The Summer of Me & You (14 page)

I didn't let her detect anything. “Is that supposed to faze me or something?”

“No. Guess not. Nothing's important to Kaleb, but Kaleb. Have a great night.”

“Stop,” I said. “I'm not letting you walk. At least let me drive you home. I want to make sure you're safe.”

“If my mom sees that I'm with you, she'll freak out.”

“Your mom is pretty stupid then, because if she didn't want me around you then why did she ask my mom to look after you over the weekend, knowing there'd be a good chance I'd be here?”

That's when my mother spoke up. “She didn't. I lied to both of you.”

“What?” Kayleigh and I said in unison.

“Your mom didn't ask me to watch you. When she called me, she told me she was going out of town and that you'd be home all weekend alone. She wanted me to keep Kaleb away from you. I kinda did the opposite? I thought it'd be nice if you two could spend some quality time together.”

My mom was such an overgrown teenager. “How
parental
of you,” I said. “And what sort of “quality time” did you have in mind?” I smirked, walking over to grab a handful of popcorn.

My mom punched me in the arm. Kayleigh smiled.

“Your mom is so cool, Kaleb,” Kayleigh said.

“You mean you actually like the idea of her lying to us both and bringing us together over the weekend?”

“Yeah, my mom would never do something like this.”

“Well if you wake up and find me in the obituaries we'll all know who killed me and it'll be my mother's fault.”

“Anyone up for pizza?” she asked us.

“I
love
pizza,” Kayleigh said. My mother reached for the pizza coupons that were laying on the table behind the couch.

I whispered to her, “Your mom
isn't
home, is she? Because if she was, she'd be looking for you right now.”

Kayleigh smiled and whispered back, “Guess I'll be spending the night after all.”

My mom looked up, “What are two whispering about?”

“Oh nothing,” I said. “Get us two large pizzas with everything on it.”

“Everything but mushrooms,” Kayleigh said. “I
hate
mushrooms.” I took her hand in mine and led her down the hall.

“Where are you two going?” my mom asked.

“We're going to spend some of that quality time you were talking about. You've had Kayleigh to yourself long enough.”

“Leave that door open,” she said, pointing at me. “And don't get too excited because
you
are sleeping on the couch.”

“
Dammit
,” I said, smiling.

“Scary movies at ten!” she called.

“Okay!”

Once Kayleigh and I were inside my room, she plopped down on my bed and told me, “That text I got a few minutes ago really
was
from my mom, but it's the only one she's sent all day. I'm glad she hasn't been blowing up my phone, but I didn't like what the message said.”

I sat down beside her. “What did it say?”

She sighed. “You know, for a parent who is so overprotective, I thought she'd call or text to make sure I was okay or if I needed anything, but she didn't. The message was a one liner. All it said was
You better not be with that boy.
”
 

“Damn. What's your mom's problem? I've never done anything to make her hate me.”

“I don't know.”

“She's never liked me. I've known it for as long as I can remember. That day in February, when I was fifteen and confessing my feelings to you in the only way I knew possible, back then at least, she basically scared me away. She gave me this evil look and that's why I left. For the longest time, I thought that's why you avoided me. Because your mom hated me and she'd made you hate me, too.”

“I could never hate you,” she said.

“Sometimes I wonder.”

She repositioned herself on the bed so she could face me. “Kaleb, I didn't run away from you that day because I didn't like you. I ran away because I did.”

“I don't understand.”

“I like you. A lot.” She'd said it. She'd finally said it. Then she added to it. “I always have.”

“Me too,” I said.

“You've always liked yourself a lot?” she laughed.

“You're such a dork, Kayleigh.” I grinned. “No, silly. I've always liked
you
a lot.”

“I know,” she said.

“Then why did you run away?”

She shrugged. “Because it scares me sometimes, maybe.”

“It doesn't scare me. I think it's great.” I wanted to kiss her, but I didn't know what her reaction would be, so I refrained from doing so. That could wait. I didn't want her running away again. I'd leave good enough for now alone.

“Hey,” I slid off the bed, dropping down by my TV and switched on the game console. “Want me to show you how to play this really badass game I just got?”

“Yes, I'd love for you to.” I handed her a control.

“Can't wait until the pizza is here. I'm starving,” I said.

“Me too. So glad I'm not having to eat tofu leftovers tonight,” she giggled.

“Eww,” I made a face. “Yuck.” I waited for the game to load.

“So, do you have any ideas for our short film?”

“No, not yet. I love your hat, by the way. Maybe we could go to this year's short film fest down in North Port together. They have it every summer.”

“That'd be so much fun,” she smiled. She glanced around the room, found the hat hanging on the coat rack. She stood up. “I'm getting my hat back now,” she said. “I told you what you wanted to hear.” She placed it back on her head.

“How did you become interested in filmmaking anyway. I never knew that was something you liked.”

“It wasn't, not originally. I thought I liked theater, but I didn't want to act, so I wrote a play instead. It was never picked up for the stage at school, so—and don't laugh when I tell you this okay?”

“Okay, I promise. I won't.”

“—So I made puppets out of scrap materials and enacted the play myself, using the puppets. That's sorta why I do puppet theater at the daycare now. I find it amusing.”

But I was laughing. “That's so awesome,” I said.

“Hey! You promised not to laugh.”

“Yeah, but I'm not making fun of you. Really. I think that's intriguing. So different.”

