My Life With the Walter Boys (23 page)

“What’s wrong?”

I laughed. “Nothing, I just wanted to talk. How do you concentrate with all that noise anyway?”

“Oh,” he said, kneeling to collect his flash cards. “It’s nothing really. I’ve grown up with so much noise in this house.”

“So you can only work with loud, brain-splitting music?” I asked, unconvinced.

Nathan shrugged. “If it gets too quiet around here, something just feels off.”

“Gotcha. So where were you last night?” I asked. “I didn’t see you at the party.”

“I wasn’t allowed to go. Will needed someone to keep all the little ones occupied while he was supervising, and he decided I was too young to attend. Lee got to go last year when he was a freshman, but Cole was in charge then.”

“Dang,” I said, knowing how excited the boys were about the party. “That stinks.”

He considered this momentarily. “Not really,” he told me. “The party scene really isn’t my thing.”

“Yeah, same here.” As the words left my mouth, I realized how hypocritical they sounded. Since moving to Colorado, I’d been to more parties in the past month and a half than in my entire life.

Nathan must not have been paying attention, because he kept talking. “The only bad part was trying to fall asleep with all the racket outside, and of course the food fight.”

“Food fight?” I questioned.

“Zack and Benny got in a fight over who was better: the Green Goblin or the octopus dude. I forget his name.”

“Doctor Octopus,” I added.

“Yeah, him. Well, anyway, they started throwing popcorn at each other. When they ran out, they used their grape soda. It took forever to pick up all the little pieces and I had to get a mop.”

Before I could respond, I heard yelling from the backyard.

“Giddyap, horsey!”

Getting up, I went over to the window just in time to see Isaac rocket off the deck with Parker clamped onto his back. Around her neck was a cowboy hat hanging by a string. On her feet were a pair of worn-out cowboy boots, and clutched in one hand was an orange squirt gun.

The door slammed shut again, and a second later Benny and Zack leaped off the steps, copying their older cousin. They were both wearing swim trunks and had war paint slathered across their chests. The twins began to launch water balloons at the cowgirl and her horse.

“Turn around, horsey!” Parker said, slapping Isaac on the butt to get him moving. “We need to get those Indians!”

I giggled and pushed the window all the way up so I could sit on the sill and watch. As I made myself comfortable, Zack ducked out of the way of the stream of water from Parker’s gun. His flimsy headband made of construction paper and neon craft feathers flew off his head.

“Time-out!” Benny yelled so his partner could collect his headgear. Parker didn’t listen.

“Hey, no fair!” Zack shouted at his sister who blasted him in the face anyway. “He told you time-out!”

“I don’t listen to savages!” Parker announced. A moment later a water balloon exploded on her arm.

“Kids!” George demanded, emerging onto the deck. He wasn’t facing me, but from the tone of his voice, I could tell he was frowning. “When I told you to stop using the dog as a horse, I didn’t mean for you to bother Isaac. He’s supposed to be helping me fix the kitchen sink!”

Isaac’s shoulders slumped, his fun ruined, and he let Parker slip off his back.

“Aw, man!” Parker complained, crossing her arms. “Now the teams are unfair.”

“Hey, Jackie!” Zack shouted when he spotted me in the window. “Do you want to play Wild West?”

“Of course she does,” Parker said, and before I could respond, she blasted me with a spray of cold water from her squirt gun.

“Hey!” I shrieked. She giggled and pumped up her gun for another attack. “Don’t you dare!”

She pulled the trigger again, spraying my shirt. Trying to get out of the way, I tumbled to the floor with a loud thump.

“You guys,” Nathan shouted from behind me. “We’re trying to study.”

As I picked myself up off the floor, the bedroom door banged open.

“What’s wrong? I heard a crash!” Katherine was panting in the doorway, with a worried look on her normally gentle features. Her eyes searched for Nathan, and when she saw him sitting perfectly fine at my desk, she let out a breath of relief. “Thank God,” I heard her whisper.

