CHAPTER 11

  After watching Lucy swim at the meet, I needed some questions answered. Hoping to study her during morning practice, I told James to not pick me up, and patched my bike tire Sunday afternoon. The next morning, I left the house right after Dad. Entering the garage, I found the tire flat again.

  Confused and annoyed, I started walking, quickly distracted as I figured out how to have a conversation with Lucy. Could I keep my cool? Didn’t want her getting the wrong impression. First goal I wanted to find out how long she could hold her breath. It made sense how swimming longer without breathing could give a swimmer an advantage, but in that case, why did all the other swimmers breathe at nearly the same rate? Shouldn’t they try to breathe as little as possible?

  Most of her lead came from the way she turned in the water. I estimated in a larger pool, with fewer turns in a race, she’d lose the significant advantage. Unless her speed resulted from other secrets. I didn’t actually care about the competitions, of course, I wanted to know if she could do things others couldn’t. I wanted to know if Jack’s hunch was right. Feigning interest in her races might get her talking, but I had to be careful, so my questions didn’t come across as flirting.

  Cloud cover granted a cooler and darker morning than usual but not enough to free me from sweating during the trip. Rain started to fall as I reached the school, and I jogged across the street and down the walkway, barely reaching the recreation center before the drips became a deluge. Finding the lobby empty, I glanced at my watch, hurried past the desk and locker room entrances, then entered the pool house.

  Too late. Several swimmers chatted loudly as they exited into the locker rooms, leaving the pool empty. Stupid flat tire. I couldn’t wait until I got my driving license. It would change everything. Turning to leave, I caught something out of the corner of my eye and stopped, glancing back at the water. Something moved in there.

  Stepping closer, a dark form startled me. Gliding smoothly along the bottom of the pool, it reminded me of a shark. As I watched, it turned abruptly and sped toward the edge where I stood. I backed up as the surface broke and Lucy practically leaped from the pool, movements so slick she made no splash, and barely left a ripple.

  She smirked at me as she climbed easily onto the cement. “Hi, Hot Stuff, what’re you doing here? Considering joining the team?”

  Still stunned by her exit from the water, the question didn’t immediately register. Her fair, dripping-wet skin seemed practically translucent. Once again struck by the pleasing shape of her body, my jaw hung stupidly, waiting for my brain to construct an answer. She asked me a question.

  The corner of her lip rose slightly. “Are you okay?”

  “Uh, yeah. How’re you?”

  She giggled. “I’m fine.” Reaching up she removed her swim cap and goggles, dropping them on the floor as a soaking braid of red hair fell over a shoulder. She stared as she did this, pink lips turning into a full smile. “Only here to watch,” her voice teased suggestively, “or was there something you wanted to... do?”

  Every train of thought which hadn’t already derailed crashed spectacularly. Why was I here? Watching her muscled its way to first place reason, followed by certain things I wouldn’t mind doing.

  But no, I had a better reason. And it wasn’t to flirt. Before the silence got any more awkward, words blurted out of my mouth. “How long can you hold your breath?” I immediately recognized the most awkward silence beat my clumsy delivery.

  Lucy’s lips parted into a grin, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “Is that what you’re into?”

  “What?” My focus shattered again. What did she even mean? And when did this pool turn into a sauna? Sweat gathered on my forehead and dripped down my armpits, worse now than during the walk. Focus. Lucy. Mythics. I tried steering the conversation back to my purpose. “At the meet, I noticed you don’t breathe during the races. Is that why you’re so fast?”

  She took a step closer to me. “Not if you ask Coach. She thinks I should breathe more.” Her voice maintained a teasing lilt. “But speed is mostly about how you move your body.” Undoing her braid as she spoke, she shook her head, sending a shower of water through the air. Lucy’s perfect face became framed by a tangle of wet, red curls. Several strands clung to her cheeks, but she didn’t brush them away. Impossibly, it made her more attractive.

  “Uh, your body. That’s another thing I noticed.”

  She raised an eyebrow and bit her lower lip.

  My heart raced. “I mean,” I cleared my throat, “I noticed you were the fastest swimmer at the meet. Even faster than the boys.”

  Lucy’s smile dropped immediately, and her tone turned harsh. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Well, I mean...” I trailed off, grasping at the idea as it slipped away, leaving me empty handed. I had to say something. I worked through it out loud. “I mean, the boys’ record times are faster than the girls’. I thought maybe that’s partly why. Because of body shape. More aerodynamic. Less curves. But your bod—” My words cut off as a lump stuck in my throat.

  Speaking before obtaining a firm grasp was a mistake. My planned conversation kept taking unexpected turns, and I didn’t know how to get back on track. The track had completely vanished.

