Head to Head (On Pointe Book 2) Read online

  Now the lines of guys make sense, as soon as one heat finishes the next is in place and ready to go. Really, it’s exactly the same way we line up in the corner or the side of the studio to take turns going across the floor in class. Since the races are so short it makes sense to get everyone lined up and ready to go before they start the first one, that way they don’t waste time waiting for runners in between heats.

  I spot Hunter in the second to last line of runners, hopping in place. Funny, he’s bouncing in place exactly like we do when we’re trying to keep warm between exercises. I never thought about the similarities before, but I suppose dancers are athletes too, we just happen to be artistic ones. I lean into Katy, shouting so she can hear me over the noise. “These are heats, right?”

  “Yeah,” she shouts back, leaning close so I can hear better, never taking her eyes off the action below us. “They have to finish first or second in their heat to go on to the final. No!” Her disappointed wail startles me, and has Jack turning around to gloat.

  “Ha! You have to do the dishes tonight, Bug, that was two. Called it.” Jack’s smug face earns him a smack on the shoulder from Katy. I look down at the track and see two of the hurdles knocked over and the short guy in purple rubbing his shin. I assume he knocked them over during his race.

  “Fine. I may still get out of the bathrooms though.”

  Do I want to ask what that bet’s about? I’m still debating whether I want to know or not when Jack grins and shakes his head. “Oh Bug, she’s definitely here. I saw him toss cologne in his gym bag this morning. Whoever this mysterious girl is, she’s definitely here today.”

  Lisa stiffens next to me and leans forward to catch Jack’s eye. “What are you talking about? Who’s here?”

  “Oh, dude’s had a crush on some mystery girl for weeks now, but won’t tell us who it is. I bet Katy-bug that our mystery girl was going to make an appearance today,” Jack explains keeping his eye on the track below us. “Oh! Maybe it’s JJ, I think she’s in his Chem class and she’d be here anyway, since she’s on track too.” There’s one more heat before Hunter’s up. Why am I suddenly nervous for him?

  “Well, if she’s on the track team I don’t think it should count since she would be here anyway. You’re going to be cleaning the upstairs bathroom for a month because there is no mystery girl, and Hunter didn’t invite anyone to come watch the meet. He’s just putting on an act cause he’s still not over, um, the last girl he had a crush on.” For a second I thought Katy was going to say someone’s name. I wonder who she thinks Hunter’s still hung up on?

  “Better get a pair of rubber gloves to fit your baby-sized hands, Bug, you’re gonna be cleaning.”

  “Oh hush, you two,” Mrs. Quinn interrupts. “He’s up. Come on, Hunter baby!” She finishes her admonition with a deafening yell as Hunter takes his place in the starting blocks. A hush falls over our little group as we watch Hunter and the group of guys he’s racing get themselves placed to start. Hands precisely set behind the line, thighs twitching with pent up power. Some of them wait with their eyes on the hurdles in front of them, some wait with their heads down, others are glancing from side to side, at the competitors next to them. Hunter has his head down, waiting calmly for the start.

  At a signal I can’t hear, the line lifts as one, hips raised, tense and ready to spring. Then they’re off. Hunter pulls ahead, sleek and smooth, as he leaps over the hurdles one by one, his running steps precise, eating up the ground between each hurdle. There’s a runner a few lanes over who’s almost as smooth as Hunter, but doesn’t have the same power in each step.

  In seconds it’s all over. I close my mouth and take a breath as the rest of the heat crosses the finish line behind him. I hadn’t even realized I’d been yelling his name along with Lisa, Katy, and the rest of the Quinns. I’m caught up in a hug by Katy, her happiness infecting me as she squeezes me tight. Before I can pull myself away, I’m being tugged out of Katy’s grip by Mrs. Quinn and crushed again. Our whole group is a tangle of hugging, cheering and excited chatter, Lisa and I swept along by the enthusiasm of Katy’s family.

  I finally manage to extricate myself from Mrs. Quinn and slide back to my spot between Katy and Lisa checking to make sure I haven’t lost my phone. Man, I wish I had pockets. Rescuing it before it slides indecently low down my backside, I check to see if I have any more messages from Trevor.

