The Crushes (10 page)

Rule 17:
Always look your best in the company of your crush!

Kelly grabbed her cell as it rang on her dresser. She saw a picture of Alexia on the front screen, her tongue sticking out. Kelly always giggled whenever Alexia called and that picture popped up.

“Hey!” she said once she answered.

“Hi, Kel.” Alexia didn’t sound as upbeat as Kelly thought she should be. It was Fourth of July! The day of parties and celebrations of independence! And most importantly, fireworks!

“What are you doing tonight?” Kelly asked.

“Going to the park. I’m meeting Ben there later.”

Kelly sat on her bed and resumed flipping through her new copy of
Teen Vogue
. She scanned the outfits looking for ideas for tonight’s party. Not that she had, or could ever afford, the kind of stuff within the glossy pages. Still, it was pretty easy to find cheaper versions. You just needed to know where to look.

“What are you doing?” Alexia asked.

“Meeting Adam at the park.”

“Yeah?” Alexia finally sounded upbeat. “What are you wearing? Are you doing your hair or anything? I told you that you guys were perfect for each other. It’s the Crush Code at work.”

Kelly rolled her eyes. Okay, so she was thankful for her friend’s help and enthusiasm, but technically the outing tonight was just as friends, and Kelly wasn’t even one hundred percent sure she dug Adam.

He was hot and super nice and had a sweet, sentimental side, but…

He just wasn’t Drew. And she was having a hard time getting past that. It wasn’t that she was madly in love with Drew, it was just…oh, she couldn’t even explain it to herself if she tried. It was too complicated for words.

“Do you need help getting ready?” Alexia asked before Kelly even had a chance to answer her last billion questions.

Kelly was about to say no, she was fine, but Alexia cut her off.

“You know what? I’m bored anyway. Why don’t I come over and help you fulfill rule seventeen:
Always look your best in the company of your crush!
” She pulled in a breath. “I’ll be there in five.”

“Wait, Lexy!”

The line went silent. Kelly pulled the phone away from her ear and hit the END button. She sighed, setting the phone and her magazine aside. Suddenly, she felt like stuffing her face with chocolate. Preferably chocolate chip cookies. Out in the hallway, she heard the familiar sound of video games blaring from Todd’s room. Todd shouted
something about turbo boosts and eating dust, and Drew replied with a retort involving a boot in the head.

Kelly looked in Todd’s room.

“Hey,” she said.

Todd ignored her, but Drew looked up and said, “Hey,” back, which prompted Todd to cheer. Drew turned back to the TV screen and groaned.

“You’re done, dude,” Todd said. “Shouldn’t have taken your eyes off the screen.”

“Whatever.” Drew tossed the controller on the bed. He rubbed his face, then his hair, leaving a trail of mussed black spikes. He looked so cute right now. Kelly sometimes wished she could squeeze her eyes shut and make him disappear. That way, she wouldn’t have to see him looking all gorgeous and Drew-like.

“I gotta take a piss.” Todd got up and squeezed past Kelly, poking her in the ribs as he went.

Ignoring her brother, Kelly went into his room and pushed aside dirty clothes on the bed to sit next to Drew.

“You and Sydney going to the park tonight?” She told herself she didn’t care whether or not he went, but really she did.

Drew reached over to the desk to grab his bottle of water. “Yeah.” He took a swig and twisted the cap back on. “About eight o’clock, I guess. You going?”

Kelly nodded. “With Adam.”

Drew leaned back on the bed, propping himself up with his elbows. “He seems like a nice guy.”

“Yeah.” Kelly turned sideways, crossing her legs Indian-style. “He’s great and everything, but…”

“But what?”

“I don’t know. It’s just…I don’t get the click, you know? Maybe that doesn’t make sense.”

Drew sat up and turned, too, his knee brushing up against Kelly’s bare chin. She shivered.

“Yeah, it does,” he said. “It makes total sense.”

“I want to like him.”

Drew shrugged. “You can’t force that stuff, Kel.”

“Yeah. I know.”

“Maybe you should tell him…you know…before he gets too involved?”

Kelly looked up finally and met Drew’s neon blue eyes hiding behind his black-framed glasses. He’d been wearing them more lately. As pretty as his eyes were, Kelly thought he looked just as good with the glasses on as off and had told him so.

“Yeah,” she said, swallowing, “maybe.”

