Don't Kiss Him Good-Bye (17 page)

Only one little thing I wasn’t looking forward to. Seeing Tommy and Chloe in her I’m-sure-it’s-not-awkward dress.

On my way downstairs I stopped by Louanne’s room. She was lying on her bed doing her homework. She wasn’t exactly beaming with joy, but she looked a little more chipper than she had for a few days.

“Everything okay?” I asked.

“Mmm-hmm,” she replied.

“I’ll bring a paper home for you on Thursday.”

At that, she smiled. “Thanks, Savvy.”

I hoped she’d thank me later when she saw my advice.

Then I headed down the creaking steps for a snack and to share the good news with my mother, who was getting caught up on her reading while Dad worked late.

“I have good news,” I said.

She set her book down on the sofa beside her. “Do tell!” she teased.

“Well, Penny’s mother belongs to this really swish garden club,” I said. “Lots of fancy people, but nice ones too, like Penny’s mum. Anyway, they have a garden party and tea the day after the May Day Ball. The mums come and discuss gardening and the girls all show up in their fancy—I mean
formal
—dresses and serve them. And you’re going to be invited.”

“Me?” Mom said. “Really?”

“Really,” I said. “And here’s the best part. One of the members can suggest you for membership, and if you’re voted in, you can join their club. You can tour the castle and manor gardens with them and everything.”

“Oh, that would be fantastic!” Mom snapped her book shut and leaped off the sofa. Next thing I knew, she was browsing and
mmm-hmm
ing titles on the bookshelf next to the telly.

“What are you doing?”

“Looking for my garden books. I need to brush up on my Latin plant names!” She pulled a volume off the shelf and cracked it open. When I left her she was happily muttering, “
Dellis hortensis
,
Hyacinthus elatus
.”

I grinned. It made me happy to make her elated, er,
elatus.

Chapter 35

On Wednesday Penny had a dentist appointment at lunch and I felt like sitting by myself in the courtyard. It was so, so beautiful out. The sun gleamed down from on high, and I felt its rays spread across my skin like Icy Hot all the way to my bones. I tilted my head toward the sun, hoping to lure those rays to my face.

Faceus the sunflowerus
, I thought and laughed out loud.

“What’s so funny? Care to share?”

I sat straight up and opened my eyes, trying to focus a little. “Oh, hey, Tommy.” I hoped my hair wasn’t splayed all over the place. “Nothing funny. I’m just happy. It’s sunny and I love England and I’m full of joy and it’s a beautiful day.”

Why did all that come out? I had just shared my heart with him. And he’d only asked me a simple question. I hoped he didn’t think I was, as the Brits said, “barking mad.”

He smiled at me. “Paper coming out tomorrow, eh?”

I nodded. It really was nice of him to remember that.

“I thought you did a great job on the Taylor Swift song at church. I’m glad I made it in enough time to hear you.”

“Were you at soccer—I mean, football?” I asked.

“Yep. I also invited a couple of people from school to come. But Bill was playing an away game, and Chloe and Maddie had too much homework.”

Ah. Must be their double dates. Tommy and Chloe, Bill and Maddie.

The passing bell rang, and I knew I had to hurry to literature and he was on his way to lunch. I stood and ran my hands through my hair so I’d be presentable in class.

“See you around,” I said, distancing myself.

“Keep that joy,” he said and headed into second lunch. Chloe was probably already there.

Rhys, too.

Chapter 36

I’d told Rhys that I’d meet him at Fishcoteque after school. He was there. But so was one of his mates. It seemed a little odd, but maybe his friend had already been there when he arrived.

I got a Fanta from Jeannie, who didn’t seem quite as cheery again that day. It bothered me, but I shrugged it off. Rhys’s friend disappeared back to the dart zone as soon as he saw me heading toward the booth. Rhys scooted over on his side of the booth, but I slid in across the table from him instead.

“How’s your day going?” he asked. “No more run-ins with Nasty Natalie?”

I grinned at the nickname. “Nope. She stays on her side of the ring, and I stay on mine.”

Rhys laughed. “I can’t imagine you boxing. You’re too
nice
.” The way he said it, it didn’t exactly sound like a wholehearted compliment. But I wasn’t going to be paranoid about it.

He sat across from me, silent, and I fiddled with the napkin, silent too. I had to admit, a certain part of me enjoyed the power of saying nothing when I knew he was expecting me to talk. For once I had the upper hand between us. Which was an odd thought, actually. I jumped right in.

“Thank you so much for inviting me to the May Day Ball,” I started out. “I’d really like to go, and I think we’d have a lot of fun as
friends.
” I emphasized the word
friends
.

“That’s great, Savvy,” he said. “I think we’ll have a great time. We can split the limo four ways with Ian—” he jerked his thumb toward the dart area, where his friend was playing—“and his date. I can let you know the cost later.”

Good. I liked that. Even though it would cost me more money if we were splitting the bill, it would seem more friendlike and less datelike. “Sounds good. Text me the total, and I’ll talk to my parents.”

“Maybe we could meet each other’s parents?” he suggested. “Have dinner together?”

“I don’t think we need to,” I said. “My parents haven’t met all of my
friends here
. And certainly not their parents.” Except for Penny, of course, but she was my best friend. “They’ll meet you when you come to pick me up.”

“Okay. I just thought they might want to, you know, get to know me a little better. Since we’ll be, uh, closer . . .
friends
.”

“No need,” I said.

“Oh, hey. Just a minute.” He waved Ian over and asked him for his phone. “I’m going to punch your number into Ian’s phone. My mum took mine earlier this week after I, well, uh, never mind why. But if you need me, text Ian. And if I need you, I’ll text you from Ian’s phone.”

Wow. He really wanted to make sure he could stay in touch with me at all times.

We chatted for a few minutes, with him well at ease and me ill at ease, and then I said I’d better head home. A thick fog capped the day as I rounded the corner of Cinnamon Street toward the warm glow of Kew Cottage.

Mom was cooking as I walked into the kitchen. I noticed a book on the counter. She peeked at it as she stirred whatever was on the stovetop.

I glanced at the cover of the book as I headed to the fridge for a snack.

“Good day?” she asked.

“Yep!”

“Good! I have a great idea. On Saturday let’s go to that shop you’ve been talking about—Be@titude—and see if we can find you a great dress and some shoes.”

That perked me up. “Sounds great!” I dug around in the fridge till I found a jar of mandarin orange slices to take upstairs to my room. Once there, I sat on the floor with my jar and a fork and my guitar.

I looked at the music for a while, trying to decide what to practice next. I forked a few mandarin oranges till I realized how much the chubby slices looked like the koi in Aunt Tricia’s backyard pond. I was no fanatic like Louanne, but even I couldn’t eat them after that.