Chapter Seventeen

Through Being Cool

Tuesday, September 27

Caleb and his dad sat across from each other at their long dining table, eating a casserole Helen had made and wilted salad from a bag. His dad drank scotch on the rocks and Caleb drank water, wishing he could have a scotch, too, because dinners with his dad were always painful.

“So how was the baking on Sunday?” His dad sipped from his glass, eyeing Caleb over the rim.

This was the first dinner they’d eaten together in over a week, which in a normal house might mean they’d have a lot to talk about it. But their house wasn’t normal.

Caleb shrugged. “Okay.”

“Just okay? Helen told me the kids were nice, that it was a lot of fun.”

Helen. Always trying to find a way to force a connection between him and his dad. He loved her, but he wished she’d stop trying to force something that wasn’t ever going to happen.

“Yeah,” Caleb said, deciding to give an inch, but no more. “It wasn’t as awful as I thought it would be.”

His dad set his glass on the table with a thunk. “Caleb. Why is it so hard for you to get along with people?”

And they were off to the races.

“It’s not hard. I just prefer being by myself.”

“Just like your mother,” his dad muttered under his breath, and Caleb’s fists clenched under the table.

They sat in silence, chewing and swallowing, staring at the table instead of each other, until his dad spoke again.

“How’s calc going?”

Another crappy conversation topic. “It’s going. Not great, but I’ll pass it.”

His dad frowned. “I’ve told you I can help—”

“I don’t want your help. I’m not going to be an engineer. Writers don’t need calc.”

His father drained the last of the scotch from his glass and sighed. “Caleb. You still want to get into a decent college and—”

“If I go to college. Maybe I’ll just hit the road and—”

“You’re going to college, Caleb. You can do whatever crazy road trips you want during the summers, but you’re—”

“I think you forgot this is my life we’re talking about, not yours.”

“And you’re not going to ruin it before it’s even started.”

They glared at each other across the table, and Caleb wondered if he’d look like his dad when he was fifty—wrinkles around his eyes, strands of silver in his dark hair, and a face as determined and pissed off as he knew his own was.

Caleb pushed back from the table, grabbing his empty plate and glass. “I’ve gotta be somewhere.” He turned to leave the dining room, but his father called after him.

“This conversation isn’t finished, Caleb.”

“Yeah,” Caleb muttered. “It is.”

The mall was surprisingly busy for a weeknight. Caleb took in the groups of giggling girls carrying tiny shopping bags with tissue paper peeking out of the tops, moms pushing strollers, senior citizens power walking, and tourists wandering wide-eyed, hand in hand, like they’d never seen an Urban Outfitters or a pretzel shop before.

Maybe he’d write a story about this later, the way people congregated in these shrines built to spending money, instead of doing something real.

Yeah, he was in a lousy mood, judging hundreds of people all at once. Whatever. He wasn’t even sure why the hell he’d come here after he’d stormed out of the house, pissed off at his dad. But when he stopped to study the mall directory, he knew exactly why he’d come here. Because he was stupid.

Stupid in love.

Build-a-Buddy was smack in the middle of the mall, by the indoor play area full of screaming kids and exhausted parents lounging on benches, ignoring their offspring. If the government needed to get secrets out of foreign spies, this would be the perfect place to take them, because this place was a freaking nightmare.

His gaze zeroed in on the brightly lit store packed full of kids and parents smiling indulgently as their evil spawn tore through the aisles clutching tiny clothes and creepy unstuffed animal carcasses.

How the hell did Mandy stand working there?

He spotted her right away; as usual she was hard to miss with that fiery red hair. She wore a blue polo shirt and khaki pants, which he knew she must hate. He smiled, imagining how much it must gall her to trade in her disco clothes for that awful uniform.

Cammie was there, too, her hair piled on top of her head, a pencil sticking out of it. She looked frazzled as swarms of little kids danced around her, shoving limp animals in her face.

Caleb moved closer, hovering in the entrance. This must be the crowd from the birthday party. Some of the little kids wore party hats and one girl whose hair was as red as Mandy’s had a giant “I am 6!” button on her T-shirt and chocolate icing smeared on her cheek.

“I want the raccoon and the bear!” the little girl demanded, stomping her foot. Mandy smiled at her, not losing patience the way he would.

“Hey, Gilly, take a chill pill.”

Caleb glanced toward the guy who’d just reprimanded the little kid. He lounged against the wall, his arm draped around a girl with short spiky dark hair. He recognized them from school. Lifeguard dude. Weird name—Suede? Slade? The girl was one of those overachiever types; he was surprised she hadn’t been at his house baking on Sunday.