Todd clapped his hands in the doorway. “Ready for some ass kickin’?”

“I should go anyway.” Kelly got up quickly. “Alexia is coming over.”

At the doorway, she glanced over her shoulder and caught Drew’s gaze. He blinked and looked away.

Heat crept up Kelly’s neck and spread into her cheeks. Suddenly butterflies were flapping excited wings in her stomach.

She hurried out of the room.

Alexia grabbed a green-and-gray striped tank top out of Kelly’s closet and handed it to her. “Try that.”

Kelly sighed and turned around to change.

“I think I like the jean shorts better than the khakis,” Raven said from her perch on the corner of Kelly’s desk.

Sydney shook her head. “The khakis.”

When Alexia decided to head over to Kelly’s to help her get ready for the Fourth of July party in the park, Alexia thought it would be fun to grab Sydney and Raven, too, and get all the girls together.

And it was helping Alexia get her mind off sex and Ben. At least she knew tonight was safe. They were hanging out at the park. The park meant no bedroom and no bed, which meant definitely no sex.

At least Alexia knew she could breathe tonight and just have fun.

Kelly turned around and spread her arms out. “What do you think?”

Raven shrugged. “I still like the jean shorts better.”

“I like what you have on,” Sydney said.

A knock sounded on the bedroom door. Kelly pulled it open and Drew sauntered in. He sat down next to Sydney, planting a kiss on her lips.

Even he seemed uneasy around Sydney, as if she’d snap at any moment.

Everyone knew about Mrs. Howard taking off for Italy, leaving nothing but a note behind, but Sydney wasn’t talking about it, just like she wouldn’t talk about Drew breaking up with her earlier in the year.

She seemed fine right now, but they all knew her bottled-up emotions could pop on a moment’s notice. Alexia tried not to be the trigger, making sure not to mention Mrs.
Howard or ask Sydney how she was
really
doing. Sydney would talk when she was ready and if she didn’t, well…then…they’d witness the breakdown, which would serve as therapy in its own way.

“You guys almost ready?” Drew said, wrapping his arm around Sydney’s shoulders.

Kelly glanced at him, then his arm on Sydney. She quickly looked away, focusing on the shoes in the bottom of her closet.

“I’m ready,” Alexia said.

“Me, too.” Raven got up, checking her cell phone for messages. “I’m meeting someone there anyway.”

Sydney frowned. “Who are you meeting?”

“Um, my neighbor.”

“Great.” Kelly slipped into a pair of flip-flops. “Let’s go, then.”

Parking was always brutal at city functions, especially during Fourth of July. Instead of driving the four blocks to the park and scrambling to find a parking spot, the group walked from Kelly’s house.

The sun was beginning to set and the day’s hot temps were disappearing with it. Clouds dotted the sky like wispy paint strokes and the moon was barely a sliver.

Alexia kept up with Raven, who was practically jogging to the park while Kelly, Todd, Sydney, and Drew hung farther back.

“So who’s this neighbor you’re meeting?” Alexia asked more out of curiosity than anything.

“Just someone who recently moved into the neighborhood. My mom asked me to show him around.”

Alexia quirked an eyebrow. “Him?”

Raven pursed her lips and gave Alexia an exasperated look. “He’s cool. Just a friend.”

Two blocks from the park, cars packed the curbs along every side street. People walked in groups toward the city center, their hands and arms overloaded with coolers and picnic baskets and folded lawn chairs.

Alexia was going to bring lawn chairs, but she wasn’t sure what Ben’s plans were. She decided to show up empty-handed, since Ben was all about spur-of-the-moment adventures. Maybe he’d want to leave the main city park and drive out to the state park, then hike the Sky Trail so they could watch the fireworks from a hill. Or maybe he’d borrow his parents’ boat and take it out on Garver Lake.

When the group reached the park, they wound through the lawn chairs and blankets spread out on the grass. Children ran around the playground, screaming and laughing, the parents following closely behind.

The air smelled like barbecue and hot dogs and spent fireworks.

“So where are we going exactly?” Sydney asked, catching up to Raven and Alexia.

Kelly came up, too, leaving Drew and Todd behind.

“I told Blake I’d meet him near the fountain,” Raven said.

“I’ll call Adam and tell him to meet me there.” Kelly pulled out her cell. “Hey,” she said when Adam picked up, “are you here right now?” She nodded, then, “Okay, meet me at the fountain.”

