A Heart Divided by Cherie Bennett

Author:Cherie Bennett [Bennett, Cherie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-55665-3
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2004-08-31T04:00:00+00:00

14

religion, then the home games with Franklin West and South Columbia High were holy days. They were the Rebels’ chief rivals for the division title and the subject of conversation everywhere I went.

The game with Franklin West came first. That Friday evening, my mom was in Nashville, doing research for a freelance magazine piece about the city’s best day spas. Portia and I were waiting for our respective rides to the game. I was going with Jack, of course. Portia was going with her friend Cassidy, accompanied by Cassidy’s mother.

My sister kept checking her reflection in the hallway mirror. She was wearing a dainty pink sweater set that she said was similar to one owned by Madison Honeywell, fashion arbiter of Redford East Middle School—and a touch of pink lip gloss. “But this ponytail makes my face look fat,” she declared.

“No, it doesn’t.” I didn’t look up from the pages I was reading—my transcript of Ron Bingham’s interview. It was like a terrible car accident. One part of you wants to look away and not see something so horrible, but another part of you is fascinated.

“Kate, should I cut my hair?” Portia asked.

“Hey, I love your hair, sugarplum,” my father drawled from his beloved Barcalounger. On his lap was the Styrofoam container of deep-fried catfish takeout that my mother had forbidden in a preemptive strike against high cholesterol.

Portia looked aghast. “Daddy, you had a Southern accent just now.”

“Danged if I didn’t.” My father grinned wildly.

She looked even more horrified. “Okay, no offense, Daddy, but you sound retarded. If Cassidy comes in, please don’t say anything dumb.”

He wiped tartar sauce from his chin. “Well, hush my mouth.”

“Kate, make him stop.”

Before I could respond, there was a loud honk. Portia peeked out from the living room curtains and gasped. “Kate. Look!”

I got up to look outside. There was a blue Lexus in our driveway. Cassidy sat in front, next to her mother. Two boys were in the back.

“So?”

“That’s Barney, the boy I told you about,” she hissed. “And his friend Alan. I didn’t know they were riding with us. What should I do?”

“Get your purse. Go outside. Get in the car.”

“Squished in the backseat with two boys?”

“What two boys?” my father called.

Portia’s eyes pleaded with me for rescue.

“Just some boys in her class,” I said.

Dad frowned as Cassidy’s mom honked again. “You’re much too young to date, Porsche.”

“It’s not a date,” I assured my father.

Portia mouthed “Thank you” and reached for her purse. I told her she looked great and gave her a quick hug.

“Hold on, Porsche.” My father stopped his movie. “I want to meet these people.”

“Daddy, no. You can’t! Daddy—”

Too late. A moment later, he was out the front door, red-faced Portia trailing behind him. They nearly collided with Jack, who sidestepped them on his way up the walk. He came through the screen door and gave me a hug. “Your sister looks as if she’s about to face a firing squad,” he joked.

“First kinda-sorta date,” I explained.

“You remember yours?”

“Sure. When I was six, we took a school trip to the Bronx Zoo.

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