Chapter 10
Ezra
In the comfort of my bedroom, I work on testing a new game. This one is about a mushroom that takes on the color of whatever it touches during a race through a forest. The point of the game is to win the race against the rival mushroom while changing colors more times than it can.
Time seems to fly by, but I enjoy every second. Especially after coming home from practice to practice some more on my own. As much as I love basketball, stuff like this tickles a part of my brain that I think offers me a different kind of stimulation.
Olivia knocks on my door and opens it without waiting for me to tell her it’s okay to come in. She sticks her nose into my room and audibly sniffs. “You need to shower. It smells sweaty in here.”
I sigh. “That’s because I had basketball practice today. Shouldn’t you be hanging out with Corinne? Or your other cheer friends?”
“Corinne is out of town with her parents.”
The way her face falls slightly when she says it doesn’t escape my notice. Olivia and Corinne have been best friends longer than I’ve been playing basketball. I often wonder why their friendship has worked out so well to this day when mine with Rue couldn’t.
“I need you to drive me to work,” Olivia says.
With another deep sigh, I hit pause and swivel in my gaming chair to face her. “Right now?”
“Unless you want to cover my shift.” She offers me an angelic smile that’s somehow also sassy.
“Fine.” I use my phone to take a few notes on glitches I’ve found on this level of the game before I follow Olivia to my car.
It’s only a matter of time until she’s old enough to drive and gets one of her own.
Our parents are generous that way. But it’s not like they don’t encourage us to work hard.
Both Olivia and I work part-time at the dealership, and even though it’s a family business, it’s not always easy working in customer service.
After I drop off my sister, I head straight back home. I try to ignore the nervous anticipation bubbling in my gut at the thought of seeing Rue tomorrow, but it’s impossible.
There’s no ignoring Rue Sullivan. Trying to would be like searching for eyewear that could block out the existence of the sun.
I’m on my way to calculus class the next morning when Rue practically slams me into a locker. “I need to talk to you,” she hisses. “Like, right now.”
I glance around, making sure no one can overhear us. “Can it wait?”
“No. It really can’t.”
“Okay. Come on.” I take her hand, leading her down a nook meant for studying between classes.
It’s empty save for two chairs resting against a narrow window on the brick wall.
I come here sometimes to play video games between classes, mostly so my friends won’t see me.
And in case they do, I always hide my handheld console behind a heavy textbook to deter anyone from interrupting me.
I gently squeeze Rue’s hand as we near the end of the cranny. Partly because we’re supposed to look like a couple, but also because I want to.
Now that she’s my “girlfriend,” no one would think anything of the way our hands are locked together. It will only help sell the story. But I can’t deny I’m enjoying it.
“Okay, spill,” I tell her, guiding her to one of the chairs and taking the other. My brow furrows when I realize just how heated she is, glaring at me like I purposefully offended her or something. And who knows? Maybe I did. It wouldn’t be the first time.
Rue leans in closer to me like she’s about to tell me a secret, even though it’s just us over here. I’m momentarily captivated by the depth of her dark eyes, the fullness of her top and bottom lip, and the way her curls brush her shoulder like a caress.
And then she says, “Miss Fern is having me work the sound booth for the musical.”
I wait for her to elaborate, or for her to tell me how I have anything to do with this. But she doesn’t. She’s just…telling me. Confiding in me. For a second, it feels so much like old times that my chest feels lighter. “Wow…congrats.”
She scoffs. “Congrats? I don’t know the first thing about that.”
“Yeah, but won’t you learn?”
“Are you kidding? It’s bad enough not being able to audition because I can’t sing. I really wanted to try to get the lead, Ezra. But this? I’m in over my head, and I know it. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“Okay, look.” I sigh, hesitating before touching her arm as lightly as possible.
At first I expect her to pull away, but to my surprise, she seems to relax a bit under my hand.
“You’re smart, Rue. I don’t understand why you’re so worried.
If anyone at this school could learn a new aspect of theater—one that makes them uncomfortable—and still excel in it, it’s you. ”
She casts her gaze downward, cheeks turning pink. I’m vaguely aware that the bell rang a long time ago, but I can’t bring myself to care. Not with her sitting here next to me, having a real conversation with me for once.
