It doesn’t take long for Maria to reply back.
Maria: Who?
Me: Who do you think? The three idiots I’m being forced to share a car ride with right now.
Maria: What they’d do?
Me: What is it Jamie’s boyfriend says all the time when Brea hangs around and won’t leave them alone? Cockblock? That’s me. I was cockblocked, whatever that means, but I’m using it.
Maria: LOL!
Maria: Wait. One of them ask you out?!!!!
Me: NO! This cute boy from another school who was swimming against Jayson kind of did.
Maria: OMG!!! Tell me!!
Me: Nothing to tell. Like I said. Cockblocked!
Maria: They like you.
Me: Of course they like me. We’re best friends.
Maria: Nooooooo. They LIKE U, like u.
Me: ?? Are you high?
Maria: Trust me.
Me: Who likes me? Jayson? Julien? Ryder?
Maria: All 3! Duh!
Yeah, right. No. Just no. Well, maybe. Ugh! Now I'm blushing for a whole different reason. Do they? I look around the car at each of them. Jayson is turned around in his seat so he can talk with Ryder and Julien, but his right hand is resting above my knee. How did that get there? Julien is sitting right behind me but is leaning forward so that both his hands are hanging over my seat and on top of my shoulders. And Ryder. Well, Ryder is talking to Jay and Julien but he’s looking right at me.
I snap back to face forward. My cell phone has been pinging, so I know Maria is still texting me.
Maria: Where’d u go?
Maria: Hellooooooo
Maria: Yo, bitch. Answer your texts!
Me: I’ll talk to you later.
Maria: Don’t u dare leave me hanging.
Maria: Fine! But we’re talking later.
Me: Parents having a cookout to celebrate Jay’s win. He was awesome BTW. Sigh. I’ll call u 2nite.
I push my phone back into my short’s pocket. Now I feel weird. I’m a teenage girl for Pete’s sake. Yes, I notice boys. Yes, I have noticed a certain three boys in particular for a while. But we’re friends. Just friends. Right? What happens if I decide to like one more than the other two? I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. We’re a unit, a team, inseparable. Life sucks, I decide. I sit quietly the rest of the car ride to Ryder’s house. My parents and sister, and Freda, Mitch, and Brea, all pull in behind us. Ryder’s older sister, Jamie, left the swim meet with her boyfriend and they’ll arrive later.
Hopping out of the minivan, Jayson announces he’s going to take a quick shower to rinse off the chlorine. Hailey and Brea run off together, while Ryder, Julien, and I head into the backyard. Ryder’s dad built a huge firepit out there and placed Adirondack chairs all around it. It’s one of our favorite places to hang out at night. We light a fire, roast some marshmallows, and watch the night sky. Tonight, there’s supposed to be a meteor shower that starts around midnight. Mom said I could stay up for it. I’m hoping that the boys will be able to stay up with me.
The sun is hanging low on the horizon, casting pink hues mixed with orange against the puffy cumulus clouds. The sun won’t set until around half past seven, so we have about an hour before it gets dark. We decide to go ahead and light the fire in the pit even though it’s warm out because it helps keep the mosquitoes away. The back screened door bangs open and then closes as Jayson strolls out and drops into one of the seats next to Julien. I can hear Randy getting the grill ready on the back patio, and the rest of the adults’ voices carry out of the kitchen through the open window.
“Coach told me before I left that they would do an assembly on Friday to celebrate my record-beating time.”