  Trevor: Besides, I like being distracted by you.

  Ah! My heart bubbles over and my stomach does that weird dippy, swoony thing that happens every time Trevor sends me a message like this. The ones that make me think he might like me as more than a friend. The messages that make me think he meant what I hope he meant by calling me “his girl.” I don’t bother to hide the grin on my face, but I refrain from clutching my phone to my chest and squealing like the smitten teenager I can’t deny I’ve turned into.

  “Are you sure you have to leave right now? I thought your class only started at two?” Katy asks as we head past the concessions stand, walking Lisa down to the gate.

  “It starts at two, but I want to review my notes before the class and I still need to eat some lunch.” Lisa smiles. “But this was so much fun. I’m glad we got to hang out. Maybe we should try and do this more often.”

  “You guys want to come to the boys’ games?” Katy’s voice is laced with disbelief, not surprisingly. Lisa and I don’t do sports.

  “Well…” I rub the back of my neck. “Maybe not necessarily the sports stuff, but we should make more effort to hang out. Especially since I’ll be gone most of the summer and hopefully Lisa will be too.”

  “I’m all for it. I need to stockpile some extra hangout time with you guys before you leave so I have something to comfort me on the long cold, lonely nights of summer when I’m all alone.” Katy’s dramatic rendition has us laughing and several people staring. Even more people turn to stare when she braces herself against a concrete pillar, hand thrown against her forehead. But it’s the terrible, fake Southern accent that does me in.

  Laughing, I hook my arm in hers and Lisa’s and steer us toward the stadium entrance. We’re almost to the entrance gate when we hear someone running up behind us, calling out our names. Whirling, the three of us turn to see Hunter running up to our group, a confused look on his face.

  “You guys are leaving now? It’s only noon?” He peers down at us, mostly looking at me and Lisa, obviously not worried about Katy leaving. His singlet, Trevor told me that’s what they’re called but I still picture a wrestling unitard whenever I hear it, is patchy with dried and fresh sweat marks and his face is flushed from the race he just finished. “I thought we could get lunch or something?”

  I don’t miss the way Hunter doesn’t take his eyes off Lisa as he says this, pretty much ignoring me and Katy. If I hadn’t been watching, I would have missed the way his hand swings forward, as if to touch Lisa’s arm, before he awkwardly runs his fingers through his hair. That’s interesting. Katy misses it, her eyes glued to her phone, scrolling for something. I glance at Lisa, she and Hunter are standing there, eyes locked on each other. She gives a tiny shake of her head and Hunter’s face falls, his shoulders drooping slightly, a fleeting pleading look in his eyes.

  Taking a page from my former best friend, I speak up. “Actually, I’m starving, and you just said you need to eat lunch before your class. Let’s get something to eat at the concessions before you leave.” I hook my arm through Lisa’s, halting her escape. “You have a break right now, right Hunter?” I turn my best perky-Olivia smile on him and wait for him to say something. If I’m wrong and he doesn’t care if Lisa leaves, I won myself another hour to hang out with my best friend. If I’m right, I’ve done my best friend duty and scored Lisa a chance to hang out with him. I grin, maybe channeling some of Olivia’s personality traits isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

  Katy looks up from her phone, scrunching her nose in disgust. “Gros
s, no concessions food. Let’s go get tacos.”

  “No tacos in the middle of a meet,” Hunter vetoes. “Let’s go to the sandwich place across the street. Go get everyone else, I’ll wait here.” Hunter jerks his head toward the stands. Katy looks like she’s going to give him lip for a second when another bit of genius pops into my head.

  “I left my phone on the bleachers, come on, Katy. Hunter, don’t let her leave.” I pass Lisa’s arm over to Hunter and grab Katy’s hand, pulling her towards the bleachers before she or Lisa can object.

  “I could have texted Jack and told them to come, we didn’t have to walk all the way back.” Katy grumbles as I tow her back to where her family is waiting for us.

  “I think I forgot my phone.” I lie, even though I can feel it buzzing against the small of my back.

