Chapter 34 #2
A discussion of the film dominates the conversation as our group exits the dark theater and emerges back on the street. I blink at the sudden sunshine. The painkiller Caleb gave me helped with the headache—and so did the sex—but there’s still a dull throb in my right temple.
Abby suggests heading to a pizza place just down the block. I quickly agree, since I’m starving. I didn’t have time to go to the dining hall after showering and before heading here.
The pizzeria is clearly a popular off-campus hang-out, judging by the number of college students packed inside.
Despite the crowd, the line moves quickly. We all order slices, managing to snag one of the few open booths.
The steaming pizza arrives, and we all dig into the hot food immediately, continuing to talk about the documentary we just saw.
For the first time, my comments aren’t being met by bored stares.
Aside from Andrew, no one at Landry High shared my passion for journalism.
And RCC was known for its business and computer classes.
Useful skills. I’m pleasantly surprised how Abby, Amanda, Joe, and Eric all seem just as interested and engaged in writing as I am.
“Great. Baseball team is here,” Joe drones, right as I’m taking a bite of my third slice.
My head snaps to the left, looking at the entrance. The pizzeria’s front door is open, a stream of sweaty guys wearing grass-strained clothes walking in with red faces and joking smiles.
Caleb isn’t with them, but both Garrett and Drew are. I glance back at my pizza.
Clarkson is a big campus. I wasn’t expecting to see the team here, and I feel awkward seeing them without Caleb around. Most of the guys are ones I met last night.
“And…right on cue. Here come the groupies,” Eric laughs, then shakes his head.
All the girls in the booth nearest the door have vacated their spot, approaching the team with hair flips and flirty smiles.
They’re the girls I would look ridiculous ever trying to imitate.
The girls I spent most of high school thinking Caleb would go for.
Always knowing what to do and say and wear. Confident. Cool .
“They’re probably asking where Caleb Winters is,” Amanda comments with a scoff.
My eyes fly to her.
“Yet you also noticed he’s not here,” Eric comments, a smile twisting his lips up.
Amanda glances at me. I must look confused.
“Caleb Winters is a senior on the baseball team. He pitches, I think?” She glances at Eric, who shrugs.
“Throws the ball. Whatever. I don’t go for the jock type, but he’s stupid hot.
And never hooks up with anyone, so getting his attention is kind of a challenge.
If he took one look at me and decided to pay attention to anything except baseball…
I’m not saying I would take him up on it, but—”
“But you would round some bases,” Abby interrupts, laughing.
Joe and Eric both roll their eyes. But I would bet the large amount of money I’m now in possession of that neither of them are anywhere near as uncomfortable as I am.
I assumed Clarkson was too large for everyone to know who Caleb was. I assumed the social structure was like Landry High’s, where certain groups kept separate and didn’t pay each other much attention.
Wrong on both counts.
I take a bite of pizza to avoid having to contribute to the conversation.
I should tell them who the boyfriend I mentioned earlier is. If we become friends, which I’m hoping we will be, they’ll find out eventually.
But I have no idea how to say anything now, without it being incredibly awkward.
Maybe I should wait until after we’re eating.
I can laugh it off right before I leave.
If I say something right now, we’ll have to spend the rest of lunch in the aftermath of Amanda mentioning she’s thought about having sex with Caleb.
It sounds like she’s never even talked to him.
But still, it’s weird. For me. And for her, if she knew I had sex with him a few hours ago.
“Hey, Lennon.” I glance up from my pizza. Garrett is walking by.
“Hey, Garrett,” I respond. I can’t ignore him, and I don’t want to. He didn’t have to acknowledge me, and the fact he did makes me feel more welcome.
“Lennon,” Drew greets as he passes by next, shooting me a quick grin before he follows Garrett.
“Hi, Drew,” I reply.
Two of the girls with them glance back at me, looking confused. More players pass by. And every single one of them greets me by name. Even the ones whose names I don’t know. Or remember, I guess. I must have met them all last night.
The four people I’m sitting with are all staring at me with wide eyes, by the time the baseball team has all passed by. Honestly, they’re not the only ones. People at other tables are staring too.
“Does your dad coach the baseball team or something?” Amanda laughs. “You’re on a first name basis with all the players?”
I pick at my crust. “I barely know them.”
“You barely know them?” Both of Eric’s eyebrows are raised. “It seems like they know you.”
“Just from the party last night,” I reply. “Aside from Garrett and Drew, that was the first time I met most of them.”
