Significance (Significance #1)(43)

“Of course. Why don’t you text me and let me know when you’re home?”
“Ok.” I kissed his dimple quickly. “Bye.”
“Bye.”
I turned, but couldn’t step. I turned back to look at him and he knew.
“So...it’s you again this time,” he smirked.
“Shut up,” I laughed.
“Go inside and have fun with your friend, Maggie. Then call me and I’ll see you tonight.”
“Ok.”
“Oh, and uh...leave your mind open to me. I need to know what’s going on with you, ok? I know,” he held up his hands in acceptance, “tyrant. But after everything that’s happened, I need it, Maggie.”
“It’s ok. I’d feel better like that anyway. Just don’t listen to what I say about you,” I jested.
“Never.” He grabbed my face gently and I felt him pushing in my mind so I pushed into his. We’d only done this once before with totality. It was so intense how I could feel everything in him just like it was in me. It wasn’t like normal, just picking up bits and pieces and his heartbeat never left me when we were like this. This was everything. “Ok. Now just keep the connection open and I’ll see you tonight.” 
“Ok.” I smiled up at him. “Bye, for real.”
He waited until I was inside before leaving, and as soon as I turned the corner, Beck grabbed me by the shoulders.
“Holy cow, Mags! What was that?”
“What?”
“That! That wasn’t just a kiss. That was a... something that is not just a kiss, kiss.”
“What? I can’t kiss the guy I’m dating?”
“You’re dating him?” she exclaimed.
“Yeah. What did you think I was doing?”
“Trying to piss off Chad,” she said matter-of-factly.
“No! Why would I do that?”
“Because he’s still in love with you. He was livid at Pablo’s. Li-vid. And I know you said nothing was going on with you and Kyle, but I just thought maybe, somewhere in your brain, you were trying to make Chad jealous. I saw him grab you up after graduation like nothing had happened. Like he hadn’t dumped you. Jerk.”
“No, absolutely not. I really like Caleb. This has nothing to do with Chad.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really.” I followed her into her kitchen and she began to pour some diet cream soda into glasses. “But Chad came over the other night.”
She gasped and spilled some soda on the counter. “What? He did? Oh, my gosh. What did he say?” she spouted in a flurry.
“That he wanted us to get back together,” I admitted softly.
“Ahhh, Mags. You have guys fighting over you. So sweet,” she crooned.
I hopped up on the counter top.
“It’s not sweet, it was sad. He waited on my front steps for me and when I pulled up on Caleb’s motorcycle, he was so angry. He said he wanted to talk alone so Caleb left. Then he told me he made a mistake and wanted us back together.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah. I was pretty shocked. So, I told him I was with Caleb and he said Caleb didn’t know me like him, that he knew every time I’d ever been sick, that he knew all my broken bones and Caleb knew nothing about me.”
“Wow, Mags. If this wasn’t Chad we were talking about I’d ask for his number. How romantic is he! Where was all that when you guys were dating?”
“I know! I told him that after he kissed me.” She gasped again. “Yeah. He kissed me, like he’s never kissed me before. It was all tongues and hands and...well, it would have been something if we were still dating. I told him that. I said, if you had kissed me like that when we were still dating, maybe we’d still be together.”
“Holy cow. You’re so lucky.”
“What? Why?” I asked. Sometimes it was hard to keep up with her demented logic.
“Because having guys fight over you is hot!”
“No, it’s not,” I insisted, “it sucks. Why now? Because he was jealous? Because he finally decided he didn’t want to go to college alone? Why? Why didn’t he do this before I met Caleb? But then I wouldn’t have met him, Beck. And I would take anything that happened to me all over again to meet Caleb like I did because...”
She gaped at me, her glass rolled with condensation in her hand. At first her expression was laced with unbelief and then worry and then realization.
“Ok, Maggie, listen. I really like Caleb, he’s hot, but are you sure he’s not just some college boy trying to get some booty before he goes back to school?”“No, he’s not.”
“But how do you know? Boys can be very charming, Mags. Very believable.”
“Caleb isn’t like that. I know it’s only been a few days, but you- you just don’t understand. Trust me, that won’t happen.”
