A Touch of Grace

[ chapter fourteen: a subway date ]

Chapter 14: A Subway Date

When Wednesday came around, I was ready to head over to Caleb's house. Phoenix was with me at my locker as I began unpacking my bag. "If you need anything, just call me. If he tries anything, just call me. If he makes you uncomfortable, just call me," Phoenix explained as Caleb approached us. I nodded as I looked at him.

"I know, Phoenix. Trust me, I'll be fine," I told him with a smile. Caleb was a few feet away, waiting for me to leave Phoenix's side. "Let me just talk to him," Phoenix started as he kicked off of the locker beside mine. I quickly grabbed his shoulders, making him back up a little. Returning him to his place on the lockers, I shook my head. "I'll be okay. You don't need to talk to him. Get to football practice. You're already late."

He watched as Caleb smiled at me. "Are you ready to leave?" Caleb inquired as I slowly closed my locker.

"Yeah, let's go," I replied as Phoenix glared at him. I followed him out to his car and Caleb sighed.

"When you said he was overprotective, you weren't kidding," he noted and I nodded my head. I watched as he walked to the other side of the car. As I pulled open the door, I realized that Phoenix usually does this for me. Not that I'm incapable of doing things myself, it's just that...never mind.

"Yeah, he's like an older brother," I told Caleb as I buckled my seatbelt.

"He acts more like a possessive boyfriend," Caleb noted. "No offense or anything."

"None taken," I shrugged. "He's not really possessive; he just worries a lot. And as far as the whole boyfriend thing goes, we're not together."

"So you like him? He likes you?" Caleb asked and I inhaled deeply. "I'm sorry...I'm intruding. It's none of my business."

"No, it's fine. You just sound like a friend of mine," I told Caleb. Elliot, Elliot, Elliot.

"Well, I'm pretty sure he likes you," Caleb informed me as we drove in the opposite direction of my house.

"Yeah, I think he does, too," I told him as I stared at my hands.

Noticing the awkwardness he'd just imposed with that statement, he cleared his throat. "You're in eleventh grade, right?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, you're not?" I inquired.

"I'm a senior," he responded.

"So that's how you know Avery," I nodded my head and he chuckled.

"Yeah, that and the fact that we dated for a few months in freshman year," he smiled as he stopped at a red light. I immediately remembered the name Caleb. Caleb the Crybaby. I had never seen him since I was only in 8th grade, and my parents didn't want my sister to date in the first place, but she had told me about him. He cried for weeks after they broke up, probably because he wasted a bunch of money on my sister. I remember her coming home with a pretty bracelet in her hand, asking me to hide it before mom and dad see. That wasn't the last of her gifts. I'm pretty sure that bracelet is somewhere in my room, lost under books or something. "By the look on your face, I assume you've heard some things about me?"

"You were my sister's first boyfriend," I shrugged. "So yeah, I remember her telling me about that."

"Oh," he nodded and I could tell he was relieved. There's nothing worse than meeting someone who has preconceived thoughts about you.

"Yeah," I replied and that was the end of that awkward conversation.

+ + +

We arrived at his house and I suddenly realized why a fifteen year old boy was able to buy a hundred dollar bracelet for a girl he's been with for two months. I tried not to seem intimidated by the size of his house but I couldn't help it. He had just been to my house, and my house isn't a bad size, I guess. It's average. But his makes my house seem like a cottage.