“Just picking up some of Reed’s stuff. We have a workout down in Tucson,” Buck smiled, winking. “They want to take a final look. I think he’s got the starting gig locked up down there. I just hope I can convince him.”
I smiled, my heart picking up a little knowing that Reed was just a few yards away in the locker room. I wanted to get inside before he came out. “Oh, I know if anyone can convince someone of something, it’s you,” I smiled, starting to walk past Buck, then suddenly halting when I heard his voice.
“So what exactly is pops convincing me of?” I flushed and suddenly felt panic stricken. I turned around nervously, looking at Buck for a life raft. But he just grinned and threw Reed’s gear into the back and walked to the other side of his truck, leaving me to clean up my own mess, or leaving me with Reed at the very least. Yes, that man was tricky.
“Ha,” I laughed cautiously, searching my brain for the right words. “Your dad just said he was driving you down to Tucson and making you walk back if you disobeyed.” Phew, that went ok.
Reed leaned into the side of the truck, chewing on his gum and flipping the sunglasses from his eyes so I could see him. For the first time in months, they looked clear, the worry and anguish gone. He looked down at the bag now dangling from my wrist and then slowly up to my face, a smile shyly curling on one dimple. “Are you doing homework on spring break? You know, our grades don’t really matter at this point,” he was teasing me. God how I missed this.
“Oh, ha…” I shuffled a little in my stance. “No, just scholarship work. I’ve got a lot of dorm bills to settle for ASU.”
His smile started to fade a bit, but then he closed his lips tight and forced a renewed one. “Ah, yes. That other school in Arizona,” he joked.
“Yeah, you know, the one where all the smart kids go?” I was joking right along with him, winking as I talked.
“Reed, we gotta hit the road, kid,” Buck hollered through the window he’d just rolled down.
“Ah right, hang on,” Reed leaned in to say to him.
I stood there still, not sure of my next words, my next move, or if I’d be able to move at all.
“I gotta go, but hey…” he was looking down, his brow bunched and a bit of a frown on his face. “Maybe… maybe I’ll stop by MicNic’s later or something? Sean said you’re working there right now?”
I just nodded. He smiled back a bit and then climbed into the truck with his dad. I stayed frozen, watching them drive away. Eventually I found my way back to my car. There would be no scholarship writing today. I’d be lucky if I could concentrate long enough to fill out my first name.
My shift at MicNic’s seemed to drag. I’m sure it was because I spent the entire time watching the clock and calculating how long it took to drive from Tucson once the sun set. But Reed never showed. I think maybe part of me knew he never would. But it was exactly this part of me, the one that was hoping, that concerned me most. This part of me had been numb for so long, this renewed self seemed so foreign. And I wasn’t sure if I could handle waking it up again.
I was able to get a few good scholarship days in after all, and by the time our break was done, I had sent out 24 new applications. Something had to come of this work. I was enjoying what was left of my break on the Sunday afternoon when my cell phone rang. I didn’t recognize the number, since mostly Sarah, Sienna and Sean called me now. I thought about ignoring it, but instead I answered.
“Hello?” I was a little guarded.
“Hi, is this Nolan Lennox?” a woman asked on the other line. She sounded older.
“Uh…yes. Who is this?” I was suspicious now, and I think the woman on the other line could tell as she started to chuckle when she spoke again.
“I’m sorry for surprising you. My name’s Kendra Sharpe. I’m a reporter with the Gazette. I’m doing a story on Reed Johnson, you know, talking about his amazing high school career and the accident. We hear he’s signing with Arizona tonight and want do a full feature for the sports section, local hero kinda thing,” she was smart when she spoke. I was a little thrown. Why was she calling me?
“Ohhhhhh… kay?” I said, still not sure what I had to do with this.
She continued to explain. “Well, sometimes for these big profile pieces, we like to interview friends and family, just to get a full picture of who someone is, if that makes sense?”
It did. “Yeah, I get that,” I said, waiting to find out what I could possibly offer.