Reaction Read Online Free PDF

right?”
    â€œI’ll be there.”

Chapter Eleven
    We had about ten days of some kind of truce after that. Ashley’s parents seemed to have backed off. So had mine. At school, we were still the center of attention whenever we were together. The school counselor had called us both in one day, but she was totally cool about the whole thing. She said that there would be a “plan” for Ashley so that she could stay in classes as long as she wanted and then do work from home when the time came. And, of course, she’d be back in school after she had the baby. It seemed like at least one person was on our side.
    I had Ashley over to my house one night to watch a movie, and my parents seemed fine about that, even when they found us making out in the living room. And then Ashley invited me over to her house after school to study together there.
    â€œI don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” I said.
    â€œYes, it is. If we’re going to make this work, my family is going to have to accept you.”
    â€œYeah. Right.”
    â€œMy dad won’t be there,” she said. “And Stephen has promised to get off your case.”
    So I did go to Ashley’s house. We went there on the bus after school. Her mom was a bit chilly but polite. Ashley made me coffee, and we sat in the kitchen and talked. Well, Ashley talked. Sometimes she became a real motormouth. And it wasn’t like she was talking about us or the baby or our future or anything important. She was talking about what her friends were doing. There was Elisse’s new boyfriend, who was from France, of all places. And Jessica, who had gone shopping at the mall. And Maya, who had a new crush on Liam. And about the parties that we had not been going to. And about which guys in which bands she thought were cute. And it went on and on. We sure didn’t get much studying done.
    As I sipped my coffee, I was beginning to realize just how young Ashley was. Even though we were just a year apart, I felt like it was much more than that. I felt so much older than her. What had happened? I felt like I was missing a piece of the puzzle here. What was I getting myself into with this girl?
    Mrs. Walker walked in and boldly asked me if I wanted to stay for supper. I don’t know whose jaw dropped farther, Ashley’s or mine.
    But I wasn’t quite ready for that. Not the way I was feeling right then. “No thanks, Mrs. Walker,” I said politely. “Not tonight. But I’ll take a rain check.”
    â€œSure. What’s your favorite food? I could cook you something special. Just don’t say pizza. I hate pizza.”
    I probably would have said pizza, but instead I lied, “Nah, I’m tired of pizza. What about lasagna?”
    â€œLasagna it is. You pick the night.” As I got up to go, I kissed Ashley right in front of her mom. I knew I had crossed over some kind of a bridge. But that wasn’t exactly making me feel like a rock star. And, as I left the house, I found myself letting out a big lungful of air. Once I was beyond sight of Ashley’s house, I started running, slowly at first but then faster until I was breathing hard. When I slowed down, I realized I hadn’t even been running in the direction of home. I was down by the shops near the school. I slowed down by Java Junction and saw some of the kids from school inside. Sitting at a table by herself was Kiley. Kiley, who had been my girlfriend before I screwed things up. Kiley, who recently always seemed to be running into me in the hallways. Kiley, who right now was looking rather hot.
    She wasn’t looking this way. She was just sitting there staring into her cup, appearing to be rather lonely, while all around her other kids were in groups, laughing and having a good time. I thought about going in and just hanging with her for a while. I wanted someone to talk to. Someone other than Ashley.
    But I didn’t. I turned and