The Songs in Our Hearts: A Young Adult Romance(14)

Josh started the Jeep just as the yellow school bus turned into our development and made its way down the street. I sunk into the passenger seat, munching on my crunchy pretzels.

“You know, if that Micah Jacobs kid gives you crap, you could just tell me and I’d take care of it.”

I snorted as I shoved a pretzel into my mouth. Wordlessly, I clicked the seatbelt into place and shook my head.

“I just don’t want to ride the bus,” I explained as I tried to hide the irritation in my voice. I wasn’t about to have this discussion with him again. “Micah isn’t my problem, if that’s what you’re getting at.”

“If you say so,” Josh said, lifting his hands in surrender.

“Whatever,” I mumbled and dug for another pretzel from the bag. I didn’t care how un-ladylike I appeared. Mom wasn’t there to tell me to sit up and stop chewing so loudly.

“So what’s the issue, then?” Josh pulled out of the driveway. “If Micah isn’t your problem, then what is? I still don’t buy this whole ‘I’m too old for the bus’ bull. It sounds like you’re running away from something.”

“I’m not running away,” I replied sharply. “I’m just trying to avoid more problems, that’s all. Problems with Samantha Walters.”

“Same thing much?” Josh snorted.

“It’s not the same thing,” I said.

“The kid has a crush on you, so what? I’m sure that has to be nice in some way, for a boy to finally pay attention to you.” I ignored the dig. Josh was one to talk, fixated on stupid Jackie O, who pretended he didn’t exist.

“He doesn’t like me,” I explained softly. “Samantha Walters told him that I liked him, and now it’s this whole thing.”

“Ohhh.” I watched a smile stretch across his mouth. “So this isn’t just about a stupid project. This has to do with your feelings.”

He wasn’t getting it. Maybe boys were just designed to be this stupid. Or maybe it was just Josh.

“Josh, I really don’t want to talk about this.”

“So, you have a crush on Micah Jacobs. Samantha Walters told him, and now you’re trying to avoid him, but you just so happen to have an English project with him.” When I didn’t reply, Josh tapped his fingers against the steering wheel and whistled. “Sounds dramatic,” he said with a bored voice.

“Shut up!” I groaned. Josh chuckled as I leaned forward to turn up the radio. I was done talking about Micah Jacobs and the stupid project. Josh pulled into David’s driveway first, beeping his horn until David emerged from his bi-level home. He climbed into the back seat.

“Hey, I see you’re joining us today,” David said as he buckled his seatbelt. I shrugged and stuck another pretzel in my mouth. Maybe if I didn’t talk for the rest of the car ride, and only stuffed my face, Josh and his friends would leave me alone.

“Micah Jacobs thinks she likes him,” Josh informed David, watching him in the rearview mirror.

I whacked his shoulder. “You’re impossible.”

“What’s wrong with liking Micah?” David asked.

“Charlie just doesn’t know how to handle a crush. I’m pretty sure she secretly likes him and doesn’t want to admit it.”

I crumpled my now empty bag of pretzels. “I don’t like him, but Samantha went around telling everyone that I do. Now I have to do this movie with him and I might have to kiss him.” Wow, that just blurted out.

Josh stopped, his grin diminishing. “Is that what you’re worried about?”

My cheeks started to burn. “You should get going. We still have to go get J and Ben. We don’t want to be late for school.”

Josh eyed me a few more seconds and then nodded. He backed out of David’s driveway. The ride to the next neighborhood was pretty quiet, except for the light melodies of Imagine Dragons on the radio, until we got to Ben’s house where he and J were waiting outside. They hopped into the back with David. David was quick to start a conversation about homework to avoid any more questions regarding my presence. What an awkward morning this had been. I should have just braved the bus.

My phone vibrated in my pocket. As I pulled it out, Micah’s name flashed on the screen.





MICAH: Where are u?



MICAH: R u not coming to school 2day?





I shoved my phone back into my pocket and tried to listen to my brother’s conversation with his friends. There was a major football game scheduled for the upcoming weekend. The team had been informed that some important coaches from top universities would be out scouting. I knew Josh, J, and Ben really wanted to play college football, and were counting on any sort of recommendations the high school coaches could give them. While Josh was good at a few subjects in school, football was going to be his winning ticket to a good college scholarship.

Josh parked the Jeep at school and his friends tumbled out, heading to the soda machines. Josh stopped me before I could head off, too.

“Hey, if Micah or Sam give you any issues, you just let me know, okay?”

“I’ll be fine. Thank you for giving me a ride.”

“I’ll see you after school. Just meet me in front of the Jeep.” Josh left the invitation at that. I pulled my backpack strap up over my shoulder and got out. Rachel and Jennifer were waiting for me on the sidewalk.