Chapter 31 #2
“I’m just playing.” Okay, that punch was only half as hard as I was expecting. “Okay. You’d better get your bus.”
I can’t help it. I turn toward where Tabitha sits.
Every cell inside me vibrates.
Dang, is she beautiful.
Jamie shifts on her rollerblades, making a sharp squeak on the concrete.
I double-take at her. Whoa. Does she want to ask me about Tabitha? Maybe she’s chilled and wants to hang out after all. “What?”
She shakes her head, backtracking. “No nothing. I’ll see you tomorrow. Happy birthday, bro.”
“Thanks, James.”
As Jamie glides away from the skatepark, I hope she’s finally understanding why I’ve been wanting to talk about Tabitha. The girl is so adorable and sweet. Surely Jamie saw that? Man, look at the girl. How Jamie could still see her as nasty is beyond me.
The guys are gravitating around Tabitha, and when I approach, Tyler asks, “Did Jamie leave?”
“Yep. She had a bus to catch.”
Tabby stands from the bench. “Bummer. I was hoping we'd talk.”
Parker edges closer to her. “Don’t worry, you can talk to us.”
Tabby shrinks inward and her eyes narrow at him. “Umm, okay?”
“Yeah,” Lewis cuts in. “What the heck are you doing with Kai?”
“Ahh, I…” she stammers.
I’m about to jump in and push them away from her, when they laugh.
“Tabitha, do you realize you’re one of the most gorgeous girls in school?” Parker asks, smirking. “You can do better than Kai.”
An instant smile sprouts on Tabby’s face as she turns to me with a silent laugh.
“Yeah, no offence, Kai,” Lewis sniggers. “We know it’s your birthday, but come on.”
I throw my palms up. “Come on, what? I’m not good enough for Tabitha?”
As if rehearsed, all three guys lift their flattened palms and sway them in a so-so motion.
I’d lay them all out if it wasn’t plainly obvious how much they’ve put Tabby at ease. Holding her belly, she jiggles in soft laughter.
I move by her side and wrap her in a hug. “Guess what, guys. It doesn’t matter what you think.” I peck a kiss on the side of her forehead. “She is here with me.”
“Is this a kidnapping thing?” Tyler stage whispers at Tabby. “Are you under duress? Do we need to get help?”
I swat at him, and everyone falls to pieces with laughter.
“Okay, okay,” Parker says, catching his breath as his laughter dies down. “In all seriousness, spill. How long has this been going on?”
I look down at Tabby. “Do you want to tell them?”
She gives a slight shrug, and I unravel my arms from her. I’m betting, if they let her tell our story, they’ll accept her even more.
“Umm, well,” she’s shaking on her opening line, “we were reassigned as chemistry lab partners. Naturally, we hated each other’s guts.” She pauses as the guys erupt in hysterics. “Then my brothers forced us to study at a coffee shop.”
“Wait? Did you two go to Jamie’s?” Parker asks, like the implications will cause his head to explode.
“No, no,” I’m quick to reply. “Village Coffee. Other side of Main Street.”
“I was gonna say,” Parker says, shaking out his shoulders. “I feel like Jamie would have yakked our ears off about that.”
“She would have definitely had something to talk about,” Tabby continues. “We called each other pretty nasty names and walked out of our study session before we’d even opened a textbook.”
“You didn’t even bring your textbook,” I point out.
“Because you sabotaged me,” she fights back, lips curling at the memory.
Tyler folds his arms. “So how do you go from name-calling and walkouts, to locking lips here at the skatepark?”
Tabby blushes as she sneaks a glance at me. “This wasn’t our first kiss.”
Mocking, “ooohs,“ cheer out of the boys and makes me want to dig myself a shallow grave.
“Okay.” I wave my hands in front of me and force more air between Tabby and my friends. “That’s enough details. All you need to know is Tabby is here now, and you’ll be seeing a lot more of her.”
“You guys are, like, official?” Tyler questions.
I stall, checking Tabby’s reaction.
“We haven’t exactly labelled anything,” she says hesitantly.
She bites into her bottom lip and I’m about to melt. I take too many seconds to register everyone’s staring at me.
“Umm, ahh, yeah,” I stumble over my tongue. “We’re just seeing how things go.”
Parker winks. “So she’s still a free agent?”
I step forward and flick him between the eyebrows.
He jumps back with a yelp.
“No, Parker.” I plant a hand on the small of Tabby’s back and feel that delicate shiver. “Keep your hands to yourself.”
She swings on the balls of her feet, hands clasped in front of her. “My eyes aren’t on anyone other than Kai.”
More mocking, “ooohs,“ whoosh out of the boys.
I clutch Tabby’s latched hands and gently swing them. “I’m all hers, if she’ll have me.”
She grins, nodding with immense excitement. “She’ll have you.”
I lean in and peck her lips, quick to pull away with the threat of more, “ooohs.”
I turn to the guys and kick at the air. “What are you all standing around for? Get back on your boards.”
As if they feel guilty for my embarrassment, they get on their skateboards and ride back toward the ramps and rails.
Tabby curls her arms around my left arm and leans into me.
I rock my skateboard under my foot. “Do you want a skateboard lesson?”
She bites her lip. “As much as I wanted a soccer lesson.”
“So, you wanna ditch it and make out instead?”
