They plopped on the sofa and Cody drained the chocolate in about two gulps. “Thirsty?” she asked.
He grinned. “It was a long trek.”
“I’m glad you came.”
“I couldn’t help myself. I kept seeing you with my arms around you.”
She felt like melting. “You thought about being with me for two days straight?”
“That and your mother’s cooking,” he added, nuzzling her ear.
She pinched him hard, and next thing they were wrestling and laughing. When the alarm on his watch sounded, she was disappointed. She didn’t want to give him up to Charlie.
“Duty calls,” Cody said, turning off the alarm.
“Hey, Cody! Time’s up!” Charlie called from the top of the stairs.
“This from a kid who can’t remember which entrance of the school to wait in front of when I go to pick him up,” Trisha grumbled.
Cody kissed her. “Be back in a bit.”
Trisha sighed, immediately bored. She picked up the phone and called Christina. “Guess what?” she said when her friend answered. Trisha told her about Cody’s arrival on skis.
“Lucky you. I’m stuck here with my parents. And all Dad does is pressure me to accept the Vermont offer, while Tucker’s begging me to stay around.”
“But you have to go to college,” Trisha said.
“Oh, I’ll go, but maybe not so far away. Honestly, I think my parents want to get rid of me.”
“No way. They just don’t want you to pass up a golden opportunity.”
“Whose side are you on, anyway?”
“Yours,” Trisha said, meaning it with all her heart. “When do you have to decide for sure?”
“By the end of February.”
“That’s next month.”
“Tell me about it.”
They hung up, and when Cody finally returned from his game with Charlie, Trisha told him about the conversation. “Tucker’s being really selfish,” she said. “Did you ever say anything to him?”
“A little.” He didn’t meet her eyes.
“What? You’re not telling me everything.”
“He wants to double next Friday night. Thought it would be fun if we went to the Henderson game with him and Chrissy.”
Henderson was a town thirty miles away and its high school was one of Mooresville’s chief athletic rivals. The Mooresville basketball team, the Fighting Scots, had won seven of their last ten matches. This time, the game was on Henderson’s court.
“I like Chrissy and I love you,” Trisha said. “Do we have to take Tucker with us?”
Cody laughed. “It was his idea, remember?”
She made a face. “It’s all right with me. Maybe our presence will help Tucker stay off Chrissy’s case.”
“Tuck will drive. I’ll come here and they can pick us up together.”
“You know he almost started a riot at the Chesterton game.”
“That was last year. I’m sure he’s going to behave himself at this one.”
She laced her fingers through Cody’s. The air between them felt charged, like electricity without an outlet. Her internal radar went off. Something wasn’t right. “Are you sure you’re telling me everything?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“You found another girl you want to date and you want to break up with me.” She blurted out her deepest fear, not believing it, but using it to make him open up.
“No way.” He gave her a disgusted look. “I don’t want to ever break up with you.”
“Okay, it was a reach, but I know there’s something you’re not telling me.”
“Do I look that guilty?”
“You look like you want to tell me something but don’t know how.”
He looked sheepish. “I never could fool you.”
“Why would you want to?”
“Because I told Tucker I wouldn’t say anything. He made me promise.”
“But you want to tell me, don’t you?”
“You’re not going to like it.”
“Is it about him and Christina?”
Cody nodded. “I wish Tuck had never told me. It’s like carrying around a ticking time bomb.”
By now, curiosity was eating Trisha alive. “I can keep a secret,” she told him.
“Better than me, I hope.”
“I won’t say anything.”
“You can’t tell Chrissy.” Cody’s expression was serious, challenging.
Trisha nibbled on her bottom lip, hesitant to make a promise she might regret. “Is it something bad?”
“Not really. It’s supposed to be a good thing. I—um—I’m just not sure it is in this case.”
“Well, now you’ve got to tell me because if you don’t, I’ll burst, and how will that look to all our friends? Me smeared all over the halls. And on your new sweater too!”
