Tiebreaker (It Takes Two 2)

Somehow my adolescent, cockamamie mind had convinced itself that it was the only obstacle preventing us from living happily-ever-after. So I bided my time. I truly believed that once I became a freshman he would dump nice, gorgeous, perfect Crystal and confess his undying love for me.

That did not happen.

The first house party I ever attended, one of only a handful, happened in the fall of my freshman year. The braces were history, the chubby thighs whittled down by a growth spurt and a lot of exercise. It was time for my big move. I was so nervous slash excited I spent hours picking out what to wear before finally deciding on jeans and an off-the-shoulder blousy top. Mind you I had like…under five shirts to choose from and yet it still took me forever. I was basically born wearing a polo and shorts so this was a big deal for me.

The varsity football team had won an important game that day and everyone was looking to celebrate. The house party was well under way by the time I got there. Cars were double-parked up and down the street. The music filtering out of the house was so loud I was surprised the cops hadn’t already been called. The air inside was practically humid from all the sweaty bodies and booze crammed into one medium-sized home.

Since I didn’t have any girlfriends, I asked some of the girls on the high school tennis team if I could tag along with them. Although I was already competing on a national level by then, traveling the weekends for tournaments, I still practiced with them from time to time. I didn’t know any of them very well so I wasn’t totally surprised when they ditched me to hang with their friends as soon as we got there.

Frankly, it would’ve surprised me if they hadn’t; there was always a bit of envy there. However, they couldn’t completely hate me since practicing against me helped them crush their opponents on other high school teams.

As I made my way through the house, I noticed most of the varsity football players crowded in the living room. Scanning the group, I found Noah and Crystal among them, sitting on the couch. Crystal was draped across Noah’s lap with one arm slung around his neck, her remora mouth suctioned to the side of his throat while he laughed at something Dane had said.

I’d lost my nerve by then, fully expecting someone to realize I didn’t belong and ask me to leave so I tried to walk across the room as unobtrusively as possible, skirting the edge. I was almost free and clear into the next room when he saw me.

I’ll never forget how his smile slowly melted while his eyes ran from my tight jeans to the top of my head, pausing to frown at the makeup on my face. And the deeper his frown got, the hotter my face felt. In return, I gave him a super lame wave, and an awkward smile and bolted out of there.

I found myself in the den where a few guys and a couple of girls were playing a video game. Two of the guys on the couch I recognized as sophomores on the baseball team. When one got up to get another beer, the other offered me the controller.

“You play?”

I nodded and sat down. Realizing it was Super Mario, I smiled. It was the first time I felt in my element.

“I’m Zach.” He flipped his brown hair streaked with gold out of his hazel eyes.

“Maren.”

“I know who you are. You’re that tennis player, right? You’re like––” He grinned wickedly, a lone dimple popping up on his left cheek. “––too good to play on the school team.”

Zach’s smile was genuine, his teasing harmless. And yet I’d turned purple from embarrassment. Not red, purple. I didn’t want to be thought of as too good for anything. At least, not at school I didn’t. On the court––that was different. There, I always wanted to be known as the best. But not anywhere else.

“No. No…I’m just––”

He laughed. “Don’t be embarrassed. That’s cool that you’re really good.” He handed me a Solo cup with skunky smelling beer and when I looked inside he said, “I didn’t spit in it, or nothing. I just got it for myself––promise.”

I really didn’t want to drink the skunky beer, but I also didn’t want Zach, who was being really nice to me, to think I was too good for anything. So I took a few sips, and when Zach smiled, I took a few more.

After that we started playing. And even though I was having a great time with Zach, my mind was still in the other room. I couldn’t get the way Noah had looked at me out of my head.