The Boy Who Lives In My Garage > jariana (COMPLETED)

fourteen

"Are you sure he'll be here?" Alyssa asks under her breath, tousling her hair and tugging at her shirt. It's the most nervous I've ever seen my composed, put-together sister, including the day of her driver's test, the ACTs, and when she had the lead in the school play. She's got it bad for Clinton.

"Positive. He's got math next hour, and he always hangs out here beforehand. I see him every day."

"Okay."

"Stop messing with your hair. It looks fine." Alyssa nods and removes her hands, but only for a few seconds. When we turn the corner, sure enough, Clinton is sitting on the edge of a half wall, phone in hand, textbook and notebook sitting next to him. He's wearing a green polo shirt with his jeans today. "Just be cool," I whisper.

We approach Clinton, and he looks up from his phone, giving us a huge, full-dimple smile. "Hi, ladies."

"Hey, Clinton. What's up?"

Clinton shrugs and pockets his phone. "Nothing. Just wasting time before class."

I nod. "Yeah. Us, too. Hey, have you ever met my sister?"

Clinton turns his attention to Heather. "You're Alyssa, right?"

"You know my name?" Alyssa asks, and all my hopes for her coolness fly right out the window.

Luckily, Clinton just laughs. "Yeah, you're in my literature class, right?"

"Right." Alyssa smiles so wide it looks like it hurts.

"So, Alyssa, why don't you ever come out with your sister?" Clinton nods in my direction.

At this point, Alyssa seems to try to pull "cool" out of somewhere and shrugs nonchalantly. "Oh, you know. Most of the time I have other plans."

I resist the urge to snort. If her "other plans" include studying and sleeping, then she's totally telling the truth.

"Well, do you have other plans for tonight?"

Alyssa's eyes go wide. "Tonight? No," she stammers. "No. I don't think so."

"Good. Don't make any. My parents are out of town, so I'm having a few people over. Nothing major, but we'll have a good time. I expect both of you to be there." Clinton nods at me.

As much as I want to say yes, to ask if I can bring Justin, that's not what Alyssa needs. Alyssa wants to hang out with Clinton; she's going to hang out with Clinton, no little sisters involved. "Actually, I'm kind of grounded right now, and I can't risk sneaking out tonight."

Clinton winces. "Parents who actually care? Ouch."

"Yeah," I say with a laugh. "Sucks, right?"

"I wouldn't know," he says and turns to Alyssa. "Alyssa? What about you? I bet I can get Tony to D.D. for you."

"Sure," she says with too much enthusiasm. "That would be great."

"Cool. Be ready around ten. I'll tell Tony to look for the better half of the Grande sisters."

"Very funny," I say.

The warning bell rings, and Clinton hops off the wall, picking up his books. "If I'm late to this class one more time, I'm going to get detention. Again. See you later, Alyssa."

"Later."

Alyssa and I walk down the hall, side by side. When we're well out of earshot, she whispers, "Oh my god, he knew my name."

I'm unable to prevent a smile. "That he did."

"And I'm going to hang out with him tonight. At his house."