He grinned, leaned forward, and kissed her. “I can’t have that happening now, can I? What a mess.”
She waited, sitting on the edge of the sofa, watching his face as he struggled with an internal war—to tell her, or to keep his promise to Tucker. Finally, Cody turned and took a deep breath. “Tucker’s giving Chrissy a ring for Valentine’s Day. He plans to ask her to marry him—just as soon as they graduate in June.”
Four
There’s more than one way to win a war. Trisha was aware of that truth every day she carried around the secret that Cody had shared with her. Tucker was going to sidestep the competition and go straight for the win: ask Christina to marry him and keep her from going off to Vermont forever. And worse, Trisha wasn’t sure Christina would have the gumption to refuse his proposal.
Valentine’s Day was less than two weeks away, and Trisha guiltily harbored her knowledge. She couldn’t let Cody down by telling Christina. And she couldn’t let on to Tucker that she knew. Her only hope was to try to talk Christina out of accepting the ring when her friend told her about the proposal, as Trisha knew Christina would. Until then, Trisha forced herself to keep her mouth shut.
Afraid that she might let something slip, she was glad that the yearbook kept her busy after school so she didn’t have to spend more time with Christina. The task was made even harder when Christina came up to her with a radiant smile and said, “Tucker is treating me like a queen these days.”
“Doesn’t that make you suspicious?”
“Why should it? He’s helping me remember all the reasons why I loved him in the first place.”
“So, no more pressure to make you give up your scholarship?”
“He told me to make up my own mind about it.” Christina looked puzzled. “You don’t look like you’re happy for me.”
“I’m happy,” Trisha said quickly. “I was only wondering why he backed off.”
“Because he loves me, silly. And he wants me to do what I want.”
Trisha had to turn away for fear that Christina would see how angry she was about Tucker’s newfound attitude. The pressure’s just about to begin, she wanted to tell her friend. But she couldn’t.
On the night of the Henderson game, Trisha and Cody piled in the backseat of Tucker’s car. “There’s a blanket on the floor,” Tucker said. “My heater’s not working all that great. But I didn’t think the two of you’d mind covering up with a blanket. And no one in the front seat’s going to be looking back there doing a hand check, if you know what I mean.”
Trisha didn’t like his insinuation. Cody tucked the blanket around them. “We’ll behave,” he said.
Christina offered Trisha a candy bar. “Want some? It’s dinner for me. I got tied up at the nursing home. Couldn’t get Mr. Tappin to eat tonight.”
“That old fart?” Tucker said. “Why do you waste your time?”
“Don’t call him names,” Christina said. “He’s a pitiful old man who needs extra help. You know, he’s been there three years and he’s never once had a visitor.”
“Whatever,” Tucker said with a wave of his hand. “I’ll buy you a hot dog at the
game.”
Trisha felt sorry for Mr. Tappin and wondered why Christina never picked up on the fact that Tucker simply didn’t care about the things she did. It was obvious to everyone else, yet Christina acted clueless. Trisha gazed pensively out the car window. Cold, white moonlight sparkled off the fields of crusty snow. Trees in the open fields poked bare, lonely branches into the dark sky. Trisha wondered where they’d all be in the fall when they started college. Would she and Cody be together at Indiana University? Would Christina really be married to Tucker?
The Henderson High School gym was lit up and the parking lot full by the time they arrived. Inside the gym, the air felt stuffy and the noise level was deafening. The bleachers were packed on both sides. Behind the Mooresville bench sat a row of guys, some stripped to the waist, painted with the school colors—half of their bodies bright red, the other half yellow. Others wore painted stripes on their faces, like warriors about to go into battle.
Impressed by the show of school spirit, Trisha saw Frank and his girlfriend, Abby, busy taking photos for the yearbook. She waved, thinking the pictures would make a nice spread in the sports section. Cody took her hand, and they climbed up into the seniors’ cheering section, stopping every few rows to say hi to friends. By the time the four of them were settled, the tip-off had brought the crowd to its feet.
