Chapter 35
1054words
"You should really stop calling her that" "It's her name,"
"Yeah but she hates it and only lets adults use it"
"I know, I just like seeing her squirm... she's cute," he smiles "You think Pen is cute? Do you want to date her?"
Rolling his eyes Gentry sighs, "I didn't mean it like that Shane, she's not my type"
"What is your type?"
Thinking he replies, "assertive guys with dimples and green eyes," he stops then grins. "Idiot," I get off the bed
As I'm walking away Gentry chuckles, "you asked."
Pen and I spend the day showing Gentry around our town, all the places we used to go to do stupid shit. We show him the special waterfall we've all probably jumped off of hundreds of time, drove past our high school, then saw anything else worth seeing.
It's around 8 pm now as we're heading towards the tailgate, "nervous?" Pen asks sitting next to me as I drive
"No, why? Do I seem nervous?"
"Not really, you seem calmer than I expected"
Shrugging I reply, "nothing to be nervous about, those people don't intimidate me anymore." "That's good... we've also got gently here to protect you, don't we?" She turns looking at him in the
back seat
"You know with a name like Pennsylvania, you really shouldn't be making fun of other people's names." Rolling her eyes at him she turns
back facing forward, after a second Gentry says, "also I found your gift, thanks for that." "You're welcome," she smiles
"Gift? What gift?" I look at Pen
Not letting her answer Gentry says, "she left her ball on my pillow last night," "When'd you have time to do that?" I ask her
"Before I left yesterday while you guys were downstairs, did you like it?" Pen asks Gentry
"I did, couldn't tell if it was a threat or a warning though"
"It's a promise, as in I promise to fuck up your pretty face like you did his"
"Great."
The closer we get to the cliff where the cars are the louder the music gets. Parking away from everything, Pen, Gentry, and I get out of the car walking towards the crowd. I can always spot all the people I spent most of high school avoiding, some guys from the baseball team are there.
"Kylan!" Pen sees him and rushes over, Pen and Kylan used to date but they broke up before she left for Europe.
Gentry and I stand next to each other watching as everyone hang and mingle behind their cars, looking at him I'm about to ask if he wants a drink when we hear— "holy shit it's peeping Shane, fuck are you doing here?" Matt Jeffries stops in front of us asking me, "you lost little peeper?"
"Call him that again, I dare you" Gentry steps in front of me saying Chuckling Matt asks, "woah who the fuck are you?"
"None of your business, but this will be my business if you say another word to him. Matter of fact,
next!"
"Next?" Matt asks confused
"Yeah next as in why are you still standing in front of us? I'm done talking to you."
"Where was he when you needed him in high school, huh Shane?" He says to me as he walks away Once he's gone I look at Gentry who just smiles and takes my hand, "come on," he pulls me and we
head towards everyone.
Time passes and Gentry is off meeting people leaving Pen and I to stare from a distance, as she's standing next to me she says, "I hate how much of a people person he is"
"That's how he gets you," I feel like these people, it didn't even take me a minute after meeting Gentry to fall for him. Chugging my beer I look away trying to not let it get to me
"What's going on between you guys?" Pen randomly asks and I stare at her not expecting the question, "you have to admit it's working"
"What's working?"
"Your coach forcing you to bring him here so you guys could get along, I can tell it's working" "Is that a bad thing?"
She shrugs, "not necessarily, just have to ask yourself if you're truly over everything." Am I truly over everything? Even if I wanted to forgive him, I don't want to give in so easily, "just can't believe so much asshole can come out of such a pretty package... what?" She asks when she
sees me give her a weird look, "I may not like the guy but my eyes aren't broken—" "Hey guys," someone walks up to us greeting
"Kendra hey, how's it going?" Pen asks
"I'm great, who's your friend?" She turns looking at Gentry in the distance with a smirk, "he's hot" "That's his friend," she points to me
"Can you introduce me, Shane?" Who can forget Kendra Drake and her vast sexual ambiguity? "Just go tell him he's hot, that's all it takes really"
"Okay," she giggles walking away.
"Can't believe you just did that," Pen laughs, "I don't think Gentry can handle Kendra Drake" "I'm sure he'll do just fine," I walk away heading for the keg.
Maybe if I drink enough I won't have to think about people I went to high school with hitting on
Gentry, this could be a good thing, maybe
he'll find someone to hook up with and leave me alone... forever.
After a while Gentry finally remembers I exist and he walks over with the biggest grin, "Hey," he stops next to the keg pumping himself a drink. "Where's Pennsylvania?"
"With her girlfriends," I point to her laughing her chest off with them. "You're a big hit" "Surprised?" Annoyed if anything, "it's my welcoming presence I can't help it"
"More like your narcissistic presence," I mumble chugging my beer
"You sound jealous..." not replying he asks, "Wait are you jealous? Did I actually make Shane Visser jealous?" He's so fucking proud of himself
