I threw it open, afraid it would be Luke again. Afraid it would be Chris. Afraid it would be just about anyone I know.

"Oh my gosh! You're at my door!" I hung the phone up with a click and threw my arms around Rachel.

I have never been so happy to see anyone in my life. My arms wrapped around Rachel and I shouted into her shoulder, "Where have you been?"

She patted me on the back, a little awkwardly I must say for a best friend who had been gone for so long. "When did you become a hugger?"

I thought about it and realized that ever since that warm-mom-hug, I'd been craving them like a slight decline on a long run.

"Luke's mom hugs."

"Sweet." Rachel carried the newspaper into the house and dropped it on the front table. "Who's Luke?"

I had to focus on the physical movements involved in lifting my jaw back into place.

"Luke, the guy with the truck and the fight with Chris and the kissing and my hands." I lifted my palms to show her the bandages. "And his girlfriend Katie. And then there's Cheryl but not anymore and seriously, don't you listen to your voicemail?"

"Oh." She waved a hand dismissively. "One of the kids dropped it in the lake last week. I figured I could get a new one when I got home today."

I tried to catch my breath. Everything had been so insane and I'd been waiting for Rachel to come home and be the one to make it all better. After all the craziness, she hadn't even gotten my messages?

"Is Luke the guy in the old truck?"

"Yes! Wait, how did you know?"

"Because he was pulling out of your lane and he looked really ticked off. I figured only you could find the new hot guy at school and alienate him that quickly."

I dropped down onto the stairs and slumped forward, bracing my elbows on my knees.

"It's a mess. I have no idea what I'm doing and I just keep making everything worse."

Rachel lowered herself to the step beside me.

"Why don't you shower and get dressed. I'll hang out while you get presentable. Then we'll go to Jovi's and grab a slice. I will listen patiently. You will explain how you created chaos in this small community of ours. And then I will sit back and enjoy the moment you produced more drama than I could have ever dreamed up, let alone instigated."

I nodded, annoyed and relieved at the same time, and headed upstairs. Halfway up I turned to scowl at her laughter. "Laugh all you want now. Once you hear everything, you're going to be tempted to have me put away."

Chapter 18.

Jovi's Pizza wasn't the cool place to hang out if you were in high school-it wasn't even the cool place to hang out if you were in junior high-but that was what made it so great. We knew we'd never have to deal with the people we saw enough of every day in school.

And it was exactly the place to spill your guts to the only person who would listen to the whole thing without stopping you or throwing in anything that sounded vaguely like an I-told-you-so.

It was a haven, a confessional... a reason to put off telling Rachel the mess I'd made for another four blocks.

Finally, two stoplights before we hit downtown, she turned the radio off.

"Alright. Before you tear apart the last shred of my upholstery with your fidgeting, spill."

I started the story, hitting the highlights: Luke and Chris's clash over the spot on the team, Chris and Cheryl, their breakup, Chris's really sincere sounding apology, Luke's girlfriend, all the arguments and accusations.

I'm a summary complainer. Hit the high points and then fill in the entire story once the audience is settled in for the long haul.

"Amy, I don't want to add to your day, but it sounds like..." She glanced at me as she searched for a spot off the town square. "What did you call him? Overbearing-know-it-all-stubborn-new-guy might have a point or two."

Traitor.

"Now don't give me that look," she continued. "I know Chris has been the love of your life since fifth grade. But it took being his work-shadow all summer for him to notice you. Whoever said there's no such thing as unconditional love has not watched you walk around polishing his ego and doing whatever he asks."

"So, you're saying he's using me? That I'm like the sidekick version of what a girlfriend should be?"

Rachel pulled the car into a spot at the end of the row. Turning off the ignition, she eased back against the faded grey seat of the three-times-hand-me-down car and looked my way. I could almost see the scales she was mentally weighing before she spoke.

"I think he wants the best of both worlds and, because you're so crazy about him, he knows he can have it all." She stalled by fiddling with her seat belt and stowing her keys. "When was the last time you really hung out with him?"

I shook my head at her. "He has tryouts. Things are busy."

"Yeah, so busy he only has time for one of the girls he calls girlfriend. The one everyone knows about no less."

This is how things had gone between me and Rachel since I started hanging out with Chris at the Rec Center. I worried and rambled. She told me how bad he was. I worried more.

I shrugged. After last night I was so confused I didn't know what to say. Everything had been typical Chris right up to that apology... that desperate sad-sounding apology. I could see he was struggling to do the right thing. And now with Cheryl out of the picture, that should be a lot easier for him.

And I'd liked him for so long. So. Long.

It felt like quitting to give up on something I'd wanted now that it just might be within reach.

Especially since what I was afraid to want just kept getting further and further away. A girlfriend showing up out of the blue could do that.

"All I'm saying is Chris doesn't know what he's got, but he doesn't mind holding on to it. It sounds like this Luke guy already knows you better."

I rolled my eyes at the mention of Luke Parker and his all-seeing superpower abilities.

"Okay, if he's so bad, maybe it's time you start at the beginning and give me the details. Not just the things you wanted to get out."

Darn it all. She knew me way too well. One of the disadvantages of having a BFF from birth. Okay, we'd only known each other since fifth grade, but it felt like birth. Rebirth maybe?

I unclipped my seat belt and shoved the door open, wincing as it bounced back and caught my leg halfway out.

"I definitely need caffeine for this." Stall. Stall. Stall.

Rachel smirked. "Then caffeine you shall have."

We dodged cars crossing Main Street to the little hole in the wall pizza place we called home. The scent of buffalo chicken wafted over me as I pushed through the door behind Rachel. Before we were in the seating area, the most beautiful laughter heard outside a Disney movie tickled my ears. It was light and airy and girly to the extreme. And completely unfamiliar. My stomach did that drop-jump thing because I knew only one girl could be attached such a perfect little laugh.

