Holly's Heart Collection One (52 page)
Stan nodded and smiled, then made funny faces to make Jon laugh.
Kayla swaggered over to our table. “Looks like you could use some help here.” She reached for Chris, who was bouncing and chattering on my lap. Then she stood there with him, smiling at Stan, who was too busy with Jon to notice. Soon she left, taking chubby Chris back to her table, where her sister and three other girls were sitting.
When the waitress returned with my fries, I salted them and poured ketchup off to the side.
Danny cleared his throat. “Any idea what Proverbs 23:20-21 says?”
“Let me guess. Something about eating too much?” I smiled when Andie raised her eyebrows.
“Go ahead, tell her,” Stan said, egging him on. “Let her have it.”
Danny began to recite, “ ‘Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.’ ”
Andie clapped. I boiled. This wasn’t funny.
The other kids were settled at tables all around the restaurant, oblivious to what was happening. Slowly, I turned to face Danny. “Do you have any idea how high and mighty your remarks are?”
“They’re God’s words, not mine,” Danny said solemnly, still scowling at my French fries.
“Okay, then, what about
this
verse? First Corinthians 10:31: ‘So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.’ ”
“Bravo!” Andie said.
I glared at her. “Stay out of this.”
Her eyes widened as I took another bite.
Stan, embarrassed, excused himself, sliding out of the booth with little Jon. Andie moved out to make room for him. She shot me a weird look and helped Stan buckle Jon into the stroller.
“I need some fresh air,” Stan said, heading away from us, stroller and all.
“Just great, Danny,” I said. “Look what you’ve done. My cousin shows up for the first time for our youth group, and you go and scare him off.”
“Doesn’t look like he’s too scared to me.”
I turned to see Stan and Andie settling in at a quiet corner booth across the room. Looked like Andie was doing just fine without me. Mr. Macho Man pushed the stroller back and forth with his foot, while Andie chattered away.
Talk about split personality. Maybe now Andie would see Stan for who he was. How could a guy sneer at his cousin and carry on with two-year-olds all in the same day?
Disgusted, I turned my attention back to my French fries. “Well, never mind about Stan and Andie,” I told Danny. “
We
aren’t getting along. Not even close!”
“We aren’t?” Danny pushed his glass away and leaned on his elbow, frowning. “You’re upset again, is that it?”
“Look, do I have to spell this out for you?” I stood up.
He leaned back against the red vinyl seat, folding his arms.
Oh fabulous,
I thought.
He has to think this one through.
I couldn’t see myself hanging around for one of his profound responses. I grabbed my jacket and purse. “Bye, Danny,” I said, heading for the door.
Under my breath, I said, “Good-bye forever.”
THE TROUBLE WITH WEDDINGS
I stomped down the sidewalk and headed across the street toward the park, inhaling the brisk mountain air. Telling Danny off wasn’t as hard as I’d thought it would be. In fact, I hadn’t even planned on doing it—it just happened! And I didn’t feel one bit sorry.
When I spotted the swing sets in the park, I began to run. I needed to put some distance between me and bossy Danny Myers.
The park was buzzing with the sounds of little kids. Some were hanging upside down on the monkey bars, others were swinging higher than high, and three girls sat digging in the sandbox. Finding my favorite wooden bench near a clump of aspen trees, I sat down to think. Thinking didn’t always solve everything, but it helped. Not as much as praying, though.
The sun felt warm on my back, so I unzipped my jacket. Leaning back, I observed a giant cloud formation. A two-headed monster with floppy ears and a bushy mustache grinned down at me. Slowly…slowly, his grin faded and a triple-decker strawberry sundae took its place.
Ice cream!
I sat up thinking of the ice cream and French fries I’d ordered. Then I snickered. Danny had been stuck with the bill, and it served him right for hounding me about my food cravings. Somehow, hard as I tried, I couldn’t picture
Jared
acting that way.
Shoving thoughts of Danny out of my mind, I pulled a small tablet out of my purse and began writing my list from memory.
Jared must observe all of the following until Thanksgiving Day.
