Chapter 18 Be a Shoulder to Cry On
-Drew-
I’m not sure how we got to November, but here we are.
I think the reason that October flew by is that I finally got up the nerve to ask Meg out.
We kept going back and forth in our text messages, but I wanted to take her out.
I talked to Annie about it on one of the school drives.
Annie had been so positive that Meg would go out with me.
I asked her out the next time I saw her in the halls.
She had been bouncing on her toes when she’d said she’d love to go out with me.
Bouncing on her toes is like her happy dance, I’ve learned.
***
Our first date was to the movie theater, followed by milkshakes at the local ice cream shop.
Meg was easy to talk to, and her confidence was always present.
Walking back to the car after ice cream, I grabbed her hand, only releasing it to get into the car.
We held hands all the way back to her house.
I walked her to her door. I asked, “So, how much time before your parents come out to check on you?” She replied, “You have about ten minutes, make them count.” Then I wrapped my hand around her waist, kissing her, and I did make those ten minutes count until a woman clearing her voice startled me.
“Ok, Mom, I get it, I’m coming in.” Meg gave me one more kiss and went inside.
***
Over the next few weeks, we tried to play it down in front of our friends, slowly introducing the fact that we were dating.
Somewhere along the last two weeks, we had both fully given in to the lust of wanting to be touching or kissing all the time.
Meg was a good kisser, and I was perfectly fine kissing her whenever and wherever she wanted me to.
We had even ended up in the office because neither of us had heard the bell.
We’d gotten off with a warning but got a lecture about PDA in the halls and practicing safe sex…
which had me now thinking about having sex with Meg.
I wanted to invite Meg over, and I knew my parents wouldn’t care.
I wanted to see if we could skip the party after the football game on Friday.
I knew both my parents would go to the playoff game and wouldn’t rush home.
Daniel would probably take Annie to the after-party; it’s the one place he showed her off on his arm.
I could see where things went, maybe sex, maybe one or both of us removing clothing.
I’d be ok touching her curves or letting her enjoy touching me.
I hadn’t been given a lot of good opportunities to get my hands on her curves without clothing getting in my way.
My fingers itched to feel more of her tanned skin without meeting any interruption.
***
We arrive at the game with our friend's group, carpooling to the game in Meg’s mom’s SUV.
Meg has been giving Annie a lecture about Daniel that I can't help but overhear. I’ve been starting to worry that Daniel is using Annie, personally.
I keep wondering if we were good enough friends now that I should tell her.
Would she trust me? I don’t know if I want to risk her friendship over Daniel.
He is never with her at school, unless it is in front of everyone at one of the parties.
I overhear Meg telling Annie he should have taken her out if he wanted access to all her treats.
Annie makes some excuses but I'm not buying it.
I know Daniel, which makes me a little concerned for Annie.
I try to break the tension between my girlfriend and friend, and I think I pull it off.
I pull Meg into my arms before getting Craig and Luke to make puking faces as I put my arms around my girl.
I let them know that they can F-off and continue to enjoy holding Meg.
***
We chant and cheer as the Rams go back and forth.
They win for a while, then lose when the Trojans get a touchdown.
Annie leaves to go do her Visual News reporting in the fourth quarter.
The Trojans hit a field goal to take the lead with six minutes to go.
The offense does nothing on the next drive.
It's starting to get into the last two minutes of the game, and it's not looking like it's going to happen for the Rams. There is almost no time left on the clock, and we don’t have the ball. Then one of the Rams defenders gets an interception and makes it almost thirty yards toward the Rams’ end zone. The offense takes the field, and it’s not looking good.
Daniel is double-teamed, and the running back keeps getting stopped.
Then on the third down, Miles scrambles out of the pocket, drawing defenders, making them think he is going to run.
I see Daniel wide open in the end zone, and so does Miles, because the pass connects— it’s a touchdown.
The student section goes crazy. When the clock hits zero, the team storms the field.
