Sparrow (4 page)

“Mr.
Parks,” I protest, “Addison and I…we’re not…we haven’t…”

“Doesn’t
mean you won’t,” he cuts me off.  “How many more weeks are you up here?”  He
shakes his head.  “Take them.  Trust me.  I’m thirty-six years old.  Addison’s
sister is eighteen.  You do the math.”

Now
I feel obligated to take them.  My fingers shake as I cover his offering and
slide it off the table into my hand.  I stuff the condoms in my pocket just as
Addison and her mother return from the kitchen.

“Ready
for dessert?” Addison asks.

Since
I had to meet her parents tonight, we decided she should meet Gram too, and
knock out all the introductions at once.  Gram’s making apple pie.

“Yes,”
I say eagerly and stand, bumping my legs against the bottom of the tabletop. 
They feel stiff from sitting; my whole body is coiled with tension.

“Then
let’s go.”

She
rounds the table and grabs my hand, pulling me toward the front door.  Given
the conversation I just had with her dad, I don’t feel right touching her.  At
least, not in front of him.  I pull my hand from hers and offer it to her father
in an awkward gesture.  “Thank you for dinner.”

He
shakes my hand and his brown eyes lock on mine, silently confirming he’s not
above killing me.  I give him a nod so he knows I understand.

As
I walk past Addison’s mother, I tell her the same thing.  “Dinner was great. 
Thank you.”

“You’re
welcome.  Feel free to come by anytime.”  Her forced smile tells me she’s
saying that to be nice.

Once
we’re outside and off the front porch, I fill my lungs with the cool evening
air and let it out in a rush.

“That
completely sucked,” Addison says as she grabs my hand.  “I’m so sorry.  You looked
miserable.”

“You
have no idea.  Did you know your dad owns a gun?”

“Jesus.” 
She rolls her eyes.  “He threatened you old school, didn’t he?”

I
nod.  As we walk toward my place and Gram, I replay the evening.  “Oh, hey,” I
tell her when we’re halfway there, “I want you to know, no colleges are
scouting me.  I went with your dad’s assumption because I thought it might make
him hate me less.”

Her
eyes light up.  “Well played.”

“You’re
not mad?”

Addison’s
face twists.  “No.  You did what you had to do.  I don’t care that you’re not
being scouted.  I don’t care what college you go to or what you major in; hell,
I don’t care if you even go to school.”

“Really?”

She
stops walking and faces me.  “All I care about is that you’re happy.  As long
as you follow your heart, who has the right to say what you do is wrong?  Take
me, for example.  I want to perform for a living because I feel complete when I
dance.  That feeling can’t be wrong.  Just like the way I feel when I’m with
you; no one can tell me that feeling isn’t real.”

A
slow smile stretches across my face as I pull her body against mine.  “Thank
you.”

“For
what?”

“For
liking me with the full knowledge that I have no direction.”

Her
free hand curls around my neck.  “You’re easy to like.”

I
realize I feel the same way.  It hasn’t taken long for Addison to weave herself
into my every thought.  “You’re easy to like, too.”

Her
smile matches mine before my lips meet hers.

Days
later, I spend the morning scraping old paint off the deck railing.  Even with
Metallica blaring in my ears from my iPod, I picture Addison’s face.  You would
think we might need some distance after all the time we’ve spent together, but
the opposite is true.  I go to bed thinking about her.  I wake up thinking
about her.

I’m
whipped.

What’s
funny is I don’t care.  I knew things were happening fast when she first
arrived, and I thought it might be because everything was new.  But here we are,
weeks into the summer, and I’m still excited to see her each day.

Glancing
over my shoulder, I check on Kevin to make sure he’s still scraping.  I swear
that kid hates any kind of manual labor.  He can talk and write for hours; I usually
have him help me with my homework.  Me, I like using my hands.  I don’t have to
concentrate as much and it’s easier to daydream.

We
work in silence with our ear buds in place until lunch time, when Gram appears
with two plates of sandwiches and chips.  She hands me my peanut butter and
jelly, and I notice she’s cut the bread down the center.

“Gram,”
I groan.  “I’m seventeen.  You don’t have to cut my food.”

She
sets her hands on her lower back.  “Oh, leave me alone.  It’s a habit.”

“I
like my sandwiff cut,” Kevin says around a mouthful.  “You can keep doing it for
me.”

What
a kiss ass
I
think.

Gram
lovingly pats his shoulder.

“You
two are moving faster than I expected,” she says as she looks over the deck. 
“We’ll have this thing repainted in no time.”

“That’s
only because Kyle wants to spend every minute with Addison,” my brother teases. 
“He’s working so fast I’m surprised he hasn’t scraped his fingers off.”

I
glare at him.  “You only think I work fast because you’re so slow.”