“I don’t know why I’m making you listen to all this,” she finally says. “This isn’t even your problem. But then again, it’s just easier to think everything is your fault.” A teasing smile appears on her mouth.
I laugh. “Listen, you can blame me for things I have nothing to do with if it makes you feel better. I don’t mind.”
Her gaze meets mine. For the briefest moment, the stress in her eyes disappears. And something strange happens in my chest.
I’ve always known Rue was pretty. Anyone with eyes could see that. But noticing it like this—when she’s sitting inches away from me, trusting me with something that matters to her—hits differently.
The girls I’ve dated before usually noticed me first. They liked that I was captain.
That I was the guy everyone knew. But Rue has never cared about any of that.
She barely cared when I made the team in middle school, and she definitely doesn’t care that I’m captain now.
If anything, she seems more interested in reminding me when I’m being annoying.
And somehow… I like that. More than I should.
The thought lands in my brain so suddenly it almost knocks the air out of me.
I have a crush on Rue Sullivan.
The realization is terrifying, because it means this fake relationship isn’t fake for me anymore. I swallow hard. “Rue…”
She shakes her head. “We, um, should probably get to class now. I don’t want to get in trouble.”
“Right.” I nod, helping her up from the chair, and keeping her hand once she’s standing. When she frowns at our hands in confusion, I say, “You never know who might be watching.”
Thankfully, she seems to buy it.
But no one is watching, just as I thought. And as I walk her to class and find my own, I can’t help but like it—holding her hand when no one is looking.
I just wish she did, too.
Tucker corners me in the hallway before first period with a grin. "Okay, real question," he says, walking backward so he can watch my face as I head for class. "Is it true? You and Rue? Because if those Little Birdie posts are real, man..."
I sigh and keep walking through the hallway, which hums with morning chatter and the occasional slamming of locker doors.
"You just sighed," Tucker points out. "That’s not a no."
"Because I don’t owe you an explanation."
"But you want to give me one, don’t you?"
I stop walking. "It’s true."
He stares at me like I just confessed to being in love with his grandmother. "You’re serious?"
“Dude, it’s been over a week. You’re just now asking me about this?” It bugs me more than it should. Have my so-called friends even thought about asking me what’s been going on in my life?
As if summoned by her name, Rue appears at the far end of the hallway with Meredith and Mabel. Her eyes meet mine for a split second before she quickly looks away, chewing the corner of her lip.
Tucker glances between us, eyebrows hitting his hairline. “Oh, man.”
I don’t say anything. I just walk straight up to Rue, ignoring the slight catch in her step when she realizes I’m headed right for her. The hallway seems to quiet—at least in my head—as I gently pull her into a hug. She smells like coconut shampoo and vanilla lotion.
“See you later,” I say, stepping back.
She nods, cheeks still flushed, and turns with her friends, who are both doing a poor job of trying not to giggle.
"Bro," Tucker whispers, frozen beside me. "I feel like I just witnessed Fallbrook history. We’re totally gonna read about that tonight.”
I roll my eyes but pull out my phone as we head down the stairs. Sure enough, there’s a text from Rue.
Rue
thanks for playing along
Me
playing along? I was just being a good boyfriend ;)
There’s a long pause, and for a second, I think she’s going to stop responding to me. Then:
Rue
are you planning to start sitting with me at lunch now, too?
Me
I mean, it’s only expected. We wouldn’t want to make people suspicious.
Rue
*eye-roll emoji*
Me
that a yes?
Rue
fine. but don’t make it a big deal
My heart skips in a way it hasn’t in years.
Me
no promises
The bell rings, echoing down the hallway as students shuffle into classrooms. I keep my head down during most of the morning, trying to focus, but every now and then, I catch myself glancing at the clock, already thinking about lunch.
I haven’t sat with Rue at school since we were still friends and she didn’t hate my guts.
When the lunch bell finally rings, I head to the cafeteria with Tucker.
The scent of garlic breadsticks and mystery meat wafts through the air as we push through the doors.
The place is already loud with chairs scraping and trays clattering.
Students crowd the long lunch tables, backpacks piled underneath and half-open milk cartons scattered everywhere.
Once our trays of food are in hand, we head toward the tables.
“I can’t believe you’re going to sit with her,” says Tucker. “You always sit with the team.”
I roll my eyes. “Not today.”
He laughs. “I need to see this. I’m coming with you.”