Andrea and the 5-Day Challenge (10 page)

“I guess you are a little like CK, after all,” I said with a smile. “It's not what you can do; it's about who you are.”

“Yeah, and when I'm with you, Andrea, I don't worry about any of that. You just let me be me.” He curved his lips before returning his gaze to the road.

I was speechless and the breeze flowing through the car did nothing to cool my burning cheeks. Really, had I done that? I guess I had made friends with him before learning he was this awesome jock who'd just transferred from California. When he helped me pick up my books on that September morning, I just thought—“Wow, a nice guy…finally.” So, when he asked for help in Geometry, how could I say no?

“I hope you feel the same way around me.” He glanced at me expectantly, as if I should have some answer for him. Well, he didn't know me very well if he thought I had an eloquent response ready on the tip of my tongue. Still, I should have some kind of answer. “Definitely.” I looked down to my lap. “And you're right. It is hard being real with people. Even my parents.”

“I hear you there. My dad just wants me to be a younger version of himself.”

“And what's that?”

“The Box King.”

“Excuse me?” I tried very hard to hide my smile. I think I failed. “Did you say…”

“Yes, I did. He owns a box company. I know it sounds lame, but really, it's pretty cool. We sell boxes to big restaurant supply chains around the country and the largest condiment maker on the market.”

“Wow. I guess everyone needs boxes.” We were both quiet and the silence made me uncomfortable. “Does that make you the Box Prince or something?”

“Uh, yeah,” he said and laughed. “Yeah, I guess it does.”

I peered out the window and sighed. “Well, my dad has my future planned out for me, too.”

“Parents.” He let out a low chuckle. “But you know, I hear one day we're going to miss them.”

“Yeah, I hear that, too.”

I trained my gaze on Luke.
His dad.
He'd never mentioned him before, and now all I could think was that Luke might go back to California. “Turn right at the next subdivision sign,” I directed. “It's the seventh house on the right, just when the trees start to get thick.”

Luke turned.

I opened my mouth again. “I hear your dad is in town.” I wasn't sure if I was stepping beyond the depth of our fledgling friendship, but the comment just sort of escaped me before I thought it through.

His head turned and he didn't look happy. He pulled the car to a stop in front of my house and turned off the engine. “How did you hear about that?”

I shrugged. “Around. I think Amy heard it from Dion.” I'd be totally heartbroken if I'd done something to make him mad at me. I tried to smile, but it was hard when he looked so pained all of a sudden.

“I guess news travels fast around here.” His expression softened, with his eyebrows relaxing back into place and his lips pulling upwards slightly. “Yeah, my dad is here visiting. He took me golfing and to lunch on Monday.”

“Golf, huh? Catch any birdies?” The joke leaked out of my mouth before I could stop it. It was a private joke I had with my father, a weekend golfer.

“A couple.” His lopsided grin took over his face. “Hey, don't knock the golfing. It's a great way to clear the head. You should try it sometime.”

“Oh, wouldn't my dad love that.”

“Does he golf?”

“Yeah, you could say that. Just don't get him started on his golf stories or you'll never escape.”

Luke laughed lightly and crossed his arms.

“It sounds like golfing for you is what playing the piano is for me,” I said. “I get all my frustrations out on those keys and feel so much better.”

“Yep, it's just like hitting a bucket of balls.” He made a motion through the air with his hands together as if he were hitting a golf ball. “Yeah, my dad wants me to come to California for Christmas break.”

“Just Christmas break?” My voice sounded all weak and airy. Could he tell that I waited with bated breath to hear his answer? How ridiculous am I? I couldn't believe how much my heart pounded as I anticipated his response. Why did I care so much? And yet I couldn't help thinking:
Please, don't let it be permanent.

His head tilted my direction with a slight smile on his face. “Yeah, just Christmas. But next year is another story.”

“Why's that?” My fishing for information expedition had to be totally obvious.

“He wants me to go to UCLA next year. We've been talking about it since I was a kid. It's where my dad went, and he thinks that's where I'll 'reach my full potential.'”.

