Deceptive Cadence (18 page)

PART TWO: JAMES
FOURTEEN

We had our school swimming carnival the first week back, like always. Geri stood waiting for me when Mum dropped me off. She grinned as I approached. “There’s a hot new guy in our grade.”

“Oh, that would be Flynn,” I said without thinking.

“You’ve met him already? Cadence! Holy cow!”

I realized my mistake and quickly covered. “Yeah, he’s in my maths class.”

“Oh!” She grinned from ear to ear. “Talk to him for me.”

“Ah . . . okay.” We walked to the gate and paid for entry. Flynn would have been my next boyfriend, but even without dating James, I wouldn’t have gone there again. After we graduated, he came out as gay. I’d been his only girlfriend, and I wasn’t sure whether to be flattered that he considered me, or insulted because it implied I was masculine.

We found our group and I pulled off my shirt. I had every intention of competing in every event like I always had. As one of the biggest jock chicks in the grade, it was almost expected of me. I’d done some training over the summer and realized just how much I’d missed swimming.

Geri leaned closer and pulled down my bottom lip. “Let me see again.”

I pulled my lips back to show my braces-free teeth.

“My gosh! I can’t believe how straight your teeth are now, and that huge gap between your front two is just
gone
!”

I smiled. “That’s the point.” I’d had my braces removed a week earlier, just before school started. Going through that twice had sucked, but I liked the slick, slimy feel of my teeth once they came off. Geri lost her mind with excitement when she saw them gone, and James snuck me behind a building so he could “see how different it felt” to kiss me.

As I rubbed in my sun lotion, a new pair of hands rested on the exposed skin of my back. I jumped and turned.

“James! You startled me.”

“I hope no one else is touching you like that.” He frowned, but a hint of a smirk curled the corners of his mouth.

“Hey, Cadence, there he is!” Geri whispered in my ear.

Flynn walked shirtless toward the starting blocks. He did look good. He wasn’t tall—he and I had stood eye to eye—but he was built for a tenth grader, and his sandy blond hair was thick and luscious. I remembered why I’d been attracted to him in the first place.

“He’s so hot!” Geri said in a high-pitched voice.

“What, that guy?” James nodded at Flynn. “He’s totally gay.”

I stared at James, surprised, but Geri slapped his chest. “No, he’s not! Why do all guys think that other guys who are better-looking than them are gay?”

I giggled. “I don’t think I’d say he’s better-looking than James.”

“Thank you, Cadence,” James responded, puffing out his chest. “We could test it.” He looked down at my rack. “Cadence, your boobs look outstanding in that swimsuit―”

I slapped his chest and folded my arms around myself.

He laughed. “No! I mean, they would make any straight guy take a quick look, so go shake ’em in front of him and see what he does.”

“You’re such a perv,” Geri said.

“Fine. I’ll go bend over in front of him and see what he does.” He moved to walk away, but Geri and I caught his arms.

“James.” I giggled. “Leave it alone. If he is, he is, and if not, then Geri can have some fun.”

“I’m telling you, he is!” James grinned.

Geri pouted and marched away.

“Geri!”

She ignored me and kept walking. I shoved James and ran after her. “Geri―”

“You know, Cadence, just because you have a hot boyfriend doesn’t mean you can treat my interests like they’re stupid!”

“Oh, Geri, no, that wasn’t what I was doing―”

She turned on me. “Oh yeah? Why don’t you go shake your boobs in front of him and find out?”

“Well,
you
could do it instead. Your boobs are equally as―”

“See? You’re doing it again!”

I stopped, my panic rising. I had to diffuse the situation. “I’m sorry, Geri. I didn’t mean to tease you.”

She pursed her lips and looked me over. She sighed. “I know. I guess I’m just a little jealous ’cause you and James are so cute together, and I’d really like something like that. But unlike you, I’m not blonde and pretty―”

“Geraldine Turner! You’re gorgeous!”

“Fine, I’m not blonde then.” A smirk spread across her face.

I smiled and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. “Come on, let’s go see what kinda weird crap we can convince James to do.”

She giggled and wrapped her arm around my waist. “Cay-Cay?”

“Yeah?”

“How’s he doing? You know, with being cast out by his friends.”

“Okay, I guess. Better than I expected. Luckily, Julz’s group took him in for me. He seems to really be getting along with Tom and Sam.”

“Yeah, I didn’t realize James was a science geek. He’s doing chem and physics, as well as PE, which is almost the same as bio.”

I shrugged. “He’s a smart guy.”

“Yeah, but he wouldn’t have done it without you showing him.”

I felt someone behind me. “Slut.”

I didn’t dare turn to look at Robbie, just picked up my pace.

“When are you gonna give my boy his balls back, huh?”

“Leave me alone.”

“Ooh,
leave me alone
.
What’s that, your catchphrase or something?” He grabbed my arm and swung me around. “I want my best friend back you little—” His gaze lifted over my head.

James pulled my arm free. “Rob.”

“Jimmy, she’s ruined you! Look at you. You’re such a poof now.”

“Come on, Cadence.” He rested his arm around my shoulders and turned me around.

“Jimmy! Bros before hoes! What happened to that?”

