Monika comes over Sunday morning with Bree, the two cocaptains of the cheer squad. They want my opinion of a new cheer and a dance routine they’ve made up, as if I possess some insider knowledge of whether my teammates will like it.
On my front lawn, Bree and Monika start clapping and moving their bodies like they’re made of some secret flexible material. I have no clue how they’re able to move like that. I’m jealous, although neither of them can catch, throw, or kick a football like I can.
Derek walks outside and heads for the shed. He looks masculine, wearing jeans with cowboy boots and a white tank. Falkor follows closely on Derek’s heels.
Bree stops her routine. “Who is that?” she asks a bit too loudly.
“Derek.”
“He’s Brandi’s stepson,” Monika tells her. “He’s—”
“Super hot,” Bree interrupts almost breathlessly. “Oh, my God. You have definitely been holding out on me, Ash. I love his boots, and that knit hat he’s wearing is so cute.”
“It’s a beanie,” I correct her. “I don’t know anyone who wears one in the summer. It looks stupid.”
“I disagree one bazillion percent.” Bree is practically drooling over Derek like he’s a hunk of meat to be devoured in one sitting. I’m tempted to ask if she needs a bib. “If a guy looks like that, he can wear whatever he wants. Introduce me to him, Ash.”
“Trust me, you don’t want to meet him.”
“Oh, yes, I do.” She nods so fast it’s a wonder her head doesn’t just fly right off. Monika and I give each other a knowing look. We’ve been friends long enough to know that when Bree’s on the prowl, there’s no stopping her.
When Derek reappears, I make a weak attempt to wave him over, hoping he’ll ignore me. Unfortunately, he doesn’t.
“Derek, this is my friend Bree,” I say. “You already know Monika.”
“Hey, Monika. Nice to meet you, Bree.” He tips his head like a perfect southern gentleman. I’m surprised he didn’t call her ma’am.
“Want to watch us?” Bree asks. She twirls her hair on her finger and flashes Derek a big smile. Oh, man. She totally bought the southern gentleman act. “We could use another opinion on our new routine. I’m the captain of the cheer squad.”
Derek flashes her an appreciative glance. “I don’t know much about cheerin’.”
Monika eyes his physique. “So, Derek . . . do you play sports?”
“Not anymore.”
“Really? With that body?” Bree cocks her head to the side for a better view of Derek’s backside. “Well, then, you must work out. A lot.”
It sounds like Derek is coughing, but it’s obvious he’s covering up a laugh. “I jog and lift weights.” He shoots me a mocking look. “And I try to stay away from ice cream, Skittles, and cookies for breakfast.”
“What’s wrong with a little comfort food?” I ask him. “It’s good for the soul.”
“I’ll bet.”
“So, Derek,” Bree interrupts. “How do you like Chicago so far? I know we don’t technically live in Chicago, but you’ll get used to us suburbanites claiming Chicago as our own.”
“It’s all right, I guess,” he answers. “Let’s just say I don’t plan on claiming Chicago as my own. I’m fixin’ to move back to Cali the first chance I get, then join the Navy after graduation.” After glancing at me again he says, “Well, I’m gonna see if I can get the lawn mower started. It was nice chattin’ with y’all.”
Bree raises an eyebrow after Derek puts his earbuds in his ears and pushes our old, beat-up mower out of the garage.
“What?” I ask.
“Derek is dreamy, Ashtyn. With a body like that he’ll probably end up as one of those Navy SEALs. How sexy is that!”
Sexy? Dreamy? Derek is not what dreams are made out of. More like nightmares, where the girl is continually being annoyed by a boy who haunts her. “He’s not all that.”
My friend looks at me as if I’m nuts. “Umm, did you take a look at those biceps, and that hair . . . and those eyes? Oh, my God, those blue eyes could make any girl melt.”
“He needs a haircut and was totally showing off his body,” I counter.
“I, for one, am grateful for his body. It’s beautiful to look at. I’m going to ask him if he wants to hang out tomorrow night. Maybe I can get a look at those abs up close and personal.” Bree practically skips over to Derek in haste, as if another girl will steal him away from her if she doesn’t act fast.
