A Fine Line (19 page)

“What did you tell your teammates?” Lucy practically spat the words and then choked back tears, “What did you tell them about what happened on Saturday night?!”

Wes’s heart dropped in his stomach. Lucy watched the look on his face and the tears that had formed in her eyes spilled over, “I thought that was special… I thought, obviously, I was wrong.”

She turned and walked away, Wes put his hand on her arm which she violently shook free. Lucy hissed angrily, “I don’t want to talk to you ever again! You and your friends can go to hell!”

Lucy was not shy about hiding her emotions. Although everyone in the band had heard the rumors that had been spreading about three of the favorite seniors, no one in the marching family chose to believe them. After a brief stop in the bathroom to dry her tears, Lucy raged into the band room. Mandy and Gina nodded solemnly. The unspoken words went between the trio – band girls don’t cry, they get even.

After school, it took every bit of calming and coaxing to hold back James, Mark, and the rest of the Line from going to football practice and starting trouble.

Hotheaded Mark was particularly upset, “If he thinks that he can—”

Lucy interrupted, “Can you trust that we’ll deal with this?”

The gathered members of the Line looked at the girls. Usually bright, outgoing and optimistic Gina and Mandy had a look in their eyes that pretty much spelled out that they were going to handle things on their own way.

Gina put her arms around her boyfriend, “Besides, if you guys start something this close to Indoor, there’s no way Izzo’s going to let you go.”

Normally calm Billy nodded, but said grimly, “If we’re not happy with what you girls come up with, the day after Indoor is a different story.”

Lucy, Gina and Mandy nodded.

Lucy did her best to hold herself together for the rest of the day, but inside she was totally destroyed. She bawled the entire drive home. Not wanting to deal with the inevitable questions from her Mom, Lucy quickly went up to her room, jumped on her computer and started deleting apologetic e-mails from Wes.

Cartwright213:
Long time, no see. How’ve you been?

Lucy’s hands flew over the keyboard. Rather than answer the question, she queried her friend.

bassgirl17:
Why do boys always feel the need to brag?

Cartwright213:
And a good evening to you too…

bassgirl17:
Sorry, it’s that, in the matter of a day, the guy I liked managed to destroy not only my reputation, but my best friends’ as well.

Cartwright213:
Wow. How did you hear about it?

bassgirl17:
Let me paint a picture for you, guy likes girl, girl likes guy. Guy and girl spend (mostly) non-sexual night together then boy tells entire school about some made up sex orgy guy, girl, and girl’s friends had.

Cartwright213:
Did you confront him about it?

Lucy “pfftd” at the screen.

bassgirl17:
Of course.

Cartwright213:
Did he deny it?

bassgirl17:
He didn’t have to, it was written all over his face!

Lucy paused, trying to remember the morning. She had been so utterly and completely mad at Wes that she couldn’t remember what his answer to that question had been.

Cartwright213:
Well then, from what you’re telling me, it sounds like you’re better off without him.

Seeing her conclusion literally spelled out set Lucy’s tears off again.

bassgirl17:
I guess. Next stop, retaliation.

Cartwright213:
Although reasoning and rationality would tell you to just ignore him, I guess nobody messes with bassgirl, eh?

bassgirl17:
Precisely. I’m currently devising a plan.

Cartwright213:
That doesn’t sound like you at all. Isn’t this time of year supposed to be about Indoor?

bassgirl17:
Maybe.

Cartwright213:
Well then maybe consider letting the guy thing go – it doesn’t sound like it’s worth any further energy.

Lucy wished she could concentrate on her section and finalizing the Indoor show, but ever since the rumors had started, it was difficult to worry about anything else but getting back at Wes.

For the rest of the week, Wes was uncharacteristically off. He tried every possible way to contact Lucy, but she was either surrounded by her friends – who were shooting him death stares – or nowhere to be found. She didn’t answer his texts, phone calls, or e-mails and Wes thought back to the locker room and wondered what he could’ve done differently…

You don’t even think you are partially to blame? Some part of you let them think that you were a total stud.

Wes cringed. He hadn’t been super forthcoming about denying what they thought had happened, nor had he done a lot of damage control when he had heard the rumors the next day, but that still didn’t change his feelings for Lucy or what had happened between them that night. He had never felt more entirely perfect than when he went to sleep with Lucy cradled against him.

And now you’ve gone and wrecked that entirely…

There’s got to be a way to get her back.

Good luck with that.

That night at the game, Lucy looked down at the field, rubbing her hands together, trying to get warm. It was an Away game this week, for which she was grateful – there was something entirely too personal about the home field for now. Lucy turned away, trying not to remind herself that next week the marching band would be playing a lame song while the Forrest Hills High School Homecoming Court was paraded down the field. Then, a brilliant idea dawning on her, for the first time in a week, Lucy’s green eyes sparkled and she made her way over the Auxiliary sections.

There was no way Wes could see what was going on in the stands, but it was bad enough that he knew Lucy was up there. He tried to concentrate on the game which actually turning out to be a close one, but his heart wasn’t in it.

“How’re you feeling?” a distinctively female voice asked.

Wes looked away while he rolled his eyes. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with the lead cheerleader’s blatant come-ons. He answered, “Fine,” hoping she would take the hint and get back to her pom poms.

