Bursting with Confidence (4 page)

Haley laughed.

“
Sooooooo," Abigail said. "Let’s
talk about Dale Richmond.”

Haley closed her eyes with a
petulant sigh. She rested the rear portion of her skull against the
spine of the couch.

"Let's not," Haley said.

“
Yes let's," Abigail said. She
turned away from the TV and looked at Haley. "Did he ask you out
yet? Because I know he likes you. He missed that mad dunk in gym
class yesterday because he was looking at you.”

Haley opened her eyes. She looked
at Abigail. "He was not looking at me."

"He was too. He's going to ask you
out. He likes you! He's always posting on your FB wall and
commenting on your academic reviews on Goodreads. You like the same
books he does and you like him too."

"I don't know."

"You two would be great together. I
bet he asks you to the Spring Fling Dance. You know I saw this vid
on YouTube of him dancing last year in the parking lot. You know
freestyle? And well he can really dance. And you can too so hey.
You might as well go out."

"I don't want to go to the
Spring Fling Dance. And we don’t know if Dale likes me. I
mean,
a lot
of girls like him. I mean, have you seen some of the stuff
they put on his FB wall. It's like.
Pornographic."

"Not really. Well a few times but
not too many but don't worry about his wall. Dale likes
you!"

"No. what happened in gym class was
just him being clumsy."

"Dale is the cap of the basketball
team! He never misses baskets!"

"Everyone has an off game
day."

"Haley, boys like Dale don't miss
baskets looking at girls they don’t' like! Hoops is like their
life. Well, that and picking up chicks but you're like totally gf
material. So when he asks you out don't run this time. Stay. Smile
and talk to him."

"What are you talking
about?"

"He was sooooo going to ask you out
today after Lit class but you like ran for the lockers as soon as
the bell rang."

"So? Lit is our last
class."

"So? You don’t' usually run out
like that. I think it's because you saw him coming over to you.
Carrying your favorite book. It was so romantic. Well it could've
been if you didn't go all Speed Racer on us."

"Abbie, Dale was carrying a
Kindle."

"So? I’m sure he had your favorite
book on it."

"Ugh."

"And then after you like knocked
over a desk and shoved Amy Carter and Susie Phelps out of your way
when you bolted for the door..."

"I didn't knock over any
desks!"

"Everyone was like
what
? And I was
like I know why she did that. And Dale, well. Dale looked so hurt.
See look..."

Abigail pulled her cell from her
pocket. She moved closer to Haley and held the screen near her
friend's shocked face.

The fluctuating image of a vid
flashed across the screen.

The sound of loud conversation,
laughter and loud banging noises poured from the device.

Haley slapped at the cell phone and
she looked at Abigail.

"You taped that?" Haley
asked.

"Yeah. I was testing out that new
App you sent me and I like hit record by mistake. Well, okay you
didn't knock over a desk but you did like rush out of there right
before Dale was like coming to you. Hmm…interesting."

"Abbie…"

"Don’t worry. I won't put it on
YouTube. Deleting it now."

Abigail tapped at her
phone.

"Thank you," Haley said.

Abigail slid her phone inside her
pocket. She smiled at Haley.

"You're welcome. And I really think
you should give Dale a chance. He's cute, smart, funny and nice.
And he likes those boring books that you just can't get enough
of.

"What boring books?"

"Nothing. Your shelf on Goodreads
is like totally excitement and stuff. And you should really like
talk to Dale. He likes you. Trust me on this."

"I dunno, Abbie."

"Haley, he's gonna ask you out. You
should say yes. Oh, and if I'm not maid of honor at your wedding
I'm slashing your tires."

"Abbie…"

"Just kidding."

"Can we talk about something else
please?"

"Yeah, Matt Grayson asked me
out."

"Really? When?"

"Today at lunch. He was reading
that new vamp novel on the DL with his Kindle under the table. I
sat by him and snatched it."

"You didn't!"

"Yeah, I did. I saw the cover and I
was like caught you dude! I knew you was into the Fang
Fic!"

"Sooooo busted!"

"Yeah, and after he calmed
down and like made sure none of his friends heard we got to
talking. Turns out we both
hate
the snotty vampire villain
guy in the books. We talked about how the hunter dudes should like
get him. And then we started talking about other stuff and then he
asked me out."

"He's so cute. What'd you
say?"

"I told him yes. We're supposed to
be going to see that new action movie next week."

"Oh that's cool."

"Hey, maybe you and
Dale
can meet up
with us for a double date."

"Uh no."

"Just kidding. Not
really."

"Let's change the
subject."

"Okay."

The sound of a loud crash suddenly
echoed from the hallway.

Abigail and Haley turned away from
each other and they looked at the door.

“
What was that?” Haley asked with
concern.

“
Peter!”Abigail
shouted.

The sound of loud footsteps filled
the hall before Peter appeared in the doorway.

“
I’m fine,” Peter
announced.

Peter leaped down the small flight
of steps and he landed on the floor with a low grunt. He ran across
the room swiftly. His small hands were clasped clumsily
together.

Peter stopped in front of the
couch. He moved closer to Haley.

“
Peter, what did you do?” Abigail
asked.

“
Nothing," Peter said. "I have
something special for Haley.”