Alexia gave Kelly’s shoulder a squeeze. “You’re so lucky.”

“Why?” Kelly frowned.

“I bet every girl here is checking Adam out at this very minute.”

“Yeah,” Kelly said distantly, shooting a glance over her shoulder, away from the fountain where Adam would have been.

What was her deal anyway? She had the hottest guy on this coast, but she was barely excited about meeting him. Was the Crush Code failing her? Maybe Adam wasn’t responding to the Code like Alexia had hoped? Maybe the Crush Code was missing a few rules.

“There’s Blake,” Raven said, pointing at a short guy standing next to a really big guy.

“Which one’s Blake?” Sydney asked.

“The one with the black hat on.”

Blake looked about their age, maybe a year older. Along with the black hat, he had on white board shoes and loose-fitting jeans. There was a black bracelet around his wrist.

Sydney slowed, eyeing the really big guy. “What about him?”

“Oh,” Raven said, “that’s Blake’s bo—uh, uncle.”

Raven introduced everyone. Blake and his uncle, Mil-D, shook everyone’s hand.

“It’s cool to meet you all,” Blake said, sticking close to Mil-D’s side.

“Kel?” Adam came up behind Kelly, running his fingers over the small of her back.

She turned and gave him a friendly smile. “Hey.”

“You look nice tonight.” Adam bent down to kiss Kelly’s cheek, which made Drew scowl and look away.

What was up with that? Kelly wondered.

“I have something to show you,” Adam said to Kelly, then turned to the group. “Can I steal her? If you guys don’t mind?”

“Go ahead,” Alexia said. To Kelly she whispered, “Good luck.”

The two sauntered off, everyone watching them leave. Alexia wished she and Ben were like that again, a new couple just getting to know each other, no pressure about sex.

“Drew?” Sydney grabbed his hand, and he blinked.

“Huh?”

“Let’s go find something to drink.”

“All right,” he said.

They left, too, leaving Alexia and Raven with Blake, Mil-D, and Todd. The latter two got into a conversation about video games. Blake and Raven were in their own conversation about skateboarding.

Raven was smiling, batting her eyelashes as she looked up at Blake. How she could see him beneath the brim of that hat, Alexia didn’t know. When Blake disappeared in search of a bottle of water, Alexia pulled Raven aside.

“I don’t know if you even realize you’re doing it, but you’re kind of flirting with Blake,” Alexia said. “What about Horace?”

Raven’s smile quickly faded into a scowl. “I am not flirting with him. We’re just friends.”

“Well, it doesn’t seem like you’re just friends.”

Raven set her hands on her hips, straightened her shoulders. Big, silver hoop earrings swung from her ears.
“You know what, Alexia? You can butt out of my business any time now.” With that, she stalked off, leaving Alexia alone by the fountain, the roar of the water sounding suddenly too loud in her ears.

Was she being too nosy? She just wanted Raven to remember Horace and think of how he’d feel if he saw Raven right now. Could
Raven
even see Raven right now? Because no matter what she said, she
was
flirting with Blake, and Blake could barely keep his eyes off her.

Rule 14:
Make him notice you! Get his attention! Draw him into you!

Rule 26:
Do not feel you have to tell your friends who you are crushing on!

Rule 30:
Do not tell anyone that you have a crush on someone unless you know you can trust them not to tell your crush!

Excitement floated on the air like the fire sparks, but Sydney just couldn’t catch it. Rule 14 of the Crush Code said,
Make him notice you! Get his attention!
But Sydney didn’t feel like being here, let alone smiling and flirting and pretending everything was okay. She just wanted to be home right now, curled in bed, reading a book with a bowl of popcorn by her side.

And more importantly, she wanted to be alone. It wasn’t anything against Drew or her friends. She just needed some Sydney time while she tried to sort some things out. Maybe she’d get that time tomorrow, go out somewhere with her camera.

“Need anything?” Drew said, holding her hand tightly as if he were afraid that he’d lose her if he let go.

“Actually,”—she plopped down on one of the swings, abandoned by the little kids now that darkness had settled in—“could you see if you could find an elephant ear? I smell them, but I don’t see them.”

Drew nodded, raked his fingers over her back. “I thought I saw someone selling them by the back entrance. I’ll head over there.”

