Page 44 of Good Vibes Only
When I’d performed this dance for the boys in the locker room? I had them intears.
And McKayla looked like she was on the verge of tears, alright—but not because she thought I was funny.
At least Raven gave me a pity laugh after I finished. “Hey, that was actually really good, Brett!” she said, clapping. “How’d you learn how to do the MC Hammer dance?”
“Just wanted to surprise my teammates,” I said. “Last season,U Can’t Touch Thiswas our victory song in the locker room, so I thought it’d be funny if I learned how to do the dance and surprise the boys with it.”
“That’s hilarious. I bet they loved it,” Raven said, and prodded McKayla to say something. “You’ve seen that music video before, right, McKayla?”
“Yeah … heh. Pretty good.” McKayla could only offer me a pained smile. “Love Hamma … it’s a strange toy, alright. Definitely not for everyone.”
Fuck.
An embarrassed heat burned under my collar as I sheepishly placed the toy back on its stand. Why was I always digging myself a hole with this girl? I just wanted her to like me.
“Hey, sorry,” I muttered. “I wasn’t trying to make fun of you. I was just being an idiot, you know? Just trying to make you laugh.”
“No, it’s okay. It was funny. Really.” She forced a little laugh, which only made me feel worse, because her heart wasn’t in it at all.
It was clear what she really thought—that I was an ass. I felt like the world’s biggest moron—not just for my stupid little dance, but for asking her out to lunch, for getting my hopes up that she might be different, for thinking she might like me.
“Hey, listen. I’m really sorry. We don’t have to do this,” I said. “Last night, I thought—” I shook my head and cut myself off. What happened last night no longer mattered. “Forget it. I shouldn’t have asked you out. That was dumb.”
I started for the door.
“No … Brett … wait a minute,” McKayla groaned.
Raven called after me, too. “Don’t go!”
McKayla caught up to me in a hurry. She hooked her arm through mine and offered me a frown. “I’m sorry. I know I’m acting a little off right now.”
“Hey, I really wasn’t making fun of you with that dance,” I said earnestly.
“I know. Your dance was cute,” she said with a guilty sigh. “I promise it has nothing to do with you.”
“Well, I’m not sure I’d promisethat,” Raven murmured under her breath.
McKayla shot Raven an eye-fluttering glare that meant something like,you’re not helping.
“What’s going on?” I asked her gently. “You can tell me. If you don’t wanna go out to lunch, that’s cool.”
“No, no. The truth is, I was looking forward to lunch all morning.”
Hearing that warmed my heart, at least. Because I’d been looking forward to it, too.
“Then what’s wrong?” I asked.
“I’ve got a really bad headache right now.”
“Speaking of hammer time,” Raven muttered quietly again.
McKayla shooed her away and said, “I thought maybe I could hide it, but … obviously not.”
Hammer time?I was still trying to decipher Raven’s cryptic comment—but a second later, when the pounding of a hammer joined the fracas next door, it clicked.
“Oh—you’ve got a headache because of the noise?” I asked, gesturing through the shared wall. “Damn. I’m so sorry. Want me to go speak to them? See if there’s anything I can do?”
McKayla shook her head. “Trust me, they won’t do anything. I’ve asked them over and over topleasetry to quiet it down. All they do is act like there’s nothing they can do and crack creepy jokes. They’re jerks.”
