“Is he driving straight through?” I drop my rinsed plate into the washer rack and turn to keep my back to my uncle as he steps in close.
“Yep,” he confirms.
Finally looking up, my gaze runs smack into my cousin’s. He’s leaning back in his chair, rocking it on the back two legs while balancing a steaming cup of coffee on his propped up knee. The way he’s eying me pushes my guard up like an invisible wall. When we were kids and I got a better Christmas gift than he did, he made the same smug face he’s making right now—as though he has secret plans to sabotage whatever I have that he doesn’t. Back then, it was a bike chain breaking or a wood bat splintering after too few uses. The things he could ruin for me now are far more important.
“There’s a big meeting today. Isn’t there, Dad?” My cousin’s eyes remain on me despite his question.
“Hopefully,” my uncle responds, his answer cut short from a phone call. He walks between us and holds up a finger as if I’m supposed to stick around and see what this call is all about. My gaze follows his path down the hall and through the front door before I return my focus to Zack, who is still staring at me, his hint of a smile the kind a villain wears while he watches his victim drink down poison. I do my best to ignore his silent plea for attention, but when a quiet laugh slips from his mouth while I haul my backpack up on my shoulder, I break.
“What’s your deal, dude. Just spill it. I don’t have time to play the What’s Wrong with Zack game this morning. I have a test to get ready for.” I don’t have a test, but there’s no way I’m hanging out in the parking lot with him all morning just so he can glare at me and say cryptic shit.
“Board’s not really happy with Coach Taylor’s preseason, and it seems someone at the district found out.” Zack leans forward and sets his mug on the table, then folds his hands together near it, pleased with himself, as if he did anything other than act like an asshat at practice.
“What’s wrong with preseason?” I shake my head and pinch my lips tight.
“Uhm, maybe that he’s not pulling the team together and building a sense of unity? Or that he’s broken up the core group of players who have been incredibly successful the last three years in a row?” I can tell by how foreign these words sound coming out of his mouth that he’s probably parroting talking points that my uncle already said. I’m also guessing Uncle Joel is the someone who told these same talking points to the district.
Instead of gratifying Zack with a response, I just stare at him and quirk up one side of my mouth and corresponding brow, a gesture that says “Seriously?” without having to utter the word.
“Pfff.” Zack rolls his eyes and stands, sliding the mug to the other end of the table. His mom takes it, and I’m upset for her that she’s expected to clean up after him.
“You need a ride today or is your little girlfriend coming to get you?” His shoulder bumps into my chest with an extra thrust as he passes and asks that question. I tilt my head to the side and wait for him to turn back and look at me, but he doesn’t.
That knot in my chest pulls tighter, but I stay on my path and don’t give in to his passive aggressive quips. I’m not sure whether he says that because of something he suspects about me and Hollis or because of something he saw, but he’s being a douche.
Without a word, I follow him out the door and get into the passenger side, dropping my backpack between my legs and buckling up. He pauses to stare at me for a few hard seconds, finally letting out a dismissive chuckle and buckling up himself.
“Whatever, man,” he says. And thank God, we drive the rest of the way to school in total silence.
My plan to head straight to class and fake a bullshit test gets cut short the moment we pull into the lot. My gaze tracks Hollis’s movement as she picks up her steps and speeds over to the last row of parking spots. Zack sees her a few seconds after me and lets out a muffled grunt when he realizes she’s trying to catch up with us.
“What the fuck does she want?” he grumbles.
My stomach sinks. I’ve been riding a rollercoaster ever since I snuck out yesterday morning to meet Hollis at the gulch. Maybe I got on this ride at that New Year’s party. It’s hard to tell anymore, the line’s so blurred. I’ve gone from being pissed off that she dares to exist in my carefully made plans to wanting to fight like hell to make sure she stays in them. Hollis, she makes me a better person.
The car stops hard and I lurch forward, slapping my palms on the dash.
“Dick!” I bark.
My cousin’s arms are locked at the steering wheel, and he has yet to kill the engine. When I survey what’s happening just outside his window, I spot the reason why. Hollis is making a gesture, and my cousin is going to shit all over it.
“This your idea?” Zack rolls his head to the side and hits me with lazy, annoyed eyes. I lean forward enough to read the logo on the box Hollis is holding: CUPPIES.
Shit. She brought him cupcakes.
I shake my head and cross my finger over my chest in an X.
“Swear to God, man. This is all her.” Give her credit for being nice, I continue in my head, knowing he won’t.
Cuppies is in the mall on the outskirts of town, one of those places where you can get oversized
