You Have Seven Messages by Stewart Lewis

Author:Stewart Lewis [Lewis, Stewart]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2011-09-12T21:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 24

TREADING WATER

The next day after school I find myself at Rachel One’s house. I was in a daze all day, just going through the motions, and when she asked me to come over, I just said yes without even thinking about it. Now, in her chocolate-brown-and-pink-trimmed room, with pictures of Zac Efron and Penn Badgley everywhere, I feel like I have to get to the bottom of something.

“Why do you want to be friends with me again?”

She brushes her golden locks, which she does so much it’s a wonder they don’t just fall off.

“It’s not that we weren’t friends, it’s just, you sort of went off the deep end for a while.”

“Isn’t that when you need friends the most?”

“Babe, I tried. Remember? You told me I should go back into my Barbie box.”

Did I say that? I hold back a smile.

“Fair enough. But I’m still skeptical.”

“You’ve always been that way.” She holds up her butter fly hair clips. “Now, what do you think, purple or blue?”

Like I care. Still, I humor her. “Blue, definitely. Matches your eyes.”

“Okay, now tell me, who is it?”

“What?”

“You’ve been walking around school in a romantic haze. I’m no Einstein, but I know when someone is in love. C’mon, I want dish. Who is it?”

Is it that obvious? I feel myself blushing yet again. I suppose if there’s anyone who’s going to get it out of me, it’s Rachel One.

“Well, he lives across the street from me. He plays the cello.”

“Sounds McDreamy. Name?”

“Oliver.”

She starts applying lip liner for what I assume to be the tenth time today. “Good name. Old money.”

As if on cue, Rachel One’s mother comes to the door, asking if we want a snack. She is so perfectly put-together she looks almost grotesque. When you try too hard, sometimes it has the opposite effect. It may be that she’s had too much work done on her face.

“Sure,” I say. Rachel looks at me like I’m crazy to even consider putting something in my mouth, let alone swallowing it.

“Which Hampton do they summer in?”

I have to laugh at this question coming from a fifteen-year-old, but I answer it nonetheless.

“His dad lives in Easthampton, but I think his parents are … separated.”

“Hmm.”

Rachel is now inspecting her pores and, at the same time it seems, devising a plan. Although I’m not opposed to beauty tips, that’s about as far as I’ll go in letting Rachel get involved in the Oliver situation.

Her mother comes back with rice cakes and dried apricots and places them on the desk, along with a bottle of Pellegrino, which never fails to remind me of my father. I’m going to have to talk to him once and for all, and get things completely out in the open.

When her mother leaves, Rachel turns away from the mirror and looks at me.

“How far have you gone?”

“We’ve only kissed. But he’s so sweet. He helped me with … stuff. But the other day he totally changed. Like, his face turned cold and he said he had to work on his cello a lot for his upcoming recital.

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