A Look Is All It Takes

Alanna was ready to go home. She shifted uneasily on the hot gravel, her back against the cool metal of a bin, as Lila, took a long drag from her cigarette.

Sasha, ever the ringleader, slowly exhaled a smoke ring that dissipated into the heavy air.

He wasn't going to be here, so what was the point of sweating under the hot summer sun? 

They were hiding next to the trash cans, where only the flies could see them smoking. 

"Can't we just go inside?" Alanna pleaded, fanning herself with a hand. Her green eyes flickered with mild irritation. "It's sweltering out here, and there's a perfectly good pool begging for us to dive in. Besides, I really don't want to have to answer any questions about why we're hiding here in the dumpster."

 "Patience, Alanna," Sasha said, her dark eyes fixated on her phone screen as her thumbs danced across the keys. "The allure of danger adds spice to life."

 "Easy for you to say," Alanna retorted, brushing back a strand of wavy brown hair sticking to her forehead. "You're at least enjoying yourself."

Alanna didn't smoke. Thankfully, her friends never pressured her into trying cigarettes anyway, and she saw no good reason to start. 

 "The boys hang out here all the time," Lila chimed in, giggling, her hazel eyes scanning the horizon beyond their hideout. "Charlie might come by."

 Charlie was Lila's eternal crush, the artsy mysterious boy, soon-to-be senior, who most likely didn't even know Lila existed. They had seen him in the country club on one single occasion, and Lila held on to the idea he might come by again.

They all knew he wasn't the kind of guy who would hang out here, but no one wanted to throw water on Lila's kindling hope.

The boy Alanna wanted to see, however...

 "Speaking of boys," Alanna said, trying to sound casual as she glanced at Sasha's phone, "who keeps blowing up your phone? Got a secret admirer?"

 "Maybe," Sasha said with a sly grin, tucking a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. " School starts on Monday and everyone wants the scoop on electives. You know how it is."

 "Right, electives," Alanna murmured. As if Sasha would be thinking of that. Her own thoughts drifted to the rows of lockers and the buzz of first-day chatter. "What are you guys thinking of taking? I need something easy."

 Sasha rolled her eyes. "Everything's easy for you," she said.

 "Anything that lets me doodle in peace," Lila chimed in dreamily. "Art, maybe?" Right. Doodling. She was obviously thinking about Charlie.

 "Probably drama for me. It's basically social hour with a script," Sasha added, sending off another quick text. Her lips curled at the edges, making Alanna even more curious about who she was texting with.

 The idea of school, of new beginnings, seemed to lighten the air around them, even as they kept one eye peeled for the telltale signs of authority figures on the prowl.

 "Hey," Lila whispered suddenly, nudging Sasha. "Is that Mr. Henderson heading this way?"

 Sasha snuffed out her cigarette against the bin. The three girls sprang into action, their shared adrenaline overshadowing their discomfort as they scattered like fallen leaves in the wind.

 Mr. Henderson was the country club's oldest and most well-known member, famous for yelling at kids for daring to exist in his presence. He enjoyed taking walks around the expansive grounds, and everyone knew it was best to stay out of his way.

 "Spill it, Sasha," Alanna prodded gently as they huddled in the sparse shade behind the gym, out of Mr. Henderson's sight. "I mean, your phone's been buzzing all day."

 The faint, upbeat bass made the gym's windows vibrate, and Alanna lamented all the calories she wasn't burning at the moment.

 Sasha's fingers paused mid-text, her dark eyes meeting Alanna's with a mischievous sparkle. "Oh, it's no one special. Just... someone." Her lips curled into her signature secretive smile that didn't reach her eyes.

 "Come on, you can't drop hints and not expect us to be curious!" Lila chimed in, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Is it someone from school?"

 "Maybe," Sasha replied nonchalantly, slipping the phone into the back pocket of her denim shorts. "But we've got our pact, remember? No sharing until it's official or at least semi-official."

 "Right," Alanna acquiesced, her curiosity piqued but her respect for their friendship rule holding firm. She couldn't help but wonder if it was Derek, the senior with the motorcycle and leather jacket who always seemed to walk a fine line between charming and trouble.