1. No flirting.
2. No talking to girls.
3. Must not accept phone calls from girls.
4. Must not accept letters, notes, or cards from girls.
5. Must not…
I felt someone watching me. Looking up, I jumped. It was none other than Jared Wilkins. He was gazing at me intently, holding my container of French fries. “Still hungry?” he asked.
I reached for it, smiling. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” He was still standing behind me, his brown hair picking up highlights from the sun.
“Did you see what happened with Danny and me back there?” I popped a French fry into my mouth.
“It was pretty obvious, don’t you think?”
“How’d you know I’d be here?” I asked.
“I pay close attention to details.” He winked. Then he grabbed my tablet off the bench.
“Jared…no!” I leaped up, reaching for my tablet. “That’s private!”
But he twisted away, and before I could stop him, he’d opened it.
“Some list you’ve got going,” he said, smiling.
“That’s none of your business,” I insisted.
“Does this mean I get the second chance we talked about?” he asked, holding the tablet high over his head.
“
We
didn’t talk about any such thing.”
“Oh, you’re right. It was my idea.” He handed the tablet back to me, leaning on the bench. “But you won’t be sorry if you do.”
“I haven’t promised anything.” I stepped back, secretly admiring him.
“But you are thinking about it, aren’t you?” He was pushing the second-chance idea hard. But why?
“Just look at the list again.” I opened the tablet and handed it to him. “I made it impossible, as you can see.”
“Whatever it takes,” he said, scanning the page, then shifting his gaze to me. A smile crept across his handsome face.
“What’s this
really
about, Jared?” I set my fries aside. “Why do you want to prove you’re not a flirt anymore?”
“You want the truth?”
I nodded, waiting for his answer.
His eyes grew sober. “There’s only one reason.” He took a deep breath. “I
miss
you, Holly. I want us to get along much better than before.”
My heart beat wildly. What was a girl to do? The best-looking guy in the entire universe had just declared his feelings. And I came
that
close to believing him!
I mustered up enough courage to spell out my plan. “Okay, here’s the deal,” I said, taking the tablet back. “I make a list of do’s and don’ts…”
I needed a name for my outrageous plan—fast. So I chose the same name I’d used in my story. “Uh, we’ll call it the Scrutiny Test to Analyze Nascence. You sign on the dotted line, and I watch and wait.”
“Nascence?” he said, coming around and sitting in the grass in front of me. “
That’s
a word?”
“Nascence is birth or growth…maturity. Like when a Christian reads the Bible and talks to God every day. Change happens—like a metamorphosis.”
“Sounds like Danny-speak,” he said.
I gasped. “Oh no. Really?”
He shook his head. “Just kidding.” Then he said, “Where do you get these words, anyway, Holly?”
“I read a lot. Sometimes even the dictionary.”
“The dictionary?” His eyes grew wide.
“Well, just when I’m bored.”
Stretching his arms over his head, he studied me. At least he wasn’t laughing. Not yet. “And what if I pass this Scrutiny Test to Analyze the Nascence of Jared Wilkins. What then?”
“What do you mean?” I said, knowing exactly what he was getting at.
“Will you be my girlfriend then?”
I laughed. “There’s
no way
you’ll pass.”
He leaned forward, looking more thoughtful than ever. “But what if I do?”
“I can’t promise anything.” It sounded heartless, but this boy had a reputation for flirting that didn’t quit. No way would it disappear in two months…or at all.
He reached over and picked up the French fry dish. “Guess I better return this to the Soda Straw.” Standing up, he brushed the grass from his faded jeans. “So when do we start this test of yours?”
“Tomorrow.” I stood up quickly. “And to keep it secret, let’s use the code word STAN—for Scrutiny Test to Analyze Nascence—get it? It’ll be perfect at school. Kids will think we’re talking about my cousin.”
I thought it might even drive Stan Patterson crazy if he overheard us talking about STAN. Who knows, it might irritate that stupid whistle off his neck. It was the perfect code word. I was a genius, after all!
“Whatever the writer says,” Jared replied.
“I’ll get to work on it.” Then I remembered the rewrite on “Love Times Two.” “Wait. I can’t have STAN ready by tomorrow.”
“Why not?” He looked positively crushed as he fell into step with me, heading for the street.
I told him about the new teen magazine
Sealed With a Kiss.
