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Wanting to hear the melodic tone of her laughter, I picked up a red ball and threw it at her.
“You’re messing with the wrong girl, Greathouse.” She dipped a ball in the water and threw it back.
We raced around my yard, nailing each other with the balls. As Lettie ran away, I hurled myself forward and grabbed her by the waist. Her legs swung to one side like a rag doll. I lost my balance. Somehow I managed to land on the ground, shielding her from injury. Her body bounced on top of mine, and an awakening took place in my pants. One that I had to hide.
Laughter echoed through the mountains of Appalachia. I swear every animal peeked out from their hiding places to get a glimpse of the beautiful girl with a heartwarming laugh.
As the seconds ticked by, our laughter faded, aware that something was different between us. For years, I’d never thought of how her body would feel underneath mine, and there I was, wanting to draw her face in closer and kiss her.
I tried to clear the cotton webbing my throat. We stared at each other, and her head fell an inch. I couldn’t let her take control. I was supposed to make the first move. But while I was lost in my ideas, Lettie did what she always did—diffused the situation with laughter, and she blew a raspberry on the pocket of my shoulder.
“I won. I won.” Lettie jumped up, her body swaying as she celebrated her victory. But it wasn’t just her physical movements that I noticed; it was the thrill of victory in her eyes.
Of course, I imagined her attraction to me and cursed myself inside for almost kissing her. Who would want a skinny, tall boy like me? I hated being a foot taller than everyone in my grade, sticking out. Each day I could see Mr. Hager’s bald spot spreading and would give an update to the class as his hairline disappeared.
With a new goal, I started lifting weights. I couldn’t do anything about being tall, but I could damn sure not look scrawny. When I had muscles, Lettie would see me as more than a friend.
“Okay, Lettie. Let’s make a banana split.” Her eyes widened, and she dragged me inside my house, still laughing.
Even now, six years later, that sound blows me away and because I’m a complete pussy, I watch other men make my best friend laugh, and it twists me in knots. I chuckle, thinking about how her granny would wring out the laundry before hanging them on the line to dry. It’s a perfect metaphor for how other guys making Lettie smile, feels.
A voice breaks me from my memories. “Having fun?” Reed asks. He’s the captain of the hockey team and has become one of my closest friends. His girlfriend Brooke is Lettie's girl bestie and secondly, he saved me from a burning building last year building an unbreakable bond.
A harsh puff of air rushes from my throat. “Yeah.”
I love watching Lettie flirt and guys’ hands skimming her body.
Reed follows my line of sight straight to Lettie, who’s standing with Brooke and a couple of my teammates.
“Still in the friendzone?” he asks.
“It’s not like that.”
“Whatever you say.”
As we watch Lettie and Brooke, I realize that I’m the boy version of Brooke. Lettie likes having opposites in her life. Brooke is similar to me in that she’s quiet and prefers to be in the background.
Lettie’s the life of the party. I prefer to watch her at the party.
Lettie will graduate with honors. I just finished summer school.
Lettie loves chocolate. I love vanilla.
Lettie’s five-foot-six. I’m a power forward on the Stallions basketball team.
Leaning against the wall with a blue plastic cup in hand, I bring it to my lips. Not because I’m thirsty or need a drink of beer; I need to hide my feelings from Reed.
“If it were me, I would make sure your teammates knew who she belongs to,” Reed says as he takes a swig.
“Man, you know our story, so why are you pushing this?” I take a good-sized swallow because maybe I do need to drink. “I just don’t want him to use her.”
“It’s college. That’s what both sexes do. We experiment. Like tasting every brand of beer until you find the one that makes you want that particular brand for the rest of your life.”
Reed had been quite the playboy on campus before meeting Brooke and her son Caleb.
Brooke whisks Lettie away down the hallway and probably up the stairs. More than likely to my apartment. I have two keys, and Lettie has one in case I lose mine.
Upperclassmen live the life of luxury in our new basketball lodge. My apartment or suite has a bedroom, a study area, a walk-in closet with floor-to-ceiling shoe cubbies, a bathroom, kitchenette, and a fairly large living area. I’m one of four upperclassmen since most move on to the NBA within a year or two, so they only built four.
