Lindsay's Surprise Crush (5 page)

Lindsay suddenly froze, listening intently.

“And she can really play,” added Alberto. Nick's stepdad was a huge fan of soccer. He'd even played semiprofessionally back when he was younger. “Strong and quick, and a real nose for the ball.”

“We offered her a ride home,” said Marissa, “since her parents weren't able to make the tournament. We took the kids to dinner because they were starving. She's very sweet. And you should see the hair on this girl! I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I was feeling envious of her
long, gorgeous blond hair. Ah, youth.”

Lindsay's mom laughed.

Lindsay sank deeper into her seat, feeling more and more miserable. So Nick and Cassidy had gone to dinner together last night. She wondered if they'd sat at a separate table, apart from the grown-ups. She and Nick and her brother had done that a few times when the two families had been out to dinner together.

Luckily Ellie chose that moment to insist that Lindsay and Nick join her in a round of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” which eased the tension. It was doubly funny because Lindsay sang an octave below Ellie, and Nick sang
two
octaves lower.

Apple picking turned out to be fun. Nick even started acting like the old days, joking around with her, unexpectedly tossing apples for her to catch, lifting Ellie high over his head to pick the most perfect, ripe-looking fruit. Things felt almost normal.

“Hey, congratulations on your MVP yesterday,” said Lindsay as they lugged their heavy bags of apples over to the small farm shop to be weighed. She was wishing she'd worn her comfortable sneakers rather than her fashionable boots.

“Thanks,” he said. “I just had some lucky saves, is all. The guys on my team all played really great.” He reached down and picked up Lindsay's bag to carry, as though it weighed nothing. Lindsay started to protest that she could carry her own bag, but then didn't.

When they arrived at the stand and had plunked down their bags of apples, Nick suddenly reached into his pocket for his phone. He checked his text, frowning.

“Who's it from?” asked Lindsay, then immediately regretted it. In the old days, she wouldn't have thought twice about asking him. But now they ran in very different social circles.

“Oh, it's, um, well, it's—” Nick stammered.

“Sorry, I shouldn't have asked,” Lindsay said quickly. “Really, it's none of my business.”

“It was no one,” Nick said. “I mean, nothing important.” He shoved the phone back into his pocket.

Of course it has to be from Cassidy,
Lindsay thought.
Probably saying thanks for the romantic dinner last night.

“Hayride! Hayride!” yelled Ellie, jumping up and down and pointing across the field, where a small clump of people was getting onto the back of the hay wagon.
“Mommy, can I go with Lindsay and Nick? Please thank you please?”

Marissa smiled. “Ellie has decided if she uses enough magic words, she can get what she wants,” she said to Lindsay. Then she turned to Ellie. “If it's okay with Lindsay and Nick, then sure,” she said. “Maybe the grown-ups will go into the barn and have a cup of hot cider.”

Ellie shoved her sticky hands into Lindsay's and Nick's and pulled them toward the hayride station. They both allowed her to drag them.

The line had grown longer as more people emerged from the orchard, and the three of them were at the very end. Ellie kept the conversation going as she prattled on about what she was doing in school, and what she was going to be for Halloween, and how she was going to go shopping for new sneakers tomorrow. By the time the hay wagon pulled up, the awkwardness caused by the text Nick received had passed, and things were more or less back to normal.

Everyone was climbing onto the wagon, but when the three of them got to the front of the line, the young guy manning the line stopped them.

“Real sorry,” he said, “but I only have room for two
more on here, and it's the last run of the day.”

“That's fine,” said Nick and Lindsay quickly and at exactly the same time.

“He can go.”

“She can go.”

Again they spoke at the same time.

“Awwwww!” said Ellie, looking devastated. “I want to go with you both! Please, yes, please, nice man? Can we all go together?”

The man grinned down at her. “Tell you what,” he said. “My brother Sam is heading here now in the pickup. I recognize you guys. You come every year. Since you're such loyal customers, I'll have him give you your own special hayride, just the three of you, okay?”

Ellie squealed with delight. The guy sent a quick text to his brother, and then he was off with the hay wagon.

