Forever Blue Read Online Free PDF Page B

opportunity, someone else out there would—someone like whatever it was Lindsay had become.
        “Cool. We’ll work out the details later. I have to get to class.” He sped past me, treading backward. “Oh, and I have some awesome news. I’ll tell you at lunch!” he yelled back over his shoulder as he hustleddown the hallway.
     
     
    ***
     
     
          We ate at a secluded rusted metal table underneath a large eucalyptus treeduring our lunch break.Carter and I had a habit of distancing ourselves from other students whenever we could. We had each other, and somehow we were okay with that.
         “So, what is this awesome newsthatyou wanted to tell me about?” I asked. Before I could take a bite of my sandwich, a glob of chicken salad oozed out and dripped onto the table.
       “Oh yeah, I almost forgot.”  He grabbed a handful of my chips,and shoveda few into his mouth. “There’s this huge audition going on next week—a national search, I guess you could call it.”
       I looked up at him through the sunlight that bleached his face like an old photograph. “For what?”
        “There’s this major record producer in town looking for new talent,” he said, licking salt from his fingertips.
        For the last two years, Carter awaited his big break.  He was so close I could almost feel it coming.
        “I’m sure your mom won’t let you pass that up.”
         He smirked at my comment and replied, “Yeah, I'm going. My mom wants me to come up with a routine that proves I can really sing—you know, blow them away or something.” He rolled his eyes. “There will probably be a million kids trying out, but I figure, what’s the worst that can happen? So you know I won’t be able to see you after school for the rest of the week, right?”
         I took another bite of my sandwich and smiled back at him halfheartedly. Mary treated Carter like he was in boot campwhen a big audition was in the works.She went as far as locking him up inside the house after school. His main focus was to be rehearsing for the audition at all times. Carter told me that once she even locked him in the bathroom until he knew his lines verbatim.
        “Yeah, I know the drill.”
        “Cross your fingers for me, Alexa.” Carter reached for my hand and squeezed it gently.   “Remember mink coats and limo rides.”
     
    ***
     
         Exactly how does a girl ask her parents if she can go on a date for the very first time? I had an overwhelming sense that my parents wouldn’t be too keen on the whole idea of letting their fourteen-year-old daughter go out with a boy all alone. On second thought, they knew Carter quite well and adored him. What harm could the two of us really do? I approached Momthat eveningwhile she sat at the dining room table sewing a button on a blouse.
    “Hi, honey. I haven’t seen you all afternoon. How was your day?”
       I took a seat in thechair beside her. “It was, um—interesting.”
        “Oh, that’s good tohear,” Mom said as she weaveda needle in and out of the silky blue fabric. Ever since my so-called friends abandoned me in seventh grade, Mom took a keen interest in my social life. “Did you make any new friends today, or was it just you and Carter?”
        Heat rose on the back of my neckat the mention of Carter. I had to get it out in the openor risk wimping out. “Hey, Mom—”
        “Yes, sweetie?”
        “So, um…when’s Dad coming home?” 
        “Very late,” Mom replied. “I’m hoping he’ll be home at a decent time tomorrow night, but you never know with his crazy hours at that car lot. Someone could pop in at the last minute, and then he ends up being there all night. I—”
        “Mom…” I interrupted.
        Mom’sblack-rimmed eyeglasses slipped to the tip of her nosewhen she finally turned toward me.“Honey, I’m really trying to focus here. What do you