I opted to sleep on the couch until we could figure something else out. I was kinda hoping that Emma would insist that it was my bed and I should sleep in it, she would sleep on the couch. I should’ve known better. She just got upset that I didn’t want to share a bed with her.
Needless to say, the next morning did not start out well. Dad was basically the only one who said anything at all during family devotions. At breakfast, Emma was barely talking to me, and Egan was insisting that he had to take Gus to school with him. Enid sat at the breakfast table, staring into her cup of black coffee, ignoring everyone. Dad kept an eye on Cashel and Gio while Mom reasoned with Egan and Gus.
“I’ll wait in the car,” I said. Not that anyone was listening.
As I started the car and turned the radio on to the oldies station, I knew that this was not going to be a fun ride to school.
Emma appeared first, climbing into the backseat and slamming the door. A few minutes later, Mom shoved a frowning Egan out the front door. Egan scowled his way to the driveway until he saw that Emma had left the front seat for him. His face miraculously brightened as he got in and began flipping through radio stations.
We got to school without exchanging more than three words (those words being “Egan, stop it!” uttered by Emma). I parked and we parted ways rather eagerly.
My friend Clare was waiting by my locker when I got there.
“I’ve got some news,” she said.
“Hm,” I grunted, opening my locker and all but ignoring her.
This didn’t discourage her—it never did.
“There’s a party on Friday night.”
I stopped transferring my books from my backpack to my locker to look at her and give her what I hoped was my best “you’re so wasting my time” look.
“So?”
“So we’ve been invited.”
“Hm.” I went back to unloading my books. “Who’s throwing this party?”
“Blaine Anderson.”
I sighed. I didn’t feel like dealing with this right now. Although my school was a private Christian school, that didn’t mean that it didn’t have its fair share of wild kids. Blaine Anderson was one of these wild kids. He was good looking and pretty friendly, but I could imagine what went on at one of his parties—if I ever took the time to think about it, which I rarely did.
Clare wasn’t a bad person, but she was always waiting for the opportunity to become one. I spent most of my time pulling her back.
“I don’t think I’ll go,” I said.
“C’mon, Rik, you have to!”
“You know I have no interest in going to one of Blaine’s parties.”
“But he personally invited us! And—besides—I can only go if you go.”
“Who says?”
“Blaine.”
“Can we say jerk?”
Clare could see she was losing the argument. I have to admit that it was kind of flattering that Blaine wanted me to go to his party so badly, but I couldn’t imagine why he would feel that way. We didn’t exactly run in the same circles, and I wasn’t exactly the most exciting person of the year.
But that didn’t matter. I wouldn’t go to his party, and I was doing a good thing by keeping Clare from going even if she didn’t think so.
“Please, Riki, just this once.”
“Clare, I don’t feel like convincing you that I’m right. You know that my parents would never let me go. You know that I have no desire to go. Let’s just forget it.”
She sighed and slumped against the locker next to mine. I got the books I needed for my first class and was just about to suggest we should start walking when I noticed Clare was staring over my shoulder.
“I can’t believe you’d give up that,” she said.
I turned to see Blaine across the hall talking animatedly to his best friend Carson Wilkes. For a second I couldn’t believe I’d “give up that” either. Blaine was the stuff prince charmings were made of—messy brown hair, perfect skin, dark brown eyes, and a mouth that could be sweetly serious or teasingly flirty.
Before I could make myself turn away, he spotted me.
“Hey, Erika.” That perfect mouth turned up in a smile just for me.
My mouth went dry and my brain went blank, but I managed to smile and nod before turning and walking quickly away.
“Whatcha doin’ this afternoon?” Clare asked as we followed the crowd heading for the front door.
I tugged my heavy bookbag higher on my shoulder and glanced nonchalantly around. I was keeping an eye out for Blaine while trying to think of an answer that would let Clare know she wasn’t invited to my house.
Why was I keeping an eye out for Blaine? I wasn’t exactly sure. It’s not like I liked him or anything. I just—I couldn’t seem to stop thinking about that smile.
“Riki?” Clare nudged me. “What are you doing this afternoon?”
“Uh—I have to help my mom—uh— ” I tried to think of something I knew would repel her. “Clean out the kitchen—I mean, really heavy duty stuff. Should take all afternoon.” So I’m not a good liar; is that such a bad thing?
“Oh,” Clare looked slightly skeptical, but she had no reason to think I was lying to her, I never had before. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“Uh, yeah. See ya’.” We paused at the bottom of the front steps, an uncomfortable pause. I had no clue what to say so I just turned and walked towards my car.
Perhaps I had hurt Clare’s feelings, but I didn’t exactly have time to worry about it. I stared at my feet as I walked across the asphalt parking lot. The day was surprisingly hot for spring and I could feel the warmth rising on my bare legs. I saw the pair of scuffed Doc Martens just in time—I stopped walking barely short of bumping into Blaine. He stood right in front of me—I was close enough to see that the top of my head was even with his nose and also close enough to smell cinnamon on his breath. Big Red.
“Hullo again, Erika,” he smiled and for some reason the Big Red song popped into my head.
So kiss a little longer, stay close a little longer, hold tight a little longer.
I shoved back a giggle and just smiled and said, “Hey.”
“Did Clare tell you about my party?” He asked.
“Uh yeah. She did, but—”
“Are you gonna be able to come? It would rock if you can make it,” he said. He leaned slightly closer and said, “I mean, I would really love it if you came.”
I don’t know what made me do it—I knew I didn’t fit in Blaine’s circle of popular people, I knew I had no desire to be in or near that circle, and I was pretty sure they got involved in some stuff that could pretty well be defined as bad. But right then I, Erika Young, the unnoticed one in a family of noticeable people, was in the spotlight. And Blaine’s brown eyes were so beautiful.
So I said, “I’ll try to make it.”
And, besides, if divorce wasn’t bad, what was? I wasn’t sure anymore.
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