Romance: Teen Romance: Follow Your Dreams (A Nerd and a Bad Boy Romance) (New Adult High School Sports Romance) (86 page)

Chapter Two

Wren was pleased. The ice cold beer slid down her
throat,
and she closed her eyes, delighting in the taste of it. She didn’t drink often. When she did, she chose her favorite beer and had two, maybe three bottles. That was her limit. She always put a cap on it whenever she drank because she didn’t want to lose her senses, her morals or her career by making stupid mistakes at a young age. Most of her friends didn’t understand it and didn’t follow her example. That made her the go-to girl for designated driving nine times out of ten. By the time her friends were ready to leave, she had long since sobered
up
if she had gotten an effect from the alcohol to begin with.

The bar/lounge was packed fairly good that Friday night. Wren was not a
dancer,
but Winter was on the floor, gyrating like a pro. She looked good doing it, too. Wren was a little jealous. She wished she had moves like that. She smiled at Winter, lifting the bottle up high.

Winter laughed and waved at her, throwing her arms around in the air and bouncing her head in time with the music. Wren just shook her head.

“Hey you!”

Before she knew it, Chris had slid into the booth next to her. She stared at him for a moment.

“Hello.” She said.

“What are you doing here?”

She raised one eyebrow and looked down at her beer.

“Oh, just studying, boning up on the book reading. How about you?”

Chris laughed. “You are great, Wren. Great!”

She could tell he was a little drunk. “Thanks, Chris. You gonna need a ride home tonight?”

He laughed again, a little louder. “Naah. I’m here with friends.”

“Are they drinking like you are?” She asked.

He pulled in a deep breath and then breathed it out. She grimaced. “Dude, breathe in another direction, please.”

He laughed. “Sorry. Listen, there’s a couple girls here I used to date. See ‘em? Over there. They’re probably talkin’ about me as we speak, what you wanna bet? Hey, I got an idea. You wanna make ‘em jealous?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “What do I look like, a piece of meat? No, I don’t want to ‘make ‘em jealous’. Stop it.”

She pushed him away when he put his arm around her shoulders. “Aw, come on, girl, loosen up.”

“Chris, cut it out!”

“You do look like a piece of meat to me.” He said, lowering his voice and leaning close to her. “A nice juicy steak.”

“That’s gotta be the lamest thing I’ve heard in my life, Chris. Scoot out. I don’t want to sit here anymore.”

“Aww, come on, Wren. I’m teasin’ ya. I thought we got along great in class last week.”

“We did. But we aren’t in class right now,
Chris,
and I’m not interested in being on your dinner plate.”

Chris just shook his head. “I’m surprised at you, Wren. Are you always like this?”

“You shouldn’t be surprised. And how am I being? Interrupted? If you knew me well enough to be talking to me like this, you would have known not be talking to me like this.”

“We’re at a restaurant, Wren. Thought you’d be loosened up. Didn’t think you were being interrupted.”

“You were wrong.”

Chris sighed. “All right, all right, calm down. I’m just messin’ around. I’m not trying to put pressure on you.”

“Well, you are.”

“Well, listen, you said you’d help me with my shoulder some
more,
but then I never saw you again. Don’t you go to the games or anything? I haven’t seen you watching in the bleachers.”

Wren couldn’t help snorting. “I don’t go to games and
no, I
don’t sit out in the bleachers either.”

“But then how will you see me play?”

She frowned at him. “I thought you weren’t even allowed to play right now.”

“I’m not. Not yet. But with your help, I could be. And if you were watchin’ or showed up, you might be able to see what happens, you know that could help you understand my injury better. Then you could help me.”

“I’m not a miracle worker.”

She was surprised by the confused look on his face. “Do you really think it will take a miracle to fix my shoulder?”

She thought she heard fear in that deep voice and stared into his eyes for a moment, trying to assess him. Was he trying to pull something on her? He looked sincere. She
decided
to be honest with him.

