Love Me Back

Love Me Back

By

Michelle Lynn

Copyright ©2013 by Michelle Lynn

All Rights Reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in whole or in part by any means.

This book is a work of fiction.  Names, characters, places, and events portrayed in this book are the product of the author’s imagination or are either fictitious or used in a fictitious manner.  Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Cover photo © Shutterstock.com

Cover Design by Kerri Reaves

[email protected]

The author acknowledges the copyrighted or trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:  Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, Ford Mustang, FJ Cruiser, Jeep Wrangler, Chevy Silverado, Mercedes, Adidas, Velcro, Skype, Brides Magazine

Chapter 1 – 11 years old

“Madeline Dolores Jennings” Bryan yells up teasing me from the bottom of the hill.

“What do you want Bryan Otto Edwards?”

“Hey, I’m just joking, Maddy.”  Bryan runs up the hill throwing his arm around me.  “You knew it had to be coming, I have been holding it in all day since Kenna slipped at lunch.”

I hate the days my mom ‘worked late’.  It entails me having to walk up the grassy hill from my grade school to my brother Jack’s, football practice with the other latchkey brothers and sisters of the football heroes of our small town.  There were half dozen of us that made the trek every day, all boys except for Mackenna Ross and myself. 

Mackenna Ross is my best friend and our polar opposite personalities only enhance our different qualities.  She is free spirited where I am more conservative.  She speaks her mind and I keep my thoughts to myself.   We share a love for tennis, swimming and the game MASH (mansion, apartment, shack or house), where we try to map out our perfect lives.

Our brothers are teammates but not the best of friends.  In fact they have been known to fight with each other on several occasions.  Currently over a girl named Cindy Rydel.  I don’t see what is so intriguing about her but I am not a seventeen year old hormone induced boy either.  It doesn’t matter to Kenna and myself that they don’t get along as long as it doesn’t keep us away from each other.

Jack glances up to the bleachers on his way to the field giving me a wave checking to make sure I made it safely across the hill from our schools.  I wave back and take my seat next to MacKenna.  She already has her notebook out wanting to go first.  We keep all our MASH’s in a binder marking stars next to the lives we want.  I grab her notebook, flipping to the next blank page.

“Alright Kenna, four boys?”  I ask.

“Let’s do five today, I can’t decide who to leave out, Jackson or Tyler.”  She puts her finger tapping her lips.

“Fine, five.”  I reply.   Mackenna never changes her cars she desires or where she wants to live but the boy’s list is forever rotating between the boys in our school.

“Ok, well my usual four boys and…” she pauses glancing over to the field next to us where the younger latchkey boys are tossing a football around.  “Bryan” she spits it out so fast I barely catch it.

“What?”  I scream at her.  Bryan just told her that her butt is big two days ago and now she is picking him to be her future husband.

“Maddy!  Shhh…it’s my choice.  Write it down.”  She points to the paper with her neon green painted nail.

“Alright but I don’t understand you at all.”  I shake my head back and forth writing it down hoping the rotation eliminates him.  I love Mackenna but Bryan is a jerk, I would not let her marry him.

Luckily after I am done Mackenna is married to Tyler, living in a shack in California with her eight kids driving her Range Rover.  I am happy Bryan lost out on the third elimination round.

“Not my best life but I’ll take it.  I got my Range Rover.”  Mackenna shrugs her shoulders slowly moving her eyes towards the grass area again but quickly turns them back towards me.  “Your turn, hand it over.”  She puts her hand out.

I dig through my bag and pull out my purple binder handing it over to her.

“Maddy, you cannot put Trent down four times this time, you have to choose other boys.”  She starts writing MASH across the white sheet of paper.

“I only did that once Kenna.”  I look over at Trent throwing the ball to Bryan.  “I don’t like him anymore.”  I say trying to convince myself as much as Mackenna.

“I’ve heard that before” she taps the pen to the paper.

I have known Trent my whole life.  His brother Doug is Jack’s best friend.  We have been thrown together during cub scouts, t-ball and football our whole life.  We would play together when we were little but as we get older, we learn to ignore each other, doing our own thing when forced to be around each other.   Mackenna is right though if I am honest with myself, I have had a crush on him my whole life.  I have written Mrs. Trent Basso millions of times and scribbled over it a zillion more. Regardless of where my mind is with Trent he is always on my MASH for future husband.

I hate Trent today because during recess Evan Graham said Trent asked him to ask me if Mackenna liked him.  I tried to act as though it didn’t bother me but I think Evan could tell due to the sorrowful look on his face.  I told him I would ask and get back to him tomorrow.  I already knew her answer without having to ask her, she would never do that to me.    I am so mad at Trent Basso today that I knock him down from his number one spot to my fourth option for future husband.  Baby steps.

After we finish my MASH I am married to Jimmy Schmidt, the class clown with one child in Alaska driving a minivan.  Not even close to my best life.  I throw my binder on the bench in front of me leaning back letting the vitamin D soak through my skin.

“Let’s do it again.”  Mackenna says eagerly.

“No, I’m tired.  Let’s just relax.”  I don’t open my eyes.  I want my mind to empty and enjoy the peace knowing it will end when Jack and I go home.

