given his sister a hug and a kiss. “Hey, Ned,” he said. The two young men shook hands. After that, the foursome stood around uncomfortably for a moment. Finally Mick said, “Well, Nancy, should we go find seats?”
“Sure,” Nancy agreed. There was nothing she wanted more than to get away from Ned and Sondra.
“We’ll see you at the party after the awards,” Sondra told them.
Nancy and Mick found seats in the middle of the audience. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Mick asked Nancy sympathetically.
“No, but I’m hoping the rest of the evening will be better,” Nancy answered, smiling at Mick.
“We should talk about that sometime,” Mick told Nancy.
“What’s to say?” Nancy asked.
“Lots,” Mick replied emphatically. “I’m not sure you really understand what’s going on between those two.”
“The less I know, the better,” Nancy said.
“Not necessarily,” Mick returned. “Anyway, this is not the time or the place to go into a heavy discussion, so we’ll have to do it later.”
“Okay, that’s fine,” Nancy said.
She turned away and looked around the audience to see if she knew anyone. She recognized a few models and other celebrities, all wearing their glitziest. Yvonne, she saw, was sitting in front, close to the stage. She was wearing a classic black gown, and her hair was pulled softly away from her face. What do you know? Nancy thought. Yvonne actually wore something other than a business suit.
David was sitting next to Yvonne, looking as cold and untrustworthy as ever. Nancy just couldn’t understand what Yvonne saw in him.
Nancy and Mick settled into their seats and soon the Maggie ceremony began. Nancy found all the preliminary awards very boring, since she didn’t know anything about the magazine business. But there was still plenty for her to look at—the great clothes, for instance.
Finally, the master of ceremonies announced the best teen magazine award. “Here goes,” Nancy whispered. “I’m crossing all my fingers and all my toes for you.”
“Me, too,” Mick whispered back.
“The competition’s been tough this year,” the M.C. said, “but our judges came to a unanimous decision despite that. The envelope, please . . .” Nancy held her breath as the M.C. took the envelope and ripped it open. “And the winner is . . . Flash magazine. Congratulations, Yvonne Verdi and Mick Swanson!”
“We did it!” Mick cried excitedly to Nancy. “We actually did it!” He gave Nancy a big bear hug.
Nancy hugged Mick back. “Fantastic! You and Flash deserve it!”
Mick squeezed his way to the end of their row and walked up to the stage. Nancy could tell he was trying to look suave, but his happiness came through clearly in the bounciness of his stride.
Mick met Yvonne at the steps to the stage, and they walked up together and crossed thestage. When they reached the podium, Mick turned and smiled happily at Yvonne.
At that moment, there was a terrific splintering sound. One of the heavy lights hanging from the ceiling broke loose and came crashing down—headed straight for Mick and Yvonne!
Chapter
Fourteen
H EY , M ICK , I brought you something,” Nancy told the bandaged and unmoving figure in the bed.
“Not more flowers, I hope,” Mick said. “People have given me so many I’m beginning to think I’m in a funeral home instead of a hospital.”
“Well, a beautiful spring Thursday would probably be a nice day to be buried on,” Nancy joked. “Anyway, thank goodness you aren’t going to be.” She dropped into a little chair by Mick’s bedside. “That light could have finished you off with no trouble. If it had hit you squarely instead of just grazing you, that would have been the end. Thank goodness Yvonne jumped out of the way in time.”
“Yeah, I guess I was lucky,” Mick said with alaugh. “All I got was a dislocated shoulder, a broken leg, five stitches in my arm, and assorted cuts and bruises. That’s the kind of luck you
“Sure,” Nancy agreed. There was nothing she wanted more than to get away from Ned and Sondra.
“We’ll see you at the party after the awards,” Sondra told them.
Nancy and Mick found seats in the middle of the audience. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Mick asked Nancy sympathetically.
“No, but I’m hoping the rest of the evening will be better,” Nancy answered, smiling at Mick.
“We should talk about that sometime,” Mick told Nancy.
“What’s to say?” Nancy asked.
“Lots,” Mick replied emphatically. “I’m not sure you really understand what’s going on between those two.”
“The less I know, the better,” Nancy said.
“Not necessarily,” Mick returned. “Anyway, this is not the time or the place to go into a heavy discussion, so we’ll have to do it later.”
“Okay, that’s fine,” Nancy said.
She turned away and looked around the audience to see if she knew anyone. She recognized a few models and other celebrities, all wearing their glitziest. Yvonne, she saw, was sitting in front, close to the stage. She was wearing a classic black gown, and her hair was pulled softly away from her face. What do you know? Nancy thought. Yvonne actually wore something other than a business suit.
David was sitting next to Yvonne, looking as cold and untrustworthy as ever. Nancy just couldn’t understand what Yvonne saw in him.
Nancy and Mick settled into their seats and soon the Maggie ceremony began. Nancy found all the preliminary awards very boring, since she didn’t know anything about the magazine business. But there was still plenty for her to look at—the great clothes, for instance.
Finally, the master of ceremonies announced the best teen magazine award. “Here goes,” Nancy whispered. “I’m crossing all my fingers and all my toes for you.”
“Me, too,” Mick whispered back.
“The competition’s been tough this year,” the M.C. said, “but our judges came to a unanimous decision despite that. The envelope, please . . .” Nancy held her breath as the M.C. took the envelope and ripped it open. “And the winner is . . . Flash magazine. Congratulations, Yvonne Verdi and Mick Swanson!”
“We did it!” Mick cried excitedly to Nancy. “We actually did it!” He gave Nancy a big bear hug.
Nancy hugged Mick back. “Fantastic! You and Flash deserve it!”
Mick squeezed his way to the end of their row and walked up to the stage. Nancy could tell he was trying to look suave, but his happiness came through clearly in the bounciness of his stride.
Mick met Yvonne at the steps to the stage, and they walked up together and crossed thestage. When they reached the podium, Mick turned and smiled happily at Yvonne.
At that moment, there was a terrific splintering sound. One of the heavy lights hanging from the ceiling broke loose and came crashing down—headed straight for Mick and Yvonne!
Chapter
Fourteen
H EY , M ICK , I brought you something,” Nancy told the bandaged and unmoving figure in the bed.
“Not more flowers, I hope,” Mick said. “People have given me so many I’m beginning to think I’m in a funeral home instead of a hospital.”
“Well, a beautiful spring Thursday would probably be a nice day to be buried on,” Nancy joked. “Anyway, thank goodness you aren’t going to be.” She dropped into a little chair by Mick’s bedside. “That light could have finished you off with no trouble. If it had hit you squarely instead of just grazing you, that would have been the end. Thank goodness Yvonne jumped out of the way in time.”
“Yeah, I guess I was lucky,” Mick said with alaugh. “All I got was a dislocated shoulder, a broken leg, five stitches in my arm, and assorted cuts and bruises. That’s the kind of luck you
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