Major Crush

Chapter 3

While Barry watched, Drew came close to me and put his hand there and his leg there. "This feels so awkward," he said. He turned to Barry.

"A re you sure?"

Barry twirled his finger in the air.

Drew flipped me backward and lost his hold on me. I landed square on the powdery white goal line. A smattering of applause drifted across the field from the band.

"Touchdown," Drew said. "You only need one foot in the end zone." He held out his hand.

A s he hauled me up, I said, "That's the fourth time I've fallen on my butt today, and in some way you've caused all four."

He pretended to count on his fingers, which almost made me laugh. Then he started doing math in the air with an imaginary pencil, which did make me laugh.

Barry looked from Drew to me and back to Drew. "A re y'all getting along or not?"

"Of course," Drew said.

"Perfectly," I said, dusting my butt.

Drew and Barry started toward me.

"That's okay," I said. In a move that I never would have fathomed myself needing to do, I put up both hands to keep two senior boys from touching my butt.

In truth, I probably would have been able to stand Drew touching my butt. Barry, not so much.

"Let's try it again," Drew said.

"Great," I said. "We might as well try it with me on top."

Barry's eyes flew wide open. I realized what I'd said, and steeled myself for Drew's comment about liking it when the girl was on top.

Drew was not Walter. He just laughed. "I weigh a hundred and ninety pounds. But yeah, let's try it."

"I weigh one-ten. Let's not."

He put his hand there and his leg there. He flipped me backward even faster this time, and immediately lost his balance. But he didn't lose his hold on me. He fell with me. On top of me. Hard.

I couldn't breathe. Oh, God, I couldn't breathe.

He took his weight off me but hovered close over me. "Inhale," he said.

I held up five fingers.

"I know. I'm glad we're not going to the prom together."

Barry leaned over me. "You've killed her."

"She's tough," Drew said.

Mr. Rush's face appeared beside Barry's. "A re you okay?" he asked me with genuine concern.

I nodded and gasped, forcing air into my lungs painfully.

"I just knocked the wind out of her," Drew said.

Mr. Rush slapped Drew on the back of the head. "You pay attention, Morrow. There'll be hell to pay if you hurt my drum major. I'll have Clayton Porridge out in the middle of the football field, doing the cancan."

"The cancan is surprisingly difficult," Barry said. "It takes a lot more coordination than Clayton Porridge has."

Mr. Rush gave Barry the brain-melting stare.

Barry shrank. "I know this because I played Little League baseball with Clayton Porridge."

Mr. Rush kept staring.

"Sir," Barry added. He looked to Drew for help.

Drew rubbed the back of his head. "Thank you for your guidance, sir."