"He just left?" Nicky asked, sounding as perplexed as Keeley felt.

"Yup," Keeley confirmed bitterly, as she fiddled with a wire clothes hanger. "He acted like I had contracted some contagious disease from the Amazon." She watched as Nicky opened a large box of boardshorts. After Talon had driven off, she went straight to The Surf Shack to see Nicky.

"It just doesn't make any sense," Nicky murmured as she started pulling out the merchandise. "Are you sure Zach didn't recognize his name?"

"He had no clue." She handed Nicky the hanger and grabbed another one off a nearby rack.

"Maybe Zach stole his girlfriend or something?"

"It's definitely possible," Keeley mulled. Zach's moral compass didn't always point due north. He had been known to sleep with girls regardless of their relationship status. It had even gotten him in a couple of scuffles in the past.

"Did you at least get your phone back?" Nicky asked as she held out her hand for another hanger.

"Yah. He exchanged them right before he bolted." Keeley huffed as she remembered Talon walking toward his truck without a backward glance. He fled the parking lot like a herd of angry dogs were nipping at his heels.

Nicky waved a hand right in front of Keeley's face. "Hello? Earth to Keeley?"

Keeley's eyes snapped to attention. "Sorry," she apologized and handed her another hanger.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Nicky questioned. She arranged the green shorts on the wire hanger and hung it on an empty rack.

Keeley bit her lip. The more she started to think about the situation, the angrier she became. "Nothing," she stated bluntly. If Talon didn't want to talk to her anymore, then there was nothing she could do. Besides, it's not as if they were friends. They were practically strangers for Christ's sake!

Nicky shot her a quick look, the surprise evident on her face. "Seriously? You seemed to really enjoy talking to him," she commented. "Over the past couple of days, you've talked more about Talon than anyone else." She paused. "Even Brent."

Keeley's spine stiffened. "It's only natural that I talked about Talon. He made my life hell for a whole week."

"You know what they say about love and hate," Nicky casually remarked.

Keeley frowned. "I don't like him if that's what you're hinting at. I find him..." she paused, trying to find the right words, "..intriguing. At first, I thought he was a lot like popcorn."

"Popcorn?" Nicky asked in amusement.

"Yeah. You know, the type of guy that is all big talk without a whole lot of substance," Keeley explained.

Nicky laughed at the comparison. "And Talon has substance?"

"I think so. The past couple of days I've realized there was more to him than football and his extra large ego." Keeley thought about his willingness to teach her about surfboards and the way he ate his mother's embarrassing lunches. She thought about his witty remarks and his confession about the problem with his father. No. There was definitely more to Talon than he let on.

"So if he isn't popcorn, what he is?"

Keeley leaned against a nearby table and sighed. "I don't know. That's why I find him so interesting. I guess I wanted the chance to figure it out."

Nicky halted, taken back by her friend's admission.

Keeley chuckled self-consciously, and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Pretty stupid, huh?"

"Not stupid. Just surprising." She studied Keeley's face for a couple moments. "Maybe you should call him."

"And say what exactly? 'Hey Talon! I have this weird desire to classify you as a certain type of junk food. Can we talk for awhile till I figure it out?'"

Nicky sent her an impatient look. "I was thinking more along the lines of 'Hey Talon, want to be friends?'" She saw Keeley's stubborn expression and shrugged. "Fine, don't call him, but at least ask Zach again. It could all be some sort of misunderstanding."

"Perhaps," Keeley replied, not committing to the idea. It might be better to just forget about Talon. School was starting tomorrow and she needed to concentrate on her grades. Plus, she had her visit with Brent to look forward to. Yes. It was better to forget about Talon and oversized ego.

Keeley spent the rest of the afternoon at The Surf Shack, memorizing the boards they had in stock. She was determined to take advantage of Shawn's offer and make as much money as possible. By five, she said goodbye to Nicky and headed home.

"Keeley?" her mother shouted as soon as she walked in the front door. "Is that you?"

"Yah Mom," Keeley hollered back. "I just got home." Tucker came running up to her, his tongue hanging out in obvious excitement. She bent down to give him some attention.

"Can you come here please?" her mother politely demanded.

Keeley gave Tucker one last scratch before heading to the kitchen. Dishes were scattered over the counter and her mom was bent over the oven, basting a large chicken.

"What's going on?" she questioned as she peered over her mother's shoulder.

"Zach just called to say he's bringing a friend home for dinner."

Keeley took a good look around the kitchen and raised an eyebrow in surprise. Usually her mother would just order four large pizzas if his friends were coming over. She never put in this much effort before. "A girlfriend?" Keeley speculated.

Her mother snorted and gave her a pointed look.

Keeley held up her hands in surrender. "You're right. Stupid question." Even if Zach did have a girlfriend, he would never invite her over to the house. She jumped onto a clean section of the counter and ignored her mother's disapproving glare. "So, who's coming over?"

"Zach's freshman football buddy."

"Who?"

"The freshman football player Zach has to mentor for the year."

Keeley snorted. "You mean his freshman slave?"

Her mother wagged the spatula at Keeley. "Best behavior during dinner, missy," she cautioned.

