Perfect for You(13)

“No, he called you and me ‘lifers’ and said he got that. It’s Ash he questioned.”

I hear rustling on the other end, followed by a “Damn.”

“Dump the pretzels in your bed?”

“Yeah, the salt is everywhere. I’ll probably dream I’m drowning in salt water tonight.” I hear her patting down her bed. “I’m still mad at you by the way, but go on.”

At least she’s talking to me. “Okay, so he basically said Ash isn’t good enough for me, which is totally absurd.”

“Totally. Ash is awesome. I’d clone him if I could. I need a boyfriend.”

“Anyway, I told him not to talk about Ash that way.”

“Good for you.”

“Yeah, but he said he’s not trying to break us up, that he wouldn’t do that. Maybe he thinks he’s looking out for me. I don’t know.”

“By telling you Ash isn’t good enough for you?” She scoffs. “He’s taken one too many tennis balls to the head because that’s ridiculous.”

I debate telling her the rest. About the almost bet, the near kisses when our faces were only inches apart, about Noah saying Ash was standing in the way of him and me being together. No. I’m trying to get her to forgive me for blowing her off. Telling her all that will only make her more pissed off at me.

“So, we met up with his friends and totally lost track of time.”

“Wait, you hung out with Noah and his friends? You were in the popular clique for the day?”

“Yeah.”

“What was it like?”

“No different than when you and I hang out.”

“Really?” She couldn’t sound more disappointed. “If they had inducted you into their club and told you the secret to being loved by all, I might have forgiven you.”

“I’m really sorry, Gray. My phone was in a locker all day. I didn’t get any of your messages. I was even late to the Football Challenge, and Noah ended up driving me and staying to watch it.”

“Whoa, Noah, in his bathing suit I’m guessing, went with you to watch Ash in the Football Challenge?”

“Yup.”

“Do you have any idea how screwed up that is?”

“Oh, I’m well aware. I was there when Ash nearly knocked Noah on his ass. Luckily Jackson stopped him, and I sent Noah away.”

“So, is everything okay with you and Ash now?”

“Yeah. I explained what happened. Sort of.”

“Sort of? What are you leaving out? Now you have me wondering if you’ve only ‘sort of’ explained it to me.”

I sigh. “He openly admitted he likes me.”

“Noah?”

“Yes, Noah. Who else?” I snap. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to sound like such a—”

“Bitch?”

I deserve that. “Yeah. Look, it’s late. I’m beat. We have tryouts in the morning. We both should get some sleep.”

“Fine.”

“Are we okay?”

She sighs. “I don’t know, Meg. I’m hurt. I mean, you didn’t even text me during the Football Challenge. You waited until eleven thirty at night to call me.”

“I couldn’t explain all this in a text. I needed to talk to you, and I couldn’t exactly do that with Noah around. I screwed up big. You’re my best friend and I let you down. I don’t even know how to begin to make up for that. I mean it, Gray. I love you. Please tell me what to do to fix this.”

“Tell you what, trip Tracy at practice tomorrow, nothing major, just a sprain is fine, and we’ll call it even.”

I laugh, thankful she’s joking around with me again. At least I hope she’s joking. She does have to beat Tracy for the last spot on the team. “Night, Gray. Oh, and don’t worry about tomorrow. You’re ready.”

“Yeah, yeah.” She hangs up, and I drag myself upstairs. I’m ready to call it a night, too.

***

Tryouts are brutal. Coach Moyers has us running before and after practice. He makes us do drills for an hour before we break into groups to work on serving and volleying. And worst of all, he has the entire week jam-packed with playoff matches. I barely see or talk to Ash all week. Between his football tryouts, which are more than twice as long as tennis tryouts, and Grayson forcing me to practice with her every day after tryouts to make up for ditching her to go to the water park with Noah, I’m wiped out by ten o’clock each night. Ash and I manage to talk for about twenty minutes each night before falling asleep.

The upside is that I make second singles, winning all but one of my playoff matches. Jess Wilbur is too good to beat, so kudos to her. And best of all, Grayson beats out Tracy Palmer to secure the seventh and final spot on the varsity team. I can’t help feeling a little sorry for Tracy since she was on varsity last year, and being a senior this year, she’s now cut from the team. But Grayson put in the hard work and deserves this. She’s grinning from ear to ear and even agreed to come to Jackson’s party with Ash and me to celebrate. I don’t tell her that part of my reason for asking her along is to appease my dad who totally thinks Grayson and I are on our way to an all-girls slumber party.

“You girls have fun tonight,” Dad says, peeking his head into my room as I pack for the night.