Somewhere in Between (13 page)

Gemma nodded to her sister before turning her attention to Trent. She steeled her expression to be one of nonchalance, hoping to avoid looking like she wanted to run as far from him as possible. "Morning, Trent."

"Heya, Gem. Feeling better?" Trent asked.

"Yeah, thanks." She was nervous, and it showed in her voice. But she didn't want to draw attention to herself. "Leigh said you guys played really well in the game Saturday. She said you even sacked the quarterback!" She was proud of herself for saying as much as she did without sounding dumb. And she could still see the smile on Leigh's face when she talked about how awesome Trent had played, saying he was brought in on both offense and defense when Sanford went down with a twisted ankle.

"Course I played great, had my good luck charm cheering me on," he smiled pulling Leigh into a hug. "But you should've seen it, Gem, me and Craig were all over that field, kicking ass and taking names. Heard there were even some pro scouts watching too. Be pretty cool if one of them was checking me out."

"Well, you are hard to miss," Leighanna quipped with an easy smile. "But you settled on Tennessee and we are going to college in the land of Opry!" she said with a wry grin. Country was not a favorite style of music for Leighanna, despite growing up in Texas, but she loved Trent enough to get over it.

Initially it had been hard on Leighanna when the family moved from Austin. She was in her junior year of school, had lots of friends, was in a bunch of afterschool activities, and had her future planned. She wanted to be a biologist even though her then boyfriend, Mark, hated the idea of having a smart girlfriend since he was raised to believe women didn't work, only took care of the home. But then Andrew was offered a job as partner and he and their mom thought a new town would be good for the girls, especially Leighanna since no one liked Mark, as well as a nice change of pace for them. After a few weeks of resentment, Leighanna finally gave up her moping and just accepted the things she had were no more. It was time to start fresh. She left Austin and Mark’s beliefs behind.

When she met Trent, her plans rearranged again. They'd met in a government class, debated against each other for two hours, and found love. He wanted to play professional football until he couldn't anymore, in which he then wanted to try out politics, and she found a love for civil rights litigation-something that made her step-dad smile. Leighanna and Trent were both very passionate and very smart, and together they were golden.

"Yeah, yeah, woman, I know," Trent laughed. "It'd just be nice to have them already checking me out, make it easier for when I'm ready to enter the draft. Not everyday scouts check out a small school in Thornton, Colorado. This place isn’t like where you two come from."

"I know, but still, one thing at a time." Leigh grabbed Trent's hand and with a motion of her head, the four started walking toward the building. As they passed the front office, Leigh looked over at Elliot, who once again, had Gemma's hand. "I saw Christie this morning when we parked. Your mom was dropping her off."

He just nodded. He didn't really know what to say to that. He hadn't seen much of her since she got in trouble, and he was okay with that for now. All he knew was her beloved VW Beetle had been taken from her on top of everything else.

"She didn't look too good, man," Trent supplied, keeping his voice low around their classmates. "Josh says your old man has her working at the hospital with him, emptying out bedpans. That true?"

"Yeah," was all Elliot offered.

"Did you hear what Trisha did?" Leigh chimed in. When everyone shook their heads no, she continued. "You know she had the three kicked off the squad and banned. Well, she went to Principal Sloane and made a suggestion on the punishment. Guess after talking with her mom about her job, she got the idea. She gave them an option, get their acts together and volunteer at the shelter her mom works at for the rest of the school year, working with kids who have behavioral problems and no longer have homes, and they can just be suspended from cheerleading for the year. They'd get to try out again, get another shot at being able to make varsity. If they don't and choose to continue bullying and being degenerates-her words, not mine-then the expulsion stands. She refuses to let that kind of behavior happen."

"Wow, Sloane went along with it?" Gemma asked in a low voice. She was also surprised to learn Trisha's mom worked with a shelter.

"Absolutely. She said it was a good way to teach them what bullying does and how actions have consequences." Leigh stopped walking and looked Elliot right in the eye. "Christie was the only one to take her up on the offer. She will help your dad after school, and on weekends, help Trisha's mom."

