Cinderella Sidelined by Syms Carly

Author:Syms, Carly [Syms, Carly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-04-27T03:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

I drum my fingers against the wooden bench, glance around the parking lot for any sign of him one more time, and let out a sigh, sure I've made a huge mistake.

Russ asked to meet me out here this morning after yesterday's horrible play practice with Mary. She'd specifically chewed me out in front of the entire group, and I'd left rehearsal wondering if I should quit the play all together. Russ claims the fresh, clean air and spectacular views of the valley will help clear my head and get me in the right frame of mind.

Me? I'm not so sure.

Mostly because I've never been one for hiking. But Russ says he does it all the time and he was actually kind of persuasive, obviously, because here I am, ready to go in my black tank top and bright purple running shorts, armed with a giant water bottle and supersize bottle of sunscreen.

The only problem (besides my general dislike for hiking at all)?

Russ isn't here.

And it's fifteen minutes past when he said he'd meet me.

I'm in the middle of texting my mom to ask her to come get me when I hear a rumbling sound in the distance. I stop texting and look up at the sky, expecting to see a low-flying plane or helicopter or something.

But a minute later, the source of the horrible noise becomes obvious.

Russ.

I'd recognize that barely running pile of scrap metal anywhere.

His car comes screaming into the parking lot so fast I'm surprised he doesn't get up on two wheels when he swings into the parking spot right in front of me.

I jump to my feet and take a few steps back, sure his car is going to somehow climb the curb and plow me over, and I'm relieved when the engine cuts and he gets out, laughing.

"You look like you just saw a ghost, Em," he says. He moves the driver's seat forward and rummages around for something I can't see in the backseat.

"You drive like a friggin' maniac."

He keeps laughing and the next thing I know, a giant ball of fur comes barreling out of his car.

"Ahh!" I scream, jumping up onto the bench. "What is that thing?"

Russ looks at me like I've gone totally nutso. "Uh, Emma?"

"What is it?" I demand.

"That's Wilbur," Russ says slowly in the same kind of voice you'd use to talk to a toddler you're about five seconds away from putting into timeout. "He's a dog."

"Why is he here?" My breathing is slowly starting to come back to normal but I have no plans to leave the top of the bench anytime soon.

Or at least until Russ puts this thing back in his car.

"Um, Em? Something you want to tell me here?"

I shake my head quickly. "No, I just -- I -- wasn't expecting a dog."

"You don't like dogs." It's not a question and the way his face falls when he says is makes me feel guilty, like I'm doing something wrong by telling him how I feel.

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