Being Jamie Baker (2 page)

“Sorry,” I said. “That kiss was a one-time deal, and it wasn’t an invitation for anything else. Trust me, you’ve got a much better chance of getting some action if you go with Becky.” I wouldn’t say I sounded hostile just then, but I definitely wasn’t being friendly, and when Ryan just laughed at my comment my annoyance turned into real anger.

“It’s not like that,” he said.

“Right.”

“No, really. I just think it could be interesting.”

I gave him the dirtiest look I could, but he shrugged it off like it was nothing. He looked over at Becky just as she left the room, and then looked back at me as casual as ever. “I think it’d be more fun to go with you.”

Okay, now I was curious. I mean Becky and Ryan are basically attached at the hip. Best friends since kindergarten or something ridiculous like that. Ryan worships her as much as every other boy in this school, if not more, so I couldn’t for the life of me understand why he’d ask me when he could take her.

“I know Becky,” Ryan explained when he saw my frown. “But you’re a mystery to me. I like mysteries.”

“Well then, Sherlock, it’s in your best interest to stick with the original plan. If we went to the dance and you accidentally got to know me or something, then I wouldn’t be a mystery anymore.” I grabbed my bag and stood up. “I’m not going. With you or anyone.” I walked out of the room without looking back, but I heard him sigh as I left. It was the strangest day I’d had since I moved here and the most social interaction I’d had with any one classmate. It hadn’t been bad, but I prayed it was over now and that when I went back to school the next day things would be back to their normal, uneventful selves.

* * * * *

I wondered if Ryan would keep bothering me, but he didn’t. Aside from Paul Warren, Rocklin High’s resident Eminem wannabe, giving me what he thought passed for “the nod” every time he saw me, everything was back to normal within a couple of days. At least it was until the following Thursday, when I ran into Ryan at the movies and he actually had the nerve to talk to my parents.

Ryan works at the theater, and I knew there was a chance he would be there, but I never imagined he would do anything with my mom and dad standing there. I also couldn’t not go because Thursdays are too big a deal. See, my accident happened on a Wednesday, and the next day, when my parents should have been planning my funeral, I was released from the hospital, and we all went out to celebrate the fact that I was alive. Every Thursday since then has kind of become our day. Like a family day. Sure, my parents are completely corny and like to get all mushy on me sometimes, but I still love Thursdays.

Maybe it’s lame to hang with your parents, but I wouldn’t give up Thursdays for the world. My parents are all I’ve got. They’re the only two people in the world that I can completely be myself around. So despite their quirks, when we go out and have a good time together, it’s the only time I ever feel like a normal kid. That’s why my parents would have known something was up if I’d suddenly opted to stay home in order to avoid seeing Ryan.

I’ve seen Ryan at the movie theater lots of times, and he always looks at me weird and then takes our tickets without showing any other hint that he actually knows who I am, so I figured it would be okay. But I knew I was in trouble this time because his face lit up as we walked through the door. I guess making out with him changed the rules somehow and made it acceptable for him to say hi to me, because he gave me such a cheerful “Hey, Jamie!” that it actually startled my parents.

He flashed me that stupid, charming, boyish grin of his, and I glared back, but my mother practically swooned. Before she could ask, Ryan held out his hand and said, “Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Baker.

I’m Jamie’s friend Ryan. It’s really nice to meet you.”

So we’re friends now? One random kiss and a rejected date make us friends? I wanted to argue the point, but he didn’t appear to be sarcastic at all, and the sad fact is, I don’t have any friends. The fact that he even talked to me made him the closest thing to it, so I guess there was no harm in letting my parents believe it. At least then they might get off my case a little.

Ryan shook my parents’ hands, and my mother all but pulled him in for a big, tight hug. I know she’s a little desperate for me to make friends and have a normal life, but if I had been trying to do that, she definitely wouldn’t have been helping any.

You have to understand my mom, though. She and my dad are a normal teenager’s worst nightmare. Seriously, they’re straight out of one of those after-school specials about teenage pregnancy or anorexia or whatever. You know, always trying to help me be strong by telling me how proud of me they are and how much they love me and stuff.

