Page 53 of The Apple Tree

“Or I can go with you too.”

Yes!

“Um, sure. I mean, if you want to. Don’t feel you have to if you’re busy doing laundry. I’d hate for you to wear dirty underwear to school Friday since you’re supposed to look your best on game days.”

“I’d just go without underwear if I didn’t have clean ones.”

I pressed my lips together, trying not to imagine him without underwear.

“You’re not picturing me naked, are you?”

“Stop.” I coughed a laugh. “No. I’m not.”

“Liar,” he mouthed.

I narrowed my eyes, but my flaming cheeks told the truth.

“So you’ll be back over after dinner?”

“Yes.” I was so giddy my voice shook.

“See you in a bit.”

“Eve!” Josh called, running toward the door after I stepped outside. He had my Walkman and headphones.

“Oh, thanks. I almost forgot that,” I said as he handed it to Kyle and ran back into the kitchen.

“Thought you were watching Josh, not listening to music,” Kyle said.

I rolled my eyes, holding out my hand. “I can do both when he’s playing with his toys.”

Kyle narrowed his eyes. “What tape?”

I stepped closer to the door, keeping my hand out in a silent demand. “Just stuff I record off the radio.”

“Like what?” He put the headphones on his head.

“NO!” I lunged for him, but the partially closed screen door caught my shoulder.

It was too late. He pressedPlay.

Life as I knew it ended when his eyebrows peaked. I had stopped in the middle of a song. There were many songs on that tape, but the one he was hearing wasnotthe one I was most proud of—George Michael’s “I Want Your Sex.”

Click.

He shut off the cassette player and slowly removed the headphones, winding the cord around my Walkman before handing it to me.

“See ya in a bit,” he said witha wink!

After dinner,I changed from shorts to jeans and grabbed a sweatshirt before shoving my feet into my shoes at the door. “I’m taking Josh to the creek,” I called.

“Is Kyle okay with that?” Dad called from the living room.

“Uh-huh.”

“Okay. Be careful.”

“Uh-huh.” I ran out the door, hopped the fence, and ran toward his house, slowing to gain my composure as I reached the top of the hill.

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