A Second Chance (9 page)

By time I finish getting ready, I look at the clock, and it’s already 6:50. Time sure does fly when you’re not thinking about it.  As I am about to head down stairs, I hear the doorbell. I walk down stairs to greet Brent, but to find that it’s Tate. He is talking to my dad, and staring straight at me. As Tate was about to say something, the doorbell rang again. I open the door and greet Brent.

I yell over my shoulder that I will be back around 11. I hear my dad yell out 10. I turn to flash my dad a smile and I see a glare in Tate’s eyes as he sees who I am with.  Brent and I walk to his car and he opens the door for me. We drove to the beach in complete silence. He probably doesn’t know what to say since he seen Tate sitting in the kitchen being friendly with my dad.

We get out his car and walk down to the beach. I carry the blanket as Brent carries the basket. I pick a post off the side where they aren’t a lot of people and from the water so we wouldn’t get wet. I spread the blanket and sit down first.

As I get comfortable on the blanket and Brent gets situated. I shiver a little bit from the wind off the water.

“Are you cold?”

“I’m fine, I forgot about the breeze that comes off the water.”

“Here is my jacket.” He shoves it off of him and puts it over my arms.

“Thank you.”

I pull the jacket over me some more to get warm. Brent opens the basket and pulls out strawberries, with sandwiches that have been cut in so squares, with 2 bottles of waters.

“Sorry, I wasn’t sure what you drink, but I figured you couldn’t go wrong with water.” Brent says.

“Yeah, water is fine.”

We sit in silence watching the waves, until I could not take the silence any more.

“Hey you want to play a game?” I turn to look at Brent.

Brent looks at me with a curious look on his face. “A game?” I nod my head at him. “Um, sure. What do you want to play?”

“The know you game. It’s where we ask each other simple questions to get to know each other. There is no right or wrong answer.”

“Sounds fun, okay you start.”

Oh, this is going to be interesting.

“What’s your favorite color?”

“Red. What’s your favorite Movie?”

“Don’t laugh. It’s The Lion King.”

Brent burst out laughing. “The Lion King?”

“Yep, Hakuna Matata.” I tell him with a big smile on my face.

“Hakuna Matwhata?”

I laugh at the why he pronounces it. “Ha-ku-na Ma-ta-ta, it Swahili for no worries.”

“That is awesome! I’ll have to remember that.”  He flashes me a smile then winks at me.

“Yep, now my turn. Birthday?”

“Today.”

I feel my face drop. “Excuse me?”

“Yep, my birthday is today. November 20
^th
.”

“Why didn’t you say anything? Why are we here and you not out partying?”

Brent leans over and puts his hand on my leg. “Calm down, Rayleigh. I want to be here, I wouldn’t want to spend my birthday any other way.” Brent flashes me another smile.

After Brent assured me that, I didn’t ruin his birthday and he spending time with me is what he wants to do. I finally pushed it out of my mind. We sat on the beach for a long time playing ‘the know you’ game and just talking. The night turned off even colder, as we packed up everything and head home.

Brent pulls up to my house and walks me to the door. I didn’t want the night to end, but we also had school tomorrow. We stop at the front door. “Thank you for tonight, it was wonderful.” I smile up at Brent as he is looking down at me. He chuckles a bit. “Thank you for coming up to me in the hall today. I couldn’t have had a better birthday.” As Brent ends his sentence he leans down and kisses me, gently.  It didn’t seem.... Wrong. It actually felt right.

Brent pulls back and tells me good night. I tell him happy birthday as I walk inside and shut the door. Tonight actually turned out great, Brent is so much different than what Ben said.

I
walk in the front door and mom and dad are both sitting on the couch, curled up together watching tv. They kind of gross me out sometimes, always groping and kissing as if they are teenagers. But at the same time, it’s nice, seeing them so in love. I want that one day.

“Hey sweetie, you have fun?” Mom says, not taking her eyes off the TV.

“Yes, I really did.” I say dreamily.

I go up to my room and shut the door. Smiling as I lean back against it. “I take it you had fun?”

I jump at the voice, and notice Tate sitting on my bed. “What are you doing here, Tate?” I say as I drop my purse over on my dresser.

“Why were you out with him?” He asks sadly.

