girls had copied all the information
they needed and were heading for the door when Beth looked at her watch. "Do
you realize that it's only two o'clock? It seems like it should be at least
four."
"It is early," Jana agreed. "Want to go to
the mall?"
Beth squinted out the window beside the door. "Naw. It's
starting to rain, and if my hair gets wet, I'll get the frizzies. Let's go to
Bumpers. It's closer."
Jana bit her lower lip. What if Randy and Sara were there?
Seeing Jana hesitate, Beth said, "Hey, we don't have to
go to Bumpers. I mean, if you think you might run into Randy and Sara, we could
go to my house instead."
Jana paused for another second and then lifted her chin. "No,"
she answered. "Let's go to Bumpers. I'm going to have to get used to
seeing him with other girls. Besides, maybe there'll be some cute boys there
for me."
Laughing, they dashed out into the rain and down the street
toward Bumpers. The fast-food restaurant, which was named for the old amusement
park bumper cars that decorated it, was full of kids from Wakeman Junior High,
and rock music blasted from the old Wurlitzer jukebox in the corner.
As soon as they were inside the door, Beth whipped a mirror
out of her backpack and groaned. "What did I tell you? The frizzies! You
find us somewhere to sit, and I'll go into the girls' room and see if I can do
something with this hair. Keith might be here, and I don't want him to see me
looking like a Brillo pad."
Jana nodded and gazed around cautiously. If only the rest of
The Fabulous Five were here. But Katie Shannon had gone to her grandmother's
for the day, and Melanie Edwards was baby-sitting her little brother. And
naturally Christie wouldn't be here. Still, Jana wished that Beth hadn't left
her alone. What if Randy and Sara were here, after all? What would she say to
them? How should she act? It would be so much easier if she had someone along
with her to talk to. She could pretend to be so deep in conversation that she
didn't notice them.
Easing her way through the crowd, Jana spotted an empty
yellow bumper car and headed straight for it. Maybe if she didn't look around,
she could avoid the embarrassment of making eye contact with Randy or Sara.
She let out a sigh of relief as she sank into the booth. So
far, so good. Once Beth got back from the girls' room, Jana would be able to
relax and look around to see if there really were any cute boys in the place.
Suddenly Keith Masterson pushed his way through the crowd
and plopped down beside her. "Hey, Jana. How's it going?"
Startled, Jana hesitated an instant before answering. "Hi,
Keith. I'm fine. So what's up?"
"Not much." He clasped his hands behind his head
and leaned back, grinning at her. "Everything's cool."
Jana looked at him curiously. What did he want, anyway? Then
she remembered that she and Beth had come in the door together. He had probably
seen them and was waiting for Beth.
"Kirwan said you two broke up. Was he kidding?"
Jana shook her head. There was a funny sensation in the pit
of her stomach, and she didn't trust herself to say anything for a moment.
Finally she looked at Keith and said, "We just decided that we should date
other kids, that's all."
"So that's why I saw him with Sara Sawyer a few minutes
ago, right?"
Jana nodded. She didn't like the way the conversation was
going. She certainly didn't want to talk about Randy and Sara Sawyer.
Plastering a fake smile on her face, she told Keith, "Beth will be here in
a minute. She just went to brush her hair."
"Whoa!" he said, sitting up abruptly and sliding
out of the bumper car. "See you around."
"But aren't you even going to wait for Beth?" Jana
demanded.
"Hey, what can I say?" Keith raised his arms in an
exaggerated shrug. "Gotta split."
Frowning, Jana watched him rush through the crowd and disappear
out the door.
CHAPTER 2
"Have you seen Keith anywhere?" Beth asked when
she got to the yellow bumper car a few minutes later. She was standing on
tiptoe and craning
they needed and were heading for the door when Beth looked at her watch. "Do
you realize that it's only two o'clock? It seems like it should be at least
four."
"It is early," Jana agreed. "Want to go to
the mall?"
Beth squinted out the window beside the door. "Naw. It's
starting to rain, and if my hair gets wet, I'll get the frizzies. Let's go to
Bumpers. It's closer."
Jana bit her lower lip. What if Randy and Sara were there?
Seeing Jana hesitate, Beth said, "Hey, we don't have to
go to Bumpers. I mean, if you think you might run into Randy and Sara, we could
go to my house instead."
Jana paused for another second and then lifted her chin. "No,"
she answered. "Let's go to Bumpers. I'm going to have to get used to
seeing him with other girls. Besides, maybe there'll be some cute boys there
for me."
Laughing, they dashed out into the rain and down the street
toward Bumpers. The fast-food restaurant, which was named for the old amusement
park bumper cars that decorated it, was full of kids from Wakeman Junior High,
and rock music blasted from the old Wurlitzer jukebox in the corner.
As soon as they were inside the door, Beth whipped a mirror
out of her backpack and groaned. "What did I tell you? The frizzies! You
find us somewhere to sit, and I'll go into the girls' room and see if I can do
something with this hair. Keith might be here, and I don't want him to see me
looking like a Brillo pad."
Jana nodded and gazed around cautiously. If only the rest of
The Fabulous Five were here. But Katie Shannon had gone to her grandmother's
for the day, and Melanie Edwards was baby-sitting her little brother. And
naturally Christie wouldn't be here. Still, Jana wished that Beth hadn't left
her alone. What if Randy and Sara were here, after all? What would she say to
them? How should she act? It would be so much easier if she had someone along
with her to talk to. She could pretend to be so deep in conversation that she
didn't notice them.
Easing her way through the crowd, Jana spotted an empty
yellow bumper car and headed straight for it. Maybe if she didn't look around,
she could avoid the embarrassment of making eye contact with Randy or Sara.
She let out a sigh of relief as she sank into the booth. So
far, so good. Once Beth got back from the girls' room, Jana would be able to
relax and look around to see if there really were any cute boys in the place.
Suddenly Keith Masterson pushed his way through the crowd
and plopped down beside her. "Hey, Jana. How's it going?"
Startled, Jana hesitated an instant before answering. "Hi,
Keith. I'm fine. So what's up?"
"Not much." He clasped his hands behind his head
and leaned back, grinning at her. "Everything's cool."
Jana looked at him curiously. What did he want, anyway? Then
she remembered that she and Beth had come in the door together. He had probably
seen them and was waiting for Beth.
"Kirwan said you two broke up. Was he kidding?"
Jana shook her head. There was a funny sensation in the pit
of her stomach, and she didn't trust herself to say anything for a moment.
Finally she looked at Keith and said, "We just decided that we should date
other kids, that's all."
"So that's why I saw him with Sara Sawyer a few minutes
ago, right?"
Jana nodded. She didn't like the way the conversation was
going. She certainly didn't want to talk about Randy and Sara Sawyer.
Plastering a fake smile on her face, she told Keith, "Beth will be here in
a minute. She just went to brush her hair."
"Whoa!" he said, sitting up abruptly and sliding
out of the bumper car. "See you around."
"But aren't you even going to wait for Beth?" Jana
demanded.
"Hey, what can I say?" Keith raised his arms in an
exaggerated shrug. "Gotta split."
Frowning, Jana watched him rush through the crowd and disappear
out the door.
CHAPTER 2
"Have you seen Keith anywhere?" Beth asked when
she got to the yellow bumper car a few minutes later. She was standing on
tiptoe and craning
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