgeous light pink cashmere sweater and was hit with an idea. An idea so utterly perfect, she was shocked she hadn't come up with it before. She had always displayed a certain talent for perfect ideas.

  "I'll be right back," she said, pushing herself up from the table. "I think I see one thing I might want to keep."

  "And the consumer is back, ladies and gentlemen!" Shay announced to the room, throwing his arms up.

  Teagan laughed. She turned to walk backward in her socked feet. "Oh, Shay. How little you know me."

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  Upcoming Sweet Sixteen Party

  Transcript 4, cont'd.

  Reporter: Melissa Bradshaw, Senior Editor, Rosewood Prep Sentinel

  MB: So, tell me. What's it really like working with Shay Beckford?

  TP: (clears throat) It's fine.

  MB: He was kind of the BMOC around here. I bet he has a hard time taking orders from a sophomore .

  TP: Well, Missy, you just have to know how to handle the help.

  MB: You know how to handle Shay Beckford.

  TP: Oh, I've got him right where I want him.

  MB: So those legendary baby blues have no effect on you.

  TP: (pause) None whatsoever.

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  Shay's vintage Dodge van shuddered as he pulled it to a stop at the curb on a familiar tree-lined street. The rain poured down in buckets, battering the thin roof so hard that Teagan was certain it was about to collapse. Now that all the booty had been removed from the cargo area, the sounds reverberated and echoed and made it so loud inside the van that she could hardly hear herself think.

  Or was her beating heart drowning everything else out?

  "Is this it?" Shay asked.

  Teagan had never felt this nervous in her life. As she leaned forward and looked up at the pathway leading to the front door, she grasped the gift bag's ribbon handles in her sweaty palm and quadruple-guessed herself. Earlier tonight she had seen firsthand what lay beyond that door. Did she really want to go in there?

  "Teagan?"

  'Yeah. This is it," she said, sitting back her seat. Her legs

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  stuck to the cracked vinyl and her feet sweated inside the new Christian Dior sneakers she was sporting--the only other gift she had appropriated from the stack, and only at Shay's insistence.

  "Are you going in?" Shay prompted.

  "Just give me a second, would you?" Teagan asked.

  "Sorry."

  She took a deep breath and screwed up her courage. After everything she had seen tonight, she knew in her heart that this was something she had to do. She also knew that she had to do it now, while everything was fresh in her mind, or she would lose her nerve. Somehow knowing all this didn't make getting out of the van any easier.

  "Well, this has been an interesting night," Shay said finally.

  "You have no idea," Teagan replied, staring at the front door of the house.

  "I have an idea from what I've seen," Shay told her, studying her face. Teagan finally looked at him and saw the uncertainty in his stunning blue eyes. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought he was feeling almost as nervous as she was. "Can I say something that might sound a little strange?"

  Teagan turned in her seat a bit to face him, crooking her leg under her. "Trust me. Almost nothing could seem strange to me right now."

  "Okay, then. I wanted to say . . . that I'm proud of you," Shay said.

  Teagan's first instinct was to laugh, but she quelled it as soon as she felt the undeniably pleasant response her heart was having.

  "You're proud of me?" she said, smiling slightly.

  "Yeah. I know we hardly know each other, so I don't really

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  have any right to even say that, but what you did tonight. . .was He looked through the windshield at the pitch-black night and his brow furrowed as if he was choosing his words carefully. "I know what you did tonight was a huge sacrifice for you. Leaving your party early, giving away all that stuff. And after breaking up with your boyfriend -- it had to be a rough night."

  "Oh, it was. But Max had nothing to do with it," Teagan said.

  "Yeah?" Shay said.

  Teagan shook her head. She didn't want him thinking she was heartbroken or on the rebound or anything. Just in case. "Hardly even a blip."

  "Well, that's good," Shay replied with a grin. "But anyway, I was kind of honored to be a part of the whole thing. Thanks for taking me along."

  He reached over and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. The touch sent a shiver of pleasure down her side. Shay looked at her--really looked at her--for the first time.

  Teagan smiled slowly. It was a total kiss moment. She knew it and so did he. But suddenly, thanks to him, she felt more than able to pick up this gift bag and go ring that doorbell. If this night was going to be about someone other than Teagan, she had to go. Now. Even if it meant giving up her only chance with Shay.

  "Well, thank you," she said, breaking his gaze with a herculean effort. "I guess I should go."

  "Yeah. Okay," Shay said, blinking as if he was coming out of a trance.

  "Thanks for everything. For driving me around and all," Teagan said. She popped open the door and was assaulted by the thick,
humid air outside.

  "Hey," Shay said. "Can I call you sometime?"

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  With that one question Teagan knew that there would be another kiss moment. Maybe many more. Teagan tossed her frizzed-out hair over her shoulder and smiled.

  "You better."

  Seconds later, Teagan and Emily were face-to-face for the first time in two years.

  "Teagan?" Emily said, her eyes wide.

  "Hi!" It was pretty much the only word Teagan remembered at the moment.

  "Omigod! Are you okay? Come inside!"

  Emily grabbed Teagan's arm and hauled her over the threshold. Behind her, Teagan heard the sound of Shay's van roaring away. A couple of Emily's more-curious friends bounded over to the small entryway. Teagan saw them go into shock, then listened while they giggled and reported back to the kids in the living room.

  "You're soaking wet," Emily said.

  "I brought you something," Teagan said, holding out the two bags. Emily, in classic Emily fashion, went for the grocery bag first out of clear curiosity. She cracked up laughing when she saw what was inside.

  "Cheetos and OJ," she said, grinning. "You remembered!"

  "Yo! Birthday girl! Who was at the do . . . ?was

  Gary loped into the room and paused when he saw Teagan dripping on the hardwood floor. He crossed his arms over his chest and clucked his tongue, obviously amused.

  "Well, look what the cat drug in," he said in a fake Southern accent. "Teagan Phillips herself."

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  "Gary, stop being a moron and go get Teagan something to wear," Emily said, rolling her eyes.

  "Whatever you say, birthday girl," Gary replied. "But that only counts for today, remember."

  He turned and bounded up the stairs, which creaked under his weight.

  "So, what are you doing here?" Emily asked Teagan, laying the bag of snacks on the floor. "Don't you have some big party going on?"

  'Yeah, but I ditched it," Teagan replied. "I realized I didn't want to be there. I realized that those people were . . .was She paused, feeling hot and completely unworthy. Why was this so hard to say? "We should be together on our birthday," Teagan said finally. "That's why I'm here."

  "Wow," Emily said, nodding. "I don't think I've ever been this surprised."