“Why not? He’s a great guy. We had fun.”

“I saw him kiss you.” Tate says angrily.

“Yes, Tate, he did. That’s what you do at the end of a date.”

“I wanted to kill him.” He says. “Please don’t go out with him again. I don’t want to kill him.”

“I’m sorry Tate, but right now you’re gonna have to get over it. We’re going steady. He asked me to be his girl tonight and I said yes.”

“What?” he whispers out. Then storms over to me, pressing me against the wall and then crashes his mouth down onto mine. I start to shove him off, but he beats me to it. “Does he make you feel like that Ray? I bet he doesn’t.” then storms out of my room.

I turn to run after him, “That’s not fair; Tate, and you know it!” I yell at him. 

Tate turns around and comes close to my face, “Do you think everything is fair? You have no idea how life works if you think this is fair!”

“Tate, go home and let me be happy! You have Courtney, you chose her remember? I am going out with Brent. I told you we can be friends and maybe be back to the point we were at before anything ever happened between us.”

“We will be together.”

“Stop being the damn alpha male that you think you are! Go home, Tate.”

He turns to walk down stairs, as he reaches the stairs he turns to look at me. “This is not over.”

“There was nothing there, for it to be over. It was set up for failure.”

He turns and leaves me standing there. This is the right thing. He has Courtney and I am moving on with Brent.

Brent picked me up for school today. I walked out my front door and noticed Tate standing in his driveway glaring at Brent. Brent gets out of his car and comes over to me. Wrapping me in a hug and gives me a quick kiss before getting back in the car.

The day went by pretty well. Everywhere Brent and I went, hand in hand, Tate was there. You could practically see the steam coming out of his ears. I caught Courtney’s looks a few times, and she looked like a mix between pissed off and sad. It wasn’t until after my second to last class of the day when she came up to me at my locker.

“You need to stop this with Brent. I know I’ve been a complete bitch about you and Tate, but he’s in love with you. You need to give him another chance.” She says, and then walks away without waiting for me to say anything back.

I walk out to meet Brent at his car at the end of the day. I didn’t want to go home right away so Brent and I went to the beach and walked around. After today, school is out for a week for thanksgiving break.

“What are you doing over the break?” I ask Brent walking hand and hand down the beach, as the sun sets.

“I am actually going out of town Wednesday morning to see out of state family, but I will be back Friday morning. What about you?”

“Family is coming into town, and having a thanksgiving feast at my house, with Tate’s family.”

“That sounds like fun. Maybe we can get together and hang out before I leave.”

“Of course!” Brent leans down and kisses me.

On the way back to my house, Brent was really quiet; maybe I made him uncomfortable with Tate having thanksgiving with my family.

As we pull up at my house, I touch Brent’s arm, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”

“You seem like something is bothering you.”

“Nah, I’m fine. Do you want to hang out tomorrow?”

“Sure, how about noon?”

“I’ll be here.” I reach for the door handle signaling that I’m getting out. Usually Brent turns the car off and walks me to the door but he didn’t turn the car off, and he doesn’t look like he is going to walk me to door either.

“Well good night.” I lean over to kiss him. Brent brushes his lips across mine and tells me good night.

I get out of the car, as I look up and see Tate standing in the yard, watching everything. No wonder he didn’t want to get out of the car.

Brent backs out of the drive way as Tate walks over.

“You’ve got to stop spying on me Tate.” I say as I walk to the door to go inside.

“I wasn’t spying; I was just making sure you were okay.”

“I’m fine. Now go home!” I walk inside and slam the door in his face. I swear if he shows up in my room tonight, I will kick him in the balls!

I
’m hanging out with Brent in the backyard today. Just lying in the grass, talking, when I hear the doorbell. “Be right back.” I get up and make my way to the door. When I open it, I come face to face with Ben, Tate, Lily, and even Courtney. I frown as I take them all in.

“We came to hang out.” Lily says as she walks in the house.

“Uh, I’m spending time with Brent today.”

“That’s ok, we can all hang out.” Courtney says.

“Fine whatever, make yourselves comfortable.” I say as I slam the door after Tate walks in. He gives me a hesitant smile. I roll my eyes and head out back again, to Brent.  “We got crashed.” I say to him as I walk over and sit back down.

