Preath: Head In The Game [Complete]

8: This Is Hell, Harry

"Okay, gossip girls!" Jill stood behind Allie, which made her jump. "Go on and get out there." I wasn't sure if it was fair for me to be upset about being called a gossip girl, but as soon as I saw Christen smile I didn't care anyway.

After a series of game-simulating drills grass-picking discussion moments, the shorter-than-usual practice went by quickly. I grabbed Chris' bag, which still weighed a lot despite her doing most of her unpacking yesterday. I could only picture all of the essential oils, malas, and healing stones she had in there, or maybe even a floral yogi's kurta, I couldn't be sure. As I placed her phone on top of the bag, my thumb skimmed the home button. A collage of photographs on her lock screen flashed before me, and there was something interesting, but the sun was too bright for me to see it.

I'm a secure person. I have self-control. If I had none, I'd have enough red cards to make my own Lady Gaga inspired Post-It dress. I could definitely flip the phone over and totally ignore-

Nope, instead I created a little igloo shelter for the phone with my snapback and turned up the brightness. Just as I thought, one of the pictures was of Christen with a man much too young to be her father. Vomit tickled my esophagus. I clicked the phone off, flipping it over this time. I brought the stuff over to Christen, whose hair was being played with as Julie made for her a thick headband of blue prewrap.

"Oh, thank you so much," Christen smiled at me, taking her phone to open her camera and get a better look at the headband. "Woah."

"Like it?" Julie asked.

"Yeah..." Christen said. "It's just that it sort of makes me look how I did in my Stanford days. What do you think, Tobin?"

I hadn't really thought about it, but I couldn't imagine that particular wide headband being worn by anyone but Julie. "It's uh... very blue," I said.

"Tobin!" Allie called. "We're going shopping and you're coming."

I turned to Christen. "Want to go?"

"Do you?" she asked.

"Um..." I didn't want to say 'that depends' because I didn't want to sound like I was going just because she was. "Yeah. I guess."

"You sure?"

"Well, do you want to?"

"Well yeah, I was thinking about going out anyway."

"Then I'm definitely... uh, I... let's both go." I realized afterwards that it came out sounding much more like "leglth's kboth gkhgo."

She laughed. "Okay." Then she rushed to get into the van which already contained Megan, Alex, Ashlyn and Ali. Allie cut in close to me.

"I'm definitely, uh, I, let's both g-go," Allie said in her best low, 'this is what an idiot sounds like' voice.

"Shuddup," I quipped, keeping my mouth as closed-looking as I could so no one caught what I said.

"Come on, Harry," she said. "Just think of this as a date... but with a few plus-ones there."

"How can I go on a date with her if she doesn't know it?" She made it sound so easy.

Allie shrugged. "You'll figure it out. That beach thing sure sounded like a date." She nudged me in the ribs again.

"This is hell, Harry," I admitted.

"You realize that's what Ashlyn used to say?"

I looked up. "Really?"

"Yeah. Words from Pookie herself, 'Secret love is like bungee-jumping between heaven and hell. I just hope when I disconnect from the cord I'll be on safe ground instead of falling to my death'".

"That's real insightful of Ash."

"I thought so too. Of course, she said that when her and Ali were already together, but I still thought it worked with your situation, which of course is the Chris thing." As much as I thought she was being a bit annoying about the "Chris thing", Allie always knew what to say to me.

I got into the back of the van next to Christen where a spot had been left open. Everyone else faced forwards, talking with each other, making me wonder how many people in this vehicle knew about the Chris thing already. I came to the conclusion that Pinoe might've been the only oblivious one.

"What're you thinking about, Tobs?" Christen asked.

"Nothing much," I said. "Actually, that's wrong. I was just wondering if you have a brother."

"No, just my sisters," she said, her mouth thin and straight. "Why?"

"I dunno," I said. "I saw a picture on your phone and I guess I just never heard you mention any guy worth putting in a lock screen before."

"Oh, him?" she said. "We dated briefly in high school, but he's just a good friend."

"Oh," I said. Now I felt super dumb, and my blood was no longer boiling. "What's he like?"

"We knew each other because he worked at the supermarket and would help my mom. He'd get her good deals and carry groceries to her car. He's a nice guy."

I felt half-relieved, but I also felt the motivation to help Christen shop much better than this guy did. And indeed, I was about to learn that she took her shopping quite seriously.