“So he hasn’t tried to play shifty fingers with you yet? Or, ‘oops my hand slipped onto your boob’ or ‘I have no idea why my hand is there, it just had a mind of its own but since it’s there, let’s have a go’?”
“No,” I said bemused.
“Really? Hmmm. Every college guy I’ve ever met was like that.”
“I told you, Caleb is different.”
“He’s never copped a feel,” she said incredulously, “even a little.”
“No!” I laughed. “Jeez, can we talk about something else?”
“Has he tried to take you to a party yet?”
“No.”
“Hmm. Well, he will. And that’s where he’ll make his move.”
“Ok, Beck. I’ll be on my guard. Now, tell me what’s going on with you.”
“Oh, nothing but the normal.”
The doorbell rang and she ran to answer it. She came back with two boxes. “Beck? Who else are you feeding?”
“No one, but I’ve got lots of questions and I want to keep you plastered with cheese to keep you talking.”
I laughed as I followed her to the living room. She turned on her iPod and then sat with me on the couch. “Where are your parents?” I asked.
“Oh, they’re at this charity thing for the school. They’ve decided to sponsor a student. You know, school supplies, new clothes, football dues.”
“That’s nice of them.”
“Yeah, whatever. So.” She bit into a huge piece and the cheese stringed from her mouth, but she kept talking. “What are you gonna do when lover boy goes back to school?”
“Well, I’m going, too.”
“What? I thought you weren’t going to college? I thought you couldn’t get in?”
“I couldn’t, but Caleb’s family has ties to the school, Tennessee. So...I’m going.”
“Oh, he definitely wants in your pants,” she said with surety.
“Beck, he may want in my pants. In fact, I’m sure all boys want into the girls’ pants that they’re dating, but that’s not why he’s doing this.”
I felt a little burst of laughter in my mind. It was warm and made me giddy. At first I was confused, but then I felt him. Felt him like he was standing right next to me. Caleb was here in my mind and he was enjoying the conversation. I tried to send him a thought to see if it’d work. 
Are you enjoying this?
Immensely. But don’t worry. I’m only checking in, not listening to everything.
I hid a laugh and tried to forget he was here so I’d be normal with Beck.
“Then why? You barely know him. It’s creepy,” she continued.
“I thought you would love this for some reason. It’s so spontaneous and romantic.”
“Yeah, for me! Not you! You’re so responsible and a little naïve and sweet and...and responsible! You don’t do things like this. It’s scaring me a little.”
“It’s fine. Hey, why don’t we all go out? And then you can grill him yourself. Double date?”
“Ok. Best idea so far. When?” she spouted all motherly.
“What about tomorrow night? I get off at seven so we can meet at eight? I’ll ask Caleb if he’s ok with that.”
“But what about the farewell party at the school? That’s tomorrow night at 8:00. Aren’t you going?”
“I wasn’t planning on it. I’d forgotten actually,” I grumbled. “We’ll see. So I guess we can all go out the next night then.”
“I’ll spy who I wrangle up to be my date.”
“What about Ralph? He was really into you. You guys went out a few times.”
“Yeah, I know...but his name is Ralph,” she whined.
“Oh, come on, Beck, you are not that shallow.”
“I could be! Ok, fine. I’ll text Ralph. He is pretty cute. Maybe I’ll see what his middle name is. I bet he’d let me call him that instead.”
I rolled my eyes at her and then her iPod changed songs to Relator by Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson. She squealed, as this was our song. Well it was her song and I played along. She pulled me up and bounced and danced with me as she sang loudly. I laughed, missing her terribly.
We shook our fingers as we sang like we were scolding someone. Then lined our backs up and danced some more.
Then her parents walked in.
Chapter Nineteen

“Maggie. Rebecca,” her father stated after Beck ran to turn down the music. He was clearly amused and trying to hide it. “I’m glad to see you two hanging out again.”
“Hey, Mister T,” I said as I went to hug him. They were the sweetest people. And their name was Thompson so I called them Mr. and Mrs. T. He loved it because of the joke. They always let me crash here, especially right after my mom left, and even though Beck was spoiled rotten, they were still really good to her and everyone else. “Long time, no see.”