Surfside Sisters(14)
“Why no, Keely, that didn’t even occur to me,” Isabelle answered sarcastically.
“Okay, let’s think. Who does he hang out with?”
“Anyone he wants.”
“You’re beautiful,” Keely stressed. “You’re popular. You’re—”
“Stop it, Keely. Just stop it. You have no idea how it feels to be in love with a guy. Seriously, truly, painfully in love. Hopelessly in love.”
If only you knew, Keely thought. She flashed on the foolish vow she’d made with cooking sherry and seashells, her vow never to tell Isabelle that she loved Sebastian. “Let’s go to my house and eat everything in the kitchen.”
Isabelle snorted. “Food as therapy. I’ve got a better idea. Let’s go to my house, sneak some of my parents’ booze, and get drunk.”
“Not my favorite thing to do,” Keely said.
Isabelle sighed theatrically. “Fine. Let’s go stuff our faces.” Linking her arm through Keely’s, she said, “I don’t know what I would ever do without you, Keys.”
Hey, Keely, how’s it going? I’m buried under homework. I’m taking an introduction to art class that’s great. Wait till you get to college. It’s like another universe here.
More later, Sebastian
Keely wanted to throw her computer across the room. What was his problem? What was he doing? Had she been too eager to respond to his first email?
Furious with herself and with him, she didn’t reply for several days.
Hey, Sebastian, I’m snowed under, too. Everyone’s going nuts because the homecoming game between the Vineyard and the Whalers is in three weeks. Even the teachers are giving us a break.
More later, Keely
There, Keely thought. She could be as cool as he was.
She reread his first email, searching each word for hidden meanings. Why would he want to “start a conversation” only to drop out of sight?
She prided herself on her self-control. Isabelle was mooning around, losing weight, dropping grades, turning into a tragic heroine. All she could talk about was Tommy Fitzgerald. His eyes as black as night. His thick black crow hair. He smiled at her one day. She was trying to learn his class schedule so she could plan to be in the hall at the right time with the other girls who clustered around him.
“Get over yourself,” Keely said to Isabelle as they walked home from school one day. Leaves fluttered down around them, scarlet and orange and brown. “Really, he’s not worth it.”
“I know that,” Isabelle said. “I know with my mind. Smart doesn’t change the heart.”
“Hey.” Keely knocked Isabelle’s shoulder with hers. “Kind of a great mantra there. Smart doesn’t change the heart.”
“It’s infantile and meaningless,” Isabelle groused.
“Come to my house,” Keely said. “It’s chocolate chip cookie day.”
* * *
—
Two weeks before the homecoming game, at the end of the school day, Keely arrived at her locker to find Tommy Fitzgerald standing there. In front of her locker. So she couldn’t open it without asking Tommy to move.
Her mouth went dry. “Hi.”
“Hi.” His black eyes shot through her like lasers.
He was so real.
“Um, you’re standing in front of my locker.”
“I know.” He seemed amused.
Keely felt a blush break out over her face and neck. She summoned up all her cool. “Well…I need to get into my locker.”
“Sure. But I want to talk to you first.”
Keely blinked. “Do you even know who I am?”
“Of course I know who you are. You’re Keely Green. I want to take you to the homecoming dance.”
Keely clutched her textbooks as if they were the only things that could keep her from falling through the floor. “You want to take me to the homecoming dance.”
Tommy nodded. He almost smiled.
Keely hesitated. Was this some kind of sick joke? She looked around. Other students were taking things out of their lockers, slamming them, walking away. But Tommy Fitzgerald asking her to the homecoming dance? Nope. Not a real thing.
She fastened her gaze on his, lifted her chin, and bravely said, “Are you kidding me?” Her voice squeaked on “kidding,” which took away some of the cool.
That made Tommy break into a full-on smile. “Not kidding. Why would I kid?”
“I…I…I need to think about it,” Keely stuttered.
His smile dazzled her. “You need to think about it?”
“My parents—they have something planned…”
“Want me to call you tonight after you talk to them? Or come by your house?”
“Come by my house?” She had brain freeze.
“Or I’ll call. Or text.”
“Good. That’s good.”
Tommy moved. Keely froze. What was he going to do?
He put his hand on her shoulder. “If you’ll step back, I’ll get out of your way.”
It took a few moments for her to make sense of his words. “Oh. Oh, my locker.”
She stepped back, thrilled that she didn’t trip on her own feet.