Holly's Heart Collection Two (27 page)

Jared joined us, his voice interrupting my thoughts. “This is some cool way to spend a lunch hour.”

“Yeah,” Andie said, eyeballing me. “What happened to
you
? One minute you were primping in the rest room, next thing, you were gone.” Her eyes twinkled with a zillion questions.

Jared grinned, elbowing my arm. “Sounds like you’ve got a second mother here.”

“I’m her guardian angel,” Andie retorted. “She’s sneaking around, up to something.” She twisted a curl around her finger.

I tried to visualize Andie draped in the robes of the Mother Abbess. I couldn’t help myself; I snickered.

“Now what?” she demanded.

“Oh, nothing.” I waved my hand, flipping my long ponytail.

“You’re hopeless,” she said. “But I’ll get to the bottom of this sooner or later.” She probably would, too.

Several more minutes passed before the all-clear bell rang and we filed inside. Fifth hour was pending, so we headed like a herd of cattle to the rows of lockers.

After school, I dropped in to see Marcia Green about the interview stuff. I held my breath as she thumbed through her notebook. “Let’s see,” she muttered to herself. “I know it’s here somewhere.”

Pulling up a chair, I waited impatiently for Marcia to find my new assignment. I twisted my hair and bit on the ends. Crazy as it seemed, I was actually going to interview Mr. Andrew Barnett!

“Here it is.” Marcia held up the file at last. “I’ll need good copy by next week.” She looked at the calendar. “Next Thursday, a week from today. Think you can squeeze it into your schedule?”

“No problem,” I said, taking the file. The name in black marker leaped off the file at me.

Andrew Barnett.

His name alone made my heart jump. Could I still it long enough to conduct a reasonably intelligent interview? The thought flamed my cheeks. I dashed down the hall, hoping to create a breeze strong enough to fan my flushed face. Had to before Andie saw me and pumped me with questions.

“Holly, wait up!”

It was Andie. But I kept going, blowing air out my lips. Another couple of seconds and maybe, just maybe, the red would drain from my cheeks….

“Listen, girl, if you don’t slow down, you’ll attract Coach Tucker’s attention for sure,” Andie hollered.

She had me.

I turned around. “Miss Tucker better not nab me for track tryouts, I muttered. “I despise running.”

“But it’s that time of year,” Andie sang, “track and field.” Then she searched my face. “You’re blushing again.
Now
what’s going on?”

We’d had this conversation before. “It’s nothing, really.” No way could I tell her. I shoved Mr. Barnett’s file down, out of sight.

We pushed through the crowded hallway. “Holly, you’re avoiding me,” she said.

“Right.” I laughed. “That’s impossible.”

The sound of slamming lockers and the bustle of scurrying students interrupted my thoughts. When we stopped at Andie’s locker, she flicked through her combination and pulled on the door. I hurried to my locker, opened it, and stuffed the file safely behind another notebook just as Andie came over.

Although I was usually perfectly content to be in Andie’s company and was comfortable with our ongoing friendship, I was discovering more and more that I didn’t want to expose my heart for examination with her like I used to. Andie was developing a high-and-mighty way about her.
Evolving,
my mother had said. Well, whatever it was, Andie was establishing a know-it-all attitude that made me uneasy.

Stan showed up and Andie beamed at him. Andie turned to me with that all-too-familiar glint in her eye. “We’re off to the Soda Straw, Holly. But I guarantee you’ll tell me your little secret, sooner or later.” She accented her words with a bang of her locker and a rambunctious wave.

Overconfident. That described Andie, all right. It seemed she was forever rehearsing the part of an outspoken, self-assured woman. Hopefully, by the time she grew up, Andie would learn not to fire shots that pierced the soul of her friends. Maybe she would learn something from the role of Mother Abbess.

I began sorting my books as I analyzed my relationship with Andie. It had never been easy keeping secrets from her. She was absolutely right; I always poured out my heart to her…eventually. Came from years of growing up together in Dressel Hills, Colorado. In a tiny ski village like this, it was easier to opt for one or two best friends over gobs of casual ones. At least for me.

Still, I needed to share my secret with someone. It was so warm and fabulous. Such a beautiful secret should be shared with some-one like Andie. I knew she’d be straight with me. I’d never known her to hold back if she felt strongly enough about something. And that’s what I needed now, someone who could think clearly about this—whatever it was—that I was feeling for Mr. Barnett.

Danny met me on the stairs as I took two at a time, still hoping to catch Mr. Barnett. His eyes lit up when he saw me. “Are you coming to youth service tonight?” he asked.

I stopped and leaned against the wall, catching my breath. “I think so, why?” Then I remembered his note and my phone call to him. It irritated me. I thought this matter had been settled between us.

Danny hesitated. “We’re grouping up for Bible Quiz Team. And…I hoped you’d be my partner.”

“Me?” I shrieked. “Danny, you’ve got to be kidding. You can memorize whole chapters of the Bible in one shot. There’s no way I can keep up with you.”

“I’ll help you,” he said softly.

That’s what I was afraid of. He wanted to tutor me—one on one. Much too cozy. Besides, if I were in the musical, I’d need tons of extra time to memorize my lines. “I’m sorry, Danny. I really can’t.” I thought of suggesting Paula’s twin sister, Kayla, or someone else for him to team up with at church, but I didn’t.

