A Fine Line (5 page)

Tom was curious and asked, “Lucy Karate? You haven’t met her yet?”

“No. Well, what I mean, every time I get close to her I seem to bring destruction.”

The quint player scratched his head, “Umm…I’m sure she knows you’re trying to do the right thing and that has to count for something.”

A few hours later at band practice, the familiar second bass drummer was nowhere to be seen. This early in the season, it wasn’t of drastic importance, but Lucy sat at home cursing her bad luck. The school nurse had loaded her up with Benadryl and sent her home, which was just as well considering Lucy had never been more uncomfortable in her entire life. Lucy signed online, hoping to see either Sam or maybe even Cartwright was around to chat. Remembering that her boyfriend was in a studio class at the moment, she sighed, but brightened when she heard the familiar sound of a buddy signing online.

Cartwright213:
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t Thursday afternoon usually reserved for band practice?

bassgirl17:
Yes, it is. Some jerk at school today gave me allergies.

Cartwright213:
Is that even possible? You? Allergic to boys?

bassgirl7:
Ha. Ha. V. funny. It was some misguided attempt at chivalry.

Cartwright213:
So what are you doing now?

bassgirl17:
Not too much. It’s really a little early to start stressing about anything school wise…

Cartwright213:
I hear you.

Lucy pushed back from her computer and thought a moment. So far, Wes had been a nuisance that she hadn’t even bothered to tell Sam about, because what was there to tell? Somehow, she thought Cartwright might appreciate the story and that her conscience might feel better if she told someone about the footballer.

bassgirl17:
Of course, there’s always something for me to stress about.

Cartwright213:
Uh-huh. I think I know where this is going.

bassgirl17:
…

Cartwright213:
It was a joke.

bassgirl17:
Well, I’m just in this weirdly defined place with Sam and the fact that a football player wants something to do with me, I think, is not helping at all.

Lucy wasn’t really sure what prompted her to write the last comment. She had zero facts to base it on. Still, she eagerly waited to see what Cartwright’s response would be.

Cartwright213:
Football player? That doesn’t sound right.

bassgirl17:
He’s new. He’s foreign. And he brought me flowers.

Cartwright213:
Something many high school boys never do. Any reason?

bassgirl17:
He kind of punctured my bass drum head.

Cartwright213:
He did what?! Is that even legal?!

bassgirl17:
v. funny. It was actually a very weird way to meet someone, that’s for sure.

Cartwright213:
I see. This must be how the infamous allergy flowers came into play.

bassgirl17:
The very same.

Cartwright213:
I’m guessing Sam doesn’t know then…

bassgirl17:
What’s to know?

Cartwright213:
Coming from a guy, I think he’d want to know if someone was bringing my girlfriend flowers. Even if they were just apology flowers.

bassgirl17:
Really?

Cartwright213:
‘Fraid so.

bassgirl17:
I’ll take that into consideration. Thanks, as always, for listening.

Cartwright213:
Let me know what Sam says…

Mrs. Karate was genuinely concerned for her daughter’s health, so Lucy spent the next day at home working on her college applications. While trying to find the right collegiate level words to describe her most influential moment, a new message popped in her inbox and she found a cute “Get Well” e-card waiting from Sam. They had spoken briefly last night and Lucy was still questioning why she had neglected to follow Cartwright’s advice to give Sam the details of what prompted her sudden allergy attack.

He wouldn’t understand.

If you’re sure that’s the reason.

What are you implying?

You wouldn’t be trying to cover for any cute British boys, would you?

I can’t stand him! I didn’t mention him because he’s completely unmentionable.

Just keep telling yourself that.

Wanting to get out of head for a few minutes, Lucy saved the progress she had made on her college applications, and decided to take advantage of her afternoon off by settled down for a nice long nap, quickly falling into a seemingly dreamless sleep. It seemed like she had just fallen asleep when she suddenly felt herself being gently shook awake.

That’s weird, Mom never wakes me up…?

Wes Mallinson stood outside the Karate household, determined to make a good impression with his classmate this time. He had the afternoon off from football practice because of the game – his first – that evening. It briefly occurred to him that he was more nervous about seeing Lucy Karate again, than about the kick off in a few hours time. Odd how seeing a girl he didn’t really know made him more nervous than a Friday night football game. His palms were already sweating as he knocked on the door.

A smaller, male version of Lucy answered the door. Craig Karate had the same brown hair and green eyes as his older sister. A little Pug dog stood at his feet and looked up at him. Crossing his arms, he popped his gum and asked, “What do you want?”

“I’m a classmate of your sister’s, actually and…”

“You’re not a drummer.”

“No, I play football.”

The boy’s green eyes grew wide, “Really?”

Wes smiled, and answered, “Yes, in fact, I’ll be playing tonight.”

“Oh, I thought you were talking ‘bout real football.”

“What your country refers to as ‘soccer?’”

Craig’s head went up and down.

“Well, I’ve been playing that a lot longer. Do you play?”

Craig smiled and he answered proudly, “Yup. I’m a ‘keeper. So, what are you doing here? I know most of Lucy’s friends and I’ve never seen you before.”

