Rarity by D. A. Roach Read Free Book Online

off.”
     
    “Are you bipolar?”
     
    “What?!”  I yelled.  Some heads turned and I quickly brought my voice down lower.  “No, why the hell would you think that?”
     
    “Because I like you, I mean I liked you.  I liked the Brogen I met at the rabid dog party.”  I couldn’t help chuckle at the fact that he called it a party.  I still hadn’t found the right word to term that strange night.  “After that I felt like I was really getting to know you, and I liked you.  Smart, beautiful, not caught up in the high school drama, funny.”  I looked up at him and felt my heart flutter.  No one had ever said things like this to me.  “Then one day you start ignoring me, like I am a speck of dust and have no desire to even care that I exist.  I don’t get it.”  I couldn’t look into his hazel eyes anymore, too much emotion and energy coming off him.
     
    “I had no idea you felt that way.”  I was trying to think of what to say next.  His statement pulled me toward him, gave me hope that maybe we had a chance together. 
     
    “Listen, the Homecoming Dance is next Saturday.  I’m gonna’ go with my swim buddies and just have a night out.  Take this week to think about what you want.  If you show up to the dance, I’ll take that as a green light to go forward with our relationship.  If you don’t, I’ll accept that you have no interest in knowing me and I’ll leave you be.”
     
    “I thought you’d be going with Becca.  I mean she really likes you.”
     
    “She does?”  I looked up to see the most forced look of shock on his face.  We both bust out laughing.  “I’m sure Becca wants me to take her.  But there’s nothing between us.”   He looked at me sincerely,  “Think about it, and I hope to see you Saturday.”  He winked and then walked away.  Meg raced over to me.
     
    “What did he want?”  I was melting inside, from being close to him, from his words, from his proposition.
     
    “I’ll tell you on the walk home.”
     
    That night we stayed up late talking about what I should do with my Jay situation.
     
    “I say yes, go to it.  I’ll go with you.  Jay is a good guy.  I mean he even took the attack of a rabid dog for you.  All good in my book,”  Meg said.
     
    “But what if I end up like my mom?  I think her heart hurts far worse having loved my dad and having him cheat on her with Blondezilla.  I don’t think I could handle that.”
     
    “Well good thing this is high school and not marriage.  You can make stupid mistakes without super long lasting effects.”
     
    “True.  I’m probably making a bigger deal about it.”
     
    “I think the boys swim team has a home meet on Wednesday.  Let’s go see him and cheer him on.  Drop a hint that he has won your heart,”  Meg suggested.  I threw one of her stuffed animals at her which went into a full blown pillow/stuffed animal fight.
     
    That night I dreamt of Jay, sitting on the curb with blood dripping out of each of his bite marks and smiling at me as if he had not a care in the world around me.  It was so haunting to see him so marred, so bloody.  Yet his face was calm and uplifting.  I wish I understood dream symbolism because I’m sure there were all kinds of meanings to uncover.  But I brushed it off as my subconscious burning off my anxieties.
     
    *********
     
    On Wednesday Meg and I went to the Aquatic Center where the swim meet was in full swing. The crowd on Stanton’s side was plentiful.  The visiting team mostly had parents from their team cheering.    We found seats in the second row.  The best seats were up high - better view of the entire pool, but they were all occupied.  Jay was competing in 3 events, the freestyle relay, the 100m breaststroke, and the 50m freestyle.  The 50 freestyle was like a sprint and was the first event he was competing in.  Jay walked past us on the way to the starting block.  Meg hollered his name.  He turned and locked eyes