Keeley pointed to herself and deliberately widened her eyes. "Who? Me?" she asked innocently. "I'm the model of exemplary behavior."

Her mother scoffed. "And I'm Queen of England. Go set the table and clean the living room."

"I'm thinking less Queen of England, more fascist dictator," Keeley muttered as she walked out of the kitchen to follow her mother's orders.

"What did you say?" her mother yelled in warning.

"Nothing, Your Majesty!" Keeley shouted back.

"That's what I thought!"

"Yup," Keeley said to herself as she pulled out the nice china. "Definitely a dictator."

****

"Are you excited for tomorrow, Gavin?" her mother asked the lanky boy sitting across from her. He had light brown hair and hazel eyes. He was the same height as her brother but without the muscle and weight. He looked more like a runner than a football player.

Keeley felt a wave of sympathy for him. Since Zach had brought him home, Gavin had barely said a couple of words. He looked rather intimated by her family. Poor kid was going to get murdered out on the football field if he was always this timid.

"Your first day of high school can be scary but don't worry," her mother continued, disregarding the fact that Gavin never responded to her first question, "Zach will look after you."

"Mom," Zach said through gritted teeth.

"What?" she turned to him with wide eyes. "I'm just saying. I remember your first day of freshman year. You were terrified."

"Terrified of being hazed by the varsity football players," Keeley muttered under her breathe.

"She's just kidding," her mother assured Gavin, while sending Keeley a sharp look. "There's no hazing. Right Zach?"

"Right," he confirmed, lying through his teeth. "And I wasn't scared," he added with a scowl.

When her mother's head was turned, Keeley caught Gavin's eye. She pointed to Zach and widened her eyes, making an exaggerated face. "Scared to death," she mouthed.

Gavin's mouth quirked in amusement. His shoulders relaxed slightly for the first time since he arrived.

Zach saw his sister's words and threw a carrot at her. "Was not," he hissed.

"Was too," Keeley countered, catching the carrot and throwing it back.

"Children," her mother reprimanded.

"She started it-"

"He started it-"

They sent each other identical glares.

"And people wondered why I never wanted any more children," her father glibly remarked, dropping a carrot from his own plate onto the floor for Tucker.

Gavin let out a bark of laughter, obviously amused by the family's antics. The tension in the room immediately dissipated and everyone chuckled along with him.

"So, Gavin. Is this your first year playing football?" her father asked.

He grinned, his eyes lighting up at the topic. "No sir. My dad signed me up for pee-wee football as soon as I was old enough."

"Big on football, huh?"

"The biggest," Gavin said with enthusiasm. "My whole family is. Even my mom and two sisters."

"That's wonderful!" Keeley's mom exclaimed. "How old are your sisters?"

"One's twenty-two and the other is twenty."

"Ouch," Zach commented. "Two sisters? I feel for you. It's bad enough having one." He jerked his head in Keeley's direction.

Keeley opened her mouth to respond, but her mom cut her off, not wanting another argument to erupt. "I bet your Dad was happy when you were born."

Gavin chuckled. "Definitely. He was thrilled that he finally had another guy in the house."

"And you said your mom and sisters are big football fans?"

"They love football as much as my dad and me. When I was little, Monday night football was the biggest night of the week. All my uncles, aunts and cousins would gather at my house to watch the game."

Keeley was amazed to watch Gavin's whole demeanor change as he talked about football. The polite, timid boy had been replaced with a confident and fierce football expert. The change was remarkable.

"Do you have a favorite NFL team?"

"The Dallas Cowboys," Gavin replied immediately.

"Ah Texas!" her dad exclaimed. "I heard they have a pretty good team this year."

Keeley tuned them out as they started to drone on about the odds of who would go to the Superbowl. Unconsciously, her eyes wandered over to her phone. Had Talon texted her at all? She had purposely not looked at it since Talon left her in the parking lot. It was a little depressing to think that her inbox wouldn't be flooded with messages from him.

Keeley sighed. Why was she even acting like this? Hadn't she already told herself to forget about Talon?

For the rest of the evening, Keeley kept herself busy to avoid thinking about him. She washed all the dishes, cleaned the kitchen, cleaned the dining room and took Tucker for an extra long walk. She even went through her closet and picked out her clothes for school tomorrow. By the time Keeley got in bed and set her alarm, Talon was no longer on her mind.

She was sleeping peacefully until a noise woke her up.

Who let the dogs out? Woof. Woof. Woof. Woof. Who let the dogs out? Woof. Woof. Woof.-

'What the hell?' Keeley thought to herself as she picked up her phone. She let out a loud groan when she saw whom it was. Of course.

"What do you want, Talon?" Keeley asked in a flat tone.

"Keeley," he declared, his voice sounding loud and slightly off. "My prickly little feminist! Guess what?"

"You saved money on your car insurance by switching to Geico?"

"I've been drinking!" he shouted, ignoring her comment.

"You don't say," Keeley responded dryly. "Not that this conversation isn't profoundly fascinating, but I have school tomorrow so-"

"No! Wait!" Talon's deep voice cried out. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Okay," she replied warily. "Sock it to me."