“I’m fine, Mom,” Nathan said angrily.

“I’m sorry. I just thought something bad had—”

“That was my fault, Katherine,” I said, cutting in. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just being clumsy.”

She watched us for a moment. “Are you sure?” she asked, still sounding unsure.

“Everything is fine,” Nathan said slowly. I could tell he was trying not to yell.

Just then a water balloon came sailing through the window. It exploded at my feet and sprayed everywhere. A stream of laughter followed the attack.

“Kids!” Katherine shouted. The giggling cut off. “What did I tell you about water balloons in the house? Get inside right now!”

Then she stormed out of the room, leaving us slightly stunned and silent. I couldn’t tell if her anger was caused by the little kids or by stress from what she thought was Nathan having another seizure. I stayed still until Nathan finally let out the air he was holding in.

“Do you want me to leave?” I asked, even though we were in my room. He looked like he needed to be alone.

“No!” he answered and angrily shuffled through his flash cards. Then he sighed and added, “Sorry, Jackie. I didn’t mean to yell at you. I’d just like to go back to studying.”

“It’s okay,” I told him and opened my book again. But as the minutes passed, I couldn’t concentrate on the words in front of me. “Do you want to talk about it?” I finally asked.

“I’m fine,” he told me. “It’s just really frustrating when I can’t have any privacy. My mom is constantly checking on me. I’m surprised she hasn’t started sleeping on my floor at night.”

“She’s just worried about you,” I said, not sure how to respond. I hadn’t the slightest idea of what he was going through. It must be hard to always have someone with you, never alone.

“I know.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “But I just want my old life back.”

“Yeah,” I mumbled, looking down. Then we were both still, lost in our own problems.

The door banged open again. “Hey, Jackie?” Alex asked, beaming like an excited child.

“What’s up?”

“Not much. I was just wondering if you wanted to come to my baseball game later today. It’s the last one of the year.” The corners of his mouth rose in a hopeful smile. How could I say no to that cute grin?

“I’d love to, Alex,” I told him, patting the spot next to me on the bed. “But you have to do me a favor first.”

“Sure,” Alex said excitedly.

“You need to study for anatomy.”

***

As I washed my hands, I whistled the tune of a song Nathan had been listening to. Somehow I’d managed to convince Alex to go over our anatomy definitions together, and along with Nathan, we’d been holed up in my room for the past two hours. When Alex’s attention span finally waned, I walked him back to his room and took a quick bathroom break.

Turning off the faucet, I heard a giggle.

“Who’s in here?” I demanded and spun around. Someone tried to suppress another laugh, and I flung the shower curtain back. “Benny!” I cried when I saw him curled up in the tub. “What are you doing?”

“Playing hide-and-seek. Mom took away the water balloons,” he explained, a frown of disappointment on his face. But then he smiled and added, “Do you always wear polka-dot underwear?”

I counted to three in my head to contain my anger. “Benny,” I said, after taking a few calming breaths, “why didn’t you say something when I came in?”

“That’s not how you play hide-and-seek,” he whispered and put a finger to his lips. “You have to be quiet, duh.”

“But I needed to use the bathroom,” I said.

The door slammed open. People really needed to learn how to knock in this household. “I found you!” shouted Zack.

“Did I win?” his twin asked eagerly and climbed out of the tub.

“No!” Parker complained, pushing into the bathroom as well. “Zack cheated. He was peeking when I hid!”

“Did not!”

“Yes, huh!”

“You’re just a shitty hider!” Zack said, shoving his sister.

“Am not!” Parker shouted back.

“I won! I won!” Benny sang as he danced across the tile in celebration.

“Guys!” I said, trying to break up a fight. “How about we start over? I’ll play too. This time, no peeking.”

I gave Zack a no-funny-business look, and he flashed me a grin before running back to his room to count. “One. Two. Three,” he started slowly. Then, “Four-five-seven-ten!”

