10. Bailey
Jamie playedas if he’d never left the game, leading our team to a win, and everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Sure, it was just one game. But a game against the other team that played in the State Championship last year. Players like Dallinwere anxious about this season, not wanting to lose scholarship opportunities because of a losing record. Tonight’s game was a good start.
Jamie would continue to lay it all on the table—or field—until his mom found out, and crap hit the fan. I wished he would talk to her rather than go behind her back, but I understood why he didn’t. I never knew Mrs. Barnes before her injury, but I did know her before Jamie’s dad died. And she’d changed. They both had, but it had affected her in different ways. She worked more and hardly left the house. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been at Jamie’s, and she wasn’t in her office working on her next book.
Jamie worried about her. She worried about him. I worried they’d both get hurt again when it all came crashing down.
Gosh, I hated parties. Why did I even come? But I knew the answer. I was jealous. Jamie stood in the center of a crowd. I saw the calculating look in his eye. He was scoping out his next conquest.
I’d seen him talking to Elise by his locker after school and figured it was a done deal. I kept waiting to find them lip-locked in a corner somewhere. But Jamie was keeping his options open, apparently.
The dope.
I wanted to leave. I missed the days of the three of us hanging out in Jamie’s basement playing video games, laughing, and goofing around. I never thought we’d outgrow each other, but looking at my best friends, I knew that’s exactly what was happening. It was time to go home.
I hated crying.Usually, I could work out my emotions by going for a run or hanging out with the guys. But since Jamie was the source of my emotional breakdown and Dallin was in the middle of an intense game of pool back at the party, sobbing my heart out in my bed was my best option for getting over whatever was going on with me.
“Bailey.” Jerry’s gruff voice accompanied a soft knock on my door.
Great. “Yeah?”
“Can I come in?”
I could say no. But if I did, he would get Mom. She was already asleep, and that would make me feel worse. Jerry was a nice guy. I liked him. I probably even loved him. He’d legally adopted me when I was seven. He was the only dad I’d ever known. But we didn’t usually confide.
I hastily wiped my eyes with the corner of my blanket and brushed tear-damp hair from my face.
“Sure.” I tried to make my voice light. I wasn’t fooling anyone.
My door squeaked open, and Jerry’s head peeked through. He scanned the room like he expected to find explosives. No explosives. Just an emotional basket case.
I sat up in the center of my bed and tried for a welcoming smile.
Jerry studied my puffy red face, his frown deepening. “May I?” he asked, pointing to the rolling office chair in front of my desk.
“Of course.” My voice had that scratchy, soggy quality that came from too many tears.
Jerry sat with his elbows resting on his knees. He studied me for a long moment and then sighed.He was so out of his depth. Under any other circumstance, I might have laughed.
“Look, kiddo,” he began. “I know I’m not your mom. And maybe I’m a poor substitute for a dad, but you’ve been wandering around here all week like a wounded puppy. You gotta tell me what’s going on soon, or I’m gonna assume it’s something terrible and do something drastic.” He shot me a lopsided grin. “I don’t have any idea what that something drastic might be, but I have a feeling it might involve beating up one of your buddies and going to jail. So, are you gonna tell me and save me from a life behind bars?”
“Jamie’s eighteen. You might get away with punching him.” The words slipped out before I could stop them.
Jerry sat back in my chair and folded his arms over his chest. His forehead wrinkled, and his brows lowered over his eyes.
“I was kidding before, Bailey, but I’m not now. What’s going on? Did Jamie hurt you?”
No! He just doesn’t love me!Of course, I couldn’t reveal that to Jerry, but now I would have to give him something, or he’d follow up on his threat to have a man-to-man talk with my best friend.
“It’s nothing bad,” I reassured him, but if his deepening grimace was any indication, I wasn’t doing a very good job.
“I’m serious,” I insisted. “We had a misunderstanding,and it was probably my fault. I feel bad about it and don’t know how to fix it.” That was almost the truth. As satisfying as it might be to watch Jerry bonk Jamie on the head, it wouldn’t solve any of my issues. I would have to do that on my own.
Jerry’s posture relaxed a hair. “Anything I can help with?”
The offer was sincere, but the look on his face said discussing boys with me ranked up there with buying feminine products. I knew Jerry had my back if I needed him, but as far as emotional support? I’d be better off waiting to talk to Mom. Or better yet, keep it to myself.
“No,” I answered, shaking my head. “I’m sure we’ll work things out. We always do.”
“Okay.” Jerry slapped his hands down on his knees. “As long as you’re sure?”
“I’m sure.” I wasn’t sure about anything, but I wasn’t about to tell that to Jerry. It was enough that he’d braved entering the bedroom of a crying teenage girl.
“All right, well, I’m going to take advantage of a quiet house and watch some tv.” It was late, and all the kids were asleep, even Delia. I couldn’t blame the guy for wanting some quality time with the sports channel.
“Thanks, Dad. Good night.”
