Prove Me Wrong Page 5

  I hurry and change into my jeans. Maybe I can catch him before he leaves school. I run up the stairs of the locker room and search the small hallway that leads to the gym and out to the main hall. He’s nowhere to be seen.

  I spot the guy with the blond, old-school Justin Bieber hair Luke was talking to earlier. Maybe he’ll know where Luke went. I approach him, trying to be as nonchalant as I can. Not wanting to look as desperate as I feel.

  “Excuse me. Do you know where Luke is?”

  He snaps his finger then points at me. “You’re the new girl,” he says.

  “Hailey.”

  “I’m Travis.”

  “Nice to meet you. So do you know where Luke is?” I ask, hoping I don’t sound rude, but I’m scared the more time I waste the less likely I’ll be able to find him.

  “He took off. Seemed pissed about something.” Not only is he not helpful, but he manages to make me feel worse.

  “Thanks,” I say.

  “No problem.”

  I go to turn around and he holds up his hand.

  “Oh and if you find him tell him there’s a party to crash tonight. He’ll know where.” He goes to take a step then leans toward me. “Hey, you should come along.”

  “I don’t know,” I say and before I have to make an excuse his eyes settle on a girl with dark hair and he starts walking backward.

  “Think about it,” he says, running after the girl and heading out a side door I didn’t know existed.

  Of course Luke would know where the party is. According to Roxy that’s all he does. I’d love to go, especially if Luke will be there, but obviously I can’t.

  There’s not much I can do and I hate it. At the same time I feel so incredibly guilty because sometimes I secretly think Brady’s a burden. I swallow the lump in my throat. Never would I let those words escape the confines of my mind. It’s an awful thought, but I’d be lying if I said it never crossed my mind. It has. Too often.

  Curiosity still drives my every move so I follow Travis. I’m surprised when I’m standing directly in the student parking lot. That’s convenient. I search the lot for Luke’s dark brown, almost black, hair. The closest thing I can find is a girl with dyed jet black hair that is swooped up into a loose ponytail. Definitely not Luke.

  My heart sinks into my chest and disappointment settles in, I really wanted to talk with Luke and since Mom doesn’t have to be at work for another three and a half hours, it would have given me plenty of time to do so. But he’s managed to disappear. Just as well. I want to see Brady before his bedtime.

  It takes a while to get out of the parking lot. There are cars coming from all directions. I throw the car in park and wait my turn to pull out onto the street. My Paramore CD—another gift from Becky—is in the player, so I turn the volume up and sing along with the lyrics.

  My seat vibrates and I grab my cell, swiping the screen to see I have four new text messages.

  The first one is a picture from Mom of Brady holding Cookie Monster in one hand and a cookie in the other. He’s too freakin’ cute.

  The next three are from Becky. I totally forgot to call her last night. The first message was received this morning. I click open: Where r u? Next message: I can’t believe I have 2 go another day w/o you. School officially sucks this year. Call me. And the last message reads: CALL ME!!! ASAP!!!

  I turn the volume down on the radio, put on my hands free and tap Becky’s name. She answers on the first ring.

  “Where have you been? I’ve been texting you like a psychopath stalker.”

  “I noticed. Sorry, I got caught up in school.”

  “Lucky. Without you here school is torture. They might as well tie me up and let slow drips of water fall on my forehead.”

  I laugh.

  “Seriously. It’s not funny. I’m stuck sitting with Paula and her minions at lunch, and I swear if I hear them use the word ‘totally’ one more time, I’m going to mutilate my eardrums. Stop laughing. I swear it’s like sitting with a bunch of airheads. I go home and watch CNN just to undo the damage they’ve done to my brain cells.”

  “Think about it as time to give your brain a break.”

  “Very funny, Hals.”

  “I’m sure it’s not as bad as you think it is. I was out of school for close to two weeks when I had Brady and you managed just fine.”

  “But this time you’re not coming back.”

  It’s silent for a minute, the back of my eyes sting, but I push it away. “You’ll be fine.” The cars finally start moving. Hopefully I’ll be on the road sometime this century.

