Stealing Bradford

4

“GOOD GAME,” SAID TAYLOR. Then she reached over to give DJ a high five. DJ tried not to look too stunned as Taylor slapped her palm. They were walking back to the gym after an energetic soccer match that Mrs. Pandretti had called an icebreaker. As usual, Taylor had shone. But now that they were finished, she didn’t even look sweaty. How was that even possible?

“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you’re good in soccer,” admitted DJ. “So far I haven’t seen anything you’re not good at.” Well, except for being nice, she thought, but had the good sense not to say out loud.

“Well, thanks,” said Taylor. “I take that as high praise coming from you.”

DJ frowned. “What does that mean?”

“It means you’re a pretty good athlete yourself.”

Okay, had DJ just been zapped into the Twilight Zone? Had Taylor really given her a compliment? Or was this actually some kind of setup? “Thanks,” muttered DJ, preparing herself for Taylor to jerk the rug out from under her.

“I know I give you a bad time about smelling like sweat socks and all that, but I used to do sports too.”

“Really?” DJ turned to study Taylor more closely as they walked. Was this girl up to something?

“Yeah, but then I sort of outgrew sports…or maybe I just grew into boys.”

“I don’t see why you can’t enjoy both,” said DJ.

Taylor shrugged as she removed the barrette that had been keeping her mane of dark curly hair back, giving her head a shake and fluffing her hair with her fingers so that it looked almost perfect. “Maybe some girls can.” Okay, there was definitely a jab in that statement, even if it was a small one.

“Well, I wouldn’t ever give up something that I loved doing just for a guy,” said DJ with heartfelt conviction.

“Neither would I,” said Taylor. “But I suppose that I just don’t love sports as much as you do.”

“What do you love?” asked DJ as they entered the locker room.

Taylor laughed. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

Well, maybe it was only baby steps, but DJ thought perhaps she’d made some kind of headway with this strange girl. At least she hadn’t been publicly humiliated again. Even so, DJ knew she needed to keep watching her backside when it came to Taylor. She might be acting civilized right now, but there was still a wild animal beneath that perfect veneer. And those claws were sharp.

“Why aren’t you getting dressed?” asked Taylor as DJ sat on the bench mulling these things over.

“Volleyball,” said DJ.

Taylor rolled her eyes. “Oh yes, I almost forgot.”

“I bet you’re good at that too,” said DJ.

Taylor gave her a look that was noncommittal, but DJ sensed the confidence beneath it.

“Oh, crap,” said DJ, slapping her forehead.

“What?” asked Taylor as she buttoned her shirt.

“I forgot to call my grandma about a ride.” DJ went to her locker for her phone.

“Isn’t she picking you guys up?”

DJ shrugged. “I hope so…I mean for Casey and Rhiannon’s sake. But I’ll be staying late anyway so it doesn’t affect me much.”

“How will you get home?”

“My feet, I guess.”

“Right…” Taylor’s tone contained a smidgeon of disgust. “Doesn’t it embarrass you to walk home from school?”

DJ shook her head as she dialed her grandmother’s number. “Not as much as certain other things embarrass me.” She gave Taylor an accusing look as she listened to the phone ringing. But Taylor returned that look with one of innocence. Yeah, whatever, thought DJ.

“Carter House,” said Inez. Then DJ asked about Mrs. Carter and was informed that her grandmother was napping, which could mean anything from sneaking a martini to watching soaps.

“But Rhiannon and Casey need a ride home,” she complained.

“Sorry, looks like they’ll need to walk.”

“Fine.” DJ closed her phone and turned to Taylor. “If you see Rhiannon or Casey, will you let them know they’ll need to walk home?”

“Sure,” said Taylor lightly. “If I see them.”

DJ could tell this if meant that she wouldn’t try to see them. Probably she would try to avoid them. DJ wouldn’t be surprised.

“See ya back at the ranch,” said Taylor as she slung the strap of her bag over her shoulder. DJ just stared at her now. “What’s the matter?” asked Taylor with concern.

“Nothing.”

“Seriously, do I have something in my teeth?” Taylor whipped open her bag and removed her compact, opened it up, and examined her reflection then shrugged. “Everything seems perfectly fine to me.”

“Yeah,” said DJ. “That’s just what I was thinking too. I don’t know how you do it.”

Taylor smiled now. Okay, it was a catty little smile, but a smile nonetheless. “Practice, DJ. It just takes practice.” Then she snapped her compact closed, dropped it into her bag, and clicked away in her Kate Spade sandals. DJ only knew the designer name because she’d overheard another girl complimenting them, and Taylor had mentioned the name. Rather, dropped the name. It seemed that was what designer labels were best for—name-dropping.

DJ didn’t have her normal level of energy during volleyball practice. She figured that was partly due to lack of food, just having played soccer during PE, and stress. Yes, she’d heard that stress could sap your energy. And her day, while not a complete disaster, had been fairly stressful. It didn’t help matters that the coach was Ms. Jones, the same teacher who some girls still thought was gay. Although DJ was trying to block out the crude comments she’d heard last year.

“You were really good out there, DJ,” said a stocky girl named Tawnee. Practice was over and they were picking up the balls and pitching them into the carts now.

“Thanks,” said DJ. “But this wasn’t my best game.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” said a tall lanky girl named Crystal. She shot a ball into the cart then peered curiously at DJ. “Have you played a lot?”

“I haven’t played on a team since I was a sophomore,” DJ admitted. “I’m probably rusty. I’m sure I need to work on some things.”

“You don’t really seem like the athletic type,” said Crystal as they went back to the locker room. “I guess I didn’t expect much from you.”