In today’s world of divorce and family dysfunction, my parents are basically freaks. They’ve always been cheesy and way overprotective—I suppose that’s just what happens when you’re raised in a little farming town in Illinois—but it’s gotten much worse since my accident. Sometimes I think they act like that because they’re afraid I’m tiptoeing on the edge of sanity, and if my home life isn’t perfect I’ll crack. But the truth is, my accident has affected them as much as me, and with everything we’ve been through in the last year, we’re all probably borderline lunatics. I’m sure they need the image of perfection as much as I do.

While I should have been mortified when my mom greeted Ryan with a hug, I couldn’t really blame her. Instead, I just wanted to kill him. Buttering up my parents and getting their hopes up like that was a pretty low blow. But the boy really knows how to play the game, I’ll give him that much.

“I’m surprised Jamie’s never mentioned such a good-looking boy to us before,” my mother gushed. “You’re just the type she usually blabs my ear off about.” Ryan smiled proudly for my mom’s sake, but the glance he shot me seemed to say, “So I’m your type, huh? Good to know.”

I could be mistaken, but he seemed a little disappointed when I was unfazed by his taunting. He turned his attention back to my mom and asked, “She’s
never
mentioned me? Not even after what happened last week?”

I groaned at Ryan’s pout, and especially at his feigned surprise, but my mother ate it up. My father, on the other hand, was now watching both Ryan and me meticulously, and very cautiously asked,

“Why? What happened last week?”

“Nothing,” I grumbled.

“It definitely wasn’t nothing!” Ryan argued.

I felt the chunks rise in my stomach at the thought of Ryan telling my parents that I’d kissed him.

As I vowed inwardly to murder him if he gave up the secret, the jerk winked at me, happy to see he’d finally gotten to me. Thankfully, he divulged only a tiny piece of the story. “I finally got up the courage to ask her out,” he explained.

As much as I wanted to believe that I’m not the only superpowered freak in the world, and that Ryan didn’t mention our kiss because he had some kind of mind-reading ability, I knew that wasn’t the case. I was being pretty obvious that I was contemplating murder, and I know Ryan picked up on it. My father saw it too, and even though I could tell he found Ryan’s harassing me funny, he tried his best to hide his amusement.

My mother, however, didn’t notice me at all. She was too busy glaring at a group of girls flirting with Ryan as he tore their tickets. She raised her voice above their giggling to say, “Ryan, Jamie didn’t tell me you two have a date!”

“That’s because we don’t,” I said quickly.

You should have seen the look my mother gave me right then. She was so utterly disappointed in me. But Ryan laughed and muttered, “I’m still working on it, Mrs. Baker,” making her frown vanish instantly.

The two of them being all chummy together was making me ill. “Isn’t there a movie we’re supposed to be watching right now or something?”

Ryan is the last person to need any help with the dating game, but my mother wasn’t about to miss out on an opportunity to play matchmaker. “There’s at least ten minutes of previews before the show starts. If you want to talk for a few minutes, we’ll get out of your hair and call you when the movie starts.”

Yeah, like that was going to happen. “And miss out on ten minutes of Thursday time to talk to
him
? I wouldn’t dream of it.”

My mother started to protest, and my dad went to stop her before she could start a fight with me, but Ryan beat him to the punch. “It’s all right, Mrs. Baker. My boss would be on my case for socializing anyway, and I’d hate to interrupt you guys. I think it’s cool that you spend so much time together. I wouldn’t want to impose on that.”

Surprisingly enough, I couldn’t tell if Ryan was just kissing up to my parents or if he was actually serious. It’s that stupid grin of his. It’s too natural. My mother was a goner for it, that was obvious, but my dad was a little skeptical, like me. “And do you spend lots of time with your parents?” he asked.

My dad was definitely trying to use his I-have-a-gun-and-I-doubt-anyone-would-miss-you voice, but Ryan didn’t seem to mind. “Well, my stepdad is away on business quite a bit, but he’s an all right guy, and I actually spend a lot of time with my mom when he’s away so she won’t get lonely.” Ryan shrugged and I couldn’t believe it, but there was a hint of redness in his cheeks, so he quickly added,

“She makes me.” Not that it helped any.

I think it was the blushing that finally convinced my dad that Ryan was being sincere. He nodded slowly and said, “Good kid.”