Nick rolled his eyes and nudged Lindsay. “That kid has it all figured out. She charms everyone into saying yes to her.”

Lindsay laughed. “It's because she's so cute.”

Two minutes later, Sam showed up in the pickup. “Hop in, guys!” he said cheerfully. “Hope you don't mind my dog, Monty. He loves little kids.”

Ellie was already clambering over the tailgate of the truck to join Monty, who was waiting expectantly, his tail wagging back and forth.

Nick and Lindsay exchanged glances and climbed on after Ellie.

The truck had a layer of hay bales on it, so there were comfy seats.

“I'm sitting next to Monty!” announced Ellie, who had taken a seat next to the dog. She threw her arms around him, and Monty began licking her ear, making Ellie giggle.

Nick and Lindsay sat side-by-side on a hay bale near the rear.

“Here's a blanket for you guys,” said Sam, tossing them a rolled woolen blanket. It landed neatly at their feet. “It's getting colder out, so get cozy.”

Lindsay flushed with embarrassment, but she leaned down and unrolled the blanket. She was glad to have it, now that the sun was getting lower in the sky and the wind was picking up. Ellie was all bundled up in her lavender hooded parka and didn't seem to mind the wind a bit.

The truck started moving slowly.

“Hey, let me have some of that blanket too, blanket hog,” said Nick playfully, moving closer to Lindsay and
tucking a corner of the blanket around himself.

Lindsay grinned. As they rode ever so slowly along the bumpy edge of the field, her mind began to whirl. She'd been this close to Nick about a million times in her life, but now it felt so different. Every time his long leg brushed against hers, it was as though she'd been jolted with electricity. But in a good way. Then they went over a bump, and she felt his shoulder touch hers. Another jolt.

Was he still that mad at her? Was she, for that matter, still mad at him? From the way they were sitting, it didn't feel at all like two people who were mad at each other. It was so confusing.

She might as well get it out in the open. Make it like old times. Like when they used to be able to talk to each other about anything.

“So,” she said, her voice coming out a little too high. “Are you, um, going out with Cassidy? That's what everyone is saying. It's fine if you are. Obviously. It's not like I care or anything like that. I just wondered.” Her words came out in a big rush.

Nick hesitated. “Well, see, here's the situation,” he said, as though measuring his words carefully. “I'm—”

His phone buzzed again. He checked the message,
sighed, and shoved it back into his pocket.

Lindsay pulled the blanket more closely around herself, feeling a new chill. Why did it annoy her so much when he got texts? He was allowed to get them.

He cleared his throat and turned to look at her. “Okay, so you know the harvest dance that's happening in two weeks?”

Lindsay nodded quickly, bracing herself. He was going to tell her he was taking Cassidy, of course. She could deal with that. It's not like it was a huge surprise.

“Well, Troy Lewis has been texting me all day. He wants to know if you want to go. With him. To the dance.”

LINDSAY'S JAW DROPPED OPEN. SHE CLOSED IT
quickly. That was the last thing she'd expected Nick to say.

“I guess he likes you and wants to ask you out or whatever.”

What was it about that name that rang a bell? She couldn't think where she'd heard it. “Troy Lewis? Do I even know him?” was all she could stammer out.

He shrugged. “He knows you. He and I are on the soccer team together. He's in eighth grade. Tall kid? Plays sweeper? Good left foot?” He looked at her and shrugged. “Never mind. I forgot you never come to my games.”

“You've only had one so far, plus the tournament,” said Lindsay a little defensively. “I'm planning to come to your next home game.”

“Well, whatever. Anyway, Troy and I were at soccer
camp together this summer, so we kind of got to know each other. He found out you and I were, well, were friends, so he asked me to ask you.”

Suddenly she remembered why that name was familiar to her. Troy. That was the guy Rosie had a crush on, wasn't it? Obviously Lindsay wasn't interested in going to the dance with him, especially if it was going to upset Rosie. But she had to admit, it was pretty flattering that an older guy, a really popular jock older guy, would be interested in her.

“Wow, that's kind of cool!” she said, grinning. “It's not every day you get asked out by a popular eighth-grade guy.”