  “No you didn’t, I saw you grab it before we walked away.” Katy twists, trying to look back over her shoulder at Hunter and Lisa. She digs her heels in and pulls me to a screeching halt. “Wait a second...what’s going on Hannah?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Bull. You know something.” Katy crosses her arms over her chest, staring me down. “What do you know, Hannah?”

  “I don’t know anything, Katy.” Which is one hundred percent true. I know nothing, except the fact that Hunter looked disappointed that Lisa was leaving already. For all I know he only wants to be friendly with us because of Katy, but since Lisa keeps pushing me to talk to Trevor, it’s only fair to return the favor.

  “Did Lisa say something to you?” Now Katy looks confused. “She doesn’t like Hunter, does she?”

  I shrug and answer with complete honesty. “She hasn’t said anything to me. All I know is, we’re supposed to go get your family so we can eat before she has to leave for Japanese school.” I tug Katy’s arm and we start walking back towards the bleachers.

  “Why’d you leave her there with Hunter then?”

  I smirk. “I figured Hunter had a better chance of keeping her here. You know she’d argue us to death and convince us to let her go. Isn’t Hunter in her AP Chem class?” At Katy’s nod, I continue. “She won’t be able to logic him into her point of view the same way she does to us.” Katy laughs at that and relaxes, the suspicion in her eyes fading. “Why are you so worked up over it? Would it matter if she liked him?”

  Katy waves to her family from the bottom of the stairs, putting her hands up to her mouth she hollers up to them. “Hunter wants to eat! Come on!” We watch them gather up their collection of signs and blankets. Katy sighs deeply and shoves her hands in the pockets of her hoodie.

  “Don’t say anything, not even to Lisa, okay?” I nod and wait for her to explain. “So, last year Hunter had a crush on Olivia, when she first started hanging out at the house a lot. Before she and Tyler started dating.” Katy adds at my look. “Anyway, the boys had a Halloween party at the house last year and invited all of their crowd, including the cheerleaders. Because of course they invited the cheerleaders.” Katy shakes her head and I laugh.

  I can laugh about it now, but I remember last Halloween. It just happened to be on a Friday night, but of course Lisa and I still went to our Friday night ballet class, as usual. We’d been the only two girls to show up and had a great class with Ms. Parker. I’d gone home and helped my parents hand out candy to trick or treaters without thinking anything of it until the next day. My Instagram feed the next day had been full of photos of Olivia and other people from school at parties, having a great time. I’d been upset at being left out of the fun for a few days, but eventually gotten over it. That had been back when I still harbored a years-long, completely one-sided crush on Tyler Stanley. I know I checked out his Insta to see what he did for Halloween, but I never noticed he was at the Quinns’ house. I guess they had all been from the same party, not different parties like I’d assumed.

  Jack starts heading down the stairs towards us, his arms full. Katy finishes her story quickly and under her breath. “Hunter and Olivia made out at the party and he was upset when she never acknowledged it later. He laughed it off to the guys, but I know he was upset, he tells me things he doesn’t tell them.” She jerks her thumb at her family heading towards us, “he’s not as tough as he looks and Olivia really hurt him. I’m pretty sure he isn’t over her, and I don’t want him to get hurt anymore. And I don’t want Lisa to get her hopes up either. I don’t want either of them to get hurt.”

  Wow. Katy’s anti-Olivia attitude makes so much sense now. I would have issues with a girl who hurt one of my best friends and my family. Our conversation the other day makes more sense now too, no wonder she doesn’t want to risk losing Lisa and I to a friendship with her brothers. Well, I guess it’s a good thing that Lisa and I don’t have time for boys.

  In fact, I’m regretting pushing her towards him just now. We need to stick to our goals, stick to the plan. A buzzing sensation against my back reminds me of a certain boy that I wish I had time for though.

  Chapter Eight

  Lisa

  Hannah drags Katy towards the bleachers and I debate if I should kill her as soon as she comes back, or if I should wait until she grows complacent before exacting my revenge. I’m pulled from my thoughts by Hunter clearing his throat nervously.

