Page 7 of The Perfect Game

“I’m going to get some snacks. Do you want anything?” I asked, smiling at him. When he turned toward me, my heart pumped against my rib cage, and I worked to keep eye contact until he answered.

He shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. “I can get—uh, that sounds, um. Maybe, uh, I’ll go with you.”

I rolled my lips in at his painful delivery. Did he have some kind of speech problem? I smiled again, hoping to reassure him somewhat. Nothing made me feel worse than someone trying so hard at something and failing. I moved out of the row so he could follow.

“Mr. Kendall’s class, huh?”

Ben turned his head to me. “Yeah. What class, uh, period do you have him?”

“Third.”

“Ah, so you’re a sophomore, right?” He opened the door for me, and I watched as his eyebrow went up with the question. We both squinted at the brighter lights outside the auditorium. As I walked by him, I could smell a clean scent of a cologne I couldn’t place.

Shaking my head, I reminded myself I did not need to be attracted to every guy who said more than two words to me.

“Yep. You’re a junior, right?” I asked, already knowing the answer. It seemed like everyone but Brynn and I were juniors.

He nodded, pulling out a wallet from his pocket. When he opened it, I caught a glimpse of the front. I tugged his hand away, and a small shock of electricity flew up my arm. Ignoring the tingles, I turned the wallet so I could see the picture more clearly.

“A Disney wallet? Aren’t you a little old for cartoons?” I asked, laughing.

With a small smile, he shook his head. “You’re never too old for Disney. It was a present from my brother a few years ago. He loves it when I pull it out and reminds me that he was the one who gave it to me.” No stutter. Relaxed shoulders. And the smile on his face as he talked about his brother was bordering priceless. It made my status as an only child seem like I’d missed out on some great event.

“Do you have just one brother? I mean, is he your only sibling?” It sounded like an awkward question, but I was suddenly curious. I’d never met someone who was so secure that he wasn’t fazed by owning something people would think was childish. Then again, my mother had been trying to dress me up like an adult from the time I started eating baby food. I’d stopped allowing that three years ago, wearing just about the opposite ever since.

He stepped forward, ordering a large popcorn and some gummy sharks. “What do you want?” he asked over his shoulder.

“I’m good. I can get my own.” I waved my hand at him, hoping he would just pay and be done.

He turned to face me, his bright blue eyes wearing down my defenses. “I’m paying for it. If we have to suffer through this play, I might as well make it enjoyable for both of us.”

Hesitating, I pinched my lips between my teeth, trying to decide if I should cave and let him pay for me. Like a date. But not a date. Just two people who were doing extra credit for English.

“I’ll take some of those chocolate peanuts.” I pointed to the yellow box in the window display and kept my eyes there so I wasn’t tempted to look back into those pools of blue that looked like they could be from the Caribbean.

Ben ordered those and paid for the treats. We walked back in the direction of our seats, Ben opening the door for me again.

“I just have one brother,” he said, returning to our conversation. He threw a few kernels of popcorn into his mouth, chewed, and then swallowed before speaking again. Big points right there for not talking while he was chewing. I shook my head. This was not a checklist of boyfriend material.

“My parents tried for a long time after having me, but they had troubles with secondary infertility, I think they call it. My mom miscarried a lot and then finally was able to make it all the way with Daniel.”

I liked the ease in his voice as he spoke about his family, making it so he didn’t stutter. All the tension in his limbs seemed to flow away as he talked about them, and I wanted to meet them for some reason. My parents barely told me anything about what was going on in their lives, and the fact that he knew such intimate details about his parents trying to have more kids seemed foreign to me.

The smell of the popcorn caused my stomach to rumble, and I laughed, feeling a little awkward. We took our seats, and Ben moved the popcorn box in my direction. “Have some.”

I took a few kernels, knowing if I refused he’d probably be stubborn like he was at the register. They hit the spot, the perfect amount of butter and salt. I’d only made a quesadilla before heading to the theater since Liza, our cook, had left earlier than normal.

“Thank you,” I said, popping two more pieces into my mouth.

“No problem. What about you? Any siblings?” He tossed a piece of popcorn into the air and caught it in his mouth, turning to me with a near-perfect smile.

What was wrong with me? I was supposed to be avoiding all boys and any feelings for them. I’d chased James for months, and when he finally noticed me, it lasted for all of a week before he’d moved on to some perky girl on the drill team. James wasn’t the first guy who had done that either. I was an expert at picking the wrong kind of guys, but for some reason, I couldn’t see those signs beforehand.

And now I’d let Ben buy me some candy. Great. I was giving out vibes when I should be like ice. But he made it difficult for me to say no.

“No siblings here. My mom almost died when she had me, so I think that was enough excitement for my parents.” I focused on the deep-red curtains on the sides of the stage below us, waiting for the pity statement most people usually gave.

“That was my life for ten years, being an only child, I mean. It was a change when Daniel came home, but it’s more fun now, having a brother.” His body froze, his eyes widening as he looked at me. “I don’t mean that against you. I just—”

---