Nick smiled tightly. “Yeah. Cool. How 'bout that.”

“But I barely know who he is. Why would he want to go with
me
?” Her voice came out all giddy-sounding.

“Because you're—” Nick stopped and closed his mouth. “He just does, is all. So what should I say to him? Should I tell him no? That you don't even know who he is?”

“No!” said Lindsay quickly. “I mean, no, don't say no. And don't tell him I don't know who he is. I mean, now that you mention him, I do kind of know who he is. He's pretty cute.”

Nick waited. A muscle in his cheek twitched.

Lindsay sat back, intrigued. Obviously she didn't like Troy, because she barely knew who he was. And, of course, there was the fact that her best friend had a crush on him already, so there was no way Lindsay could even really consider him in that way. And didn't she really want Nick to ask her?
Oh,
she thought. Did she? She knew she didn't want Nick to go with Cassidy. But did she want Nick to go with her? All this was so confusing. But it was pretty awesome to have a popular eighth-grade boy interested in her.

And if she was being really honest with herself, Lindsay had to admit that it was satisfying to be able to show Nick that he wasn't the only kid at Central Falls Middle School who was All That. She, Lindsay, had popular guys interested in
her
, too.

“Okay, so don't say anything to him yet,” said Lindsay. “I need to think about it.” A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

“What's to think about?” said Nick, his eyes flashing. “Either you like the guy or you don't.”

Lindsay looked at him in surprise. He had some nerve, when he hadn't even bothered to tell her he was taking Cassidy to the dance. What right did he
have to be so judgmental about her?

The truck slowed to a stop. She hadn't even noticed they were back where they'd started, and that the parents were all standing there waiting for them. She and Nick climbed out in silence.

The car ride home was awkward. Nick had grown moody. Ellie fell asleep almost immediately, a half-eaten apple in her hand. Lindsay delicately extracted it from her grip and placed it in the drink cup next to her, and then stared out the window, lost in thought. On his side of the car, Nick was busy with his phone, checking sports scores while alternately texting back and forth with someone, probably Cassidy.

When Lindsay got home, she went straight to the piano and played stormy, agitated music for a while, ignoring the dynamics and playing the chords triple forte the whole way through. Playing music to suit her mood always seemed to make her feel better, and it did this time. She closed the lid and then sat down at the computer. She'd barely logged in when Rosie sent her an IM.

Where have u been all day?

Went apple picking today with Nick and his family. Can you say ‘awkward'?

You know how many girls from school wish they were you?

Yeah, whatever. He may suddenly be Mr. Hot but I think he must have had a brain transplant over the summer ha ha.

Ha ha LOL

Was Cassidy her usual charming self at the tournament yesterday?

Ugh. She barely even makes conversation with seventh graders now, except for NL of course. I heard her talking to Corinne on the bus about the dress she wants to wear to the harvest dance. She saw it in some catalog and she was talking about how great the color would look with her hair—makes me gag.

Ha ha

She's really spoiled. Her parents must let her buy whatever clothes she wants. And she's traveled to really fancy places. She even went to Europe last summer with her fancy soccer team.

Lindsay tapped her lower lip and thought about the best way to feel out Rosie on the subject of Troy Lewis.

So who do you like?

You know. TL, remember? He scored two goals yesterday even though he plays sweeper. He is so awesome!

Awesome. Oops, got to go. ttyl!

That settled it. She had to let Troy know ASAP that she couldn't go to the dance with him.

Drumming her fingers on the desk, Lindsay thought about it a little more. On the other hand, it was kind of fun to see Nick a little steamed up about it. Obviously he wasn't jealous, because he didn't think of Lindsay
that
way
. But for whatever reason, he seemed not to be that psyched about the fact that Troy wanted her to go to the dance with him.

Maybe she wouldn't tell Troy no right away. What was the harm in waiting a little bit? It's not like Rosie would find out that he wanted to ask her. Rosie didn't even know him, really. Maybe she could get Nick to see her and Troy together just once or twice before she turned him down. And to further annoy Nick, she would ask him for Troy's cell phone number. She wouldn't tell him why she wanted it. Let him wonder.