Sasha had a way with guys and life in general, so it could really be anyone.

 Lila sighed, leaning against the wall, her gaze following a trail of ants marching industriously across the cracked concrete. "I wish my mom would get off her 'no cell phone' tirade. It's already bad enough borrowing the company phone. I feel like I'm on a leash."

 "Can't you just ask for one for your birthday or something?" Alanna asked, fanning herself with a discarded flyer that had been fluttering around the bins.

 "Ha! You know my mom. She's convinced I'll run up a bill calling some boy in Italy or something. That's why she keeps me on the company plan – limited minutes, maximum monitoring." Lila rolled her eyes, then her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "I've decided to skip the cafeteria pizza for a while—save up for a prepaid phone. Something just for me."

 "Good for you, Lila," Alanna said, nodding in approval. The idea of independence seemed to shine in Lila's eyes like the first star of the evening. "Just keep it on the down-low, yeah? The last thing you need is a family interrogation session."

 "Exactly," Lila agreed, a small smile playing on her lips as she imagined the freedom of untethered communication.

 "Alright, ladies," Sasha broke in, standing up and dusting off her shorts. "Let's make a move before we really do get caught. We came here to exercise and all we did was talk. We should at least walk a bit."

 They stood in unison, the late afternoon light casting long shadows as they made their way back to the civilized part of the country club, each lost in thoughts of secret texts and hidden phones, the simple yet complex codes of teenage life swirling around them like the warm summer breeze.

 "Maybe we should consider getting jobs," Alanna suggested, her eyes tracing the patterns of heat rising from the pavement. "You know, for extra cash. I'd like some new clothes without having to ask." Her voice held a tinge of longing as she imagined the independence that came with her own money.

 "Jobs?" Sasha scoffed playfully, flipping her hair with a practiced hand. "We're too fabulous for retail." She winked at Alanna, who couldn't help but smile despite the seriousness of her own suggestion.

 "Fabulous doesn't pay for new clothes," Alanna countered, her green eyes glinting with determination.

 "Speaking of fabulous," Sasha interjected, her phone lighting up once more with an incoming text. "There's a party tomorrow night. Last hurrah before school starts. We absolutely must go."

 Lila's face paled slightly, the weight of deception pressing on her conscience. "My mom... how am I going to tell her?"

 "Tell her it's a study group," Alanna offered, her brows knitting together in empathy for Lila's predicament.

 "Study group for what? It's not like we had any summer homework. And if we did, she'd flare up because I didn't do it before today. Besides-"

 "Or don't tell her at all," Sasha interrupted her with a mischievous grin. "Sometimes it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission."

 "Easy for you to say," Lila murmured, but there was a spark of rebellion in her hazel eyes that wasn't there before.

 Before they could delve deeper into their conspiracies, Alanna's phone buzzed urgently in her pocket. "It's my dad, he's out front." Relief washed over her; the air conditioning of her father's car beckoned invitingly.

 "See you tomorrow then?" Sasha asked, already stepping back towards the gym.

 "Definitely. I think my dad can drive us," Alanna confirmed, already moving away from the trash bins and the stench of cigarettes mingling with the summer heat.

 "Perfect! Later, Alanna!" Lila called out, waving a small goodbye.

 "Bye, guys!" Alanna waved back and turned, heading toward the parking lot.

 As she approached her father's car, she couldn't help but glance at the soccer field.

It was him. 

Lucas Reynolds was there, golden hour sunlight casting a halo around his athletic form.

He moved with the grace of someone who understood his body completely, commanding the ball with a strong kick that hurled the ball into the goalpost, way beyond the goalie's reach.

 Part of her was glad that they hadn't run into each other before.

But also, how long had he been in the country club?

The afternoon had been a missed opportunity to see more of him.

And then, as if fate had read her mind, Lucas looked up.

Their gazes locked across the distance, his blue eyes piercing the expanse between them.

Heat crept up Alanna's neck and bloomed across her cheeks. She tore her gaze away, scolding herself for the flustered flutter in her stomach.

She was already embarrassed enough by how much simply seeing him excited her. He could never know this.

No one could.