That's What's Up! by Paula Chase

Author:Paula Chase
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp.
Published: 2012-02-06T16:00:00+00:00

Road Trippin’

“Let’s make our move and get into a little something.”

—KeKe Palmer, “Keep it Movin’ ”

It’s only a sleepover.

It’s only a sleepover.

Lizzie mouthed the words over and over as she stood watch at the front door.

She peeped out of the side window panels, her body rigid with anticipation. The house’s silence soothed her nerves, momentarily, as she repeated her mantra, “It’s only a sleepover.”

The muscles in her neck loosened and her shoulders relaxed until her mind kicked in its own reminder: A sleepover, over one hundred miles away ... in a condo full of guys.

She smushed her forehead against the pane, pleading with her brain to not go there. The coolness relieved the heat burning through her face. She closed her eyes and took a few calming breaths, the same thing she did when she was preparing for an audition.

In a way, this was an audition. If she pulled off this caper she’d join the ranks of every teen who had ever successfully pulled one—a real whopper—over on their parents. It was the one role she’d never mastered because of that pesky inability to lie thing.

She chuckled bitterly, torn because as nervous as she was, as queasy as she felt, she was also excited.

Nausea rolled in a soft fluid wave.

Brian would be pulling up any second now. In a few hours, she’d be in O.C. spending the night with her crush.

A smile crept across her face and the wave of nausea rolled back out.

The truth was she could beg off, tell the clique the truth—she was scared of getting caught and in trouble. But she hadn’t and wouldn’t because Todd was completely cool if she chickened out. He’d told her so the other day when she admitted being nervous.

“You’re a total rebel. That’s hot,” Todd had said, flashing his goofy grin at her. He was so cute, it made Lizzie’s toes curl. Then he’d grown serious. “But, if you don’t want to, just tell Cinny.” He chuckledas he added, “I’ll have your back when she goes off.”

It made her want to go even more, knowing she didn’t have to pretend to be something she wasn’t, because she so wasn’t a rebel. But she was ready to live a little.

Lizzie blew her hot breath on the cool window and drew a heart in the steam. She jumped when her cell phone bleated, the loud ring echoing in the silent house.

“Hey Mom,” she said, her heart racing.

“Have you left yet?”

“Nope. Still waiting on Brian to drop me over to Cinny’s.” The half-truth slid out of Lizzie’s mouth surprisingly easily.

“Well, Dad and I are going to the Inner Harbor tomorrow. Do you girls want to ride with us? We can pick you up from Jacinta’s.”

Lizzie’s mouth went dry. She blanked out, brought back only by her mom’s voice calling, “Lizzie? Did I lose you? Stupid cell ...”

“No, I’m still here,” Lizzie answered. “Umm, remember I told you we were going to the movies?”

“Oh, I thought that was tonight,” her mom said.“Okay.Well have fun.

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