“No, of
course,
it isn’t going to take a miracle, Chris. I only mean that you can’t expect a
second-year
student to heal your injuries. You can’t expect a full-blown doctor to heal you. I’m training to be a physical therapist. We help the body heal itself. A lot of it has to do with how much rest you give yourself. What you eat. How you treat yourself.” She looked him up and down. “And you aren’t exactly helping yourself heal by getting drunk and coming on to near strangers, just to make a couple girls jealous. If you want to make them jealous, you must still care what they think of you.” She frowned. “I suspect you care what everyone thinks about you.”

Chris stared at her for a moment, clarity coming through his eyes. “You are impossible.” He mumbled. Without another word, he pushed himself out of the booth. He turned around and put his hands flat on the table. “I don’t know why you gotta be like that. I was…”

“I dated your kind
before, that
’s why.” She interrupted him, scooting over to the edge so that she could either get out or stay seated without being interrupted by someone again. Especially an unwanted person.

“Oh? And what exactly is ‘my kind’?”

She frowned at him. “You’re a football player. You care more about the pigskin and the game than you do other people’s feelings. You think you’re a
star,
so you’re loud and obnoxious. I don’t need it. I’m not interested in being around a man like that.”

“You know, just because you’ve dated a football player before doesn’t mean we’re all like that.”

She snorted ungracefully. “Are you kidding? You’ve already proven yourself to be
just
like that.”

“I never asked you to date me anyway.” He said. “I asked you to play along
on
a little joke.”

She nodded. “Oh, I understand that. A little joke at the expense of other people. Some girls I don’t even know. I don’t know what they did to
you,
but there’s no reason for me to be a part of your revenge, is there?”

He leaned forward and narrowed his eyes at her. “You’re a real prude.”

She shook her head. “
No,
I just have standards. Apparently, they are higher than yours. Just go on and drink some more. That will help your
football career
plenty.”

He surprised her by lifting his hands and slamming them back down on the table. She jumped.

He turned and stomped off.

Her heart was pounding hard in her chest. He had frightened her. But as he’d left, she’d caught a glimpse of something in his eyes.
Something that made her pause
. He’d looked genuinely hurt. It made her feel
bad,
and she immediately wanted to leave. Or run after him and apologize.

She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. She scooted out of the booth and headed for the door. Winter could find her own way home.

Wren texted Winter as soon as she was back in their dorm room. She didn’t go into detail, just said she had a headache and left early. She didn’t want to go to bed right away, so she fixed a cup of coffee in her Keurig machine. She took the coffee to her room and settled on her bed, propping her pillows up so that she could sit back against them.

Wren looked down at her phone. Winter had not texted her back. She hoped her friend was okay and then let her mind wander to Chris. She hadn’t meant to hurt his feelings or go off on him the way she had.
She’d thought his behavior was disgusting, but she didn’t have to be so harsh.

She sighed. That was no way to make friends.

She picked up her remote and turned on the TV. An old re-run of the original Star Trek series filled her screen. She began flipping through channels, not really paying attention to what was on or staying on one channel long enough to really see what was playing. She just wanted to distract herself from thoughts of Chris. He had no business filling her mind the way he did. She just couldn’t shake the look in his eyes and on his face right before he stomped away.

She’d really hurt him.

The thought cut her to the core. She didn’t want to hurt anybody. And he was cute, after all. In fact, he was one of the cutest boys she’d seen in college. She remembered kneading his muscular back when he’d been on the massage table. She could still hear the groans of pain he let out whenever she hit a sensitive spot. She’d been careful with him, knowing there were some areas she had
to completely avoid
because of possible internal swelling.

She’d heard good things about him, despite the fact that he was a player – a ladies’ man. He was intelligent, strong and he
did
play football like one of the pros. Perhaps he had a reason to think a lot of himself. The girls certainly made him feel like he was important. She had only
heard, she
had not seen. But
hearing
was enough for her. Everyone knew his name.

