The Education of Hailey Kendrick - Eileen Cook [76]
“Oh? What about?” I fidgeted in the seat, avoiding Tristan’s eyes. The last thing I needed to do was spill my guts, only to discover they had been talking about baseball statistics.
“He told me what happened that night, that he was the one you were kissing.”
So much for hoping it had been a random sports discussion. “I can explain . . .”
“You don’t need to explain. Joel told me he was the one who kissed you and that you kept it a secret to protect him. He would have lost his scholarship if you’d told. Not that any of that excuses the fact that he’s my best friend and he kissed my girl and then lied to me about it.”
“Are you mad at him?”
“We’re guys. I punched him, he hit me back, and then everything was fine. We went out for ice cream after.”
I rolled my eyes. Men.
“I can’t blame the guy for wanting to kiss you,” Tristan said.
“I never wanted you to get hurt,” I said.
“I know.” Tristan paused, chewing on his lower lip. “If you guys want to go out, date or whatever, that would be okay with me.”
I touched his shoulder. “I like Joel. He’s always been one of my closest friends, but that almost works against us. It’s almost too comfortable. There’s no spark.” I shrugged. I didn’t know how to explain it. Logically Joel would make a great boyfriend, but sometimes the heart isn’t logical. “I don’t think he and I are meant to be, but I still appreciate you saying it.”
“Feel good to be back?” Tristan asked as we pulled through the school gates.
I watched the line of trees that lined the driveway march past until we came into the quad. I looked up at the library, the gray stones covered in ivy. To my left were the dorm buildings. From the outside I could spot the windows for my different rooms over the years. I realized how well I knew this place. I knew how the second sink on the right in the bathroom never had really hot water. I knew the best place to sit in the library, and how the toffee chocolate chip cookies in the cafeteria were worth every calorie. I knew which stairs creaked and how if you wanted extra towels, you could bribe the maids by bringing them Starbucks from town. I hadn’t wanted to go to Evesham, but in its own way it had become home.
“I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I think I’ll miss this place after graduation.”
“You know what they say: Loyalty, Duty, and Honor.”
“That saying used to drive me nuts.”
“I guessed that, after you went all whack job on the Tin Man.”
I shoved Tristan in the shoulder. “I feel bad about that now. I think I was missing the whole point. It’s not about blind loyalty and doing what you’re told. It’s about being loyal to yourself and those you respect, and about doing what you have to do, even when you’re afraid.”
“For graduation maybe all of us should get tattoos with the logo on it.” Tristan pointed to his bicep. “Right here. That way we’ll never forget our time at Evesham.”
“Or each other.”
“I got to tell you, you’re not the kind of person that is easy to forget. Besides, we’re all going to stay in touch. There isn’t going to be a chance to forget.”
32
We were late. The morning assembly had already begun. The drama teacher was at the lectern talking about a field trip to New York to see some productions. Parents would have to pay the costs, but those who went and wrote a paper had a chance to earn some extra art credits. Dean Winston’s eyes narrowed when he saw Tristan and me slip in the back. It was hard to be subtle, since I was on crutches. Tiptoeing in wasn’t an option. Then there was the fact that Kelsie was waving at us like we’d been separated for years instead of a couple of days. She slid over on the bench to make room for me. Tristan made sure I made it safely to the row, and he made a funny face at Kelsie. She started giggling. At this point everyone was looking at us; even the drama teacher had stopped talking. From the back I could see the vein in Winston’s forehead starting to throb.
I sat down as fast as I could and let my cast stretch out into the aisle. Joel had