  Silence screamed through the hot air, but her annoyance at my previous comment melted into a playful grin. “You noticed my curves?” The sensual tone returned with a vengeance, accented by her hands sliding down the sides of her swimsuit—a gesture impossible to not follow with my eyes.

  I became intensely aware she stood, soaking wet, in a skin-tight swimsuit, only two feet away from me. When did she get so close? I opened my mouth to answer but my mind didn’t cooperate.

  Lucy’s lips parted slightly, and her tongue ran slowly over the top row of her teeth as emerald eyes considered me head to toe. “I admit, Micah, I’ve been watching you.”

  She took a step forward, raised her right hand and put it on my chest, wet palm soaking through my shirt. “You’re a bit of a nerd. A bit of a loner. You and those two friends of yours.” She locked her eyes onto mine. “But you’re also smart and,” she paused, blushing slightly, “as I’ve mentioned many times, definitely hot stuff.” She held onto the last word, dragging it out as she pushed me slowly backward.

  My back hit the cold cinderblock wall. Where did that come from? I must’ve unconsciously backed away from her the entire conversation. Now I had nowhere left to go. She took another step forward. Our bodies touched.

  Lucy and I stood eye-to-eye. Noses side-by-side. Lips inches apart. Immense heat filled the tight space. Her breath filled my nostrils. Enticing. Overpowering. Exotic. I desperately wanted to taste that sweet, spicy scent.

  “I’m a bit of a loner, too,” she whispered.

  I opened my mouth to protest. Everyone wanted to be near Lucy. Before I spoke, she closed her eyes and leaned into me. The touch of her tongue on mine paralyzed every other sense.

  Our mouths moved slowly, experimentally, tasting each other carefully. Taste. Her flavor, akin to cinnamon, though slightly spoiled by chlorine from the pool, shocked me with its intensity. Kissing for the first time offered a sensation unlike anything I experienced before, yet, like so many other things, felt instantly familiar. I knew exactly what to do. How to tease her, make her want more. How many times did I dream of doing this? But those dreams never included Lucy. Only Wynn. Always Wynn.

  I wasn’t kissing Wynn.

  I tried to pull away, but the wall made it impossible. I stopped kissing her back and placed my hands against her shoulders, pushing gently. Her kiss changed from cautious testing to a passionate urgency. Her right hand moved up my chest and locked around my neck, her left tugged at my waist, pressing our hips together.

  My body reacted without permission, kissing her back. And why not? How long had I wanted a relationship like this? Couldn’t I be happy with her? My hands still gripped Lucy’s shoulders, but now I pulled her into me. Nothing existed but our bodies. Her wet swimsuit pressed into my dry t-shirt, the coolness a welcome reprieve from the heat blazing in my chest.

  Above every other sensation, her taste persisted. Incredible. I needed more. I’d never have enough. Then a new emotion charged the atmosphere.

  An aura vibrated around me, full of mischievous, manipulative intent. Indescribably alien, the experience shattered my trance of desire, switching my brain to high alert.

  I broke the kiss by turning my head to the side. As soon as I did, the impression began to fade. Had I imagined it? I didn’t have time to wonder. Lucy tried to follow the motion and kiss me again, but still gripping her shoulders, I pushed forcefully. Her hips left mine. My body raged at the absence.

  Panting, I said, “That’s enough.” Opening my eyes, I found a sly smirk on her face. No sign of anger or annoyance, only amusement.

  “We’ll see.” She winked, then took a slow step backward, fingers lingering on my shirt, pulling gently at it before releasing. She turned and walked away, hips swaying.

  I resisted the urge to chase her, tell her I lied. It wasn’t enough. It would never be enough.

  Lucy stopped a dozen feet away, bending over to pick up her cap and goggles.

  Glancing away quickly, I didn’t look again until she straightened, turned slightly toward me, and said, “I need to shower.” She paused after the words, and I fought away the images she undoubtedly intended to incite. “I’ll see you in class, Micah.” She didn’t turn back again, though she took her time, eventually disappearing through the women’s changing room door.

  Air rushed into my lungs.

  What just happened?

  My mind spun. Was it something I said? A sudden splash of ice-cold embarrassment made me fear witnesses. I glanced around the room. Alone. I examined my clothes. An obvious impression where her wet body pressed against mine made me blush as I unconsciously voiced the question which repeated in my mind. “What just happened?”

  Lucy’s smell and taste lingered, but my mind cleared. What happened to my questions? How did we end up kissing? And what a kiss! I barely knew more about the girl than her name. And she had an incredibly sexy body. Overall, I found Wynn more attractive—for a thousand different reasons—but when it came to looks, Lucy held the title in a league of one.

