Chapter 15
Danny
Sixteen Years Old
“Don’t pack up until the bell rings,” Mrs. Sanders instructs as we all let out a collective groan.
It’s almost lunchtime, and I’m so hungry I could eat my own leg. With my new workout plan, I’m constantly ravenous. I need the extra fuel, because the opening game of my sophomore year is tonight.
“D! Can’t wait for you to rock it at the game, Handsome!” Tori whisper-shouts as she blows a kiss from the back of the room. I pretend not to hear her. I hate when she does public shit.
I never actually asked Tori to be my girlfriend.
After some hang outs last year, she started calling me her boyfriend, and I never corrected her.
So, here we are. She was the first girl to ever ask me out, and I guess I was flattered.
Tori demands a lot of my attention, but at least she’s supportive of my schedule and football aspirations.
My career hopes are about the only thing we can agree upon lately.
We’re not on the same page, and I don’t know if we ever were.
Tori’s been wanting to take physical stuff further, saying it’s time for us to do more than just making out and touching.
Something in me balks at the idea, and my stomach feels queasy whenever she talks about it.
My focus on football has kept me from analyzing if it’s normal to feel that way about my girlfriend.
I drum my fingers on my desk impatiently.
Ever since school started up again a few weeks ago, Gracie’s been eating in the library, and we haven’t had a deep conversation in forever.
Whenever I offer her a seat at our table, she says she needs to study.
I glance at the clock—two minutes left until lunch.
I want to meet her in the food line before Tori can hold me up.
Relying on hope and chance meetings to catch a glimpse of Gracie at school has been miserable.
She’s been more than a little distant lately, and I’m not sure why.
We were both busy over the summer, but my walkie-talkie is collecting dust. I checked in with her religiously while I was at football camps—at least twice a week.
She constantly reassured me that things have been quiet at home, saying that her dad had been pretty absent between working at the car manufacturing facility and gambling at the casino.
But things still feel off between us, and we need to talk about it.
The bell finally rings, and I jog to the cafeteria and get in line for food.
I guess I manifested Gracie, because I spot her heading this way.
She’s wearing a fitted lavender T-shirt and her favorite gray-wash jeans, which hug the curve of her hips perfectly.
She has one of her classic headbands on, this one with a small bow on it, which barely holds back all of her wild curls.
“Gracie, over here! We can wait together.”
She weaves in and out of the navy blue and gold circular tables, grabs a lunch tray, and steps behind me.
“Thanks. I’m so hungry I could eat my arm.” She props the tray on her hip and pushes her headband backwards. A lost cause, really, as the volume of her hair pushes the band forward again two seconds later.
“It would be nice if they served chocolate milkshakes here, right?”
“Yeah,” she agrees as she snags a plate, “but it would be even nicer if the milkshakes were strawberry.”
“The strawberry obsession again, huh?” I tease, holding out my plate to the cafeteria worker.
A scoop of mashed potatoes gets plopped on my plate before a ladle of turkey gravy is poured on top.
“You just say that because of your red hair. You discriminate against other flavors. It’s not right, Gracie. ”
She laughs, and her vibrant eyes sparkle. Adding a red jello cup to her tray, she replies, “Strawberry is the only correct answer. You’re ridiculous.”
“D! I was looking for you everywhere.” Tori walks over and kisses my cheek before cutting in front of me. “Oh. Hi, Susannah.”
Tori’s decked out in Titans spirit gear today, wearing a short, low-rise white skirt, a fitted Titans jersey with my number on it, navy blue knee socks and gold jewelry. Her hair is pulled into two braids, and her skin looks tanner than it did yesterday.
Gracie visibly deflates and gives Tori a look I can’t quite place. Disappointment? Frustration? No, neither of those make sense. Gracie says that she really likes Tori for me. Even though I’ve been distracted with football, I can usually tell when she lies.
“Hi, Tori. How’re things with you?” Gracie asks, adding a turkey sandwich to her plate.
“Things with us are super great! D and I had so much fun at the fairgrounds this past weekend, especially on the ferris wheel.” She winks at me, like she wants everyone to know we made out at the carnival. I feel so awkward, especially in front of Gracie, who stares at her tray.
We move forward in line, and I grab a bag of pretzels.
“Anyway, I can’t believe the very first Titans game is tonight.
So exciting, right? It can’t come soon enough.
The field is basically my second home now, since I’m there so often supporting D at all of his practices.
