Chapter Three

It was near five, and with all swimming done, Justin, Jeff, Steve, and Allie sat on the porch steps, watching the last vehicle drive away. It had been a good picnic, one of the best, Allie concluded. With a sigh, her gaze turned to Justin, who was looking right back at her.

"Hey, Allie, we're just ordering a pizza in a few minutes," Justin said to her. "My mom doesn't feel like cooking and we're all tired. We were thinking dinner—that would be the pizza part—and a movie."

Allie grinned. "Is this an invitation?"

"No, I was just letting you know," Justin said, and he gestured to his two friends to get up and follow him inside.

A very confused and angry Allie sat fuming on the porch steps as she heard the click of the door and the boys taking their shoes off inside. Justin was always so sarcastic, and his comments always made it impossible to decide whether he was being serious or not.

"Justin!" Allie yelled, clenching her fists, not even looking to see if he'd come back to the door. Just after a few seconds, he came back out and sat by her on the steps.

"You're invited, Allie Cat," he said with an evil grin on his face, though his tone was softer and kinder; even though he meant it to be that way, his manner didn't help at all.

She glared back at him, flicking him hard on the shoulder as she got up to go inside, taking off her shoes in the front door. She wasn't sure whether she should—or was—embarrassed or angry. Both, she decided when heat crept up her neck as she walked into the kitchen. It was as if Justin made a point in making her feel like a fool! He didn't do it to any of his friends, or anyone else for that matter, and when he did they knew how to handle it. Could it be she was simply an outsider?

Steve was ordering a pizza on the phone as if it were his own house, and Jeff turned to look at her with sympathy in his expression as Justin went into the restroom.

"It's okay, Allie," Jeff said. "Just bear with him. He can be a little…"

"Arrogant? Insufferable? Unbearable? Bigheaded? Egotistical? Conceited?" Allie shook her head. "I could go on for hours."

"I'm sure you could," he agreed.

"Does he handpick his victims, making them think he's not going to strike and then all of a sudden, he unexpectedly hits?" Allie said. "I mean, it seems as if I'm the only one he picks on."

Jeff clicked his tongue and shook his head sadly. "You do know why he's that way?"

Allie raised her eyebrows as if to say "Go on."

"You don't?" Jeff was actually surprised. "He likes you."

"He's always picked on me, ever since he first moved here… years ago," Allie said without belief. "I mean, he can't have liked me for that long. It's impossible."

"He picked on you then just because he was without compassion."

"Or mercy," Allie added.

Jeff smiled. "I think he picked on you because it was funny to see how you reacted. I was there, remember? In the youth group? I was even there when we went whitewater rafting."

Allie frowned. "You know I was just attempting to splash him when I fell out, right?"

He shrugged. "Doesn't matter anymore. I don't think he even remembers it, so your embarrassment is unnecessary." Again he shrugged, as if he couldn't think of anything else to do. "But I do know that he does like you now."

"I doubt it," Allie said, sitting on the stools that were lined up against the island counter, twirling around. Their conversation was shorted when Justin walked back into the room, and she was almost relieved. She didn't even want to think about the possibility that he might be interested in her.

Besides, the word 'like' sounded a lot like junior high, when a girl who thought a guy was cute would go and ask his best friend if he 'liked' her, too. It seemed childish, and brought back the naïve feelings she'd felt for Justin back when she'd had her lucky butterfly underwear…and The Plan.

"What'd you order, Steve?" Justin asked, slipping into the chair next to her.

Allie was spinning and didn't notice his presence in the stool next to hers, and while concentrating on her legs as the kitchen sped by in a blur, she watched in almost slow motion as her knees came into contact with his. And the image kept repeating itself, all in slow motion, again, again, again… and she forgot to move her knees.

Bringing herself out of her trance, she locked gazes with Justin, who was looking at her with a mix of amusement and warmth. Allie didn't have time to wonder what his look meant before he said, "You mean you didn't even ask our lady guest what kind of pizza she wanted?"

"Shall I bow at her feet, too?" Steve asked sarcastically as if asking her what toppings she preferred was some sort of sacrifice that implied she was in charge or took precedence over the men.

"It might soften the blows I'll deliver straight to your nose if you keep up the arrogant attitude you have toward women," quipped Allie proudly, glaring intentionally at Justin's friend, who seemed to have the same contemptuous personality.

"It will be here in fifteen minutes," Steve said, ignoring both her retort and her threat. Little did he know that she was capable of making it good.