Me & Timothy Cooper by Suzanne D. Williams Read Free Book Online

out over the thu mping music. Tim rose , and they c lasped hands . “Dude, I heard you and Southern hooked up.”
    Tim dr ew a line across his throat . T oo late .
    And Eric realized his mistake. H is face flushed , he stammered his apology . “ S-s orry, Tay- tay lor , I didn’t see you.”
    If looks could kill, Eric would be dead.
    “Obviously,” Taylor said. “And I see my nickname has spread as well.”
    “I … I … well, you see …” Eric fumbled his words.
    She crossed her arms. “Yes? Go ahead.”
    Tim reseated himself. “Don’t be sore,” he said, “Eric’s the one who originally called you that.”
    She was sore.
    “And you just decided to pick it up, huh?”
    Ouch. She was really, really sore.
    “Now, don’t be that way,” he pleaded, “It was a compliment.”
    “ Uh huh. Is us ‘hooking up’ a compliment too?”
    Eric seated himself to Tim’s left. “Of course, it was,” he said. He was trying to help, but he wasn’ t helping. Tim shut him do wn with a glare and reached for Taylor’s hand, folding their fingers together.
    Dating was complicated, and he was beginning to think girls were even more complicated.
    “Timothy Cooper?”
    Tim glanced up into the eyes of a petite blonde. She looked familiar. W hy?
    “You don’t remember me?” she asked.
    He scrunched up one side of his face , which didn’t help . “No, I’m sorry. Should I?”
    The girl looked down at his and Taylor’s fingers, seemingly weighing her options. “We were in elementary school together. Brianne?”
    Brianne. No. Not Brianne. If all the blood was draining from his face, he wouldn’t be surprised. Brianne was … was … the first girl he ever kissed. Please don’t say so.
    She seated herself in a chair in front of them , turning around backward . “Why don’t you introduce me to your girlfriend?”
    He sucked in a lungful of throbbing air. “This is Taylor. Taylor, Brianne.”
    Taylor was staring at him, studying his reaction. She was nothing if not perceptive. She’d know something was up. She’d …
    “You kissed her. Didn’t you?”
    Ask. He gulped. “It … it was a long time ago, fourth grade.”
    “Tell me,” Taylor said, her gaze on his face . “Was he as charming then?” She turned toward Brianne.
    Brianne smiled. “Of course, and the cutest boy in the class.”
    They both grinned like Cheshire cats. H e fastened a n artificial smile on his face. Nothing worse than two females in league.
    Brianne brush ed a lock of silky hair from her shoulders . Her next question sent him reeling. “So, Tim, How’s Justin? I’ll bet I won’t recognize him now.”
    Justin. His heart stopped beating. She didn’ t know; the pain of her words cut through him , and it all came tumbling back. Justin dead on the ball field. Justin being given CPR. Justin gone. He leaned over, hanging his face between his knees, his stomach shoving upwards.
    “Tim? Is something wrong?” Brianne asked.
    Taylor wrapped her arms about his shoulders, her gentle voice speaking softly in his ear. “Justin’s dead.”
     
    ***
     
    I knew he was dead, but I didn’ t know how . At that moment, it didn’t matter because Tim was about to collapse. Brianne must have felt awful. It was a serious gaffe on her part, but not preventable. If she hadn’t seen Tim since fourth grade, then she would have no idea Justin was gone.
    Unfortunately, at that moment the worship team climbed on the platform , and there was no time to say anything more to Brianne . The drummer, a fifteen-something kid, twirled his drumsticks in his fingers as he climbed behind a three-piece Pearl set. The bass player and guitarist were twins. Literally. Tall, thin weed-shaped guys about our age.
    Tim descended into a funk, and I didn’t blame him. All through the sermon, which was something about witnessing at school, he stared at the floor or his shoes or something down there. It was after the altar call that he got up and left. Eric stared at me. Brianne