Maybe the little redhead was related to one of them. He didn’t have any cousins, but he imagined that chaperoning a birthday party might be something people with actual families did for each other. The tiny redhead looked up at Slade and grinned, looking sort of misty-eyed like Mandy did when Gus was around. Okay, so definitely not Slade’s little sister.

“Gillian,” said Slade’s girlfriend. “What did we talk about? Best behavior, remember?” She glanced up at Slade and they shared one of those disgusting couple smiles, the kind that usually made him roll his eyes.

Annoyed, Caleb refocused on Mandy, who hadn’t noticed him yet. She knelt down to talk to the birthday girl. “You’re having a great birthday, aren’t you?” Mandy asked, sounding like she was the excited six-year-old.

The girl nodded. “But I want two animals, not just one.”

A dark-haired little boy wandered over, holding out an unstuffed bear to the girl. “You can have mine if you want,” he said.

No way, little dude, Caleb thought. Do not let that chick walk all over you.

Mandy glanced up at Slade and his girlfriend, who were frowning like they wanted to open a can of whoop-ass on the little redhead. Caleb glanced around, wondering where the birthday girl’s parents were.

He remembered the last birthday party his mom had arranged for him. Chuck E. Cheese’s. Totally unoriginal, but it was what he’d wanted when he turned seven. J.T. had been there, along with a handful of other kids from the second grade. He squeezed his eyes shut, shoving away the memory of his mom carrying out a chocolate cake covered with candles, singing off-key and making him laugh.

“What are you doing here?”

He opened his eyes, startled to find Cammie staring him down, arms folded over her blue polo shirt, which couldn’t hide her impressive rack. Which he totally shouldn’t be noticing since he was here to see his fake-need-to-make-it-real girlfriend.

“Just came by to say hi to my girlfriend. Didn’t know I needed your permission.”

He glanced at Mandy, who’d just now noticed him, her eyes wide with surprise. She frowned, then refocused on the birthday girl, who was launching into a nuclear meltdown. Slade and his girlfriend rushed over to help, and Caleb decided there wasn’t enough money in the world to make him work at a place like this.

“Don’t mess with my girl, dude,” Cammie said, her voice full of I-will-kick-your-ass warning. “Maybe it’s time for this stupid fake thing to end and for you to back off. I don’t want to see her get hurt.”

He closed his eyes, frustration snaking through him and making him want to lash out, but instead he faced Cammie head-on, deciding he didn’t care if she could read him like a book. “I would never hurt her,” he said through gritted teeth.

Her eyes widened and she stepped closer. “Holy crap. You really do like her.” She darted an annoyed glance at Mandy. “That girl’s an idiot sometimes.”

“Don’t call her that,” he snapped. He glowered at her, and she grinned.

“Maybe there’s hope for you yet, Torrs.”

A scowling older woman appeared from the back of the store motioning Cammie to get back to work.

“Come back around eight forty-five,” Cammie whispered. “Our manager will be gone and you can hang out while we close up.”

Surprised by the invitation, Caleb watched Cammie rush back into the fray of hysterical kids. Mandy sat at the giant stuffing machine now, her foot working the pedal as she stuffed the wild birthday girl’s raccoon.

Slade and his girlfriend watched, laughing together, their arms wrapped around each other, and Caleb’s gut clenched.

He turned and left the store, glancing at his phone. He had a lot of time to kill before closing time. He decided to get something to eat, even though he wasn’t really hungry.

There was a line at the pretzel shop, so Caleb opened the Kindle app on his phone and resumed reading a depressing novel about a guy whose family had abandoned him as a child, leaving him to make it on his own. Perfect for his mood.

As he moved closer to the counter, he glanced up and saw Gus paying for his purchase. Shit. He shoved his phone in his pocket and glared at Gus’s back until he turned around, carrying two drinks and a bag.

Gus hesitated when he saw Caleb, then a smug smirk spread across his stupid face.

“You don’t seem like a mall guy,” Gus said, pausing next to him.

Caleb narrowed his eyes, imagining doing all sorts of un-Mandy-approved things with the lemonade.

Gus shifted his feet, and Caleb hoped that meant he was feeling intimidated. “So…you taking Mandy to homecoming?” Gus asked, and something about the look in his eyes really made Caleb wish they were alone in a parking lot.

“Yeah,” Caleb said, hoping to convey all sorts of back-off messages with one word.

“Huh. Haven’t seen you do a prom-posal.” Gus’s eyes narrowed.

Shit. Back to that stupid stuff. Not to mention the fact that he’d just told the guy Mandy wanted to go the dance with that she already had a date. With him.

“Not my thing,” Caleb growled.

“That’s too bad, since it’s definitely her thing. You’d think her boyfriend would know that.”

Caleb stepped out of the line, getting in Gus’s face. “You don’t know anything about Mandy and me, dude. So back the hell off.”

