Chapter 16
Are you being stupid on purpose?
“I know what you said, and I heard you, but could you maybe reconsider Homecoming tonight?” Craig asked, standing in the doorway of my bedroom, wearing a black suit with a crisp white shirt and holding a violet corsage in a small box.
“Who knew you could clean up nice?”
He shook his head, not engaging with me.
“No. Not going. Sorry, brother. I’ve already made that clear.
” I stretched on my bed, pressing my back against the headboard, and grabbed the remote on my nightstand.
“I have a very important date with the last superhero movie.” I gestured for him to move aside with my hand.
“If you’ll excuse me, you’re in the way.
Have a nice night, wrap it up, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. ”
“Wow, Mase. If these are the tips you give Chase when he goes out, no wonder he’s turned into a man whore. Gosh, I’m lucky I’m the older brother between the two of us and that Mom and Dad never gave us a younger sibling. You would be a terrible role model.”
“Nah, I’m not buying this. Deep down, you wish I was the oldest so I could teach you how to walk on the other side of the line because we both know that’s where the fun is.”
“Whatever. So…about Homecoming…?” His phone rang, and he looked like he was expecting it.
“Hey. Yes, I asked him.” Pause. “Nah. He prefers to watch guys in tights fighting on TV instead.” Pause.
“I know. You gotta be the one asking him.” Pause.
“Yeah, I know he’ll listen to you better.
You’re probably right about him. Gimme a sec. ” Craig handed me his phone.
“Hey, babe. What’s going on?” I asked when Paige’s voice greeted me on the other end of the line.
“Mase, before you hang up, please listen to me. I need your help… Huh, no. Mel needs your help. It’s kinda an emergency.”
The mention of my next-door neighbor was enough to trigger the curious side of me. “What about Mel?”
“Landon’s dad busted him with weed.”
“What?” I pulled myself upright on the bed.
“He’s banned from going to the dance and grounded for a month. He’s not allowed to use his phone, and his car keys have been confiscated.”
“Fuck. How do you know?”
“His sister. She called Madeline who told me because we’re in the same Biology class.”
“What does it have to do with me?”
“Mel must be all ready by now, waiting for him to show up. Imagine her face when she realizes he’s not coming.”
“Paige…” If I jumped at the chance to go with her, my brother and she would know about my secret crush. I wasn’t ready to be on the hotspot. Not before Melinda and I agreed on what we were to each other—or before we even had the chance to really become friends.
“Craig is coming to my place to pick me up. We were all supposed to meet here, the four of us, and take pictures. I gotta be at school early since I’m part of the homecoming committee.”
“And you want me to—?” I wanted her to spill it out so it wouldn’t sound like I was the one who’d come up with the idea, but rather that she had coerced me into going.
“Damn, Mase. Are you being stupid for the sake of it? You dress up nice, you store that ego of yours for a few hours, and you go next door, ring my best friend’s doorbell, and you ask her to the dance. I can’t believe I have to break it down for you.”
“Does Mel know about this plan of yours?”
“Not yet. I had to run it by you first. She’s not even aware Landon isn’t coming. I won’t crush her spirits without having a backup plan to make up for his no-show. Jesus. Keep up, please. Do you trust me?”
“You know I do. Why me? Why should I agree to this little scheme of yours?”
“Because. You owe me. I’m always there for you when you need me. And I let you call me babe and sip my coffee in the morning. See? I’m a good sport, and you would do me a favor if you agreed.”
“I’m kidding, babe. You know I can’t refuse you anything. And Mel is my friend too. I wouldn’t let her be humiliated by Landon. Stupid basketball player.”
“So?”
It was like the stars had aligned themselves and heard my prayers. Melinda and I going to Homecoming together. My arm itched. I wanted to pump my fist, but I could feel my brother’s eyes on me, so I nodded, acting nonchalant.
“Okay. Fine.” I sighed for good measure. “You win. I’ll go.”
“You will?” I had to pull the phone away from my ear at the sound of Paige’s high-pitched shrill to avoid going deaf.
“Yep. Didn’t you hear me just now?”
“Yes, but I wanted to make sure you meant it. Okay, here’s the plan.” For the next five minutes, she told me how we should proceed. “Are you in?”
“She won’t be aware I’ll be the guy picking her up?”
“Nope. I’ll tell her I’ve found someone, but I won’t tell her who. It’s gonna be a surprise. Then you’ll both meet Craig and me here. I’ll call Malory, the president of the homecoming committee, and tell her something has come up and I’ll be late. It will all work out.”