“That doesn’t excuse the arrogance.” She
told
herself aloud. “I mean, he could have shown a little respect.”

He was just playing around, she thought. He was just trying to be friendly and funny.

Her thoughts were making her feel even worse about her behavior. He was right that she shouldn’t judge someone because of what someone in her past had done. He didn’t even know that jerk she’d dated in high school. Plus, it was high school. Not like relationships that were formed in high school were really meant to last. That took something pretty special, especially these
days
when relationships came and went faster than
technology
changed. And that was fast.

She sighed heavy and looked down at her phone. She probably had time to get back to the restaurant and see if he was still there. Perhaps she could apologize. She took a sip from her coffee, trying to decide what she wanted to do.

The coffee was hot and destroyed any alcoholic buzz she might have had left from the two beers she had consumed. She didn’t really want to go back now. She was comfortable in her bed, ready to call it a night.

She still felt bad and settled on Scary Movie 3. She knew almost every word of the movie but
this time,
it didn’t make her laugh. She couldn’t get her mind off of her own stupid, deplorable behavior.

She felt like a fool.

She would be lucky if he ever spoke to her again, much less accepted her apology if she ever had a chance to give him one.

Chapter Three

Doing therapy for patients at the nursing home on Elm Avenue was also part of Wren’s curriculum and one that she didn’t mind. So far, she had not run into any of the “grumpy old people” that she’d heard about. All of the patients in the home that were assigned to her were kind and easy-going. She was sure there were “grumpy old people” in the place but thankfully, she didn’t have to deal with them.

One of her patients was Agnes Cunningham, who was recovering from a broken hip. She was only in her late 60’s, which Agnes didn’t consider to be very old.

“There’s older girls here than me.” She was fond of saying whenever she met anyone for the first time. “And I can still walk without a cane. When my hip isn’t broken, that is.”

She was adamant about recovering her mobility after the fall and was grateful that Wren was coming to help her get “back in shape”, as she put it. Wren liked her very much.

She walked
into
the building regrettably that day, though, because it was a beautiful day out and she wanted to be outside. The sun was shining
bright,
and the air was clear. There was not a cloud in the sky, except for a few sparse white bits here and there.

She’d reluctantly chosen a Saturday for that session, mostly because it was one of the only time slots open to her. She hadn’t gotten to the registration sheet fast enough and most of the prime times for the therapy session were gone. The ones during
class
time had gone first.

She shook her head, thinking about her procrastination.

By the time she was inside and heading toward Mrs. Cunningham’s room, she was over it and happily humming one of her favorite tunes under her breath. The session was only an hour long. It’s not like it would last all day. Afterward, she would see what her friends were doing, see if anyone wanted to go on a hike or a picnic.

She knocked first and then pushed the door open slightly.

“Mrs. Cunningham? Are you decent?” She joked, putting her head first into the room. Then she pushed the door open all the way and gazed at the old woman.

The rooms in the nursing home were quite large. They were set up to accommodate someone who had to stay for a month or more, including a dresser, bed, table and chairs, a rocking chair or recliner (depending on what the patient asked for) two bedside tables and a stand with a flat-screen TV mounted on the wall.

Mrs. Cunningham had dragged one of the chairs over to the window and was seated in
it, a
book held firmly in her hands. Her window was wide
open,
and a gentle breeze was coming in, lifting up her blonde/white hair.

Wren smiled. “Mrs. Cunningham?”
She said louder.
“It’s Wren.”

Without replying, Agnes lifted one finger, her eyes never leaving the book.

Wren pressed her lips together in amusement and walked in, setting her bag down on the table near the door. After a few more moments, Agnes placed her bookmark in between the pages and closed her book, looking up at Wren.

“Hello, dear. Just had to finish that part I was reading. It was very exciting!”

“What book are you reading today, Agnes?” Wren asked.