Parker dashed out of the bathroom as Zack rushed to sixty, and as I searched for a place to hide, I realized I had acquired a tiny shadow.

“Benny, you can’t keep following me around,” I told him. “I’m trying to find a spot.”

“Can I hide with you?” he asked. His bottom lip was out stuck out in a pout as he looked up at me with big eyes.

“Oh fine,” I said, unable to say no to his adorable face. Opening the linen closet, I yanked out a few towels, clearing off a shelf. “Come here, you,” I said, lifting Benny up and helping him climb onto the shelf. He pulled his knees up to his chest, and I covered him with the towels. Then I stepped inside and closed the door, throwing us into darkness.

“He’s never going to find me,” Benny giggled.

“Hey,” I whispered. “I thought the rule was you had to be quiet.”

We hid in the darkness for only a minute, and I was already starting to get antsy. Even though I had just gone, my bladder was turning tight. It was the one thing I hated about playing hide-and- seek—you always ended up having to pee. Just when I couldn’t take it any longer, someone pulled open the door.

Cole jumped back in surprise when he saw me. “Jesus,” he shouted, almost dropping the towel that was wrapped around his waist. He must have been heading for the shower. “Why are you creeping in the closet?”

“Peaches, peaches, apple pie. If you’re not ready, holler I!” Zack shouted from his room, and I felt Benny tug on my shirt in panic. Crap, we were going to be found first.

“Get in here,” I said, grabbing Cole’s wrist and yanking him in.

But there wasn’t much room. With the door shut, I could feel the shelves digging into my back. And then there was the part where Cole’s entire body was pressed up against mine.

“Change your mind about dating Alex?” Cole asked. I couldn’t see him in the dark, but we were so close that I could feel his breath on my face.

“What?”

“Well, you just pulled me into a closet nearly naked. I’m assuming you’re going to confess your undying love for me and tell me how you made a mistake that night at the party. Then we could have hot, passionate se—”

“Oh my God, no,” I hissed at him, as my face went warm. “I haven’t changed my mind about anything. We’re playing hide-and- seek and you were about to ruin my spot.”

“Okay, fine. We can skip over the undying love and jump right to the fun part.”

“Cole,” I said, stomping on his foot. “Shut up!”

“God damn, woman! That hurt!”

“Can you guys just kiss or something?” Benny complained. “At least then you’d be quiet. I wanna win.”

“Holy shit, Benny?” Cole exclaimed, his chest heaving against mine in surprise. “Anyone else hiding in here too?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Carmen Sandiego and Where’s Waldo. Now please, be quiet!”

Cole listened to me then, and even though he kept his mouth shut, I was afraid that my heart would give us away. It was pounding so loudly that the entire house must have heard it.

“Ay me! Sad hours seem long. Was that my father that went hence so fast?’” Danny said, raising a hand to his heart. The other was clutching a script.

“‘It was. What sadness lengthens Romeo’s hours?’” Isaac said in a booming voice, flourishing his hands wildly.

“Thank God you’re not in the play,” I mumbled in his direction and shook my head in embarrassment.

Danny, Isaac, and I were sitting on the bleachers at Alex’s baseball game. The seats were metal and burned in the afternoon light. I was wearing a skirt that forced me to sit on the edge of the seat to keep the skin on the back of my legs from getting scorched. My boyfriend was far out in left field, and I could barely see him since the sun was glaring in my eyes.

“‘Not having that which, having, makes them short,’” Danny recited.

When Isaac didn’t answer because his attention was focused on a possible home-run hit, Danny elbowed him in the side.

“Oh, um—‘in love’?” he said, quickly looking down at his copy of the script. Danny was forcing Isaac to run lines with him so I could watch Alex play.

Danny sighed, embodying the lovesick Romeo, “Out.”

Isaac stood up in excitement as the ball flew toward his cousin in the outfield. “Did he catch it?” he demanded a few seconds later. “I can’t tell. The sun is in my eyes.”