“Yeah right. I'm a dork, I know.”

“You are, but I still like you.”

“So anyway, I ended up filming my puppet production. And that's how I spent my spring break last year. I did all of the different voices and everything. And when I went to an art exhibit there was a film gala. They played hours of short films back to back. That's where I got my hat. Some of the films were really good. And the directors were there to talk about their art. They seemed so thrilled about it, that it excited me, so I took home one of their pamphlets and started doing some research into filmmaking as a career. I wanted to be as happy as they were in whatever I chose to do with my life. What about you?”

As the game loaded, I filled her in on my filmmaking history.

“Stephen's brother Brian has a company that builds art sets for theaters and low budget films. They also make costumes and send out make-up artists to dress the actors for their parts. Several summers ago, his studio was working on some project and he brought me along with him that week. I couldn't believe anyone got paid to actually do any of that. I mean, they were getting paid to do what they loved, and have fun while doing it. Watching the process piqued my interest. I began reading some books about it and I've been hooked ever since.”

A silent moment passed between us, but it ended when my mom yelled, “Pizza's here!”

We both bolted up at the same time and ran down the hall. She tried pushing me back so she could get to the food first.

Maybe this weekend wouldn't be so bad after all.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Glowing the whole way home

*

I didn't expect to see Kaleb on my doorstep at 10 am, and to make it worse, it was my mom's day off. As soon as I opened the door to step out and get the newspaper, he was there.

“What are you doing here?” This was absolutely horrible. I'd just gotten up and had tossed on a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. Hadn't even combed my hair yet.

“I wanted to see you.” His eyes sparkled.

“My mom's home.”

He just shrugged.

My mom jerked the door open, realizing I was talking to someone. She radiated hate, but it didn't seem to faze Kaleb at all. Not even when her eyes threatened to set him afire.

“Hi,” he said in the most sunny voice possible. “Can I take Kayleigh to the park?”

My mom wanted to slam the door in his face. I just knew it. She pulled her robe tighter around her body. “It's
may I take Kayleigh to the park
and no you may not.” She tried to hold her composure. “Get in the house, Kayleigh.”
 

“I'll have her back by five this afternoon,” Kaleb tried again. My eyes pleaded with him to leave before this got any worse.

“Go,” she said snatching the paper from me. “Well, go on,” she said, shooing us both away.

“Really?” I asked her. Did I just enter the Twilight Zone?

“Go
now
before I change my mind.” She stepped inside and closed the door on us.
 

“
That's
different,” I smiled.
 

“No one can resist
this
grin,” he said. And he was right. I'd been trying to for the longest.
 

When we were at the park, Kaleb bought us both an ice cream cone.

“Your mom corrected me on my grammar at ten in the morning. She's also really grumpy. Hope that isn't you in twenty years.”

“Hey!” I said.

“It's true. Some girls grow up and act like their mothers.” He licked his ice cream and I watched. My mind wandered to places it shouldn't have.
Get it together, Kayleigh.
I internally kicked myself. “Don't know why she hates me so much.”
 

I wanted to know the answer to that myself. He'd never done anything to her, or to me either. I followed Kaleb to a secluded area, away from everyone else. They were in the distance. We sat down and he plucked blades of grass from the ground, told me stories about made up movies. He'd name a title of a movie, and ask me if I'd seen it. When I said no, he'd launch into telling me what the movie was about. As soon as I bought in to it, and told him I'd like to see it, he smiled and said, “It's not a real movie, it's just a movie I want to make.”

I play-punched him. But then the moment shifted to something a little more serious.

He pressed me down into the flowers. Climbing atop me, he held my wrists down above my head. “I wanna do things to you, Kayleigh.” His lips were incredibly close to mine. I could smell the nicotine on him. My breath wavered. “But I know I'd never be the guy you'd choose.”

I tried to find my voice, but his piercing gaze nearly left me speechless. I quivered. “Maybe you don't know everything you think you do.”

For a moment, there was an awkward silence. His brown eyes lingered a little too long on mine, causing my pulse to race with anticipation. He was finally going to kiss me. I knew it. This was the moment. Kaleb Scheffler's lips would touch my lips.

But instead, he let me go, freeing my wrists. He moved away from me, ruining the perfect moment that was playing in my mind.

I sat up, my head spinning, the sun flaring in my eyes.

“I want to see you,” he said, “without your glasses on.”

“Okay.”

He scooted closer. I held my breath as he reached over and gently removed them. His fingertips brushed against my face.

“God, Kayleigh,” he exhaled. We were so close to kissing. “—Your eyes are fucking gorgeous.”

I didn't know what to say, so I didn't say anything. It took a moment for my eyes to readjust because of my astigmatism. I studied his face and how perfect his jawline was. It hurt to look at him. He brought the tip of my black glasses to his lips, biting down on it with his teeth. Oh God, that was so sexy. “You should really consider getting contacts.”

I could barely think straight.

“Maybe I will when you stop smoking.”

He held my glasses out to me, twisting them. I took them from him, placing them back on my face. He rotated onto his side, digging in his pocket. He wore the same pair of jeans he always wore. He was attached to them. A stick of gum with crumpled foil paper fell out, along with a couple of quarters and dimes, a movie ticket stub, and his blue lighter. He finally found what he was looking for. A damn cigarette. Ugh.