Knee-high Lies by Dawn Ford

Author:Dawn Ford [Ford, Dawn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-942462-15-6
Publisher: Splickety Publishing Group

Chapter 21

(Lie #10: Life is not about rainbows and butterflies.)

Avery stared unseeing at the Pizzeria’s menu. Thoughts stormed through her mind. If only there was someone she could ask about her mom or her dad. The only person she knew to ask or who would know anything besides her dad would have been her Aunt Penny. And if tonight was any indication, talking to her dad wouldn’t go anywhere.

Why couldn’t she have a nice, normal family instead?

Katie walked in, her face alight. Avery couldn’t help but grin despite her swirling emotions. She silently thanked God for her friend’s shining personality.

“Oh my gosh! What a day.” Katie whirled into the booth across from Avery. “Oh, shoot. I’m sorry. Your day was kind of messed up, too.”

If you only knew. She shook off the thoughts of her dad’s irate phone call. Instead, Avery waved her hand at her friend. “Let’s forget all about it and have some fun.”

Katie squealed in agreement.

Heavy scents of baking bread, spicy tomato sauce, and browning cheese filled the restaurant. Half a pizza filled Avery’s stomach, but she kept nibbling on the crusts and picking off meat and pieces of cheese. Katie chatted about the kids she had babysat that afternoon, but Avery’s mind kept going back to her mother’s yearbooks and the secrets they held.

Katie would think her mother’s past love life terribly romantic, but Avery didn’t want to confess she hadn’t known her mother went to high school in Valley. Katie would ask questions she couldn’t answer.

Why had her mom kept that information from her? What was the big secret?

Katie kept talking, oblivious to Avery’s distractions. A half-hour later, several cars pulled into the parking lot, and people filled the empty tables and booths. A table full of teenage guys chatted enthusiastically about the demolition derby.

“Looks like I gotta go pick up Michael from the fair.” Katie wiped her hands with a red-and-white checked napkin. She nudged Avery with her foot. “You want to come with and see your boyfriend?”

“I—” Five guys step into the Pizzeria. The sight of Jaxson took her breath away. A black cowboy hat, the sides of which curled up instead of lying flat, sat perched on his head. He had ditched his normal t-shirts for a designer gray shirt, and the boot cut jeans made him look slimmer than he already was.

The group walked toward their booth. Michael, Davis, and two others she didn’t know teased Jaxson and punched him in the shoulder. A blush graced his face.

“Hi.” Avery scooted over to allow Jaxson room to sit next to her. Michael sat next to his sister, and the other three grabbed empty chairs from the tables around the booth. Davis sat closest to Michael, his chair backwards so he draped his arms across the back of the seat. Avery sat in the corner of the booth, turned toward Jaxson, and had no way to avoid looking at Davis without getting a crick in her neck.

“I thought I had to pick you up?” Katie asked.

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