Adorkable(27)

It might’ve sounded strange, but my job always put me in a good mood. I know, I know, teenagers are supposed to be all “I hate my job. The pay sucks, the hours suck, the customers suck, my boss is out to get me.” But none of those things applied to me. I must’ve gotten lucky because my job at the library was completely kick-ass.

Reading to the kids, seeing their faces rapt with attention, eager to hear what happens next, hearing them laugh out loud or gasp in surprise, it actually made minimum wage sound good. Seriously, I should’ve been paying them. The kids were so much fun—cooler than a lot of my so-called peers—and even if it was just on weekends, I loved sharing my favorite childhood books with them. Plus, sometimes they made me presents.

Like today, I’d received my very own pirate hat, completely blinged out with fake rhinestones and pink skull and crossbones. The thing barely fit on my head, but that was probably because of the braids. The gift and the Pippi Longstocking-esque hairdo were compliments of Gwendolyn Glick, one of my favorites. She wore red glasses two sizes too big for her face, spoke with a slight lisp and always had on the same t-shirt at story time, a faded black number featuring the Starship Enterprise and the saying “I Trek. Do you?”

What can I say? The kid and I were kindred spirits.

Even if I felt like an idiot, I jammed the hat on my head and wore it throughout the day along with my long black cloak. Those kids loved that cloak; the ones who knew the series said it reminded them of the professors at Hogwarts. I must’ve looked pretty silly—a cross between Severus Snape and Jack Sparrow—but Gwen’s happy expression made it all worth it.

It was only after I’d knocked on Becks’s door that I wished I’d remembered to take it off.

Clayton answered and nearly had a conniption. He was hooting and carrying on and looked like he was this close to passing out from lack of oxygen.

“Oooh,” he said, gasping, face redder than his shirt.

He had the top three buttons undone, and the sight made me blush. Apparently Becks wasn’t the only fit one in the family.

“Oh Sally—” He wiped tears of laughter from his eyes. “—girl, you keep coming ‘round dressed like that one of these days I’m going die laughing.”

“Why wait?” I asked sweetly.

Becks came into view at that moment, his mouth spreading into a wide grin as he looked me over.

I shot him a warning glare, but that didn’t stop him from saying, “Hey, Sal. That a new hat?” which, of course, set Clayton off again.

“Funny,” I told him, tossing him his present. “Here, Gwen made you one, too.”

“Well, that was sweet of her,” he said, propping the thing on his head. “But why?”

I frowned, noticing how the pirate headgear didn’t look half as ridiculous on Becks as I was sure it did on me. Dang it, he actually looked kind of cute. I couldn’t help thinking that in that hat, with his perfect five o-clock shadow, Becks’d give Johnny Depp a run for his money.

“I think she’s got a crush on you.”

“Smart girl,” he said, lifting the hat off easily. “Why don’t we go to my room?”

“O-okay.” The word came out unsteady. Considering I’d been to Becks’s bedroom a ton of times, spent almost as much time there as I did in my own over the years, I shouldn’t have been nervous. But as Clayton sauntered off making kissy noises and Becks placed his hand on my lower back, I was jumpier than a jackrabbit on speed. My heart was a wild thing in my chest. It was beating so fiercely and so fast that by the time we reached the top of the stairs I felt like I’d run a marathon.

As I entered Becks’s room and heard the door click shut behind us, I took a deep breath before turning to face him.

“So,” I said, backing up, removing the hat and cloak, voice higher than usual. Realizing I had nothing left to say, like an idiot, I repeated myself. “So...”

Becks shook his head. “Alright Sal, what’s up?”

“What do you mean?” I asked, trying to play it cool.

“Exactly what I said.” He crossed his arms. “What’s with you? And don’t try to say it’s nothing. Since yesterday, you look like you’re about to have a heart attack every time I lay a hand on you.”

“I do not.”

“Yes, Sal. You do.”

My heart, so alive before, seemed to freeze in my chest.

“Sal, I’m not…” He flushed. Becks, unflappable, always self-assured Becks, actually flushed, while I stared in awe. “I wouldn’t ever try anything on you. You know that, right?”