Gus swallowed and blinked, but then that stupid smug look was back. He shrugged and stepped back. “Whatever. Just looking out for my friend.” Then he turned and walked away, whistling.

Caleb contemplated what he’d just done.

Crap. Mandy was going to kill him.

…

Mandy wiped a hand across her damp forehead. Tonight had been exhausting. That birthday party had been crazy, especially the birthday girl, who’d been hell on wheels. Trina, the birthday girl’s babysitter, had warned her but she’d still been surprised.

At least everyone was gone now, including their cranky manager. She couldn’t wait to get out of here and maybe stop by Starbucks with Cammie on their way home. And talk about why Caleb had shown up, and what he and Cammie had been whispering about before he left.

Mandy went to lower the metal gate closing the store off from the mall and almost screamed when Caleb appeared, ducking under the gate.

“What are you doing here?” she gasped.

He shrugged. “Teddy bear emergency. I hear you can hook me up.”

She narrowed her eyes, trying not to reward him with a smile. “Sorry, but we’re closed. Try Walmart.”

He took a step toward her, his smile sly and sexy. “But I want one that you make for me, to sleep with when I’m scared.”

She turned away to hide her heated cheeks and closed the gate. “Whatever, Caleb. Look, we need to close up. You have to leave.”

Cammie came out from the storage room and surprised Mandy by grinning at Caleb. “Perfect timing! Come back here and help we with some boxes.” She glanced at Mandy. “You can close out the register. I’ll help you clean up the disaster zone in a few.”

Baffled, Mandy stared at her friend. Since when did Cammie like Caleb enough to ask him for a favor? And she didn’t seem surprised to see him, either. Suspicion licked at her nerve endings. Had Cammie told Caleb to come back tonight? And if so, why?

She watched Caleb disappear into the storeroom and picked up her nearly empty lemonade cup from the counter, sucking down the last of it through the straw.

Gus had come by tonight, too, after the birthday party madness, bringing her lemonade and a pretzel “just because.” It had totally rattled her. And pissed off Cammie, which in turn pissed off Mandy. Cammie needed to remember that Gus was their friend.

Sighing, she turned to the register, reminding herself to focus. Everything happens for a reason.

…

“Okay, dude,” Cammie said, whirling on Caleb as soon as they entered the storage room. “Your competition was here earlier. Sucking up to her with lemonade and a pretzel.”

Caleb gaped at her. “Gus?” Than son of a bitch. He should’ve dumped the lemonade on his head when he had the chance.

Cammie yanked the pencil out of her hair, clearly frustrated. She peeked around him to make sure Mandy was still at the register. “He came by looking all sad and mopey, totally working it.”

Caleb’s gut twisted, picturing the scene, and how easily Mandy would fall for his act. “I saw him earlier. He gave me hell about not doing a prom-posal.”

Cammie’s face lit up. “That’s a great idea! You totally should.”

Caleb shook his head. “I screwed up—I told him that I was taking Mandy to homecoming, but she wants to go with him.” He ran a hand through his hair.

Cammie narrowed her eyes. “Dude. You are not giving up on this. You could kick Gus’s ass from here to the moon.”

Caleb cocked an eyebrow. “Yeah, I’d like to. But that would just piss her off more. ‘Violence is never the answer.’” He mimicked her breathy voice, surprised at how easily he was able to call it to mind.

Cammie smirked. “I didn’t mean fighting, though I know you’d win. I meant you can kick his ass by winning Mandy. Get her to fall for you for real.” She poked him in the chest. “I think she’s already halfway in love with you. You just have to close the deal, dude.”

What. The. Hell. Caleb felt like he’d wandered into one of those weird old carnival fun houses with the bizarre mirrors that distorted reality. Because in what reality was Cammie on Team Caleb instead of cock-blocking him?

And in what world was Mandy halfway in love with him, after she’d walked away from their kiss telling him it hadn’t done anything for her?

“I don’t get it, Cammie. A few days ago you wanted to kill me. Now you don’t? What’s going on?”

Cammie peeked out the storeroom door again, then refocused on him, whispering fast. “Okay, I’ll make it easy so your guy brain can understand. Gus is a tool. I’ve talked to three girls now, including Kay, who just dumped him. There’s a reason everyone’s calling him the Octo-Gus.” She pinned him with a fierce glare. “Mandy’s totally vulnerable to his ‘dumb jock, sweet guy’ act.”

Caleb’s skin crawled with heat as she spoke, and his muscles coiled like he needed to be ready for an attack. “That’s what J.T. said, too.”

