Holly's Heart Collection Two Read Online Free PDF

getting ready to begin class. “See you at lunch, okay?”
    “Perfect,” he said, using my word. When he winked at me, my heart did its usual wild flip-flop.

    At noon, Paula slipped into the hot-lunch line behind me. “You should see Goofey in his new pajamas,” she purred. “He looks so adorable.”
    “You made them already?”
    “They weren’t difficult,” she said, tossing her hair back over her shoulder. “I followed the pattern for a doggie sweater.”
    “You what?”
    “I crochet,” she explained. “It’s lots of fun.”
    I could just see it now—my Goofey in pink poodle pajamas. It was enough to give me a hissy fit. “Poor thing,” I muttered under my breath.
    “He seems to like them,” she said, following me to the table where Andie sat saving places for both Jared and me.
    “Mind if I join you?” Paula asked, holding her tray till I answered.
    I studied Andie, still writing notes. “Hey, relax, it’s lunchtime,” I teased, motioning for Paula to sit on the other side of me.
    Andie kept her nose stuck in a book.
    “Whatcha studying?” I asked, peering over at Andie and her mammoth book.
    “Stuff about Austria,” she said without looking up.
    “Oh, I know. You want to communicate with your new friend, right?”
    “She speaks English fluently. Started studying it in fifth grade.”
    Paula leaned forward, talking around me. “What does she know about Colorado?”
    “I’ve already described Dressel Hills to her, if that’s what you mean.” Andie looked up momentarily.
    “And what about when you go over there?” I asked. “What then?”
    Andie closed her book. “Well, if things work out, I should have enough money saved by a year from now.” She had a faraway look in her brown eyes. “I want to travel the world. See the sights, meet different people.”
    “It’s a good goal for you,” I said, not realizing it sounded like a put-down till it was out of my mouth.
    Andie ignored the comment, or maybe her head was in a cloud somewhere in the Alps. “Mr. Ross is giving me extra-credit work to help pull up my science grade. My parents said if I work extra hard this semester they’ll help me with my plane fare—to visit Christiana.”
    “Wow, sounds like you’re serious about this,” I said.
    Andie leaned on the table, looking at Paula on the other side of me. “So…how do you like Holly’s cat so far?”
    Paula was munching on a hot dog. “Uhmm,” she mumbled, wiping her lips.
    It was the first unintelligible remark Paula had made since she moved here last April.
    “Her mouth’s full,” I explained.
    We both waited for her to swallow. At last she said she’d been praying about Goofey’s well-being. That the right person would end up with him.
    Man, this is getting nutty, I thought. Paula’s talking to God about my cat.
    “You sound like Holly,” Andie said, chuckling. “She prays about things like that. And you know what’s amazing? God answers her prayers.”
    I spooned up some chili for my hot dog. “But sometimes the answer is ‘not yet’ or just plain ‘no.’ ”
    “Which reminds me,” Andie said. “About next week and your birth—”
    I made a cut-throat gesture for her to stop talking. Paula had not been invited to my party. This could be embarrassing.
    Andie glanced down awkwardly, playing with her napkin. Then she said, “I’ve gotta run. Stan has a book he bought in Germany last summer. I’m supposed to meet him at his locker. See ya.”
    I knew by the look on her face she wasn’t coming to my party no matter when I was having it. I just hoped Paula hadn’t heard. She was the last person I wanted hanging around.
    Now…what to do about Goofey? There was no changing Andie’s mind. That was obvious. She seemed determined not to have anything to do with my cat. On the other hand, here was Paula, a girl who loved him almost as much as I did.
    I needed some time to think. What I really needed was a backup plan. So I mentioned my preliminary