She giggles. “Not in front of your friends.”
I slide the board between us and gesture toward it. “Go on. Jump on.”
She squeezes my hand. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to balance.”
“I got you.”
There’s a twinkle in her brown eyes as she gingerly steps onto the board. She squeaks, clenching my hand as the skateboard nosedives.
I laugh, planting a hand on the small of her back. “See those bolts. Put your foot by them. That way, the board won’t topple over.”
“This doesn’t feel natural.”
“I won’t let you fall. Trust me?”
She repositions her feet while her hands grow clammy in mine. “I trust you,” it comes out strained, but she balances on the board.
“Nice one. Now, just dip your knees and try rocking on the board.”
“Rocking?” she yelps. “Nuh-uh. Recipe for disaster.”
I crack up. “You just said you trusted me.”
“Doesn’t mean I trust myself.”
I push on the small of her back to give her some movement, and she yelps, digging her shoes against the board.
“Tabby, relax.”
“No. People aren’t meant to be on wheels.”
“What about cars?”
She throws her arms around my neck and leaps off the board. “I’m not doing wheels and a wooden plank.”
I hug my arms around her, walking her away from the board. “Okay, you’re not a skater girl.”
She buries her face into the nape of my neck. “I thought that was obvious.”
I plant a kiss against her hair and let her feet touch the ground. “Don’t worry, I like you just as you are.”
Tabby keeps her head hidden. “I’m so embarrassed.”
“Why?”
“I’m such a chicken.”
I tilt her chin up. “Hey, you got on the board. That’s something.”
“But I’m not good at anything. You try Revolution Dance one time, and you’re a pro. I have nothing like that. I’m a failure.”
“Girl, don’t talk about yourself like that. What about fashion? You told me it lights you up.” I give her a goofy expression to bring out a smile, or hopefully, a giggle. “I know you’re dying to restyle my wardrobe.”
A half-hearted chuckle whispers out of her. “I wouldn’t change you.”
“Oh, come on,” I insist playfully. “My wardrobe has bugged you from before we were paired up in chemistry. You hate my clothes.”
“Your style makes you, you. I wouldn’t mess with that.”
I smirk, sending her a wink. “Okay, I’ll remember that. You love my grungy look. You can’t take it back.”
She smiles, planting her hands on the space above her heart. “I don’t love it. I just appreciate it on you.”
I laugh. “How diplomatic of you.”
She shrugs, grinning bashfully. “Well, it is your birthday.”
“Oh, so the wardrobe bashing will happen after my birthday?”
“Maybe for my birthday you’ll let me tweak your wardrobe?”
“Tweak?” I echo. “That’s a curious word choice.”
There’s something so sweet about her expression right now. “I like styling and accessorizing. Maybe I could enhance your look.”
With my emotions bubbling inside me, I caress the side of her face. “There’s my girl. See, you are good at things.”
She bites her bottom lip. “Nothing to be super proud of.”
“What are you talking about? Stylists get paid megabucks. It’s a career, babe.”
The blush across her cheeks intensifies. “Oh, that’s true. And I have social media. I can start now.”
I bounce in place, feeling her enthusiasm swell. “Yeah, you can. You can do anything.”
She clutches my hands and steps back onto the skateboard. “Then help me conquer this stupid board.”
“First of all,” I squeeze her hands, loving how tiny they feel in mine, “the board isn’t stupid, it’s awesome. Second of all, bend your knees.”
Tabby is beyond cute, slowly rolling the board along the cement. Parker and Lewis can’t help themselves, giving pointers and tips in order to get closer to her. Soon, it devolves into asking her a million questions about her friend Yvette and where she hangs out after school.
Tyler boards past me, and I cut him off. “So, Tabitha. Are you cool with her?”
He smirks. “I’m not dating her.”
I roll my eyes. “Dude, I know. I am. Is it cool?”
“Yeah, if you like her?”
I bite inside my mouth, trying to stifle my smile. “I do, man. A lot.”
He pats my back. “Then that’s all that matters. You look happy, dude.”
“I do?”
“Yeah. Stop panicking.”
“Thanks. It’s just… I don’t think Jamie’s happy about it.”
Tyler shrugs it off. “She’s just annoyed that another girl is coming into the group.”
“You’d be cool with Tabby joining our group?”
“Dude,“ he hisses. “I just said stop panicking. It’s cool. Deal with it.”
I let out a breathy laugh of relief. “Okay. Thanks, man.”
Tyler nods at Parker and Lewis, now drilling Tabitha with a million questions about how she and I got together.
“Looks like those two knuckleheads approve as well.”
I smirk at them, competing for more of Tabitha’s attention. “Well, that was a no-brainer. They’re both obsessed with her friend Yvette.”
Tyler rolls his eyes. “Why, I’ll never understand. The girl has dust for brains.”
I let out a hearty laugh. “True, true. Dude, I thought Tabby was like that too. But, I swear, this girl’s got layers. She’s deep, man.”
He gives me another pat. “That’s aces, man. For you to say that, she must be someone special.”
I smile, catching Tabby’s eyes as she smiles back at me. “She is. She really, really is.”
Tyler retches. “Gross. I never imagined Kai Nelson becoming such a sappy mess.”
“It’s my birthday,” I defend. “Cut me some slack.”