Waiting on the Sidelines

“Is that your phone?” he asked.

“Huh? Oh…I don’t. Hold on, let me see,” I reached into my pocket and brought the screen up to my face. I had two missed calls. Both from Reed. “Hey, I just need to see what this is. Hang on,” I said, sitting up and sliding myself from underneath him just a bit, hiding the screen from his view.

I tapped the text screen and saw a string of text messages as I stood up and walked into the kitchen. “Can I get you anything while I’m up? I’ll just be a sec. I think it’s Sarah,” I lied. Why was I lying? This was so bad.

“Yeah, a Coke would be great,” he smiled, sitting up and straightening his messed hair a bit with his hands. He turned back around to watch the television, thankfully a little distracted.

When I got behind the counter in the kitchen, I scrolled through Reed’s texts. There were dozens of them. They started about an hour ago and were stranger as the time stamp went on.

Hey there, pretty girl. Thinking about you.

Nolan? Are you out with Tyler? I thought you were coming to the party. Where are you?

Is he touching you?

Haaaaaaaa, hhaaaawwaaa. I like tequilaaaaa.

Noooooo LAAAAAAAN :-P I’m sorry I M an ass**le.

I don’t need you. I have a girl. Her name’s Tamara. She said she’d do anything I want, so suck it!

I didn’t mean that. But if you’re with Tyler, f**k you.

The last few made me wince. The rush of making out with Tyler had completely worn off now and I was yanked back to the reality that is my unrequited love for what was quickly becoming a teenaged disaster. Reed was in bad shape, and I knew it. I almost hesitated to listen to the messages, but worried, I did anyhow.

The first one was from Reed, and he was so incoherent that I couldn’t really understand him. I thought he might have dialed me from his pocket. He was laughing uncontrollably and I could hear a girl giggling in the background when the message cut off. The next one came about 30 minutes later. This one was from Sarah.

“Nolan. You need to come get Reed. We’re at the desert party. I wasn’t going to come, but Calley’s in town and we thought it’d be fun. He’s messsssed up, man. He keeps trying to talk people into fighting. Shit, I think he just asked Calley to hit him. I tried to get him to let us take him home, but he refused. Said the only way he’s going home is if Nolan comes to get him herself. I’m so sorry. I know this is the last thing you need, but I’m worried, Noles. Call me as soon as you get this. I took Reed’s phone to keep him from making stupid drunk phone calls.”

Too late for that, I thought. My head was swirling. I knew I was going to go get him. I had to. Any other choice was one I couldn’t live with. But I was also overwhelmed with how to get out of the situation I was in now. Tyler in my house, midnight and my parents not wanting me to be out driving in the desert. I took a deep breath and walked back into the living room to get through my first hoop.

I smiled faintly, showing a little worry in my brow when I sat on the couch next to Tyler. “Hey, so I am so sorry to have to bail on our night like this, but my friend’s in trouble and needs some help,” I tried vague, hoping I could get out of this without a lie.

“What’s going on? Can I help? Let me get my shoes on and I’ll take you wherever you need to go,” he was being sweet.

I just held my hand on his arm to slow him a bit. I was going to lie. “No, no. It’s ok. It’s just Sarah. She went to the party and has been drinking too much. She’s at her house now, but is really sick. She’s alone and she sounds freaked out.”

I held my breath hoping he went along with my play, and when he did I was so relieved. Lying was hard. I needed to do less of this, I thought.

“Oh, ok,” he paused, still seeming to be thinking about trying to come with me. “As long as you are ok. I don’t want to make her uncomfortable. Promise you’ll call if you need me, though?” he said, standing and holding one of my hands as we walked to the front door.

“I promise,” I smiled, and he bent down and kissed me one last time. Still a hard kiss, no less passion than just minutes before. But where my knees went weak earlier, they were only filled with urgency now. I needed to get to Reed.

“Call you tomorrow?” he said, as he hopped down the front steps and into the gravel of my driveway.

“Mmmmm,” I smiled and nodded.

As soon as his lights faded around the corner, I shut the front door and paced around the living room a few times, running my hands through my hair and putting it in and out of a ponytail. I didn’t know how I was going to get through this next hurdle.