  “So what about you? Have you met any hot guys over at that new school of yours?”

  “Um…No…I mean not really.”

  “Liar! Spill. I want all the details.”

  I laugh and it feels good. No matter what, we can always laugh. “There’s this one guy, Luke,” I admit. “But I’ve been told he’s bad news.”

  “I like him already. Go on.”

  I fill Becky in on everything from Luke’s gorgeous blues eyes to all the stuff Roxy has said about him.

  “Two days and you have already fallen in love with the mysterious bad boy. Wow, I wish I had your life.”

  “In case you have forgotten. Pregnant at fifteen.”

  “Yeah, but Brady is the coolest kid ever.”

  “Unless he has you up at all hours of the night because of his teeth. Or he pees on you just when you finish getting ready for school.”

  “He’s getting teeth? He’s getting so big and I’m missing it.”

  “Want to come babysit? I’ve barely gotten any sleep. I even fell asleep in one of my classes today.”

  “Old habits die hard.” Becky laughs. Falling asleep in class was kind of a common thing after Brady was born.

  The cars finally clear out of the way, and I make the turn onto the street lined with trees on one side and houses on the other.

  “So this guy.”

  “Luke,” I interrupt.

  “Oh cute name. So have you talked to him or are you just admiring from afar?”

  “I’ve talked to him. He was one of the first people I met yesterday. He showed me to my first three classes. I thought he was pretty cool and then this girl Roxy tells me he’s a total jackass and number one on the list of people I should avoid. Roxy is Paula 4.0 if you can imagine.”

  “No way! And you befriended her?”

  “She’s not awful. Someone to talk to. It’s not like I’m ever going to find another you.”

  “Hell no, you won’t. I’m one of a kind baby.”

  A giggle slips through my lips and I’m about to make a sarcastic comment back when my eyes fixate on the figure walking along the side of the street. From the Doc Marten’s to the way his shirt pulls tight over his arms, the confidence in his step, I know it’s Luke.

  “Hello? Earth to Hals.”

  “I got to go.”

  “What do you mean you got to go? I finally got in touch with you.”

  “Jackass alert. I’ll call you tonight. Promise.”

  “You better.”

  I end the call and slow my car down, pulling up alongside Luke. He doesn’t exactly try to hide the shock on his face.

  “Need a ride?” I ask as the window retracts.

  “I’m good. Thanks anyway.”

  “Get in the damn car.” I reach over, taking hold of the handle, and push the door out to him.

  “When you put it that way…”

  His Doc Marten makes contact with the floor of the Toyota and it’s like he kick-started my heart. My hands clam up and I take a deep breath, trying not to think about being in a car with the one person I know is off limits. The problem is I don’t want him to be off limits.

  “Thanks.”

  “No problem. Do you walk home all the time?”

  “No, CJ usually drives me.”

  I wonder which guy that is.

  “I didn’t make it to lunch today so he probably thought I ditched.”

&n
bsp; “Is CJ the one with all the books?”

  “That would be him.”

  “He’s really into studying, huh?”

  “Let’s just say, it’s new territory for him.”

  Luke doesn’t say anything else. His eyes focus on the window, watching the passing trees one by one. His silence is making me crazy. I want to jump into his thoughts and find out what’s bothering him. Actually I want to come right out and ask him, but I decide to hold my tongue and see if Luke volunteers anything on his own.

  I have no idea where I’m going so I keep going straight. Hopefully he keys me in and tells me which way to go soon.

  Luke turns his head from the side window to the front. His lips are all I can focus on, pouty and kissable.

  “Hailey?” his voice is soft, but I’m so scared he noticed me staring that I jump in my seat slightly swerving the car in the process.

  “What’s up?” I say, trying my best to keep my tone casual and calm.

  “I’m sorry about before.” He’s silent for a moment as if he’s trying to find the courage to say a little more. “I didn’t mean to snap like that. Playing soccer, any sport, is kind of a touchy subject for me.”

  Pain etches his beautiful eyes and I want to pull the car over and give him my undivided attention, but maybe he’s opening up because I can’t look at him.

