Lifted by Wendy Toliver

Author:Wendy Toliver
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Published: 2010-08-24T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“Seriously, Mom, we’ve got to get going,” I said, collecting her pumps.

Rubbing her temple, Mom looked up from the couch, where she’d been lounging all morning. “I’m glad you’re so zealous to get to school, but I have the worst headache. I’m going to need some coffee.” She lifted her feet off the ottoman and stretched her arms in the air. “I’ve been eager to try that little coffee shop on Second Street.”

“But—”

“I’ll get you one of those raspberry drinks you love.”

Clearly she wasn’t going to change her mind. I dropped the shoes at her feet and hurried to her office to fetch her briefcase. Twenty minutes later, Mom’s Volvo pulled up to a wannabe Starbucks. About a dozen cars sat in the dinky parking lot. I panicked. “Can’t you just get a coffee at a gas station?” I asked.

“Oh, don’t be silly,” Mom said. “This will just take a moment. I promise you won’t be late to school.” As we walked into the shop, she lowered her sunglasses and quirked her left eyebrow. “Since when have you been so bent on being to school early?”

“It’s just that I need to talk to someone. Before school starts. It’s important.” Oh, shit. There had to be twenty people in line, and the lone goateed guy behind the counter was more into chitchatting than concocting drinks, bagging up muffins, and sending patrons on their merry little way. When Mom finally dropped me off by the Calvary High sign, I only had fifteen minutes till morning service began.

I decided to tell Bridgette the truth—that I’d already asked Gabe and he’d accepted and I was too caught up in her empowered “out with the old and in with the new” moment to burst her bubble, blah blah blah. She might still be mad at me, but it was, I felt, the best I could do at this point. I waved good-bye to Mom and flew up the stairs and into the school, flinging greetings here and there as I sought out Bridgette Josephs.

Oh, no. Gabe was heading straight for me, straight for his locker, straight for Bridgette’s banner. I hadn’t bargained on meeting up with Gabe first, but I couldn’t let him get by. I jogged over to him and presented him with a huge smile, frantically juggling my thoughts. “Gabe, listen. I’m excited about going to Sadie’s with you . . .”

He snaked his arm around me, and his caramel-colored eyes gleamed. “Me too.” A group of girls rubbernecked as they walked by. Though I hated to admit it, there was a time I would’ve been drawn into the whole “Oh my God, the cutest boy at Calvary High is touching me!” mentality, but the fleeting thrill barely registered in my senses. Sure, Gabe Valdez might be pretty; but he was, I was sad to say, terminally uninteresting.

It was strange for a moment of clarity to hit me while Gabe’s arm rested on my shoulder and I was under major damage-control stress.

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