The Space in Between (8 page)

Thankful she can’t see the roll that my eyes instinctively do whenever she talks complete crazy, I head up the stairs and into my room, hanging my bag on the door before sliding my hand into the side pocket and bringing out my phone.

Waking it from its slumber with a sharp drag across the screen, I’m met with a bunch of notifications from Facebook, the majority of which are from Johnny, and two messages.

Ignoring the notifications, I open the messages, only to find that the two that are waiting for me are from none other than the guy I just spent the last twenty minutes at the bus stop waiting with.

I can’t believe how bug eyed Yorke got when we performed today. That was insane. Why didn’t anyone tell me music classes could be like that?

And about fifteen minutes after the first, another one.

Hey. I know this is kinda short notice, but my dad scored four passes for The Expendables 3 and I asked Jonah to come. Since I know how dreamy you think he is, I was thinking maybe you and JD might wanna come too. ;)

One time I mention that I like action flicks when we were taking a break from working on our assignment and look what happens.

He asks me on a date.

Sure, Johnny and Jonah will be there so it’s not exactly a date, but still. It’s a little strange.

Does he know the way I’ve been looking at him lately? The thoughts I’ve been having, and at least for the last couple of nights, the random dreams that have been starring him, or is this just random?

Bringing up the text box, I start typing out a message, but not before my phone shakes in my hand and another one comes through.

It’s not a date. Repeat. This is not a date.

With the sigh that escapes after reading, you’d think I’d be happier about it, but with how personal things got this morning in the music room, how quick he is to make sure I know it’s not a date actually stings.

Suck it up, Emery. This is what you wanted. He doesn’t have a clue that he’s starring in your fantasies.

Tapping the phone, erasing everything I wrote in favor of taking a different route, along with ignoring the voice in my head, I text out my reply and hit send before I talk myself out of it.

When did you wanna go?

Putting the phone down on the bed long enough to unzip my bag and bring out my homework and tossing it on the desk, the familiar ding of a new message greets me when I head back to pick it up.

I was thinking sometime this weekend if you can do it.

Sounds great. I’ll text JD and let you know what he says.

Cool. Ttyl Ems. Don’t miss me too much ;)

Realizing too late that the eye roll I did isn’t visible to anyone but me and the bed I directed it to, I toss the phone back down, enjoying a laugh at my own expense and head over the start the mound of homework that awaits me.

If I want to be able to make it through this non-date with a guy I can’t seem to stop liking no matter what I do, then I’ve got to focus on the one thing that I can make sense out of.

Geography.

Places on a map that despite people coming and going, never change. Places that remain solid.

The one thing that when it comes to Christian Cayne, I can’t seem to do.

Christian

“Getting to watch Stallone blow shit up for free? You’re screwing with me, right? You had me at Expendables.”

I had a feeling Jonah was going to be easy. What I didn’t expect was that he was going to catch on so quickly to the other two people I wanted to invite and call me out on it.

“So, did she say yes?”

Moving from the kitchen, where my dad is going over case files, knowing what Jonah’s getting at and wanting to keep it as quiet as possible, I walk into my room and lay back on the bed.

“Did who say yes?”

“That’s how you’re gonna play it, huh? Make me spell it out? Fine. Did Emery say yes to going with you?”

“Who says I even invited her?”

“With the way your voice just shook when you answered, you just did.”

Damn.

“Gonna ask her next.”

“Well, if you wanna guarantee she shows, you might wanna invite Davenport too. Those two are practically attached at the hip.”

“Yeah, I planned on it.”

“I’m not one for drama, Chris, but if you’ve got a thing for her, you might not wanna let your guard down around Davenport. Before you got here, he made a pretty legendary play for her.”

“Legendary how?”

“No way. I’m not saying anymore. I just wanted to give you a heads up. If you wanna know the shit that went down last year, you gotta get it from the source.”

