The Perfect Guy (Books We Love Young Adult Romance) by Ann Herrick Page B
Authors: Ann Herrick
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ever get your part."
"No, I’m glad you told me." Celeste leaned back and sighed deeply. "It’s you I’m worried about. You like Pres so much and ...." Her voice trailed off for a second. "I don’t want you to get hurt."
"Don’t worry. I’ve got a plan."
"Already?" Celeste chewed her lip.
"It’s okay. Just listen. I started thinking while I was waiting for you at the corner. Step one: I’m going to stick like glue to Alicia at rehearsals from now on. No way will she have a chance to be alone with Pres." I pounded the bench.
"And steps two and three?"
"I haven’t gotten that far yet. But don’t worry. I’m not going to let a flirt like Alicia get her claws on Pres. I’ll bet she figures she can get him to take her to the graduation party. Speaking of which, have you lined up any prospects? You can’t wait forever, you know."
"I—uh—I have enough to think about right now with the play. I really don’t want to go anyway, unless it’s with someone special."
"I can’t believe my ears. Celeste Sullivan not interested in the graduation party? The same Celeste Sullivan who’s been dating constantly ever since her parents gave her permission? The same Celeste who hasn’t been without a boyfriend for more than a week at most?"
"I’m tired of dating just for the sake of dating." Celeste picked at her fingernails. "I mean, I still like guys, but I’m looking for more than just fun. I want to wait for something meaningful." She paused, then said, "I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings—"
"Hold it." I put my fingers to my lips. "Someone’s coming."
A car pulled up to the edge of the park. Josh got out.
"Josh. What are you doing here?" I demanded.
"Mom told me you were here at my favorite thinking place, so I came to rescue my two favorite damsels from potential distress."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
Josh pointed up to the sky. "Those huge black clouds mean that any second now this occasional sprinkle will turn into a vicious downpour. But I, your knight in shining chrome," he said, thumbing toward the car, "can save you. In other words, how about a ride?"
"The mist is getting a little heavy," Celeste pointed out.
"You’re right," I said. "Let’s go."
We hurried back to the car and dove inside just before a cloudburst struck.
"Brrr." I scrunched down on the seat between Josh and Celeste. "Who’d have thought we’d have such a cold day this late in the spring?"
"I’ll get the heat going." Josh leaned across me and fiddled with some buttons on the panel.
"We’ll freeze if we have to wait for that thing to warm up," Celeste said. "How about taking me to the library? They have heat, and I’ve got some heavy-duty research to do on an English term paper."
"Maybe I’ll tag along," I said. "I can always find something interesting at the library."
"Rebecca," Josh said, "if you don’t have anything special planned this morning, why don’t you come with me? I’m going over to Mrs. Griswold’s. She has a barn full of old furniture and tools and stuff. She said we could borrow whatever we could use for the play."
"All right," I said. Though props weren’t my responsibility, I felt that Josh had done so much to help me it was only fair that I help him, even though it meant losing time with Celeste. "There’s nothing I have to do at the library. Sounds like fun."
"Great." Josh stopped in front of the library. "Here you are, Celeste. Want a ride later?"
"I don’t know when I’ll be ready to leave," she said. "Don’t worry about me. I’ll find my way home."
Just as I waved goodbye to Celeste, I caught a glimpse of someone sprinting in the side door. I said, "That looks like Pres."
"Who? Where?" Josh craned his neck to see.
"He’s inside already." I sighed. "Well, it really doesn’t matter," I said, though, of course, it did to me. I would have liked to go in and see if Pres was meeting Alicia. But I’d already said I’d go with Josh. At least Celeste would be around to keep an
"No, I’m glad you told me." Celeste leaned back and sighed deeply. "It’s you I’m worried about. You like Pres so much and ...." Her voice trailed off for a second. "I don’t want you to get hurt."
"Don’t worry. I’ve got a plan."
"Already?" Celeste chewed her lip.
"It’s okay. Just listen. I started thinking while I was waiting for you at the corner. Step one: I’m going to stick like glue to Alicia at rehearsals from now on. No way will she have a chance to be alone with Pres." I pounded the bench.
"And steps two and three?"
"I haven’t gotten that far yet. But don’t worry. I’m not going to let a flirt like Alicia get her claws on Pres. I’ll bet she figures she can get him to take her to the graduation party. Speaking of which, have you lined up any prospects? You can’t wait forever, you know."
"I—uh—I have enough to think about right now with the play. I really don’t want to go anyway, unless it’s with someone special."
"I can’t believe my ears. Celeste Sullivan not interested in the graduation party? The same Celeste Sullivan who’s been dating constantly ever since her parents gave her permission? The same Celeste who hasn’t been without a boyfriend for more than a week at most?"
"I’m tired of dating just for the sake of dating." Celeste picked at her fingernails. "I mean, I still like guys, but I’m looking for more than just fun. I want to wait for something meaningful." She paused, then said, "I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings—"
"Hold it." I put my fingers to my lips. "Someone’s coming."
A car pulled up to the edge of the park. Josh got out.
"Josh. What are you doing here?" I demanded.
"Mom told me you were here at my favorite thinking place, so I came to rescue my two favorite damsels from potential distress."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
Josh pointed up to the sky. "Those huge black clouds mean that any second now this occasional sprinkle will turn into a vicious downpour. But I, your knight in shining chrome," he said, thumbing toward the car, "can save you. In other words, how about a ride?"
"The mist is getting a little heavy," Celeste pointed out.
"You’re right," I said. "Let’s go."
We hurried back to the car and dove inside just before a cloudburst struck.
"Brrr." I scrunched down on the seat between Josh and Celeste. "Who’d have thought we’d have such a cold day this late in the spring?"
"I’ll get the heat going." Josh leaned across me and fiddled with some buttons on the panel.
"We’ll freeze if we have to wait for that thing to warm up," Celeste said. "How about taking me to the library? They have heat, and I’ve got some heavy-duty research to do on an English term paper."
"Maybe I’ll tag along," I said. "I can always find something interesting at the library."
"Rebecca," Josh said, "if you don’t have anything special planned this morning, why don’t you come with me? I’m going over to Mrs. Griswold’s. She has a barn full of old furniture and tools and stuff. She said we could borrow whatever we could use for the play."
"All right," I said. Though props weren’t my responsibility, I felt that Josh had done so much to help me it was only fair that I help him, even though it meant losing time with Celeste. "There’s nothing I have to do at the library. Sounds like fun."
"Great." Josh stopped in front of the library. "Here you are, Celeste. Want a ride later?"
"I don’t know when I’ll be ready to leave," she said. "Don’t worry about me. I’ll find my way home."
Just as I waved goodbye to Celeste, I caught a glimpse of someone sprinting in the side door. I said, "That looks like Pres."
"Who? Where?" Josh craned his neck to see.
"He’s inside already." I sighed. "Well, it really doesn’t matter," I said, though, of course, it did to me. I would have liked to go in and see if Pres was meeting Alicia. But I’d already said I’d go with Josh. At least Celeste would be around to keep an
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