“I’m
not slow!  You’re just worried your girl might find something better to do
without you.”

“You’re
just jealous you don’t have a girl.”

“Boys.” 
Gram tries to give us her stern look which isn’t stern at all.  “Stop it. 
You’re acting like kids.”

“But
we are.”  I grin.  “You cut my sandwich.”

She
walks over to me and swats my arm.  “I’m heading into town.  You two are eating
machines.”  She steps toward the sliding door.  “I should be back in an hour or
two.”

Kevin
and I nod.

After
finishing my lunch, I stand to get back to work.  My brother, however, needs
more to eat.  As he heads inside, he asks, “You want anything?”

I
shake my head no.

As
I reach for my ear buds and pick up my iPod, I hear a familiar voice.

“Anyone
home?”

I
spin around.  “Hey.”

“Hi.” 
Addison smiles as she rounds the deck.  “What are you doing?”

“Getting
rid of this old paint.  What are you doing?”

“Coming
over to ask you out.”

She
makes it to the steps and my pulse picks up.  “I thought we already had plans.”

“We
do.”  She walks toward me and wraps her arms around my waist.  “But, I thought
of something fun.”

Everything
we do is fun.  “What might that be?” I ask.

“It’s
a surprise.  Come over to my place at eight.  You’ll see.”

This
will be my first time inside her cottage since the dinner from hell.  “Are your
parents going to be home?”

“Yes,
but don’t worry about them.”

“Do
you need me to bring anything?”

“Nope,
just you.”  She squeezes me tight then backs away.  “I’ll see you later.”

“That’s
all I get?” I complain.  “A hug and a goodbye?”

She
laughs.  “I’d stay, but I have to help my mom clean.  If I’m not back soon, she
might change her mind about tonight.”

“Fine.” 
I pout.

Addison
leaves the way she came, throwing a wave over her shoulder just before she’s
out of sight.  I pick up my iPod, turn on the music, and slow down removing the
paint.

