Fourteen by C.M. Smith (short story to read .txt) 📕

My eyes bulged, and my mouth dropped open. Kyle laughed at me, grabbed my shoulder, and shook me gently.

“He really told Brittany and Grace to fuck off?”

“That was my favorite part of the night.”

“Who put it on my doorstep, Kyle?”

“Probably one of the girls. They’re vindictive bitches, and they were pissed that Evan wasn’t giving them the time of day anymore.”

“Makes sense,” I said, tracing the binding on my textbook. “Does Ashley hate me again?”

“She’s giving you time. I’m just an impatient bastard, and neither one of us ever hated you to begin with. Like I said, everything’s changed, and we’re working really hard to make it up to you.”

He dropped his hand to my books.

“Let him talk to you, Anna,” he suggested. “If you still feel the same way after that, then he’ll back off. But let him get it out there so that you know, all right?”

“Why is he so concerned with making it right?”

“I’m . . . not at liberty to discuss that with you.” I tilted my head. “Hey, he’s one of my best friends. I can’t do that to him.”

“Okay, fine.”

“The game’s Friday night. Why don’t you come?”

“I’m still grounded.”

“It would mean a lot if you were there.”

“It’s not like he’ll even know . . .” I felt a sense of defeat.

“Oh, he’ll know.”

“How are you so sure?”

“He’s developed this Anna Radar in the past few days.”

“What?”

He snorted. “He’s aware of you, Anna.”

“It’s not like he can ignore me, Kyle. According to Adam, I take up the full width of the hallway, you know.”

“That’s not true, and that’s definitely not what I meant.”

“Then what are you talking about?”

“It’s like how I am with Ashley. I’m tuned into her. I know when she’s in a room without seeing her enter, I can hear her voice over a group of other people, and whenever I’m next to her, my body is like a live wire.”

“That’s . . . that’s how he is with me?”

“Yeah.”

“All right,” I relented, holding up my hands. “I’ll ask my dad about it tonight.”

“That’s all I ask of you.”

“Liar.”

“Yeah, well, that’s my personal request. If he knew that I asked you, he’d probably kill me.”

“How come?”

“He said that you wanted time, and he’s trying to give that to you. He told me not to push.”

“And that’s exactly what you’re doing.”

“Got me what I wanted though, didn’t it?”

“Mm.”

“You feel anything for him, Anna?” he asked, his voice low as our other classmates started piling into the room.

I clenched my jaw, nodding stiffly.

He grinned at me. “Then I don’t feel bad about it.”

“Ass.”

“Who means well,” he quipped, pointing at me before he turned around to face the front. “And is trying to help out his friends.”

“I’m a friend now, huh?”

“You always have been.” He tilted his head back, looking at me upside down. “I was a sheep, Anna.”

“A sheep?”

“You know . . . follow the leader?” I snorted and he grinned again. “Now I want to be the leader.”

“Oh, Lord help us all.”

“You’re not very funny.”

“I think I’m a riot.”

“You would.”

I rolled my eyes and gently smacked his forehead. He scowled at me and then winked before sitting up straight. “Friend,” he said over his shoulder.

I laughed and looked down at my books again.

“Say it back,” he demanded, turning around to face me again.

“What are you, five?”

“Say it!”

“Friend.”

He turned back to the front, seemingly satisfied. I snorted and rolled my eyes, grabbing my pen and tapping it against my books.

“That’s all I wanted.”

“Shut up, Kyle.”

I started doodling on the cover of my textbook as Mrs. Leslie called us to attention and took attendance.

He was giving me time. He’d demonstrated that this morning, and he’d told Kyle about it. In fact, it seemed that Kyle knew about it all, and as much as it went against everything I’d ever taught myself, I found myself trusting what he said.

Another thing to add to my list of crazy stuff for the day. Maybe the entire week. Or my entire life.

On Friday night, I pulled into the parking lot of the school twenty minutes after the game had already started. With my heart in my throat and my hands shaking, I turned off the ignition and looked at the brightly lit baseball field.

My dad, still completely on Evan’s side, hadn’t hesitated to unground me a day early when I told him what I wanted to do. He’d practically pushed me out the door as soon as dinner was finished and had even threatened to go with me when I told him that I wasn’t sure if I should.

Kyle had invited me; Evan hadn’t. Maybe he didn’t want me there after all. Maybe they were all planning some elaborate hoax on me that would be revealed during halftime. Then all this time I’d spent protecting myself would have been for nothing, and Evan would win.

Throwing caution to the wind, I pushed open the car door and slowly stepped out. I walked out to the field, my heart hammering in my chest when I heard the team shouts from the sidelines. I kept my eyes on the field, walking behind the line of people sitting in canvas camping chairs as I made my way to the side of the bleachers. I stood on my toes to look out onto the field over the fence, trying to see if I could find Evan.

Sighing, I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned against the side of the bleachers. Maybe I’d be able to blend in with the rest of the crowd.

I didn’t even know what I came here for. Just because Evan had supposedly developed some kind of radar for me didn’t really mean that he wanted me here. Even if he did see me or came over to me, I had no idea what I’d say to him. There really was no reason for me to be here.

I knew what my heart wanted, and I knew what