"Did you find him?"
I shake my head and lean into Ryan for warmth, showing him off.
Danny smiles and nods. "Looks like New Girl's got a boyfriend."
I smile back. "New Girl's about to get a parole if Common Boy doesn't learn her name." Ryan laughs as we sit back on the dock.
Violet looks at Brendan longingly. She gives him this sort of look you give your mom when you want something. She doesn't stick our her lip or anything, she just uses her eyes to ask Brendan this question she's been holding for a really long time. Brendan either ignores it or doesn't understand it. Violet gives up and watches the pond glumly.
"We should head back," I say. "Vi, your mom's gonna kill us both."
Violet shrugs and says, "Yeah, sure," and reluctantly gets up.
Violet walks by my side through the woods, whispering to me about Brendan, Ryan to my right, holding my hand. I know he isn't listening to our conversation, but he's not really listening to anything. He's lost in his thoughts.
When we get to the house, most of the boys get on their bikes and high-tail it out of here. Ryan stays and so does Brendan. We all get one-on-one with each other.
Ryan licks his lips. "So, I'll see you tomorrow at noon?"
I sigh and look at the ground. "Too long," I moan.
Ryan lifts my face to his. "Whatever. You'll be fine. I have a game tomorrow."
"I could come," I suggest. Me, sitting in the warm bleachers watching Ryan run across the field. It seems awkward, yet romantic; fun yet extremely boring.
Ryan shakes his head. "It's really boring and always crowded. I'll see you after. I'll bring something special."
I lean into him and let him hold me. "Like food special or gift special?"
"I don't know..." He says in that way that means really-I-know-what-it-is-but-it's-supposed-to-be-a-surprise. I smile at him and let him hold me until Brendan and Violet are saying goodbye and Brendan attaches the RadioFlyer to his bike and disappears down the road.
"Well, I'll see you," Ryan says, hugging me tighter. He lets go and heads to his bike.
"See you." His muscle-blown up body rides down the street.
I sit with Violet on the porch. She sighs and lies backwards on her back to look at the stars. "That was quick." She licks her lips and blinks really fast. Are those tears? "You and Ryan I mean."
"Is that good or bad?"
"Both."
"Elaborate."
"Ryan's never had a girlfriend. He could treat you freakishly good or freakishly horrible. Plus, he doesn't even know you."
"That'll change."
"You're going to see him more often?"
"Tomorrow at noon." I slide myself onto my back to look at the twinkling stars with her. They're beautiful: spread out like God took a sifter and put some powder labeled: "STARS" and poured it all on the sky. "Alone."
"Where?"
"Does it matter?"
"Sorry, didn't mean to dig too deep."
"It's cool. What about you and Brendan?"
"Friends. That's all he wants to be. I know he likes June Crab. She's perfect, just like him so they'd be a great couple."
"Who are you shooting for now?"
"To be honest, I was going to go with Ryan because, hello, he's gorgeous, even more so than Brendan. But, I'm not that kind of friend."
I suddenly get mad. Violet is not a pretty person: her hair is always bushy and messy, her skin is almost always pale, and she always says weird things and clams up anytime she talks to someone that's somewhat good looking.
"Good, because you won't get him."
Violet sits up. "Maybe you should go home. It's late," she says suddenly.
I scowl at her. "Sure, why not? Let's hope I don't get murdered on my way there." I stand up and storm away, leaving Violet ranting about how she didn't mean it like that and blah. I walk silently through the dark, trying not to freeze to death. Maybe I'll die of shivering too much before the killer finds me. And the cold won't be to blame.