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  I shook my head. No sense comparing the two. I knew Wynn. She amazed me. Intelligent. Kind. Thoughtful. Hard working. Adventurous. Loyal. A lifelong friend. Looks might be a nice bonus, but I didn’t chase bodies. Lucy wouldn’t be the first girl to figure that out. Maybe she possessed other attributes, like Wynn, which I could eventually fall in love with, but it would take time to get to know her that well.

  My body desperately wanted me to get to know her that well. Right now. My brain agreed, already spinning up excuses to spend time with her. Homework. Internship. Study groups. Why bother chasing after Wynn when another girl waited, ready and willing to kiss me senseless? Lucy seemed nice. Definitely smart. An absurdly good kisser. She had that swimming thing going for her too.

  I almost slapped myself. That swimming thing was exactly what brought me here! With the unexpected turn of events, I completely forgot to ask anything other than how long she could hold her breath. Come to think of it, she didn’t answer the question. Stupid teenage body and its easily distracted focus.

  Then again, maybe she only kissed me to distract me from the question? I left the pool, grateful for thickly falling rain. The fresh air cleared my mind enough to realize I’d gotten unspoken answers.

  When her teammates left Lucy alone in the pool, she took the opportunity of privacy to swim like no person could. Hadn’t her body, gliding below the surface of the pool, reminded me of a shark? Swift, smooth, turning on a dime. Abnormal, for a human.

  My thoughts involuntarily returned to our kiss and the ominous sense of manipulation which came over me. Abnormal, or supernatural?

  The rain soaked my clothes as I ambled back to school, intentionally taking my time in order to hide the evidence of our aggressive embrace. What would Wynn think if she knew? I wanted her to know. To care. To be jealous. But what if she didn’t care? What if she was happy for me? What if she approved? Then I’d know not to waste my time hoping for more than friendship from her. Wynn’s reaction when she found out Lucy kissed me would tell me everything.

  Once again, I plotted a conversation with a girl. An extremely delicate one. With immeasurable potential for life-altering disaster. I’d be honest and mention Lucy kissed me, then find out if that made her jealous. Somehow. Hopefully.

  Of course, I’d also need to make it clear I never wanted to kiss Lucy in the first place. It just happened. A one-time thing. I had no interest in kissing her ever again. Except my mind kept thinking about it. Couldn’t stop thinking about it. And I never lied convincingly.

  I sighed and pulled the school door open. A few kids hung out in the lobby. They gave me odd looks. “Turns out it’s raining,” I said nervously as water dripped from my hair and clothes.

  They chuckled politely.

  Sneakers squeaking and squelching, I trudged down the hall. For the first time, I used the spare outfit Dad encouraged me to keep in my locker in case of sudden downpours. Ducking into the boy’s bathroom I entered a stall and changed quickly, stuffed the wet clothes into the plastic sack, and put it back in my locker. My eye caught on the calculus book sitting on the shelf. I froze.

  “I’ll see you in class, Micah.” She meant today. How did I forget it was a B-day? That meant I’d soon be sitting directly between the girl I’d fallen in love with and known my whole life, and the only girl I’d ever kissed yet barely knew.

  For the first time in my life—how many firsts could one day hold?—I considered ditching school. I seriously considered it. The thought of sitting next to Lucy and Wynn made me contemplate skipping high school altogether. What if Lucy bragged about our kiss? Or mentioned meeting me at the pool this morning? All my plans could be annihilated with a single word from her mouth.

  Nervously, I turned and strode toward the math room. If I hurried, maybe I could explain to Lucy it was all a mistake before Wynn showed up. The girl teased me often enough, she might consider this all a big joke. A cruel one.

  As I approached the door, I slowed and peeked in. Both girls already sat quietly at their desks, my empty chair between them. Wynn arrived earlier than usual. Why today, of all days? With a solid twenty minutes to endure until class started. Lucy must’ve taken a record quick shower to beat me here. I blushed and immediately regretted thinking of Lucy showering.

  I quietly stepped away before they noticed me. Running into the woods and leaping into a bayou sounded preferable to being stuck between them with a practical eternity for small talk. I settled for sitting in the hall and double checking my homework, choosing a spot across from the doorway so I could keep an eye on it but far enough to get away before I might be noticed. Just in case.

  This turned out to be the worst option. Not only did my eyes keep wandering up to make sure neither girl ambushed me, but calculus couldn’t hold my attention. No matter how advanced the prep school’s programs, calculus remained calculus, and the best math teacher in the world couldn’t make a subject I already mastered interesting. Or maybe my mind simply refused distraction from my quickly approaching fate.

