Page 126 of Something Rad
“Sheesh,” I mutter, grabbing the girl’s shoulder to stop myself before I take her out.
The blonde ponytail flicks in my face as the girl’s head turns, and I find my lips parting as I come face to face with Denise.
“Oh, Robbie. Hi,” she says, a little smile lighting up her face as she turns to fully face me. I glance down, taking in her blue and yellow cheerleading uniform. I swallow, forcing myself to look back at her face as the fantasies I’ve had about that uniform start flashing through my mind like a highlight reel. “What’re you doing?” she asks, tilting her head at me with a knowing look in her eye.
I take a step back, clearing my throat. “I was just grabbing a drink from the concession stand.” I turn and start walking that way, and Denise follows right after me. “Don’t you need to get back on the field?” I ask her when I reach the stand, stopping behind the two people currently in line.
“They won’t miss me for just a few minutes,” she says, sidling up next to me.
I let out a chuckle, shaking my head at her. “You think you can just get away with anything, don’t you?”
“No, silly,” Denise grins, batting her eyelashes as she takes a step closer to me. “IknowI can.”
I open my mouth to respond, but the person running the concession stand stops me, calling out “Next!”
“Go on,” Denise says, nodding towards the counter. “Can’t have you thirsty.”
I blink at her, pressing my lips together before I step up to the counter. “Just a Pepsi, please,” I say. I take out my wallet to pay, then look back at Denise. “Ah– Did you want anything?”
She looks at me for a few seconds before slowly shaking her head, a smile on her lips.
The person behind the counter hands me a can of Pepsi in exchange for my money, and I step off to the side to open it.
“Where’s Sara?” Denise decides to ask the moment I take a sip.
I nearly choke on the soda, but recover, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. “She has to work until 8:30. I’m picking her up from work to take her to the dance.”
I wait for Denise to make a snide comment about Cooper having to work, but surprisingly, she doesn’t, just nodding and continuing to stare up at me in response.
“Where’s Jesse?” I ask.
That question seems to break whatever trance she’s in. She blinks a few times, crossing her arms. “You know, I’m not too sure.”
My brows pull together. “What do you mean?”
“We aren’t really seeing each other anymore.”
My spine steels, and I think I leave a dent in my Pepsi can with how hard I squeeze it. “Since when?”
Denise shrugs, not looking at all bothered by the revelation she just spoke, and something in me tells me this is very fresh news.
Damn. Why do Ialmostfeel sorry for Jesse?
Almost.
“Robbie, can I say something?”
I glance up, meeting Denise’s ocean blue eyes. “I’m not sure I could stop you if I tried.”
She laughs, looking down and shaking her head before meeting my eyes again, her expression softening and a smile coming to her face. “I… I’m really proud of you.”
I tilt my head at her, a weird feeling settling in my stomach. I think that may have been the absolute last thing I expected her to say.
“I feel like…” Denise continues. “No, Iknowthat you’ve changed this last month. I’m not quite sure what it is…but you’re just…different.”
“Good different?”
Denise smiles, stepping closer to me. “Reallygood different.”