I could tell by the way he said the last couple words that he was probably quoting his father. It sure sounded like something a parental unit might say.

“He's hoping I'll make the baseball team and everything.”

“So, where do you want to go?” I asked, but I couldn't stop there. “The Ohio College of Clowning Arts.” I covered my mouth. How could I be such an idiot? But that was me. Put me under a little pressure and who knows what will pop out.

Luke looked at me, and then burst out laughing. I joined him. We couldn't stop.

I almost couldn't breathe. “Stop laughing,” I got out through the giggles. I slapped his leg lightly, and he took my hand.

“You started it.”

“Not the laughing.”

He still held my hand, and the realization turned off the laughing gas for me.

“Thanks, Andrea. You really know how to make me laugh.”

Was Luke Ryan really holding my hand and talking about how I make him laugh? I'd never thought of my odd humor as an asset before, but I guess for Luke it was. Who knew?

His gaze was serious. Then he looked down to examine my hand as a bit of a wrinkle formed on his forehead. “I've really needed that lately. Things have been stressed at home.”

“Isn't it always?” I tried to sound sympathetic, and like it was totally normal for him to be touching me.

A sudden wind whipped through the car, carrying pieces of grass and dirt from my yard and sending strands of my hair into my face. Before I could clear my eyes to see him again, Luke's hand stretched out and removed the hair from my face. Yes, his hand was touching my cheek. Well, not really. He was just being helpful as he placed the renegade hair behind my ear. I couldn't help but shiver.

Luke noticed, too, as he gazed into my eyes.

Wow, it was like that moment when two people connect for the very first time. I mean, Luke and I have had a couple nice moments together, but this one was different. His eyes did that wonderful sparkly thing, and my heart skipped a beat—a really long beat, this time—similar to when you're on an awesome roller coaster.

Then my phone buzzed with the sound of a text message.

It startled us and the magic of the moment dispelled.

Luke curved back into his seat.

I tried to smile as I found my malevolent phone and glanced at it. “Amy.” I shrugged. “I guess I should let you go, anyway. I'm sure you'll want to spend time with your dad before he leaves.”

“Yeah. Sure,” Luke answered, but he seemed preoccupied.

Could he be preoccupied because of me? I had to be on painkillers because that so couldn't be the case.

I started to grab my backpack when Luke spoke my name. I couldn't look, though, because he'd know exactly what I was thinking with my cheeks glowing. I'd need a cooling facial mask when I got in the house. No way could I face my mother before that.

“So,” he cleared his throat like he was nervous. What could he be nervous about? “I, uh, was wondering if you'd thought over my invitation.”

“Your invitation?” I began going through the front zipper pocket of my backpack. “Where are my keys?”

“You know, to homecoming. I'd really like us to go together.”

My heart rate fast-tracked to overdrive so quick I almost didn't have the breath to answer. Why was he so set on us going to homecoming? He couldn't really like me like that, could he? I mean, maybe. We had just had that moment.

I hopped out of the car with my bag in tow and shut the car door. “I don't really do school functions.” I leaned over near the opened window. “Thanks for the ride home. I really appreciate it. See you tomorrow.”

And then I walked away. Yes, I strolled up my driveway and onto the front porch listening as Luke drove off. I blew out a breath when the coast became clear and collapsed onto the porch swing. I curved an arm over my forehead and lay all the way down. For some reason, it felt like I'd just avoided getting flattened by a speeding car.

But what was I avoiding? Luke Ryan? Let's think this over for one minute.
Luke
—one of the cutest and most together boys in school, a senior, shares my affinity for superheroes, and he might actually like me.
Maybe
. What in the world had I done? I felt terrible. Then I realized I hadn't even asked him where he was going to church. Maybe I should have invited him to Bible study tonight? I'd managed to ask Stephanie to Bible study, and yet I'd neglected to invite Luke. Where had my mind gone?

My phone buzzed again. I pulled it out and looked at it. Three text messages from Amy. Better call her now before she blew a blood vessel. I found her name in my cell phone favorites and pushed the button. The phone rang only once before Amy picked up.