He was a little shocked by that, but then a small smile tugged at his lips. His sister was still in there. The Terror Twins hadn't crippled her completely. "That's good. That's real good."

"Yeah, it is," Leigh agreed. "I think Trisha thought this up because of Christie. She's not a bad person. She just gets too caught up in herself and Penny and Cassie latched on to that, made her feel important with their attention, but only because it gets them what they want. This is a good thing for Christie to go through, this shelter work."

"Why didn't the other two take the deal?" Gemma questioned, dumbfounded. From what she'd heard, they were all about making varsity, and being "top dogs" of the school, as small as it was, so she didn't understand why they wouldn't accept a way to get back to that.

"Those bitches think being offensive is their ticket to popularity," Trent answered with a shake of his head. "Sloane brought them in one at a time to talk to them, and only Christie showed remorse for anything that was done. I mean, they toilet-papered Maggie Blake’s house right after inviting her to the next jock party." He was shaking his head, a look of disgust on his face. "They think they're being cute, but all they are is pathetic."

They had reached Gemma's first class of the day, English. She hadn't been paying attention, but the three of them had walked her to class as a unit. She knew this to be true because Leigh's first class was Government II and that was in the opposite direction, in a different part of the building. And Elliot, he had Calculus toward the front of the building they were in. She smiled to herself at their thoughtfulness. And decided she'd wait to call them out on it.

"Okay, Trent is right down the hall in Spanish if you need anything," Leighanna smiled. "He knows you've been feeling not so great so if you need anything, just say the word."

Gemma nodded, glad to hear that Trent was close by and that he was oblivious. "Got it. I'll be okay, I think."

"Well, just in case," Trent grinned. Leigh hugged her sister and then walked off with the giant man.

Turning to look at Elliot, Gemma felt her cheeks redden. "Thank you for walking me to class."

Blush took to Elliot's cheeks too then. "You're welcome." He smiled a smile she had never seen before, one that touched his eyes in a way that made his blue eyes shine clear and brighter. "Just so you know, no matter what had happened, I probably would've still wanted to walk you." With that, he kissed her forehead, lingering for a moment, and turned to walk back toward his class giving her no time to react.

As Gemma dazedly entered her English class, finding her seat beside Maggie Blake and Becky Court near the window, Elliot hurried toward his Calculus class, a stupid grin on his face. It was just her forehead, and she hadn't flinched from it like he had expected she would, but the fact that his lips made contact of any kind with Gemma had his stomach doing flips. His lips tingled from the contact, and his heart was pounding as though he'd run a marathon.

Rushing into his seat just as Ms. Sanders was starting her lesson, Elliot thought back to the moment he'd seen Trisha at the carnival. Standing in line with Gemma, he had just been looking this way and that way, waiting for their turn when Trisha came into view. He was taken with her instantly from her smile, but he tried to remember the feelings he'd had as a result. There was of course the feeling of importance that had come over him at seeing that smile directed his way. She was to be a senior and he was merely to be a sophomore. He felt good about that brief moment of attention that passed his way from someone so popular.

But as class carried on around him, he couldn't find a single time in the two plus months he'd infatuated on Trisha that resulted in the same effect the chaste kiss on Gemma's forehead had. His heart didn't skip, his breathing didn't falter, and more than anything, his stomach never once did the extreme gymnastics that it was currently doing now.

He wondered if this was how Gemma felt about him…
if
she still felt that way.

"Elliot?"

He heard his name being called but he knew it wasn't the teacher; the voice was too masculine, and too low, as though barely being spoken. Glancing to his left, he noticed Josh hunched over his desk, staring at him with eyes full of intent. "What?" he whispered back.

Instead of answering, a folded up sheet of paper flew his way. Passing notes in class, what were they, twelve year old girls? With a roll of his eyes, Elliot unfolded the paper and read.

Are you and Gemma together?