“
You do?” Haley
inquired.

“
Uh huh," Peter responded. "Haley
please hold out your hands.”

“
Peter," Abigail said with
clenched teeth. "If it’s a spider I will sooooo trample
you.”

“
It’s not a spider," Peter said.
He moved closer to the couch. "Haley, don’t you trust
me?”

“
Yes I do,” Haley said with a
nod.

“
Well I don’t,” Abigail
snorted.

“
That’s why I didn’t get you
anything Crabby Abbie," Peter said. "Haley, hold out your hands. I
think you'll like my present.”

"Alright," Haley said.

"Haley don't do it," Abigail
warned. It might be a night crawler, a nest of earwigs or something
else really really gross."

"Its none of that stuff," Peter
said.

"Its okay," Haley said. "I trust
Peter."

Haley smiled at Peter while she
thrust out her hands.

Peter opened his hands.

Several large glittering stones
fell from his hands.

The clear shimmering gems landed in
Haley’s hands.

Haley stared at the circular
objects with a gasp.

“
Those are real diamonds," Peter
said. "And they’re all yours.”

Haley looked up at Peter with a
start.

“
What?” Haley asked.

Peter smiled at Haley.

“
Those aren’t real ice," Abigail
said. "They’re fake. CZ's.”

Peter looked at Abigail.

“
Real diamonds cut glass right?”
Peter asked.

“
Yeah so?” Abigail inquired
folding her arms across her chest with a light tilt of her head and
narrowed eyes.

Peter snatched a gem from Haley’s
hand. He tossed it in Abigail’s direction.

Abigail caught the flying gem. She
looked at the clear rock with a snort.

“
That mirror on the wall. Under
the crossbow,” Peter said.

Peter turned from the couch
slightly and he pointed at a weapon-filled wall across the
room.

Abigail glared at Peter before
rising to her feet. She stomped across the room and stopped in
front of a large mirror that hung on the wall.

“
Abigail no!” Haley
cried.

Abigail turned away from the mirror
and she looked at Haley.

“
Don’t do that," Haley said. "The
Larsens will be really upset.”

“
I wasn’t really gonna do it,"
Abigail said. "I just wanted to see how far this little tyke would
take the joke.”

“
Its no joke,” Peter
said.

Peter moved away from Haley. He
walked across the room and stopped near Abigail. He snatched the
shiny gem from her grasp.

“
Hey!” Abigail cried.

Peter moved to the mirror. He stood
on his tiptoes and pressed the stone against the glass. He moved
the stone slowly atop the mirror and made a near diagonal-shaped
cut in the center of the looking glass.

Peter lowered his form to the floor
and he stared at the scratch-covered mirror.

“
Your parents
are
so
gonna kill you,” Abigail said.

A loud creaking sound filled the
room just before the mirror burst into four distinct
segments.

The shimmering portions of
reflective glass fell from the wall. The large glass fragments
struck the floor and shattered into an infinite number of shimmery
shards.

Abigail and Haley cried out with
surprise.

Peter turned away from the broken
glass. He looked at Abigail with a smirk. “See? They’re
real.”

Peter walked away from Abigail. He
moved to the couch and stopped in front of Haley.

“
And they’re all yours, Haley. So,
now can we kiss?” Peter asked.

“
Peter," Haley said gently. "I
can’t take these. They belong to your parents.”

Haley rose to her feet. She poured
the glittering gems into her left hand and thrust the jewels in
Peter’s direction.

“
Please put them back,” Haley
said.

“
Is it cause of your age?” Peter
asked.

“
What?” Haley inquired.

“
Why you won’t kiss me. Its cause
I’m a kid right?” Peter asked.

“
Yes. And it wouldn’t be right,”
Haley replied.

“
Oh,” Peter said.

Peter looked at the
floor.

“
Trust me," Haley said to Peter.
"When you’re my age, you’ll have loads of girls after
you.”

“
He’s got loads
of girls after him
now
,” Abigail
said.

Haley turned from Peter and she
looked at Abigail.

“
Really?” Haley asked.

“
Yeah. I told you this generation
moves lightning fast,” Haley said.

Haley turned to Peter.

“
See? Girls like you. You’ll meet
a nice one,” Haley said. "When you're a little older."

Peter looked up at
Haley.

“
I already met one I like,” Peter
said.

“
Peter, I’m just too old for you.
Now, put these back. I don’t want you to get into any trouble,”
Haley said.

“
Too late for that,” Abigail
stated.

"But what if we were the same age?"
Peter asked.

"Not happening," Abigail
interrupted coldly. "Not unless you've got a time machine in the
basement."

Peter looked at Abigail with
a scowl. "No one asked you anything
 
Crabby
Abbie
."

"Peter it's your bedtime. Go
to bed
 
now
," Abigail
said.

"No it's too early and I want to
talk to Haley some more," Peter said.

"Peter take these back and put them
back where you got them," Haley said gently. She moved closer to
Peter.

Peter looked up at Haley.
"Alright."

Peter raised his right
hand.

Haley grabbed Peter’s right wrist
gently. She shook the gems into his hand.

Peter closed his fist atop the
jewels. He turned away from Haley and stomped from the room while
mumbling incoherently.