After school that day, I exchanged home phone numbers with Kate, Benny, Bertram, and even Ham.
Ham was hesitant to give it to me though – I honestly didn't get why he still acted weird around me, like he didn't want me around.
Everyone was under orders by their parents to spend that afternoon studying for finals – everyone but me.
I walked out of the building between Benny and Kate, who were busy complaining about finals.
"Ughhhh, Shayeeeee. You are so lucky you don't have to come to school anymore," Kate whined. "I don't get algebra. But I swear to God, if I don't get an A on everything my father will ground me for life."
"Kate, at least if you're grounded for life, you could still find a way to be happy again," Benny said. "If I'm grounded for life, I'd never get to play baseball again."
I laughed at their worries, knowing they'd both be perfectly fine. "Guys, you two will be fine. They're not really that hard. I don't get algebra either.. or biology. And I did fine. Most of the questions are multiple choice."
"I sure hope so," Kate sighed. "This is where we split."
Kate, surprisingly enough, lived in a pretty nice house with her dad that was east of where I lived. Ham and Bertram went their separate ways, and Benny and I were left to walk together towards our street.
"So.. I've been wondering," I started. "How come you and the guys were all so against me playing ball, but all of you guys hang out with Kate? She's a girl."
Benny smiled. "Hey, I was never against you playing ball," he admitted. "The guys, well, we're all like brothers. It's not that they don't like you. They're just not used to girls."
I smiled, relieved. Most of them were still in middle school. "Ah, so basically they think I have cooties?"
Benny laughed, nodding. He had a really adorable laugh. "Yeah," he said. "Basically."
"What about you? Do you think Kate and I have cooties?" I nudged his side, playfully. My skin tingled when our arms brushed.
"Nah," he scrunched his nose. "Kate and I– and Ham, have been buddies since we were three."
I giggled, picturing them all small and baby-faced.
"And you," he blushed. "You're alright."
I was too busy trying not to laugh to realize what he'd almost just said.
We had reached both of our houses that were across the street from each other's.
"Well, I gotta go. Probably won't see you for the next three days," he said.
Benny's eyes looked sad as he said it.
Like he would miss me.
I frowned, already missing him as he started walking away from me backwards across the street.
"Aw.." I'll miss you. "Good luck with finals!"
"Thanks," he mumbled, then ran up to his house. When I reached my porch, I turned around to watch him go inside.
He was already looking at me, and when our eyes met he formed a cute smile. I smiled back, then hurried inside before he could see the blush that stained my cheeks.
✱ ✱ ✱ ✱
I spent the afternoon going through my records, organizing them in a small empty shelf in my room.
"Sheila. Are you still home?" my mother called from the kitchen.
I rose from my spot on the floor and hurried to the kitchen to see what mom wanted.
"Yes?" I asked, entering the small kitchen. My tone of voice was light, eyes shining.
"Shaye, honey. You're in a good mood. School was better today, then?"
"Yeah," I grinned. "Much."
"I'm glad," she said, dropping some spaghetti into a pot of boiling water. "Honey do you think you could run to the store and buy some pasta sauce? It slipped my mind that we ran out on Sunday."
"Sure mom."
"Thank you, dear. There's five dollars on the table. Do you know how to get to the store?"
"Yup," I replied. "Sort of. I'll figure it out."
Mom laughed. "Okay. Be back soon. The pasta's almost ready."
"Can't wait. I'm starving."
✱ ✱ ✱ ✱
The sun was slowly sinking in the sky, rays outlining the clouds against the coral pink streaks that faded beyond the horizon.
How'd it get so late? I wondered.
I'd wandered around in town until I found the small grocery store. Now I had the jar of pasta sauce my mom had wanted, and I stepped out of the store. Bells jingled, signaling my exit.
Swinging the paper bag that the sauce was in, I admired the beautiful sky.
I wonder how my friends' studying is going.
Benny is probably dying because he's going a day without baseball.
"What's that, doll face?"
My heart stopped, and I stood paralyzed at the corner of the street right near a narrow alley.
"Hey, new girl" the husky voice said.
I didn't know anyone was behind me. I also hadn't been aware that I was speaking to myself out loud – I do that sometimes.
Anxiety gripping my veins, I slowly turned to face the lips of a guy who stood no more than six inches from me.
Instinctually I stepped back two feet in one stride.
The guy who had walked up behind me had dark brown hair and cold brown eyes. Same general color as Benny, but overall much.. much darker. He was about an inch taller than Benny, and nearly three inches taller than me. He seemed a year or two older.
"Who are you?" I asked, my voice hardly escaping past the fear lodged in my throat.
No one was really out right now, I had no idea why. I saw nowhere close enough for me to run too.
"Curious about me already, huh?" the guy said, his eyes glaring down at me like a lions' before it pounces on its prey.
"Do I-I know you?"
I'll admit, the guy's features were pretty alluring. He had soft looking hair, masterfully styled to look like it was natural. His jawline was quite defined and the plain white tee shirt he wore created the perfect signature "bad boy" look.
And I was utterly terrified.
That gaze, his eyes glossed with bad intentions. It was seared into my mind.
He started stepping towards me again, and I kept backing up – just as I was about to turn and make a run for it, he snatched my wrist.
"Let GO of me!!" I writhed, squirming to escape his grasp.
I struggled against him, beating his shoulder with my free hand. He pushed me by my hips into the brick wall of the alley.
"Hey, hey, shh. I just wanna talk, baby-doll."
I was a strong girl – but he was stronger.
"I don't. Let me go," I panted, out of breath from fighting him. "And don't call me that."
My back was pressed against the rough bricks, and the dark stranger wouldn't let go of my wrist. He had gotten a hold of the other one, and fingers gripped my hands and held them to the stupid alleyway.
"You're a friend of Rodriguez, huh?"
Benny?
I gave up fighting, just barely willing to listen to what this punk had to say.
"You know, gorgeous, you could save yourself now and drop those losers you're talking to."
I cringed as he said the word gorgeous. When he called my friends losers I clenched my fist.
"They're not losers," I growled, anger boiling in my chest. I felt it grow stronger, hotter. "And don't call me gorgeous." The fire grew inside me and I erupted– I drove my knee upwards as hard as I could, hitting him right in the nuts.
"Shit, you stupid bitch!"
He doubled over, letting go of my wrists to cover his stupid, precious balls.