“You go ahead, I am going to play some football.”  Mackenna walks down the bleachers over to Bryan, Trent and the other boys.

I open one eye peering down at her.  I am jealous of her confidence.  She just walks right up to the guys, grabs the football from Trent and throws it to Bryan.  The boys seem annoyed that she is interrupting their game but they let her join in.  I see Trent trying to show her how to throw a football but she just pushes him away taking the ball again.  I love that girl.

About fifteen minutes later Mackenna comes running up the stairs grabbing her bag.  Practice is over and the football team is making their ways to the gates that enclose the field.

“Move your asses little’s” Doug, Trent’s brother yells over to us.  All the latchkey younger siblings are called the Little’s.  We are Madeline Jennings (aka Little Jennings), Trent Basso (aka Little Basso), Mackenna Ross (aka Little Ross) and Bryan Edwards (aka Little Edwards).

None of us say anything as we venture down to the end of the gates to meet our older siblings.

“Let’s go Mad, we’re going over to The Basso’s for dinner.”  Jack motions for me to hurry up.

“I will be right there.”  I hold up my finger and give Mackenna a hug even though I will probably talk to her in a couple hours.  I walk over to Jack climbing into his Mustang.  Doug and Trent are already there waiting for me.  I guess we are taking them along.  Doug pushes the front seat forward so I can climb in the back next to Trent.

“Hey Maddy” Trent says turning his head to stare out the window.

“Hi Trent.”  I stare out my window.  That sums up our friendship lately.  I have tried to figure out what happened to us but came up with nothing.

We arrive at the Basso’s ten minutes later.  They live on the outskirts of town.  They have acres of land that include horses.  Their house has a wraparound porch with hanging flower baskets from every opening.  It is something out of Better Homes and Gardens magazine.  As the Mustang comes to a stop at the top of their gravel driveway Dixon, their yellow lab, runs up greeting us.

I bend down and let Dixon climb on me while I pet him with both my hands.   I stand up and Dixon follows me to the front porch and into the house.  I know this house as well as my own, I have probably eaten dinner here more than mine.  As soon as we walk in Trent goes up the stairs to his room, Jack and Doug go into the basement to play pool and I venture into the kitchen.

“I was wondering when you guys were going to get here.”  Mrs. Basso says to me over her shoulder while she prepares the dinner.

I sit on the stool at the breakfast bar taking out my homework.  “Hi Mrs. Basso.  Thank you for having us for dinner.”  I am thankful I didn’t have to make it for Jack and me. 

“Oh Maddy, you are always welcome.  You know that.”  Mrs. Basso turns around smiling at me.  She is the epitome of the perfect mom.  She works at the local library, always has dinner on the table for her husband and boys.  She volunteers for all the school functions and fundraisers. 

“I know.”  I turn my head down focusing on my homework.

I am able to finish all of my homework while Mrs. Basso finishes dinner humming to herself.  She is always happy.  I wonder what she knows that my mom doesn’t.

“Dinner Boys.”  Mrs. Basso takes her ponytail out shaking her golden blond hair back and forth letting it fall.  She is a beautiful woman and doesn’t look her age at all. 

All the boys come running in while I set the plates and silverware down.

“Hey Madgirl.  Long time no see.”  Gabe, Trent’s older brother shakes my hair with his hand.

“Hi Gabe.”  I softly say.  Gabe is fourteen, a freshman at the high school.  He doesn’t have to wait for Doug at practices because he is old enough to come home by himself.  

“Where’s dad?”  Doug asks while stealing a roll out of the basket and devouring it.  I can’t imagine how much food this house must go through with three boys.

“He had to work late, I have a plate for him prepared in the fridge.”  Mrs. Basso answers. 

I wonder why Mrs. Basso could stay at home when her husband wasn’t home.  Not like my mom who would leave as soon as my dad left town for a couple days.  They couldn’t be more different moms.

We eat the chicken and rice with broccoli while the three older boys fight over the food.  Trent is quiet, never looking up from his plate.  I don’t know what I did to repulse him so much.  After dinner Jack says he wants to play one more game so I go into the family room to watch television.  Trent and Gabe are already in there and I feel like a fool if I just turn around and walk out of the room so I sit down on the opposite side of the couch as Trent.  A couple minutes later Gabe leaves mumbling something about homework.

I take this as my chance to find out what has happened to Trent and why he is so set on ignoring me lately. 

“So, you like Kenna?”  I ask not turning my head from the television.

“I don’t know.”  He shrugs.

“You don’t know?  Why did you ask Evan to ask me to ask her then?”  I shift my eyes through the corners to see his expression.

His body rises and falls sighing.  “I wanted to see what you would say.”

“What do you mean?  If you like her go ahead and ask her out.”  I decide to take the encouraging to break my heart route.

“I don’t like Kenna.”  He moves closer to me on the couch.  I am totally confused by this boy.

“Then why did you have Evan ask me?”  I face him on the couch.  We have been friends since we were in diapers why is everything so awkward now.

“I wanted to see if you would be jealous.”  He takes my hand and entwines our fingers.

“Did you get the reaction you wanted?”  I ask not removing my hand with his. 

“No, I thought you liked me, am I wrong?”  He is staring at me.  His crystal blue eyes are boring into me and I can’t turn away.