Chapter Twenty-Five
MONTANA
Sprinklers hissedas I passed house after house. The sound reminded me of the day Train and I had wandered down the golf path behind his house. That was the first time we’d started to loosen up around each other. Since then, our relationship had grown so much until yesterday. I expected him to roll by me or stop to offer me a ride again, but the closer I got to school, I realized that wasn’t going to happen. My path to school wasn’t the only way.
On the way home with Mom last night, she’d counseled me that today would be a better day and that I would see things with Train in a whole new light. But when I’d found him outside my house, looking all sexy and apologetic, it had triggered the image of him in his underwear while Nina had her hands all over him. And no matter how sorry he was or how much I believed he was sorry, I couldn’t flip a switch on my emotions. I needed more than ten hours to process things.
Elvira and Reagan chatted as I approached our usual spot on the front lawn. Reagan had her hair up in a ponytail, while Elvira was sporting a headband that pulled back her short brown bob.
“Oh my God,” Reagan said, biting on a nail. “I heard what happened yesterday.”
“Which part?” I asked.
“Austin told me about Nina in the weight room and how Train was trying to convince her to confess her guilt over framing you when you showed up.”
As I listened to Reagan, I debated whether to go back home. Rumors would be all over the school, and I was completely over rumors and whispers and all the other drama. I almost wished I were back at my last school, where I got lost in the thousands of students.
When the bell rang, I sighed. “Let’s go in.”
Elvira hooked her arm in mine. “Are you okay? You’re mad at Train, aren’t you?”
Since they were my best friends and I would eventually tell them about last night, I figured I would get that over with while we walked to computer class.
By the time we entered class, Reagan and Elvira were speechless.
“So I hope Nina and Ferris go to the principal’s office today and confess,” I said.
“Blue hair,” Elvira said. “That’s got to suck.”
As I sat down, my heart hammered, knowing Train would walk in at any second behind us. Yeah, I should’ve stayed home. Maybe two days of not seeing Train would do the trick to get over what had happened.
The warning bell shrilled through the halls. Mr. Salvatore closed the door.
I glanced at Train’s empty seat. Surely he wouldn’t miss school two days in a row. Maybe he was mad at me for walking away.
Mr. Salvatore opened his mouth to speak, when the speaker crackled.
Then a male voice cleared his throat. “Um…”
Reagan glanced at me. My gaze darted to the speaker above the whiteboard.
“Okay.” Train’s voice blared into the classroom. “Can I have your attention? Principal Flynn has given me the green light to steal a few minutes of your time to talk football. As everyone knows, we have a perfect record of wins going into the last two games of the season. We want to keep that record, but we have a tough matchup against Charleston High on Friday. We beat their asses in our first game, but by the skin of our teeth. They’ll want revenge. So I’m asking everyone to come out and support us, not only this week, but next week as well. Make sure you bring your rowdiness and voices.”
His Southern drawl sent warmth directly south.
“Oh,” Train said. “One more thing. Montana Smith, if you’re listening, I’m sorry. I swear I was only trying to clear your name. I went about it all wrong. Please forgive me. My life would suck without you. You’re the only girl I want.”
All eyes swung to me. My cheeks burned, and I’d never been one to get embarrassed easily.
Reagan clapped, as did Elvira.
“Mr. Everly,” Principal Flynn said in the background. “That has nothing to do with football. Now get to class.”
“Wait,” Train said. “I just need to say one more thing.”
Silence filled the room, while tears filled my eyes.
“Montana, I love you,” Train said.