Soon she’s laughing at something he says.
“Girls are gonna be all over him, huh?”
Monika nods. “Oh, yeah. He’s no Trey Matthews, but he’s super cute.”
“I don’t know.” I put my hands up when she looks at me like I’m nuts. “Okay, I’ll admit Derek’s kind of attractive if you’re into that California surfer-slash-cowboy look, but he’s not my type at all.”
I look down at my charm bracelet, a reminder of my boyfriend. It doesn’t escape my attention that I haven’t heard from Landon since Friday night when he dropped me off. I should miss Landon more than I do. I don’t know why I don’t. The past few days have been a whirlwind of change, and it’s like I’m trying to catch up but I’m moving in slow motion.
“What’s going on with you and Landon, anyway?” Monika asks. She’s got a sympathetic look on her face as if she expects me to break down and cry any second. I feel more like screaming at the top of my lungs. “For a minute I thought you two were breaking up on Friday night.”
I ignore the feeling in the pit of my stomach, because I’m not sure what’s going on with us. I know he likes his space when he’s stressed out, so I’ve left him alone, but every day we don’t talk I feel more distant and disconnected.
“Landon and I will be fine. We’ve just hit a rough patch.”
Monika tilts her head to the side. She gets that look when she’s overanalyzing something. “Do you and Derek have something going on?”
I can feel my face getting hot just thinking about it. “No way. Why would you say that?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugs. “I just sense a strange vibe between you two, and it’s weird that you’re hating on him so much.” She looks back at Bree and Derek, talking to each other. “Looks like Bree is staking her claim on him already. Look, did you see that? She touches his arm every time she talks.”
“She’s perfected the art of flirting,” I mumble. “And he’s totally falling for it, although maybe she’s the one being sucked into his fake charm. I have a feeling that nothing that guy does is sincere.”
“Yo, Bree!” Monika yells. “Get back here so we can show Ashtyn the routine.”
A car pulls into my driveway and honks, delaying the cheerleading show once again. Monika squeals in delight when Vic parks his big SUV in my driveway and she sees Jet and Trey are in the car with him.
“Epic,” Jet says, completely amused as he steps out. He’s wearing a baseball cap backward and he’s got cutoff sweats he probably cut himself. “That’s all I gotta say.”
He looks confused as he brushes his perfectly styled hair to the side. “You mean you had nothing to do with it?”
“Do with what?”
“I told you it wasn’t her,” Vic says. “She doesn’t have the balls to do it.”
That is so insulting. “I have balls, Vic!”
“I knew it!” Jet wags his eyebrows and reaches for my waistband. “Let’s see ’em, Ash.”
I roll my eyes and slap his arm away.
“You need to stop having a life and go online more.” Trey pulls out his phone. “Someone created this bogus profile named Payton Walters and posted pics of Bonk and his teammates holding up signs.”
Oh, no. I’m almost afraid to ask. “Pictures of what?”
Jet holds out his phone. “Here, take a look.”
In one picture, Bonk and a bunch of his football buddies are leaning on the back of a Jeep. They’re holding a napkin that says FAIRFIELD SUCKS in big bold letters and the license plate on the car spells out DMBASS. When I take a look at the second picture, I gasp. Bonk is in Rick’s Subs in Fairfield holding up a napkin that reads I WANT TO BE FREMONT’S BITCH. It’s signed MATTHEW BONK #7.
“Who did this?” I ask the guys.
None of them fess up. This is crazy. The guys from Fairfield are going to freak when they see the pictures that look professionally Photoshopped. It’s impressive. I wish I’d thought of it.
“Maybe it was Landon.” After I suggest it, the guys eye each other as if they have big doubts.
“Yeah, right,” Jet says. “Your boyfriend’s such a hero.”
“Have you talked to him?” Vic asks me.
I shake my head.
“Hmm,” Trey says. “McKnight’s been MIA since Friday night.”
I don’t tell them that he’s been MIA in our relationship, too.