“The first issue comes out next month. Short stories for girls only.”
“Who’s the editor?”
“Marty Leigh, the best mystery writer of all time.”
“I’ve heard of her. Where’s her magazine published?”
I told him, wondering why he was so interested.
“I have to read your story when it comes out,” he said. “Now, how soon can we start STAN?”
“Monday,” I said. “That’ll give me the rest of the weekend to plan it.”
We were coming up on the Soda Straw. I hung back when Paula and Kayla—the orange-dress wonders—slinked down the steps waiting for Amy-Liz and her friends. Then I spotted Danny and Billy leaving the restaurant together.
“Guess you’d better go in without me,” I said.
“Yeah, I see what you mean,” Jared said, slowing his pace.
“Besides,” I added, “this could be your last chance to flirt before STAN starts.”
Jared smiled the dearest smile ever. “Test or no test, those days are over now, Holly. You’ll see.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. His words sounded like something straight out of my story assignment for Miss W’s composition class!
My heart sank as Jared ran across the street to the Soda Straw.
I missed him already. Too bad. There was no chance this side of the continental divide that the two-timer could ever
truly
reform deep down.
I ran to catch the city bus, slipping into a seat on the side facing the Soda Straw—hoping for one last glance of Jared.
He dashed up the walkway and toward the door without so much as a fleeting look at Paula Miller or any of the other girls.
Amazing. But was this too good to be true?
THE TROUBLE WITH WEDDINGS
I hopped off the bus a block away from Explore Bookstore. Carrie’s birthday party was probably going strong about now. I could almost hear the kids singing “Happy Birthday.”
Soft music greeted me as I opened the door to my favorite bookstore. Busy as usual. I headed to the stationery section. A diary was the perfect birthday gift for my sister. Now that she was nine, she could start to record the events of her life.
An array of diaries and journals of all styles, colors, and sizes were lined up on the shelf. Clothbound ones with pink polka-dot hearts and others wearing funky leopard print. There were fiveyear diaries with teeny-tiny locks and keys no bigger than a fat toothpick, and flowery ones with famous sayings inside. I stepped closer, opening the one with the tiny lock and key.
Behind me, I heard familiar voices. Turning, I noticed the Miller twins coming into the store. They saw me, too. I waved but secretly wished they’d leave me alone.
My wish didn’t work. Here they came, all smiles—those sugary ones. Kayla spoke first. “Hey, Holly. Buying a diary?”
“For my little sister,” I said, half ignoring her.
“I need to talk to you.” She moved closer. “Is Stan interested in Andie?”
I shrugged. “Don’t know.”
“They sat together at the Soda Straw, playing with Andie’s baby brothers for the longest time,” she said, prying for answers.
“I honestly don’t know, Kayla,” I said, inspecting a red fiveyear diary.
Paula spoke up. “What about Danny Myers?”
“What about him?” I kept my eyes on the row of journals.
“Are you still together?”
“What do
you
think?” I turned to see two sets of made-up brown eyes. Exactly alike.
“Andie said you and Danny had a fight,” Paula continued. “And you called it quits, and Jared ran off after you.”
“People come and people go,” I said flippantly.
How nosy can you get?
It was Kayla’s turn. “Paula likes Jared, you know.” She glanced at her twin, smiling.
“Really?” I said coolly, wondering why Paula couldn’t speak for herself. It made me feel weird seeing her all batty-eyed over Jared while I planned a scrutiny test to prove he was still a jerk.
Wait a minute!
A brilliant idea struck just then. Paula Miller could be prime Jared-bait. She was the perfect person to assist me with the STAN test.
“Jared’s lonely these days. Maybe you could help cheer him up, Paula,” I said.
She perked up her ears. “What do you mean?”
“He’s gotten some lousy press from the girls in this town. A rumor’s been going around about him being a smooth-talker, or…something like that.”
Paula’s eyes lit up. “Yeah, I know. Last spring when we first came to Dressel Hills, Andie warned us about him. She said he was rotten.” She batted her mascara-laden lashes. “But he seems nice enough to me.”
“Why don’t you give him a call sometime soon?” I picked up the pink polka-dot diary.
“Are you and Jared friends?” Paula asked.
