Page 12 of Love Notes

“Uh, hi,” I said.

I wasn’t the most popular person, most likely due to my tendency to hide at home or at Ethan’s place like a hobbit, but this past year, my popularity seemed to grow for reasons unclear to me. Still, I rarely associated myself with any one clique. Maybe because no one really mattered to me like Ethan. Instead, I socialized with a smattering of kids from several circles at Lakeview Prep. Still, the Royals was where I drew the line. I’d never liked them before, and I certainly didn’t care for them now. Olivia and Tasha, much like Gabby and Xia years before, tended to look down on a lot of people, and their favorite pastime seemed to be hopping from boy to boy. No one was off limits. The word man-eater came to mind. When Greg dumped me my sophomore year, it was amazing how Olivia had conveniently been there for him in his time of need. A day later, they were an item. And though Olivia and Tasha had never been cruel to me like they were to some of the kids at school, I couldn’t help but wonder what they said about me behind closed doors. I suspected it was as hurtful as what they said about everyone else.

“So, that was pretty crazy today in gym.” Her eyes sparkled with laughter, and I was no body language expert, but something told me she had an ulterior motive for this bit of small talk.

“Yeah.” I shrugged and crossed my arms over my chest.

“I mean, if I were you, I’d be totally mortified. The way you went after Carson like that.” She widened her eyes. “And your face. I mean, yikes.”

My hand automatically shot up to my eye. I dropped it, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of getting under my skin. With girls like Olivia, it was all about not letting them see you sweat.

I pursed my lips. Did she actually want me to respond? What did she expect me to say? “Yeah, it wasn’t my finest moment. But Carson is always picking on me, and he kind of had it coming.”

“I heard you have to do that lame Christmas tree thing together now.” She grimaced, then added, “But at least you get to be punished together. I mean, Carson’s pretty hot. I heard he hasn’t asked anyone to the Snowflake Ball yet.”

Is there a point to this, I wanted to ask, but I kept my mouth shut and glanced back to the Brooks’ house then to Olivia again, hoping she got the hint. “Right. Um, did you need anything? I’m kind of running late. I’m supposed to meet Ethan …”

“Of course. Yeah, actually, that’s why I stopped when I saw you. I know you’re, like, best friends with his brother or whatever . . . I mean, I don’t know why. He’s an underclassman.” She pulled a face like she couldn’t imagine anything worse.

“He’s a junior.”

“Whatever. I just thought since you’re tight with the other Brooks kid that you could, you know, mention me to Carson. Maybe drop a hint about the dance, too. I thought he might want to—”

“The other Brooks kid’s name is Ethan, and don’t you already have a date?”

Olivia’s smile froze on her perfect face. “Well, I didn’t give any of them ahardyes.”

She couldn’t be serious. But wait, this was Olivia, so of course, she was.

“Uh-huh. I’ll be sure to let him know you’re interested,” I said, hoping I didn’t sound as bitter as I felt. Only Carson could act like a jerk and snag a date. Then again, he seemed to only reserve his toxic charm for me.

“Great.” Olivia flashed me one of her supermodel smiles, then rolled her window back up and drove off.

I gave her an epic eye roll once she was gone, but it wasn’t enough to smother the hot and sticky feeling settling inside my chest. Why did I care that Olivia wanted to go to the dance with Carson? They’d look good together. And he probably liked the vapid, materialistic type. They deserved each other.

Turning back, I headed up the driveway and onto the porch. I paused at the front door, listening to the muffled sounds from inside. Music played softly in the background, and Ethan’s voice vibrated through the door, followed by his parents’ laughter, and the clinking of dishes as they set the table. The scent of tomato sauce wafted toward me from an open window in the kitchen. Mrs. Brooks was famous for having a window open, no matter the weather. She said fresh air was good for the soul. I just thought the Brooks family was good for the soul. Well, most of them, anyway.

“You’re early.”

The sound of Carson’s voice startled the smile from my face. I brought a hand up to my racing heart and swiveled around to face him.

He approached the stairs, taking them slowly in that unhurried air he always had about him, and I couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to be so relaxed all the time, so nonchalant about life. Once he neared the top step, he paused, so we were almost at eye level, both of us facing off, lost in our own thoughts.

His hair was still damp from swim practice. A pair of goggles dangled from his grasp, along with a Laker duffle bag that I imagined contained a change of clothes. The soft cotton of his long sleeve t-shirt clung to the hard plains of his chest, while the swell of his biceps strained against his shirtsleeves, toned from hours in the pool and the gym lifting weights.

Realizing I was staring, I wrenched my eyes away. It was probably the longest either of us had ever gone without speaking in each other’s presence. Usually, we were racing to the punchline, trying to see who could offer the most snark. When I finally slid my eyes to his, he was already watching me, his mouth curling in amusement.

I cleared my throat and mumbled, “Your brother invited me for dinner.”

“Ah. And here I thought you were just eager to see me.” His grin broadened, and he took another step. One more and he’d be close enough to touch.

I shot him a warning glare. From this height, I was almost as tall as him. It was weird being able to see him from this level, and I relished the power the extra six inches gave me.

A soft breeze drifted between us, ruffling the front of his dark hair. I opened my mouth to say something smart, one of my typical biting remarks reserved only for him when the scent of his body wash drifted toward me, rendering me mute.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” Carson winked.

I scoffed. “Creative. How long did it take you to think up that one?”

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