Chapter 29

Even with the dress incident, life went on as usual at Laketon High.

But even so, Nick was surprised to see Cat in World History.

“Hey!” he whispered when he sat down. “Were you suspended?”

“No!” She folded her arms and kept her eyes lowered. “And I didn’t take the stupid dress!” Cat’s eyes flashed when she looked at him. “Why would I do that?”

Jealousy. “I dunno. Bryan said…”

“Bryan’s a jerk,” she said as he walked by. “He did it! I know he did.”

Bryan raised his brows at Cat when he walked past them to his seat. “Did you call me a jerk?”

“Whatever,” Cat said.

Bryan sat down, but not before giving them a grin. Nick wanted to smash in his teeth, but he remained seated.

Cat’s hand crept into his view, and she wiggled her fingers at him.

Nick cleared his throat. “I’d like to talk about our session with Dr. Sims sometime, but not at school,” he whispered as his eyes moved around the classroom. Most students ignored them, but several of the girls shot dagger eyes at Cat.

The world map was pulled down, covering the board, which could mean a pop quiz or information Coach wanted to include in his lecture.

Bryan turned to them. “Where did you two go Wednesday night? A motel?”

“Bryan,” Coach Sullivan said. “Pay attention.”

“Sure thing, Coach, just checking to see why Nick missed practice.” Pause. “Again.”

All eyes turned toward them. Nick looked down at his notebook, but he felt the tension in the room and warmth creeping up from his neck to his forehead.

“I’m sure he has a good reason,” Coach Sullivan said. “Right, Nick?”

Nick remained quiet.

Coach Sullivan said, “Okay, let’s get on with class.” He pulled up the map and began his lecture. No pop quiz today, and for that Nick was thankful.

****

Emily waited for him in the hall when World History was over. Cat turned the other way, leaving them alone. Emily’s face was red with blotches like she had been crying.

“Are we still going to the homecoming dance?” she demanded.

“What? Of course! Why would you even ask?” Nick’s eyebrows shot up.

“I heard a rumor,” she said with a sniff.

“About what?”

“You and Cat. Are you really sleeping with her?”

“No! I—” he started.

“But Bryan said…”

“Bryan!” Nick threw up his hands. “Bryan doesn’t know what he’s talking about! You know him as well as I do. He’s all talk and no facts!”

Her face brightened as she took off her glasses and wiped the lenses before putting them back on, the red blotches on her cheeks fading some. “I was hoping that was the case.” She sniffed.

He hadn’t thought much about homecoming. “Of course. I wouldn’t let you down!” Nick tried to put on some fake cheer. But he had let her down. He could feel a small chasm between them, and it was his fault.

“I haven’t seen much of you since we started our research projects,” Emily pointed out.

“Let’s go to the movies this weekend!” Nick suggested. The new James Bond was out, and Nick wanted to see it. “Date night?” Nick asked, hesitation in his words.

Emily nodded. Things were right between them again for the moment.

“See you later?” She looked hopeful.

“After school.” He squeezed her hand before turning toward his next class.

****

At football practice, while he changed into his practice uniform, he was ribbed by the rest of the team.

“Dude, where have you been?” they chided, clearly happy to see him. “We need you for the game.” Nick followed them onto the field, his enthusiasm leaking away—dreading football. Football had been his life, and now it was not.

“Things have been crazy.” Nick shrugged. “My grandmother is in the hospital again,” he said.

They all seemed sorry to hear it—everyone except Bryan.

“Grandmother, my ass,” Bryan whispered.

They began their on-field warm-up and stopped talking.

Bryan’s comment hit a nerve. Nick was entangled with Cat and hadn’t been worrying about his grandmother’s health, really. He hadn’t been worrying about Emily either.

While practicing their plays, Nick put his left shoulder down and plowed into Bryan. There were no more comments about his grandmother for the rest of practice, only a grunt from body impact.

After showering and dressing, Nick decided to go to the rehab hospital to see his grandmother. He had neglected seeing her. At least Bryan was good for something, he thought.

When he knocked on her door, she greeted him with, “Nick! I’ve missed you!”

“I’ve missed you too, Grandma.” Nick meant it. “Sorry, I haven’t been here much. It’s hard with football practice and the research paper I’m writing.”

“No need to apologize. I remember how busy your mother was in high school.”

He pulled up a chair next to her bed. She was propped up, alternately looking at a magazine and the television.

“What’s new?” she asked.

“Not much.” Nothing to tell you about anyway.

“Here either.” Grandma waved her hand around. “I’m anxious to get home! Have you remembered to water my plants?”

“I did.” Nick stood and gave her a kiss. “I’ll go again on Sunday.”

****

After he got home, his father looked at his watch. “Where have you been? It’s almost eight o’clock. We’ve been waiting on dinner.”

“I stopped at the hospital to see Grandma.”

His mother’s face softened. “How is she?”

“Good, but she wants to go home.”

“I wish you would have let us know,” his mother said.

“Sorry.”

“Let’s eat.” Dad waved her off.

Something was bugging them, and it wasn’t his lateness for dinner.

As they all sat at the dinner table, Nick’s dad cleared his throat.

“Son, I’ve heard several rumors about your history partner,” he said. “Cat, right?”

“Umm hmm,” Nick mumbled through food.

His father paused to consider his question. “It’s been suggested she’s a bad influence on the school with the dress incident.”

Now the church was involved? Nick wanted to grimace and make a face but willed his mouth to stay neutral.

“I don’t think it was Cat that took the dress. Bryan is trying to stir up trouble.”

Nick wished people would mind their own business. Why were they telling his father about something that happened at school? Some of those busybodies needed to get a life.

“Really?” His mother leaned forward with a frown. “Bryan seems like such a nice boy.”

Nick rolled his eyes. Bryan would put on an act for Nick’s mother.

“He’s not such a nice guy at school.”

“We’d like to meet Cat and form our own opinion about her. Would you invite her to dinner?”

“Sure. If she’ll come.” He pictured a black, aloof Cat when his mother served meatloaf and mashed potatoes and informing his parents she was an atheist or a Buddhist. Dinner would be a disaster.