dad hated me, he barely talked to me.
Then I cornered Becky at her car one day and demanded to know where the rumors had come from.
She squealed as she got red in the face, "Lydia."
My eyebrow rose up.
"And Jessica."
I waited.
"And Jill Flatten. She really hates you."
"I knew it."
Then Becky said in a small voice, "And Ashley DeCortts ."
"Wait—what? Why does she hate me?"
"Because Adam likes you."
I rolled my eyes. The guy didn't give a damn. When'd she drop this obsession of hers?
"What else could go wrong?" I muttered under my breath.
The back door burst open at that moment and the football team jogged across the parking lot on the way to the field. Their spikes clattered against the tar and the sound was soon deafening.
"Hi," Becky squeaked with a small wave.
I turned to see that Adam Quinn had fallen to a walk as he drew close. He stopped with his helmet in one hand and a water bottle in the other. Up close, I saw why so many girls wanted to love him. Striking blue eyes, golden curls with streaks from the sun, and a square jaw that would've sent romantics swooning. Hell, they already did.
He towered over us with shoulder pads that made his already muscular shoulders larger. His chest tapered down to a slender waist and he grinned at Becky. His eyes scanned to me. "You need a ride home, Becky?"
"No." She sounded breathless. "My mom let me use her car this week."
"Good old Nancy." His grin brightened. "Am I still invited for chili and cornbread this weekend?"
Becky's foot started to push a rock back and forth on the ground. She didn't look up. "Yeah, of course. I know Eddie might come home this weekend."
"That's great. I've missed your brother." He cast me another questioning look.
I sighed and held out my hand. "I'm Samantha."
His hand enveloped mine. They were rough, slightly calloused, probably from throwing the football, but they weren't so rough to the touch. I could see why he dated Ashley DeCortts , the girl that seemed to reign over the cheerleaders. I suppose she daydreamed about the Ken Barbie he reminded me of, how he must've been the prince to her damsel in distress fairytale.
"I know. Adam Quinn."
"I know."
We grinned at each other.
"How're your hands?"
A faint scowl came to me. I remembered that he'd been there. "Oh, they're…" I lifted them up and shrugged. "I guess they're okay. They'll heal."
"You can drive home today?"
"What?"
"I saw your car here that night. Then I saw coach take off. I figured maybe you didn't have a ride or something."
"Oh, yeah. No, I'm fine. I've been driving all week."
"That's good."
"Yeah."
Becky continued to hang her head and I arched an eyebrow.
"So," he watched her too. "Are you guys going to the beach party tomorrow night?"
Her head snapped up and her cheeks were in flames.
Not surprised.
Then she mumbled out, "I' dlove to, butIdon't know whereit's at."
"There's a party?" I asked with a frown at my redheaded friend.
"Yeah." His teeth were blinding. "You could both go with me?"
Becky whirled to me. Her eyes were fervent with hope.
"I…" I wanted to say no, but a stricken look came to her eyes. I crumbled. "Sure. You can pick us up at Becky's."
"Great."
"Great."
Becky breathed out, "Great!"
"I'll—uh—I'll see you then, I guess?"
I nodded. "See you then."
He jogged after the team, but glanced back with a small wave before he got onto the field.
Becky whooshed out, "I can't believe I'm going to a party with Adam Quinn."
My shoulder nudged her. "Maybe there's hope for you after all."
"What do you mean?"
"Here's your big chance." I gave her a duh look. "He's going to be drinking. You're going to be drinking. I can drive us home…"
Then she squeaked again and clamped her mouth shut. Her cheeks got big and her whole body was soon red, even her hands and fingers.
I laughed. "Now you just have to figure out what you're going to wear."
As I headed to my car, I heard her groan behind me. Somehow, things didn't seem so bad when I
Then I cornered Becky at her car one day and demanded to know where the rumors had come from.
She squealed as she got red in the face, "Lydia."
My eyebrow rose up.
"And Jessica."
I waited.
"And Jill Flatten. She really hates you."
"I knew it."
Then Becky said in a small voice, "And Ashley DeCortts ."
"Wait—what? Why does she hate me?"
"Because Adam likes you."
I rolled my eyes. The guy didn't give a damn. When'd she drop this obsession of hers?
"What else could go wrong?" I muttered under my breath.
The back door burst open at that moment and the football team jogged across the parking lot on the way to the field. Their spikes clattered against the tar and the sound was soon deafening.
"Hi," Becky squeaked with a small wave.
I turned to see that Adam Quinn had fallen to a walk as he drew close. He stopped with his helmet in one hand and a water bottle in the other. Up close, I saw why so many girls wanted to love him. Striking blue eyes, golden curls with streaks from the sun, and a square jaw that would've sent romantics swooning. Hell, they already did.
He towered over us with shoulder pads that made his already muscular shoulders larger. His chest tapered down to a slender waist and he grinned at Becky. His eyes scanned to me. "You need a ride home, Becky?"
"No." She sounded breathless. "My mom let me use her car this week."
"Good old Nancy." His grin brightened. "Am I still invited for chili and cornbread this weekend?"
Becky's foot started to push a rock back and forth on the ground. She didn't look up. "Yeah, of course. I know Eddie might come home this weekend."
"That's great. I've missed your brother." He cast me another questioning look.
I sighed and held out my hand. "I'm Samantha."
His hand enveloped mine. They were rough, slightly calloused, probably from throwing the football, but they weren't so rough to the touch. I could see why he dated Ashley DeCortts , the girl that seemed to reign over the cheerleaders. I suppose she daydreamed about the Ken Barbie he reminded me of, how he must've been the prince to her damsel in distress fairytale.
"I know. Adam Quinn."
"I know."
We grinned at each other.
"How're your hands?"
A faint scowl came to me. I remembered that he'd been there. "Oh, they're…" I lifted them up and shrugged. "I guess they're okay. They'll heal."
"You can drive home today?"
"What?"
"I saw your car here that night. Then I saw coach take off. I figured maybe you didn't have a ride or something."
"Oh, yeah. No, I'm fine. I've been driving all week."
"That's good."
"Yeah."
Becky continued to hang her head and I arched an eyebrow.
"So," he watched her too. "Are you guys going to the beach party tomorrow night?"
Her head snapped up and her cheeks were in flames.
Not surprised.
Then she mumbled out, "I' dlove to, butIdon't know whereit's at."
"There's a party?" I asked with a frown at my redheaded friend.
"Yeah." His teeth were blinding. "You could both go with me?"
Becky whirled to me. Her eyes were fervent with hope.
"I…" I wanted to say no, but a stricken look came to her eyes. I crumbled. "Sure. You can pick us up at Becky's."
"Great."
"Great."
Becky breathed out, "Great!"
"I'll—uh—I'll see you then, I guess?"
I nodded. "See you then."
He jogged after the team, but glanced back with a small wave before he got onto the field.
Becky whooshed out, "I can't believe I'm going to a party with Adam Quinn."
My shoulder nudged her. "Maybe there's hope for you after all."
"What do you mean?"
"Here's your big chance." I gave her a duh look. "He's going to be drinking. You're going to be drinking. I can drive us home…"
Then she squeaked again and clamped her mouth shut. Her cheeks got big and her whole body was soon red, even her hands and fingers.
I laughed. "Now you just have to figure out what you're going to wear."
As I headed to my car, I heard her groan behind me. Somehow, things didn't seem so bad when I
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