The Book Fight

CHAPTER 7: A crack in the wall

ASTON

“Can I get a towel?” Sekani pulls her t-shirt to reveal a black Calvin Klein bra and a preview of her chest.

Okay, maybe before I wasn’t considering it but now? She is standing in a thin strap bra and I am hormonal teenager who hasn’t gotten laid in over a year.

“You’re serious?” I walk to the bathroom and take out towels.

“Yeah, your shorts would have fell off anyway.” She unbuttons her high waist jorts and drops them to reveal black Calvin Klein men’s underwear.

“Is that—” my question dies because of her long, narrow, sexy legs.

“I only had a size in men’s,” she tugs at the waistband to draw attention to her small waist.

After she braids her hair into 2 boxer braids, we head downstairs barefoot with our towels.

“What does your tattoo mean?” Sekani dips her legs into the pool as I light my joint next to her. “I admit I’m a little curious.”

“Do you want to see it fully?” I pull my t-shirt off when she nods.

“It’s a broken arrow?” I feel her fingertips on my spine and get a tingly feeling as I blow smoke out of my mouth.

“It’s an arrow with a spilt compass actually.” I exhale smoke again, “instead of the cardinal directions, I used the initials of my family members” since they are my direction.

“K, M, P?” Her palm presses down my back and I’m sure goosebumps form under her touch.

“K is for Kimberly. M for Martin and P is for—” I struggle to continue. “The empty 4th space will be for the baby,” I say instead.

“It’s not as big I thought,” she removes her hand and I turn to face her. “I just mean, I thought it covered your whole back.”

“It was big enough for my father to lose his s**t” I pull on my joint.

“Well, I think it’s cool.” Sekani removes her legs from the water and dives in. “Thank heavens, it’s warm,” she emerges like a siren from the water.

“It’s heated,” I finish off my joint.

“Fancy,” she spins around.

I throw my t-shirt on a tanning chair next to the towels and move back for a head start. “Watch out, I’m coming in.” I run at full speed and do a cannonball.

“And the crowd goes wild!” Sekani makes a roar sound. “And the crowd goes wild!” She whisper-cheers when I emerge.

“Thank you very much” I bow dramatically and it makes her laugh.

We play water basketball for a while and even splash each other with water before my buzz returns in full force. Now we’re just floating on our backs and looking at the quiet night sky.

I will say, one thing Rooksville has over New York is stars.

My eyes move to Sekani when her hand accidently touches mine. Half of her head is under water so only her bare face is in view. I have never realized how long her wispy eyelashes are. I’ve also never noticed the beauty mole under her chin or the beauty mark under her left eye.

As if sensing my eyes on her, she peels her eyes open and the reflection of the moon appears on her brown pupils.

“Can I ask you a question?” Sekani stares at the sky.

“Sure but fair warning,” I look up too. “I’m really high so bear with me.”

“Why do you watch me?” Her feet disappear from the surface when she stands. “I know a lot of people at school do but you’re the only I can ask.”

She waits for me to mirror her position but it still takes time to register the question. My mind is equivalent to a pile of jelly right now.

“All week at school, I’d find someone just looking at me and then turn to their friend and say something before looking away.” She adds and it dawns on me she doesn’t like the attention.

If I knew it would bug her so much I would have kept my mouth shut.

“Sekani.” I say so she can look at me. “People are always going to watch—always. Don’t let it get to you because it means you’re doing something worth watching.”

I know that for a fact.

“It’s just that, I am scared I’m going to mess up and find 10 people watching me.” She wipes her face. “It’s a lot—”

“Sekani.” I cup her face and her lips part. “I watch you because you’re literally a sight for sore eyes. I can tell some watch you because you have this energy that draws them in, so don’t let anyone dim it,” it’s too precious.

It takes a second but my words seem to register and the frown that was on her forehead, irons itself out.

“Your hands are so cold,” she finally smiles so I let go.

