"Can't," Travis says. At the same time, Mel and Trina speak up about some cheer sleepover.
"What?" Anger starts to creep in. "Cheer sleepover? You guys have never done that before, have you?"
"Dude, let's plan a team night out!" Travis jumps into the conversation, but I'm still on the cheer thing.
"Mel, weren't you the one saying we never get to see each other?" Wow...I sound like a girl. What's wrong with me? Really, it's not even that I care. Do I?
I glance at Mel quickly, seeing if I feel that urge to touch her. Trying to figure out if it's really her I want to spend time with or if I'm a jerk who's using her because she gives me the sense of normal I crave.
"It's something new Trina and I came up with. We're captains this year and we really want to bring the team together." Mel's head is buried in a text on her cell. She looks up at me only to say, "Umm, careful. You're going to drip ketchup on my car."
So, Mel can't hang out. My body suddenly relaxes, and I pop the dripping fry in my mouth, not even realizing I'd been tense at the idea of spending time with her. It's like my body and brain are at war with each other. My head is telling me to do whatever I can to make this work because it fits. We fit. But my body? I'm just not sure I'm feeling it anymore.
When we get back to school, Trina and Mel go their way, and Trav and I head to English. It's not until we're almost there that I realize Mel didn't kiss me goodbye. Really, it's not a big deal, but for her it is. I mean, it wasn't too long ago Travis gave me shit about Mel and her leash.
"Is it weird that before we could hardly get two seconds to ourselves and now they want nothing to do with us?"
"Nope." Travis shakes his head. "It's normal. People grow...change...get antsy. I'm pretty sure there's an expiration date on all relationships."
I raise my eyebrows at him, wondering when he figured all this out. When he turned into Mr. Cynical all of a sudden. "And how close are we to ours?"
Travis pats me on the shoulder. "Just about expired, my friend." He turns and walks into class. In my head, I know he's right. I'm pretty sure we're past the expiration date, I'm just not man enough to clean out the fridge.
***
Mrs. Z's praise of my homework gives me a high that carries me to practice. Here, I don't need anything else but a ball in my hand and four teammates with me on the floor. When practice is over, Mel and Trina disappear to do whatever it is they're doing lately, leaving me and Trav on our own.
"Wanna do something? Tad's parents let him move into the room behind their house. People have been going there to chill and stuff. I've been a few times. It's crazy. He has a fridge full of beer in the closet and they don't even know!" Travis stands on the back of my truck.
Beer? Nope. Not feeling it. "When did you start chillin' with Tad?"
"When he started getting beer."
I laugh. "Nah, I'm going to head to the store. Mom wants me to help Kira." It pops out of my mouth without my meaning it to. Mom wanted me to help her yesterday, not today.
I start to walk toward the driver side when Travis says, "Ok. She's hot. I'll go with you."
My feet tangle and I stumble a little. Shaking it off, like I did it on purpose (which makes no sense. Who trips on purpose?), I look at him, trying to figure out why I'm annoyed while talking at the same time. "Dude, she's going to be working."
"Dude, who cares? I'm there with you. It's not going to interrupt her work if I'm looking...well, unless she's so into looking back she can't do her job." By now he's walked over to me, fist out and waiting for me to hit it. I swear I will my arm to do it, but the thing suddenly has a mind of its own and won't listen.
"I thought you were going to Tad's?" I keep digging myself a grave.
"Is there some reason you don't want me to go? I can go to Tad's later and I'm sure as shit not going home..."
Huh? "Why? What's up at home?" Travis has never talked like that.
"Nothing." He shakes it off. "Just boring. Plus I'm killing two birds with one stone here. A pretty girl first, then beer at Tad's. I like that plan."
"You have a girlfriend." Shut up, Carter. Close your mouth.
"And do you have a fever? What the hell's wrong with you?"
What the hell is wrong with me is right. "Get in the truck. I'm just giving you a hard time." I think.
***
Mom slips out of the store, mumbling something about errands and a quiet question of if I can help Kira if she needs it. My answer is just as quiet and mumbled, each of us treading the uncomfortable ground between us.
"Catch you later, Ms. Delilah. You're looking lovely today, by the way!" Travis calls after Mom, who rolls her eyes at him, before waving goodbye.
"Dude, why do you flirt with my mom?"
He shrugs. "She's hot. She's single"
"What the hell, Campbell!" I shove him. "Don't call my mom hot."
"Why? She is." Kira steps up beside us.
"Umm, no. She's really not. Again, she's my mom. Pretty sure that's against the law."
Trav puts his arm around Kira's shoulders. "She's on my side so I'm sticking with her. Why don't you enlighten us on why it's illegal?"
I suddenly want to punch my best friend in the face. Again. "Because she's old. Plus, it's against the guy code. Thou shall not covet your best friend's mom." Or put your arm around the pretty girl with the braids, even though I have no reason to care about that.
Kira laughs, steps out from under Travis's arm and touches my shoulder. "I think you're safe, Sleepy. I'm pretty sure your mom wouldn't go for him." She walks over to a stand of books and starts organizing. Grabbing his heart, Travis is right behind her.
"What? You don't think Ms. Delilah would go for me? I'm crushed. Well...she's not really my type either." Travis's eyebrows go up.
I stand back in awe, wondering when Travis got so much game. He's totally flirting with her and I'm stuck between wanting to give him props and kicking him out. I mean, it's harmless. Not the dissing-your-girlfriend flirting, so what's my deal?
"So, how's your girlfriend, Romeo?" Kira teases him.
Travis shakes his head. "Oh, I see how it is. I can take a hint. Travis isn't allowed to be nice because he has a girlfriend. Forget that said girlfriend has split personalities, liking him one minute and trying to kill him the next. Oh, and I'm pretty sure she's up to something shady, too, but no, Travis can't be friendly to the new girl or ogle his best friend's mom."
"Dude! Shut up about my Mom."
"I'm kidding, Sleepy. Simmer down."
I'm pretty sure I'm coming off like a douchebag today. "Whatever. I'm doing some homework."
"Oh! What's the bet today? What do you want from me that I can bribe you with?" Kira steps up onto a stool, dusting books. I groan, unable to hold it back. She looks like an office worker today. A hot office worker with a tight skirt that goes down to her knees, with a matching jacket-thing. The difference is, her jacket has little glittery things on it, that look like she glued them there herself.
"So not touching that one." Travis laughs, walking over to the table and plopping down.
"I don't know... I'll let you know when I figure one out."
She giggles, but doesn't reply, and keeps working. I sit with Travis, pulling out my books.