and sat up straight again. "Call me whatever you want, I guess. For some god awful reason—sorry," I said. If I was going to spend any time at all with him, I was going to have to work on the whole taking the Lord's name in vain thing. And the cussing. And probably a lot of stuff. "For some reason a bunch of people got the idea that my name is Barbie, so I'm going with it for now. You can call me that if you want."
"I guess." He turned the final corner that put him onto my street, and he gave me a quick appraising look. "It doesn't really suit you, you know."
"How do you figure?"
"You're not a bitch."
"Grady Carrico! Hanging out with atheists and swearing like a sailor. You'd better get me out of your car before you start mainlining heroin."
Grady shook his head. If he knew I'd been trying to make him laugh he didn't act like it. "Think about a new name for yourself, Barbie," he said seriously. "One that you can be proud of."
Grady pulled up in front of my house and I reached for the door handle. "Do you want me to pick you up for school tomorrow?" he asked.
"No, Kaia comes in the morning. You don't have to worry about me. Thanks though. And thank you so much for saving me earlier." I pulled the handle and popped open the door.
"Wait," Grady said. "Let me come around and help you out."
I shrugged, and he pulled the emergency brake, hopped out of the driver's seat, and hurried around to my side. He opened my door the rest of the way and took my hand to help me rise out of my seat. Even though I was standing, he didn't let go of my hand.
"I'll meet you after sixth period, then," he said. He leaned his head down and touched his lips to mine. His mouth was soft and smelled like bubble gum. His eyelashes were surprisingly blonde. This was nothing like one of Derek's kisses. Suddenly terrified that Grady would open his eyes and catch me staring at him, I slammed my eyes shut. The pressure from Grady's lips receded, and I slowly opened my eyes.
"Goodnight," he said.
I knew he was watching me as I made my way across the lawn and up my front porch steps, but I didn't look back. I used the trick Joe had taught me to open the door silently. I stepped in and closed it behind myself, but before I could turn around, my mother spoke up from the living room.
"Baby, where on earth have you been?" She sounded … strange. Was this what it would sound like if she was concerned?
She was sitting on one end of the couch. Phoebe was curled up on the other side, and in between them sat Derek, a Coke in his hand and a half-smile on his face.
TEN
"Baby, where have you been?" My mom repeated. "Derek's been waiting for you for over an hour."
I looked back and forth between my mom and Derek, unable to wrap my brain around what was happening in my living room. "Um … I went out with a friend," I finally stammered.
"That was pretty rude of you. I doubt Derek will ever want to come over again," she said, wagging her finger at me.
"Oh, no Mrs. Anderson. I didn't mind waiting at all." What in the hell was going on with Derek? He sounded like he was talking to the president or something.
A smile curled across my mother's face, and she raised her eyebrows at me. "Well, get in here, Baby. You've kept Derek waiting long enough." She snapped her fingers at my sister. "Phoebe. Get off the couch."
Phoebe shot a shocked, resentful look at my mother, but instead Derek jumped up. "No, really. It's okay. We have to chart the position of Orion every hour. If we hurry we might have enough time to catch it before ten." He turned to me. "Are you ready to go?"
"Uh, sure?"
Derek reached out to shake my mother's hand. "Thanks so much for the Coke. It was really great to meet you."
She rose to her feet. "You too. Baby's lucky to have you for a lab partner." She shrugged her right shoulder. "She's never been any good at science."
Phoebe stood up too and batted her eyelashes. "Come back anytime."
Derek smiled and nodded. He let go of my mom's hand
"I guess." He turned the final corner that put him onto my street, and he gave me a quick appraising look. "It doesn't really suit you, you know."
"How do you figure?"
"You're not a bitch."
"Grady Carrico! Hanging out with atheists and swearing like a sailor. You'd better get me out of your car before you start mainlining heroin."
Grady shook his head. If he knew I'd been trying to make him laugh he didn't act like it. "Think about a new name for yourself, Barbie," he said seriously. "One that you can be proud of."
Grady pulled up in front of my house and I reached for the door handle. "Do you want me to pick you up for school tomorrow?" he asked.
"No, Kaia comes in the morning. You don't have to worry about me. Thanks though. And thank you so much for saving me earlier." I pulled the handle and popped open the door.
"Wait," Grady said. "Let me come around and help you out."
I shrugged, and he pulled the emergency brake, hopped out of the driver's seat, and hurried around to my side. He opened my door the rest of the way and took my hand to help me rise out of my seat. Even though I was standing, he didn't let go of my hand.
"I'll meet you after sixth period, then," he said. He leaned his head down and touched his lips to mine. His mouth was soft and smelled like bubble gum. His eyelashes were surprisingly blonde. This was nothing like one of Derek's kisses. Suddenly terrified that Grady would open his eyes and catch me staring at him, I slammed my eyes shut. The pressure from Grady's lips receded, and I slowly opened my eyes.
"Goodnight," he said.
I knew he was watching me as I made my way across the lawn and up my front porch steps, but I didn't look back. I used the trick Joe had taught me to open the door silently. I stepped in and closed it behind myself, but before I could turn around, my mother spoke up from the living room.
"Baby, where on earth have you been?" She sounded … strange. Was this what it would sound like if she was concerned?
She was sitting on one end of the couch. Phoebe was curled up on the other side, and in between them sat Derek, a Coke in his hand and a half-smile on his face.
TEN
"Baby, where have you been?" My mom repeated. "Derek's been waiting for you for over an hour."
I looked back and forth between my mom and Derek, unable to wrap my brain around what was happening in my living room. "Um … I went out with a friend," I finally stammered.
"That was pretty rude of you. I doubt Derek will ever want to come over again," she said, wagging her finger at me.
"Oh, no Mrs. Anderson. I didn't mind waiting at all." What in the hell was going on with Derek? He sounded like he was talking to the president or something.
A smile curled across my mother's face, and she raised her eyebrows at me. "Well, get in here, Baby. You've kept Derek waiting long enough." She snapped her fingers at my sister. "Phoebe. Get off the couch."
Phoebe shot a shocked, resentful look at my mother, but instead Derek jumped up. "No, really. It's okay. We have to chart the position of Orion every hour. If we hurry we might have enough time to catch it before ten." He turned to me. "Are you ready to go?"
"Uh, sure?"
Derek reached out to shake my mother's hand. "Thanks so much for the Coke. It was really great to meet you."
She rose to her feet. "You too. Baby's lucky to have you for a lab partner." She shrugged her right shoulder. "She's never been any good at science."
Phoebe stood up too and batted her eyelashes. "Come back anytime."
Derek smiled and nodded. He let go of my mom's hand
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