“Thank you, sir. I just hope you remember you said that when Jamie finally agrees to go on a date with me.”

My dad laughed, finally succumbing to the charm of Ryan Miller, and I’d had just about as much of this as I could take. “The movie’s probably starting now,” I snapped, and then stalked off to the theater.

I heard my mother sigh, and after she apologized for her rude daughter, both she and my dad said good-bye, but Ryan stopped them before they could follow me. “Is there a trick to getting on her good side?” he asked.

My dad just laughed, but my mother took pity on him and said, “Don’t push her too hard. That only makes it worse.”

“I’ll remember that. Thank you, Mrs. Baker.”

I tried to figure out if there was any discouragement in Ryan’s voice, but without seeing his face I couldn’t tell. I wish my mom had used the words “don’t bother” or “never going to happen,” but still, at least she didn’t just tell him to go for it and give him some spiel about me needing friends, like she does at home all the time.

Getting my parents to stop bothering me about going out with Ryan was easy, but getting Ryan to stop bothering me about going out with Ryan was a different story. I was so nervous to go to school the next day because if Ryan had the guts to approach me when I was with my parents, then he would have absolutely no problem continuing the harassment at school.

Friday actually came and went without any real trouble, though. I was kind of surprised but really relieved at the same time. I figured Ryan’s reservations had something to do with my mom telling him not to push me, because every time he saw me he smiled like he was buckets of friendly, but he didn’t actually talk to me.

After that, I figured the crisis was averted and hoped that Ryan just thought I was some loner who happened to be a really good kisser, but then things changed drastically the week of homecoming. It was Monday, and English started off the same as any other day—with me sitting in the far back corner, and Becky and Ryan somewhere up front with the majority of the rest of the class gathered around them like a flock of sheep. Ryan glanced my direction every now and then, just as he’d done ever since our kiss, but it still took me by surprise when he decided to end our silent streak.

Ten minutes before the bell rang, setting us free for the day, Mr. Edwards told us to pick a partner, since for our next assignment we would be writing biographies of a classmate. Usually, picking partners meant I sat there doodling in my notebook until everyone else picked a partner. Then, when Mr.

Edwards tried to group me with two other people, I’d tell him I could do the project by myself.

With most teachers, I’d never get away with that, but this is Mr. E’s first year of teaching, so he hasn’t figured out yet that you shouldn’t let your students push you around, and he always gives in.

Today, however, it didn’t go down that way, and I was totally caught off guard.

“Take the last ten minutes,” Mr. Edwards said, “to pick a partner, exchange numbers, plan a date, or do whatever you have to do, because these papers are due in two weeks.” Becky, of course, automatically turned to Ryan with a big smile. “This will be easy,” she said. “I already know everything about you.”

But then, much to everyone’s surprise, and not just mine, Ryan replied, “Why don’t you partner with Paige on this one? I think I’m going to do my paper with Jamie.” I didn’t have any time to protest because I think Becky was actually angrier about it than I was.

“What?” she yelled, and then glared my direction. “Did I miss something? The freak jumps you like a dog in heat and suddenly you’re best friends?”

“Is there a problem, Ms. Eastman?” Mr. Edwards asked.

Ryan was quick to step in. “We’re fine, Mr. E. It’s just that this is one assignment Jamie can’t do by herself, and I know no one else is going to be her partner.”

“Got that right,” Becky scoffed with an Oscar-worthy pout. I think she would have gouged my eyes out right then, if she could.

Mr. Edwards glanced from me to Ryan, trying to cover his look of shock, and then whispered to Ryan as if the whole class couldn’t hear him anyway, “Are you sure?”

“I’m not scared of her,” Ryan said, flashing me a big grin.

Mr. Edwards shook off his surprise and started to write down our names.

“Uh, Mr. E.?” I snapped. “I’m not working with him.”

I glared at Mr. Edwards and waited for him to back down as usual, but this time when he sighed, he didn’t say “fine,” the way he normally did. Instead he said, “I’m afraid Ryan’s right, Jamie. This is an assignment you can’t do by yourself.”

“Mr. E., I’m not telling some stranger all the intimate details of my life so he can spread it around the whole school!”