by Denise Vega
“I put Serena in your group because I think she—well, I think you could be a positive influence on her.”
I sighed. I just wanted to design the coolest school website ever. I didn’t want to have to be a positive influence on anyone. It would be hard enough trying to be cool and competent in front of Reede.
And why do adults always do that anyway? Just when you’re brave enough to say what you really feel, they force you to do what they want by giving you a compliment. It was some kind of twisted adult psychology and it was really annoying.
“And I put Reede in your group because she asked me to.”
“What?”
Ms. Moreno smiled. “I think her exact words were, ‘Erin Swift seems to be the computer and web expert around here. Can you put me in her group?’ ”
“She called me an expert?” I hated how eager my voice sounded, as if Reede’s opinion was this big important thing. And yet, I had to admit it was.
“She did,” Ms Moreno said. “I know you have a lot of ideas, too, but I think she’ll bring a lot to the website.”
I had more than a lot of ideas. I had an entire flowchart of the website, plus several mock-ups for the “look and feel,” since Ms. Moreno hinted last year that I might be in charge of it. But I did feel a little better knowing Reede had told Ms. Moreno she wanted to work with me.
“I’m sure she will,” I said. I hoped she’d really add something and not just want to use all of her ideas and tell me what to do.
CHAPTER 14
COMMUNICATION CONFUSIFICATION
MY PARENTS THOUGHT IT WAS wonderful that Ms. Moreno had “such confidence” in me to be a positive influence on Serena. I groaned and told them it was all just a big conspiracy by the adults to praise me into doing what they wanted. They gave each other the she’s-thirteen-and-we-have-to-expect-this look and my dad said they knew I’d do the right thing.
Argh. Sometimes I’d like to do the wrong thing, just to shake people up.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Jilly said after I explained everything on the phone that night. “What does Ms. Moreno think? That you and Serena will suddenly be best friends?”
“I know.” Finally someone who got it. I dropped down on my bed. “I can’t believe I’m supposed to worry about Serena. I just want to make a good website.”
“You’ll be great,” Jilly said. “Do you know what it’s going to look like yet?”
“I do.” I flipped through the flow charts I’d pulled out of my backpack. “But Ms. Moreno wants me to get Reede involved in the design, too.”
“Ms. Moreno sure is asking you to do a lot of extra stuff.”
“Tell me about it,” I said. “But maybe Reede will have some good ideas.” It was easier to be nice about Reede with Jilly so clearly on my side.
“Yeah, like how to wear too much makeup and still have all the guys drooling over you,” Jilly said. I heard her bed squeak and then her cell ringtone. “Jon’s texting. Can’t wait for Saturday!”
After we’d hung up and I’d finished my homework, I went downstairs and got online. Mark sent me an IM right away.
Slamdunk12: E, u there?
Webqueen429: Yep.
Slamdunk12: So r we hooping this wkend or what?
Webqueen429: Sun @ 11?
Slamdunk12: Be there or be a puppet.
Webqueen429:
My computer dinged.
BoardMan218: Erin?
Webqueen429: Hey, Blake.
BoardMan218: Wassup?
Webqueen429: Not much. U?
Slamdunk12: E? E? U on w/ some1 else?
Webqueen429: NOYB.
Slamdunk12: Is it that Bloke? How’s he doing?
Webqueen429: How’s Kara doing?
Slamdunk12: Ok. Ok. So how’d it go w/ Moreno?
Webqueen429: I’m still stuck w/ SW. My parents said that Ms. Moreno wouldn’t have done it if she didn’t think I was the right person, blah, blah, blah. But sometimes I don’t want 2 be that person, u
I waited. I wondered what he was thinking as he stared at the screen, reading my words. Did he understand? Did he think I was stupid? Or maybe he was IMing Kara separately. Or watching ESPN.
Webqueen429: U there?
Slamdunk12: Yeah. Just—lotsa words 4 IM.
Webqueen429:
Slamdunk12: What u said makes sense. I no what u mean. Did you do the history homework yet?
I smiled. Mark was still Mark, no matter what.
