Roll by Darcy Miller

Author:Darcy Miller
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2017-03-07T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 16

AIDEN DOESN’T ANSWER his phone.

I try calling him at three o’clock.

And then at four.

And at five.

It’s almost seven before he finally picks up.

Seven.

“Hey.”

I almost drop the phone, I’m so surprised to actually hear his voice.

Well, no. That’s an exaggeration. The phone remains firmly in my grasp. But I’m trying to make a point.

“Hey.” I clear my throat. “You answered.”

“Yeah, sorry.”

I wait for the excuse. That he just got home. That he didn’t bring his cell with him to the pool. That he did, but it was dead.

Not that I would have believed him. Just because I don’t have a cell phone doesn’t mean I don’t understand how they work. I’ve seen enough TV to know when someone is dodging a call.

Only Aiden doesn’t make an excuse. “So what’s up?” he asks instead.

Other than the fact I’ve been calling him all afternoon? “Not much.”

There’s a beat of silence.

“I didn’t know you were hanging out with those guys today,” I blurt out. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Kurt called after I got home. Why didn’t you tell me you were going to be hanging out with your neighbor?” Aiden counters.

“I didn’t know I was going to,” I say quickly. “Sutton called right after you left. I was going to tell you about her,” I add. “She has these pigeons, and I’ve been helping out with them. Some. In the mornings.”

“So what? She’s some sort of goth FFA chick?”

FFA stands for the Future Farmers of America. A bunch of kids from school are involved in it, mostly the ones whose parents farm for a living. They raise rabbits, or calves, or things like that, and show them at the county fair. It’s kind of a big thing around here.

“She’s not goth,” I say automatically, even though I’m not technically sure that’s true. Now that I think about it, Sutton does wear a lot of black. But then again, so does Neil deGrasse Tyson, and he’s definitely not goth. An awesome scientist? Yes. Goth? No.

I’m getting off track.

“It’s not an FFA thing,” I explain. “She and her dad are doing it together. Like a hobby. It’s more popular than you’d think. Mike Tyson raises pigeons.”

“The boxer? The one who bit that guy’s ear off?”

“I think they reattached it,” I say. “Anyway, Sutton’s cool. You’ll like her.”

“Yeah, okay. Listen, I should go. I’ve got to shower.”

“Wait,” I say, before he can hang up on me. I nervously switch the phone to my other ear. “Is everything okay?” The words come out in a rush, all smushed together.

“Yeah, of course,” Aiden replies. His words sound smushed, too. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“I don’t know. I guess I just . . . It’s weird, seeing you with Kurt and those guys.”

“I told you we’ve been hanging out,” Aiden says. “You knew we were. It’s not a big thing, okay?”

“Okay,” I agree.

Aiden’s right.

I know he’s right.

It’s not a big thing.

“It’s just . . .” I can feel another blurt coming on. “You didn’t invite me to go swimming with you.

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