Holly's Heart Collection Two (9 page)
“Enjoy your lunch. And your company.”
But Jared followed me down the hall to my locker. He stared at me while I worked my combination lock. “Don’t mess up your birthday, Holly-Heart,” he said softly.
“Then don’t bug me about Andie. She’s
my
problem.”
He ran his fingers through his hair. “If that’s the way you want it.”
Looking at his face, I felt lousy. Jared accepted me as I was, guilty or not guilty. He was only trying to help smooth things over with Andie. After all, it wasn’t the first time she and I had fought.
“Hey, you’re riding to Denver with me on the bus,” he said, changing the subject. “Okay?”
I groaned. “I would, but my family’s going skiing, and I just—”
“Just want to stay away from Andie,” he interrupted.
“Skiing’s a good excuse, don’t you think?” I said, avoiding his eyes.
“But it won’t be half as much fun without you.”
“I’m sorry.” I really was.
“I know.”
That was another thing I liked about Jared. He wasn’t pushy. He accepted things the way they were. For now, our friendship was comfortable, secure. Had Andie filled Christiana in on Jared and me?
I headed for PE. Andie and her sidekick would be there, sharing the same gym locker. It was hopeless the way Christiana finagled everything to her benefit. Why couldn’t Andie see the light?
SECOND-BEST FRIEND
Timed tests were scheduled for the last half of PE. And wouldn’t you know it, Christiana and I were competing for first place. On ropes, no less!
Shaking uncontrollably, every muscle in my body straining with each pull, I did my best to block Christiana from my view. It was impossible. Her strawberry blond hair swayed as she slithered up the rope with her long, slender legs. Closing my eyes, I inched upward. Finally I reached the top.
The class was cheering…screaming. I’d made it! Opening my eyes, I saw the girls gathered around Christiana like she was a celebrity or something. Her smile of victory made me ill. I was wrong. She’d beat me hands down.
Sliding down slowly, I noticed Paula was waiting at the bottom of the rope.
“You almost tied her.” She flashed her toothpaste smile.
I ignored her.
Andie was next for the test. I felt sick inside, helplessly watching her hang in midair, unable to get her chubby legs to assist in the climb. She barely made it to the first mark.
Whew, that hurt.
I couldn’t watch anymore.
Miss Tucker kept me after class. She said encouraging things about my rope time, but I still felt resentment toward Christiana. “You’re good, Meredith,” Miss Tucker said. “I’d like to see you get more athletically involved around here.”
“Thanks.” I glanced at the wall clock. She’d kept me too long. I had to hit the showers fast.
She patted me on the shoulder. “I hear you’re having a birthday today. Hope it’s a good one.”
“Thanks.” I headed for the steps to the locker room.
Paula was waiting. “How’s Goofey?” she asked.
This girl never quits,
I thought, mustering up two words. “Goofey’s better.” Of course, I avoided the kennel issue entirely.
“We can’t be late for the math test,” Paula said as we hurried downstairs.
I unlocked my gym locker and pulled out my clothes and a clean towel. Andie and Christiana were already dressing for class. I was really late.
“Is Goofey having visitors yet?” Paula persisted.
I was sick of the questions. “Only me.”
“Well, I hope you have a happy birthday, Holly,” she said, closing her gym locker.
“Yeah, right,” I muttered as I undressed.
I stuffed my sweaty gym clothes into my locker, wrapped my towel around me, and headed for the showers, leaving my locker open. Time was running out. Our math teacher was a stickler for being prompt. Her pet peeve was kids who showed up late for class. She was known to knock a whole letter grade off a test for every five minutes a student was late.
I hurried into the shower room. Piling up my jeans, sweater, and clean underwear next to the wall near the shower, I hopped in.
Soaping up quickly, I relived Christiana’s look of triumph when she had beat me on the ropes.
Poor Andie, short and chubby—what a nightmare the ropes had always been for her. If Christiana cared about Andie’s feelings at all, she’d have been cheering her on instead of gloating about winning first place.
“Holly, hurry!” It was Paula. “We have five minutes to get to math,” she hollered.
Peeking out of the shower stall, I saw Paula applying mascara with one hand while holding a compact with the other. Her hair was still damp from her shower. Could I never escape this girl?
Careful not to get my own hair too wet, I rinsed off quickly. Then, reaching for my towel, I dried off in record speed. Funny, it wasn’t Andie reminding me about math. She was probably in class already, choosing a seat next to the Austrian Olympian.
I wrapped my damp towel around me and reached for my clothes. But the spot where I’d put them was empty. “That’s strange,” I said. Someone had moved my clothes by mistake.
Tiptoeing out of the shower, I looked around. My feet grew colder with each step on the wet cement floor. Scrambling over the full length of the room, I was frustrated. “I know I put them right here,” I said out loud.
Wait a minute. Paula was just here,
I thought.
What was she still doing here?
That’s when I saw the note. Leaning over, I picked it up. Someone had written: HAPPY “BIRTHDAY SUIT” in purple ink on the paper.
Was it Paula? I gripped the note and the corners of my towel. The clamor of the next class added to my confusion as they came bustling into the locker room.
I clumped toward my locker.
“You’re late, Meredith,” Miss Tucker yelled over the locker room noise.
“My clothes are gone,” I said, but she was too busy to pay attention. Flinging my gym locker wide open, I looked inside. It was empty!
Where were my things? How would I ever make it to math?
Still clasping the note, I retraced my steps to the shower stalls, frantic to find my clothes. Where would a prankster hide them? In desperation, I choked the tears back. Wiping my eyes, I examined the handwriting on the note once again. I didn’t recognize it. And, of course, it wasn’t signed.
