Andrea and the 5-Day Challenge (18 page)

Friday!
That's right. Luke had agreed to help her out with homecoming decorations. That's when she'd swoop in and convince him of what a loser I am and how she's the catch of the junior class.

A sickening sensation moved along my esophagus. I could just imagine the disgusting kissing and groping exercise Stephanie hoped might take place after the banquet with Luke. She might have done that with Dion, but Luke wasn't like that, was he?

I know this is a Christian school and we all say we've made a promise to wait on things of that nature, but I don't think a lot of these kids really mean it. I've heard what they say when the teachers aren't around. The thought of Stephanie making her move on Luke was enough to make me nauseous.

Maybe a flesh-eating disease would take over Steph's body between now and Friday. It could happen. OK, probably not. And that was not a Christ-like thought, anyway. Totally unlike me. But I needed something to tip the scales in my favor. I mean, come on, who would you choose—a girl fully endowed in all the right places and popular, too, or me—one not so popular and to whom the endowment fairies continued to ignore. It doesn't take a mathematician to figure it out.

What had made Stephanie become the person she was, anyway? She could do so much good with her beauty and influence. Instead, she used it for malevolent means. My mom's theory of insecurity just didn't hold water, if you asked me.

I tried to repress it, but recollections of the
incident
from last year assailed me. I couldn't go through another Jeff and Kasey entanglement. Being with Luke had been no picnic. After only a day, I already regretted pretty much everything…well, except the memories of last night. Those were really good, and I'd cherish them forever.

But then he had to ruin the sacredness of our time by mortifying me in front of the entire student body. Now a hell-bent cheerleader wanted my head on a platter. And when I broached the subject of a date with my parents more heads would fly. Maybe I should just call it off. Wouldn't that be easier?

Out of nowhere, a flare of heat swept up from my chest and into my face. Possessiveness reigned in my heart as I remembered Steph's words “
Luke might have a distinctive change of heart by Friday.
” I couldn't let Stephanie steal Luke away from me. I'd been scared to allow myself to like Luke, but it was too late now. I had to face it. I'd fallen and fallen hard.

Yesterday I'd stood up to Stephanie. I'd just have to find a way to do it again. Maybe I could make her understand. She had to have a soft spot somewhere. She was a human being and had to have a story behind the kind of person she had become.

Well, I had two more class periods to work it out. I entered the classroom, keeping my eyes high so as not to make contact with Stephanie.

Oh man, I forgot to read the first five chapters of
The House of Seven Gables
, and we'd probably have a pop quiz.

 

~*~

 

I stared down the hall and realized the line in the sand had been drawn. I could almost hear the Old West music in the background. The only question which remained was if I'd cross it. Stephanie Ruiz had officially become my adversary. She had to know that I'd feel this way. It couldn't be a surprise. Or maybe she really did think I was so in awe of her that I'd just roll over and play dead.

I peeked out behind my locker door as Stephanie touched Luke's arm and looked all beguiling into his eyes and laughing at whatever it was he said. Anger revved up inside me again. I was like a volcano about to erupt. Who knew I had such pent up rage. She'd better watch out; I just might discover that I'm a fire-starter.

“Disgusting, isn't it?”

I barely noticed that Amy had come up next to me.

“What?” This I said as my gaze remained glued to the couple several feet down the hall from me.

“Stephanie. Just because she's jealous of Dion and me.”

“You and Dion?” This time I looked at her. “Do you really think she's doing this just to get back at Dion?”

“Well, sure. At least that's part of it. Dion is homecoming king, and she missed her chance to be a part of the royal Aubrey court because Alisha was voted junior princess.”

“And the other part?”

“Katie Mulligan.”

Now she had my undivided attention. “How is Katie involved?”

“I heard she told Stephanie if she didn't show up at homecoming with someone appropriate she was out.” Amy did that slashing motion in front of her neck like heads would be rolling.

“Out? You mean kicked off the squad?”

“No, not even head cheerleader Katie can do that, but she can demote Stephanie from co-captain.”

Now it all made sense, and I didn't feel one iota better about the situation.

Stephanie had decided to punish me because of her cheer pecking order.

“But why did she pick Luke?”

“The same reason I mentioned to you earlier this week. He's new, he's cute and until today he was available.”

I loved the way she overemphasized the “was.” Meaning he is now taken by me. At least for that one night. I tried to stifle the smile on my face.

Observing Stephanie with Luke still made me want to hurl, but at least to some extent I understood what was happening. It wasn't all about Luke as much as saving her reputation and maintaining her place of power.

“You know what you should do?” Amy raised her eyebrows as though she had answers to all the world's problems. And truly, she really believed she did.

“What?” I said dryly. I usually got tired of Amy telling me what I should do. However, this time I was really curious.

“Just breeze by them as if you couldn't care less that Luke is talking to her. Smile even. And then, mark my words, Luke will leave her high and dry and follow you out the exit. She'll be left standing there like the total troublemaker that she is.”

“You really think so?” I focused on Luke as he closed his locker and slung his backpack over his right shoulder.

“Absolutely.”

I still wasn't sold on what I should do. As angry as Stephanie had made me, I didn't want to be mean to her. That wasn't the right reaction, either. Figuring out how to handle her wasn't going to happen right now.

“Hey, what's going on?”

I glanced over to see Dion had joined us. “Nothing, nothing's going on,” I said to him.

“Nothing yet,” Amy added in a lowered tone.

“And on that note, I'm off.” I smiled at Amy.

“You'll be awesome,” she whispered.

I inhaled a hefty breath and started my trek toward Luke. Almost instantaneously, his gaze was on me.

My chest quivered, but I could do this. I granted Luke a nice, big, flirtatious smile. Who knew I had it in me? It's not like I was flirting with Luke exactly. I wasn't trying to play with his affections or anything. That was Stephanie.

