“Nice try. I’m sure only one of us will be getting detention, anyway. Athletes are pretty much exempt.” I give him once last kiss as I open the door.
“Well, I had fun,” he shouts to me through my open door.
“Me, too,” I say with a smile, fighting every urge to get back in the truck.
“I think we have a new lunch spot, minus Mark’s mom, of course.”
I give him a quick smile and then slam the truck door.
Just keep walking, Ashley.
Chapter 14: The Date
ASHLEY
It’s the night of my big date with Casey. Unfortunately, ever since my dad let out the secret that Todd and I are broken up, Casey wouldn’t let it go and kept asking me out. I don’t like the idea of going out with him, but it is the perfect decoy date to prove to my parents that Todd and I are not together. I have been dreading it for the past few weeks. But there are no more excuses, I have used all of them up, so I finally just need to do it.
I was grounded for the first week because I got a detention thanks to our lunchtime excursion, but thankfully, my parents don’t know why I was late to class. I actually did use the period excuse with my mom, and it worked like a charm. I said I was too embarrassed to say something in class, so point for Todd. Our lunch was totally worth a detention, and being grounded gave me the perfect excuse for Casey. Therefore, the first week was easy to avoid, but it became increasingly more difficult to come up with excuses.
The next week, I used the bad cramps excuse with Casey. Good thing none of these people talk to one another about my menstrual cycle. Then there was a big paper due and then a huge test, and that brings me to tonight. I figured washing my hair wasn’t really a viable excuse, but I was just short of using that one.
There is a huge party that someone from Casey’s school is organizing, so we are going to dinner—painful—and then to the party—even more painful.
I just keep telling myself to make it through dinner, and then I’ll be home free. I like Casey. I like spending time with him, but I hate that he thinks Todd and I are broken up and I can’t tell him the truth.
Ryan and Brian are taking Todd out tonight to keep him distracted, to which I am grateful. I wish I was going out with Sid and Shane, though.
The hate for my dad just keeps growing.
***
I’m sitting across the table from Casey. I see his lips moving, but I don’t hear the words coming out of his mouth. Well, I hear them; I just don’t comprehend them. I can’t stop thinking about Todd. I want to know what he is doing right now. I try to pretend that I’m here at Olive’s with him, but when I open my eyes, it’s still Casey.
“Ashley, what’s going on with you? You’ve been practically avoiding me for the past three weeks. I’ve never seen you scurry out of practice so quickly.”
I hear those words and absorb them, and when my eyes connect with his, I notice how intently he’s studying me. I don’t want to hurt him, and I don’t want to lead him on. I’m using him to appease my parents, and it’s wrong. I need to tell him the truth.
Then I hear Todd in my head, and I know I can’t. I care about Casey, yet I don’t trust him. He will tell my dad the truth if he knows, because for some reason, he sees me as a conquest.
I look down at the tablecloth and start to study the pieces of cracked bread littering the pristine white cloth. I will do anything to avoid locking eyes with Casey.
“I told you. I’m not over him.”
He reaches his hand across the table, his thumb gently caressing mine. “Why? I’m here, sitting right across from you. Be here with me. Be in this moment. I like you. You know that. That’s one thing I’ve never hidden from you. I know you have feelings for me, too. Don’t fight them anymore.”
I feel the sweat on my palms. I wasn’t expecting this. I wasn’t expecting Casey to be so honest, so upfront. I don’t know why, though. It is Casey, after all.
My mouth is dry, and I don’t think I can speak, even if I knew what to say.
“Ashley, it’s done with Todd. Forget him. Be with me.”
“Um … Excuse me.” I push back my chair so quickly I almost take out a waiter carrying a whole tray of food. I need the bathroom, right now.
Another waiter must see my panicked look, because he points me in the direction of the ladies room.
Once I’m safely inside, I lose it. The tears won’t stop pouring out. I need Todd. I need to hear his voice. I do care about Casey, but only as a friend. Todd will know what to do.
Before I know it, his phone is ringing, but instead of Todd’s voice, I hear Ryan’s.
“Aren’t you on a date? You really shouldn’t be calling your ex-boyfriend.”
“Funny. Put Todd on. Actually, wait, how is he?”
“About as good as you. Man, you two make me sick. And that is said with love,” Ryan quips.
“Just put him on the phone, please.”
I hear a scuffle before I hear his voice. “Hi, Ash. How’s it going?”
“Well, I’ve locked myself in the bathroom to call you, so I’d say it’s going great.” I try to disguise my voice to mask my tears, but I know it’s not working.
“Hang in there, Ash. It’s one night, one date. I hate that you are there with him, but if it buys us time and distracts your parents, it’s worth it.”
I listen to his words and I hear them, but I hate them almost as much as I hate my parents for not trusting me.
I wipe my tears with the back of my hand to try to make the reflection in the mirror look human again. I can’t bring myself to form words yet without sounding like a blubbering idiot.
“I love you. Just remember that. One step at a time.” His voice resonates through me.
I take a deep breath. “I love you, too. I needed to hear your voice. It’s just hard, because Casey thinks we’re broken up, and he keeps saying I should forget you and be with him.”
I hear cursing and then the phone slam down. Then I hear Ryan’s muffled voice and Todd say, “I’m gonna kill him.” I can’t make out what Ryan is saying. I know it’s his voice, though, and I can tell he’s trying to calm Todd down.
“Ashley?” Ryan’s voice comes back on the phone.
“Yeah?”
“Maybe you can spare the details.” The anger in Ryan’s voice is clear, and I know he’s right. “He’s ready to come there and kill Casey, and we all know that is a bad idea.” The way he says it lets me know he’s staring Todd down. “We’re going out to the field for a pick-up football game. Just finish your date, okay?”
I know exactly what he means without him saying the words—stop calling. So I will. I need to go out there and be on my date with Casey. I will eat dinner and then go home. That’s it.
As soon as I approach the table, Casey stands up, his eyes studying me.
“Are you okay?” he asks as I sit down, and he follows my lead.
I merely nod my head.
“I’m sorry, Ashley. I know the break up is still fresh. Maybe I was laying it on too thick. I’ll stop.”
My eyes lock with his. I know he’s sincere, so my heart rate starts to slow down. I’m sure he can tell I was crying because, although I wiped my tears, I can’t wipe away my bloodshot eyes or red nose. He doesn’t say anything, though. For the first time in a long time, he’s the understanding Casey, the boy I cared so much about this summer.
We don’t talk about Todd again. There’s no more pressure. Instead, we talk about his parents, his sister Dylan, how he broke up with Vivian because he knew she was nothing more than a good time, and he really wants more than that deep down. However, he doesn’t follow it up with anything about us. He talks about everything except that, and I can finally breathe, finally relax, finally, genuinely enjoy his company. As a friend.