Four Doors Down(65)

“Why didn’t he say anything?” I eventually ask.

Sam shrugs. “I don’t know. I guess he didn’t want you to feel indebted to him. It’s no secret the way you feel about him. He probably didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

I open my mouth to respond. Then close it again. I have no words right now.

“Look, don’t kill me, but have you ever wondered why he goes out of his way to mess with you? Like you’re on the other side of the room, nowhere near him, and he’s surrounded by people and the center of attention, yet he singles you out, trying to get your attention?”

I screw my face up. “I’m just lucky, I guess.”

“I mean it, Becca. Look, remember I went to that football game a while back? Well, I swear he kept looking up at us in the stands throughout the game. I think he was waiting for you to show up. Then at the party afterward we walked in and knew no one. I mean, we knew people, but that’s not our crowd and no one really spoke to us. We just stood there like idiots until he noticed us, and even though he was surrounded by people, he came right over to say hi and introduce us to people.”

“Yeah, I’m not saying he’s not friendly Sam. At least not to other people,” I mutter.

“It was weird. As soon as he came over, it was like it was okay for everyone else to talk to us and suddenly we were socially acceptable. That guy has some serious power.”

“Yeah and he’s about to use that against me,” I point out.

“He stayed with us for a while, kept looking at the door. He didn’t say anything, but I knew he was waiting for you.”

“Oh come on! Wasn’t that the night he first hooked up with Jessica?” I say incredulously.

“He didn’t even look at her until Erica let slip that you were out with Charlie. I dunno. After that, he seemed pissed, started drinking and then disappeared with her.”

“You’re way off Sam,” I insist.

“And that’s the reason you guys had that huge fight after dodgeball, isn’t it? He was mad at you for not showing up?”

“Who told you about that?” I ask quickly.

She rolls her eyes at me. “Come on, Becca, everyone knows about it. I just didn’t say anything because I knew you wouldn’t want to talk about it.”

I groan again. I didn’t think it was public knowledge that Ryan was mad at me for not going to the game. But of course, everybody knows about it. It involves Ryan, doesn’t it?

“You’re wrong,” I state decisively.

She sighs. “Fine. But think about it, okay? He protected you from Fran, he took you home after Charlie ditched you, he bought you all that candy just ‘cause he remembered you like it, and he’s literally always at your locker.”

“What are you saying?”

She looks at me like I’m stupid. “He likes you, Becca. I’ve thought that for a long time now, but I never said anything because I thought you hated him.”

I nearly laugh out loud. “You’re crazy. I know Ryan, and that is not what this is about.”

“He asks me about you,” she tells me, smiling. “He has for years. Whenever we’re in homeroom. He thinks he’s being all subtle asking about my weekend and casually asking who I was with. Sometimes he drops your name, thinking I won’t notice. Sometimes I tell him stuff about you just to put the poor guy out of his misery.”

“Are you being serious?” She nods. My jaw falls open in surprise, but then I shake my head. “No, Sam. You’re wrong.” She can’t be right, the whole idea is ridiculous.

She nods and stands. “Okay, if that’s what you say. But I don’t think I’m the only one who thinks he’s into you. Especially not after today.” She grins at me before walking toward the door. “I’ve gotta go. Will you be at school tomorrow?”

I nearly snort. “What do you think?”

She just rolls her eyes at me and leaves the room. I bury my head in the pillow, trying to get today’s events out of my head and work out how I’m going to tell my parents that I have to switch schools. But what I focus on more than anything is trying to get that damn kiss out of my head.





My mom has her “no arguing face” on. I bite my lip. She can’t make me do this.

“Rebecca Louise McKenzie! I do not know what’s been going on with you this week. I know you’ve not been sick, even though you’ve taken two days off school, but you will go upstairs right now, put some makeup on and the dress I have bought for you and you will come to this party with us. Kathy and Bill are very dear friends of ours and I will not insult them by leaving you here at home.”

Shit, shit, shit.

I turn hopefully to my dad, but he looks even more annoyed with me. “Now, Becca.”

Oh God, how could I have forgotten about Bill Jackson’s fiftieth birthday party? It’s all mom and Kathy have talked about for weeks. If I’d remembered, I could have just made sure I was out at Sam’s and not come back for it. Crap!

I slowly stomp back upstairs, cursing the day I was born. Oh man! It’s not just going to be Ryan I have to deal with tonight, but his whole freaking fan club will be there. His mom said she’d told him to bring friends. This is not going to end well.