He wanted to laugh. Looking back at his friend, Elliot shook his head no. It would be a long time before Gemma was ready for anything more than a friendship. And even that was pushing it. Her trust had been broken, torn apart really. He was lucky she allowed him around her at all.

Another note flew his way.

Why were you holding hands then? Carmichael said you kissed her.

He turned to glare at Josh since Ricky Carmichael was nowhere close. What was it Ricky's business if Elliot held his best friend's hand? What was it anyone's business if Elliot gave an innocent kiss to said best friend?

Since when do you gossip?
he wrote back, frustrated with his friend for falling prey to such stupidity. If he had been a fool for believing he had a shot with Trisha Scott when he really didn't know or feel anything of substance for her, than his blond-haired friend was a fool for playing this petty game.

Defensive much?
Josh's next note read, and the smirk that accompanied it was enough to ruin the pleasant mood that was floating in the air around him, but only if he let it. And he refused to do that. No, the way he'd felt as a result of his morning with Gemma would not be tainted.

Elliot ignored his friend for the rest of the class, including the two notes that passed after he stopped paying attention to Josh. Instead he allowed his mind to replay the feel of his lips on Gemma's skin, the way her breath hitched ever so slightly, but not out of fear. The way her eyes had shone bright and a little glazed by his action, which made him want to puff out his chest like a loon. He allowed the butterflies in his belly to dance to their heart's content, savoring the way his heart beat stronger because his mind was on Gemma.

*LtB*

Her first day back passed uneventfully-for the most part. Maggie Blake welcomed her back with a warm smile and a folder full of notes, saying she'd heard there was a really bad flu bug going around. And Becky Court asked her to please stay away for at least another week or two. Apparently, Becky could not catch whatever it was Gemma had because she had tickets to the Taylor Swift concert at the Pepsi Center that was happening that weekend.

She didn’t have the strength to tell Becky she also hoped she never “caught” what she had either.

The lie of her supposed illness spread quickly, and for that Gemma was thankful. Everyone left her alone, no one looked at her differently, and she hadn't needed to call upon Trent's large frame to keep anyone from bothering her. Not even Ricky Carmichael, who she had figured would be one of the first to bug her. But with him she just figured Trent was probably enough to scare the pest away. Even still, he was really the furthest thing from her mind.

By the time fourth period rolled around, she still didn't know what to make of Elliot's display as he left her at her first class. He had arrived to greet her as first period ended, walking her to her history class. In fact, he was waiting for her after every class she had. And again, they walked hand in hand to their art class.

She could see people were staring, talking about it. She wanted to hide the moment she saw eyes scrutinizing her, no doubt judging what she was doing with Elliot Wade of all people, since he was perfect and she was now tainted. But she couldn't hide. Elliot wouldn't let her. She knew from the recounts of her sister and of Elliot that Trisha Scott had all but outted them as a couple, so the way Elliot was acting gave credence to that speech. It made it seem like it was all true, that Trisha was right, when it was the opposite.

She hated this lie. Months she spent wanting him, hoping he would see her the way she saw him, if only for a moment, but he never did. And now that she couldn't even fathom the idea, her mind too chaotic and her body now broken, it felt like a stab in the heart for him to be so close. But maybe that was why. Now that she wasn't able to comprehend it, he could be free to be near her because he now knew she would really keep her feelings for him silent. Elliot, knowing how she felt before, and knowing how she felt now, he wouldn't feel hesitant to be around her because there was no way for her to even imagine him liking her after everything had happened.

As they sat in their seats in the back of the room, Gemma had to fight to contain the tears that had sprung up. What had, in the beginning, felt nice and safe, now felt wrong and dirty, like the show was the only reason he'd be close to her. She no longer felt as though he were helping her, rather she felt he was helping himself now that Trisha had said his name. How do you get over someone so fast? How do you just let go of months of pining? She didn't believe it, couldn’t really. Willing her mind to close off, Gemma removed her hand from his, and hugged her torso tightly.