“I think it’s time to get out.”

I’m rubbing Sekani’s body dry with a towel when I feel her eyes on me. She couldn’t stop shaking long enough to do it, so I volunteered.

“Why do you watch me Sekani?” I rub another towel over her hair.

I have this sudden urge to kiss her nose, she looks so adorable.

“Call it curiosity,” she looks up at me with those beautiful brown eyes.

“Of what? It’s not like I just moved here or started at school.” I leave her wrapped in towels and grab one for myself.

“I admit, I didn’t see you when you first came in but when school started this year I saw you Aston and all I saw was mystery.” She looks over her shoulder, “and I plan to uncover it.”

Why? Is my first thought. Please don’t, is the second one.

If she really saw me then I’d lose her. I’d lose this—whatever this is—and I don’t want that. I like having Sekani around and her knowing will ruin that.

“All in due time Miss Rivers,” I try not to wince. “Now, let’s get you warmed up before you catch a cold.”

Sekani keeps the bathroom door open as she unbraids her hair.

After we dried up and dressed, she went in there to get ready to go home. Since her body temperature is low and the fabric of her t-shirt is thin, it exposes the outline of her n*****s.

I’m still high so the pounding I feel on my chest might be exaggerated but as I stare at her side profile instead of her n*****s, something tells me it’s not.

I don’t know what’s going with me.

She is a few feet away but I feel like there is an ocean between us. I’m even aware of her everything she’s doing, from her breathing to her low humming.

I honestly watch Sekani because she is truly beautiful.

Unlike last time she was here, I walk her out. I don’t contain the shock when I find a red, 1986 Porsche on our driveway—it’s a 930 Turbo.

“Aston meet Harley,” Sekani opens the trunk and throws her schoolbag in. “The love of my life.”

“This is your car?” I move around the sport vehicle to assess it. “Why do you let your friend drive you, if you own a classic?”

And it’s in mint condition too.

“I hurt my shoulder during practice last year and Yi offered to start picking me up.” She opens the driver’s door, “we had so much fun that when I was cleared to start driving again, we still continued.”

“Wow,” that is such a girl thing to do.

“I also save a ton of gas and money when I ride with her.” She clips in the driver’s seat. “Thanks for tonight Aston, especially the cake,” she eyes the container in her passenger seat.

“Sure, have a safe trip.” I nearly start drooling when she starts the engine and it roars.

I knew Sekani was cool but this is a whole new level of cool. No wonder she’s so popular, the girl never misses. Seeing her drive a Porsche just made her the sexiest girl, I have ever seen in my life.

“Bye,” she honks as she leaves the driveway.

I spend the rest of my night reading the Basic Instructions, the chapter on Feelings makes me realize, I have a lot to figure out.

Like the notebook suggests, I keep my distance with Sekani the following week at school. I use the bus entrance instead of the main one and feed Buck some crap about how I prefer to eat out for lunch since he is determined to eat with me every day.

I felt her eyes on me sometimes but I don’t react or even acknowledge her in gym class or in the halls. It’s hard at first and only becomes harder as the week came to an end.

Who am I kidding? It is close to torture.

But I had to do it because the chapter explained that people mistake infatuation for something real. Which is why most relationships fizzle out and since I don’t want anything I build with Sekani to fizzle out, I followed the advice.

“So when are we talking girls?” Buck throws a ball to someone across the field.

How he convinced me to come watch his practice on a Saturday morning, is honestly beyond me. I meant it when I said he can talk anyone into anything.

It’s 09:00AM and I’m in school voluntarily. I barely make it here on the times I’m supposed to be here, so Buck has to be a witch because he talked the coach into letting me stay even though it’s a closed practice.

“Girls?” I sip his coffee so I can wake up.

I am glad he is an addict enough to have a cup with him every morning. I’m not a fan because it ruins the whole point of being incoherent but I need it now.

“People have been noticing us hanging out, they know we’re friends and that you’re not gay.”