Well, at least if I followed Amy's advice and didn't say anything to her, I wouldn't regret anything, either. “Hey, Luke,” I said to him in as breezy a tone as I could manage. I barely slowed down as I continued down the hallway and headed for the exit.

Wouldn't you know it, Amy was totally right.

Before I even got to the door, Luke had caught up to me.

How had Amy gotten so smart about boys? Probably the same time that she caught Dion Washington's attention. That was still a quandary, but a topic for another time.

Right now, I had to carry on a conversation with Luke and at some point share with him all the thoughts I had going through my head at lunch.

 

~*~

 

“Hey, you seem quiet.” Luke gave me a quick glance, and then returned his attention to driving.

“I do?”

“I mean, it's not like you chew my ear off or anything. You just seem kind of distracted. Does this have anything to do with what you wanted to talk about earlier?” He flicked a quick glimpse at me.

“Um, yes, I guess it does.” I sat up a little straighter in the car seat. “Luke…”

“Yes?” This time he turned his head and totally smiled.

That smile made me almost forget what I needed to say. “I…I don't even know how to say this to you.”

“So, just tell me. We're old friends now, right?”

“Is that all we are—friends?”

He didn't say anything. He didn't even give me a glance.

It felt like my heart fell into my lap and my stomach grew queasy. What did that mean? He did just think of me as a friend—after everything…after the cake! I shut my eyes. How could I be such an idiot? And now I was stuck here in his car with no place to escape. Why had I chosen this exact moment to have this conversation? Stupid! Stupid!

We stopped at a red light.

Luke gave me his full attention. “We're friends, of course, but I thought after last night and everything that you might think of me as more than that.” He searched my face like a scientist examining a new strand of the flu virus. Luke does have these deep, intense moments. It's like in these fleeting flashes he lets me see the real him.

I started to answer him to tell him “Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.” But I restrained myself because this wasn't a melodramatic period film. Besides, it might kind of weird him out.

The light flared green and we took off.

Luke turned onto my street.

I had like a minute before my house came into view. “I do, I mean, you are…” I covered my face with my hands. “Sorry. I don't even know what I'm saying.”

Luke parked the car in front of my neighbor's house and turned off the engine. My hands still covered my face and Luke didn't say a word. Was he waiting for me to go on or was he hoping I'd just get out of the car and leave him? He did basically say that he liked me as more than a friend. He'd said it last night, too. The intense looks, the homecoming invite, even the cake had meant he liked me—
right
? Maybe I could finally accept the fact.

He gently touched my shoulder. “Andrea.”

Shivers shot down my back just from the tone of his voice. That and the physical contact.

He turned my shoulder so I had to face him. “I'm not good with this girl-guy stuff.”

Was he kidding? I'm a member of the relationship challenged club. He, on the other hand, couldn't have been more perfect.

“You could have fooled me, Luke Ryan.” I gave him a teasing smile—my usual way of deflecting my true emotions.

His mouth turned into a quick smile. “So, you aren't upset?”

“No, not at you. Myself, however…”

“Don't be mad at yourself. I'm the idiot here.”

How cute was he, taking the blame for my neuroses. I just started smiling at him, and I may have possibly let out a sigh.

“I've never asked a girl out before.” He looked away as he made the confession. “And I might have been trying too hard this week, but I just wanted you to know how I felt.”

So, he really had been trying to woo me this week.
Oh, my goodness!
Calm, keep it together, Andrea.
“You've never asked anyone out before? I can't believe that.”

He peered over at me again. “I mean, yeah, I've asked a girl out on a date or to a school activity, but I've never had a…a girlfriend.” He cleared his throat, and I could tell he was having a hard time swallowing after that.

He'd never had a full-time girlfriend before? How was that even possible? I mean, he's great looking, talented, smart, funny, considerate…seriously I could go on all day. How could he have never had a girlfriend?

“Why me?” I couldn't help asking. It sounded pathetic, but I had to know. Of all the girls he'd ever known, why had he chosen me? There was nothing special about me.

He picked up my hand and pulled it back to his lap. “You make me laugh.” He looked down and started rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand for a moment. His head lifted back up and he looked me straight in the eyes. “You were a friend to me before you knew who I was.”

He totally knocked me speechless. I don't think I could have spoken at that moment even if my life depended on it. How did this absolutely wonderful person care about me like this? It just wasn't possible. That was when a completely insane person took over my body. I leaned near him and covered his hand with my other hand.

Luke grinned at me “Does this mean you're saying yes?”

“To what?”

“To being my girlfriend.”

“Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?” I couldn't help playing with him as I tilted my head slightly and leaned back in my seat.

“Uh, yeah, Andrea. I am.”

“Then my answer is yes.”

He smiled again and as usual, the sun made his eyes sparkle like a precious jewel.

“What are you going to do now?” I asked him.

“Keeping tabs on me already?”

How I loved it when he smiled at me. My boyfriend was smiling at me. My boyfriend! “No. I just wondered.” I tried to sound cool and not at all possessive.

“Probably go to the batting cages. My mom doesn't get home until five or six from work.”

“Can I go with you…to the batting cages?”

“Really, you want to go?”

“Sure, I mean, you did promise to teach me more about baseball.”

“Yeah, I did. OK, let's go.” Luke started up the car, and we drove across town.

The next two hours were spent hitting balls, and it was actually kind of cool. It was especially nice having Luke teach me the proper way to take my stance and raise my arms. By the end, I was making some hits. Who knew playing baseball could actually be fun?

When we got back to my house later that evening, it was nearly dinnertime. Luke gave me quick kiss on the cheek. It was kind of weird only because I've never had a guy do that before, but I had a feeling I could get used to it really easily.