Silver Linings (9 page)

Thankfully, her ruse seemed to work, and by the time another full week had passed, Ryan's little challenge was old news. The gossipmongers had found fresh fodder. The holidays were fast approaching and Coco kept herself busy with school and family. Then her parents, whom she'd never confided in, suggested she invite Ryan over for Thanksgiving dinner.

“No.” She nearly screamed at the idea. Her parents were baffled. It was embarrassing enough that nearly the entire school was in on the joke. She couldn't bear it if her family found out.

“I thought you liked him?” Her mother appeared surprised.

“He was such a polite young man,” her father insisted. “I'd like to see more of him. From what I understand, he's got a bright future as an athlete.”

Coco wanted to scream that Ryan was nothing like they believed. Not only had he fooled her, but he'd managed to deceive her parents as well. “We've both moved on,” she said, hoping it would satisfy her parents, and luckily it did.

As time progressed, Coco's friendship with Katie grew. For the rest of the school year Coco avoided her old friends, shunning their invitations. She dropped out of drill team and kept mostly to herself.

After graduation Coco got a summer job at the same fast-food restaurant where Katie worked. A couple times friends of Ryan's came in. Without Coco ever asking, Katie stepped in to take their orders so Coco didn't have to.

As difficult as it was, Coco put high school behind her. But not Ryan. Her humiliation had festered and grown into such an intense dislike that she now relished the thought of confronting him at their reunion.

“Coco?”

Katie's knock against the door of her room broke into her thoughts. She slid off the bed and pulled open the door.

“You okay? I knocked a few times. I thought you might have gone to the high school without me.”

“Sorry…I was thinking…you know, about tonight.” This evening's party would be her first opportunity to see Ryan again. This was the moment she'd been waiting for for the last ten years and she wasn't about to let it pass without telling him exactly what a scumbag she thought he was.

“Do you think Ryan will definitely show?” Katie asked.

Coco was sure of it. “Of course he will. His ego is much too big to miss the adoration.”

But adoration was the last thing Coco intended to give Ryan Temple.

Katie's attitude toward algebra and James did change, and his attitude toward her did as well. She applied herself, made an effort to understand what he told her, and followed his detailed instructions. Now that the resentment didn't shimmer off him like the summer sun on concrete, she felt less nervous. Katie remembered the first time she caught on to the concepts James was trying so hard to teach her. Once she had that breakthrough, everything else seemed to fall into place. For whatever reason, she'd convinced herself that she wasn't any good at math and would never learn. Thankfully, after a few rough spots, James's patience and encouragement had helped her see the light, and it was bright and beautiful.

“I get it, I get it.” She beamed with pleasure and turned to smile at James, so excited that it was difficult to remain in her chair.

He gave her a high five and seemed as happy and excited as Katie was herself.

At their next session she proudly showed him her test paper. She'd aced it and she had James to thank. She would never have gotten a passing grade if it hadn't been for him and the hours and hours of work he'd put into tutoring her.

James's smile said it all. “See, I knew you could do it.”

“Thanks.” She sat beside him at their table in the school cafeteria. The afternoon tutoring sessions with James had become her favorite part of the week and she missed him on the days they didn't meet. They passed in the halls a couple times each day, heading in opposite directions. They had different times for lunch. The only class she could be assured to see him in was Algebra 2.

“It doesn't look like you're going to need a tutor any longer.”

Immediately her happiness sank straight through the floor. That meant she wouldn't be seeing James anymore. Unable to hide her disappointment, she lowered her head. His comment explained his good mood, too. After today he would no longer be saddled with her. The sense of loss was instantaneous. She considered him a friend and was starting to have a bit of a crush on him.

“I guess this is it, then? Our last meeting,” she said, forcing a bit of enthusiasm in her voice. It was all she could do to pretend she couldn't care less if she saw him again or not.

“What do you mean?”

“We won't be seeing each other again.”

“What makes you think that?” he asked, frowning.

