The Perfect Guy (Books We Love Young Adult Romance) by Ann Herrick Page A
Authors: Ann Herrick
Ads: Link
bad taste in my mouth.
I passed Pres in the hall and he mumbled a groggy good morning. It didn’t seem that kissing Alicia had any lasting ill effects on him. He just looked tired, not doomed or cursed or anything. Too bad. I would have felt better if he had.
After I showered, dressed, and forced down some breakfast, I called Celeste. A deep raspy voice answered the phone and I wondered if I had the wrong number.
"Hello?" I said. "May I speak to Celeste?"
"This is Celeste."
"I didn’t recognize your voice. Your voice, you can talk. Out loud!"
"More or less," Celeste squeaked.
"Thank goodness. I was getting frantic."
"You? Why?"
"Because—never mind. I’ll tell you later. Can we go somewhere and talk? Somewhere private?" I didn’t want to take a chance that Pres or Josh might overhear us.
"Sounds mysterious." Celeste always did like any situation that was even remotely clandestine. "How about the library?"
"No." I had visions of Alicia lurking behind every shelf. "I know. Let’s go to the park overlooking the town beach. Meet me at the corner of Wharf Lane and Maple Avenue?"
"Sure," Celeste said. "Just give me ten minutes to get ready."
On my way to meet Celeste I ignored the occasional drops of rain that splattered on my head. I quickened my steps as I got closer to Maple Avenue. I couldn’t hold in the details of what I’d witnessed last night much longer.
Celeste was nowhere in sight when I reached the corner. I stamped my feet, as much to alleviate my exasperation at Celeste for not being there as to ward off the unexpected morning chill. I wished I’d worn my parka over my sweater.
Finally, after I was reduced to hopping in place to keep warm, Celeste rounded the corner at full speed, her cheeks glowing red.
"Sorry I’m late. I had to feed the dog before I left. There was no dog food in the pantry, so I had to get some from the garage and—forget it. Let’s get to the park before it rains." Celeste pulled the hood of her jacket up over her head. "Unless you think it’s …" She cleared her throat and continued, "...safe to tell me here."
I surveyed the hedges, shrubs, and trees that lined the street. No telling who might be skulking around behind them. "We’d better go to the park." I paused. Then, "By the way, your voice sounds a lot better. Think you’ll be okay for the next rehearsal?"
"Oh, I think so," Celeste said. "It’s improved a lot just since yesterday, and the next rehearsal isn’t until Monday evening."
"Good. Good." I walked faster. It was all I could do to keep from running. I wanted to get to the park and tell Celeste all about last night, to warn her about Alicia.
When we got to the park I looked around to make sure no one was hiding behind or up a tree, then dismissed the thought as ridiculous. How would Alicia know that Celeste and I were at the park? Still ....
"Let’s sit over there." I pointed to a solitary bench clear of bushes that might shroud any spies. "It’ll be best if you’re sitting down when I tell you everything anyway."
"Okay," Celeste said. "But let’s get it over with. It looks as though it might pour any moment."
We sat on the green wooden bench and I told Celeste about what I’d seen in the shadows backstage.
"I knew it was Pres right away," I said. "I recognized his voice. At first I couldn’t tell who he was kissing, because I couldn’t see her face. But when the moonlight reflected off her hair, I knew for sure."
"Who was it?"
"Alicia Johnson. The rat."
"Are you s-sure?"
"Positive."
"You—you’re really that sure? But—but how?"
"That long black hair that she’s forever combing—oh. I forgot. Before Pres kissed her he said, ‘ You’re the perfect Alta.’ She’s after your part as much as she’s after Pres. Doesn’t that make you sick?"
Celeste nodded.
"Yikes, you look green." I felt Celeste’s forehead. "Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything. I mean, you’re getting your voice back, so there’s no way Alicia could
I passed Pres in the hall and he mumbled a groggy good morning. It didn’t seem that kissing Alicia had any lasting ill effects on him. He just looked tired, not doomed or cursed or anything. Too bad. I would have felt better if he had.
After I showered, dressed, and forced down some breakfast, I called Celeste. A deep raspy voice answered the phone and I wondered if I had the wrong number.
"Hello?" I said. "May I speak to Celeste?"
"This is Celeste."
"I didn’t recognize your voice. Your voice, you can talk. Out loud!"
"More or less," Celeste squeaked.
"Thank goodness. I was getting frantic."
"You? Why?"
"Because—never mind. I’ll tell you later. Can we go somewhere and talk? Somewhere private?" I didn’t want to take a chance that Pres or Josh might overhear us.
"Sounds mysterious." Celeste always did like any situation that was even remotely clandestine. "How about the library?"
"No." I had visions of Alicia lurking behind every shelf. "I know. Let’s go to the park overlooking the town beach. Meet me at the corner of Wharf Lane and Maple Avenue?"
"Sure," Celeste said. "Just give me ten minutes to get ready."
On my way to meet Celeste I ignored the occasional drops of rain that splattered on my head. I quickened my steps as I got closer to Maple Avenue. I couldn’t hold in the details of what I’d witnessed last night much longer.
Celeste was nowhere in sight when I reached the corner. I stamped my feet, as much to alleviate my exasperation at Celeste for not being there as to ward off the unexpected morning chill. I wished I’d worn my parka over my sweater.
Finally, after I was reduced to hopping in place to keep warm, Celeste rounded the corner at full speed, her cheeks glowing red.
"Sorry I’m late. I had to feed the dog before I left. There was no dog food in the pantry, so I had to get some from the garage and—forget it. Let’s get to the park before it rains." Celeste pulled the hood of her jacket up over her head. "Unless you think it’s …" She cleared her throat and continued, "...safe to tell me here."
I surveyed the hedges, shrubs, and trees that lined the street. No telling who might be skulking around behind them. "We’d better go to the park." I paused. Then, "By the way, your voice sounds a lot better. Think you’ll be okay for the next rehearsal?"
"Oh, I think so," Celeste said. "It’s improved a lot just since yesterday, and the next rehearsal isn’t until Monday evening."
"Good. Good." I walked faster. It was all I could do to keep from running. I wanted to get to the park and tell Celeste all about last night, to warn her about Alicia.
When we got to the park I looked around to make sure no one was hiding behind or up a tree, then dismissed the thought as ridiculous. How would Alicia know that Celeste and I were at the park? Still ....
"Let’s sit over there." I pointed to a solitary bench clear of bushes that might shroud any spies. "It’ll be best if you’re sitting down when I tell you everything anyway."
"Okay," Celeste said. "But let’s get it over with. It looks as though it might pour any moment."
We sat on the green wooden bench and I told Celeste about what I’d seen in the shadows backstage.
"I knew it was Pres right away," I said. "I recognized his voice. At first I couldn’t tell who he was kissing, because I couldn’t see her face. But when the moonlight reflected off her hair, I knew for sure."
"Who was it?"
"Alicia Johnson. The rat."
"Are you s-sure?"
"Positive."
"You—you’re really that sure? But—but how?"
"That long black hair that she’s forever combing—oh. I forgot. Before Pres kissed her he said, ‘ You’re the perfect Alta.’ She’s after your part as much as she’s after Pres. Doesn’t that make you sick?"
Celeste nodded.
"Yikes, you look green." I felt Celeste’s forehead. "Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything. I mean, you’re getting your voice back, so there’s no way Alicia could
Similar Books
