Summer Of The Geek Part 17

"What happened?" Hannah asked.

"There's just this guy . . . he's a good friend of mine. Of ours," Charlie said, flicking a glance at me.

Hannah, taking this explanation as an invitation to join the conversation, walked in and curled up on the opposite end of the bed, cuddling my pillow in her arms. "Go on," she said, nodding. "Tell me everything. I'm really good at solving relations.h.i.+p problems. Just ask Miranda."

I nodded. "She does have a knack for it," I said.

"There's nothing much to tell. I have feelings for this guy," Charlie said awkwardly. She looked sharply at me to quell any comments I might make. "I'm not in love with him, I just . . . well, I guess I realized I like him more than I previously thought I did."

"And he doesn't feel the same way about you?" Hannah sympathized.

"No. He doesn't," Charlie said sadly.

"I don't think that's necessarily true," I chipped in. "I think Finn might have feelings for you, too."

"You do?" Charlie asked.

I nodded. "When you were going out with Mitch, it drove Finn crazy. That's why he kept picking fights with you. I think he was jealous."

"Really?" Hannah said, drawing the word out. "This sounds promising."

But Charlie shook her head. "That was then. Now Finn's going out with someone else. He's infatuated with her."

"Who? Do I know her?"

"You might. She goes to Orange Cove High. Her name's Phoebe McLeod," Charlie said.

"Phoebe McLeod? Yeah, I know her," Hannah said. "She's pretty nice. A little ditzy, maybe."

"She does seem ditzy," I said loyally.

"She's not very smart," Hannah continued. "In fact, I think I heard she's in summer school, taking some cla.s.ses she failed."

"It's hard to imagine Finn with someone who isn't smart," I said.

"No, it's not," Charlie said with a faint smile.

"No, it's not," I agreed, smiling, too.

Finn was brilliant, but he was a total goofball. And, like many of the guys we went to school with, he was self-conscious about being thought of as a geek. If a pretty girl showed interest in him and laughed at his jokes, he wouldn't care if she had the IQ of a cantaloupe.

"What you need is a plan," Hannah said.

"A plan? What do you mean?" Charlie asked, perking up a bit.

"First of all, you need to get his attention," Hannah said. She looked Charlie over critically. "You're cute, but the purple hair needs to go."

"Hannah!" I said.

"It's okay. I want her to be honest," Charlie said to me. Looking at Hannah, she said, "What would you suggest?"

"You should get it dyed a normal shade," Hannah advised her. "You'd look good as a blonde. But not too light-that would just wash you out. A dark blond with chunky highlights."

"This is ridiculous," I said. Turning to Charlie, I said, "You shouldn't try to be someone you're not."

I wanted to remind her of what had happened when she was dating Mitch. She'd dyed her hair red to please him and, in the process, had morphed into a different person altogether. Charlie seemed to be thinking along the same lines, because she reluctantly shook her head.

"Miranda's right. I can't change who I am," she said.

"Well, in that case, we're going to have to be a little devious," Hannah said, drumming her fingers against the pillow.

Charlie and I looked at each other.

"Devious is good," Charlie said.

"Devious may be the best way to get Finn's attention," I agreed.

"What would I have to do?" Charlie asked.

"You said Finn was jealous when you were dating someone else, right? Then you just need to make him jealous again," Hannah suggested. "Find a cute guy and flirt with him like crazy. Then when Finn sees you with the other guy, it'll snap him out of his infatuation with Phoebe."

"Do you think that will really work?" Charlie asked doubtfully.

Hannah nodded. "Guys are so predictable."

"I don't know," I said. "Wouldn't she be leading on the other guy? The one she was using to make Finn jealous, I mean. That doesn't seem very nice."

"Nice?" Hannah looked at me incredulously. "They're guys. You're not supposed to be nice to them."

"You're nice to Emmett," I countered.

"That's different. We're in love," Hannah said contentedly.

"When you're officially with someone, then you can be nice to him."

"Hmm," I said, not quite buying this. After all, I'd been nice to Dex, and I'd still gotten his attention. Then I remembered all of the mix-ups Dex and I'd had before we got together-including his thinking I was dating another guy-and wondered if Hannah had a point.

"Come on," Hannah said, standing. "Stay for dinner, and I'll give you some pointers."

"Great, thanks," Charlie said, looking happier.

Chapter Twenty.

A few days later, Amelia and I met Dex at the pool for her swimming lesson. Dex looked especially cute in his red lifeguard trunks. All of the hours he'd spent out in the sun that summer had tanned his chest a golden brown and bleached the hair on his arms a pale blond. I was wearing a turquoise tankini that Hannah had helped me pick out. Actually, she'd tried to talk me into a tiny string bikini version, but I'd taken one look in the dressing room mirror and turned the color of a ripe tomato. The tankini was as bare as I was willing to go.

"Dex, will you teach me how to surf?" Amelia asked.

Dex thought about it for a minute, but then shook his head. "I don't think you're a strong enough swimmer yet," he said.

"Yes, I am!" Amelia said. "I can swim a full length of the pool! Watch me!"

