Sugar Shock on a Different Level

“Do you know what you’re going to do?”

Vicki gave a startled jump as she quickly turned from her close scrutiny of her boyfriend Wil’s letterman jacket. She met her older sister’s curious blue gaze. ” ‘Do’? Do for what?”

Her sister smiled in that somewhat condescending-older-sister way she had, and stepped farther into Vicki’s bedroom. “Wil asked you to be his girlfriend on Saturday. You are now going to school on the first day of that new relationship. Since you two walk back-and-forth between classes whenever you can, I was wondering….”

Screwing up her face in an annoyed frown, Vicki put her hands on her hips. “Get to the point already, Andy. For heavensake.”

Andy sat onto Vicki’s bed, still watching Vicki with that all-knowing expression. “Are you going to hold hands?”

“Of all the stupid questions! Of course we’re going to hold hands. We did all during service on Sunday.” Vicki scoffed and turned back to her desk to retrieve her brush and brush her hair.

“I know you did, but you didn’t to-and-from the car. And you didn’t when you were socializing.”

Vicki blushed but didn’t say a word.

“Neither did you hold hands when we went out to lunch after service,” Andy continued calmly, standing. She made her way to the door. “So, I was legitmately wondering if you were going to hold hands at school. After all, you know how everyone drools over everything about Wil; telling stories that aren’t true, dramatizing those that are, blowing things out of proportion….”

Andy let the remaining insinuation drift, leaving the room as Vicki’s imagination grabbed possibilities with fervor. Her eyes widened. Oh poo…. Vicki could still remember the melodrama her first few weeks in Oregon. Everyone at the school had assumed that she was deliberately trying to get Wil, mostly because his ex-girlfriend had claimed Vicki used him to gain popularity since she was new at the school. They had also started the rumor that she and Wil had been fooling around even when he and Renee had been dating. Even that Vicki was the reason the two had broken up after five years.

None of it had been true of course, but it had caused a lot of tension between her and Wil. No, he hadn’t believed it, but it was hard to listen to something like that and not be bothered by it. To doubt. To suspect. Especially since he hadn’t known her very long. The two had struggled through it, revealing the rumors as nothing but Renee’s jealous attempt at revenge. Thankfully, their friendship had grown stronger because of that struggle, and now they were boyfriend/girlfriend.

But that could start everything all over again.

Vicki lowered her focus to Wil’s letterman jacket hanging on her desk chair. She had planned on wearing it today, but now she wasn’t so sure. She didn’t want anyone thinking anything bad about Wil. He was the sweetest guy she had ever known. Sure he had a temper sometimes, but usually when he was embarrassed about something, and it was more a defense than wanting to be mean. He had always apologized, and since becoming a Christian, he hadn’t lost his temper like he had those first weeks.

“What are you staring at?”

Again, Vicki startled and turned sharply about to focus on her younger brother, Max. She smiled. “Nothing. Just thinking.”

Max adjusted his crossed arms as he leaned against the door jamb of her room. “Yeah. I heard what Andy said, the jerk. She’s just playing with your head, Vicster. Ignore her.”

Blushing, Vicki lowered her gaze back to Wil’s jacket. “I know, but….”

“But nothing. You know what Dad and Mom always say about rumors.”

“I know.” Vicki released a deep breath as she slumped into her desk chair, absently rubbing the felt of the jacket. “But they also say we’re supposed to be good examples to everyone.”

Max rolled his eyes and pushed away from the door, stepping into the room to slouch onto the bed. “Vicster, if those morons at the school are going to think something, they’re going to think something. You can’t do anything about how stupid they are. Besides, if I were Wil, I wouldn’t care what they thought anyway.”

Vicki reluctantly laughed, focusing her smile on her little brother’s annoyed expression. “They do seem to like soap-opera drama, don’t they?”

Max scoffed. “And junior-high is even worse.” He motioned toward her. “So do what you’re gonna do and don’t care what they’re all going to think. You never cared back in Colorado.”

“That seems such a long time ago. A totally different me,” Vicki admitted.

Smirking, Max kicked her chair. “I think you hit your head on the trip here. That’s why you’re acting all weird.”

Vicki giggled and kicked him back. “Shut up.”

Max stood, expression serious. “Don’t let those jerks at the school get to you, Vicster. You gotta be who you are. Remember? You’re always telling me that. So does Mom and Dad.”

Nodding, Vicki reached out to give his arm a gentle squeeze. “Thanks, Max.”

Ears slightly pink, Max’s lopsided smile returned. “Don’t mention it. Seriously.” Then he sauntered from the room with his hands in the pockets of his baggy jeans.

Okay. Don’t think about it. Just do whatever. Well, within reason. She could do that. She had been doing that, or trying to, since moving to Oregon five months ago.

Vicki stood, her hands lingering on the letterman jacket for a moment before she gave it a fond rub and then left the room without it. Bringing attention to herself wasn’t the reason she’d said “Yes” to Wil. And the thought of broadcasting “I’m Wil’s girlfriend” just… well, it just sounded and felt awful. Like it made the whole relationship… cheap… or something. Vicki really liked Wil, and that was a feeling she didn’t want to lessen.

