"Hey you," I said brightly, opening one of the sliding doors to the van. Louis's bright face smiled at mine while I threw my backpack and gym bag among his many soccer balls and cones lying on the stained, carpeted floor. Louis also threw a couple of textbooks from the front seat into the trunk, where they landed with a heavy thud.
As I began to climb into the passenger's seat, I stopped for a moment to glance up at the crystal blue sky. A gust of wind blew my hair from my face and I could smell the dried dew on the grass. Everything was so, so fresh . . .
"I see you've got spring fever too," Louis commented, shaking me from my trance. I grinned and got in the cool van, leaving the window open.
"Definitely," I replied, closing my eyes as wind began to blow through the open window as Louis pulled out of the school's parking lot.
My football/soccer player looked at me for a moment, the corners of his lips threatening to make another smile before turning on the radio. Pachelbel's "Canon in D" began to play. The beautiful cellos reminded me . . .
"Oh!" I cried, putting a hand to my forehead. "I completely forgot to tell you! Joel Walters convinced me to play in the high school music fest in May!"
Louis shot me a curious look. "Isn't the high school music fest for . . . well, high schoolers?"
"Well, yes," I admitted, "But Dr. Clark and Mr. Lenn invited those who were in eighth grade chorus, band, and orchestra to try out."
I faced him and pressed my fingers to my lips.
"This is so cool, Louis. I'll actually get to play in front of some of the most talented musicians in the district!"
I couldn't hide my laughter any longer. "Can you believe I was actually reluctant to do this?"
However, another thought crossed my mind which made me sigh and place my head against the dashboard.
"I have no idea what to play, though."
Louis placed a hand over mine and I sat up. Keeping his eyes on the road, he said, "How about this? I'll come over tonight and listen to a few of your pieces and help you decide."
We rounded a sharp corner and began to climb the long, winding road up to my house.
"Sure," I said, grabbing my backpack and gym bag from the back seat as my house came into view. "I'll have to ask Kaleb, and if you can't come over after all, I'll call you."
The van stopped in my driveway and I leaned over and lightly kissed Louis's cheek. "Seven?" I asked, opening my door. He smiled and nodded. "Thomas will be out tonight," he added. "I'm free." Trying to hide it, I shuddered at the sound of his older brother's name.
I began to get out when I noticed something on Louis's upper arm. Before he could react, I grabbed his hand and held it under a ray of sunlight.
"What is that?" I asked, horrified, as I pointed to a long, dark bruise near his elbow. I bit my lip and shoved up his sleeve, revealing that it led up to his shoulder.
Louis's face became hard as he tugged his hand away from mine. "It's nothing," he said softly. "I fell during practice the other day."
"Grass isn't shaped like a crowbar!" I half cried, tracing the obvious shape with my finger. He winced as my nails lightly brushed over his shoulder.
"I'm fine, stop worrying," he said, gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles began to turn white. An eerie silence filled the car, only broken by the breeze blowing through my open door.
"Louis," I whispered, "You - you can't let Thomas get away with this. Do you remember last October?"
My hand came to the teardrop shaped diamond around my neck, the very necklace he had given me two weeks after Thomas had beaten him to pulp before the championship football game a little over six months ago.
"Do you?"
"Of course," he said, facing me and putting a hand on my cheek. "Of course I do, but it'll only be a few more months with him, until I turn eighteen in July. Then I can move out, get an apartment or something."
He kissed me.
"Seven," he reminded me in a desperate attempt to change the subject. "Call me if I can't come over."
Shaken by our conversation, I slowly got out of the van.
Louis smiled as I walked to my front door and I smiled back. As I watched the van disappear around the bend, I wondered if he would live until July.
-msof57