James pulled me closer. “Hey, they called your first race.”

“Oh!” I dashed toward the starting area to be given a starting block.

As I stood in line, I watched James walk back to his new group of friends with Geri. I smiled, relieved they took him in so willingly when they knew what he’d been like before.

“Hey, you’re Cadence right?”

Turning my head, I found Flynn beside me. I remembered this—I’d flirted shamelessly with him. This time, I wouldn’t. “Yeah, and you’re the new guy. Flynn, right?”

I thought about what James said and wondered if he did have a bit of attraction to girls. So, I picked at my swimsuit just under my arms. His gaze fell at the movement, but he didn’t check out my boobs. James was right.

“Yeah. I think I’m in your maths class.”

I smiled. “You sat with my friend, Brian.”

He grinned and I found myself struck by his deep dimples.
Crap, he’s hot
.

“Brian told me
a lot
about you.” He winked.

Great, Brian still has a thing for me
. “We’ve been friends for a while. He’s pretty cool.”

The person in front of me stepped aside. I gave the teacher my name and she gave me my block number and race. A few moments later, Flynn rushed up beside me. “So, what kinda fun stuff is there to do around here?”

I paused, recalling where this was headed. “Well, James and I like the movies, but we’ve also done some laser tag. I think that’s just ’cause he can whoop me, though.”

He laughed. “This James is your boyfriend?”

I pointed toward the group. “He’s the one in the green and blue board shorts and dark blue beater.”

James noticed me pointing and rushed over.

“I can see that,” Flynn said. “You guys make a cute couple.”

Holy cow! What straight guy says that?

“Hey.” James wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “I’m James.”

“Flynn.”

Then James deliberately knocked my towel off my waist. He bent over, turning his back to Flynn, and Flynn looked. I felt like such an idiot for not noticing the first time around. James wrapped the towel back around me and kissed my neck.

He grinned. “Cadence here is crazy when it comes to sports.”

“So I’ve heard.”

James smacked my butt, earning him a glare. “Your reputation precedes you, Cay.”

“You’re a jerk,” I said.

Flynn smiled. “Well, if you don’t mind, would I be able to hang around with you guys? I heard you were nice, so . . .” He shrugged.

“Sure,” I answered before James could say anything obnoxious.

Noticing my race coming up, I bent over, flipped my hair up, and pulled my cap over it. As I straightened, poking the stray hairs underneath, I glanced at James who, by the smirk across his face, had enjoyed the show.

I rolled my eyes and glanced at Flynn . . . who stared at James. Good heavens, I’d been an idiot.

My race was up. James kissed my head. “Kick some butt for me.”

“You know I will.”

“That’s my girl.” He backed away, and with a wink, turned and headed back to our group.

My stomach filled with butterflies as I mounted the block. Years had passed since I’d swum a race. Well, mentally, anyway. Physically, it had been just before I’d entered this timeline. The horn sounded and I entered the water. I remembered why I loved swimming so much. Under the water, only the sound of my strokes and breathing broke the silence. I felt so strong, so lightweight.

I glanced down the line and saw I needed to pull ahead. I kicked harder and pulled the water with my arms. I surged forward, and a moment later, my hand hit the wall. I looked up as everyone else surfaced, and was handed the second place stick.

Second. I always got second, even when I’d go on to zone competitions and place ahead of whoever beat me at school. I
always
got second at school.

I took a deep breath. Oh well, it kept me humble, right? I ducked under the lane ropes and James met me at the stairs, holding my towel. I think he enjoyed the swimming carnival more for the scenery than anything else. His eyes took in my exposed body as I stepped out of the water.

“I think I could die now and be happy,” he said as he handed me my towel.

“Perv.”

He went in for a butt grope, but I blocked him. He laughed and walked me over to the winners table to check in my time and place. As we wandered back to the group, he leaned closer to whisper, “Was I right? Because he was the only guy who
didn’t
look when you did that hair flipping thing.”

“Oh my gosh!” I shoved him in the chest, my cheeks burning.

“Did he look at my butt?”

“Seriously, James?”

“Come on, Cadence. Was I right?”

I glared at him. “Don’t tell Geri.”

He burst out laughing. “Okay, I won’t. I just like being right.”

Harper walked into my room and slapped my leg. “Hey, I need your nerd power.”

“Huh?”

“Do I have to spell it out to you? I need help with English.”

“Ah, twelfth grade English is probably a bit advanced for me.”

“Blah, blah, blah. Shut up and help me.”

I followed her into her room. I’d never been in her room after she turned twelve, so I felt a little excited and nervous all at once. Inside, her paintings covered the walls. They were deeply moving too; some were dark and sad, and others were bright and joyous. The half-finished painting on the easel had a lion devouring her school books. I grinned.

“So, I’m supposed to analyze this stupid poem,” she said as she sunk onto her desk chair, “but it might as well be in Latin to me.”

I leaned over. “Oh, I know this one.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Wow, you really are a nerd.”

“‘The Road Less Taken’ is one of the most famous pieces of poetry in the world,” I answered hurriedly. I remembered studying it in the eleventh grade though. I guess they shifted the curriculum around between now and then.

She frowned at me impatiently. “So?”

“Give me your assignment sheet.”