Webqueen429: Yep. U?
BoardMan218: Erin? Where’d you go? Wassup?
Webqueen429: Sorry. Not much. U?
BoardMan218: Same. You IM’ing some1 else?
Slamdunk12: E? Get off w/ Loverboy & talk 2 me. I need homewk help.
Webqueen429: Don’t call him that.
Slamdunk12: Ah ha! u R talking 2 Bland.
Webqueen429: Shut up.
Slamdunk12: A little touchy, aren’t u?
I furrowed my brow. I wasn’t touchy. I just didn’t want to talk about it.
Webqueen429: Is there a reason for this convo or what?
Slamdunk12: Fine. Yes. I’m wondering if u’ll help a struggling student?
Webqueen429: Maybe u’re not struggling, just lazy?
BoardMan218: Erin? What r u talking about?
Oops. How did Blake’s window pop up over Mark’s?
Webqueen429: Sorry. Someone needed homework help & I got mixed up.
BoardMan218: Who is it?
Slamdunk12: E? Come on. Quit leavin me hangin.
Webqueen429: Just a friend.
BoardMan218: That’s wat they all say. What’s his name?
Slamdunk12: I’m logging off. Call me when u r not so busy w/ your BF.
I waited but Mark didn’t say anything else. I clicked on Blake’s window.
Webqueen429: They logged off. Can’t wait 4 Sat!
BoardMan218: Me either. & we need that foosball rematch.
Webqueen429: U like 2 suffer.
BoardMan218: U wish—Gtg
Webqueen429: c u
I was sweating and my breath was coming fast when I logged off. Whew. That was close.
Thursday, September 18
THINGS THAT MAKE ME WONDER
Why can’t I tell BT about MS?
Why can I tell MS about BT?
Will my I-Club group be a total disaster?
Why am I always asking questions that have no answers?
HOT— —METER
#1 Blake Thornton—totally gorgeous 9th grade mountain surfer
#2 Dylan Beaumont—taken, but cute
#3 Mark Sacks—the hair, the butt in shorts—need I say more?
#4 Tyler Galleon—well, not exactly hot but definitely on the Cute-o-Meter, mostly cuz of that dimple I never saw before
#5 Mr. Perkins
THINGS THAT ARE PRETTY COOL
Reede told Ms. Moreno I’m a web expert.
Jilly understands my pain.
Mark & I can joke about our BF/GF sitch.
THINGS THAT ROCK
I’m going out w/ Blake on Sat!!!
CHAPTER 15
THE MAKE-OUT SHUFFLE
JILLY, BUS BOY, AND BLAKE showed up at exactly three thirty-five Saturday afternoon. I know this because I was standing just inside the living room so I had a clear view of both the front walk through the window and the clock on the mantle above the fireplace. As Blake walked his bike up the driveway, I stepped back into the hallway and scurried back about halfway. When the doorbell rang, I stood there counting. I didn’t want to look too eager.
“Do you want me to get it?” Chris said as he pounded down the stairs.
“No. Yes. No!” I shoved him away and strode down the hall, ignoring the kissy noises and laughter behind me. Talk about immature.
Blake stood on my front porch, looking ultra cute with his spiked blond hair and oversized T-shirt and baggy shorts. Jilly and Jon stayed on the sidewalk, their bikes leaning against them as they talked. Blake and I smiled at each oth
er as he stepped inside. I had a brief flutter as he turned his face to me. Was he going to kiss me right here in the foyer, with my brother possibly spying?
Nope.
He had caught his reflection in the mirror hanging above the entry table and patted his hair with his hand.
“Can I get a glass of water?” Blake asked. “I forgot my water bottle at home.”
My mom came in as Blake was sucking down the last drops.
“Good to see you again, Mrs. Swift,” he said to her.
“You, too, Blake,” my mom said.
“My dad said you designed the website for one of his clients. I checked it out and it’s really cool.”
“I appreciate that, Blake,” she said, then patted his arm. “You don’t need to butter me up. I know you’re a nice boy.”
