Chapter 6

"Do you think they know?"

"Depends on who they are, and what it is they know."

I closed the door behind us and put my hand on Tami's back as we went down the steps. We walked toward the pool. It was a beautiful Saturday for the middle of October. Almost warm enough for swimming, though the pool had closed last week and was locked up.

"Our parents? About us?"

I was wearing shorts. I stopped and pulled out the waistband and looked inside. Then I twisted, pulled out the waistband in back and looked inside. "Nope, don't think so."

Tami had stepped back and looked at me as if I was crazy.

I grinned. "I still have my balls, so your mom doesn't know. And there are no chunks out of my ass, so my dad doesn't know."

Tami grinned back. "You are so..."

"I am, aren't I?" I stepped forward, grabbed her, and pulled her into a long kiss.

As we were exchanging spit I saw Mr. Billings drive by, giving us a look that said the middle of the street wasn't the best place to do this.

I slipped my arm around her again and we continued on down the street.

"You didn't mention your mom."

"I think she knows we do more than just kiss. I don't think she knows how much more."

We walked to the end of the street and turned toward the highway.

"Still depressed?" she asked as we reached the highway.

"Depressed? How could I be depressed, walking with the most beautiful girl in the state?"

"I'm not the most beautiful. Alana is."

"Okay, the most beautiful eighth grader in the state."

"No, Robbie or Cathy Morgan."

How could you want to kiss someone and kick her at the same time?

"Okay, the smartest girl in the state."

"Callie Tenley."

The urge to kick was starting to overwhelm the urge to kiss.

"Walking with the nicest," I moved until I was facing her, my hands on her shoulders, our noses only inches apart, "smartest, most beautiful girl in the state."

Tami giggled and rubbed her nose against mine. She took my hand and we continued walking down the highway. "Only the state?"

I briefly considered being gay. Guys couldn't be this exasperating. But then, they weren't this cuddly either.

"Why'd you think I was depressed?"

"About yesterday."

"Why would I be depressed about yesterday?"

"About losing."

"I'm not... we..." I stopped talking and took a deep breath. "Did you ever play a sport?"

"Just in P.E."

"Okay. You remember telling me about the spelling bee you were in? Just before you moved up here from Colorado." Tami nodded. "Were you bummed because you came in fifth?"

"Of course not. I told you how happy I was about getting fifth. It was the best I'd ever done, and it was the whole county."

"Sports is just like that. I had one of my best games ever. So did Robbie. So did the team. The Wildcats were just better."

"Oh."

"Really. I'd be more depressed if we'd won but I hadn't played my best."

"But it was your first loss?"

"We wanted an undefeated season. We were hoping, but I wasn't counting on it. Apple Valley Middle School is twice our size, with more kids to pick from. They have a stronger team. We're five and one, that's damn good. We have two more games and the worst we can do is five and three, that's a winning season right there."