Page 23 of My (Not So) Perfect Plan

“De-Recha.”

“All right, your ‘r’ sound is typical for an American, but in Spanish the ‘r’ sound is between a ‘d’ and an ‘r’ sound.”

She shows me what she means, but I can’t figure out how to do it, in part because I’m distracted by watching her luscious lips and trying not to think about what I would prefer to be doing with them. We try for a good ten minutes. Once we’ve gone through the list of vocabulary words and I can name most of them she packs up her books and stands.

“I have to get home for dinner and chores. Your mom is dropping me off today.”

“You want to get your license tomorrow?” I ask. I hadn’t planned on asking her that yet, but the idea of her not coming over makes me feel unsettled.

She smiles painfully. “I don’t know. Would you mind if we went driving one more day first?”

“Sure. Tomorrow?”

She bobs her head and then waves goodbye. I hear her leave with my mom. My knee has started hurting me again. I don’t want to take pain pills, but I do. As they kick in, I relax back on the bed and relive that kiss. It was unexpectedly amazing. I want more of them, even though I know I shouldn’t. Who would have thought Claire Brown would have me panting at the thought of her?

The next day is Friday. I’m kind of torn up because it’s game day. There’s a pep rally at the school. I’m reminded that I am going to miss homecoming.

Halfway through the morning Jaxon texts me a picture of himself at the pep rally. Rachel, Claire, Tamara, and Raven are in the background whooping, their cheeks painted with our school name initials and their hair dusted in sparkly glitter in our school colors to show their school spirit.

JAXON: Dude, wish you were here! Hurry up and get well so you don’t miss out on all the fun!

I know the picture is supposed to motivate me, but instead it just depresses me. He’s wearing his basketball jersey. At best, I’ll be an honorary member of the team from here on out. It should be cool being able to ride with the team to all thegames, but I don’t even know if I want to. I don’t respond to the text, even though it makes me feel like a tool.

Mom keeps me well stocked in ice and snacks. Claire reminded me that I don’t want to lose all my muscle tone, so while I trade between binge watching all the episodes of Bones on Amazon and playing a few rounds of Battlegrounds, I work on some of the rehab exercises I’m supposed to be doing.

I’m eating a bowl of my mom’s chicken and dumplings (because apparently my mom thought I was in need of comfort food - she’s not wrong) when my phones pings with a text from an unknown number.

UNKNOWN: Hey. How are you doing today?

ME: Who is this?

UNKNOWN: Claire

Nice. My heart beats a little faster. I save her as a contact in my phone.

ME: How’d you get my number? Hit up one of my friends?

CLAIRE: Ha! No. Your mom gave it to me.

And now I feel stupid.

CLAIRE: So… how are you?

It’s not like I’m going to whine about how today sucks because it’s game day. Before I can say anything my phone pings again.

CLAIRE: I figure today can’t be easy for you, considering there’s a game today.

Bingo.

ME: Yeah, well. It is what it is.

CLAIRE: I would be upset if I were you.

I swallow. I don’t know if I’m upset. I’m disgruntled, kind of depressed. But admit nothing because I’m not a pansy.

ME: You could cheer me up.

CLAIRE: Watch this really cute video of pandas cuddling.

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