* * *
The next two weeks I followed my relatively new routine. I went to school, hung out with the crew at lunch and after school, went to watch basketball practice, rehearsed for the concert and did my homework. I minimized any possible confrontations with my parents. It was easy to do since my parents were preoccupied with work and their own lives.
A few days each week, Patrick and I worked on our science fair project. There were deadlines we had to meet for Mr. D’s class to show our progress. He gave us feedback each time so we could improve our project. We took it to heart and worked harder and more diligently on it. It was important to me for us to do really well at the science fair. Since I never could be competitive in sports, it was my chance to compete in something I thought I was good at. Time will tell if I was able to.
Patrick wanted to do well, because, he strived for his best at everything he did. Also, based on the stories that Lindsey had shared about her experiences at the International Science Fair, he wanted to go too. Heck, so did I! It sounded like so much fun, parties and events every night, meeting other kids from all over the world, talking to Nobel Prize winners. Not to mention the scholarship money you could win. Some colleges even offered full-rides to their schools. The idea that you could be acknowledged for your hard work and get scholarships and free tuition was amazing. I wanted to be a part of it. And the week away from my parents was a definite additional plus.
As the Winter Formal approached, we made solidified our plans. The whole crew and their dates, or non-date in my case, planned to have dinner together. Cassie made the reservation for us.
Becca seemed to be increasingly more attentive to Patrick. Even more than usual. She would greet him outside almost every class. She would either wrap her arms around him and kiss him or rush up and tickle him. Becca even showed up one morning with peanut butter cookies all wrapped up in a bow for him. She made them. Who knew she could bake? I have to admit it was a nice move on her part. Aside from his mom and Lindsey’s cookies, peanut butter was his favorite. Patrick thought it was so cute and sweet. The thought, not the cookies.
It was a good thing that she gave him the cookies right before physics class, a class they didn’t have together. Because when he tried it, the look on his face was priceless. His eyes scrunched up and it was like his tongue was avoiding any contact with the food in his mouth. He didn’t have a napkin to spit it out in, so he used a sheet of paper. Patrick even used his sleeve to wipe the taste off his tongue. I laughed so hard that Mr. D had to tell me to quiet down.
“That bad, huh?” I chuckled, finally able to control my volume.
“Yeah. How could it look okay and taste so awful?” He stared at the pile of cookies. “Don’t tell her I said that.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t.” She won’t worry about what I thought about it anyway. I did feel a little bad for her and the fact that they didn’t turn out good. “It’s the thought that counts anyway. Her heart was in the right place, even if the ingredients weren’t.”
“I know. Liz, what do I tell her when she asks about them?” Panic started to set in. “I don’t want to lie, but…ugh. They were really bad. Here, try one.”
“Yeah. No, thanks. I trust you.” I giggled.
“Don’t laugh. What do I tell her?” He was starting to sound desperate.
What could he say? I stared at the pile of cookies then looked at his face and could tell he really needed something else to wash away the taste from his mouth. I handed him a bottle of water from my backpack. “Here. I think you need this more that I do right now.”
“Thanks.” He swished the water around his mouth before chugging it all down.
I pushed down another bout of laughter. “Tell her…They were unforgettable. That they tasted…like no other peanut butter cookie you’ve ever had.”
“Okay…but…do you think she’ll buy that? Won’t she ask how it tasted?” He was skeptical.
“Not if you quickly kiss her afterward.” I couldn’t believe I was telling him to kiss her. But I knew it would stop her curiosity. She could never accuse me of trying to drive them apart.
Falling (Bits and Pieces, Book 1) Page 58