“Tell me everything,” was her greeting. No ‘Hello, how ya doing.' Nope. Just straight to the point. Well, that was Amy for you. Still, she really needed to learn some phone etiquette.

“Hello to you, too,” I said this with a slight sarcastic twang to my tone.

“Hi. Now come on, what happened?”

“Luke drove me home. End of story.”

She made a scoffing noise into the phone. “Ple-e-ase. You aren't getting off that easy.”

Usually I confided pretty much everything to Amy, but for some reason I couldn't tell her about the moment Luke and I had just had.
It had happened, right? That special connection.
No, it couldn't be. See, I couldn't tell her if I wasn't even sure of it myself. And the idea of letting her in on the part about me refusing his invite again would just result in an unending lecture. I mean, I already had a mother for that.

“OK, besides him driving me home, we ran into Stephanie and Josh.”

“Oh, yeah.” Her voice filled with distain. She didn't care for Josh either, because when he started calling me “Beanpole,” he nicknamed her “Shrimp.” Although, come to think of it, he never called her that anymore. I guess it's just me that he continues to make fun of. What else is new?

“Yeah, and he wanted to race Luke.”

“He didn't. What an idiot.”

“Just what I said. I totally thought Luke planned to race him, but he didn't. Josh took off with Steph and almost caused an accident in front of Meyer's Pharmacy.”

“Oh, my gosh. I can't believe what an idiot he is.”

“I know. Anyway, that's it. Can you just let this Luke stuff die, now?”

“All right, if you answer one question.”

“O-K.” My palms started sweating again. What was the deal? Not again.

“Did he happen to mention taking you to homecoming again?”

Oh great—a direct question. Amy knows I have a hard time lying to direct questions. Deflecting, yes. Conveniently leaving things out, of course. But out-and-out lying? No.

“Um, well, actually what happened was…”

“He did. He asked you again. I'm coming over. We have to make plans for the big day.”

In my relationship with Amy, I normally let her take the lead. It's the natural order of things. She is the smart, outgoing one while I held the title as the awkward, backward-behaving one. But I'd made a lot of headway today in asserting myself with Stephanie. It was time to grow a backbone. “Amy, no.” That so wasn't convincing.

“After dinner, I'll be there. I have some magazines I want you to see and…”

“AMY!” I shouted into the phone. “I said no. That's it. Finito. The End. We are no longer discussing this. It is off the table.” Finally, I'd exerted my will. My hand holding the phone shook as I waited for her reaction.

“I take it this means you turned him down again?” Her voice was low and quiet, yet refreshingly lacking in reprimand.

Still, did she not hear me say that this conversation was over? I mean, I had attempted to be thorough.

“You know you're insane, Andrea. What are you avoiding?”

“Be serious, Amy. This so isn't happening. OK, he asked me to homecoming…”

“Twice.”

“Twice,” I conceded. “But I just don't see this—Luke and me—happening. I don't think this is the right time for me.”

“Look at the facts. Luke and you connected the first day he walked onto campus. You make him laugh. You help him with Geometry even though you're terrible at it. He asked you not once, but twice to homecoming, and he sent you flowers with a cute note. Can I please have my best friend back? The one who made sense.”

“Goodbye, Amy.” I was so finished talking about this.
Darn her logical astuteness.
I didn't want to hear it. Besides, she didn't know the secret that my time at Aubrey might be coming to an end. “My mom is watching me out the front window and probably wondering why I'm standing on the porch talking to you on the phone.”

“Fine. I'll call you later. Maybe we can get A-Company Girls together tonight after Bible study. We still haven't discussed that novel.”

“Maybe.”

“Bye.”

I sighed aloud and put my phone away. Now to face my mother.

 

 

 

 

9

 

After shutting the front door, I glanced around for my mom. Where had she gone off to? Funny, I thought she would be questioning me with her probing expression about what I'd been doing and “who was that who brought you home?” Curiously, she was totally absent. Maybe she hadn't seen me with Luke, which was probably for the best. I wasn't quite ready to explain that one. Well, it hadn't even turned three o'clock yet, so Mom wasn't working on dinner.
Hmm
. Where was she?