Great. The last thing I want to do.
I’m sure cornering Emery and asking her about last year won’t freak her out at all.

“Just tell me, Jo.”

“Fine, but if it comes out, you heard someone talking about it. Like I said, I don’t buy into the gossip shit.”

“Isn’t that what you’re doing right now?” I question, pulling the phone away from my ear and shaking it, frustrated with the way he’s beating around the bush and wishing he’d just get on with it.

“No, because I saw that shit with my own eyes. Emery and I have been in the same classes since elementary school.”

“Can you just tell me what happened?”

“You know how every year around Valentine’s Day, schools do some flower power crap where you can send a rose and some candy to the person you like? JD thought it would be a good idea to steal some cash from his old man and buy them out on the last day. He sent them all to her, Chris. It messed with her pretty bad.”

“Messed with her? How?”

“I’ve known Emery a long ass time. I mean, damn, the girl was my first kiss when I was six, but whatever. She’s not exactly the friendliest chick, if you get what I’m saying. She doesn’t go out of her way to get attention from guys the way most of the girls do. It’s always just her and that damn camera. When JD did that with the flowers, it embarrassed the hell out of her. She didn’t come to school for a week after. A monumental and legendary screw up.”

It’s a crappy way of getting information about Emery, but I can’t deny that it’s been helpful. I already figured she wasn’t the most social girl on the planet and since she’s had the camera with her every day, I already knew that much about her too. It’s the knowledge that she’s not big on huge gestures, especially when made in public that interests me the most.

Information I’m pretty damn sure I never would have gotten from her.

“There’s something I don’t get. If he screwed up that bad with her, and from what I’ve seen they’re just best friends, why the hell do I need to watch my back around him?”

“Because it’s been a year and Davenport is a protective asshole when he cares about something. That’s why.”

“Well, I’m not sure what the hell I’m supposed to do with the info, but thanks.”

“No problem. You’re the first guy in a while that didn’t show up here acting like a tool. I like that. So I wanna make sure, especially with what I’ve been catching between you guys in class that you knew what you were getting into.”

What he doesn’t get is I’m not getting myself into anything. We’re friends, Emery and I. Nothing more, nothing less. Even if the way I seem to react whenever she’s within a few feet of me proves otherwise.

“Again, thanks for the heads up.”

“You’re welcome, but Chris, one more thing.”

“Yeah?”

“If I’m right about all this and you do like the girl, don’t be a pussy about it, alright? Act on it, because Emery hasn’t hung out with someone new since her and Johnny became friends’ freshman year, and she did with you. It means something.”

Telling him I’ll talk to him later and ending the call, leaning back against the headboard and releasing the huge breath of air I’d been holding in pretty much the entire time Jonah was talking, I replay his last words over repeatedly in my head.

It means something.

There it is again. Signs. I know that they’re supposed to mean something, and that they’re guiding me towards actually acting on whatever this is I might be feeling with Emery, but what I don’t get is why.

Pop, what the hell are you trying to get me to see?

Chapter Seven

Emery

Well, this is awkward.

I’d been so sure Johnny would agree to be my partner in crime for this movie night with Christian and Jonah that when I asked and he begged off, saying he was heading out of town with his brother, I laughed. I really thought he was kidding.

Turns out he was serious. Now, instead of it being the four of us, it’s a threesome, and not the type people write into dirty magazines about.

Oh, don’t look so shocked. Girls can do it too. Difference is, we actually read the articles.

What’s so awkward about this threesome though, is not knowing how much Jonah has told Christian about our history and how I don’t just know him in passing.

Once upon a time, back when we were six and he moved in a few houses down from mine, we were actually friends. Pretty good ones too, until he hit middle school, made friends with all the other sports guys and well, that was the end of that. For a while though, it was a lot like me and Johnny.

He might also be the first boy I kissed, but no one needs to know about that. It’s weird enough to think about and it happened like eleven years ago. Besides, from what I remember it was barely even a kiss. It was more like a bunch of sweat and drool mixed with hands tangling together in the summer before we turned seven.