“You said…”

He looked confused. “You don't need a tutor, but that doesn't mean…well, unless you'd rather not spend time together.”

Katie chanced a look at him. “You want to hang out with me?”

“Yeah, definitely.” He didn't sound overly sure. “I enjoy being with you.”

The bubble of joy that burst through her was enough to make her want to cry, which of course she didn't. That would have embarrassed them both. “You do?”

“You tried really hard with this stuff, Katie. I know it wasn't easy for you, but you didn't give up. The thing is, I would rather be with you than play basketball.”

Unable to stop herself, she smiled at him. “I'd rather be with you than anyone.”

James smiled back and then shifted his gaze away from her. “I was thinking,” he said, and hesitated, looking nervous all of a sudden. “Would you like to go to the dance with me on Friday after the game?”

The numbness started right in the center of her chest at her very core, right at her heart. This feeling of loss and bitter disappointment was what happened every time she learned that she was being transferred to a different foster home. That tingling pain quickly spread out to her arms and legs. Before she could stop herself, she grabbed her books and raced out of the cafeteria so fast she nearly tripped on the steps in her eagerness to escape. When she looked back she saw him standing in the hallway watching her, his eyes wide and sad.

She didn't know why him asking her out was so terrifying, given that she liked him. It just triggered every feeling of fear of abandonment she'd ever had. The next time she saw James was at a swimming meet right before winter break. Katie had gotten so flustered she'd lost the race she should have easily won. Afterward she felt terrible about letting her team down and mortified that James had witnessed her defeat. James had waited for her outside the pool, and when she saw him she'd been embarrassed and found herself unable to look at him.

“Hi,” he'd said, falling into step beside her.

She pretended not to hear.

He tried again, louder this time: “Katie, hi.”

“Hi,” she'd mumbled, still not looking his way. She clutched her gym bag and her books close to her chest and walked as fast as she could without breaking into a run. The cold air hit her face and made her eyes water. All she wanted was for him to leave her alone. She hadn't seen him since he'd asked her to the dance and she didn't dare look at him.

James walked silently by her side until they were halfway through the parking lot. When he did speak, he said, “You're a good swimmer.”

She didn't know how he could say that when she'd performed so poorly. “I lost the race…I let the team down.”

He matched his steps to her own, his long strides meeting her much shorter ones without a problem. “You'll do better next time.”

She remembered thinking she'd do better if he promised not to attend the meet. Seeing him had unnerved her more than anything anyone could have said or done.

“Let me drive you home,” he said.

“No.”

“Katie…”

“Why'd you come?” she blurted out, wanting to blame him for her miserable performance.

“I wanted to see you swim.”

“Why?” she demanded again.

“I already told you.”

Her grip on her books was so hard the texts painfully bit into her chest. Her hair fell in wet tendrils over her cheeks as she stared down at the rain-soaked pavement.

“Come on, Katie, I'll drive you home.”

She shook her head. “I'd rather walk.”

“In the rain?”

She nodded rather than respond verbally.

“Katie…”

She swallowed hard, not wanting him to see how unnerved he made her. “Promise me you'll never come to one of my meets again.”

“No way.”

“James, please…just leave me alone.”

He tucked his hand beneath her chin and lifted her head up so she had no choice but to look at him. A tear slid down her cheek. His gaze followed it and then he leaned down and ever so gently he kissed it away. His lips were warm against her cool skin. Warm and incredibly gentle. Just feeling his lips against her skin caused her to suck in a small wisp of breath.

Against every dictate of her will, Katie closed her eyes, savoring the feel of his mouth on her face. He kissed her again, only this time his mouth was lower on her cheek, closer to her mouth.

Unable to stop herself, Katie released a soft sigh of pleasure.

When his mouth slid from her cheek to her lips, she all but dropped her gym bag and her books to the ground. Her knees felt as if they were about to buckle. His kiss was soft and moist. He was so tender with her that it made her want to weep.