Blake blushed, then grinned. “So, you’ve been listening to lies about me, then?”
My mom laughed. “You four have fun. Do you need any money?”
“I’ve got some,” I said, backing away toward the door.
“Remember, straight there and straight back,” my mom said to me. “No stopping.”
“Don’t worry about it, Mom.” I hustled Blake out of there as fast as I could.
At Dairy Queen, Blake ordered a mint chocolate chip Blizzard and I had the Blizzard of the Month—something with bananas in it. I didn’t really pay attention because Blake was gripping my elbow, standing so close behind me I could practically feel his breath in my hair.
The four of us ate at one of the tables, talking about whatever came to our minds; I was just happy to listen to Blake’s voice and look into his amazing blue eyes. He was really into video games so he talked a lot about his Nintendo Wii and Xbox and I talked about our Playstation.
“You’ll have to come over and play games sometime,” he said.
Me? At Blake Thornton’s house? I swallowed my freak-out and smiled. “That would be cool.”
Jilly and Bus Boy talked about school and homework and whether or not Bus Boy would do well on the Wash High soccer team. When we were finished, we walked our bikes across the street toward the park. Blake gave me a smile before turning to Jilly and Bus Boy.
“We’re under strict orders to go straight back,” he said to them.
My cheeks warmed. Why was he announcing it?
“Straight means taking the inside path through the trees,” Bus Boy said, pointing across the park. “We’re staying on this path.”
Blake looked at me and shrugged. “I guess it’ll just be the two of us through the trees.”
I smiled. So that’s why he announced it.
After promising to meet up with Jilly and Bus Boy on the other side of the park, Blake motioned me to follow him. “Come on. I want to show you something.”
Huh. I had thought this was a scheme to get us alone, but Blake looked all tour guide as we wound our way along the path, circling groves and benches along the way.
“What is it?” I asked. “A bird’s nest?” What else could you show someone in a park?
“You’ll see,” was all he said.
He veered off the path near a grove of trees and leaned his bike against one of them. I did the same. He took my hand and we walked between two trees. “Look,” he said, pointing up. I followed his finger, squinting into the branches as we kept walking.
The next thing I knew, he was kissing me. After I got over my surprise, I kissed him right back and we kept kissing, shuffling beneath the branches in an awkward dance. When we stopped kissing, we kept shuffling and I grinned.
“What do you call that?” I asked.
“The make-out shuffle,” he said and we both laughed. “We’re not stopping and we’re going straight back—sort of.”
I threw my arms around him and kissed him again. “You’re the best.”
We raced each other to the edge of the park, where we hooked up with Jilly and Bus Boy. Jilly raised her eyebrows, and I raised mine back. We both smiled before pushing off and riding toward home.
I was desperate to kiss Blake good-bye when we got back to my house but I didn’t know who might be watching so I settled for a thanks and a wave.
“See you soon, Erin Swift,” Blake said as he rode away.
“That was nice of all of them to ride back with you,” my mom said when I stepped inside.
“Were you watching from the window?”
My mom laughed. “Yes, I was.” She patted my arm. “Do you like him a lot?”
I shrugged. I did, but I didn’t want to tell her for some reason.
Mom sighed. “Well, he seems very nice.” She turned toward the kitchen. “It’s funny, I always thought—well, it doesn’t matter.” She looked over her shoulder at me. “Dinner’s almost ready. I hope you’re hungry after ice cream.”
I hardly registered food. I was focused on the other part. “What, Mom? You always thought what?”
She smiled. “It’s nothing really, Erin. I just assumed that you and Mark—” She paused, then shook her head. “But I can see there aren’t any sparks between you and I’d rather you were just friends with all these boys anyway. You know I was friends with your dad—”
“—for six years before you married him,” I finished. “Yes, I know. You’ve told me a million times.” I sighed. “Don’t worry. Blake is really great and easy to talk to. I think we’ll be good friends.” Good friends with kissing benefits, but I wasn’t going to tell her that.
“How was the big date?” Chris came into the kitchen, grabbing an apple.