The game seesawed between the two teams; at half time, Henderson led by only two points. Trisha and Christina took off to the bathroom. On the way back to their seats, they ran into Bill Lawler, who almost spilled his soda down the front of Christina’s clothes. “Sorry,” he mumbled, his neck and ears turning beet red.
“I wasn’t watching where I was going,” Christina replied, offering a smile. “How’ve you been?”
Bill looked at Christina with such adoration that Trisha felt embarrassed for him. He wasn’t much to look at and he definitely wasn’t high on the popularity list at Mooresville, but she knew Christina’s kindness was sincere. “I—I’ve been all right,” Bill said. “I got accepted to MIT. Physics is what—”
Bill stopped midsentence as he was grabbed and whirled around by his shoulder. He dropped his soda.
“What’re you saying to my girl?” Tucker growled. “I told you to stay away from her.” He shoved Bill against the wall behind the bleachers, stopping the flow of foot traffic.
“N-nothing—” Bill stammered, looking terrified.
“Tucker! Stop it!” Christina seized Tucker’s elbow, but he sent her spinning backward into Trisha, who yelped.
From the blocked crowd, someone yelled “Fight!” and others took up the chant.
Tucker picked Bill up by his lapels. “I should take your head off, you little creep.”
Christina stood horrified. Trisha said, “For crying out loud, Tucker, back off.”
Bill twitched. The crowd closed in. From the middle of it, Cody shouldered his way through, caught Tucker around the neck in an iron grip, and broke his hold on Bill. “Come on, buddy. Let’s cool off.”
Tucker struggled briefly with Cody, but Cody wouldn’t let go. “I’m going to kick his—”
“No, you’re not,” Cody said. “You’re going to listen to me.”
A commotion from the back was causing the crowd to shift and divide. “Clear the way!” a commanding voice shouted. A large, burly man came toward them. “What’s the problem here? You let go, kid, or I’ll call the cops.” He took hold of Cody, breaking his grip on Tucker.
“He didn’t do anything wrong,” Trisha insisted, throwing herself in front of the man. “He was helping.”
The man ignored her. He glared at Cody. “Sure he was. I think you’d better get out of here,” he said. He pushed Cody toward an exit.
“But he didn’t do anything!” Trisha hurried to keep up. “You’ve got to listen. It was the other guy.” Where was Tucker and why didn’t he ’fess up?
The man kept moving, herding Cody along. The crowd dispersed like scurrying ants. On the court, a roar went up as the referee blew his whistle to start the second half. The man ushering Cody stopped at the door, shoved the handle, and pushed the door open. Cold, biting air rushed in, hitting Trisha in the face.
“Now you go on,” the man said to Cody. “We won’t have problems here at Henderson with the likes of you.”
Trisha followed Cody out into the cold, and the steel door snapped shut behind them. She stood shivering, angry tears stinging her eyes. “He wouldn’t even listen! That man just ignored me when I tried to tell him this was all Tucker’s fault.”
Cody put his arms around Trisha. “It’s okay,” he said into her hair, but she felt the tension in his body, heard a tremor in his voice. “You’re freezing.” He rubbed his hands up and down her arms.
“He didn’t even give us a chance to get our coats,” Trisha grumbled.
Trisha heard someone calling her name and looked over Cody’s shoulder to see Christina running toward them. Tucker jogged behind her. Christina arrived breathless. She tossed Trisha her coat. “Are you two all right?” Christina had jammed on a ski hat and her blond hair stuck out from the sides.
“We’re fine,” Cody said, helping Trisha on with her coat.
“No thanks to Tucker!” Trisha whirled to face him. “Thanks for standing up for your friend! Thanks for nothing!”
“Hey, man, I’m sorry, but I got shoved away.” He handed Cody his coat. “That guy was a real jerk! He took you away before I could say a word.”