It’s hard to balance everything, but I wouldn’t miss watching my boyfriend do what he loves for anything. ”
“Wow,” Gracie says flatly, picking up a bag of potato chips. “That all sounds very thrilling.”
I glance at Gracie. “You’re coming to the game tonight, right?”
“Yeah, I promised your mom I’d keep her company.”
“I, uh, didn’t know you two made plans.”
Gracie shrugs in response. It seems like she talks with Mom more than me these days, and I’m not sure how I feel about that. It’s another reminder that I don’t know every single thing about her like before.
“Well, I’m sure Mom will love that. Do you want to sit with us today? I know you usually eat in the library, but I was thinking—”
Tori cuts in. “You know how focused Susannah is, D, always studying hard for librarian school.”
“Veterinarian school, actually,” I quickly correct.
Gracie sucks in a deep breath like she’s gathering patience.
“Right. Maybe we should let her get to it,” Tori clips before pausing for a moment. “Or, actually, now that I think about it, you’re welcome to sit with us. We do have an extra spot, because I usually sit on D’s lap.”
I think my whole body flushes, and I aggressively rub the back of my neck like there’s a mosquito bite back there.
Gracie fidgets uncomfortably as the lunch lady punches her meal card. “Um, I’ll pass for now. B-But thanks.”
I frown when I hear her stutter. I should pull her aside and look into—
“Grace!” A tall, blond kid with glasses comes running up to her.
“Wow. I can’t believe you. We decide to get out of the musty library and eat in the cafeteria for the first time in forever, and you’re not even waiting for me?
” He crosses his arms like he’s upset. “In the wise words of Stephanie Tanner, how rude.”
Okay. What in the actual fuck is going on here? I’m the only person who calls her Grace. My mom doesn’t even call her Grace. Who is this kid? I look at her for an explanation, but she’s too busy fondly staring at four-eyed Chad Michael Murray to notice me.
His eyes stray from Gracie for two seconds. Does he notice me inching closer to her? “Hey! You must be Dan.” He gives me a genuine smile. “You’re Grace’s neighbor, right? You play some awesome football, dude.”
I look at Gracie with slightly narrowed eyes, hoping to convey something along the lines of neighbor, really? before responding, “Uh, thanks. Yep, we live next door. I’m her best friend.”
He gives me a curious look. I need to play it cool, so I try not to look at him with too much suspicion. “And you are…”
Blondie chuckles. “Ah, sorry. This one”—he juts his thumb out at my Gracie—“knows that I’m always scattered.
I’m Ben. Nice to meet you, man.” He holds out his fist for a bump.
I bump him back against my will. He then notices Tori, who is suddenly sporting a huge smile on her face, gleefully looking between Gracie and Ben.
“I’m Tori. D’s girlfriend,” she adds pointedly.
“D. Sweet nickname. Nice to meet you, Tori.” He clasps his hands together and smacks his lips. “Welp, Grace. Are we doing this thing, or—”
I cut in. “How do you all know each other?”
Ben grins at her like they have an inside joke. I try to infiltrate his brain and channel stop looking at my Gracie directly into his psyche, but he doesn’t get the memo. Are they together?
“We actually met last year in English class. I basically begged Grace to be my partner for the verbal presentation because she has a real gift for public speaking in stressful scenarios. It’s her one true passion in life, as I’m sure you know.
” He winks at her. He actually winks at her. She lights up, playfully nudging him.
What. The. Fucking. Fuck. Is. Happening.
My heart rate speeds up, and I start to spiral. How have I missed her hanging out with this guy for months now?
“Cool, um, that’s cool. Super cool. You two hang out a lot, then?”
“She definitely makes up one hundred percent of my social circle within Ohio state lines, yes.” He pauses and taps his chin a few times with one finger like he’s reconsidering.
“But, now that I’m thinking about it, I’m not so sure.
Because I’ve been in Indiana for the last month and find her all but ditching me the second I’m back. ”
Gracie laughs and rolls her eyes. “I’ve been in this cafeteria for, like, two seconds. I haven’t even exited the line.”
I speak before my brain catches up. “Do you guys want to eat with us?”
Tori makes a small huffing noise, and I turn to face her. She skewers me with an icy glare and pats my chest a few times. “Susannah already said no. Plus, I’m sure they’ve got their own…study date planned.” Tori wiggles her eyebrows up and down like I’m in on the least funny joke I’ve ever heard.