I
need something to pass the time until eight o’clock.

~~~~

“Where
did you get this?” I ask as I step inside the tent.

Addison
zips the door closed behind us.  “It’s my parent’s.  My dad used to take Meagan
and me camping when I was younger.”

I
look around the nylon room.  Addison has pitched a tent in her front yard; two
sleeping bags lie on the ground and an electric lantern glows in between.  “So,
we’re having a sleepover?”  I wiggle my eyebrows.

“I
wish,” she says.  “No; I thought this would be a way to spend some time alone. 
My parents agreed as long as you leave by ten.”

I
look around the room again.  Damn curfew.

“You
think it’s lame,” she says and starts to unzip the door.

“No!” 
I reach for her and pull her close.  “I think it’s awesome.”

“You
do?”

“I’m
tired of having Gram and my brother for an audience.”

Because
the atmosphere is more relaxed around my family, we spend the majority of our
time at my cottage.  If we’re not taking a walk or riding the quad or going for
ice cream, you can usually find us on my grandmother’s couch – with two other
sets of eyes in the room.

“Good,”
Addison says.  She takes my hand and pulls me down to sit on one of the
sleeping bags.  “I don’t care what we do in here.  I just wanted to be alone
with you.”

I
smile and take her other hand.  Now, we’re facing each other with our fingers
intertwined.  We sit in silence for a few moments, but it’s not awkward.  I run
my thumbs over hers, and she watches me.

“What
did you think last summer?” she asks.  “When we first met?”

I
take a few seconds to come up with an answer.  How honest should I be?  Let’s
face it; I had a lot of
thoughts
when we met and afterward.  “I thought
I was an idiot for not talking to you sooner,” I say.

She
bites her lip.  “I was kicking myself for not talking to you, too.”

“Why
didn’t you?”

“Meagan
told me I had to make you work for it.”  She shakes her head.  “I shouldn’t
have listened to my sister.”

I
chuckle.  “No; you shouldn’t have.”

We’re
quiet again until she confesses, “I thought about your eyes all year.”

“You
did?”  I’m surprised.

“Yeah.” 
She blushes.  “Is that weird?”

“Kind
of.”

She
lets go of my hand and pushes my knee.  “Thanks a lot!”

 “I
didn’t mean you’re weird!”  I grab her hand back.  “I meant it’s weird to be
thought of that way.”

She
looks confused.  “What way?”

“I
don’t know.  Like, at all.”

“Come
on.”  She looks doubtful.

“I
told you before.  I don’t date a lot.  It’s strange to have someone be honest
with me.”

In
the few relationships I’ve had, none of the girls told me how they felt.  We
didn’t have in-depth conversations about my eyes or what we wanted to do after
high school.  They were movie and dance dates that usually ended with a kiss or,
if I was lucky, more.

“Well,
I think about you a lot,” she says.  “More than I probably should.”

I
grin.  “We have the same sickness.  I’ve never thought about another girl so
much in my life.”

She
looks shy at my admission.  I don’t know why.  She has to know she’s hot.  Not
only is she pretty, but she’s fun to be around.  She’s always up for anything,
and she can be a sarcastic wise ass like me.

Scooting
back on the sleeping bag, I pull her toward me.  I lay down on my back and she moves,
curling against my side.  She fits there perfectly.

“I
wish we were really camping,” she says.

“Me
too.”

“Meagan
and I used to have so much fun with my dad,” she says.  “Then, he started
getting these killer migraines.  He still does.  He never knows when they’re
going to hit, so he decided we should stay out of the woods for extended
periods of time.”

“That
sucks.  Didn’t your mom take you?”

Addison
shakes her head.  “She’s an indoor girl.”

I
run my fingers over her arm.  “What else do you like to do?  When you’re at
home, I mean.”

“Dance
mostly,” she says.  “I’m in class four nights a week.”  She lifts her head to
look at me.  “We put on two big shows every year; one of them is in December. 
You should come.”  Her eyes light up.  “I’m a senior this year, so I’ll get a
solo.”

She
wants to see me six months from now?  “I’ll be there.”

Her
smile gets bigger.  “What else do you do other than football?”

“As
far as sports go, that’s it.”

“Can
I come and watch you play?  I can pretend to scout you.”  She giggles.

“Hey!” 
I squeeze her to my side.

“Seriously. 
I’ll bring a clipboard and everything.”

The
image makes me laugh and she joins me; I wouldn’t put it past her to do just
that.  Secretly though, I’m excited by the thought of her sitting in the stands
and watching me.  Cheering for me.  My mom and dad make it to some of my games,
but that’s to be expected.  Addison doesn’t have to support me and realizing
she wants to makes a smile break across my face.

I
decide to tease her.  “What would you be scouting me for?  Do you recruit for a
team?”

“Yes.” 
She pulls her body up higher on my chest.  “Team Addison.”

My
eyebrows shoot up.  “How big is the roster?”

“Only
two people.”  She leans closer.  “We’re super selective when it comes to the
players.”

Good
to know.  “When do tryouts start?” I ask.

Her
eyes leave mine and travel to my lips.  “How about now?”

I
pretend to mull it over.  “Hang on.  Let me check my schedule.”

I
start to sit up and she laughs, pushing me back down.  “Just kiss me,” she
says.

Can
do.

My
mouth catches hers, and for the first time her tongue searches for mine.  I tip
my head to help her find it while my free hand makes its way to the back of her
neck.  This is the deepest kiss we’ve shared and I don’t want it to end; I want
it to move on to other things.  Unfortunately, her parents are steps away.

When
she pulls back, I’m a little winded.  “How am I doing so far?” I ask.

“With
what?”

“My
tryout.”

“Really
good.  I’d say you’re the number one draft pick.”

“Excellent.” 
I set my forehead against hers.  “I really want a spot on this team.”

She
laughs.  “Bribing the scout helps.”

“How
so?”

“Keep
up the long walks and the sexy smiles.  Kisses like that last one work, too. 
Oh, and don’t forget to occasionally work in the yard without a shirt.  That’s
a surefire winner.”

My
eyes get big.  “You’ve been spying on me!”

“All
the time.”

Have
I mentioned how much I like this girl?

Without
warning, I reach for her side and tickle her ribs.  “No!” She laughs as she
tries to roll away.  “Stop!”

I
do – for a second.  She rolls on to her back as I hover over her.  “What makes
you think you can get away with stalking me?” I tease.

“I
won’t do it again.  I promise.”  She grins.

“Liar.” 
I smile and start to torture her again.

“Ahhh! 
Not my sides!”

Addison
has nowhere to go inside the tent, so it’s easy for me to catch her.  She
wiggles and laughs beneath my hands as she tries to retaliate, but I’m only
ticklish on the bottom of my feet.

“That
won’t work,” I say as she giggles.

“You
have to be ticklish somewhere!”

I
catch her wrists and pin them beside her head.  “That’s for me to know and you
to find out.”

She
meets my eyes as she catches her breath.  “Gladly.”

Wow.

I’m
in the middle of kissing her again when her dad interrupts.  “Addison!”  He
must be standing on the front porch.

She
pulls her mouth from mine.  “Yeah?”

“I
can see you.”

Immediately
I release her hands and sit back on my heels.  I should have realized our
shadows could be seen with the tent lit from inside.

“It’s
just a tickle fight, Dad.”  She rolls her eyes.

“Don’t
test my trust,” he warns.

Silent
seconds pass before a door slams.  I let out a breath.  “He does not like me,”
I say.