Just One Year(31)

Veronica looked her up and down. “I almost didn’t recognize you when I first saw you tonight.”

Teagan glanced down at her feet. “I was just playing around with hair and makeup.”

“You look pretty.”

She smiled shyly. “Thank you.”

We got to our lane and settled in to bowl. Every time Teagan bent over to swing her bowling ball, Archie’s eyes landed on her bottom. I watched him so much that I couldn’t concentrate on the damn game when it was my turn.

My score was pathetic. I kept throwing gutterball after gutterball, which had never happened to me before. Naturally, Archie outscored me, as he tended to do in competitive situations.

Veronica made it quite obvious that she had never bowled before. Every time she stepped up to the lane, she held the ball with two hands, scooted down, and swung the ball between her legs. It took everything in me to avoid completely losing it in laughter every time. Teagan made eye contact with me whenever Veronica was up, and I knew she was thinking what I was: that Veronica’s bowling technique was absolutely ridiculous.

At one point, Teagan leaned in and whispered, “Nice granny roll.”

At the feel of her breath, I knew my attraction to her was far more than mental.

Then came the part of the evening that really tested me. Teagan got a strike, and Archie ran over and lifted her up, wrapping her legs around his waist while his hands landed on her butt. He spun her around, and it felt like my head was spinning at the same time.

“They make a cute couple, huh?” Veronica said. “She’s definitely changed for him.”

“Changed? What do you mean by that?”

“Look at her. She typically dresses like a guy. I almost didn’t recognize her tonight. She’s working hard to impress him.”

I swallowed. “Yes, I suppose.”

It was my turn to bowl, and this time my stress was put to good use. Apparently, all I had to do was imagine the ball was Archie’s head. I hit three strikes in a row.

What annoyed me the most about my reaction tonight was that I had no ground to stand on. There was no reason Archie and Teagan couldn’t or shouldn’t date each other. My feelings were my own problem, and I’d have to deal with them.

Eventually the four of us stopped playing for a while and sat down. Archie brought a pizza and a pitcher of beer over to the table.

“What time does this place close?” Veronica asked.

“Midnight,” Archie answered.

Teagan blew on her pizza slice. “It’s so cool that they stay open. I can’t remember the last time I was out this late, which is pretty pathetic.” She laughed. “Maybe I shouldn’t admit that.”

“Well, that’s unacceptable,” Archie piped up. “We need to get you out more often, Teagan. I volunteer as tribute.”

When he began to pour beer into Teagan’s cup, I held my hand out. “Whoa. What are you doing?”

Archie momentarily stopped pouring. “What do you mean?”

“She can’t drink. She’s underage,” I scolded.

“You’re kidding me, right? Did we not drink from the time we were, like, fifteen?”

“That doesn’t matter. If someone comes around and IDs her, she could get in trouble.”

Teagan shrugged the whole thing off. “It’s fine. I’m not a big drinker anyway.” She slid the cup back toward him.

Archie stared at me incredulously.

Veronica slapped my leg. “Since when did you become such a disciplinarian, Caleb? You don’t bat an eyelash when I drink, and I’m underage. You even buy it for me.”

Shit. She’s right. I’m a hypocrite.

The truth was I didn’t want Teagan drinking because I knew it would mess with her inhibitions. I was supposed to be spending the night at Veronica’s, while Teagan would head back to the house with Archie. I knew he’d try to weasel his way to her room. Still, I needed to come up with an answer for my behavior that Veronica would find suitable.

“I feel responsible for her because her parents have been very good to me. She can do what she wants, but it’s just stupid to give someone underage alcohol in a public place.”

“That’s what fake IDs are for.” Veronica winked. “Then you never have to worry about it.”

“It’s baffling what a goody goody you’ve become, Caleb.” Archie laughed. “I could tell you so many stories about the trouble Caleb used to get us into.”

Veronica smiled. “I’d love to hear some of those. I only get to see his bad boy side in bed.”

It could have been my imagination, but Teagan suddenly looked a bit uncomfortable. This whole outing was very uncomfortable for me, too.

“Are you going home for Christmas?” Archie suddenly asked me. “I’m sure your mum misses you.”

Christmas was coming up in a couple of weeks, and I had no plans to leave Boston.

I shook my head. “No.”

“Why not?”

“Funds are a bit tight right now.”

While money was a partial issue, that wasn’t the reason I wasn’t going home. This would be the first Christmas I’d spend away from my parents, and that was fine with me. Christmas was probably the most painful time of year. My mother always hung Emma’s stocking on the mantel alongside mine. My father withdrew into himself even more than usual. And my mother always insisted on wrapping a present for my dead sister, one that would have been age appropriate were she still alive. Then once she opened it, she’d donate it to charity.