Brent sits up to see who has crashed out little party. Once he sees Tate, I can tell he tensed up, but he relaxes when he sees Courtney.

Tate comes over and sits on the opposite side of me, Lily and Ben sit in front of us as Courtney sits next to Lily.  I give Lily an odd look, as she shrugs her shoulders at me.

“So what made you all come over all of a sudden?” looking dead at Tate, knowing this had to be his idea, since he is the only one that knew I was here by myself with Brent. After all he can see my entire back yard from his back porch.

“Nothing, Courtney ran into Ben and Lily at the mall and Ben called me asked if I wanted to hang out. Lily said she tried to call you but you didn’t answer so we just walked over here when they got to my house.” Tate smiles at me. Oh he is good.

“Uh, Huh. Um Lil, is there something you are missing to tell me?” I raise an eye brow at her.

“I have no earthy idea what you are talking.”

“Like WHY you were at the mall with Ben?”

“Actually, I ran into Ben at the mall, and then while we were walking around we ran into Courtney.”

“Sure.”

I look over at Courtney and she is staring at Brent, “Courtney, please. You already have Tate. Don’t go after Brent to.”

Lily, Tate, Ben and Brent’s mouths dropped open when I called Courtney out.

“Excuse me?”

“Let me put it to you this way, You ALREADY have Tate, so stop staring at my boyfriend!”

“I wasn’t........ I’m sorry Rayleigh, I will be going.”

Courtney stood up and was about to leave, “Courtney you don’t have to leave, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been rude.”

“No it’s ok; I know when I’m not wanted.”

“Courtney, stay.” I feel like I’m begging. Hell, I practically am. Why on earth am I begging Courtney to stay? I need my head examined.

Without saying anything, Courtney just nods and sits back down.

The afternoon wares on, and after our conversations die out, I decide to go in and grab my stereo and a few cds.

When I bring them out, before I can play one, everyone grabs at them.

“Brad Paisley?” Tate asks, eye brows raised.

“Ke$ha?” Lily asks shocked.

“Fall out Boy?” Ben asks.

They all seemed shocked. Courtney holds my Christina Aguilera and Paramour CDs. Looking surprised.

“What?” I ask. Not getting the problem.

“I don’t know anyone who likes such a diverse sound in music.” Courtney says

I shrug. “If I think it sounds good, I like it.”

After a little while with music, we decide to order up some pizza. Since everyone likes a different kind, we ended up ordering five different pizzas. Once they came, I got more stares. “Now what?” I ask after taking a big bite.

“Pepperoni, extra cheese and onions? Really?” Lily says making a face.

Instead of answering I just moan. At least I don’t bring out my choice of chips and dip.

After eating, everyone is grouped off, just talking. I spot Courtney sitting on my deck stairs alone. I go over and sit by her. “Are you ok?”

“No, not really. But I’ll get over it.”

“I know we didn’t get off to a good start, but if you need to talk I’m here.” Wait, what did I just tell her?

“Thanks Rayleigh.” She says quietly. “You should give Tate another chance. We’re not together. Just friends. It hasn’t been like that with us for a long time. He’s in love with you. And trust me, if he could tell you why he’s still helping me out, he would. I just won’t let him.”

I stiffen at her words. “Then why did you warn me away from him when I first got here?”

“Because, I didn’t want to lose my best friend.” She says sadly. “There is someone else.”

“Someone else? Who?” I ask her.

“I can’t say. But I think in time, you’ll probably hate me more.” She says quietly, standing up then walks over to Tate.

Her words ring in my head, who is someone and why hasn’t she told anyone? Courtney looks so depressed being around everyone.

It was getting late as I told everyone that they didn’t have to go home but they had to get out. I was exhausted and wanted sleep. Lily and Ben took Courtney home and by time Brent was ready to leave, Tate still hadn’t gone home.

Brent kept eyeing Tate, and I just wanted to end this alpha male contest that just seems to keep going.  I clear my throat to get their attention. “Tate, I think it’s time for you to go.”

“Actually, if you don’t mind, I was wondering if I could go kick the punching bag for a few.”

“Ugh, I guess. But seriously you have 10 minutes and I’m kicking you out.”