“As much as I’d love to see you open your wal et for a change, I’m going out with the guys.” I playful y messed up her hair.
She swatted my hand away. “Oh, right, guy time. Manly time. Bro time. Oh, wait, is that a smile I see?” She scrunched up her face and pretended she was searching for clues in my face. “Yep, there’s definitely a smile cracking. You know what will probably get a huge grin is quality time spent around dudes. Yep, manly men, doing manly things.”
“Too bad,” Daniel e joined in. “Macal an and I were going to have a lingerie pillow fight.”
“Total y.” Macal an’s eyebrows went up and down. “And to think, there was something else I was going to do. I don’t know, it was on 134
the edge of my lips.” She playful y puckered her lips and tapped them. “Hmm, don’t know what it was.”
“You’re awful.” I desperately tried to get the thought of Macal an and Daniel e in lingerie out of my mind. That was up-and-down cruel.
I sometimes thought Macal an forgot I was a guy. And we have certain responses that are difficult to control.
“I’m only teasing.” She bumped her hip against mine.
Yes, tease was the appropriate word.
“I’ve got to hit the showers.” A very, very cold shower.
“Have fun tonight. Real y.” She gave me another big hug. Which
didn’t help my current situation. “I’m proud of you and I’ll see you tomorrow. Now go have fun with the boys.”
“Yes, be super manly,” Daniel e said.
They both laughed and walked away.
“Dude.” Andy fol owed me into the locker room. “There’s no way I can ask her to prom, even if I promise to be a gentleman?”
I shook my head. No way.
“It’s pretty cruel that you parade her around me, but it’s all look, don’t touch.”
Join the club, I thought.
Tim and Andy had been working with me on my catching skil s. Even Keith had joined us a few times and thought I could play, actual y play, on the varsity team the next year.
This was the life I’d dreamed of when we drove to Wisconsin four years ago. Being with a crew, being popular. I didn’t care how shal-low it sounded. It was true.
I walked to classes in a group. I hung out with a group. My group.
Girls were paying more attention to me.
135
It was about two weeks after Macal an and I had shared that
sweaty hug when I was with my crew at our after-meet dinner.
“California!” Andy started slamming his hands against the table Tim joined him with his fists banging. “California, come on!” Soon the entire table was chanting my nickname.
I picked up the milk shake and chugged the entire thing. I didn’t care that I could hardly taste it or that the cold burned my throat. My guys were cheering me on.
“Dude!” Andy laughed. “That was insane. Twenty-six seconds.
You total y crushed Tim’s time.”
“Won’t be the last time that happens,” I boasted, ignoring the
instant pounding in my head from brain freeze.
Andy straightened up a bit and ran his hands quickly over his hair.
He then jutted his chin out. “What’s up, Macal an?”
I turned around to see that Macal an had walked in with Daniel e.
They took a corner table.
“Dude, come on,” Andy pleaded. “Ask her to join us.”
I couldn’t tell if the lurch I felt was from slamming a milk shake or Andy’s constant insistence on being set up with Macal an.
Andy took my silence as a non-invitation for Macal an to join us.
He seemed to concede . . . but then he popped out of his seat and headed over to her table.
I could only see part of Macal an’s face as Andy approached. She looked confused at first, then gave him a big grin. Andy said something that made her laugh and I jumped up.
“What’s going on?” I put my arm around Andy and gave Macal an
an apologetic look. “Is he bothering you?”
“I’m inviting these lovely ladies over to our table.” Andy bowed his head.
136
Daniel e picked up her menu and refused to look up. Her toler-ance for “stupid boy shenanigans” was about as high as Macal an’s.
I knew the only way to get Andy to leave was to make him
jealous.
“Hey, you.” I pushed Andy aside and sat down next to Macal an.
“What are you getting?” I rested my chin on her shoulder for extra effect. “Let me guess, tuna melt?”
“Maybe . . .” I saw her give Daniel e a look that resulted in a con-spiratorial smirk.
Quiet settled on the table. Andy excused himself, but I wanted to wait a few more minutes just to make a point that nobody else was al owed to be at this table.
“I’m going to go wash my hands.” Daniel e got up and left.
I moved over to her side of the booth. “So what’s going on?”
Macal an shrugged. “Not much. Are you coming to Sunday night
supper?”
“I can’t — I’ve got something at Keith’s. But Mom and Dad are still coming.”
She looked down at the menu again. This place had only about
three things she would eat, so I didn’t know why she needed to
study it so much.