The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things(27)

“Sweet. Then we can double up. We’re going to a vacant lot downtown, not too far. I hope you have good balance.”

“I don’t trip over my own feet. Generally.”

“How do you get to school?” I ask.

“Bus, usually. But if I stick around to do something in town and miss it, then I walk.”

“That must take forever,” I observe.

“It’s not so bad.”

“So I’ll meet you outside after school?”

Shane nods. He drops me at my next class, and I spend the next two hours daydreaming. If there was a quiz in econ, I don’t remember. I hope I didn’t write my name on a blank paper. I join the throng streaming toward the front doors. Do I need anything from my locker? Trash bags. So I stop, load up, then head out. The crowd has thinned a little by the time I get outside.

Shane’s already waiting for me. I could so get used to this. “Hey. You ready?” I ask.

“Yeah. I can’t wait to go serve the community.”

“Hey.” I aim an admonishing finger at him. “Caring’s cool.”

He laughs, as I intend him to. Trying to act like I’m not nervous, I climb on the bike first and take the seat. Shane’s obviously done this before, as he swings on and pushes into motion. I hang on to his waist, trying not to stare at his butt as he pedals. Okay, that’s a lie. I’m totally looking. My backpack, stuffed with biodegradable trash bags, wobbles madly until I’m afraid we’ll tip. We’re both cracking up by the time we arrive at the lot, but he’s not even out of breath.

“I haven’t done that since junior high,” he says.

“I never have.”

And I thought I never would.

Normal pleasures like this are reserved for girls without a shadow staring back at them in the mirror. But whether I deserve this or not, I don’t care. It’s too sweet to stop.





CHAPTER TEN

Shane helps me off the bike, and I’m pretty sure I’m not imagining the intensity as he gazes into my eyes. We’re having a moment.

Which is promptly interrupted by Gwen blowing a whistle. “Awesome, everyone’s here. I’m dividing you up into pairs, and the team who fills the most bags wins a ten-dollar gift certificate from the Coffee Shop.”

She points at people seemingly at random, and I end up with Lila. I’m not sad about it. This gives me a chance to recover from riding behind Shane. At this point, I suspect Gwen of being the devil because she puts Shane with Ryan. The four sophomores are paired among themselves, which leaves Tara with Conrad, who looks more than usually stoned. Gwen gets Kenny, and the moment he finds out he’s not working with Tara, he exhales a sigh audible all the way over here. I think Gwen crushed his dreams.

Lila nudges me, a grin slowly spreading. “You and New Kid, huh? That was fast.”

“I don’t know. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“You let him ride your bike.” Somehow she makes this sound absolutely filthy. “I bet Ryan never did.”

As a matter of fact, she’s right, but mostly because he’s uncoordinated. Most guys eventually master their arms and legs, but he’s still struggling. I used to find his awkwardness adorable. Cassie probably did, too. I wish I didn’t feel bitter, but last year, I had such a crush on him, after his dorkiness crossed some kind of line until he was cool. The hours I spent wondering why he didn’t see me that way … I shake my head and sigh.

“Shut up,” I mumble.

“Are you blushing? Oh my God, you’re totally blushing.”

“Pick up some trash already.” I curse my fair complexion.

In the sun, I don’t tan. Ever. With enough exposure to daylight, I will freckle over every inch of my body. Since I worked inside most of the summer, I’ve got them down to a sprinkling on my cheeks and shoulders. It’s bright today, though, so I can expect a fresh crop just in time for fall. And nothing says hot like an uneven distribution of melanin.

Gwen thought to bring her iPod along with a dock that has a couple of small speakers. She blasts Black Veil Brides, which is supposed to make us rock out and work faster. It actually is pretty fun. Lila and I race to see who can get the most plastic bottles. This lot is absolutely disgusting. Even if I can’t get permission to plant a garden here in the spring, just getting the trash hauled away will make a huge difference.

It takes three hours, but eventually we have eight full bags, plus some random junk. I’m amazed when a truck pulls up. Gwen grins at me. “I bothered my dad to make some calls for us. And voilà! Phil is taking everything to the junkyard today.”


“Thanks. This is really impressive,” I say.

Gwen doesn’t answer; she’s counting piles before Phil can take them. Looks like Tara and Conrad gathered the most. He punches the air when he gets his five bucks, which is basically a latte or a frap. Still, it’s better than nothing. She’s more restrained, but she beams at Kenny, who cheers up a bit beneath his drooping Mario hat.

“That’s it,” Gwen announces, then she beckons to her dad’s friend.

Ten minutes later, when the truck pulls away, the lot looks fantastic. I can imagine how the garden will look. It would be awesome if we could do three different types: herbs, vegetables, and flowers nearest the sidewalk, adding both beauty and purpose to the wasted space. There are shops to either side of the lot. I think Aunt Gabby told me there was an inn here, a long time ago, but it burned down, and nobody cared to rebuild as this isn’t a tourist destination. There’s a motel out near the freeway, but this isn’t the kind of town that gets the bed-and-breakfast crowd.