The Future of Us (26 page)

I UNWRAP my second sandwich. Emma lays a slice of yellow cheese on an apple wedge. She and Kellan arrived at lunch together, but Emma hasn’t said more than a few words since she sat down.

Kellan throws a french fry straight at Tyson, smacking him in the chin.

He picks the fry out of his lap and pops it in his mouth. “Don’t stop till you make it.”

Kellan aims another one carefully and Tyson opens his mouth. The fry rockets at his face and—

“Bull’s-eye!” Kellan throws her hands in the air.

Tyson coughs twice and gives her a thumbs-up.

Emma peels off another slice of cheese, and offers it to me. “If you want it.”

I’m not a fan of plain cheese, but I take it anyway.

“Wow!” Tyson looks between Emma and me. “Did you two actually acknowledge each other and exchange cheese? This is a big moment. Does anyone have a camera?”

Kellan bounces a fry off his forehead. “Leave them alone.”

“But this is how it all begins,” Tyson says, dipping the fry in Kellan’s ketchup. “The next thing you know he’s offering her a bite of his sandwich. And if they’re not careful—”

“Tyson!” Kellan says. “Shut up.”

Tyson holds out his arms. “What? They haven’t said a single word—”

This time, when the fry connects with Tyson’s forehead, it’s slathered in ketchup. It sticks for a moment, then drops to the ground.

Kellan slaps a hand over her mouth. “I did
not
mean to do that.”

Tyson laughs. “You didn’t mean to throw it, or you didn’t mean to rub it in ketchup first?”

Kellan heaves her backpack onto her lap. “I’ve got a napkin in here somewhere.”

“Forget the napkin, woman,” Tyson says, standing up. “I’m wiping this off on your shirt.”

Kellan screams, and then sprints toward the football field. Tyson follows right behind.

“Emma,” I say as soon as they’re gone, “I’m so sorry about what I said the other day. I know you would never jerk me around on purpose.”

Emma runs her hand over a patch of grass. “Maybe we should accept that it’s been a crazy week and leave it at that.”

Kellan squeals on the field as Tyson catches her. He aims his ketchupy forehead at her chest but she tears herself away and keeps running.

Yes, it’s been a crazy week, but we need to talk about it. “I just didn’t know what to do after—”

“I know.” Emma waves off this conversation and then whispers, “Josh, listen. You’re probably going to be mad at me again, but I’ve been looking at Facebook a little, and this morning it said—”

“Just tell me we can stop avoiding each other,” I say. “That’s all I care about.”

Emma pulls in a deep breath like she’s close to tears. I pick a blade of grass, press it between my thumbs, and whistle. Emma covers her ears, but at least she’s smiling.

“Do you find me charming and lovable?” I ask when she lowers her hands. “Or are you still mad?”

Emma cracks up. “I was never mad. I was only moderately pissed.”

“And now?”

She leans over and pinches my cheek. “Charming and lovable.”

Tyson and Kellan walk casually back to the tree. The ketchup is now wiped across the sleeve of his T-shirt.

“Did everyone kiss and make up?” Tyson asks.

My face instantly warms.

Kellan claps her hands together. “Next question. Who’s going to this bonfire? Tyson is bringing the wood, and I know I want to go.”

Emma looks at me with cautious optimism.

“Here’s the thing,” I say, wanting to take back the next few words even before I say them. “I already agreed to go with Sydney.”

“Oh,” Kellan says.

Emma closes the lid on her Tupperware. “I wish I could go,” she says, “but this morning my mom and I got in a fight and I should probably stay home.”

“Are you sure?” Kellan asks. “I think it would be fun.”

“I’ve got an idea,” Tyson says. “We can invite Sydney to come with us. Kellan’s car can fit everyone. When I’m done with the firewood, I’ll return my dad’s truck and we can all go together.”

Emma picks up Kellan’s Sprite and takes a sip. “No, Josh needs to go with Sydney. And I’m staying home.”

As Emma puts her container back in her bag, I notice that Kellan is staring hard at me.

I’VE HAD A LUMP in my throat since lunch, when Josh told us he’s going to the bonfire with Sydney. He looked embarrassed saying that in front of me, but he doesn’t even know the latest about my miserable future. The last time he saw it, I was living in London with Kevin Storm. Since then, I’ve divorced Isaac Rawlings, and now I have a complicated relationship in California.

Worst of all, Josh has no idea that our friendship will never heal.

I’m walking to track, but I’d rather be sitting in front of my computer, seeing if I’ve changed my password yet. If I haven’t, then I could read as much as possible before I lose Facebook forever.

“Hey, Emma,” Cody says. He’s jogging across the parking lot, a gym bag slung over his shoulder. His hair is spiky with sweat and his T-shirt is stretched tight over his chest. “Looks like we’re both late.”

“I was walking my friend to the chem lab,” I say.

Cody falls into stride beside me. “I got stuck in traffic coming back from Senior Skip Day.”

“How was it?”

He shrugs. “It was boring. I’m over all of this. Now it’s just a countdown until Duke. That’s where I’m going in the fall.”

“Oh,” I say, as if the information is new to me. I actually know more about Cody’s future than he does. Someday he’ll live in Denver and visit the White House. And in fifteen years, he’ll still be single. But right now, he loves a movie that I just watched.