I am happy for my brother. It hasn’t been easy, but he seems to be doing the work here to be different than he was back at our last school.
We are about to head out when I hear Meg say, “Who the fuck is your brother kissing?”
I have no idea: I wasn’t focused on the field.
I look around, trying to locate him, and find him not with Annie in his arms but with the cheerleader captain.
I saw him talking to her after practice a few times but hadn’t thought anything about it.
Maybe my thought about him changing was premature.
Every time up until now, they had only been talking; it hadn’t even looked like flirting if I’m being honest. I look for Annie, worried about her.
By the time I spot her, she is interviewing Lopez.
“Maybe she didn’t see,” I say to Meg. She gives me a serious side eye replying, “Even if she didn’t, everyone else has eyes, they all saw.
” She has a good point—people are going to talk about this, as it was pretty common knowledge that Daniel and Annie were hanging out.
Meg looks down at her phone. “Shit, she saw, we have to go.”
As we all rush to leave the stadium, I look over at Annie giving her mic to the camera guy.
She looks sad, but that’s all I can see from this distance.
Our little gang makes our way as quickly as we can to the car.
“Did you know?” Meg asks me. “No, I have only ever seen Daniel with Annie at our house, I swear.” I must look sincere because she drops it.
I spot Annie in the crowd and tell Meg. She turns around, and Annie runs, launching herself into Meg’s arms. Annie is crying; there is no missing the sobbing sound she makes against Meg's shoulder. It is one of the saddest things I’ve had to witness.
Craig, Luke, and I look at each other, not sure what we should do.
Meg hands Craig the keys before she opens the back door of the SUV and climbs in, pulling Annie in behind her.
I slide in next to Annie and shut the door.
Meg and I have a little moment over Annie’s head.
Looks like our night at my house is going to have to be postponed. I swear, my brother ruins everything.
***
The drive home isn’t as full of fun as we had all expected after a win.
The only sound is the radio and the small sniffles that Annie is making next to me.
Craig is gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles.
I know he wants to get his fists into Daniel.
I don’t blame him. Daniel blindsided her out there in front of the whole school.
When we get to the house, Annie isn’t crying, but she has fallen asleep against Meg’s shoulder.
“Can one of you carry her?” Meg asks the group.
“I got her, I’m already back here,” I say before Craig and Luke can answer.
I open the door and then scoop Annie into my arms. She leans her head into my chest. Meg opens the garage with the code she has memorized, I’m sure from all the times she’s been over.
I carry Annie to her room, and she wakes up as Meg directs me to which is her room.
She blinks a few times, and it must register that I’m carrying her.
“You can set me down, Drew. Thanks for this.” She waves over her body in my arms. I let her go at the threshold to her room.
“No problem, Annie, let me know if you need anything.” I turn to Meg, giving her a small kiss and lowering my voice.
“Rain check on our plans.” “Yes, rain check for sure.” She steps up on her tiptoes and gives me another kiss.
***
I head back outside, rejoining Craig and Luke, who are waiting.
“How is she?” Craig asks. “Well, she woke up, and Meg is going to stay here tonight,” I say to them.
“Don’t ask anything else because I don’t have any idea how she is doing.
” “Your brother is an asshole. I swear, the next time I see him, I’m going make sure he understands Annie was the wrong girl to mess with,” Craig says to me.
I agree with him; my brother is an asshole, but fighting Daniel isn’t going to help Annie—knowing Annie, she’d be more upset with us.
“Annie didn’t deserve that,” Luke says into the silence.
“No, she didn’t,” I agree, then add, “But she also doesn’t deserve her best friends fighting her battles.
She would be pissed at any of us if we touch Daniel.
” “She’ll get over it, eventually,” Craig says, but he also looks a little less on edge.
“Ok, so we don’t kick your brother's ass tonight, but if he does something else to our girl, I’m only going to pretend to hold Craig back,” Luke says, making us all laugh a little.
The guys leave shortly after agreeing that we will follow Annie’s lead.