“Thanks.”

He disappeared into the crowd and Sydney clutched the swing, resting her head against one of the chains and closing her eyes. The noise of the park was nearly deafening. Conversation mixed with the sound of fireworks screeching and popping. Kids screamed, parents hollered. A headache blossomed at the base of her skull. She groaned.

Within minutes, Drew returned, a large elephant ear in his hand. “Found one,” he said, handing it over.

“Thanks.” She took a bite. It was warm and soft and sweet. Her bad mood almost lessened. At least food would never let her down.

“Is there anything else?” Drew asked, sitting in the swing next to her.

She wanted her camera, but she wouldn’t ask Drew to run home and get that. She should have thought to bring it herself.

“Can we just sit and watch?”

More children screeched as a fountain sprung a cascade of golden sparks into the semidarkness. A few dogs barked at the sound and light.

“Sure,” Drew answered, toeing at the wood chips spread out in the sand.

And that’s how they spent the rest of the night, sitting there in silence until the fireworks ended.

Kelly leaned back on her elbows on the blanket Adam had spread out for them. It was fleece, blue, at least a queen-size. He’d also packed a cooler of Pepsi and water with some brownies on the side. He was so darn perfect that Kelly could have married him that very second if it hadn’t been for the whole lack-of-chemistry thing.

“You good?” Adam asked, leaning back on his side.

Kelly nodded. “You did great.”

“Really? Because you seem…I don’t know…somewhere else.”

Kelly finally looked at him. The cotton material of his T-shirt strained against his biceps, hugged his toned chest. His shirt crept up just a little bit so that Kelly could see a sliver of his
extremely
hard stomach and the waistband of his Calvin Klein boxers.

She really was somewhere else mentally, but she could have kicked herself for it.

She wanted to be there, focused on nothing but Adam.

But all she could think about was Drew.

Why had he made that face when Adam said she looked good tonight? Drew had commented earlier that he thought Adam seemed like a good guy, yet that expression had said something else.

Did he think Adam was playing Kelly?
Was
Adam playing Kelly?

Kelly scoffed at herself. Technically, one might say Kelly was playing Adam. She had admitted to herself
and
to Drew that she wasn’t feeling Adam. Now she was just leading him on.

Someone tall and dark-haired swung slowly on a swing just twenty feet from where Kelly sat. A red burst of fireworks lit his face, and Kelly’s stomach tingled.

Drew.

Next to Kelly, Adam sighed. She tore her eyes away from Drew.

“What?” she said.

Adam sat up. “You are somewhere else, aren’t you?” He nodded in Drew’s direction.

“Oh…” It was a good thing darkness had begun to set in. Kelly’s face felt hot as embers. “Drew…he’s just a friend.”

“Kelly.” Adam turned to her. “I like to pretend I’m a writer, remember?” He grinned. “If I didn’t know people or the way they look when they’re angry, annoyed…in love…then I shouldn’t be a writer.” He gave her a playful nudge. “I know that look.”

She started to shake her head but instead looked at the blanket, ran her fingers over the soft material. It would be so easy to stay here, to stay with Adam and force herself to like him.

That would be the easy route.

But she didn’t want to.

What she wanted to do was get up and run over to Drew and then…

Well, she didn’t really know what she’d do after that. And what about Sydney? And Adam?

It was all wrong.

“I came here with you,” she said to Adam. “And I like hanging out with you.”

As a friend, she thought.

More fireworks boomed in the sky, lighting Adam’s face now that the darkness was thicker. He grabbed her, pulling her closer. Her heart panicked in her chest. Was he trying to kiss her now?

He whispered in her ear.

“There’s this poem,” he said, “that my grandmother used to quote all the time. ‘Love is the wild that runs through the forests.’ She used to say, ‘You see the wild, Adam, you run after it. Don’t let it get away.’” He pulled back, looking Kelly straight on.

A purple firework blossomed in the darkness. Kelly looked up, seeing Drew off in the distance. He leaned against the swing chain, watching the fireworks half-heartedly.

“He’s my best friend’s boyfriend,” Kelly heard herself say. “I just can’t.”

Drew caught her staring then. He straightened, lifted a few fingers in an almost imperceptible wave.

It was wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

She couldn’t. Ever.

She looked away. “I’ll stay here with you,” she said to Adam, deciding that the safest route was here with him.