When he broke it off, Katie leaned her forehead against his chest and his arms came around her. The rain started in earnest then, pounding down on them in a torrent. Neither moved.

After what seemed like an eternity, James rubbed his cheek across the crown of her head. “Will you let me drive you home now?”

Katie nodded.

“Why'd you run away?” he asked, as his hands cupped her shoulders as though he feared she was about to bolt and run again. “If you don't want to go out with me, it's okay. All you had to do was say so.”

She kept her gaze focused on the blacktop. “I've never wanted anything more, but James, I can't…I don't know how to dance and…”

“Shh.” He gently tapped his finger against her lips. “The truth is I wasn't psyched to go, but if I did, the only person I wanted to go with was you.” He brought his arms around her and tucked his chin on top of her head. “I'm not a good dancer, either.”

“I'm sorry I ran.”

“I wanted to come after you. I should have.” He kissed her again, his mouth lingering over hers.

From that point forward they were nearly always together. James picked her up on his way to school so she wouldn't have to ride the bus. He left her notes in her locker when she had a break, and she did the same for him. Silly notes scribbled in class in which she poured out her heart. She saved every one of his.

After school she went to his house so the two of them could do homework together. He was at every swim meet, cheering her on. His friends became her friends, and for the first time in her high school career, Katie felt as if she belonged. Always shy and withdrawn in the past, with him at her side she could laugh and joke without the fear of anyone making fun of her.

She met his parents and James told her she was the first girl he'd ever brought home to meet his family. His mom and dad let her know they were proud of James, as they had reason to be. James was smart. Really smart. He'd applied to Harvey Mudd College in California with an eye toward computer science and had been accepted. It was huge that James would have this opportunity. His grandparents were funding his expenses.

As prom rolled around that spring, she confided that she couldn't afford an expensive prom dress. So he'd created a prom night for just the two of them. “It'll be just us,” he said. “We'll have our own prom.” And with his sister's help he'd made all the arrangements.

James and his sister had decorated the back patio with Chinese lanterns. The card table was set in the center of the space with a white linen tablecloth. His parents were out for the evening and didn't know that he'd brought out the fine china. He got roses as a centerpiece and placed them between two tall candles.

That evening was a romantic dream come true for Katie. James's sister served as their waiter and they had Chinese take-out. Afterward they cleared away the table and two chairs, and as dusk settled he put on a playlist he'd made especially for that night. James's mission was to make prom night memorable and enchanting.

As the music whirled around them, James held his arms open to Katie. It seemed as if he was opening up his heart to her, too.

She hesitated. “I've never danced much.” Her bungling attempts had left her feeling inept and embarrassed.

“Me neither,” he whispered. “We'll learn together.”

While James held her, they did little more than shuffle their feet. Dancing was merely an excuse for him to hold her close. She pressed her head against his chest and thrilled to the sound of his heart beating. Katie closed her eyes, determined to keep the memory of this perfect night with her forever.

“This has been the most wonderful night of my life,” she told the Flemmingses after James drove her home.

Mrs. Flemmings hugged Katie. “All it takes is one look to see how James feels about you.”

“I feel the same way about him.” She didn't say it outright, but Katie was in love. This feeling she had when she was with James wasn't easy to describe or explain. When they weren't together she felt as if she was only half alive. It was as if their souls had connected and were destined for each other.

Even now, ten years later, Katie felt her senior year with James had been the happiest time of her life. Nothing could compare to the love she'd felt from him.

James truly loved her. No one had ever cared as much about her as he did. As the time for graduation drew closer, he worried about her future. It was heavy on Katie's mind as well. Washington state's responsibility for foster kids ended once they were eighteen and had graduated from high school. Her future looked scary and bleak. It frightened Katie to think of having to support herself on what she made working in a fast-food restaurant.

Graduation night, James asked her to marry him. At first she assumed he meant in the future. Then it became clear he meant before the end of the summer—before he left for college.