Clutching the note and the towel, I darted back into the locker area. I gazed up at the clock. Two o’clock. The math test was starting now.
Dizzy with rage, I stumbled to my open locker, pushed the note inside, and slammed the door.
“Holly!”
I spun around. It was Paula.
“What do you want?” I gripped the towel.
“I saw what she did.”
“Who?”
“Christiana. She took your things and ran off before I could catch her. I even followed her to math class, but I didn’t want to make a scene, so I came back to help you.” She turned to open her locker and began to undress.
I stared at her. “What are you doing?”
“I’ll wear my gym clothes to class. I always keep a clean pair in here just in case,” she explained, tossing her sweater to me.
“I can’t take your clothes,” I muttered, dumbfounded.
“Why not?” she said, throwing her jeans at me. “That’s what friends are for.”
She slipped into some blue sweats and pulled a T-shirt over her head. “You can still make it if you hurry,” she said as she fluffed her brunette locks and ran out of the locker room.
I was speechless.
SECOND-BEST FRIEND
After school, Jared caught up with me at the bus stop. He whipped out a birthday present with a flourish. “Ta-da!” he announced. “Okay if I ride with the cutest girl in Dressel Hills?”
“Sure,” I said, forcing a happy face as I pulled my jacket tight against me. Jared had noticed I was wearing different clothes. I could tell by the way he looked at me. After all, I didn’t exactly fill out Paula Miller’s clothes the way she did. But it was better than the “birthday suit” by far!
Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Andie and Christiana coming, half a block away. They were walking fast at first, but I was sure they’d spotted me because suddenly they slowed their pace. I kept my eyes on Jared, refusing to acknowledge their presence.
I vowed right there to begin the silent treatment. It was the ultimate punishment for their sin. Not that Andie had done anything wrong, but wasn’t it her fault Miss Austria was here in the first place?
On the bus, Jared slid into the seat beside me. “Open your gift, Holly-Heart.”
I gasped when I saw the CD—Mandee Trent’s latest release. “I love it,” I said. “Thanks, Jared.”
“You’re welcome.” He winked at me.
“This is so cool. Now I can ski with Mandee Trent coming through my iPod while you watch her hit the stage in Denver.” Such a romantic thought.
“Shall we synchronize the moment?” he asked.
I poked him. “Don’t be silly,” I teased, but secretly I loved the idea of listening to my new music at the exact same moment as Jared was experiencing the live performance. He reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze.
Fabulous.
Downhill Court came up all too quickly. I thanked Jared again for the CD before getting off the bus.
“See you tomorrow,” he called.
“Bye!” I held the gift close as I hurried across the snow-packed street.
Once in the privacy of my bedroom, I let my anger pour out in the safest place of all: my journal. First I recorded my intentions for the vow of silence. I would refuse to speak to Andie until she apologized. No, better yet, until she literally
pleaded
with me to return as her number-one best friend.
Next I removed Paula’s clothes and tossed them in the hamper. What a remarkable thing she had done today. Something
I
might have done for a best friend.
Slipping into my robe, I popped my new CD into the player on my desk. Mandee Trent’s voice wafted through the air. Perfect. I pulled a mystery novel off the shelf and curled up on my window seat, trying to forget the events of the day.
The harsh reality of my plan hit me hard when the phone rang. “For you, Holly,” Carrie called to me from the hallway. “It’s Andie.”
“Tell her I’m not here,” I said. Abandoning my book, I jumped up and headed for the stairs. “It’s the truth…I’m not here.” I raced down the steps, through the kitchen, and out the back door.
It was sub-zero cold out there and I counted, slowly, to thirtyfive, shivering in my robe as I waited for Carrie to tell me she was off the phone.
But she never did, and I stumbled back into the kitchen, freezing half to death. “Carrie,” I called to her.
Stephie, not Carrie, came running up the steps from the family room. “Carrie can’t talk now, she’s not here,” she mimicked me, straight-faced. Then she burst into giggles.
“Get out,” I said, chasing after her.
I found Carrie doing her homework. “What did she want?” I asked.
Carrie looked up, eyes filled with innocence. “Who?”
“You said Andie called.” I leaned over the back of the sectional staring into her pixie face. “What did she say?”
“She said you’re a goof brain.”
I couldn’t believe this. “You are so not cool.” I left the room in a huff.
Wednesday after school Mom drove me to visit my cat. “How do you feel about missing the Mandee Trent concert?” she asked as we waited for a red light.
“I don’t have to see her on stage. Besides, it’ll be great skiing.
We stopped at an intersection, and she glanced over at me. “What does Andie think about it?”
“No big deal,” I said. “After all, Andie’s got Christiana. They’ll have a good time together, she and the clothes crook.”
Mom frowned. “What do you mean?”
I told her the horrible thing Christiana had done after gym class.
“I can’t imagine Andie letting Christiana do that,” Mom said. “Doesn’t sound like her.”
“No kidding.”
She dropped me off in front of the animal clinic. “I’ll be back in thirty minutes,” she said.
It was fabulous spending time with Goofey. He actually smiled when he saw me, the way he always did—before Paula tried to poison him.
“I’ve been praying about a home for you,” I whispered to him. “God must have something very special planned. He just hasn’t let me know yet.”
Goofey purred contentedly as if to say: Whatever you can do is fine, thank you.
“One day at a time,” I said softly in his ear.
But deep inside, I was worried. Who in Dressel Hills could I convince to adopt my adorable cat? True, he wasn’t the prettiest cat around. But beauty comes from within, after all.
Mom beeped her horn. I kissed Goofey good-bye and headed outside into the cold mountain air.