In My Head

Two Days After the Move ~ D.D. ~ Megan

"Okay, yeah I see it," Steph says into her cell phone. She turns her car down a street. "What's the address again? . . . No way!" She brakes the car hard and gawks at a giant house at the end of the road. Oh my gosh, that's their house?

Steph jumps out of the car just as Logan comes through the front door. I follow Steph up the sidewalk. We meet about halfway.

"You made it," Logan says, painfully stating the obvious. He stands there staring at us, and then glances back the way he came. In the awkward silence, Steph starts gushing over the house.

"This house is huge. You have to host a party. Post Prom, or Homecoming After-party. Promise me!"

Logan smiles one of those lopsided awkward smiles. Finally, Kaden comes through the front door and jogs down the sidewalk. I get the impression that he isn't looking at me on purpose.

"Alright, let's go!" Steph leads the way back to her car. Kaden walks right by me without even a hello.

"Hi, Kaden," I say.

Kaden glances back and nods, one of those indifferent tough-guy up-nods. It looks like Kaden isn't the strong silent type. He's the big jerk type.

We pile into Steph's car. Logan takes the front passenger seat, so I get in the back with Kaden. I've got bad vibes, thinking about the four of us in Steph's car for the half hour drive. I'm going to die if it stays this quiet. "So . . . who's DD?" I ask.

"Oh come on! DD is lame," Steph says as she starts up the car and drives off.

"I'll do it," Logan says. "If you don't mind leaving your car at our house overnight."

"But who will have kinky drunken sex with me?"

"Steph!" I shout. Logan bursts out laughing.

"Joking, joking," Steph says. Yeah, right. She just had to make tonight about drinking and sex. So much for making a good impression.

"Whose place are we going to?" Logan asks.

"Brad Pearson's mom's house. He's gonna be captain of the Varsity basketball team," Steph says. "All the jocks get totally hammered at this party every year."

Logan turns in his seat and looks at Kaden. "Too bad I'm DD."

"Come on, Hastings," Steph says. "Don't be a killjoy."

"I can be DD," I say. "It would work out better anyway. Steph can just stay over at my place tonight."

Logan glances at me and looks over at Steph. Come on, I want an excuse to stay sober. Steph might complain that I never drink anymore, but I'd rather have her be mad at me tonight than make a fool of myself again. If she has Logan to get drunk with, she probably wouldn't even care about me. ". . . Okay," Logan says.

I let out a sigh. Phew! Steph turns on the radio and cranks it way up. So much for having a conversation.

A deep frown covers Kaden's face. I poke his arm. He looks over blankly. "You okay?" I ask.

"Huh?" He leans toward me. I breathe him in, Axe, or maybe Old Spice. His brown eyes are so deep. The right side of his face looks all red. Oh my gosh, what happened?

He raises his eyebrows.

"You okay?"

"Headache," he says.

That could explain his awful attitude! It's a tiny ray of light, but I'm convinced. I sit forward and say, "Hey, turn it down." Steph actually listens, and Kaden's face relaxes a little, but his eyes look so sad. Something's wrong. I bet fifty bucks it's something big.

Kaden shifts in his seat and looks out his window at the Bay Bridge off in the distance. The lights on the guide wires shine through the semi-darkness and reflect off the water below. The horizon is tinted red from the last rays of the sun. It's amazing. "Been to the bridge yet?" I ask. Kaden stares out the window. "We should go sometime."

Kaden leans back in his seat. His face looks red from the sunset. I don't think he heard me.