Page 7 of In Too Deep

Mustering my courage, and telling myself the team had probably already eaten and left, I went inside the donut shop. After a few minutes, I came out with a dozen donuts in one hand and my keys ready in the other.

No sign of Christina or anyone from the swim team. Good.

I slid in behind the wheel and set the box of donuts on the passenger seat. I was about to close the door when I heard Christina’s voice from a few feet away.

“Leave me alone, Greg,” Christina was saying, sounding distressed.

“Why?” the guy named Greg asked. “Give me one good reason why you won’t go out with me.”

“I already told you why.”

“Tell me again.” His voice cracked.

“Because I’m busy.”

“That’s not a good enough reason.”

Whoever this Greg was, he sure was persistent.

“I can’t go out with you,” Christina said, her voice pleading to be left alone.

“Why not?” Greg was getting pushy now. I decided I did not like Greg.

Christina wrapped her arms around herself defensively, and said, “I just can’t.”

What? Was she playing hard to get? Something, however, told me that was not the case.

“There’s someone else, isn’t it?”

“No, yes…it’s…complicated. It’s not you, Greg. It’s me.”

How cliché.

“All right. Fine. I guess I’ll go drown my sorrows in tequila.”

“I guess I’ll go drown my worries in tequila,” I imitated in a sing-song voice.

Men were such babies.

I had to admit that was a surprise, though.

I thought Christina was the kind to collect men and keep them drooling over her. Obviously I was wrong. Or maybe she just didn’t like pussies like Greg.

I watched Greg huff away.

Christina dried her eyes and got into a small Toyota and locked the doors.

As I drove past, our eyes met briefly.

She forced a smile when she saw me.

I didn’t smile back.

I still didn’t like her.

CHAPTER SEVEN

“It’s not like her to skip practice,” Coach Banks said the next day when Christina didn’t show up at the pool. “She’s really passionate about swimming.”