flashback

f o u r t e e n 1

Chapter 14

Danyelle

            As Teddy and I whooshed down the streets, I felt the cool summer breeze flowing around me. Teddy’s bike came to an abrupt halt, and I instinctively reached for him for balance. I almost fell off the bike, and he grabbed my waist and didn’t let me fall. “Thanks,” I said, watching him lock his bike to one of the many bike racks seemingly littered across the sidewalks. I had never seen anything like it anywhere else in Cottondale. It was strange; it seemed that all I could do since I met him was to thank this guy.

            He led me down to the soda pop shop, and as we were entering, a girl was exiting who seemed to know him. She hugged him genially. “Hey, Teddy Bear!” I grinned at the pet name. He didn’t. “Oh, hi-ya… Victoria.” She stamped her petite, sandaled foot on the concrete sidewalk. “Teddy Bear, I done told ya you ain’t gotta call me Victoria! It’s Vickie, to you!” She punched his shoulder lightly and he shrugged. I stared at her. Her strawberry-brown hair glittered in the sunlight and bright sea-green eyes shone at him. Her teeth were almost unnaturally straight and when she smiled they seemed to glitter. She wore a bright pink flowered sundress and quite chic white gladiator sandals. As I watched her, her eyes seemed to fall on me for the first time. She glanced up and down at me in a superior, smug sort of way.

            “Who’s your friend, Teddy?”

            Teddy smiled and turned to me. “This is Danny. She’s from—she ain’t from around these parts.”

            “Oh…” Vickie looked down on me and threw her arm around Teddy’s shoulder. He shrugged it off. “So, Victoria, I just came to assist Danny in orderin’ somethin’ from this here shop. So, uh… if you’d excuse me… I’d like to—’’

            “Did’ja hear?” Vickie exclaimed, totally interrupting Teddy. “The neighborhood fellas are throwin’ together a baseball game tomorrow over at the slab and—’’

            Slab? What slab?

            “Baseball?” I never saw Teddy so animated. I swear, his eyes brightened like someone flicked a light switch behind his brain. I mean, I had met him less than 2 hours before, but still.

            Vickie turned to me and sniffed. “Teddy Bear here loves baseball. I know ev’rything about Teddy. I’ve known him since we were itty bitty—’’

            “So what time they startin’ the game?” Teddy barged in quickly.

            “’Round noon,” Vickie said, a mischievous smile appearing on her face. “And they said all the fellas were gonna bring their girls to watch, and you know—cheer them on,” she said, smiling a little.

I just watched. Teddy opened his mouth and looked at Vickie. “What a fine idea, Victoria! I reckon—’’

I just had to butt in. “I beg your pardon, Teddy, but what’s the slab?” I asked. I was sorely and thoroughly annoyed, for lack of a better word.

Vickie just… snapped. “Don’t you see Teddy here was gonna say somethin’?” she hollered. “Ain’t you people from “outside” got no manners?” I shrunk back and closed my mouth. Teddy stared and said not a word. “So, what were you sayin’, Teddy Bear?” she asked, her voice returning sugary sweet, and her eyes lighting up. I just wanted to rip that pretty red hair out of her scalp.

Teddy took off his cap and scratched his head. “Oh, it just flew out of my head!” he chuckled a good-natured chuckle, slipping his cap back on. Vickie gave her foot a little stamp again. “No, no, you were saying something about taking your girl…” she trailed off, smiling. I cringed, waiting for his words.