“Huh?” I responded. I was trying to watch, but the humidity was making my head feel heavy, and it was hard to concentrate.

“Never mind,” Isaac grumbled and sat back down on the bleachers. “You’re not even paying attention.”

“Neither are you,” Danny told him angrily. “We should be done with this act by now.”

“Dude, why do you even need to go over this? You’ve already had your costume rehearsal,” Isaac complained. When Danny glared at him, he sighed and glanced back down at the script. “‘Of love?’”

“‘Out of her favor, where I am in love.’” Danny said his line without having to look down at the sheet.

“You’re out!” the umpire shouted at a player who tried to slide into home.

“Yes!” Isaac shouted, fixing his attention back down on the field. “Was that two or three?”

“Two, I think,” I answered absentmindedly, but then Alex’s team began to jog back from the field toward the dugout.

Isaac rolled his eyes at me. “Not much of a baseball fan?”

“No, that’s not true,” I said, pressing a hand to my sticky forehead. “I love the Yankees. It’s just that—”

“That she can’t stop thinking about Cole. And you,” Danny said, jabbing his cousin in the chest, “keep forgetting you’re supposed to be helping me practice. God, Isaac, you’re a horrible Benvolio.”

“
Hey!
” both Isaac and I shouted at the same time.

“I’m not thinking about Cole,” I said, defending myself.

“And I’m a great actor. Academy Award winning, thank you very much,” Isaac said, shaking his finger back and forth in Danny’s face.

“Isaac, if I remember correctly, you were the one who couldn’t play a tree in the spring recital without messing it up.”

“That was kindergarten,” Isaac mumbled, but Danny wasn’t listening.

“Jackie, I’m quiet, not blind,” he told me. “That dazed look that’s been on your face ever since you two came out of that closet says otherwise.”

“Say what?” Isaac demanded.

“I wasn’t like that,” I said. “I swear.” Because of his shy nature, Danny might have developed a certain affinity for perceptiveness, but this time he had it all wrong.

“Sure it wasn’t,” Isaac said.

Okay, so maybe I wasn’t telling the truth. Yes, I was thinking about Cole, but not in the way they thought. And that was exactly why I couldn’t quite concentrate on the baseball game. When we were playing hide-and-seek, Zack took forever to find us. Ignoring Benny’s protest, Cole got impatient and opened the closet door. His shower was running, and he didn’t want it to get cold. Danny, who had been looking for someone to read lines with, had seen both of us tumble out of the tiny room. I was worried he would get the wrong idea and tell everyone. What would Alex think if he found out?

“There’s nothing going on between me and Cole,” I objected. “Danny, you saw Benny climb out of the closet too. Tell him that.”

“What the heck was he doing in there with you both?” Isaac said. “That’s disgusting and definitely not PG-rated. Poor Benny is going to be scarred for life.”

“We were playing hide-and-seek,” I said, starting to panic. “Come on, Danny, tell him the truth.”

“I don’t know, Jackie,” he said, his face straight. “Cole didn’t even have a shirt on.”

Isaac shook his finger at me. “Now that’s naughty.” He put his hand on my leg and grinned. “Why wasn’t I invited?”

“God, you’re disgusting,” I said, pushing him away.

“Did you rip his shirt off with your teeth?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows up and down.

“He was going to take a frickin’ shower!” I exploded.

A few moms sitting around us turned to frown at me. Both boys watched me for a moment before bursting into fits of laughter.

“Wow, it’s fun to watch you squirm,” Isaac choked out, and I punched him on the shoulder.

“We were only kidding, Jackie,” Danny said, wiping away a stray tear.

“Not appreciated,” I grunted, crossing my arms. I stared down at the game, refusing to look in either of their directions.

“Come on, Jackie,” Isaac said, putting a hand on my arm. “I was just messing around.”