Slowly, Danny nodded. “Well, see you around,” he said and left.

I was determined not to let his reaction get to me. After all, it was only quiz team.

Thankful the Danny encounter was over, I raced upstairs, hoping to find Mr. Barnett. I thought about casually wandering into the choir room, pretending to sort music or something. Maybe he’d notice and strike up a conversation. But as I approached the door, I knew the mature thing to do was simply knock.

“Come in,” he called. His voice sounded much lower than Danny’s. Or any other guy’s at school, for that matter.

I hesitated, then took a breath for courage and walked in.

“Hi again.” He was seated behind the keyboard, and something about the way he looked up to greet me startled me. Shafts of light from the late afternoon sun streamed through the long, vertical windows behind the choir risers.

I peered round the room. Empty. At last, a chance to talk. The hustle-bustle of the school day seemed distant somehow as I returned his smile. With all my heart, I wanted to hold this moment close—memorize it for always.

Still seated behind his keyboard, he motioned to a chair. “Please, sit down.” I noticed nut shells strewn on top of his keyboard. “I’m a pistachio nut junkie. Here, have one.”

The sheer joy of being here might have left me wordless and clumsy, but like the time of my audition, I felt a strange openness and sense of ease with him. “Thanks,” I said, surprised at the way the words spilled out so easily. I took a few nuts and cracked them open.

“So…how are things?” he asked. Cool and easy.

“Fine, thanks,” I said.
Would it shock him to know I think of him nearly every waking minute?

“I’m working on a new song,” he remarked. “Tell me what you think.” And he began to play. The minor melody drifted down like a mountain brook in June. And when it found a resting place in a gentle broken chord, it took my breath away.

“It’s beautiful,” I said, longing for more. “It reminds me of a bittersweet book I read once.”

“This song is in memory of my grandmother,” he said.

I was surprised and pleased that he was sharing such personal information.

“I wish she could hear it.” I paused, wondering when I should ask about the interview.

He glanced up at the skylight, neck tilted back slightly. “Sometimes I think she does.”

I nodded, smiling. “For me, music paints word pictures. I listen to it when I write.”

“My sister’s a writer,” he said.

“Creativity must run in your family,” I said without thinking. “It shows up in the way you teach.”

His hands slid off the keyboard and into his lap, and he leaned back. “You are a very perceptive young woman, Holly.”

I felt my cheeks do their usual cherry number, but he looked so pleased with my statement, I didn’t let it embarrass me. I pulled out my tablet and pen and asked if he had time for a quick interview. “It’s for the school paper. I’m one of the reporters.”

“Absolutely,” he said. At that moment, I couldn’t have been happier.

STRAIGHT-A TEACHER

Chapter 5

The interview sailed by, smooth and easy. I asked the usual journalistic questions, prompted by the five
W’
s. Things like why he’d chosen to major in education, who were his mentors, and what he hoped to do when he graduated from college.

Only once were we interrupted. The janitor came in to empty the trash. Later, I thought I heard the
cre-e-ak
of the door, but when I turned to investigate, no one was there.

Satisfied that the interview was complete, I stood to go. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Barnett. It was nice getting acquainted with you.”
If he only knew…

“I’ve heard you have an excellent way with words, Holly,” he said, smiling again. “I’ll look forward to seeing your story in
The Lift.
”

“Thanks.” I reached for my notebook.

He seemed reluctant for me go. “Above all,” he added, “I hope you keep working at your creative goals.”

“Thanks,” I said again. Slipping my pen into my backpack, I looked up. That’s when his eyes met mine. And I knew, sure as anything, that I had hopelessly fallen for this student teacher.

That night at youth service, a bunch of kids signed up for the Bible Quiz Team. By the looks of the quiz team T-shirts sales, it was a big deal.

“Who’re you going to study with?” Stan asked as we came in together. Before I could respond, Andie walked over to him.

“Got a partner yet?” she asked Stan.

He sat down, crossing his long legs. He leaned back and merely grinned.

Here comes John Wayne,
I thought. But I was wrong. Today it was Stan Patterson himself. “I’m thinking about it,” he said.

Andie giggled, probably holding her breath for him to pick her as his team study partner.

When Danny showed up, I scooted down in my chair. No way could I survive a repeat performance with him. Paula and Kayla Miller arrived just in time, and I waved them over. Paula had established a strong identity all her own. I noticed it as she fluffed her soft shoulder-length curls. Kayla, her twin, seemed content minus the look-alike aspect.

I sighed with relief as I glanced down the row of chairs.
Good, no room for Danny to barge in.

Pastor Rob made an announcement. “If you didn’t get a Bible Quiz Team card when you came in, please take one home. I’d like each of you to prayerfully consider being on the team or at least help with one of the fund-raisers. We’ll be traveling to Denver and Grand Junction for regionals, so it’s going to cost us some bucks.”

I felt a twinge of guilt as I thought back to the flippant answers I’d given Danny this afternoon. It wasn’t the idea of studying and memorizing Scripture that kept me from signing up. It was Danny himself.

Before the youth service ended, I slipped a card into my purse when Danny wasn’t watching.