Operation Beautiful

“So, were you disappointed?” Spike asks Clarice.

“Disappointed about what?” she asks.

“That I didn’t take my shirt off.”

Since Spike is goalie, his job involves a lot of sliding across the dirt to prevent a goal, or using his chest or stomach to block the ball. Suffice it to say that he keeps his shirt on.

“Psh. No,” Clarice scoffs. “Now will you stop putting your arm around me? You stink.”

“Are you implying that if I had my shirt off I wouldn’t be ask stinkly?”

She glares at him. “No! Are you just looking for a reason to get rid of that jersey?”

He shrugs. “Good enough for me.” He swings his jersey over his shoulder.

“Shirt or no shirt, they all stink,” Haley says, leaning away from Trevor.

I just smile and look at Emmaleigh, who’s tagging along behind Haley. “What did you think of the game?” I ask her. She shrugs and slows down to fall in step with me.

“You guys did really well.” She still won’t look at me, despite the fact that I put my jersey back on.

“Hey, why don’t we go get showered and meet up for smoothies later?” Matt suggests.

“Sounds good,” Spike agrees.

“Corey, take Emmaleigh home,” Matt says. “I’ll go check on Jess and hitch a ride home with Janice.”

“Well, the car is this way,” I say, catching the keys Matt tosses at me. She follows me quietly.

“So, why aren’t you and Jessica talking?” I ask once we’re in the car. She looks out the window.

“I told her to stop being pushy and she yelled at me for...” her voice trails off uncertainly. “...for yelling at her,” she finishes lamely.

“You told her what?” I asked, surprised Emmaleigh had it in her.

“I told her to stop trying to push me and Matt together because Matt very obviously tries to push us together which--” she thumps her head against the glass lightly. “I’m sorry. I don’t know when to shut up.”

“I don’t mind. It’s better than being all cryptic.”

She smiles slightly, as if remembering our conversation at the party. “That’s true,” she mutters.

“So you were saying?” I ask. This idea of Matt pushing me and Emmaleigh rogether seems...interesting. I thought he’d just been doing it to avoid Emmaleigh but the way she worded it made me think that maybe...

“I wasn’t saying anything,” she lies.

“Yes you were,” I chuckle. “You told Jessica it was a bad idea because...?”

“Because then Matt would dump me onto you which, other than being a pain for you is also rather counterproductive in Jessica’s whole scheme of things.” There’s a pause. “Of getting me and Matt together,” she continues quickly.

“Of course,” I say, Matt’s admission of Jessica’s crush running through my mind. Suddenly, a thought strikes me. “Emmaleigh, do you even like Matt?”

Her head pops up from the window. “Sorry?”

“Nothing, nothing. I was just...” But now that I think about it, Emmaleigh hasn’t seemed to mind how often Matt pushes her away.

“Can we just not mention Matt at all, please?” she mutters with a frustrated groan. “I’m beginning to regret telling Jess about that at all.”

“Why?”

“Because,” she says, and then stops. “Because she reminds me about it every other second and you can’t seem to talk to me without bringing his name up either.”

I hadn’t really noticed this.”Sorry.” What else could I say? ’Yeah, I just do that to remind myself that I don’t have a chance.’? I am not saying those words out loud.

“Ugh, it’s not your fault. I’m still all hyped up about Jessica.”

“Do you need me to talk to her?”

She shakes her head. “It’s fine. We’ve fought like this before. I’ll apologize and it’ll blow over.” But her face is still strained. As we pull up to a red light I allow myself to lean over and squeeze her hand.

“You still look stressed,” I say.

She sighs and squeezes back, her eyes resting on my hand. “Usually, I’m okay with going along with what Jessica wants but this time...” the light turns green and I slip my hand out of hers. “I don’t think I want to give up for her this time.”

“Can I be honest?” I ask. She raises an eyebrow but keeps her forehead pressed against the glass.

“Always.”

“I am totally confused.”

“Good to know.” She doesn’t say anything else for a while. The traffic is awful coming from the downtown soccer field so I find myself stopping again.

“Why don’t I just take you to our place? Otherwise by the time I drop you off, go home and take a shower, then come to pick you back up for smoothies we’ll be late.”

She nods. “Okay.” The car is quiet for a few more seconds.

“Your parents are leaving in a couple days, right?”

“Yeah.”

“All packed up?”

“Yup. I’ll be moving in with you guys on Friday.”

“Where are they going?”

“A two week cruise to Alaska.”

I laugh. “In February?”

She smiles and turns her head to look at me. “Off season prices. Plus they’ll get to be there for Valentine’s Day.”

We keep the conversation going until we reach the house. I tell Emmaleigh to wait in my room and go to take a shower. When I get back I see Matt and Emmaleigh sitting on my bed, talking. A wave of jealousy soaks me as I battle between walking in there or giving Emmaleigh the chance to talk to her crush.

“I’m sorry to be pushing you like this,” I hear Matt say. “I heard you and Jess got into a fight about it.”

“It’s fine,” Emmaleigh says. “I had fun. Jess’ll come around eventually.”

Matt sighs. “If she’s anything like me, you’ll be in for a lot of pain before she comes around. We Hensens tend to do anything to get what we want.”

“I don’t want to lose her over this,” Emmaleigh says quietly.

Matt gently pulls her head onto his shoulder. “Don’t worry. You guys have been best friends since preschool. I’m sure you’ve fought over a guy before.”

Seeing her head on his shoulder is the last straw for me.

“Hey,” Matt says as I walk in. Emmaleigh’s head pops off his shoulder and she manages a weak smile. Not I feel bad for cutting in. Almost. “Ready to go?” Matt asks, halfway out the door.

“Ready?” I ask Emmaleigh.

“Yeah,” she says. “Let’s go.”