Keeping Pace by Laurie Morrison

Author:Laurie Morrison
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Amulet Books
Published: 2024-04-09T00:00:00+00:00

GRACE’S TRAINING PLAN, WEEK 4

Monday, July 15: 4-mile run

Tuesday, July 16: yoga

Wednesday, July 17: intervals

Thursday, July 18: 4-mile run

Friday, July 19: exercise bike, 40 minutes

Saturday, July 20: 6-mile run

Sunday, July 21: rest

CHAPTER 18

It’s the evening of my fourteenth birthday, and I’m sitting on our back deck with Luna, Avery, Collin, Eliana, and a bunch of Avery’s other soccer friends.

I’m wearing my birthday gift from Celia—a new purple flowered shirt that’s identical to the one I stained the morning of the math exam, minus the smoothie spot. Luna and I just finished talking about No Matter the Distance, a verse novel I lent her last week after she told me she’s obsessed with dolphins, and now she and Eliana are bonding about rock climbing.

Avery’s sitting next to Collin, who’s very cute, with longish hair, olive skin, and a dimpled smile. He seems a whole lot more interested in breaking the world record for number of pizza slices consumed in one sitting than in talking to Avery, but maybe he’s just shy.

I eat a few more bites of pizza and pretend not to watch for Jonah. I saw his mom drop him and Quinn off right after I got home from babysitting, so I know he’s next door.

What if he didn’t want to come, but he didn’t know how to say no after I told him I wanted him here? I pick up my phone to text him there’s no pressure, but then I look up again and there he is. He’s wearing his blue collared shirt and carrying a Butter-finger I assume is for Avery, since those are her favorite, plus a small, wrapped present that must be for me. I picture him cutting wrapping paper to the right size and taping the ends in place, and for some reason that image is more than my heart can handle.

“Jonah!” Avery calls. “You came!”

“Happy almost birthday.” He hands her the Butterfinger, which she makes a fuss over, and then he walks toward me.

“Happy birthday, Grace.” He’s looking at my hair, which Celia helped me style, so even the side bangs are behaving. I put my hand up to—I don’t even know—check that it’s still there and still short?

“Thanks.”

Avery and I introduce him to everybody he doesn’t know, and then he sets the wrapped present on the deck railing and goes to grab some pizza.

A car pulls into the driveway. And then Dad comes up the deck stairs, calling, “Hello, hello! I come bearing a fourteenth birthday gift! Hey, a whole crew!”

That shouldn’t be a surprise, since I told him we were having people over at five when he asked what time he could stop by. But if he’s been in the zone writing, he might not have any idea what time it is.

“For you.” He hands me an envelope. “A gift certificate to On the Run. A little birdie told me you might be in the market for some new running gear.” He waves to Celia, who’s sitting with her boyfriend, Liam, across the deck.

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