I do avoid people. I don’t talk. And maybe I can be a bit stupid.
Especially when it comes to Kate.
There's something about this woman that sweeps away all my common sense, leaving my mind spinning like I'm stuck on a never-ending rollercoaster ride. I know I can’t avoid this situation, especially with camp coming up. And knowing she’s putting herself out there for some internet weirdos to deliver her pathetic one-liners when I haven’t even put my hat in the ring is stupid. Unfortunately, I have no idea what I’m doing when it comes to dating—being single for almost six years, with two awkward blind dates dispersed in there somewhere doesn’t bode well for me in this department. And as much as I hate to admit it, I need help.
Help I don’t want to ask for.
Help I know will drive me crazy.
While cooking dinner, I make a phone call and it’s answered on the first ring.
“Don’t ask me about the scrimmage this year, it’s out of my hands.” I hear clanging of dishes and a heavy exhale as Benny continues, “they’ve done it for ten years, that’s just how it is.”
“That’s not why I’m calling.” Even though it is something I should think about. The fact that this camp puts on a huge coaches vs athletes football scrimmage at the end of the weekfor fun.Thatfunbeing the reason we lost Garrett last season.
“Oh okay, what’s up?” Benny asks. More clanging and a sizzling skillet happen in the background. I hesitate to respond, and because Benny can be more intuitive than his therapist fiancée, he quickly asks, “what’s wrong?”
A beat passes and I still don’t say anything. This was a bad idea.
“Malcolm …” Benny’s voice is stern, but calm. That typical approach he gives the students when they’re about to admit to egging the soccer field.
I blow out the air in my lungs, and steady myself.You need help, Malcolm, just tell him.With all of the air out of my lungs, I say weakly, “I need Ellie’s help.”
“Oh man.” He chuckles, probably aware how much this pains me. Asking anyone for help, let alone the woman who lives for helping others. It wouldn’t be so bad if she could stay calm about it, but whenever I ask Ellie for anything, she acts like she’s had ten cups of coffee—giddy and buzzing,nothinglikethe Eleanor Bailey I met a year ago.
Benny calls for Ellie in the background and all I hear is the word help, followed by a small squeal and pounding footsteps.
“Hi!” Ellie practically screams through the phone, “what do you need?”
Like pulling off a Band-Aid, I talk fast and in one breath, “I need a plan to get Kate to see me as more than a friend and I don’t think I can do it on my own. I can’t avoid her at camp so we need to come up with something fast. I need your help.”
“Eeeeee!” Ellie shrieks so loud my phone speaker crackles, “let me get my notepad!”
It’s time to get your girl, Malcolm.
Chapter nine
Kate
“Are we getting asuite?” Tessa is practically crawling out of her skin with excitement as we announce the location for camp this year.
“Will we get a night out like last year?” Chloe squeals next to her.
The girls continue giggling, planning theirvacationon the beach instead of the camp that is meant to help them with college scouting. I can’t blame them entirely, though—we’re going to the beach.
Sunny Florida.
The thought of sand in my toes, water splashing my ankles, my skin sizzling under the sun… If I’m being honest, I have to contain my own excitement. I’ve never been to Florida, or to the beach before, actually—not for lack of trying, of course. Unless we count the hole-in-the-wall restaurant Ellie dragged me to last summer, Tropic Burger. All the waiters wore hula skirts, and I do mean all of them. Jimmy Buffet played on repeat over the speakers. And there was sand everywhere…the ground, our seats, the tables. It was a miracle it wasn’t in our food. That blackbean burger special was the closest thing I’ve had to a beachside meal in my entire life.
“No suites. Yes, one night out. Andnodates, so don’t even ask.” I force a stern look at the group.
Unified groans and moans commence at my audacity. How dare I ruin their chances of canoodling with players from other schools when they could potentially meet the long-distance partner they’ve been waiting for since freshman year?
“And don’t even try sneaking around. I will find out!” I point my pen individually at the eight girls sitting across from me on the gymnasium floor. More painful moans and groans. You’d think I was grounding them with this behavior.
“Now, we’ll have group conditioning workouts in the mornings. Then, you’ll break up into your individual sport groups. Tess and Chloe, you’ll represent our volleyball team, so please be on time. Birdie, you— Birdie, please focus.” Her head is craned in an awkward position as she doom-scrolls on her phone.
“Huh?” It’s not really a question, just a sound she makes as her eyes stay pinned to her phone.