“It wasn’t a date,” my mom and I said at the same time.
But with all the kissing that had gone on, I knew it kind of was.
Saturday, September 20
I think I’m officially in deep like. I really can’t believe I’m kissing a boy… esp one like BT. & I’m trying not 2 think about how many other girls he might have brought 2 that spot between the trees.
HOT— —METER
#1 Blake Thornton—totally gorgeous 9th grade mountain surfer
#2 Dylan Beaumont—taken, but cute
#3 Mark Sacks—the hair, the butt in shorts—need I say more?
#4 Tyler Galleon—well, not exactly hot but definitely on the Cute-o-Meter, mostly cuz of that dimple I never saw before
#5 Mr. Perkins
Weird about my mom. Does she c something in Mark that I don’t anymore? Or is it just cuz she knows him better than the other guys in my life that she thought we might get 2gether? (Or cuz he’s been pretty much the only guy in my life until recently?) But she said she didn’t see any sparks. Why is she even looking 4 them? And why do I care? I really don’t want my mom thinking about my love life.
Blake e-mailed me five times 2nite & called 2 say g-nite. Beyond sweet.
Tomorrow I shoot hoops w/ Mark. I’m looking forward 2 it and feeling a little guilty 2.
CHAPTER 16
THANK YOU FOR NOT SMOKING
SHOOTING HOOPS AT THE Y with Mark after making out with Blake the day before was, well, different. I felt more confident, like Mark and I were equals, which was weird. And I could flirt a little with him without it meaning anything since he knew about Blake.
“You’re sure on your game today,” Mark said when we took a water break after I beat him two out of three.
“I’d have been more on it if you hadn’t fouled me on those two layups,” I said, nudging him with my elbow so he spilled his water.
“Hey,” he said, elbowing me back. “And those were not fouls. They were totally legal.” He flicked some water at me.
I flicked some back.
He held up his water bottle. “You want to start something?”
I held up mine. “Only if I can finish it.”
We stood there, facing off with our water bottles, before we both laughed and drank.
“That was fun,” I said as we stepped outside the Y to wait for our rides. It occurred to me that my mom never seemed bothered about me being alone with Mark. I guess it was because she’d never see
n sparks. She knew it was safe.
“So, Reede’s coming over to your house next weekend?” Mark asked as we sat down on the low brick walls, our basketballs resting on our laps.
“Yeah.” She and I had been talking about getting together to plan the website. I had wanted to go to her house and meet her dad and see what kind of equipment and software they had but she said they were still disorganized from the move so we planned to meet at my lame house. She was all excited to hear I had an older brother but I warned her he was weird and taken.
“That just makes it more interesting,” she had said.
Saturday morning Reede showed up at my house wearing tight jeans and a lace top. When she pulled off her jacket, her shirt hitched up and I saw her belly button ring glint in the light. She wore her usual amount of makeup and her hair was curled. She caught me checking her out and grinned.
“You never know who you might run into.”
“He’s asleep,” I said, getting it.
“He’ll wake up.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder. “And I’ll be ready.”
“You haven’t even seen him. You don’t know him.”
She smiled. “I’ve seen you. I know you. If he’s anything close to a boy version of you, we’re in business.”
I shook my head, but couldn’t help smiling at the compliment.
“How’s your high school hunk?”
My cheeks warmed. “Fine,” I said, walking to the kitchen table. “Let’s brainstorm at the table, then we can get on the computer.”
“Cool,” Reede said. “I understand if you don’t want to share the intimate details. Looks like you took it to hot without my help. Congratulations.” As she scanned the room, I noticed she didn’t have anything with her. No folders or notebooks or anything else. Maybe she had a flash drive in her pocket. “Your house is awesome,” she said, then glanced out the kitchen window to the backyard. “Think I could sneak out back for a cig? I didn’t get my morning drag and I don’t think I’ll be able to concentrate until I do.”
Smoking? Here? My parents had gone to the hardware store but Chris might come down any minute. I glanced at the clock. Ten. He usually didn’t get up until noon, but still…