And with the way he’s looking at me now that I’m here with Christian in tow, a time he wants to forget as much as I do.

“What took you guys so long?” he calls out when we start making our way over. “Movies about to start.”

“This guy insisted on showing up in his dad’s cruiser, that’s what happened. No way in hell was I going to be driven to the movies in the back of a cop car.”

“You never told me she could work parents that well, Jo.”

“You sweet talked his dad?” Jonah asks, leveling me with a knowing grin.

“Not really. I mean, I guess I did, but it’s only because the idea of showing up here with a parent, much less one that’s a cop, isn’t exactly my idea of a good time.”

Christian’s face after hearing what I’ve said loses all traces of humor, which before I can react, he follows up with a shake of his head as he turns and starts heading toward the theatre.

“What’s his problem?”

“No clue. He’s been quiet like that since he pulled up outside my house.” I admit. “Other than the little attempt he made to be funny just now anyway. I guess I hit a nerve.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time you did that.”

“It’s not my fault people are so touchy.”

“Yeah, but it is your fault when you enjoy the rise you get.”

“Please. I do not.”

Watching as Christian makes his way across the lot to the side of the building that will lead him to the main doors, I smack Jonah on the arm and start jogging to bridge the distance, keeping pace the entire way until we finally catch up to him as he nears the doors.

“If you guys need more time, we can just catch the next showing.” He says when we pull to a stop that has me huffing and puffing and Jonah barely breaking a sweat.

“I see enough of him at school, trust me. We don’t need more time.”

“Just want to be sure you got all the cop jokes out of your system before we go in.”

Yeah, I definitely hit a nerve. I had a feeling I did at the house when he first got there and I’d mentioned my aversion to being driven to the theatre in a cruiser. I just thought he would have gotten over it by now.

It’s not like I set out to piss him off.

“Looks like you two are the ones that need a minute. I’m gonna go get the tickets.” Jonah says awkwardly, slapping Christian on the arm until he finally hands over the passes he needs to exchange for actual tickets flashing me a sympathetic look before turning and heading inside.

“I’m sorry, Mikey.” I start, saying the first thing that comes to mind that might make this better, but not really feeling it. I’ve said sorry before, so it’s not like it’s weird saying it, but there’s something about the way it sounds that just doesn’t feel right. The words don’t have meaning because I’m actually so much more than just sorry.

And just like I’ve come to see is his normal response, he blows it off.

“I know it sucks having to be driven around in the cruiser okay, but my dad, he had a shift and we didn’t have a whole lot of time to head home and grab the car.”

“You don’t owe me an explanation, Chris.”

“Oh, it’s Chris now?”

“Yeah, it is. Got a problem with that?” I snap, feeding into his annoyance by giving back some of my own. “You want to tell me why you’ve got your panties in a knot?”

Exhaling hard, he rakes a hand roughly through his hair before turning and stalking over to the bench that’s a few feet away. Forcing his body down onto it, I wait him out for a few seconds before I finally follow him over and sit beside him.

“I love my dad. I love the fact that every single day when he leaves the house he’s going out there and helping people and keeping them safe. I respect the hell out of it, but sometimes, I just want to forget that I’m the son of a cop and be a normal teenager.”

“But you said that the only reason you guys showed up in the cruiser was because he had to go to work, right?”

“Yeah, but he’s always going to work these days.”  He admits with a sigh. “I miss my truck.  At least when I had that, I didn’t have rely on him driving me around everywhere.”

“Can I tell you a secret?”

Turning his attention away from the ground and focusing it on me, he nods.

“The whole reason I was charming your dad earlier, it was because I wanted to be able to give you that. Hell, I would have given you the keys and let you drive if you’d just told me all of this at the house. I get it. Until last year, my mom used to drive me everywhere. I hated it.”