Chapter 5
On the drive home, I stared out the window, ignoring my Mom’s question about my day, mostly replying with ‘m-hm’ and ‘fine’ until she got the picture that I wasn’t in the mood to chat.
By the time we made it into the garage, my car door was half open, and I was ready to jet up the stairs.
I moved through the kitchen quickly, made it up to my room, skipping three steps at a time, and shut the bedroom door behind me.
Then I tossed my hockey bag onto my bed and unzipped it as I slid the straps of my backpack off my shoulders and let it drop onto the floor behind me.
There, stuffed loosely at the top of my bag, where my own hoodie should have been, was a green and gold Country Town Prep Soccer Hoodie.
I pinched it with my fingertips and pulled it slowly by the shoulders out of my bag.
As it hung in front of me, I stared at it incredulously and then turned it around.
Amy, who knew no privacy, must have heard me because she burst through my door. “Why do you never knock?” I shouted as I quickly hid his hoodie behind my back and dropped it back into my bag so she wouldn’t see it.
“I saw that!” she said with wide eyes and a tone of both surprise and accusation in her voice. “Did you steal Chris Patton’s hoodie! Holy shit, Allie, that is next level, what is your end game?”
Just then, the phone rang, and I froze. Amy stared at me and then walked across my room to answer it. She always loved to answer the phone first.
"Hello?"
“Hi, can I please speak to Allie?”
“That depends, who’s calling?” Amy said. I rolled my eyes and grabbed the phone.
“Hello?” I said, as I motioned dramatically for Amy to get out of my room, and then I shut and locked the door behind her. My Mom had a no-locked-doors policy, but right now, I didn’t care.
“Hey, Superstar.”
I cut in with anger before he could continue.
“Would you like to explain to me why your hoodie is currently on my bed instead of mine?”
“Well, to be fair, I didn’t say I’d leave yours, I just said I’d leave it in your bag. I kept my word. I did leave you a hoodie, didn’t I?” he said, as he laughed softly, clearly pleased with himself. “Plus, I guess it means you have to see me again,” he laughed again. Was he flirting with me?
“You think you’re really funny, don’t you?”
“I think I’m clever, yeah.”
“So where is mine?”
“I’m wearing it.”
I was silent until he spoke again.
“What? Don’t worry, I showered first,” he said. “Your hoodie smells so good. You can wear mine if you want to.”
“In your dreams,” I said, but I’ll admit the idea was tempting. I just didn’t know what it meant if I put it on. What was happening?
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said, eager to get off the phone.
“Wait, no!” He cut in. “I have questions about French homework and was hoping you could help me?”
“Yeah, right.”
“You caught me. What kind of music do you like?”
“That’s random,” I replied, then went silent. Was he seriously going to go from stealing my hoodie to asking me about music?
“Is that Dave Matthews I hear? See? We have something in common already! Love that band,” he said. “Wear my hoodie tomorrow. Goodnight, Allie,” he said, and then hung up.
I set the phone back onto its cradle, sat back down on the bed, then picked up his hoodie, held it to my face, and inhaled.
It smelled of strongly scented detergent, which my mom would never use.
The green fabric was soft and thin, broken in from being worn so much, and I decided to try it on.
What was the harm? As I dove my head through the body of the hoodie and pulled my arms through the sleeves, I took in what he had just said.
Tomorrow wasn’t a weekend. He wanted me to wear his hoodie, with his name on the back, to school, in front of everyone.
I just sat there for a minute, then I stood up and walked down the hall to Amy’s room.
“Amy?” I said, and the door flung open before I could knock.
“You’re wearing it?” She blurted out, as she grabbed me by the arm, pulled me into her room, and shut the door.
“He told me to. He also asked me to wear it to school tomorrow. What do you think that means? I’m not sure if I should, or if I even want to.”
“Allie, honestly? Two hours ago, you had never even noticed boys, and now the hottest guy in school is asking you to wear his soccer hoodie with his name on the back to school in front of everyone. Aren’t you worried that everyone is going to think you stole it from him?
Come on, just give it back to him before this gets out of hand.
” I couldn’t tell if she was more worried about me or about him.
“Exactly! Why would Chris Patton be interested in me, of all people, anyway?” I shouted.
“I mean, no offense, but I’m just worried about what people will say.
Remember that you hate it when people talk about you,” Amy said, as she put her hand on my shoulder.
“You are one of the most beautiful girls in school, and I am not just saying that because you’re my sister.
You’re smart, kind, and one of the best athletes our school has ever known.
Why wouldn’t he be interested in you? Plus, look at this hair!
” She said, with jealous eyes and a smile, as she gently combed her fingers through my soft waves and then pulled me in for a quick hug.
“But it’s Chris Patton. It’s probably a joke.
God, this hoodie smells so good. If you don’t wear it, I will.
Maybe find a guy who isn’t so popular, so you don’t run the risk of being the center of drama.
I always say, if people want to talk, let them.
But don’t give them a reason to talk, you know? ”
She always knew what to say. I knew she had my best interests at heart.
“I would just give it back and pretend it never happened,” Amy said, a little more persistently as she gave my shoulder a little squeeze.
“I just don’t know if it’s a good thing to get involved with anyone right now, with scouts watching me. I don’t know him at all.”
“Exactly,” She said, then she hugged me again. I got up and headed back to my room.
Once I got back to my room, I took off his hoodie and laid it over the back of my chair, then went to my closet to pick out my clothes for the next day.
As I slid the hangers across the bar, I imagined how each piece of clothing would look with his hoodie until I stopped at a short, taupe, wide ribbed corduroy skirt.
Then I picked out a brown leather belt with a brass buckle and a navy long-sleeved tight V-neck to go with it.
I set out my brown leather ankle boots with the wood-stacked heels, changed into pajamas, turned on the stereo, and climbed into bed.
Dave Matthews Band’s Dancing Nancies started to play, and I lay there looking up at the ceiling stars, trying to imagine what tomorrow would be like if I showed up at school wearing Chris Patton’s hoodie.
What would people say? What would he do?
I guess I would make a game-time decision in the morning.