  “I figured.” I shrug to emphasis there’s no hard feelings and keep my eyes on the road.

  “I’m not that type of guy,” he says, his voice so soft and full of hurt, making me want to reach out and hug him.

  “I was pushy,” I admit, trying to lessen the pain in his eyes. “It was my fault.”

  “No, it’s not.” He runs his hand through his hair, but it doesn’t seem to help with the tension. “It’s my shithead father’s.”

  “I… I know all about that,” I say.

  He raises an eyebrow at me, so I continue. “My dad’s a low life. I never met him.”

  “I wish I’d never met my dad.”

  My eyes shoot open wide. Despite his good looks, there was something about Luke that called to me, and hearing this. Knowing that we share a common bond, I can’t explain it. It just feels right.

  The street comes to an end and Luke points me right.

  “That bad, huh?” I ask, turning the wheel, wanting to hear everything that he’s willing to tell me.

  “No, he wasn’t. Which only makes it worse.” He rubs at his chin the tension in his jaw lessening. “Before he left, I thought he was the coolest dad in the world. We used to play soccer and baseball in the backyard. He’d set up garbage pails as the goals and we’d play for hours.”

  The blues of his eyes gloss over. “One day I found my mom crying on the couch, and I didn’t know what was going on. She didn’t talk, she just cried. I was eight. I didn’t know. I thought he’d come home and fix everything.”

  A sadness consumes him, his bright eyes dulling in pain and a past that obviously still hurts him.

  “You don’t have to tell me anymore if you don’t want to. I get it.”

  “No, I want to.” He clears his throat. “He never did. I never saw him again. Every day for a year I practiced my soccer moves, improved on my baseball skills. I thought if I got better he’d come back. I didn’t know any better. The years passed and every game I played I prayed he’d show up. Like I’d be up to bat and he’d be sitting in the bleachers.”

  Luke shakes his head and my heart breaks for him into a thousand shattered pieces. I place my hand on his, and he glances up with his beautiful eyes, smiling at my touch.

  “I’m sorry.”

  His eyebrows furrow and his lip twitches. “What are you sorry for?”

  I pull my hand back. “For pressing the issue.”

  “I should have handled it better.”

  Silence takes over the car again. I rack my brain, thinking of something to say. Possibly something to change the subject. I come up empty.

  “You know I never told anybody about that. The whole wishful thinking thing. Not even CJ.”

  “Did you give up watching sports too?”

  “In a way I guess I did. CJ’s not into sports so it’s easy to avoid them.”

  “How long have you guys been friends?”

  “Elementary school. Right after my Dad left he moved here.”

  “That’s me and my best friend Becky. She’s my rock and it helps that she’s awesome.” I laugh at referring to Becky as awesome, after the conversation we just had. If she were here right now she’d probably give me a playful shove to the shoulder. Damn, I miss her. “It’s nice having a best friend who’s known you practically your whole life. They’ve seen you at your best and your worst and they always know the right thing to say and do.”

  “I know what you mean. Um… my house is right up here. The one with the beige siding.”

  Disappointment tugs at me in the worst way. I’m not ready for our time together to end yet. I don’t want to have to say goodbye. We’re finally getting somewhere. He’s opening up, being honest and real with me. The charming Luke I like, but this Luke, I can fall for him.

  I pull up to the curb and his blue eyes shift down. His smiling lips press into a frown and I search my head for more to talk about. Something. Anything to keep him from having to get out of this honest, happy bubble we’re currently in.

  “Oh, I forgot to tell you, that guy from gym class, the one with the blond hair…”

  “Travis.”

  I was too focused on Luke earlier to remember. Note to self, Beiber boy’s name is Travis. Got it.

  “Yes him. He wanted me to tell you there’s a party tonight and you’ll know where it is.”

  “Cool, thanks.” The door swings open and he takes his first step out. Once out he turns back to the car, the muscles in his arms flex as he puts his weight on them. “You want to come?”

  Oh man, I want to say yes so bad. But I can’t. I have no one to watch Brady, nor could I afford to pay someone to watch him. I need to get a job. And then I’ll really have no time to date.