“Let me know if there’s anything I can do to make you feel better,” she said, whispering in his ear in a tone that made Wes’s skin crawl.

“Don’t worry, I won’t,” the kicker said sarcastically as soon as she was out of earshot. Turning his attention back to the game, Wes felt butterflies in his stomach when he glanced at the scoreboard. The Forrest Hills team was down by two and the offense was only just within field goal range. With ten seconds left, no time outs, Wes knew it was his time. He had been loosening up, dreading this moment. Usually he had utmost confidence in his athletic ability, but tonight…

Wes joined the huddle, not surprised when everyone was staring at him expectantly. Suddenly his throat was so dry, and he could barely swallow. As the team broke into formation, the transfer student had a bad feeling.

“Hut!”

The ball was snapped, the center snatched it out of the air and set it up. Wes ran up and kicked the ball as hard as he could. The football hung in the air for a few seconds and then went…wide right of the goal posts. The umpires crossed their arms in unison. The buzzer sounded loudly and Forrest Hills lost by two points.

Wes watched in disbelief. He couldn’t remember the last time he had missed a kick. He could blame a lot of things – kicking from the 40 yard line, the weather, the pressure – but the reality was that he missed.

From the stands, Lucy couldn’t take her eyes off of Wes. A small part of her wondered how he was feeling.

Don’t give him another thought.

But that has to be rough…

Then, as if she hadn’t been through enough this week, Lucy watched Tiffany walk over and put her arm around Wes to console him as he walked off the field.

Forget him.

* * *

CHAPTER TWENTY: The Smallest What?

At Waffle House that night over scattered, smothered, and covered hash browns, Lucy explained her idea to the upperclassmen of the Line, who were immediately on board. The bass drummer looked around the table and said, “You know, if Izzo finds out that the idea came from me and was executed by our section, there’s a chance he won't let us go to Indoor, right?”

No one said anything before Billy announced, “C’mon Luce, we already have enough wins and trophies in the case, so what if we don’t go?”

Lucy’s heart soared that she, the one-time outsider and still oboist, would be so accepted unflinchingly. When she finally found her voice, she replied, “I know we feel that way, but what about the underclassmen and all their hard work?”

On behalf of said underclassmen, J.D. spoke up, “I think it’s more important the future of the Line understands we look after our own before we worry about some cheap pieces of plastic.”

With the emotional roller coaster she had been on over the past two weeks, Lucy wanted to burst into tears, but instead smiled and said, “Alright then, next stop, Drum majors.”

At Tuesday’s practice, Lucy walked down to the field, placed her bass drum near the sidelines and then walked over to the Pit. Winking at Molly, she asked, “Can I borrow Bronwyn for a few?”

Molly shrugged and nodded. The redheaded freshman was the only one in her section that did not need to work on the Indoor show, “Go ahead.”

Bronwyn looked at Lucy, “What’s up?”

“I need some help.”

“Where are we going?”

“To talk to the Drum majors.”

Bronwyn stopped in her tracks and shook her head.

Lucy pleaded, “I need you.”

“What for? You’re better friends with Fred and D-Drew than I’ll ever be.”

Lucy shook her head and put a hand on her hip, “That is definitely not true. Don’t think I haven’t seen you and Drew talking all the time. What I’m going to ask for is going to take both of our combined efforts.”

Bronwyn reluctantly agreed to be drug over to where the Drum majors were going over the new Homecoming music, which was a compilation of Sinatra songs.

Lucy punched Fred lightly on the shoulder, “What’s up, buddy?”

Bronwyn, this close to Drew, simply froze up. Looking at her now mute friend, Lucy continued, “So, I’m sure both of you have heard the rumors regarding myself and a certain member of the football team?”

Drew and Fred were smart enough not to say a single word.

“Anyways, I have some plans and they all start with you…” Lucy looked at the underclassman next to her for help, and not sensing any, began explaining. As Lucy detailed her idea, Bronwyn’s blue grey eyes grew big.

When Lucy was done talking, Fred looked at Drew who looked at Bronwyn who asked quietly, “Please?”

In that moment, Drew wanted nothing more than to help the little redhead he had befriended during the season. The junior Drum major nodded to the senior Drum major and Fred shrugged his shoulders, “I’m guessing we’ll deny any knowledge of ever having this conversation?”

Lucy shrieked and threw her arms around her friend. Bronwyn looked down, but summoned enough courage to flash a shy smile in Drew’s direction.

Throughout practice, the plans spread like wildfire. Sections were making special arrangements for “extra rehearsals” before Friday. During one of the water breaks, Gina and Mandy came over, with matching devious grins on their faces.

Lucy asked warily, “What do you girls have in mind?”

Mandy smiled, “Let’s just say, that if I were Wes, I would probably be hoping that I got sick before the game on Friday night.”

After English on Friday, a nervous Lucy found herself walking out of the classroom at the same time Jewel did. In all her bitterness, Lucy was happy to see that at least someone on the Forrest Hills Homecoming Court deserved to be there.

You know, she probably has insider information…

Concerning?

Maybe you can see how Wes is doing. He must be feeling bad after last Friday’s loss.