“Oh, right!” Trisha said sarcastically. “Like you even tried to straighten things out.”
“It wouldn’t have mattered,” Cody said over their raised voices. “We were toast the second Tucker took a swing at Bill.”
“You had no right to do that.” Christina’s voice cut through the night. “Why would you do such a thing? Bill’s no threat to you.”
Tucker clenched his fists. “I told him to stay away from you. I told him I didn’t even want to see him within ten feet of you.”
“That’s stupid,” Christina shot back.
“Don’t call me stupid.” Tucker stepped toward her, but Christina held her ground.
“What you did was stupid,” she said. “You don’t own me, Tucker.”
“Can we take this to the car?” Cody asked. “Trisha and I are freezing.”
Tucker stomped off, heading to the parking lot.
Christina turned to Trisha and Cody. “I—I don’t know what to say …”
“It’s not your fault,” Trisha said. “Just remember this the next time Tucker lights into you. Is this what you want, Chrissy? To always be wondering what’s going to set him off? Is this what being in love with Tucker means?”
Christina hugged her arms to her chest, looking sad. “I’m cold.”
“Come on,” Cody said, putting an arm around each girl and moving them toward the parked car. “We can’t solve the problem here. We’ll go someplace warm. Eat. Talk it out.”
To Trisha, the time for talking was past. Tucker would never change. Christina needed to be rid of him.
Tucker had started the car while they crossed the parking lot. When the others were settled inside, he reached for Christina. She pushed him away. “Don’t.”
“I said I was sorry.”
“That’s what you always say, but you never change.”
“Just don’t be mad at me, baby. I went crazy when I saw him talking to you. I love you so much. I don’t know what gets into me.”
Christina said nothing.
In the backseat, Trisha wrapped the blanket tightly around her and Cody. But in spite of the blanket and Cody pressed against her, she couldn’t get warm. Tucker had ruined the whole evening.
“Let’s go back to town and stop at the Pizza Hut,” Cody said.
“Good idea.” Tucker brightened and put the car in gear. He pulled out of the parking lot and started toward Mooresville.
Tucker switched on the radio and turned the music up loud. Trisha watched Christina from the back. She could tell that her fr
iend was holding her neck and shoulders rigid, which gave her hope that this time Tucker had finally gone over the top. Maybe now she would leave him.
The car cruised down the long, straight highway. The snowy, vacant fields flew past. Trisha saw a flash of headlights in the rearview mirror. She blinked.
“What’s this guy’s problem?” Tucker asked, glancing over his shoulder at the car.
Cody and Trisha straightened up and looked through the back window. A car seemed to be sitting on their bumper.
“I’ll lose him,” Tucker said, giving the car more gas.
“Don’t,” Christina said.
“He’s jamming us.”
“So what?” said Cody.
The car pulled up alongside them, keeping even with their bumper as the group of kids inside waved at them. A boy in the front passenger seat made gestures. “What’s he doing?” Trisha asked.
“Acting cute,” Cody said. “Ignore them. Hey, Tuck, back off, okay?”
As Tucker slowed, the other car cut in front of them and slowed dramatically.
Trisha looked through the front windshield and saw taillights coming up fast.
Tucker slammed on the brake. “This guy’s begging for trouble.”
“Don’t, Tucker,” Christina said. “Let them go on.”
Tucker blasted the horn, and one of the riders in the other car made a rude gesture through the back window. “I’m passing him.”
“Back off,” Cody said. “Besides, he’ll just speed up again if you try.”
Tucker pulled out to pass. “Basic physics, my man—force equals mass times acceleration.”
Trisha saw the front car’s taillights brighten as it slowed. She gripped Cody’s hand.
“No! Don’t!” Christina cried.
A sick sensation seized Trisha and for the space of a few seconds, she felt as if the car had grown wings and they were flying. Then, suddenly, the world turned upside down. Glass rained down. Metal tore. Someone screamed. The world went dark.