“Yeah,” said Tawnee. “I thought I saw you hanging with those snooty rich girls today. I never would’ve guessed you did sports.”

“Looks can be deceiving.” DJ studied Tawnee and Crystal now, and she wasn’t sure if she was seeing people through different eyes these days, or perhaps she just hadn’t really been paying attention before. But their looks suggested that 1) they had even less fashion sense than she did, 2) they needed to do something about their hairstyles—both were pretty bad—and 3) they probably weren’t into guys.

“So are you going to stick around all week?” asked Crystal. “Until tryouts?”

“Sure,” said DJ as she grabbed her gym bag and put her clothes and shoes that she’d worn to school inside. “Why not?”

Crystal shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“I actually like playing sports,” said DJ.

“Aren’t you going to shower?” asked Tawnee.

“I’ll do that when I get home,” said DJ.

“Why?” asked Crystal suspiciously.

“Because I want to,” said DJ. “I’m in a hurry, okay?”

“Yeah, whatever.”

The truth was that DJ didn’t want to put on her other clothes because she was walking home, and those Michael Kors shoes had been uncomfortable when she’d taken them off before PE. No way was she going to traipse seven blocks in them now. “See ya,” she called as she hurried out of the locker room.

Of course, once she was exiting the gym, she felt uncomfortable. What if someone saw her looking like this? But fortunately, the school grounds were pretty much evacuated by now. Still, as she hurried along, hoping not to be seen, it bothered her that she was worried about this. That never would’ve been the case before the influence of the other Carter House girls. Before, DJ didn’t give a rip. She paused on the sidewalk, switching the strap of her gym bag to the other shoulder.

“Hey, DJ,” called a guy’s voice from behind her.

She cringed and then turned to look. Of course, it would be Conner! What timing. She considered making a run for it, but then figured why not just get it, whatever it was, over with.

“Wait up,” he called as he jogged over. He had a CCH duffle bag over his shoulder too. Probably just finished with soccer. But, unlike her, he looked freshly showered and neatly dressed in his regular clothes. “I thought that was you.”

“How could you tell?” she asked in an edgy tone.

“Your walk.”

“Oh.” She started walking again.

“You going home?” He continued alongside her.

“Yeah.”

“No ride?”

“Nope.”

“Me either. Harry left soccer early. I think he was meeting Eliza for coffee.”

“Good for him.”

Conner put his hand on her arm now, stopping her from walking. “Look, DJ, I want to talk to you, but you’re making it a little difficult.”

She turned and gave him her best incredulous expression. “I’m making it difficult?”

“Yeah…this isn’t easy, you know.”

“What isn’t easy?”

“Saying I’m sorry.”

She studied him closely. “Is that what you’re doing?”

“I’m trying to…”

“Well?” She let out an exasperated sigh.

“What? Do you want me to get on my knees and beg your forgiveness?”

She considered this. “Maybe.” Of course, even as she said this, she wondered what she needed to forgive him for exactly. Oh, yeah, Taylor.

“Look, DJ, I’m sorry that I’ve been acting like such a jerk… I mean since we went out the other night.”

She nodded. “Yeah, you have pretty much been a jerk.”

“Right, that’s what I said.”

“Right.”

Now he just stood there, saying nothing, and looking even more uncomfortable than she felt.

“So, is that it?” she demanded.

“Well…”

“Fine.” She started walking again, quickly. She felt confused and frustrated, but she wasn’t about to stand there dredging the words out of him.

He hurried to catch up with her. “No, that’s not all.”

“Okay?”

“I wanted to explain some things,” he began.

“No one is stopping you,” she said.

“Well, for starters…I never meant for things to get so carried away that night when we went out with Harry and Eliza.”

“Neither did I,” she said firmly.

“Really?” His voice sounded like he didn’t believe her.

She stopped walking now, turned and stared at him. “No!” she practically shouted. “Do you think that I did?”

He shrugged. “I didn’t know.”

She shook her fist at him now. “You did, didn’t you?”

“Maybe…”

“You cannot be serious! You actually thought that I was the one coming onto you like that? Like I was the one crawling all over you?” She glared at him. “Oh, Conner Alberts, you are so full of yourself! I don’t know what I even saw in you in the first place!” And then she actually began to run. She almost expected him to chase after her. But he didn’t. And when he didn’t, she wasn’t sure whether she felt relieved or disappointed. Mostly she felt mad. Just plain mad.

So, that was the reason he’d given her the cold shoulder. Because he thought she was to blame for their passionate make-out session in the back of Eliza’s car? Like she’d been the one to encourage it! Well, that was just too ridiculous. Maddeningly ridiculous. She was so angry that she ran all the way home, arriving at Carter House out of breath and frazzled and sweaty and a great big mess.

“What happened to you?” asked Taylor. She was sitting on the porch smoking.

DJ just growled as she stomped up the steps. “Don’t ask!”

“Come on,” urged Taylor. “What happened? Did you get axed from the volleyball team on the first day?”

DJ turned and glared at her. “No! And if I were you, I’d keep a safe distance.”

Taylor made a face and pointed her nose in the air. “Yes, I can see why.” She laughed. “But once you’re cleaned up, I’d love to hear all about it.”

Fat chance, thought DJ as she opened the door.

“And then I’ll tell you about my little surprise…”

DJ turned and looked at Taylor. “What kind of surprise?”

“Go, get cleaned up, and then come down and I’ll show you. I might even take you for a ride.”

“A ride?” DJ frowned. “Don’t tell me you have a car too?”

Taylor gave her a sly look. “Even better.”