“It’s called
Over the Edge
. It’s by Jonathan Kellerman.” She lifted the book and turned it to its backside. She tapped the small picture of the author on the back cover. “Do you know it?”

Wren shook her head. “I sure don’t. What is it? Some kind of horror slasher book?”

Agnes laughed. “Oh yes, you know how much I love
those
!”

Wren laughed with her. She was teasing the
woman,
and Agnes knew it.

“It’s a detective novel. I just love the way this man writes. He is quite amazing, you know.”

“I’ll have to check him
out,
” Wren said appreciatively. “What type of therapy would you like to do today? Have you been stretching like I told you to?”

Agnes nodded. “I sure have. I’ve been doing yoga with the ladies here. They have a free class, you know.”

“That’s wonderful, Aggie. I’m glad you are taking care of yourself. If you’ve gotten your stretching in, do you want me to give you a massage or something like that?”

Agnes looked out the window. “I was thinking, it’s just a wonderful day outside, such beauty. Can we go for a walk around the grounds? Will that count for your class? I would sign off on whatever you want to write down, though I don’t care for lying.”

Wren laughed. “Fortunately for both of us, a walk is part of your
therapy,
and we wouldn’t have to lie about it. But we’ll both stretch first before we go, to make sure that you are doing okay and not straining yourself.”

“That’s wonderful!” Agnes lit up, smiling. She got up and came closer to Wren, preparing for the stretch exercises. They were very
light,
and Wren talked her through them easily. Once they were done, the two of them walked out of the room and down the hallway.

“I’m expecting my grandson a little later today.”

“
Oh,
that will be nice!” Wren said. “Does he come to see you often?”

“Yes, he comes a couple times a week.”

“Aw, that’s great,
Agnes,
” Wren smiled at her.

She pushed open the door and let Agnes through first. As they passed
through the lobby
to go out, Agnes took Wren’s arm and steered her toward a table nearby with a coffee machine set up and disposable coffee cups.

“I know how much you like coffee, Wren. Here, let’s try some of this. The staff put in a new Keurig
machine,
and you can use any of these that you want!”

Wren looked at the display of different flavors and types of coffee. The K-cups were held in small turntable storage
organizers,
and she spun two of them around before she found a flavor she wanted to try. She’d never seen Caramel Classic roast before. It looked intriguing.

“This is pretty cool.” She murmured, taking one and putting it in the machine. Moments later, she was holding a delicious smelling hot coffee drink that filled her nose with a sweet aroma. She was sure it was going to hit the spot.

She watched as Agnes easily used the machine, choosing a French vanilla flavored K-cup. When her coffee was brewed, she nodded at Wren and the two of them went toward the front doors.

Wren was glad to be outside. It truly was a bright and beautiful day. The breeze lowered the temperature a little but Wren was wearing a light
jacket,
and Agnes had on a warm sweater. They noted the green grass and various pretty flowers as they walked through the garden and around the grounds.

“You know, this has to be one of the nicest nursing homes I’ve ever
seen,
” Wren said.

“How many nursing homes have you been to, dear?” Agnes asked.

“One other, for last year’s lab class. As a first year, I only went a couple times to get the feel of it. This year, I’m in full term. I don’t mind. I like coming and helping you ladies. And the man, too. I just have one man I help.”

“I’m glad to have you. What was the other nursing home like?”

“It was more like a hospital. I must say, no offense, you must have some good money to pay for this place. It’s like something out of a movie compared to the other one. Although I’ve seen plenty of nursing homes in movies that were more like a hospital, too.”

Agnes nodded. “Money does make a difference. And insurance. But you know, there are also differences in levels of care. If the patient requires a more sterile environment and more intense health care, the facility will look different than a place like this, where it’s more people who just need to rest up after being hurt.”

Wren looked down at the woman. “Wow. I didn’t know you knew so much about rest homes.”

