finally whispered, “I love it.”
He took it from me, peeled off the sticky tag and fastened it around my neck.
I pecked his cheek.
“You seemed upset for a moment, are you sure you’re okay?” He looked concerned.
“I’m fine!” I assured him. I’m just completely out of touch with reality .
“Is it something I did? Is it the wrong color?” His voice sounded a bit shaky.
I shook my head no. “Trust me,” I blurted, “it’s just PMS!”
Then I felt awkward.
He looked out the windshield. “Oh,” he uttered, clearly confused.
My head fell into my hands. I am so awkward!
He started the Jeep and backed off the edge of the cliff. We didn’t speak for a while, though he looked my way every now and then.
I wondered what he was thinking, until I realized I shouldn’t be wondering what he was thinking, I should be wondering what I was thinking. I think I was thinking,
Why do they sell necklaces in ring boxes?!
Again my mind began to wander. I started rethinking my life , like this was an appropriate time, or place. Why do I have to decide on my life in one school year? And when I kind of decide, why does everyone have a problem with it?
I heaved a sigh.
I don’t get it. Lilly never has these problems. Luke knows what he wants and he doesn’t have these problems. Anna is a genius—she could get into Yale with her eyes closed, her ears plugged and her feet tied—so she doesn’t have these problems.
Who was I to talk to about this? Dad wouldn’t want to hear it. Mom’s leaving on Thursday, and she definitely won’t hear it. And Mr. Bias… he’d just nod at that Hawaii poster.
I really needed to get my mind off it all—it was giving me a headache.
Luke didn’t look at me. His jacket was spread across the back seat, his arms bulging out of his shirt. He was hot , and seemingly nervous. I felt so bad about my reaction.
I shifted in my seat, mulling things over.
Then, maybe on a whim, I made up my mind. My heart pounded, I could feel it.
He glanced my way, then back at the trail. A moment later, he flashed a flirtatious smile—mind-bogglingly hot . “Drama queen,” he whispered, making me grin.
Feeling myself tremble, I took a deep breath. “Luke? Stop the car.”
~ ~ ~
I don’t think he even believed it happened! When he got me home at 7:55—five minutes till curfew—he was still kind of shocked. His hair was a disaster, and my lipstick was smeared all over his neck. Did he realize his shirt was on backwards?
God, we were so lucky Dad didn’t come out there!
“I love you,” he breathed, nudged my cheek, and met my lips. Another breath-stealing kiss. Like I’m going to want to leave after that!
I opened the door and peeked back at him. His mouth was hanging. “Um, night…?” he mumbled, and licked his lips.
I giggled at the sight.
In the foyer, I glanced out the window. His Jeep was still there, though I couldn’t see him well. I hurried upstairs just as Dad turned the corner.
“Is everything all right?” Dad called from the bottom of the stairs.
“Just great, Dad!” I yelled, trying to hide the quiver in my voice.
I trembled as I dialed the tiny buttons on my cell phone. I’d closed and locked my bedroom door, and turned on the stereo so no one could hear my impending confession.
It was midnight in Florida. I’d wake Lilly. She’d be mad.
Oh well.
I let it ring. Seven times.
Someone sleepy answered.
As if I had a fraction of a second to say it, I demanded, “Is Lilly there?”
“What?” asked an irritated , accented voice.
“This is Mrs. Jacobson?”
“Yes. Who’s this?”
“This is Adonia,” I said breathlessly “You know, from Alaska?” Yeah, ‘cause Adonia is such a common name…
“Hi, honey, how are you?”
“Okay. I need to talk to Lilly, it’s important.”
“What’s wrong?” she asked, in a very motherly, suddenly-awake tone.
“Nothing, nothing,” I said instantly. I didn’t need her calling my parents. “I just
He took it from me, peeled off the sticky tag and fastened it around my neck.
I pecked his cheek.
“You seemed upset for a moment, are you sure you’re okay?” He looked concerned.
“I’m fine!” I assured him. I’m just completely out of touch with reality .
“Is it something I did? Is it the wrong color?” His voice sounded a bit shaky.
I shook my head no. “Trust me,” I blurted, “it’s just PMS!”
Then I felt awkward.
He looked out the windshield. “Oh,” he uttered, clearly confused.
My head fell into my hands. I am so awkward!
He started the Jeep and backed off the edge of the cliff. We didn’t speak for a while, though he looked my way every now and then.
I wondered what he was thinking, until I realized I shouldn’t be wondering what he was thinking, I should be wondering what I was thinking. I think I was thinking,
Why do they sell necklaces in ring boxes?!
Again my mind began to wander. I started rethinking my life , like this was an appropriate time, or place. Why do I have to decide on my life in one school year? And when I kind of decide, why does everyone have a problem with it?
I heaved a sigh.
I don’t get it. Lilly never has these problems. Luke knows what he wants and he doesn’t have these problems. Anna is a genius—she could get into Yale with her eyes closed, her ears plugged and her feet tied—so she doesn’t have these problems.
Who was I to talk to about this? Dad wouldn’t want to hear it. Mom’s leaving on Thursday, and she definitely won’t hear it. And Mr. Bias… he’d just nod at that Hawaii poster.
I really needed to get my mind off it all—it was giving me a headache.
Luke didn’t look at me. His jacket was spread across the back seat, his arms bulging out of his shirt. He was hot , and seemingly nervous. I felt so bad about my reaction.
I shifted in my seat, mulling things over.
Then, maybe on a whim, I made up my mind. My heart pounded, I could feel it.
He glanced my way, then back at the trail. A moment later, he flashed a flirtatious smile—mind-bogglingly hot . “Drama queen,” he whispered, making me grin.
Feeling myself tremble, I took a deep breath. “Luke? Stop the car.”
~ ~ ~
I don’t think he even believed it happened! When he got me home at 7:55—five minutes till curfew—he was still kind of shocked. His hair was a disaster, and my lipstick was smeared all over his neck. Did he realize his shirt was on backwards?
God, we were so lucky Dad didn’t come out there!
“I love you,” he breathed, nudged my cheek, and met my lips. Another breath-stealing kiss. Like I’m going to want to leave after that!
I opened the door and peeked back at him. His mouth was hanging. “Um, night…?” he mumbled, and licked his lips.
I giggled at the sight.
In the foyer, I glanced out the window. His Jeep was still there, though I couldn’t see him well. I hurried upstairs just as Dad turned the corner.
“Is everything all right?” Dad called from the bottom of the stairs.
“Just great, Dad!” I yelled, trying to hide the quiver in my voice.
I trembled as I dialed the tiny buttons on my cell phone. I’d closed and locked my bedroom door, and turned on the stereo so no one could hear my impending confession.
It was midnight in Florida. I’d wake Lilly. She’d be mad.
Oh well.
I let it ring. Seven times.
Someone sleepy answered.
As if I had a fraction of a second to say it, I demanded, “Is Lilly there?”
“What?” asked an irritated , accented voice.
“This is Mrs. Jacobson?”
“Yes. Who’s this?”
“This is Adonia,” I said breathlessly “You know, from Alaska?” Yeah, ‘cause Adonia is such a common name…
“Hi, honey, how are you?”
“Okay. I need to talk to Lilly, it’s important.”
“What’s wrong?” she asked, in a very motherly, suddenly-awake tone.
“Nothing, nothing,” I said instantly. I didn’t need her calling my parents. “I just
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