“As I was saying, I’m in her class and I brought her the homework she missed today. Is she available?”

“Yeah, she’s upstairs.” With that statement of fact, young Craig wandered off, leaving Wes to hesitantly walk in. He walked upstairs, pausing to look at the pictures on the wall. There was Lucy, looking equally stunning in pictures from school dances and very intimidating in her band uniform. Wes continued down the hall, until he came to a room he was sure that was Lucy’s. Pausing at the door for a moment, he opened it quietly, intent on putting the assignment down and getting the hell out of there, when he looked over at her bed and saw Lucy sleeping peacefully. The majority of him knew he should get out of there, get in his car and stop caring, but a smaller part of him urged him forward. He leaned over and carefully shook her. Lucy’s eyes opened and she was staring into green ones similar to her own.

Am I still dreaming?

“Lucy.”

She sat up, and almost jumped out of bed before remembering she had stripped off her flannel pants before her nap, “What are you DOING IN MY ROOM?!?!?”

Wes began backing up slowly, holding his hands up, “You see, your brother let me in…”

“To what?! Take advantage of me? I’m going to kill him!”

A safe distance away, Wes replied, “Look, I feel terrible about earlier this week. I brought your school assignments.”

From the bed, Lucy said sarcastically, “Of course, you bringing me my assignments totally makes up for my lost practice and day off of school. Now, be a good lad and turn around?”

“Why?”

“So I can put some shorts on and change for the game.”

She’s only wearing her knickers?!

As Wes turned around and listened to her grumbling, he tried again to apologize, “Listen, I’m really sorry. I know this must look, well, but, it’s not.”

Lucy quickly threw on a pair of shorts. Ignoring his apology – flustered and charmingly Hugh Grant that it might be – she instructed, “You can turn around now.”

Wes did and saw that Lucy was muttering to herself as she paced around the room, “Pants, shoes, socks, beret, Lieutenant braid, check. Jacket, check. Mallets and drum at school. Hmm, flip flops?”

She practically shoved Wes out of the way, “Here’s one!”

“What’s all that for?” Wes was intrigued.

“Remember the big drum I was wearing that you conveniently kicked a hole through?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I don’t know what happens in jolly old England, but here in the States, after you guys pass, punt, and kick your way to victory or whatever, then we, the Forrest Hills High School marching band, take the field and things really start.”

“Oh.”

“Have you never seen a half time show?” Commenting to herself, she murmured, “They were right here.”

“No.”

“Well, too bad, because you’re going to be in the locker room and miss all the action anyway.”

With that, Lucy half crawled under the bed and then popped out exclaiming, “Aha!”

Messy hair, sleep flushed face, and found footwear victorious, Wes couldn’t recall the last time he had seen anyone so…attractive?

Lucy must have picked up on the weird tension. She said, “I’m going to be late for warm-ups, so you’d better leave and, by the way, I really don’t ever want to see you again.”

Speechless, Wes followed her out of the house. Lucy started throwing her marching accoutrement in the back of her car. She glared at him, motioning to his car. His mini Cooper blocked her in. Still bewildered at what exactly just happened in the past five minutes, he got in his car, disappointed with the outcome of the visit.

What did you think was going to happen? She was going to fall into your arms or something?

No, not really.

Well, then…

Completely distracted by the force that was Lucy Karate, and unsure with the whole driver’s side on the left hand side of the car, Wes cringed when he heard a definitive CRUNCH come from the back of his auto.

* * *

CHAPTER FIVE: The Deal

From inside her Cavalier, Lucy Karate heard the distinctive crunch of a car meeting an immovable object. She cringed, took a deep breath and got out of her car, preparing herself for the worst. Wes was already out of his car, and with a shocked expression on his face, was staring mutely at her mailbox and his bumper, which seemed to have been magically joined.

Craig, followed by a yapping Pam, came running out of the house, “What happened? Is everyone okay?”

Wes looked absolutely mortified, and seeing Lucy’s horrified face, he managed to feel even worse. Lucy somehow managed to smile, “Wes, did I do something to do you in a former life?”

“I – you – oh, bollocks!”

Lucy looked at Wes and began laughing hysterically. The football player put his hands up to try and explain when Mrs. Karate pulled up to the house. She parked near the curb and got out of the car slowly. She looked at the mailbox, the bumper of the little Mini, Wes, and the daughter who was wiping tears out of her eyes and asked, “Would anyone like to inform me what exactly happened here?”

Lucy, Craig, and Wes all began speaking at the same time.

Bronwyn peered through the curtains and couldn’t believe that Lucy Karate was actually pulling up to her house. Even better, the senior had agreed to come in and meet Bronwyn’s parents so that they wouldn’t object to the inevitable future rides Lucy would (hopefully) provide their daughter. Bronwyn had called her best friends, Meredith and Megan, when Lucy had offered a ride to the game after class on Wednesday.

Megan, a flautist, had said, “I heard from one of the upperclassmen in my section that she dated the rival Line’s Captain last season – in secret!”