I stuck out my tongue and continued to watch the game going on below.

“Are you going to ignore me for the rest of the day? Because I can be quite annoying if I want to.” Isaac started poking me repetitively in the cheek.

Pushing his hand away, I answered. “I sure can. Now be quiet. Alex is up.”

All three of us fell silent and watched as Alex hit a grounder. It rolled right between two infielders, and he made it to second base before they could get the ball.

“Go, Alex!” I shouted excitedly, jumping up and down.

“Oh, Alex!” Isaac squealed in a girly voice. “You’re so damn sexy that I was making out in the closet with your older brother!”

Danny choked on air as he tried not to laugh. I spun around and whacked Isaac on the shoulder again.

“Dang, Jackie! You’re going to bruise my delicate skin,” he complained, rubbing the sore spot.

“Good,” I said and sat back down to watch the next hitter.

Danny’s phone rang. “Hey, Dad,” he said in greeting. “Right now?” He paused. “Okay, I’ll be there in a few.” He clicked his phone shut and turned to us. “I have to go pick Zack and Benny up from their soccer game.”

At this, I frowned. There were still four innings left. Danny had driven us, so how would we get home if he left?

“I’m coming too,” Isaac said and stood up.

“But what about the rest of the game?” I asked.

“You can stay if you want,” Isaac suggested. “Alex rode his bike here. He can give you a ride home on the pegs.”

***

“You did great today,” I told Alex when he found me after the game was over. His team had won by three runs.

He pulled me into a hug. “Thanks, Jackie. I’m really glad you came.”

“You’re all sweaty,” I squealed, trying to squirm away. He was going to ruin my shirt.

“You don’t like that?” he asked with a laugh, locking his arms tightly behind my back.

“No! Alex, let go,” I said, but gave in with a laugh.

Clouds had rolled in near the end of the game, covering the hot sun, but the air was still humid, making our bodies stick together.

“Where’d everyone go?” he asked, letting his arms hang loose.

“Danny had to pick Zack and Benny up. I wanted to stay, so I was hoping you could give me a ride home on your bike. You’re not too tired, are you?”

“A little,” he said, slinging his arm over my shoulder. “But it will be my pleasure.”

We made it about halfway home when it started to pour. Alex pulled off the road and onto a gravel pathway that led to a small, rundown pavilion as lightning flashed across the sky. I jumped off the back of the bike and ran under the overhang to get out of the rain. Taking a ponytail holder off my wrist, I pulled my damp hair out of my face. After leaning his bike up against the brick wall, Alex pulled out his phone and called home. He had a quick conversation with someone and then sat down on an old wooden picnic table that was covered in graffiti.

“Someone is coming to get us,” he said.

I nodded, looking out over a grassy clearing. “What is this place?” I asked.

There was a boarded-up concessions stand, and beyond the structure was a grassy meadow with a large section that was flat and brown. It looked like a dried-up pond.

“It used to be an outdoor ice-skating rink during the winter months,” Alex said, following my gaze out to what must have been the ice patch. Alex took one of my hands and rubbed my skin gently with his thumb. “Ever been skating before?”

It was a harmless question, yet I still felt a sudden jab at my heart.

“Yeah,” I said slowly. “My family had this tradition where we’d go to the rink at Rockefeller Center on my mom’s birthday. I don’t remember how it started since my mom wasn’t very good, but we did it every year.”

Alex wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you sad.”

“I’m fine,” I told him, resting my head on his shoulder. “It’s one of those nice memories. You know, the kind that makes you sad but you smile at the same time?”

I could almost picture my family gliding across the patch of dried-up grass as I stared out at the meadow, and the memory was so captivating that it took me a minute to realize that Alex hadn’t answered me. When I turned to look at him, I found that his eyes were already locked on me.

The first time Alex kissed me, it was so unexpected that it made my stomach jump in excitement. At the time, I hadn’t known what to think because there was so much adrenaline soaring through me. This time as his eyes fluttered closed and he leaned in, I knew what was about to happen and I could feel the steady beat of my heart.