“People?” I have to scoff at the fact that, that was even up for question but that’s high school.

“Girls Einstein, the people are girls.” He tosses the football, “your face draws attention. I guess a lot of people don’t think you’re ugly.”

“Mh.” I yawn and he signals for someone to stop.

“You need to get laid Aston.” He sits on the bench next to me, “and the girls that ask about you are cheerleaders, sophomores and girls from other schools.”

“I sincerely doubt girls from other schools have seen me,” I smell a fib.

“We’ve had lunch out of school all week. They’ve seen you and it’s like everyone has been waiting for a way in so when we became friends, I became that way.”

It’s too early for this conservation.

“What about you? Why don’t you have a girlfriend?” I decide to flip the tables.

Buck flirts with a lot of girls and has bragged about ‘kissing’ a few but he hasn’t once mentioned anyone serious to me. He actually doesn’t introduce his girls to me.

“I already did the whole dating scene in high school and it nearly tore me apart.” He laughs it off but I sense the pain in his voice.

Maybe it is time we talk girls. I personally don’t want to because I’m still figuring out a few things but it seems Bucks needs to.

“Bruce, what happened?” I use his real name to show him how serious I am.

I accidently saw it on his real ID and I planned to tease him about it but now seems like a good time to expose it.

“Her brother was the friend I told you about, the one that passed away last year.” He clears his throat. “I was in love with her man but loss makes you push everyone away and she did, especially to me.” He looks at the ground as if reliving the moment all over again.

“Buck—” he really doesn’t need to do this.

“It was hell Aston.” He shakes his head to stop me. “I lost them both and it was…hell.”

“I didn’t know.” I blink. “I’m sorry man,” it looks like he is still torn apart about it.

“Don’t sweat it.” Buck shakes it off. “I have no regrets, I got therapy and I paid my heartbreak debt.” He faces me, “but I worry about you Parker.”

“You do?” I can’t help but sound skeptical.

All he does is give me s**t and joke around, I’ve never once gotten ‘worry’ from him.

“Yes asshole,” he punches my shoulder playfully. “Why do you think I’m always with you? It’s not because of your conversation skills,” he scoffs. “You barely talk half of the time.”

“That’s because you do enough talking for the both of us.” I point out, “but seriously Buck. You don’t have to.” I lie.

Sometimes I feel okay. Those 2seconds when I wake up and still feel fuzzy from sleep is the sometimes I’m not numb or in pain and I am actually okay.

Then out of nowhere it hits me.

Like a speeding truck, the pain collapses in my chest and latches onto me. Then my alarm goes off and I have to shower, get ready, greet my parents, go to my car and drive to school.

I have to live every day without someone I never wanted to be apart from and the worst part is, I have to act like I’m okay with it when I know I never will be.

And ‘they’ said with time it will get better. With time it will heal but I still can’t shake the pain latching to me and the only way to push a little off is by being high.

I tried drinking it away but I wasn’t really a fan of the hangovers, the random hookups and the inability to drive.

Then I tried pot and it worked to a certain point.

I felt myself physically losing it each year he was not there. I didn’t know what to do because I’d hear his voice or see him walk then I’d be back to being that 15-year-old, that found his brother dead in his room.

That’s why I can’t stay sober. I’m scared it’ll physically ruin me and unravel me permanently.

“Liar,” Buck pulls me out of my thoughts.

“What?” I sip the coffee to open up my throat.

“When my mom told me what happened, I knew there was a reason. You’re sinking Parker, you have been since the day you lost him but—” he holds my shoulder. “I’m here to pull you out.”

My chest constricts with a sharp pain as I ask him, “why?”

“I couldn’t help Ashley—that was her name—but I’m going to help you.” He grins proudly when I look at him.

Buck is trying and eventually I’m going to have to meet him halfway. A wise man once said, there was no time like present so here we go.

“Fine,” I sigh. “I think I might have a crush on Sekani.”