But I really wanted to be on the back of Leo’s bike. More than I should have, considering his on again, off again relationship with my older sister, even if they were mostly off lately.
“I’ll take it easy,” he said, laughing. “Go get your stuff and change outta that skirt.”
“I—” I stuttered, then cleared my throat uncomfortably. “I don’t know where the bedroom is.”
“Oh, shit. Right.” Leo’s hand met my waist as he wrapped an arm around my back and turned us in the right direction. “Sometimes I completely fuckin’ forget,” he mumbled in my ear.
“How?”
“Don’t know. Guess it’s just not one of the things I notice about ya.”
“Uh, how can you ignore the lack of eye contact?”
“Usually staring at your tits,” he joked, grunting as I elbowed him in the stomach.
“I’m kiddin’. Mostly.”
We shuffled into the bedroom and Leo awkwardly left after making sure that I knew where everything was. He even handed me the jeans I’d been wearing earlier, like I wouldn’t have been able to find them folded neatly on top of my backpack. I wasn’t sure how he’d known the difference between mine and Rose’s, but he had.
I shook my head as I set my skirt on the end of the bed and shimmied into my jeans. Of all the things that could have happened, having my date stand me up was quite possibly the last thing I would have imagined. It wasn’t like I’d asked him. He’d come to me. It was his fucking idea.
I hoped Rose was having a good time, but I was pretty sure she was spending the evening in a snit, telling everyone at school that she was going to nut-punch Brent. It wouldn’t even occur to her to keep the fact that I’d been stood up to herself. She didn’t get embarrassed by things like that, and wouldn’t expect me to either.
I was embarrassed, though. I was so embarrassed, I was already dreading school on Monday. Everyone was going to know. Even if Rose hadn’t said anything, people would know. Our school wasn’t that big, and when the blind chick and the model planned on going to prom together and then never showed up, they would notice. It was the nature of high school.
After my coat and backpack were secure on my shoulders, I moved forward until I found the door, opening it slowly. I could hear voices in the living room, and was pretty sure I could find my way there without any mishaps, but I still paused in the open doorway.
Leo… well, he was everything. He was the guy who made sure that there wasn’t anything that I would trip on in the forecourt of the clubhouse. The one who made sure that everyone started pushing their chairs in so I wouldn’t run into them. The guy who sat through Titanic with me even though I couldn’t actually see it, but fast-forwarded through all of the heavy breathing parts like he was embarrassed. I was pretty sure he was the first non-family member who’d ever called me beautiful. The only non-family member I’d ever vented my frustration to.
My first and only crush.
The minute I walked into a room, he’d stop fighting with my sister, but never hesitated to swear in front of me if he was pissed about anything else. He gave me crap about my dirty language, but always with a smile in his voice. He treated me like I meant something. Like I could do anything, and he fully expected me to.
I didn’t know how any guy would ever measure up to him.
“You good?” Leo’s voice startled me as he called down the short hallway. I’d been too busy daydreaming to even notice his footsteps.
“Yep, just getting my bearings,” I answered, reaching out to run my hand along the wall as I moved forward. “Now that they’re done with the downstairs, I’m going to have to come over here more often.”
“Yeah, but Tommy’s a fuckin’ slob, so be careful even if you think you know where everything is,” he warned me, laying his hand over mine on the wall as I reached him. “Come on, Dandelion, let’s hit the road.”
“You guys leavin’?” Tommy asked as we walked toward the front door.
“Yeah, gonna take her home,” Leo replied.
“Better take her straight home,” Tommy muttered, followed by an audible slap.
“Shut up, Thomas,” Hawk scolded.
“Thanks for helping us get ready,” I called to Hawk as Leo opened the front door. “Bye, shithead!”
“It was fun, you look gorgeous!” Hawk replied, just as Tommy yelled, “Get outta here, brat!”
Leo helped me down the porch stairs and stopped in the driveway. His helmet was placed on my head as I stood, my eyelids lowered.
“Gonna have to get a better helmet,” Leo mumbled.
“I know you guys like these things,” I replied as I slapped his hands from the straps so I could buckle it under my chin myself. “But this kind of helmet doesn’t protect your melon for shit.”