Point of Retreat

told him no. He's kind of a bully. She said she was a vegetarian and couldn’t date meat heads. It made him really mad, so he’s been spreading rumors about her since then,” Caulder says. “A lot of kids are scared of him because he’s a dickhead, so now others are being mean to her, too.”
     
    “Don’t say dickhead, Caulder. And I think you guys are doing the right thing by defending her. Lake and I aren’t mad about that, we’re actually a little proud. We just wish you would use your heads before you make some of the choices you do. This is two weeks in a row you guys have done something stupid at school. This time, you got suspended because of it. We all have enough on our plates as it is…we don’t need the added stress.”
     
    “Sorry,” Kel says.
     
    “Yeah. Sorry, Will,” Caulder says.
     
    “As for Kiersten, you two keep doing what you’re doing, sticking by her. She’s a nice kid and doesn’t deserve to be treated like that. Is anyone being nice to her other than you two? She doesn’t have any other friends?”
     
    “She’s got Abby,” Caulder says.
     
    Kel smiles. “She’s not the only one who has Abby.”
     
    “Shut up, Kel!” Caulder hits him in the arm.
     
    “Whoa! What’s this? Who’s Abby? Caulder do you have a girlfriend ?” I tease.
     
    “No, she’s not my girlfriend,” Caulder says defensively.
     
    “Only because he’s too shy to ask her,” Kel says.
     
    “You’re one to talk,” I say to Kel. “You’ve been crushing on Kiersten since the day she moved in. Why haven’t you asked her to be your girlfriend?”
     
    Kel blushes and tries to hide his smile. He reminds me of Lake when he does this.
     
    “I already asked her. She is my girlfriend,” he says.
     
    I’m impressed. He’s got more nerve than I thought.
     
    “You better not tell Layken!” he says. “She’ll embarrass me.”
     
    “I won’t say anything,” I say. “But your birthday party is this Friday. You better tell Kiersten not to be kissing you in front of Lake if you don’t want her finding out.”
     
    “Shut up, Will! I’m not kissing her,” Kel says with a disgusted look on his face.
     
    “Caulder, you should invite Abby to Kel’s party,” I say.
     
    Caulder gets the same embarrassed look Kel had.
     
    “He already did,” Kel says. Caulder hits him on the arm again.
     
    I stand up. It’s obvious my advice isn’t needed here. “Well, you two have it all figured out, then. What do you need me for?”
     
    “ Someone has to pay for the pizza,” Caulder says.
     
    I walk to the front door and grab both of their jackets and toss them in their laps.
     
    “Punishment time,” I say. They both groan and roll their eyes. “You guys get to shovel driveways today.”
     
    “Drive ways ? As in plural? More than one?” Caulder asks.
     
    “Yep,” I say. “Do mine and Lakes, and when you’re done do Sherry and Kiersten’s, too. While you’re at it, go ahead and do Bob and Melinda’s.”
     
    Neither of them moves from the couch.
     
    “Go!”
     
    ***
     
    My stomach is in knots Wednesday morning. I really don’t want to see Vaughn today. I try to leave a few minutes sooner, hoping I can make it to class early enough to pick a seat next to someone else. Unfortunately, I’m the first to arrive. I take a seat in the back again, hoping she doesn’t want to make the trek to the back of the room.
     
    She does. As soon as she spots me, she smiles and runs up the steps, throwing her bag down on the table. “Morning,” she says. “I brought you a coffee. Two sugars, no cream, just like you like it.” She sets the coffee down in front of me.
     
    “Thanks,” I say. She’s got her hair pulled back in a bun. I know exactly what she’s doing. I told her once that I loved it when she wore her hair like that. It’s no coincidence that she’s wearing it like that today.
     
    “So, I was thinking we should catch up. Maybe I could come by your house sometime. I miss Caulder, I’d like to see him.”
     
    Absolutely not! Hell no! That’s what I really want to say.
     
    “Vaughn, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” is what I actually say.
     
    “Oh,” she says quietly. “Okay.”
     
    I can tell I've just offended her by the way she lowers her tone. “Look, I’m not trying to be rude. It’s just…you know, we have a lot of history. It wouldn’t be fair to Lake.”
     
    She cocks her head at me. “ Lake ? Your girlfriend’s name is Lake