  “There you are.”

  “James!” I jumped up, words rushing from my mouth. “Hey, how’re you? What’s up? Having a good morning?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “What’s with you?”

  I shrugged. “Nothing. Just a weird morning, I guess.” The heat in my cheeks threatened to give more away. What if James found out? Would he ever forgive me? Our conversation at the meet echoed in my brain. I wasn’t interested in Lucy. Not two days ago, at least. Had that changed? If so, what then?

  “I didn’t see your bike. Did you walk?”

  “Yeah. The flat was… oddly persistent. Could use a ride home. Want to study after school? Or hang out? Or get something to eat?”

  His other eyebrow rose.

  “Sorry, just, weird morning.”

  He grunted and held out a fist.

  I bumped it with my own.

  “See you at lunch.”

  “Yeah, of course.” I tried to come up with a question to keep him from walking away, but my brain stayed focused on the two girls in the room across the hall, and they were the last thing I wanted to talk about.

  I glanced at my watch. Five minutes. Could I survive five minutes? Several students entered the classroom while I pretended to do homework. Were they enough of a crowd to keep Lucy from saying something which would end my life as I knew it?

  What’s the worst she could do? If she brought up the kiss, I’d brush her off and still get to see Wynn’s reaction. Could that work? Did my plans ever work? I sighed, took a deep breath, accepted my fate, and stepped into the unknown.

  Neither girl said a word as I sat and opened the textbook. I pulled out my homework and pretended to check it again. No one spoke, and after a silent minute, my nerves relaxed. She had fun teasing me, and now she’d ignore me again after the prank. Her horrible, wonderful, prank.

  “You changed your clothes.” Lucy’s provocative tone mirrored the provocative way she leaned on her desk.

  I tensed for the killing blow.

  “Did you…” she paused as her tongue ran along perfect white teeth, emerald eyes capturing all of me, “...get wet?” The words dripped with seduction.

  My heart thumped so wildly, my chest just barely managed to contain it. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I ignored her question—not the slightest bit confident in my ability to answer without making a fool of myself—and turned back to my homework.

  Fighting an increasing need to clear my throat, from the corner of my eye I saw Wynn staring at me. I wanted to avoid her bright blue eyes boring into my soul but had to see her reaction to Lucy’s words.

  Our eyes met as I took a quick glance. Her poker face told me nothing.

  “Hey, Wynn,” I said. Could my plan work after all?

  She sat up straight. “Hey.” She blinked several times and turned away, concentrating intensely on her calculus notes.

  “How was Homecoming?”

  “Fine,” she said without looking at me.

  “Have any troubles with your homework?” I attempted small talk, hoping to keep Lucy from making additional sensual remarks, and determine Wynn’s mood. I immediately regretted it.

  Piercing blue eyes shot me a dangerous glare, and her lips fell into an angry frown. “I managed, thank you.” Her retort delivered through clenched teeth dripped pure venom.

  Luckily, Mr. Tuttle entered the room, saving me. A minute later the bell rang, and the math teacher launched into his lesson. “Any questions about the homework?” He began every class that way.

  Lucy raised her hand.

  “Miss Lucia?”

  “I’m confused on how to determine X and Y intercepts.” She spoke normally at first, but then her voice took on a hint of that tantalizing lilt. “Where, exactly, do the X and Y axes intercept? How do they… fit together?”

  “Um, well...” He cleared his throat and turned to the whiteboard, a collateral casualty of Lucy’s incredibly effective attempts to rattle me. “Uh, the X and Y axes always intersect in the middle—that is, to say, at zero, zero.” Clearing his throat again, he bravely continued. “But what we’re trying to find…”

  I glanced at Lucy. She stared at me, green eyes soft, inviting, the corner of her mouth turned up in a smirk. She just made calculus infinitely more interesting than ever before. What kind of girl could make math erotic?

  Heat surged through my chest. I turned away, unconsciously glancing at Wynn. She also stared at me but abruptly turned away as our eyes met, returning to taking notes.

  If I let Lucy set the stage for the conversation I wanted to have with Wynn, it would certainly go downhill fast. I had to say something. Maybe if I talked about her instead of me, she’d be more open? Had Wynn ever kissed someone?

  The idea immediately repulsed me. Logically, I knew the revulsion originated from my selfish, jealous side. Knowing my everlasting crush on her didn’t mean I had a claim on her, I set those emotions aside. Besides, didn’t I just have my first kiss with someone else? I didn’t go seeking Lucy’s attention, but I couldn’t deny I enjoyed it. My body demanded more. How did my life get twisted into such a jumbled mess with a few exhilarating seconds?