Agnes chuckled. “Yes, when I was in the hospital after first breaking my hip, my son and I went through quite a few brochures. I noticed the difference then.”

“So you chose this place because of the more inviting environment?”

“I sure did.”

“How wonderful that you were able to do that.”

“I’m feeling a bit
breathless,
” Agnes said. “Let’s sit here on this bench for a bit. Enjoy the sound of the birds tweeting.”

“Okay, but don’t sit under the tree. You don’t want to get pooped on.”

The two of them laughed and sat on the far edge of the bench together so that they weren’t under the branch that hung over one side of it.

Moments later, Agnes surprised Wren by standing up abruptly, calling out and waving her arms in the air.

“Aggie, what are you doing!?” Wren stood up, worried that the woman had suddenly lost her mind.

Agnes looked at her with a smile. “Look! There’s my grandson! Yoohoo! Over here! Christopher! Over here!”

Chills ran over Wren’s arms when she heard the name and looked toward the entrance of the building to see Chris, the very boy she’d made an idiot of herself in front of just a few weeks ago. She hadn’t seen him on campus since and was still wrestling with herself over how she’d behaved.

She knew she was blushing and immediately wanted to tell Agnes what she’d done.

“That’s your grandson?”

“Yes, that’s Christopher. He goes to your college, too. Do you know him?”

Wren laughed softly. “I sure do. I made a complete moron out of myself in front of him. I think I hurt his feelings.”

Agnes looked up at her. “Well, Christopher is a big boy. He can handle it. I’m sure plenty of girls have hurt his feelings. He’s a nice boy. Let’s go meet up with him.” Agnes took her hand and pulled her along the walk. Wren laughed again, giving Chris a sheepish look as they approached one another. He knew who she
was,
and she was sure he remembered how she’d treated
him,
but he was smiling nonetheless, not just at his grandmother but at her, too. She was grateful.

The grandmother and grandson met in a tight hug, Chris leaning over and wrapping his big arms around her.

“Grandma! What are you doing out here enjoying the beautiful day when you could be sitting in that room of yours with your nose in a book?”

Agnes laughed and gave him a playful slap on the arm.

“Ow!” Chris looked mortified, holding his arm where her small hand had made contact. “What are you trying to do, break my arm? You’ve been working out, haven’t you?”

“Oh stop it, Chris.
You’re so crazy!”
Agnes turned to Wren. “You know Wren, don’t you? She does my physical therapy.”

Chris looked at her. She was surprised to see a sparkle of amusement in his eyes. “I do know Wren. She’s worked on my bad shoulder before. She really knows her stuff! How are you doing, Wren?”

Wren was confused but answered him with a smile. “I’m doing pretty good, Chris. How about you?”

“Oh, my shoulder has been bugging me lately but nothing I can’t handle. I hope you will consider helping me out again soon.”

“I’d love to.” Wren felt a wash of relief. Maybe he’d been too drunk that night to remember how rude she’d been to him. Either way, she wasn’t going to bring it up here, in front of Agnes, who obviously adored both her and her grandson.

“You gonna join us for our walk? Do you have time to stay for a bit more, Wren? I don’t know how long it’s
been,
but we’ve been out here for a bit now.”

Wren glanced down at her watch. “I do have time. We have about 20 minutes left of the
session,
and I don’t have plans when I leave here. I was actually going to try to contact some friends and see if they wanted to go on a hike or something. I like to get out when it’s nice.”

Chris nodded. “Me, too. Yeah, grandma, I’d like to walk with you. I’m glad to see Wren isn’t putting you through the ringer with a tough exercise routine.” He came up alongside Wren and nudged her playfully with his elbow. “Grandma’s a tough lady. You gotta be careful she doesn’t overdo it.” Before she could respond, he had turned back to his grandmother and put his big arm
over
her shoulders. “All right, let’s go, grandma. I’ll race you to the other side of the campus.”

The three of them laughed.