“You went to the baseball party last night?” Abby leans forward. “I’m so jealous. They’re super secretive. Invite only. I only find out about them days later. How did you know there was one last night?”
Awkward or not, I have to tell them now. I toss a burned bit of crust to the side, trying to decide what to say.
“Winters!”
I’m the last one at the table to look toward the door. Abby is no longer waiting for an answer. She’s focused on Caleb entering the pizza place with Elliot right behind him.
“That’s Caleb Winters,” Amanda whispers to me.
I nod in response, watching Caleb say something to Elliot. If this wasn’t so weird, I’d find it funny.
I know the exact second Caleb spots me. I haven’t texted him since I thanked him for leaving his keys. Didn’t tell him I was coming here after the documentary.
But there’s always been this awareness between us, even before we started dating. I think it happened the first time I saw him, molecules in the air shifting to announce his presence.
Caleb says something else to Elliot, who looks over here as well. Then he heads straight for me, a move I did not see coming in what has already been an eventful morning.
“Is it just me, or is Caleb Winters coming over here ?” Amanda whispers to our table.
I don’t have time to answer before he reaches us.
Caleb leans down and gives me a kiss in greeting, not bothering with words. His lips are warm and his mouth tastes like grape, probably from his sports drink.
“How are you feeling?” he asks.
“Better.” I nod toward my empty plate. “I just ate my weight in pizza. And what you gave me this morning helped.”
As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I know how he’ll interpret them. Caleb laughs, low and husky, as heat floods my cheeks.
“The painkiller,” I clarify.
His blue eyes dance. “I knew what you meant, Matthews.”
“How was practice?” I ask, in an obvious attempt to change the subject.
“Well, I was late, so there were laps.”
“Sorry,” I whisper.
He shakes his head once, still amused. “Worth it. You get the truck here without crashing?”
“It’s parked down the street.” I pull his keys out of my pocket and set them on the table. “You’re supposed to take it for an oil change in a hundred miles.”
Caleb smiles, then pushes the keys back toward me. “Keep them. I’ll get a ride back to the house with Drew, then come over later.”
“Okay, sounds good,” I say, then remember where we are. When I glance away from Caleb, Abby is the first person I look at. Her eyes are round, her mouth slightly open.
I clear my throat. “Caleb, this is Eric, Joe, Amanda, and Abby. They all went to the documentary with me.” And apparently, they all already know who he is, but I add, “Guys, this is my boyfriend, Caleb,” just to be polite.
“Nice to meet you guys,” Caleb gives them all a friendly smile, which they all seem too shocked to reciprocate.
He glances to me, one eyebrow raised. I lift a shoulder in response. “How was the documentary?”
“It was amazing,” I answer.
“Good.” Caleb leans down and gives me another kiss, then straightens and nods to the rest of my table. His gaze returns to me. “Bye, Len.”
“Bye.”
Caleb leaves, heading toward the booth the baseball team took.
Total silence lurks in the wake of his departure.
“Oh. My. God? ” Amanda whispers. “Your boyfriend who goes here is Caleb Winters and I…” Her voice trails, eyes still impossibly wide.
“No wonder the team all stopped,” Joe says. “Winters carries some serious weight on the team.”
“And here I was, thinking maybe they just liked me.” I smile, then take a sip of my water.
“Oh, shit. Sorry. That’s not what I meant.” Joe quickly backtracks, and my attempt to lighten the mood just made everything weirder.
“It’s fine. I was kidding,” I tell him.
“You could have mentioned you knew him sooner,” Eric tells me.
“I know,” I reply. “I had no idea you guys would have any idea who he is. Once I realized, I wasn’t sure what to say.”
“I’m so mortified,” Amanda says. “Did I seriously say—”
“That you wanted to hook up with Lennon’s boyfriend?” Abby finishes. “Yeah, you did.”
Amanda looks to me. “I had no idea you guys were dating. Claire Olsen told me he was single. I’m so sor—”
I start laughing. “I know. It’s fine. Really.”
There’s a stretch of silence, then Abby speaks. “How long have you guys been dating?”
“Almost three years. We went to high school together.”
“And you did long distance up until now?”
I nod.
“Wow. That must have been hard.”
“It was,” I reply. “But it never felt like we were that far apart.”
Which is a relief to recall, considering we’ll face more separation. Even if we end up living in the same place after graduation, professional baseball players travel plenty.
Eric mentions the spring electives that were just posted, and the conversation moves on from Caleb and me.