“Oh, this is mine, right? I assumed so since you’ve already made the other one.”
“ Yeah, I guess,” Ally said. “But if you’d like to switch, I don’t mind. I just picked one so I could get to unpacking. My mother and father were here earlier with me and my mom made the bed. They had to leave, though, because they’re taking my brother to Meridian Valley. He’s a junior this year.”
“ I wish we would have arrived sooner,” Shannon said wistfully. “I would have liked to meet them.”
A shot of panic ran through Ally as she wondered what would have happened had Shannon arrived earlier and recognized her father. Jay had worn an old baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses as he helped her get her things to her room and Ally hadn’t noticed anybody paying him extra attention, but once he got to her room, he’d removed his disguise and was easily identifiable as Jay Jones, rock star.
“ You’ll get to meet them, I’m sure,” Ally said. She clapped her hands together as she surveyed the room. “How about if we get to work on this stuff and then I’ll take you to meet one member of my family?”
Ally smiled as Shannon nodded, a touch of confusion in her eyes.
***
Shannon’s death grip on Ally’s arm was making her wince, but she didn’t have the heart to tell the other girl to loosen up. She knew Shannon was shy but she hadn’t realized it was so bad. Maybe dragging her to the cafeteria for the informal freshman gathering had been a mistake.
“ Jamie said he’d meet us here,” Ally repeated as she tactfully removed Shannon’s hand from her arm. Her eyes darted around the room until they landed on a table laden with a punch bowl and snacks. “Let’s get something to drink.”
Shannon nodded, her face pale as a ghost. Ally smiled and took Shannon’s arm this time, hoping to spare herself a bruise.
Three girls loitered near the punch, holding red plastic cups as they engaged in some sort of heated discussion. Although Ally wasn’t much better in the friend-making department than Shannon, she figured she should give it a shot and maybe Shannon would loosen up and make a new acquaintance.
Ally took a deep breath and approached the cluster. She plastered what she hoped was a friendly smile on her face and joined the group. “Hi, I’m Ally and this is Shannon.”
A petite girl with blond hair and rectangular glasses returned Ally’s smile. “My name is Sami and this is Trudy and Rosie.”
Trudy was taller than Shannon with impossible straight brown hair and a fading case of acne. Her smile was weak and Ally got the feeling she was as shy as Shannon. Perfect – maybe the two would become good friends.
Rosie was only a few inches taller than Ally with curly red hair, freckles and brilliant green eyes. She wasn’t pencil thin but she wasn’t overweight, either. She had curves Ally knew the boys probably slobbered over and rather large breasts. She could imagine Jamie’s reaction to her.
“ So, what program are you girls in?” Sami asked.
“ I’m in the Sports Medicine program,” Ally declared. She turned to Shannon and lifted a brow, indicating that it was time for Shannon to speak up.
“ Oh, I’m in the Accounting program,” Shannon declared.
“ Me, too,” Sami said with a grin. Shannon relaxed and a touch of hope touched Ally.
“ I’m in the Nursing program,” Rosie said. “Maybe we’ll have a few classes together.” She paused long enough to point at Trudy. “She is, too.”
“ Oh, great,” Ally said. She reached through the girls and snatched two glasses of punch. She handed one to Shannon and gave her a pointed look. Shannon’s eyes grew but she nodded.
“ So, what were you discussing before we…um…came over here?” Shannon stammered.
“ Rosie was telling us about the concert she’s going to in a few weeks,” Sami said. “In St. Louis.”
Ally’s limbs suddenly felt limp. It took all the strength she had to keep from dropping her glass
“ Yeah, I guess,” Ally said. “But if you’d like to switch, I don’t mind. I just picked one so I could get to unpacking. My mother and father were here earlier with me and my mom made the bed. They had to leave, though, because they’re taking my brother to Meridian Valley. He’s a junior this year.”
“ I wish we would have arrived sooner,” Shannon said wistfully. “I would have liked to meet them.”
A shot of panic ran through Ally as she wondered what would have happened had Shannon arrived earlier and recognized her father. Jay had worn an old baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses as he helped her get her things to her room and Ally hadn’t noticed anybody paying him extra attention, but once he got to her room, he’d removed his disguise and was easily identifiable as Jay Jones, rock star.
“ You’ll get to meet them, I’m sure,” Ally said. She clapped her hands together as she surveyed the room. “How about if we get to work on this stuff and then I’ll take you to meet one member of my family?”
Ally smiled as Shannon nodded, a touch of confusion in her eyes.
***
Shannon’s death grip on Ally’s arm was making her wince, but she didn’t have the heart to tell the other girl to loosen up. She knew Shannon was shy but she hadn’t realized it was so bad. Maybe dragging her to the cafeteria for the informal freshman gathering had been a mistake.
“ Jamie said he’d meet us here,” Ally repeated as she tactfully removed Shannon’s hand from her arm. Her eyes darted around the room until they landed on a table laden with a punch bowl and snacks. “Let’s get something to drink.”
Shannon nodded, her face pale as a ghost. Ally smiled and took Shannon’s arm this time, hoping to spare herself a bruise.
Three girls loitered near the punch, holding red plastic cups as they engaged in some sort of heated discussion. Although Ally wasn’t much better in the friend-making department than Shannon, she figured she should give it a shot and maybe Shannon would loosen up and make a new acquaintance.
Ally took a deep breath and approached the cluster. She plastered what she hoped was a friendly smile on her face and joined the group. “Hi, I’m Ally and this is Shannon.”
A petite girl with blond hair and rectangular glasses returned Ally’s smile. “My name is Sami and this is Trudy and Rosie.”
Trudy was taller than Shannon with impossible straight brown hair and a fading case of acne. Her smile was weak and Ally got the feeling she was as shy as Shannon. Perfect – maybe the two would become good friends.
Rosie was only a few inches taller than Ally with curly red hair, freckles and brilliant green eyes. She wasn’t pencil thin but she wasn’t overweight, either. She had curves Ally knew the boys probably slobbered over and rather large breasts. She could imagine Jamie’s reaction to her.
“ So, what program are you girls in?” Sami asked.
“ I’m in the Sports Medicine program,” Ally declared. She turned to Shannon and lifted a brow, indicating that it was time for Shannon to speak up.
“ Oh, I’m in the Accounting program,” Shannon declared.
“ Me, too,” Sami said with a grin. Shannon relaxed and a touch of hope touched Ally.
“ I’m in the Nursing program,” Rosie said. “Maybe we’ll have a few classes together.” She paused long enough to point at Trudy. “She is, too.”
“ Oh, great,” Ally said. She reached through the girls and snatched two glasses of punch. She handed one to Shannon and gave her a pointed look. Shannon’s eyes grew but she nodded.
“ So, what were you discussing before we…um…came over here?” Shannon stammered.
“ Rosie was telling us about the concert she’s going to in a few weeks,” Sami said. “In St. Louis.”
Ally’s limbs suddenly felt limp. It took all the strength she had to keep from dropping her glass
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