Miss Taken by Sue Seabury

again, but this was important.
    “Mom. I was supposed to go out with Ned
today.”
    “Oh, yes, well, is he coming to pick you up
later?”
    “No. He isn’t,” I replied through gritted
teeth.
    Clueless mother of mine was starting to catch
on. “Did something happen?”
    “Yes, something happened! Kyle happened! He
kissed me right in front of Ned! Ned was so furious he took off
without even listening to me! Then your precious Kyle had the nerve
to ask me out on a date!”
    I hadn’t really wanted to give Mom the whole
scoop, it just sort of came out.
    “First of all, young lady, there is no call
for shouting at your mother. Second, it sounds like Ned is
overreacting.”
    Long have I suspected my mother of having
more in common with the tin man than just helmet hair. I now had
confirmation that she had no heart at all when she asked, “So, are
you going to go out with Kyle?”
    “Mom!” Then lowering my voice, “No, I am not
going anywhere with that creep.” I escaped up the stairs.
    Although my exchange with Mom had not been
satisfying to say the least, it did make me think. Maybe Ned had
overreacted and therefore maybe he was already over it.
    I ran to the phone in my parents’ room for
some privacy since Mom would soon be busy in the kitchen brewing
something awful for dinner. A few tears squeezed out of my eyes
thinking of the fabulous dinner I was sure Ned and I would have
been sharing. I had to put a stop to that quick. I absolutely could
not cry over the phone, especially not if I got one of Ned’s
parents.
    I gulped down some air. My hands shook as I
tried to dial. With the way my day was going so far, I knew that
this would be the day his dad would answer. But Robin Jane must be
brave in all types of emergencies. Clearing things up with Ned was
more important than having to exchange a few words with some
super-high-power finance guy. I added the digits in Ned’s phone
number and then multiplied them to calm myself. I did it out loud
to make sure my voice was steady.
    The phone was ringing.
    It rang.
    And rang.
    Someone picked up. My heart stopped.
    The answering machine.
    All the blood drained out of my heart at
once, if that is possible. I replaced the receiver. A few more
beads of water escaped my eyeballs. Maybe it was time to remove the
contacts.
    But if I did that, it meant definitely
admitting defeat about my date tonight.
    More saline drops, and some difficulty
breathing. The reaction of my body’s autonomic nervous system to
this crisis would have made an interesting study if it hadn’t been
happening while I was supposed to be out on a big date.
    I called back every twenty minutes. On my
third attempt, a real person picked up. My heart stopped again.
This can’t be healthy even in a person so young as I.
    “Hello,” the voice singsonged. Ned’s mom.
    “Hi, Mrs...Harley. It’s Jane. Is Ned there?”
My voice was shakier than I wanted. I should have recited a few
more geometry formulas before making the call.
    “Why no, isn’t he supposed to be out with
you?”
    “Oh, yeah, we had a little argument, I mean
misunderstanding...” I made myself shut up. I absolutely did not
need to blather the details to any more people.
    As I was trying to figure out what to say
that didn’t make me sound like a pathetic loser and/or turn the
conversation toward possible careers in the fashion field, I heard
a sound that made me forget all selfish thoughts. It was the
doorbell.
    “Oh, let me go, Harley. I hear the door now.
Maybe that’s him. Bye!” I hung up without waiting for her to reply.
Not the smartest thing to do when you want a person to hire you,
but it was too late to worry about future employment options. I
bounded down the stairs, hoping my true destiny awaited.
    What awaited me at the door was not my true
destiny. At least, I hoped it wasn’t.
    It was Diana with a tray of brownies. In an
extremely unflattering shirtwaist dress in the absolutely most
unflattering shade of orangey-red