Free False Start by Barbara Valentin Page A

Mattie's plate and asked, "How was everything? Want a doggie bag?"
    Mattie nodded and Nick handed her a twenty. "Great, Peg, as usual. Keep the change."
    She stashed the cash in a pocket of her apron and sashayed towards the cash register, humming an unrecognizable tune.
    After she returned with a box, Mattie filled it with her leftover food, pulled on her jacket, and grabbed the list of rules Nick had given her. "So, are we done?"
    She waited for his reply with the patience of a teenager begging to be excused from the most excruciating dining experience ever.
    Nick, using the tone of a parent admonishing an ill-mannered teenager, responded, "You're welcome."
    Mattie rolled her head back. "I'm sorry. It's just—I've got to get going. Really."
    Nick stood and nodded toward the entrance. "Yep, we're finished."
    As they made their way to the door, Mattie's conscience threatened to get the better of her. It was obvious that Nick's finances were not as robust. Why else would he need to take a job coaching someone like her? From her perspective, his plight reeked of desperation. What happened to the Nick who, on more than one occasion, used to strut through the halls of Knollwood High with at least three members of the cheer squad drooling in his wake? Eddie always used to grumble about how Nick would steal the limelight when they were kids, rubbing Eddie's nose in his athletic achievements.
    Having grown up in the shadow of a pretty, popular, and petite older sister, Mattie had always sympathized completely. Thing was, he sure didn't seem to be rubbing anyone's nose in anything now.
     Feeling compelled to thank Nick properly, she stopped and turned to do just that when her nose pressed against his chest, and her words got lost in the soft synthetic fabric of his jacket.
    He sprang away from her like she had just spritzed him with cold water. "What's the matter?"
    Mattie looked away, embarrassed. Her benevolent mood had passed.
    "Geez. Forget it. I was just thanking you for breakfast."
    Nick looked down at her with the faintest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Forget it yourself."
    She took in the sight of him standing before her, all spiffed up and authoritative. When she spotted his smirk, the reporter in her suddenly felt compelled to interrogate him.
    "Listen, if we're gonna do this I have to ask you a question."
    No longer smiling, he pulled himself up tall and nodded.
    Mattie fired away. "Why are you doing this?"
    "I lost my job. Why are you doing this?"
    "I need a raise. What was your job?"
    He titled his head in the direction of the high school, a crease forming between his eyebrows. "Coaching boys' cross-country at Knollwood."
    "How'd you lose it?"
    "We didn't win."
    "Do you miss it?"
    Nick's entire forehead crinkled while he contemplated his response. "I miss the guys. I miss helping them get over stuff."
    "What stuff?"
    "Stuff. You know, high school stuff. Demanding parents. The pressure to be perfect. The bullying. High school can really suck."
Mattie let out a laugh. "You say that like it's news to you."
    Nick folded his arms and narrowed his eyes. When he said nothing in reply, Mattie muttered to herself, "Oh, that's right. How could I forget? He was perfect in high school."
    "Excuse me?"
    After waiting for a woman pushing a baby stroller to pass by on the cracked, narrow sidewalk, she explained, "I used to see you all the time in the halls with groupie cheerleaders following you like you were a rock star."
    Man, oh man, she had hated the jocks at her high school. They swaggered around like they owned the place, objectifying the more than willing cheer squad, and passing all of their classes without so much as picking up a book.
    He scowled down at her. "I think you're confusing me with my brother. Again."
    Feeling as if he had just shoved her backwards a few feet, she said, "I don't think so," and turned to walk away.
    "Hey," he called after her. "High school was just as hard for me as it was