Throughout breakfast Andy watched Vicki with a half-smile. Vicki did her best to ignore her sister, which was easier thanks to Max’s mischievous expression and the memory of the two’s conversation upstairs. Max was great that way.

Unfortunately, once breakfast was done Vicki heard the recognizeable rumble of Wil’s ’67 Chevelle. You know Andy’s going to volunteer him to give her a ride. Vicki resigned herself to the possibility…. Until their mom volunteered Andy to take Max and his sports gear to the junior-high using the Tahoe. Yes! Vicki inwardly cheered, catching Max’s sidelong expression that had her knowing he was behind the change.

She could have hugged him.

The doorbell rang and Vicki was up and out in the hall before anyone could make any changes to the already smooth laid plans, gathering her fleece jacket from the coat-rack. When she opened the door, Wil’s handsome face broke out into a smile that glittered in his emerald-green eyes.

“Good morning,” he greeted.

Vicki could feel her cheeks flush, but she didn’t care. “Good morning,” she returned breathlessly.

Wil offered to take her backpack as she shrugged into her jacket, casting her a sidelong glance as they approached the Chevelle. His twin sister Cora peeked her head out of the window and waved, giving Vicki a bright smile. The fact that his sister was there actually made the whole car-ride to the high-school a lot more emotionally bearable. Not that she thought Wil would try anything; he was always a perfect gentleman. It was just that the first public day (besides at church) of being boyfriend/girlfriend was a little daunting.

Cora scrambled out of the Chevelle, offering Vicki the middle with the usual explanation that she got carsick if she didn’t have the window seat. Vicki didn’t mind because the closer she sat to Wil the better she felt, with good reason.

So, Vicki scooted in, sending Cora a timid smile as she sat beside her. Wil slung Vicki’s backpack into the back seat and then sent Vicki a wink as he made his way to the driver’s side. Vicki flushed and lowered her gaze to her clasped hands, thankful for Cora’s chatter as they started driving toward the high-school. Especially when Wil reached over and took hold of one of Vicki’s hands so discreetly that Vicki wondered if even God noticed.

I can’t believe this is happening. Sure she hadn’t had Wil as her boyfriend for her 16th birthday like she’d wanted. But to have a boyfriend at all, and have them be a sweetheart like Wil? That was enough of an answer to prayer to have her be more than happy. Her hand tightened on Wil’s, and she sent him a glance from under her lashes. He met it and winked, which sent her heart into her throat and the blood to her cheeks.

The high-school came into view and Vicki released a deep breath. There was no reason for anyone to think anything bad about Wil, or her, just because they were boyfriend and girlfriend now. They had been “just friends” for an agonizing five months, killing the previous rumors by keeping things as truly innocent as possible.

It had been the toughest five months of their life, building a friendship. Especially when he had become a Christian after the stalking/slashing incident with Cora. He had turned to Vicki for comfort and explanations about the Christian walk, spending a lot of time with her reading the Bible and asking questions that had deepened her own faith and understanding of her beliefs. But it had also made the boundary of “just friends” all that much harder to respect. Vicki had felt drawn to Wil on an entirely different level once he had become a Christian. And she had known that he had struggled the same as she had, just by the expressions on his face after some of their long talks while sitting on the park bench across the street from her home.

Now their friendship was changing, and the friendly ribbings and accusations from their classmates at being boyfriend/girlfriend wouldn’t be deniable anymore. Not that she wanted to deny them. It was only…. Vicki, you’re thinking too much. Remember what happens when you do that? You worry about everything instead of trusting God with it.

Letting out a slow breath, Vicki closed her eyes and prayed it all away, smiling when Wil’s hand gently increased its pressure on hers.

With a wink toward her when she looked up, Wil somewhat reluctantly released Vicki’s hand and then parked the car. Cora scrambled out, gathering her pack and then offering the two a cheerful “I’ll see you two at lunch” before walking happily away while cheerfully greeting some of her friends.

Wil handed Vicki her backpack before dragging his duffel out of the backseat, all the while watching her expressions. Duffel gathered, his boyish smile sent Vicki’s heart to the sky the same time his gathering of her hand sent her cheeks flushing red. Vicki had expected him to ask a question, but he remained silent and only occasionally gave her hand a squeeze as they crossed the street to the high-school campus.

Okay, Vicki. Listen up, she directed firmly. She could already feel her cheeks burning to melting point as people began to send them sidelong glances. You will think nothing. You will notice nothing. And you will not make mountains out of molehills. You can be a good example, yes, but you cannot control what they think. Nodding inwardly to herself, she sent Wil a timid smile and gave his hand a squeeze. The warmth and pressure was the best feeling she had ever experienced in her short life. Who knew a simple touch like holding hands could offer security and… and… she didn’t know. Vicki only found herself wanting to never let go.

Ever.