My mother obviously did not know the definition of VAY-CAY-SHUN. The sun was hot, with only an occasional cloud to provide relief but there I was, working in the big flower bed in the backyard. I like flowers. They're pretty. They smell wonderful. But are they worth all that work? Not so sure. Not so sure at all.
I had to dig through an enormous pile of weeds and dead blossoms to catch Brady's call before it went to voicemail.
"Hello, beautiful," he said.
If he could have seen me. I was sweating. My hands were green and yellow from yanking out dandelions.
"Sid's picking you up at six," he said.
"Sid?"
"Jacob's cousin."
"What?" I could not recall a single moment when I'd ever hinted at wanting to meet Jacob's cousin. I definitely didn't want to go anywhere with him.
"The races," Brady said. "You didn't forget again, did you? We took the car out on CountyLine this morning. You gotta see it, Sum. We had it up to one-thirty-three before we slowed down for the stop sign."
"Oh. Right. The car." Brady, Jacob and Jacob's cousin, Sid, had been working on a car all spring. They intended to race it at the local track, win a few events, and somehow this would translate into fame and fortune.
"Don't you want to come?"
Of course I did.
Didn't I?
I mean, I always want to be with Brady. Except, I wouldn't really be with Brady, not much anyway. He'd be with the stupid car and I'd be stuck up in the stands. Plus, I had no desire to be anywhere near Jacob. And, if his cousin was at all true to the gene pool, I was pretty sure I didn't want to spend time with him either.
"Well ... uh ... sure, I want to go to the races. It's just ..."
"It's just what, Summer? Those hot, shirtless boys have other plans for you?" Brady started to laugh. "Or wait." He paused. A few seconds ticked by.
While I waited, a cloud passed in front of the sun and a breeze kicked up. The sweat on my arms and my neck caught the wind and chilled me. Goosebumps on an 85 degree day? Go figure.
"Maybe Dave Brown is dropping by to give you a private air guitar concert tonight. You wouldn't want to miss that," Brady said.
Low. "Dave Brown is your friend, not mine."
"Whatever," he said. Then, "Let me know if you decide to spend the evening with your boyfriend for a change."
For a change? I see Brady almost every night.
"Later," I said and tapped the end button.
Capital Gee. Capital Rrrr.
1:14 PM I have a decision to make. Stay home for a cookout with parents and guests (wowza --> not), superstition busting with Craig, or sitting in the grandstand while my boyfriend plays with cars? What to do? What to do? Brady, since you probably don't know this, is usually the perfect boyfriend. He's cute. He's popular. He's a good kisser. Really, he is altogether scrumdillyishus. I probably should be thrilled that he wants me to witness the triumph of his race car thing.
But Craig ... Craig is the most incredible boy + friend of all time. He makes me laugh. He makes me think. True, he has also tried to make me sing on occasion, but he's made up for that by saving my butt in more situations than I can count.
Help me Obiwan Keninternet. You're my only hope.
I called Madison to see what was up. If she was going to the races, I'd go there too. Jacob hadn't mentioned it.
"Yet," she emphasized.
She called him, then got back to me. Jacob had given her a list of lame reasons why she shouldn't go. Believe it or not, one of them was, 'You wouldn't like it. It's too loud.' I have been to four concerts with Madison Bianchetti. She is not afraid of a little noise.
I asked if she'd like to bust superstitions with Craig and me, but she declined. She really believes in all that mystic-type stuff. She said she would "not be responsible for whatever fate befalls me." Besides, she told me, she'd rather stay home and listen to sad songs.
Huh?
4:14 PM More comments!
cheddarbob: That Craig kid sounds cool. At least cooler than watching cars drive around in a circle.
summerstorm: That Craig kid IS cool. You should meet him.
herbestfriend: W.W.A.G.G.D.?
summerstorm: ?
Even after Madison called to explain: W.W.A.G.G.D. = What Would A Good Girlfriend Do? I was still stuck for a decision.
4:40 PM THE RACE
PRO: *Duh, it's Brady
CON: *Jacob *Jacob's cousin *Jacob's cousin's car
vs. SUPERSTITION BUSTING
PRO: *Craigster mania *Find out what superstition busting entails *Possible laughter *Possible thinking
CON: *Possible singing
Scientifically speaking, I should choose superstition busting.
In case Brady didn't see it that way, I flipped a coin. Craig still won. Just to be certain, I asked my mom what she thought was best. She suggested staying for the cookout. Right.
***
I was skateboarding down the sidewalk on the way to meet Craig. As I sailed along, I considered how amazing it feels to move so free and so fast that the wind blows back your hair. I figured it must be a little like flying.
I closed my eyes for a second to test my theory when POW! Fate befell me.
Okay, so it was really just Dave Brown. I don't know where he came from. I don't know how he managed to crash into me either, unless his eyes were closed too. What I do know is, I was flying, then my cheek and my shoulder hit something hard-ish and I was flying still, but in a completely different direction.
My skateboard shot out from beneath me. I opened my eyes. I saw my sneakers level with my head. The background was a rush of green t-shirt, shaggy brown hair, arms and clouds. I did one of those running-on-air moves to try to minimize the coming injury. Somehow, I managed to land knees first. Ow. At least my head was cradled in something blue and soft.
Oh. My. God. Dave Brown's crotch.
I tried to jerk away but I couldn't. My hair had betrayed me, winding its bubblegum pink strands around and through what appeared to be Dave's belt buckle.
"Something I can help you with down there?" I felt his stomach muscles tighten before I heard him laugh.
"This is not funny," I said and tried to scowl up at him. But, you know what? I don't care whose belt buckle your hair gets snarled in, even if it happens to belong to your life-long enemy; it is funny.
So we laughed and he untangled me. Then he retrieved our boards and sat next to me on the curb. I inched up my jeans to survey the damage. We both winced when we saw the scrape on my knee.
"Want me to kiss it all better?" he asked.
Like I'd let Dave Brown kiss anything that belonged to me.
<3