He paused in my doorway and cleared his throat. “Hey, Bailey. I don’t tell you enough, but I appreciate all you do to help outaround here. You go above and beyond, and your mom and I are glad to have you on our team.”
My cheeks flushed. I wasn’t used to accepting praise, especially not from Jerry. He was usually the no news is good news type, so he didn’t say much unless he had a criticism about something.
“Thanks, and for the record, you’re not a poor substitute at all.” Things were getting gooey.
Jerry smiled softly as he went to the door, stopping just short of exiting. “Oh, and Bales?”
I lifted my head from my pillow. “Yeah?”
“I don’t think you have to worry about Jamie being an idiot forever. He’ll figure it out.” He closed the door with a wink.
I flopped back on my pillow and squeezed my eyes shut. Good grief!
JAMIE
Have you seen Bailey?
I texted Dallin, who’d been playing some drinking game at the pool table the last time I saw him. He wasn’t completelytoasted, but it was a close thing. I’d only had half a beer when I walked into the party two hours ago and never refreshed my cup. Since when had the girls from school turned into such vultures? I hadn’t been able to escape them all night.
I finally escaped to the bathroom. I half expected a few of them to follow me. Thankfully, a guy could still pee in peace around here. I locked myself in an upstairs bathroom for a good ten minutes. Taking a seat on the edge of the bathtub, I let my head fall into my hands.
Usually, by this time, I’d have already found a willing girl to flirt with and kiss. Tonight, it would have taken no time at all. I could have skipped the party and spent the evening with Elise in the backseat of my car in the school parking lot if I wanted. She’d been coming on strong all day.
But it just felt wrong. Things had been different over the summer. Everyone was just out for a good time, nothing serious. Now that the school year had started, I was getting looks—commitment looks. That went against everything NCMO stood for. It went against everything I stood for. It hadn’t always been that way, but after last year and everything with my dad and mom, heck, even Allie...I just gave up on relationships. They only led to heartbreak. My mom was a prime example. Not that I blamed her for her grief, but it wasn’t easy when she cried every night. I didn’t know how she had any tears left, but she kept crying and crying.
If that wasn’t a winning advertisement for remaining single, I didn’t know what was. But I still enjoyed kissing. I still liked girls.
At first, kissing had started asa pleasant distraction from all the stress in my life. I didn’t mean for it to happen. It just did. Then I got such a reputation that girls started seeking me out. Over the summer, so many girls were willing to make out with me...I just went with the flow. But something had changed.
Bailey.
Even when Elise practically threw herself at me lips first, I couldn’t follow through. And now, I just wanted to see Bailey. But I had no idea where to find her.
Nope, he finally replied. Do I need to find her?
We both felt responsible for Bailey whenever we went to parties, or anywhere else, for that matter. Dallin would drop what he was doing to ensure Bailey was okay, just like I would. Tonight, finding her was the excuse I needed.
I got it. I’ll let you know.
He responded with a thumbs up.
Gathering the courage to face the crowd again, I exited the bathroom and went in search of my best friend. People tried to get me to stop, but I kept my feet moving. Stopping would be a mistake that could cost me twenty minutes. I needed to find Bailey. After searching the whole house and the yard, front and back, I started feelinganxious.
Could she have left? Would she do that without telling one of us?
Under normal circumstances, Bailey would never do that. She knew we would worry about her. What if something had happened to her?
Moving faster, I started toward my car. Fishing my phone out of my pocket, I tried to call her. I should have done thatin the first place. It rang a few times before going to voicemail. But I could tell from how the ringing cut off that Bailey had declined the call.
What the?
I tapped the call button on my screen again. This time it went straight to voicemail without ringing. She was screening my calls!
Don’t panic.
I had no reason to believe anything was wrong. She probably was just tired and wanted to go home.
But why didn’t she tell us?
I’d been surrounded by people all night, but I would have given her a ride or walked her home. It was dark. I would have been glad to go with her, to tell the truth. And Dallin. Even drunk, he could have and would have walked her home.
Our parties were reasonably tame, but any jerk could be waiting around to find some girl alone in the dark. Shuddering at the thought, I raced home.
I parked in my driveway but headed straight to Bailey’s. I could tell from the shadows on her curtains that she was home. I slowed my pace, relieved. But only somewhat. Why had she left without telling us?
Peeking in the front window, I saw her stepdad, Jerry, asleep on the couch in front of the television. There was no sign anyone else was awake. I walked around and let myself in the back door. I slipped off my shoes. A staircase in the kitchen led right to Bailey’s room. Quietly, I crept up the stairs, pausing just outside her door.
Now that I was there, I hesitated. I wanted to see her. I wanted to talk to her. But I was nervous, too. Things had been so weird between us; our friendship was off. The fact she left the party without even telling me was proof enough of that. But it worried me. I wanted to make sure she was okay. I wanted to make sure we were okay.
Admonishing myself to stop being a freaking coward, I lightly tapped on Bailey’s door with my knuckle.