“Yeah, he’s got his sources and I’ve got mine.” Cammie tugged at the collar of her polo shirt. “Honestly, Gus has never been my favorite person. I used to think he was just boring and I never understood Mandy’s infatuation, but J.T. and I let him hang out with us because he was harmless, and because Mandy thought he walked on water.”

“But he’s not harmless,” Caleb said, his brain firing on all cylinders again. He sighed. “She’s never gonna believe it. Not unless…” He tensed, not even wanting to picture it.

Cammie nodded furiously. “I know. Not unless he pulls the same crap on her.” She poked him in the chest again. “And I know you don’t want that any more than I do. I’ve tried to warn her, but she won’t listen to me.”

This time Caleb was the one who checked to make sure Mandy was still occupied. She stepped away from the cash register, talking on her cell, one hand gesturing frantically as the other held the phone.

He refocused on Cammie. “This sucks,” he muttered. “The whole reason we started this stupid fake thing is because she wants that asshole to ask her to homecoming. And it sounds like he’s moving in on her, just like she wants.”

Cammie sighed. “But that’s the problem, Caleb. You’re not faking with Mandy. I can tell.” She shrugged and smiled. “It’s why I’m telling you all this. Because I can tell you do like her.”

His eyes widened as his hand closed around the notebook in his pocket. “Maybe I’m just good at selling it.” But as soon as he said it, he felt the lie and hated himself for it.

Cammie snorted. “Bullshit. You’re totally into her. Don’t even try to deny it.” She tossed her hair. “And she likes you, too, but the problem is, in her mind she’s not supposed to like you. She’s supposed to end up with a dork like Gus. Except he’s not dorky innocent Gus.”

“He’s asshole Gus,” Caleb growled.

Cammie nodded. “I was kind of testing you earlier tonight, when I told you to back off. I wanted to see how you’d respond.” She glanced at the stack of boxes he’d moved for her. “Sometimes the scariest villains look the most innocent. And heroes don’t always wear white.”

“You into comics, Ramirez?”

Her shoulders straightened. “What if I am?”

“Then you’re cooler than I thought you were.”

They grinned at each other, and Caleb decided if he was going up against a villain, Cammie’d be a hell of a sidekick. Assuming he was the hero, which he wasn’t sure of. He wasn’t really sure of anything right now.

Suddenly Mandy flew into the storeroom, her face wild with panic. “I have to go. Gran’s sick. I can’t reach Reg and dad’s on the road and—”

Cammie moved toward her, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Take a breath, sweetie. What happened?”

Mandy squeezed her eyes shut, breathing deeply, and Caleb knew she was saying a mantra.

“She’s having a hard time breathing. I told her to call 911 but—”

“Let’s go,” Caleb said, taking a step toward the door, wanting to grab her hand but not sure if he should.

Cammie nodded, pushing her gently toward Caleb. “I’ll finish up here. You go with Caleb and call me as soon as you can.” Cammie smiled reassuringly. “She’ll be okay, sweetie. She’s tough.”

Mandy turned toward him, fear shooting out of her like sparks, and his chest tightened. He grabbed her hand, squeezing it. “Come on.” The words came out rough, urgent.

They ran to the front of the store, and Cammie raised the metal gate so they could leave.

“Call me!” Cammie yelled after them as they ran hand in hand through the empty mall, their shoes echoing on the tile floor.

“Did she call 911?” Caleb asked as they reached the doors to parking lot. He pushed on a glass door, but it was locked.

“This way.” Mandy pulled him to a metal door marked Employees Only. They shoved through the door and ran toward Caleb’s car. “No,” Mandy gasped between breaths. “She hates doctors. I called our neighbor who’s a nurse.”

Caleb yanked open the passenger door and Mandy slid in. He slammed the door and ran around to the driver’s side. Adrenaline surged through him as he sped out of the parking lot, calculating the fastest way to Mandy’s house.

“Not too fast,” she said. “The last thing we need is to get into an accident.”

She was right, so he slowed down.

“Damn it, Reg,” she muttered, phone to her ear. “Pick up your damn phone.”

Caleb sped up as he merged onto the highway, but not too much. Damn, she had a ton of crap going on in her life. Her dad gone, her idiot brother not being around, her gran…all the stuff at school with the spirit committee and Spriggs crawling up her ass. He glanced at her as he shifted into fifth gear. She was kind of amazing, juggling all of it.

Her phone rang once and she answered, sounding breathless. “Mrs. Cleary? Thank God you’re there. I’m on my way home. I’ll be there in…” She glanced at Caleb.

“Five minutes,” he said, and she raised her eyebrows, clearly indicating he shouldn’t drive so fast.

“Ten minutes,” she said, shooting him a look that made him want to laugh…and kiss her…and just…

He refocused on the road, telling himself he’d think about everything Cammie had said later.

Right now he just needed to get her home.