  “I can’t.”

  “Can’t or won’t?”

  “A little bit of both.”

  “Come on, I just spilled my guts. The least you can do is go to a party with me.” His beautiful eyes pin me in place, urging me to say yes. “You know what? Think about it. Give me a call later.”

  “I don’t have your number.”

  His lips pull upward into that signature charming grin, and he takes his phone out of his pocket then hands it to me.

  I cock an eyebrow and hold it out to him. “What am I supposed to do with this?”

  “Call your phone,” he says.

  I’m expecting a naked girl to be his background picture but instead it’s Kings of Leon’s album cover. “Nice picture. It’s my favorite album of theirs.”

  Luke looks at me with pure admiration. “Mine too.”

  I bite my lip, trying to conceal the dorky smile spreading across my face, but it’s no use. So much happy is zinging through me right now, I have no control over it. I tap my number into his phone and watch Luke as my favorite song from the Kings of Leon album plays.

  “Shut up! That’s your ringtone.”

  “I told you, it’s my favorite. I need to save your number now.”

  I take the phone from him and type in my name and number.

  “What no heart?” he says with the cutest smile when I go to hand it back to him.

  I laugh and make a heart out of the less than symbol and the three.

  Our fingers touch, shooting goose bumps up my arms as I place the phone back in his hand. I let my hand linger for a second longer before jerking it back. He looks down at the phone, lips curving up on each side as his blue eyes sparkle with amusement.

  “I’ll call you, then.”

  “Okay.” I offer up my best sexy-but-shy look. “See you later.”

  “I hope so,” he says before easing the door shut. So much for not getting involved, I’m already in
deeper than I want and now there’s no turning back. How am I ever going to keep Brady a secret?

  I’m tempted to call her already. That would be too desperate since ten minutes ago I watched her pull away from the house. I pace the living room. There has to be something I can do to get my mind off her. My notebook catches my attention and I walk over to it, pulling out the college stuff I conveniently hid.

  The first brochure has an application in the back. They all do. I have nothing better to do so I take the pen out of my pocket and begin filling out the applications. My grades actually aren’t terrible for someone who never shows up. And I’m just filling them out; it’s not like I’ll actually send them in. The first application is for the Art School of New York City, which is a joke because prices for city schools are astronomical, and I don’t think all the financial aid in the world will help me out.

  For the hell of it, I reference the internet for a few that don’t seem so bad and print out some information.

  Before I know it, I kill two hours. Looking away from the stack of papers I created—and down at myself—I realize I never changed my shirt. I give it the smell test. Still smells like cologne but if there’s a possibility I may see Hailey tonight I need to shower¸ change, and possibly shave.

  The water from the shower steams up the mirrors and the desire to call Hailey only grows with each passing second. I jump in the shower and shake the thoughts away then do what I have to do and get out. Three hours to call should be okay. Not too eager, and not too pathetic.

  I just shaved this morning and on closer inspection, I don’t need to. Besides I’ve heard girls like the five o’clock shadow, it makes us more masculine or some bullshit like that.

  Getting dressed is easy when you don’t have much too choose from. I throw on the same jeans I had on earlier, a black t-shirt, and my Docs. Simple. Comfortable. The way I like it. I wonder if Hailey liked my plaid shirt. She probably didn’t even notice.

  The clock strikes six, and I reach for my phone. Wow. I’m pathetic. If I witnessed CJ or Bobby acting like this, I would torture the shit out of them. Lucky for me neither is here to witness my pitiable descent into oblivion.

  But it’s more than that. Hailey is more than that. She’s not just another hot girl in a skirt. She’s…she’s…I have no idea what she is, all I know is I want to talk to her. See her again. I stare at my phone, debating if I should call or text. Texting would be the cooler, more laidback approach, but I kinda want to hear her voice. I press the button to call and wait patiently at each ring. By the fifth ring, I get her voicemail. I hate leaving messages. I have to think of something to say with a second to figure it out and I always wind up saying something stupid. Beep. Shit.