Free Old Enough to Love... (Just One of the Guys) by Kristi Pelton

stared with his hands in his pockets.
    “Great. Meiers is here,” Zach whispered.
    I smiled at his protectiveness.
    “Hey Ru…Em.” Grant changed his greeting. I acknowledged everyone I knew and they were nice enough. Except for Ryan. I had a feeling freshmen weren’t allowed, especially freshmen sisters.  As I sat on a piece of driftwood, I counted only seniors. Until I saw them walking up from the beach…Estelle, Claire and Jaycee…the queen bees of the junior class…they certainly wouldn’t be happy to see me.
    Claire plopped next to Ryan who didn’t seem over enthused to see her either. Plus the threatening glare he was shooting Zach was less than friendly. Estelle squeezed in between Connor and Brett but definitely kept her lurid eyes on Zach.  I couldn’t look. I felt sick as my stomach growled.
    “You two want a drink?” Jaycee asked and poured what looked like punch from a cooler.
    “Sure, thanks.” I took two Styrofoam cups for Zach and me and handed one to him.
    “Em!” I heard in unison and glanced up after swallowing a mouthful to find Grant, Connor and Ryan shaking their heads at me. About that moment, my gag reflex activated and the bitter taste of the drink made me shiver. Zach casually took the drink from my hand as he sipped his. Great, Zach wasn’t a boyfriend but a fifth brother. He opened the cooler and handed me a soda. The girls giggled at what they saw and my back stiffened angrily.
    The night grew cooler as the evening passed. Estelle began to act silly, laughing non-stop and dancing around—maybe one too many drinks. She pulled off her shirt and exposed a swim suit top, skimpy at best. It was freezing. Zach was making a point not to look and offered me a smile. I think Connor was the only one who didn’t look away and I almost shouted at him—‘close your mouth Con’—but Ryan’s nudge in the side did the trick.
    I hadn’t even considered a swimsuit and wondered if anyone else had.  Claire had gone up to a crate of items and brought down a portable MP3 station and flipped on music.
    A shiver rippled through me and Zach grabbed one of his jackets and draped it over my shoulders. It was huge but smelled like him.
    “Thank you,” I whispered and smiled.
    “Oh. That was sa-weet.” Estelle remarked then sat next to Brett laying her head on his shoulder but still staring at Zach.
    I pulled my knees to my chest trying to ignore her comments. The wind picked up and sparks from the tipi fire followed the breeze landing in the sand.
    “Let’s go for a walk.” Zach spoke softly in my ear and pulled me to standing.
    I nodded and we headed toward the ocean as he took my hand in his. I walked away from the circle feeling proud but sure seven sets of eyes were on us.
    It was romantic and perfect and I feared I would wake up and it would all be over.
    “Sorry about the drink. I didn’t know it was spiked until your guardians spoke up. Then I tasted it.”
              “My guardians?” I knew who he was talking about but wanted to hear his theory.
    “Your brother and his buddies. They are quite protective of you.” The sand squished up between my toes as we strolled. It was soft and cold. I think he was jealous.
    “I told you. I’ve known these guys forever.” I glanced up at him.  His height had to border six feet something. I felt like a shrimp.
    “Yes. But what you don’t understand is they’ve known you forever as Ryan’s little sister or Runt—as they choose to say. And I think they are beginning to see that you aren’t so little anymore. You’re not a runt, Emma. Just like Grant said the first day of school. He saw you this summer—I mean really saw you.” His words seem to insinuate something and I didn’t like it.
    “I don’t like Grant,” I explained.
    He faced me and tilted my chin up. “I’m not certain they trust me with you.”
    “I trust you.” And I did.  I trusted him so much. I wanted him to kiss me.  The moon, the