Thirteen by Lauren Myracle

Author:Lauren Myracle
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2008-09-09T04:00:00+00:00

I didn’t see Lars and I didn’t see Lars and I didn’t see Lars. And why? Because he was in high school now—duh—and the high school buildings were in a different part of the campus than the junior high. It was unnerving to think of him out there in high school land, doing high school things with other high school kids. High school kids like my very own sister, Sandra, who was a senior now, which blew my mind.

Not that Sandra and Lars would move in the same circles. To us lowly eighth graders, the ninth graders were hot stuff. But to the seniors? They were nothing but lowly freshmen, just as the seventh graders, to us seasoned eighth graders, were nothing but scrawny, trembling newbies.

But the junior high and the high school shared the same cafeteria, and depending on which lunch you had, it was possible for an eighth grader and a ninth grader to cross paths. That’s what I was hoping for, and that’s what I got. I passed Lars as he was exiting the cafeteria, and he grinned at me and saluted. Saluted! So cute!

And oh my God, he’d only gotten more gorgeous since the beginning of the summer. His dark hair was longer, and his shoulders were broader. He was a total guy in his slouchy jeans and untucked button-down, and I had the crazy thought that I didn’t know him anymore, this world-traveler-stud-boy with squinty hazel eyes. It threw me into a state of panic, no doubt because of too much nervous anticipation for this very moment.

“Off to class?” I managed, moving out of the throng of lunch traffic so we could talk.

“Nah, I’ve got a free,” he said. He paused, too, but his eyes followed his buddies as they headed out the door. He focused back on me.

“Going to hang out on the quad?” I said. “Soak up some rays?”

“You know it.”

“Nice.”

He glanced at the door. “Well…”

“Well…”

“Guess I’m out of here,” he said. “Enjoy the fried chicken.”

“Yessir,” I replied. He grinned, and my heart soared.

When I caught up with Dinah and Cinnamon, I told them they had to eat fast so we could get to the quad before Lars’s free period ended. They were dear darling sweeties and complied, scarfing down their chicken in record time while I nibbled a few bites of my own and tried to think of clever conversation openers. We put away our trays, made a speedy bathroom pit stop, and headed outside.

“There he is!” Cinnamon squealed, spotting him under a tree with his best friend Bryce and two girls I didn’t recognize.

“Yes, I know,” I said. “Time to hush now.”

“Geez Louise, when’d he get so tall?” Dinah asked.

“Shut up shut up shut up,” I said under my breath.

“Crap, Winnie, he’s, like…gorgeous,” Cinnamon said.

“Is there something about ‘close your pie hole’ that you don’t understand?” We were within yards of him. My palms grew sweaty.

“Lars, hi!” Cinnamon called out. “Long time no see!”

Lars glanced up. A smile stretched across his face.

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