River turns to look at the guy in the wheelchair. He has wide shoulders, and I can’t help but wonder if he’s an athlete or football player. ‘Hey,’ she says, and it seems like he’s familiar to her. ‘You disappeared. I’ve not seen you in a while.’
He manoeuvres himself forward a fraction, so that the wheels are touching the grass on the front lawn. Scottie closes the car door and remains where he is.
‘I was up in Austin,’ he replies. ‘Some specialist physical therapists are tryna help me walk again. When Scottie told me what happened with your brother… I just needed to explain a few things. Look, Scottie did go around messaging all the guys at school not to invite you to the winter formal. But… he did it because I asked him to. I didn’t want anyone else asking you when I couldn’t, because I was upstate. I asked around for your phone number so I could ask you, but nobody I knew seemed to have it.’
I look at River. Her cheeks are bright red. Then she walks down the steps toward him. ‘You were gonna ask me?’ she questions.
He nods his head. ‘So… what do you say? Would you maybe let me take you to the winter formal?’
‘You guys should have been up front with me,’ River says, and I’m proud of her for standing up for herself. ‘Both of you. Wylder, you should have got Scottie to ask for my number. Scottie, you made a fool outta me, in front of the entire senior class.’
This time it’s Wylder turning a shade of red. Scottie stares at his fingers.
‘But thank you,’ she then adds softly. ‘I’d love to go with you.’
I see Wylder’s broadening grin. ‘That’s awesome. I’ll make it up to you, I swear. But I should tell you, I can’t do much dancing.’
River shrugs. ‘We’ll figure it out.’
They’re cute, I’ll give ’em that.
‘You guys wanna come in for a soda, or something to eat?’ River asks them both.
‘Sure,’ Wylder says, brightening. ‘If it’s okay with your brother?’
River snorts. ‘Oh. Don’t worry about him.’
Wylder manoeuvres himself toward the front path. He looks back at Scottie. ‘A little help?’ he says.
The younger brother jumps to attention and rushes to his brother’s aid.
‘Here, allow me,’ I say, walking down the steps, and together, Scottie and I lift Wylder’s chair up to the porch with him in it. River gets the front door as Wylder wheels toward it.
‘Thanks, man,’ Scottie says to me, looking awkward.
I run one hand around the back of my neck. ‘I’m sorry about Friday. You should have said.’
‘What, when you were about to punch me in the stones?’
I hold out my hand to him. ‘I should have heard you out. I apologize.’
‘It’s alright, man,’ he says, and we shake hands. ‘Things aren’t always black and white, I guess.’
His words hit me, and I know in that moment that I need to call Serenity.
Upstairs in my room, I pace up and down. I wait until four o’clock. I figure she’ll still be at the diner for her shift. Just after four, I call her dedicated cell.
‘Hey,’ she says as she picks up. Her tone is soft and subdued.
‘Hey,’ I say back, and I wonder if I should have driven to the diner to do this in person. ‘You at the diner?’
‘Yeah. I just finished my shift. You back in Canyon?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Heard you had a good game.’
I would have thought she’d try and watch it, but then I remember: she was working. ‘We got the win.’