“What you said reminded me of a funny quote.” I wipe my palms across my shorts as I slip into an impression of Wayne. “‘I thought I had mono for a year. It turns out I was just bored
.
’”

“Close,” Cody says, a grin sliding across his face. “‘I
once
thought I had mono for a year.’ I didn’t know you liked
Wayne’s World
.”

The truth is, I hated it even more the second time.

“You’ve seen it?” I ask.

“A few times,” he says. “So, Emma Nelson’s into Green Day and
Wayne’s World
. I’m impressed.”

Cody slings his arm loosely over my shoulders as we walk toward the field. The sides of our bodies touch the entire time. I can feel his muscular frame against mine, and he smells like aftershave.

I can’t believe it, but this actually might be working.

THE COACH CALLS OUT our times as we loop around the track. Every quarter mile, I beat my personal best.

Coach McLeod blows his whistle for encouragement. “Whatever’s gotten into you, Emma, it’s good stuff. Keep it up!”

I keep running even though my legs are burning. I’m doing it to impress Cody, but it’s also clearing my head. I’m currently fighting with Josh, my dad, and now my mom. The only person I have left is Kellan, and I have a feeling I’m losing her to Tyson again.

“Walk it off, Emma,” the coach says after my final four hundred.

I’m rounding the track, my hand pressed into my side, when Cody jogs up next to me.

“Do you feel like you’re going to hurl?” he asks.

I stare at him. “I don’t think so.”

“It’s from
Wayne’s World
.”

I force a laugh. “Right. Of course.”

“Hey, do you want a ride home? I need to drive out and pick up my class ring, but I put that bootleg tape in the car. . . .”

“Which bootleg?” I ask, stalling to give myself time to figure out what to do. My car is in the student parking lot, and I’m supposed to pick up Kellan from the chem lab and drive her home.

“Dave Matthews,” he says. “But I have to talk to McLeod about tomorrow’s timed trials first. So if you want, meet me in the parking lot in ten minutes. I’m the silver Toyota.”

As if I didn’t know.

“WHY ARE YOU OUT OF BREATH?” Kellan asks, setting a beaker into a metal stand. She’s wearing plastic goggles and has an assortment of chemicals in front of her. Kellan completed AP Chemistry last year, but still drops into the lab to assist the teacher.

Ms. Monroe is up front with a few students. I step closer to Kellan to make sure no one hears. “I ran here from track,” I say. “Cody asked me to come with him to pick up his class ring, and then he’s giving me a ride home.”

“Why?” Kellan asks. She spoons yellow powder into one of the beakers, and it instantly emits a putrid-smelling gas.

I step back, waving a hand in front of my nose. “Is this safe?”

Kellan pushes her goggles up to her forehead. “I’m not going to drink it. And don’t change the subject. Why does Cody want you to go with him?”

I can’t hold back my smile. “We’ve been talking recently. It turns out we have a lot in common.”

As Kellan writes something on the lab chart, I study her face. I’ve only seen one picture of her daughter, but it was obvious that Lindsay looks so much like her.

“Let me guess,” Kellan finally says. “You’re asking me to drive your car home.”

I reach into my backpack and dig out my keys, setting them beside the Bunsen burner. “I don’t think we’ll be very long. You can hang out at my house, and then I’ll drive you home. Or you can take my bike from the garage if you don’t want to wait.”

Kellan doesn’t respond.

“Please,” I say. “I’ll owe you big-time.”

“
Huge
-time,” she says, dropping my keys into her purse. “It’s like riding the Tour de France from your house to mine. And I don’t need to tell you to be careful with Cody. We both know he expects a lot from girls.”

“We’re getting his class ring,” I say. “That’s all. And I’ll drive you home the second I get back.”

“Or maybe I’ll ask Tyson to come pick me up.”

“Okay, what’s going on with you guys?” I ask.

Kellan turns her attention to another beaker.

“Kellan Steiner!” I say. “You barely got over Tyson from the last time. You don’t need any more drama.”

“I know I’ve had my ups and downs with him,” Kellan says, looking me in the eye. “I actually called that therapist yesterday to set up another appointment. I want to be serious about keeping my emotions in check.”

“So it’s official? You and Tyson are getting back together?”

“I didn’t say that.” Kellan picks up some metal tongs, but then immediately sets them back down. “But speaking of drama, and I want the truth, what’s going on with you and Josh?”

I flinch. “Nothing.”

“Yesterday, you didn’t even want to go to lunch because he was there. And then today you were almost in tears when he brought up Sydney.”

I pull my backpack over my shoulders. “People grow apart,” I say, “and sometimes there’s nothing anyone can do about it.”

I turn and walk out the door.

“BEND YOUR KNEES!” I yell through cupped hands.

Up on the half-pipe, the stoner guy is about to make his first drop. I tried talking him out of it, but he’s determined to impress his girlfriend. She’s standing at the other end of the ramp with her arms crossed, shaking her head. With one foot on the tail of his board, and the rear wheels locked against the lip of the ramp, he slowly lifts his other leg and sets it near the front of the board.

Tyson and I are next to the ramp, sitting on our boards.

Tyson rocks from side to side. “I’ve never seen anyone die on a half-pipe before.”

“Keep watching,” I say, and then I cup my hands again. “Bend your knees!”

The stoner guy nods like he heard me. As his board begins tipping forward, he lets out a primal scream. He flies down the ramp, but he’s not bending his knees. The board jets out from under him, his legs rocket into the air, and he lands hard on his back.

His girlfriend drops in from the other end, then jumps off her board and runs over to him. She helps him stagger away.