"I need your honest opinion," he said solemnly and paused. There was whispering in the background and then he asked, "Thong versus panties. Which do you prefer?"

Keeley's jaw dropped. Seriously? That's the reason why he woke her up at one am? To ask her some juvenile question that him and his friends came up with? What an ass! "Goodbye Talon," she said in a flat tone and hung up.

Her cell phone started ringing approximately three seconds later. She stared at it while debating whether or not to pick up. Against her better judgment she answered. "What?" she asked in an icy tone.

"I'm sorry! I was just kiddin'! That's not what I wanted to ask you."

Keeley sighed. "What was it then?"

"Okay hypothetically, let's say that I was really drunk and I called you."

"You mean like you are right now?" she interjected.

"Be quiet," Talon scolded. "Now, if I ask you, would you come pick me up?"

Keeley groaned. "Why are you even asking me this, Talon?"

"Because I want to know!" he huffed.

Keeley could almost imagine him crossing his arms and pouting like a toddler. She sighed. "Honestly? I don't know." She wasn't exactly feeling the goodwill toward him at the moment. The way he left this afternoon had really hurt her feelings, as much as she hated to admit it.

"Why not? You pick up your douche bag of a twin all the time."

Keeley frowned at the hostility in his voice. Seriously, what was his deal with Zach? "Why don't you like my brother?" She paused and thought about what he just said. "And how did you know Zach's my twin?" she added.

"I asked around about you, Keeley Ann Brewer and I found out some pretty interesting stuff," he said, slurring a couple of his words.

"Oh really? Like what?" He asked people about her? Why? This afternoon he made it perfectly clear he never wanted to see her again. God. It was like the boy had schizophrenia.

"Like that you-Oomph!" There was a loud noise and then his voice cut off.

"Talon? Talon! Are you okay?"

It took a couple moments before he answered. "Yup. I'm good. All good." In the background, Keeley heard a scraping noise and then he muttered under his breathe, "Stupid chair. I swear it wasn't there before."

Keeley suppressed a giggle. Apparently, big, bad, football players weren't so coordinated after they had a couple drinks in their system. "Where are you?"

"At a friend's house. I just walked out to the patio." He paused. "What was I talking about again?"

"How amazing you think I am," she said with a straight face.

"Nice try. I'm not that drunk," Talon replied wryly. "Ah! I remember. I was about to tell you what I learned." He cleared his throat before he began. "Your name is Keeley Anne Brewer. Twin of the famous football star Zachary Brewer. You're going to be a senior at Edgewood High. You are in all the AP classes except calculus because apparently you suck at it."

"Hey!"

He ignored her outburst and continued. "You love reading and always have your head in a book. Your best friend is named Ricky-"

"Nicky," Keeley interjected.

"Yah, yah. Same difference," Talon said impatiently. "Your best friend is named Nicky who works with you at The Surf Shack. You've had one boyfriend but it didn't last longer than two weeks. He dumped you when he realized that you weren't going to put out."

Keeley's eyes widened in surprise. How the hell did he know that? In fact, how did anyone know that? She had dated Dillon over two years ago and had only confided in Nicky about the truth of their break-up.

"Since then, you haven't gone out on a single date," he said, sounding pleased with himself. "Oh! And people think you're a prude."

"Did you really just say that to me?" she asked in indignation. A prude? People thought she was a prude? "That's so rude!"

"Why are you getting mad at me? I'm just repeating what people said," he remarked, sounding perplexed.

"So what? You didn't have to tell me that I'm a prude!"

"You asked what I learned about you!" he countered, his voice rising in volume. "So, I told you!"

"And you didn't think that it might hurt my feelings to hear that? God! You're such an jerk!"

"I'm a jerk?! How the hell am I the villain in this?" Talon let out a bitter laugh. "Jeezus. No wonder you've only had one guy willing to date you."

"Excuse me?" Keeley asked in a low voice, her tone deceptively calm. "What did you just say to me?"

"Does it even matter?" Talon said flippantly. "It's not like we're going to see each other again."

"Then why the hell did you call me?" Keeley yelled into the phone.

"I don't know! I just wanted to-Arghh!" he cried out in frustration. There was a loud bang, like something had been kicked over and then silence.

Neither spoke for a minute, both trying to calm their tempers.

"Talon?" Keeley asked tentatively. The only sound she heard in response was Talon's ragged breathing. "What did you want-"

"Just forget it, Keeley." And with that statement he hung up.

Stunned, Keeley stared at the phone in her hand. This was the second time in a day that Talon had abruptly left her without an explanation. What was going on? Why did he even call her in the first place?

She laid back down in her bed, analyzing his words. There was something nagging her about that phone conversation but she couldn't pin point it. Frustrated, she pulled the covers over her head and closed her eyes. Unfortunately, sleep eluded her. She tossed and turned for what felt like hours, trying to fall asleep.

Finally fed up, she turned on her light and grabbed a book from the end table. She curled into a comfortable position and started reading. An hour later, as she began to drift off, she realized what had been bothering her. During that entire conversation, Talon had never once called her babydoll.