  “So. Uh.” He rubs his hand on the back of his neck. My eyes track the movement while my brain tries to convince me how utterly not adorable it is. For once my brain is wrong. It is utterly adorable, and I am equal parts fascinated and terrified by it. “Running away from me, huh?”

  “Yup.” Turning on my heel, I walk away. I can’t do this. I can’t sit here with Hunter and Katy and Hannah and pretend like I’m not completely mushy inside at the thought of him. And I can’t be. I can’t sit across from him and act normally. So I’m not even going to try. I’ve only gotten a few steps away when Hunter’s hand wrapping around my upper arm pulls me gently back to his side.

  Afraid I’ll find anger, annoyance or, worse, indifference in Hunter’s expression, I don’t have the courage to look up at his face. It’s the quiet, “Lisa,” he breathes across the top of my head that pulls my gaze from his running shoes to his eyes. The disappointment and hurt I find there knocks every single multisyllabic word from my brain. “You really don’t want to stay?”

  “I…” I pause, braving a glance at his face. “I can’t.” Out of all the vocabulary lists I’ve memorized, that’s the best I can come up with when Hunter’s looking at me like that. Like if I leave, I’ll break his heart.

  “Can’t? Or won’t?”

  I pull in a deep breath, not sure if my pounding heart is from how close Hunter is standing or because it knows I’m about to squash it. “Hunter...I…” I risk a glance at the bleachers, Hannah and Katy have their heads close together, talking about something while they wait for the Quinns to pack up their things. Katy. What would she think of whatever this is between Hunter and me? I can’t do that to my friend. Didn’t Hannah just tell me how worried Katy is that she’s going to lose us to her brothers? I stand up straight, looking Hunter in the eye. “I can’t risk not being able to go to PSB, and I won’t hurt Katy. I have to go.”

  Walking away from the pleading look on Hunter’s face is as hard as any AP exam and takes every ounce of discipline I can muster. But I do it. I have to.

  Katy: Where’d you go? Did Hunter say something? Let me know if I need to kill him.

  I stuff my phone back in my bag, pulling out my notebook and several colored pens. Seeing the rainbow of colors reminds me of driving back from Malibu with Hunter. I wonder if his family knows how brilliant he is? I’m sure none of his friends appreciate it.

  My phone buzzes while I arrange a rainbow of pens on my desk. I stare at the pocket of my backpack where I know it’s sitting, innocently receiving whatever message someone sent me. Is it from Katy? Hannah? What if it’s from Hunter? Ignoring it would be the safest thing. I glance at the clock on the wall. Can I b
e strong enough not to look for the next fifteen minutes? Surely I can. Fifteen minutes can’t be that hard. I’ll study instead, distract myself in reviewing kanji.

  I last five minutes.

  In my defense, my phone buzzed with at least five more notifications in that five minutes. I have to tell them to stop, right?

  Hunter: I hope you had time to get some lunch. See you in class tomorrow?

  That’s it? Why does that leave me disappointed? What was I expecting, a grand declaration? He’s never texted me out of the blue like that, and I don’t know what it means. I mean, I know the obvious meaning, but why is he texting me now?

  Hannah: You get there okay? I got worried when you ran off, but Hunter said you left something at home you needed to pick up before class. Hope you made it in time.

  Mom: Are you at class yet? Late is not acceptable. Please text when you have arrived.

  I answer my mom first that yes, I am in class, wishing she would trust me for once. Even though I’ve never given her a reason to doubt me, she’s always checking to make sure I’m doing wherever it is she’s asked me to do. I grind my teeth, irritated at having to prove my trustworthiness for the thousandth time. I send Hannah a selfie of me in my seat, pens and papers spread out below me.

  Last, I check the group chat with Katy and Lisa where Katy sent two pictures. One of just her and Hannah in the backseat of her mom’s van with the words “miss you” drawn on and a second with Hunter leaning over the back of the seat between them, the medals draped around his neck banging into Katy’s face. Hannah’s shocked face, Hunter’s mischievous wink, plus the outrage on Katy’s face, make for an epic photobomb. I can’t stop the giggle that sneaks past my defenses. A text from Katy pops up as I’m laughing.