Across the dining room, the entire Parker family sat eating pizza and sharing a couple pitchers of soda. And in their midst, looking right at home, was perfect little Katie, her chair scooched close to Luke's.

Before I could stop her, Rachel raised a hand toward the counter and shouted, "Hi Jovi. I'm back and I'm sure you missed us."

If I hadn't been watching him, I wouldn't have noticed how Luke leaned away from Katie. I felt a little sick seeing him and knowing how he really was. He may point fingers at Chris all the time, but he was the one leading on the fairy princess over there.

I slid into the booth across from Rachel, thankful my typical seat faced away from the Parker clan.

It was pretty obvious Luke was with-with Katie. I guess I'd needed to see that. I mean, it put things in perspective.

Rachel waited until we'd almost finished our pizza and I'd spilled my guts-quietly-to glance at the family dinner across the pizzeria.

"So." She drew the word out. "That's Mr. Manners, huh?"

"Who?" I tried not to glance behind me as I said it, but I couldn't meet her eye either.

"Oh, I don't know, the absolutely gorgeous dark haired guy with his family. The one who keeps staring at you like you read his diary, know all his secrets, and he wants to steal them back." She smirked before continuing, "But keep you."

As if.

"The only secret I know is that he's leading that poor girl on. Either that or he lied about it. Neither of those things rate very high in my book."

Rachel glanced past my shoulder again.

"I don't know. He looks uber-uncomfortable." Rachel smirked. "She doesn't. If she could crawl into his lap without his parents noticing, she'd already be there."

Lily, the girl from school who worked there, brought more Diet c.o.ke, a perk of being regulars. Rachel's energy level had already surged way past the limit with the drama-adrenaline kick. I seriously considered cutting off her caffeine intake.

"No! Oh my gosh. She totally just kissed him."

I whipped around before I caught myself. Luke was scowling at her, but anything could have happened while my back was turned.

Not that it mattered.

"She did not." I should have kept my mouth shut.

"I swear she did. She leaned over and pretended to whisper in his ear, but she totally kissed him right there instead." She angled herself to look around me again. "His dad is wicked annoyed and pretending not to be. His mom seems pretty oblivious. Oops."

Oops?

Rachel sat straight up again and dug into her last slice of pizza. With focus.

"Ladies." Boys. Two of them. Identical.

Great. All I needed today was the Parker twins.

Each slid onto a bench with us. I glanced back and forth. Even sitting down, Jared had more swagger and Justin had more chill.

"Rachel, you've got Jared." I motioned to the twin next to me. "This is Justin."

"Oh, twins." Rachel clapped her hands and giggled. "And you said you had a boring summer."

Both guys laughed, deeper than I expected for juniors. There didn't seem to be any of that awkward phase thing for the Parker guys. Justin slid his arm across my shoulder and gave it a tight squeeze. I felt the comfort along with the teasing he sent my way.

"So, Amy. I don't suppose you'd consider a younger guy?"

"Justin, I told you I'm seeing someone." I laughed as he c.o.c.ked an eyebrow at me.

He let out an overindulgent sigh a B-grade film star would have envied. "Oh Amy, you were put here to break my heart. Maybe I should have snagged the seat with your friend."

"No can do, bro." Jared stretched his hands in the air and let one fall on the bench behind Rachel, mocking one of the worst moves in history. "I'm very comfortable right where I am."

Rachel, little flirt that she was, glanced his way and then over at Justin. "I don't know. I think I'd be better off with the cute twin."

Typical Rachel. Always going for the hot, flirty guy.

Justin laughed good-naturedly. "All the girls say that, but I try to share. Keep his spirits up and all. Plus, it's fun to tweak my brother."

Jared did not look happy at the idea of switching places, the arm across the bench slid to land on Rachel's shoulder, cupping her in toward him.

Justin laughed at him. "Not you. Luke."

"So," Rachel began and I knew it couldn't be good. "Did that girl just totally kiss your brother at the table, or was it my imagination?"

Justin's arm tensed across my shoulder.

"Oh, hear that? The silence?" Rachel glanced from one guy to the other. "That must mean the answer is yes."

Jared eased back to gaze down at her and then his brother. They did that wordless-looking thing Luke did, but I think within the Parker clan it included some actual form of communication. Beside me, Justin shrugged.

"Yeah. That's a yes. Luke's totally trying to be nice to her, but I think he's about to push her out the door and lock it behind her."

"Sounds like your brother really knows how to treat his girlfriend."

I wanted to cheer for Rachel. She was finally getting the whole Luke thing. Then I caught the mischief in her eye and realized she'd never learn.

"Katie isn't his girlfriend. When she was, she was a horrible girlfriend. As an ex, she's a nightmare. Our mom and dad have no idea what to do with her until her parents get here and-like I said-Luke's trying to be nice." Jared shrugged. "You know Luke."

"Actually, no. I don't." Rachel seemed to cuddle into him. "Why don't you tell me about him?"

"Luke?" Jared glanced across the table. At me this time. "Luke's great. Annoyingly so. Perfect even."

Yeah. I'll admit it. I snorted. "Soooo... Anyway, we were going to get Rachel a new cell phone. Hers is swimming with the fishes."

The guys took the hint and slid out of the booth. I realized we weren't getting rid of them when Jared offered Rachel his hand as she slipped out behind him.

The twins headed toward their family. Rachel blindly followed along, dragging me into enemy territory without protection or ammunition. Knowing how big Mrs. Parker was on manners-and that she was just plain nice-I felt I needed to go along to say h.e.l.lo anyway.