She dove forward, and began swimming down the length of the pool, arms churning and legs kicking. Dex looked at me. He knew that Amelia's new enthusiasm for the water was a big step for her, and I could tell he didn't want to discourage her.

"She's doing great. She's really come a long way," I said.

"Yeah, but swimming in the pool is a lot different from swimming in the ocean," Dex said. "I don't want her to get hurt."

"Maybe you could teach her some basics, like how you stand on a board and keep your balance. Not on the actual ocean, but here, standing on the deck of the pool," I suggested.

Dex nodded. "I could do that. And I could take her to the beach and get her started on a boogie board. You don't go out as far, and you ride in on your stomach. It's a good way to get used to the rhythm of the waves."

"I'm sure she'd love that," I said. I smiled at Dex and, with a sweep of one hand, splashed some water at him.

"Hey," he said, reaching out and grabbing hold of my wrist so I couldn't splash him again. "What did you do that for?"

"I was just thinking how nice you are to spend so much time teaching Amelia," I said.

"I'm nice, so I get splashed?" Dex said, grinning at me. He was wearing sungla.s.ses, so I couldn't see his eyes, but I knew they were crinkled with humor.

"That's right," I said.

Dex squeezed my wrist, and then let it go as Amelia returned from her swim.

"Did you see me?" she panted.

"You were great," I said.

Dex nodded. "You need to reach a bit more," he said, demonstrating the crawl stroke in the air. "Like this. Reach and pull. You'll go a lot faster."

"Okay," Amelia said. She was still out of breath, and her face was pink with exertion. "So can I start surfing?"

"I'll tell you what. You keep working on your swimming, and I'll start teaching you the basics of surfing on solid ground," Dex said. "Then by the time you're a stronger surfer, you'll be ready to start riding the waves."

Amelia pouted. "But I want to surf now!" She stamped her foot, although since we were in the pool, it didn't have much of an effect.

"Amelia, Dex is trying to help you," I said.

"No, he's not! I know I'm ready to surf, and he's telling me I can't!"

"No, he's not," I said, irritation swelling. "He said he'll teach you the basics now. You should thank him."

"Thanks for nothing!" Amelia said, and she turned and stomped off toward the stairs.

Dex and I watched her climb out, huff over to the chaise where we'd left our bags, and wrap herself in a pink-and-green-striped beach towel, her back pointedly turned to us.

"Well," Dex said mildly. "I guess she told me."

"I can't believe she's being such a brat!" I said, shaking my head. "Actually, I can believe it-she's not exactly the most gracious kid I've ever met-but that doesn't make it any better. I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault. And I get where she's coming from. When I was a kid, I always hated it when people told me I couldn't do something because I was too small or too young. It's frustrating."

"Yeah, but she shouldn't take it out on you. And after everything you've done for her. She and I are going to be having a conversation about this when we get home," I said grimly.

"Don't be too hard on her," Dex said. He grabbed my hand and laced his fingers through mine. "Are you busy later on? You want to do something?"

"I can't. My dad said he'd take me out driving. My test is in two days, and I need all the practice I can get."

"I'll take you driving," Dex offered. But then he hesitated. "As long as you promise not to kill my car."

I shook my head again. "Thanks, but no. You make me too nervous."

"I make you nervous?" Dex pointed to himself.

"Yes, you," I said. "Don't look so surprised. I don't want you to witness the epic fail that is me driving."

"You're not an epic fail. You just need more self- confidence," Dex suggested.

I snorted in disbelief. "Yeah, that's the problem. My lack of self-confidence. Not the fact that I run over mailboxes and garbage cans and sidewalks."

"You ran over a garbage can?"

"I don't want to talk about it," I said, and decided to change the subject. "How about tomorrow? It's penny pin night at the bowling alley, and Charlie's getting a group together to bowl. My friend Finn and the girl he's dating will be there, too."

"I was supposed to do something with Luke and Brian, but maybe we can meet up with you."

"Which ones are Luke and Brian?" I asked.

"They're both on the lacrosse team with me. I don't know if you've met Luke, but Brian was at that barbecue at the beach a few weeks ago," Dex said.

The guys at that party had all blurred together. They were all athletic, all wore plaid shorts and graphic T-s.h.i.+rts, and all called each another dude. Oh well. Their presence would make Charlie happy. I knew she was eager to try Hannah's strategy of making Finn jealous.

"Sure, bring them along. Hannah and Emmett are coming, too."

"Hannah bowling? Somehow I can't see that," Dex said.

I decided not to explain about Charlie's crush on Finn, and how Hannah had decided to make getting the two of them together her personal pet project for the summer. Charlie had asked me not to tell anyone, and besides, the whole situation weirded me out.

"Yeah, well, maybe she's looking for a new hobby," I said. I glanced at the big clock hanging behind the lifeguard stand. "I suppose I should get Amelia home."

I glanced over at my young charge. She was sitting on the recliner, hiding behind a pair of round sungla.s.ses, her arms crossed in front of her. Even from a distance, I could tell she was glowering. I sighed.