One of the Guys

Chapter 8

Chapter 8.0: Ogie Gets a Job

I laid in my room for quite some time. My tears eventually dried and I managed to feel at least a little calm. I knew I was being dramatic, but all I could think was, So this is how it feels to have a broken heart.

Everything suddenly made sense. Why Cullen had been avoiding me. I hadn't wanted to think about it like that-I told myself he was just busy and excited to be back in the area, so that's why he was doing things without me-but now it was so clear I couldn't deny it anymore. Cullen was avoiding me and had been all summer.

Because he'd been courting Gina Pratt, my enemy, the sister of his enemy. The girl I never considered a threat. And there they were.

But now I had so many questions. When? Why? How? All I had was the what.

I thought about calling Macy. I thought about at least texting Macy. But I decided to wait until Ogie came over. I needed him to clear stuff up.

But hours passed and Ogie never came. I kept waiting to hear his knock on the sliding door. At one point my brother slammed his video game controller on the ground and I jumped up, thinking it was Ogie knocking.

Before long, it was growing dark out. I had been in my room basically all day. I ended up telling my parents I was sick. How else was I supposed to explain the fact that I had begun the day by going jet-skiing at six in the morning, then had breakfast, and then spent the rest of the day in bed? Of course food sickness was my official excuse. And luckily my parents bought it.

I had just changed into my pajamas and was finally making my trek across the hallway to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash the dried up mascara off of my face when I heard the knock. My head turned to the sliding door and despite having the light on, I could just barely make out that Ogie was standing there.

Forgetting that I was wearing a rather embarrassing mismatch of an old, old, old t-shirt (I'm talking this cheerleading shirt from when I was in, like, kindergarten that must have been so huge at the time and now fit me perfectly) and these super ugly shorts that I only wore to bed, I rushed to the door and slid it open. Oh, I also had my hair pushed back in a big headband in preparation to wash my face. No big deal.

"Ogie!" I said, my whisper coming out almost harshly. "What took you so long?"

I stepped outside and closed the door behind me, hoping my parents didn't hear. Luckily it was going on eleven and both my parents and Blake were already in bed. Still, with just a glance outside, my parents would easily see us. Without meaning to, exactly, I took Ogie's arm and pulled him closer to the house so my parents wouldn't be able to see us.

"Sorry it took me so long," he immediately apologized. I realized then that he really didn't look happy. He didn't look happy at all.

In fact, after his apology, he took a deep breath, and said, "My dad's making me get a job."

"A job? What for?" I said. I was still whispering.

"He's going to get my jet-ski fixed. But I have to work it off. I'm getting a job fixing boats and jet-skis."

"Do you even know anything about that?"

"Nope. But apparently I'm going to learn."

"That really sucks," I said. "How often do you have to work?"

"Six days a week. Noon to six."

"Well, that's not too bad," I said.

He just rolled his eyes and shook his head. It was hard to see him in the dark.