  A new and terrible thought occurred to me. Did I still yearn for Wynn the way I did before? Now that I knew Lucy wanted me, could I happily move on from my obsession? I’d spent years wanting Wynn to show the slightest bit of romantic interest in me, and she never did. Did an unexpected kiss finally free me of that self-imposed torture?

  As I mulled over questions which challenged my entire life perspective, time passed without my notice until I became aware of an unusual silence. I looked up from my desk.

  Mr. Tuttle stared at me.

  A quick glance to the side showed Wynn watching me as if expecting something.

  Oh no. I did my best to stay out of the spotlight at school and never raise my hand or offer comments, but Mr. Tuttle made a habit of volunteering me to answer questions or explain concepts, and since he already knew I could, I didn’t have an excuse to refuse.

  Checking the whiteboard, I discovered the lesson moved on from X Y intercepts to line segments. I checked the coordinates of the segment’s endpoints and quickly did the math in my head.

  “Two times the square root of seventeen,” I answered.

  The silence continued, broken only by nervous shuffling from a few students. Did I do something wrong? Miscalculate? No, it was a simple example. I must’ve misjudged the unheard question.

  “That’s the length of the segment,” I clarified.

  “Yes, Mister Micah, but rather than take your word for it, could you tell us how you figured that out?”

  “I’m sorry, I misunderstood. It’s simple. You take the two X coordinates, subtract one from the other, take its absolute value, then square it. Then do the same with the Y. Add those two numbers and take the square root of the sum.”

  The silence deepened. Out of habit, I glanced at Wynn. She frowned at her notes. Did I say something wrong? I hated that frown.

  “Freak did all that in his head?”

  A few chuckles followed Terrence’s comment.

  My fists clenched and my muscles tensed. I’d gone too far. Again.

  “Language, Mister Terrence.” Mr. Tuttle gave the boy a sharp glance, then smirked at me. “And for the sake of the other student’s fragile egos, please at least pretend to use a calculator in the future, Mister Micah.” He turned back to the class. “But he’s correct, it’s simple. We’ll go over it again, slowly, to make sure everyone understands. Then we’ll talk about how to simplify square roots, and I’m sure most of you will find it a simple matter to do in your heads.”

  Fingers slowly relaxing, I took a deep breath. Not too much after all. An unconscious side glance at Lucy had me wondering again. Eyes wide, mouth slightly open, for once, she appeared awestruck.

  Frowning, I dared another peek at Wynn. She glared over my shoulder with a scowl and angry eyebrows, but not toward Lucy. Then who? Her face smoothed back into neutral when she caught me watching.

  When Wynn frowned, I was prepared to do anything to make her smile, and now, anything to keep her from being upset. The revelation settled my confused mind. Lucy was enticing, exciting, exotic, but Wynn was life. Someday I’d kiss her the way Lucy kissed me. I only hoped she enjoyed it as much.

  With Mr. Tuttle’s back to the class, his voice loudly explaining in detail what I already said, I took a chance to set things right. Leaning toward Wynn’s desk, I whispered, “Hey, Wynn, has anyone ever wanted to kiss you?”

  I knew her eyes could pierce like needles, but now they were murderous daggers. A chill ran down my spine as those blue blades dug into the depths of my soul and shredded it.

  The boy sitting behind her gaped at me with wide eyes. The girl in front of Wynn laid her head down, body shaking with silent laughter. They’d heard my question, and from their reactions, I must’ve messed up. I wanted to clarify but couldn’t remember what words actually came out of my mouth. I meant to ask if she ever kissed anyone. Or wanted to. Or—

  “Why do you care?” She whispered with frightening intensity. Wynn pointedly turned away and pulled straight black hair down to block her face from my gaze.

  My chest tightened as I stared at the calculus book. Another disaster. Lucy couldn’t have done worse. I chanced a peek toward the redhead. She still stared at me, but her expression lost all emotion. She could put on as good of a poker face as Wynn when she tried.

  My mind filled with memories of gripping her waist in a storm. It’d only been a few seconds to steady her in a gust of wind, but my fingertips remembered the warmth of her body. My eyes treasured her enchanting smile by the drinking fountain at the swim meet. My mouth savored the taste of her tongue tickling mine. My ears echoed with all the times she complimented me under the guise of a tease.

  All these memories snapped together, creating a clear picture. I acknowledged what James figured out last Saturday. Her kiss was no prank. Lucy liked me. Heat devoured my chest, and I turned away from her stare. I closed my eyes and laid my head on the desk.

  What now?