Believing (Lily Dale #2)(16)

Just like you never go around thinking that every conversation you have with someone could be your last, so you better pay attention, and get everything said.

Now I’ll never know about Mom in high school. Unless . . .

She can always ask Gammy. Or Ramona.

But that’s not the same.

And nothing ever will be, she reminds herself glumly, so you’d better get used to it.

“Calla! How’s it going?”

She turns to see Blue standing there, looking hotter than hot, as usual. He’s wearing a blue-and-red hooded Buffalo Bills sweatshirt, and his backpack is slung casually over one shoulder.

“Oh, hi. Listen, I have to tell you something,” she blurts, trying to gather her scrambled thoughts.

“Yeah? What’s that?”

“I can’t go out tomorrow night after all because my dad is coming to visit.”

“Yeah?” Looking completely unfazed, he asks, “How about next Saturday night then? I’ve got a soccer game on Friday, so . . .”

“Next Saturday? Uh . . . sure! Definitely.”

“Great. See you later, okay?”

“Sure.” Calla turns back to her locker, smiling as she twirls the combination lock.

She’ll have to remember to call Lisa back later and fill her in about school—and Blue.

So far, she’s off to a pretty good start, just as Lisa, the so-called psychic, predicted.





For the second day in a row, Calla stands in the cafeteria with a tray, looking around for a place to sit.

Only this time, she bought only a yogurt and a container of grapes instead of the hot lunch—baked macaroni and cheese. That smelled and looked good, but Odelia stuffed Calla full of zucchini frittata for breakfast, and she’s not that hungry.

There’s Blue, sitting with the same group of guys. She hesitates, wondering if she should go over there and talk to him.

Seeing him throw back his head and laugh at something one of the Ryans says, she decides not to approach him now. She’d feel too self-conscious with all the other guys there.

Not that she doesn’t feel pretty self-conscious anyway, just standing here alone with her tray.

She looks around for Jacy, thinking maybe she’ll work up the nerve to go over and talk to him about the stuff that’s been happening to her here. There’s no sign of him, but Sarita has spotted her and is waving her over. She’s sitting at a table in the far corner with a girl who has her back to Calla, but she can tell it’s Willow by the gorgeous mane of dark, shiny hair.

Relieved and grateful, Calla weaves her way toward them. Willow was in a few of her classes this morning, but they were kept so busy there was no time to talk. Unlike Calla’s school back in Florida, there’s no coasting into academics as the school year gets under way. Here, bang—day two, and you’re in the thick of it.

“Hi, want to eat with us?” Sarita asks, pulling out the empty chair beside her.

“Sure, thanks.” She sits, and notices that Willow is awfully busy peeling an orange. She pulls off the last wedge of peel, then goes to work removing every thread of white membrane.

“How’s everything going for you guys today?” Calla asks a little uneasily, and Sarita tells her everything is great. Willow looks up briefly, says, “Okay,” and goes back to the orange.

There’s a definite chill coming off her today that wasn’t there yesterday.

She knows, Calla realizes. She knows I’m seeing Blue again.

For a moment, she’s glad she didn’t go over and talk to him just now. The last thing she needs is for Willow to spot them together.

Then she realizes that’s ridiculous. Willow and Blue are broken up. He can talk to—and date—other girls if he wants to.

Yeah, but Willow doesn’t have to be friends with those girls.

“So, what were you saying about that trip your parents are planning?” Willow asks Sarita as Calla unwraps her straw.

Sarita goes back to what she was saying before Calla arrived. It’s a good thing she talks a lot, Calla decides by the time the lunch period is over, because there was no awkward silence, and there might have been. Sarita and Willow are both on the homecoming dance committee, and they’re working on a flyer. Sarita at least asked Calla for some input—not that she had anything worthwhile to add—but Willow didn’t say much to her at all.

It isn’t that she’s being particularly rude or cold-shouldering Calla. She seems more . . . detached. Or maybe even hurt. Sad.

She still cares about Blue, Calla realizes. They might be broken up, but that probably wasn’t her idea.

Just like what happened with Kevin and me.

And if Calla found herself sharing a lunch table with his new girlfriend,Annie, she probably wouldn’t be all that chatty, either.

Oh, well. What does any of this matter? She’s not staying in Lily Dale forever. She’ll be heading out to California soon enough for a fresh start.

Only . . .

She can’t go until she’s taken care of unfinished business here.

Again, she looks around for Jacy. He’s not here.

That will have to wait.





“Calla?” Mr. Bombeck, who is wiry and middle-aged, with thick glasses and a swoop of graying hair, comes to a halt beside her desk. He looks over her shoulder at the pop quiz in front of her. “Is there a problem?”