Excitement bubbled inside me.
Perhaps tonight would prove to Melinda we could be more than friends. I crossed my fingers, hoping Paige’s plan would unfold perfectly.
“Oh, just one question before we do this. Mase, are you seeing, sleeping, kissing, or doing whatever with anyone these days?”
“Why?”
“Because the last thing I want is for my best friend to get caught in the crossfire of some of your possessive fuck friends.”
A weird sensation tickled the back of my throat. I hated the idea people—mostly Melinda—still saw me as a player and nothing more. I thought keeping it in my pants in the last month had proven to my classmates I’d changed. Perhaps, it was still not a given.
“I am not. I haven’t been with anyone since school started. I swear. So, no worries.”
“Awesome. See you later then.” She hung up before I could say another word.
Craig grabbed his phone and bumped my fist. “Thanks, man. I knew you still possessed a heart underneath all that cockiness. I’ll be at Paige’s. Meet us there.”
I nodded. His joke acted like a knife stabbing me. I knew he didn’t mean it in a bad way, but still, it hurt the fragile ego I was trying so badly to hide from everyone else.
“Melinda, dear,” Mr. Shepard called out from the foyer after he let me in.
“Someone’s here for you.” He redirected his focus on me.
“I thought my daughter was going to the dance with some basketball player named Landon?” He crossed his arms over his chest and eyed me with a tipped dark brow.
Even though I was two inches taller than him, I felt like a child facing Mr. Shepard right now.
Like he could smell from miles away any bullshit I was hiding.
I swallowed. Except for the day we met—which didn’t really count—I had never come here to ask Melinda out.
In fact, aside from that day, I’d never been interrogated by a girl’s father until tonight, and it felt a bit intimidating.
Sure, the Shepards were nice people, and I’d known them for years, but I bet they were also aware of some of my extracurricular activities.
I hated the idea they could decide that my past actions defined me as a person.
“He…huh…Landon had a last-minute change of plan, and when Paige called to inform me, I decided to step in.”
“Does my daughter know? About this little change of plan?”
“No, sir. Paige is supposed to have called her. She wanted to be the one breaking the news to her about her date.”
“Don’t sir me, son. We’ve known each other long enough.” He relaxed his stance and so did the muscles of my upper back. “I’m glad she’s going with you then. I feel better knowing you’re her date.”
“Thanks, si—thanks.”
“By the way, nice game yesterday. That last pass was perfection.”
“Thanks. I’m happy you came.” I rocked back and forth on my heels. “It was indeed a great game.”
“You really are talented, son. And so is that brother of yours. Don’t waste your gift by making stupid decisions.”
“I hear you. I won’t.”
“Good.”
I stepped forward when I heard heeled footsteps nearing us.
Mr. Shepard moved aside, revealing Melinda wearing a knee-length dress with a flowing cream skirt and gold sequined top.
She had curled her dark hair in some complicated updo, a few loose waves framing her face.
The sight of her stole every molecule of air from my lungs.
She looked like a princess from my fantasies.
I wanted to kiss her, tell her how beautiful she looked, but the words were locked in my throat.
My lungs seized up. After a few seconds of shaky breaths, a single word passed my lips. “Wow.”
A pink blush crept up her cheeks. “Mase?” The grin she aimed at me made me weak in the knees.
The temperature in the room soared. A prickling sensation spread on my skin, and a flock of butterflies invaded my stomach. We faced each other, our eyes scanning the length of the other, and I felt handsome under Melinda’s slow perusal.
“Hey you,” I greeted her, my smile no doubt reaching both ears.
I raked my fingers through my about-to-be-tousled hair and scratched the back of my neck, not knowing what to do with my hands.
Since when did I do nervous? I leaned in, erasing the gap between us, and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek.
Her skin felt softer than usual under my lips.
A wave of heat swirled in my lower body.
My fingertips connected with the back of her hand, and a shiver worked the length of her spine.
She blinked as if I was an illusion. “I can’t believe you’re here. I thought you said you couldn’t care less about the dance?”
I shrugged a shoulder. “Mel, I would have never let you go alone. I can be a gentleman when the situation calls for it. Don’t forget I’m Nurse Pierce and it’s in my job description to make sure you’re okay. I take my profession very seriously when it comes to you.”
A low snicker passed her lips. “Huh…thanks. For doing this for me. It means a lot. What would I do without Nurse Pierce, right?”
I mirrored her smile.
“Tell me, though. How did Paige talk you into this? Did she bribe you with cupcakes?”