waved goodbye to Callie and headed toward the bushes. Despite all her thoughts about being sweaty as a wholesome, natural part of boarding school life, she quickly pulled the elastic from her hair and shook her head, letting her dark curls fall around her shoulders—that was a little better at least.
Julian was standing there with his hands in his pockets, leaning against the ivy-covered wall, looking a little flustered. He was wearing a pale green T-shirt that said, in retro yellow letters, IT’S NOT WHAT YOU’RE THINKING , and an unzipped royal blue track jacket with white stripes down the sleeves.
“Hark!” Jenny said, holding her field hockey stick out like a sword, the tip pointed directly at the lettering on Julian’s chest. They’d just finished
Hamlet
in Miss Rose’s class, and she was still in a Shakespearean state of mind. “Who goes there?” He raised his eyebrows and did a Humphrey Bogart kind of voice. “We’ve got to stop meeting like this.”
“Hey, I live here.” Jenny grinned and retracted her hockey stick. She glanced around her but no one was approaching. First she’d been talking to Julian in a broom closet, now behind a bush. It was kind of fun—where would he pop up next? And
why
was he here again? “What’s your excuse? Are you looking for your—what was it? Your
lighter
—again?” “Funny girl.” He shrugged his shoulders, and a ray of setting sunlight burst through the elegantly sculpted bush he was standing behind, lighting up his features from behind. “But, no. I was just, you know, passing by.” The dramatic lighting made the shapes of his face stand out even more than they normally did, and Jenny noticed for the first time how strong the planes of his cheekbones were, how deep-set his dark eyes were, how crooked his nose was. It was the kind of face that would look great in marble, she thought. It took her a moment to realize it was her turn to speak again—so much for her brilliant Shakespearean repartee. “So, uh, what am I thinking?” she asked, hoping her face was a cute rosy-cheeked red, and not an are-you-having-a-heart-attack red.
Julian smiled at her but looked kind of confused, like he’d lost the trail of conversation. “Uh, what?” He leaned forward.
“Your shirt.” Jenny pointed toward it and raised her eyebrows. “You’ve probably been getting that all day.” Julian glanced down at his chest as understanding washed over his face. “Actually, I had my Sea World T-shirt on today.” He tilted his head and shrugged his shoulders, which made him look kind of like a little kid. “I just changed.” The dimple near his lips deepened.
A giggle burst from Jenny’s lips. Something about Julian was just so friendly and open—it was nice to flirt with him. It took her mind off other tall, handsome boys. “I know this is going to sound totally crazy, but would you be at all interested in being a model for my art class project?” She really hoped he wouldn’t think she was flirting with him—because she wasn’t. Not really. “I think you’d make a great subject.” He looked completely taken aback and glanced around him. Yikes! She hoped he wasn’t going to take it the wrong way. “Uh, right now? Behind the bushes?” “No!” Jenny pushed an unruly lock of hair behind her ear. She couldn’t believe she was standing here talking to a totally cute guy when she was in desperate need of a shower. At least he probably couldn’t smell her from where he was hiding. “I didn’t mean right now. Maybe tomorrow?” “I don’t know if I’ve ever been a piece of art before.” His fingers played with a branch of the bush he was stuck next to. “Sounds kinda cool.” “Sweet.” Jenny tapped her hockey stick against the brick wall. “I’ll e-mail you about a time.” She smiled coyly. “That is, if I don’t see you in the broom closet before then.” She walked inside to the sound of his laughter. As she climbed the stairs to room 303, she
Julian was standing there with his hands in his pockets, leaning against the ivy-covered wall, looking a little flustered. He was wearing a pale green T-shirt that said, in retro yellow letters, IT’S NOT WHAT YOU’RE THINKING , and an unzipped royal blue track jacket with white stripes down the sleeves.
“Hark!” Jenny said, holding her field hockey stick out like a sword, the tip pointed directly at the lettering on Julian’s chest. They’d just finished
Hamlet
in Miss Rose’s class, and she was still in a Shakespearean state of mind. “Who goes there?” He raised his eyebrows and did a Humphrey Bogart kind of voice. “We’ve got to stop meeting like this.”
“Hey, I live here.” Jenny grinned and retracted her hockey stick. She glanced around her but no one was approaching. First she’d been talking to Julian in a broom closet, now behind a bush. It was kind of fun—where would he pop up next? And
why
was he here again? “What’s your excuse? Are you looking for your—what was it? Your
lighter
—again?” “Funny girl.” He shrugged his shoulders, and a ray of setting sunlight burst through the elegantly sculpted bush he was standing behind, lighting up his features from behind. “But, no. I was just, you know, passing by.” The dramatic lighting made the shapes of his face stand out even more than they normally did, and Jenny noticed for the first time how strong the planes of his cheekbones were, how deep-set his dark eyes were, how crooked his nose was. It was the kind of face that would look great in marble, she thought. It took her a moment to realize it was her turn to speak again—so much for her brilliant Shakespearean repartee. “So, uh, what am I thinking?” she asked, hoping her face was a cute rosy-cheeked red, and not an are-you-having-a-heart-attack red.
Julian smiled at her but looked kind of confused, like he’d lost the trail of conversation. “Uh, what?” He leaned forward.
“Your shirt.” Jenny pointed toward it and raised her eyebrows. “You’ve probably been getting that all day.” Julian glanced down at his chest as understanding washed over his face. “Actually, I had my Sea World T-shirt on today.” He tilted his head and shrugged his shoulders, which made him look kind of like a little kid. “I just changed.” The dimple near his lips deepened.
A giggle burst from Jenny’s lips. Something about Julian was just so friendly and open—it was nice to flirt with him. It took her mind off other tall, handsome boys. “I know this is going to sound totally crazy, but would you be at all interested in being a model for my art class project?” She really hoped he wouldn’t think she was flirting with him—because she wasn’t. Not really. “I think you’d make a great subject.” He looked completely taken aback and glanced around him. Yikes! She hoped he wasn’t going to take it the wrong way. “Uh, right now? Behind the bushes?” “No!” Jenny pushed an unruly lock of hair behind her ear. She couldn’t believe she was standing here talking to a totally cute guy when she was in desperate need of a shower. At least he probably couldn’t smell her from where he was hiding. “I didn’t mean right now. Maybe tomorrow?” “I don’t know if I’ve ever been a piece of art before.” His fingers played with a branch of the bush he was stuck next to. “Sounds kinda cool.” “Sweet.” Jenny tapped her hockey stick against the brick wall. “I’ll e-mail you about a time.” She smiled coyly. “That is, if I don’t see you in the broom closet before then.” She walked inside to the sound of his laughter. As she climbed the stairs to room 303, she
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