Drumbeats into My Heart

21. Seth Goes to a Car Wash

I wake up the next morning, excited to check my phone for some kind of reply.

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Ooh!

I'm so excited, I accidentally open the wrong app. When I finally get to my text messages, I stare at the only thing Jordi has sent me. A smiley face. A generic smiley face? Not even a return "hi"? Don't people send smiley faces when they don't know what else to say?

I guess I should be thankful she even sent that, but still. I was hoping for a "yesterday was fun" or something like that. My former excitement drains way like water down a toilet, leaving me with crushing disappointment. Maybe she doesn't like me quite as much as I thought.

I would have spent that entire Sunday moping if Tai hadn't called me.

"Dude, wanna go to a car wash with me?"

I scratch my head at the strange invitation. "Uhh... why, is your car so dirty you need two people to scrape through it all?"

"Naw, it's a fundraiser. And is that what you really think of me?"

"No, Tai. But you have to admit, it's a weird question."

He thinks about this a moment. "Ha, I guess it is. Funny. So you'll come? The team needs you, bro."

I glance at the spot where my wall calendar used to be, then remember that Worf and the rest of the year were now resting somewhere on the floor between my bed and the wall. "You guys are starting already?"

"Yeah, we need new uniforms, so some us want to get a jump on it."

"Ambitious."

"I'll pick you up in twenty?"

I couldn't give a flying monkey fart about new football uniforms, but it beats languishing in a pool of despair at home. "All right."

After the call, I locate the crumpled calendar, smooth it out, and pin it back onto the wall. Worf isn't mocking me today.

I pull out a faded, fraying Spiderman shirt and some basketball shorts in preparation for the car wash.

Ninety minutes later, Tai shows up. "Ready to get sudsy?" he asks as I climb into the aging Honda.

"Not when you make it sound sexual like that."

He chuckles. "Ready to help a bunch of dudes clean random people's cars?"

"Sure, why not? I've got nothing else to do." Actually I do, but I don't think I should be alone with my self-flagellating thoughts today.

"Love that enthusiasm." Tai drives with an elbow hanging out the open window. "Thanks for coming, bro."

The car wash is in the parking lot of a discount tire store that is closed for the weekend. I can see four players already there, scrubbing a Lexus alongside friends and girlfriends. They look like they're having fun squirting water and laughing. Maybe this won't be so bad.

Tai parks his car in the designated area, and that's when I see her.

No, It can't be.

I rub my eyes and look again.

Those bouncy golden curls are unmistakably hers. But it can't be her. Some hunky guy has his arm around her waist, laughing.

Tai waves a hand in front of my face. "Dude, you look like Cindy Pardos just flashed her boobs at you."

Cindy Pardos was a year ahead of them and had epic boobs.

"It's her," Seth whispered.

Tai looks out at the small crowd of car washers. "Who? Cindy?"

The air has whooshed out of my lungs, barely leaving me enough to answer. I feel betrayed, and yet I have no right to feel betrayed. I never asked her out, never expressed my intentions. Never even called her.

"Why is she here?" I wonder aloud, mostly to myself.

"Cindy should have graduated already so I don't know why she'd be here." He scans the crowd. "I don't see her. Wait, who're you talking about, bro?"

My eyes are glued to her like... like... glue. I can't even muster the brain power to care about my lamentable analogy. "Jordi," I answer.

Tai looks from me to the girl, and back again. Then he pieces it together. "Wait, Jordi is your drummer girl?"

I finally swivel my head to Tai. "You know her?"

"Well, yeah. That's Dustin's girlfriend."

Imagine the sonic boom of disappointment that just hit him. Poor Seth. He's gonna need some votes.