After Hours (boyxboy) | ✓

Chapter Nine

“—And then, I told her I’m not a five year old.” I finished recounting to Brendon what had happened the other night. After I got home from the fair, my mom basically went berserk on me. But I guess making her cry wasn’t so cool either.

Brendon applauded the story, not asking about my dad’s reaction, likely out of courtesy. His hand felt warm and soft as he gave me a high five. 

I would’ve told him about this incident yesterday at our evening shift, but he was missing that night — he had dinner with his mom and her new boyfriend. It was a long and painful shift without him, but it was worth it. They say distance makes the heart grow fonder.

“Well said,” he nodded in approval as I concluded the story. “Sorry to change the subject, but—”

“Whassup, suckers!” Donny and Laura joined us at the snack shack counter. They had just finished the last shift. Laura glared off to the side, clearly still annoyed about the whole Claire ordeal.

“Can I finish my sentence?” Brendon asked, punching Donny’s arm. 

“Sure thing.”

He turned to face me. “Wanna go shopping this afternoon?”

I glanced around the pool deck. I would’ve loved to say yes to him, but I was booked for this afternoon. And the next two. Today, I was playing tennis with Claire, Theo and Rachel (our timeless excuse to gossip and tell secrets). 

“No can do,” I said, “I have a date this afternoon.”

“Do you?” he muttered, raising one eyebrow. Donny chuckled at his friend and Laura gasped.

“I’m just kidding. I’m busy though. Playing tennis with friends.”

“Oh,” he said, “Tomorrow?”

“At my dad’s— I mean, fishing with my dad. To make up for the Fourth.” Nice save, I thought to myself. 

He gave me an exaggerated frown. “Sunday?”

I smiled apologetically. His frown deepened.

“Is there a day that you aren’t booked?” Donny asked, shocked by my seemingly busy social life.

“I’m free Monday.”

“I’m not,” Brendon sighed. “Tuesday?”

“Tuesday,” I agreed. He smiled sadly..

We shook hands and parted ways. Claire, Rachel and Theo would be waiting for me now. Tennis was a shared interest of ours. I didn’t play often, but I used to be on the school team in ninth grade. I quit because it conflicted with my swim meets. But it was still fun to play every once in a while, and gossiping with high school royalty was a perk.

I strolled down the pavement, making my way to the courts. I waved as I passed people from school and friends of my parents. You couldn’t go anywhere in that town without seeing someone you knew. I even saw my teachers regularly.

Claire and Rachel were already at the tennis courts when I arrived. They held pink rackets, and Claire bounced a blue ball on the also-blue pavement. Two rackets were set aside for me and Theo. 

“Emmett! There you are,” Claire said, putting her racket down to give me a quick hug.

Rachel nodded. “How’s life, pal?”

“Pretty good, actually.”

Not a minute later, our attention was turned to Theo, who was walking toward us and talking loudly with some guy. I didn’t recognize him, and decided he must’ve been from out of town. Their conversation was flat, but loud enough that the whole court could hear them. The other  boy seemed to be pretty boring (and pretty cocky), but I thought he was okay looking. Claire whispered to me that the guy hadn’t left Theo alone since they met at Angie’s party weeks ago. She claimed he was some well-known cheerleader from the next town over. But when I looked at him, I couldn’t see it. He was thin as a rail — not a muscle on his bony arms. I had trouble believing he could do a somersault without breaking a bone.