Everything about the way he kissed reminded me specifically of him. First it was a slow, barely there kiss, so if I rejected him he could pull away and pretend it never happened. But then, when he realized that I was in fact kissing him back, it was excited and sporadic. His hands never stayed in one spot. First they would be in my hair, then grasping my arms, and finally moving to my waist before the whole procedure would start over again. It was a little wet, but I didn’t think it was slobbery enough to call it sloppy. At the same time, I didn’t have much to compare it to, so for all I knew, Alex could have been a great kisser.

As weird as it sounded, he reminded me of a puppy. Puppies are good, right? Everyone likes puppies. And just like a dog, he had boundless make-out energy. I needed a breath, to stop and surface, but Alex was pushing me down onto the picnic table.

Just as I was running out of air, a car horn honked from out in the rain and Alex quickly jumped back. Standing up, I tugged down my shirt, which had ridden up while we were kissing, and smoothed out the wrinkles. Alex shot me a cheeky grin before grabbing my hand and pulling me to the edge of the pavilion.

“We can finish this later,” he whispered before stepping out into the rain to grab his bike.

To shield myself from the downpour, I lifted my arms over my head and sprinted to the truck. When I reached the passenger-side door, I yanked on the handle, but it was locked.

“Open up!” I shouted over the rain, pounding my fist against the window. It was coming down so heavily now that I couldn’t even see who was inside. I heard the distinct click of the lock and threw myself into the truck a second later. “God, it’s nasty out there,” I said, patting down my hair. My shirt clung to my skin, and I could feel the crumbs of someone’s morning Pop-Tart sticking to the back of my leg as I sat back.

Nobody answered, and I turned in my seat to find Cole behind the wheel. He was glaring out the windshield so fiercely that I was afraid he would burn a hole through the glass and the storm outside would pour in.

“You okay?” I asked, but there was a sinking feeling in my stomach. When he said nothing, I knew he had seen Alex and me making out.

I waited in awkward silence as Alex threw his bike in the bed of the truck. The air-conditioning hummed softly, drying my damp skin and leaving behind a trail of goose bumps. I could feel the anger pouring off Cole, so I forced myself to concentrate on the radio, repeating the string of lyrics in my head. But he was impossible to ignore, and I found myself wishing I had sat in the backseat. Finally, after three uncomfortable verses, Alex climbed in the back and Cole stepped on the gas, reversing down the gravel path at full speed.

“Whoa!” Alex shouted as he was thrown backward before being able to buckle his seat belt or even breathe. The truck took a sharp left, back onto the main road, and Alex was thrown into the window. “What the hell?”

“Cole, slow down,” I said quietly.

He narrowed his eyes at his brother in the rearview mirror but let up.

The rest of the ride home was completely silent, and an uncomfortable tension filled the small, confined space. It didn’t help when a love song started to trickle out from the radio, its melody sickly sweet. Thirty seconds into the cheesy lyrics, I leaned over and switched it off. Alex heaved a sigh of relief.

When we pulled into the Walters’ driveway, Cole parked at the bottom of the hill. I turned to give him a puzzled look as he yanked the key from the ignition. We were going to get soaked walking all the way up to the house. Why wasn’t he parking in the usual spot underneath the basketball hoop? Cole answered my unasked question by pulling out an umbrella and getting out of the truck. He slammed the door shut, and Alex and I sat in shocked silence, watching him make his way toward the house.

“What’s his problem?” Alex demanded.

Frowning, I told Alex what I had feared since leaving the ice-skating rink. “I think he might have seen us.”

Alex shook his head. “Jackie, I can barely see out the window right now with the rain coming down so hard. How could he possibly have seen us?”

I shrugged my shoulders, not knowing how to answer his question. Even if Cole hadn’t caught us, he was definitely mad about something.