Page 30 of Something Like Summer
Lunch was a singularlytrying experience too, since he had so much he wanted to tellAllison, but couldn’t without other students overhearing. Keepingthings under wraps was crucial if he wanted to have future fun withTim, and that was one promise Ben was determined to keep. Luckilythere was choir, providing them with uninterrupted freetime.
Allison was the idealaudience as he spilled the details, gasping and exclaiming at allthe juicy parts and asking all the right follow-up questions.Reliving the details with her triggered a longing inside of Ben. Hewanted to see Tim again or at least call him, but part of him wasreluctant. What had happened between them had been intense, and nowBen felt it prudent to back off a little. He didn’t want to scareTim off. Plus, it would feel extra satisfying if Tim made the firstmove.
Making the transition backto sixth period wasn’t the struggle that first period had beensince Ben genuinely liked Ms. Hughes, even though he wasn’t lookingforward to explaining why he’d been skipping. He searched his mindfor a believable excuse during class, and she kept her eye on himas if he would raise his hand and confess at any moment. By the endof the period, Ben was considering slipping out with the rest ofthe students when she asked him to stay behind at the lastmoment.
“Well?” she asked, sittingon the corner of her desk.
Ben took a deep breath.He’d already been caught by his parents, so that wasn’t a worry,but he could still get in trouble with the school. Then again hedidn’t have a good story prepared.
“There’s this guy,” hebegan. “Tim Wyman.”
Ms. Hughes nodded. “I havehim in my second period. He thinks he’s Tom Cruise.”
Ben laughed and noddedbefore all the details came pouring out of him. All of it. Even hisparents didn’t know about Tim’s parents being out of town or theankle injury. Ben was also open with his feelings, hesitating onlywhen he reached the part where they slept together.
“I think I can imagine therest,” Ms. Hughes said. She was quiet for a moment, making Benwonder if she was doing just that. Then she said, “SarahNiles.”
“Sorry?”
“Sarah Niles,” Ms. Hughesrepeated. “She used to copy off my tests during freshman year. Dumbas a post, but beautiful.” She paused, gauging Ben’s reaction andcontinuing when he nodded with encouragement. “Sarah was my firstlove, ever since she kissed me behind my parent’s rose bushes at abirthday party. I would have done anything for her, and I did. Shenever would have passed Physical Science if it wasn’t for me.Unfortunately, like your Tom Cruise, she wasn’t exactly comfortablewith herself.”
“So whathappened?”
“She promised we could goto the dance together. I knew we couldn’t openly go as a couple,but single girls go together all the time and end up dancingtogether, and no one thinks anything of it. Sarah was popular andliked to keep me a secret, but still she promised. The night of thedance, I showed up on my own. We were supposed to meet there, butunbeknownst to either of us, some of Sarah’s friends had decided tofix her up with a guy. She was dancing with him when I showed up.Young and brave as I was, I intended to cut in. But then Sarahshook her head.”
Ben swallowed. “Andthen?”
“And that was it,” Ms.Hughes said, straightening up. “Love isn’t meant to be hidden awayand life is too short for shame. I was lonely a good couple ofyears, but I met someone just before graduating.”
Ben thought of the teacherhe’d seen Ms. Hughes kiss and wondered if it was her.
“You’re too bright to ruinyour academic career for a guy, Ben. I hope you can bring himaround to seeing things your way, but being held back a year isn’tgoing to seduce anyone.”
Ben laughed. “So what’s mypunishment? Cleaning the chalkboard?”
Ms. Hughes assigned him anessay and went over the details of a test he would have to make up.She could have demanded Ben drop and do pushups, and he would havegladly complied. If only every adult in his life was as cool as shewas.
After school Ben wentdirectly home. He made sure to be a social part of the family forthe entire night, helping with dinner, washing dishes and evenbeing civil to his sister. He wanted his mom to see that she hadmade the right decision in cutting him some slack. Of course,staying close to home was good too, just in case Tim decided tocall. By midnight, when Ben was climbing into bed, it was clearthat this wasn’t going to happen. As he fell asleep, Ben couldn’thelp picture Ms. Hughes, young and passionate, striding across thedance floor with determination but being stopped dead by theshaking of Sarah’s head.
* * * * *
Wednesday rolled around,and even though it had only been two days, to Ben it seemed like aneternity. Waiting for any sort of signal from Tim was driving Bencrazy, so he decided to try to catch Tim in the hall where he hadseen him the first time. There was no sign of him there, so Bentried again the next day. His persistence paid off. Ben spotted himas he rounded the corner of the hall. Tim was much further down,surrounded by the same snobs and jocks as before. Bryce Hunter wasthere, repeatedly pointing at his own legs and pantomiming throwinga football and then a tackle. Tim was laughing at his story whileleaning on one crutch, his other side occupied by Krista Norman whohad wrapped herself around him like a python.
Ben stooped down to fumblewith the contents of his backpack while trying to casually keeptrack of them. Eventually Krista and Bryce left in the oppositedirection, while Tim and Darryl Briscott headed down the hall. Benstood, shouldered his backpack, and began walking toward them.Darryl wore his standard vacant expression, every available braincell dedicated to keeping him upright and walking. That left Timfree to notice Ben’s stare. Tim held up a hand to his face, onethumb by his ear, pinky in front of his mouth; the universal signfor “call me.” Ben grinned and nodded before he broke eyecontact.
Abandoning subtlety,calling was the first thing he did when he got home. The phone rangand rang, and just as he was about to hang up, it clicked and Tim’svoice was on the line.
“Hey,” Ben said, having noidea what to say next.
“Hey,” Tim echoed. “Youhave to come get me. I’m totally sick of it here.”
“I don’t have a car,” Benreminded him.
“I think you’ve drivenmine more than I have. Get over here.”
Ben rushed over to Tim’shouse, trying not to run. He didn’t want to arrive sweaty anddisheveled. Tim was waiting for him in the driveway, standingbetween his car and a white SUV that hadn’t been there last week,meaning that at least one of his parents was home.
“Let’s go,” Tim said,voice tense as he handed Ben the keys.
