Zarr, Sara - Sweethearts Read Online Free PDF Page B

all about everything that happened. But then he'd tell Mom and I'd have a million questions to answer that I couldn't, and besides, I wasn't sure I was ready to tell anybody anything. Still, that was twice in a twenty-four hour period I'd come close to talking about things I never had -- first with Steph, then Alan. "We have five minutes till first bell," Ethan said, pulling into a corner of the student lot. "Wanna make out?" He wiggled his eyebrows at me. What could I say? Not really. No thanks. Instead I leaned into him and we kissed. He pulled back a little to slip his hand up my shirt and then stopped. "Your eyes are open." He laughed, looking over his shoulder in the approximate direction my eyes had been fixed while I watched kids go into the school building, so sure somehow that I'd see Cameron among them. "What are you looking at?" Ethan asked. "Nothing." "You never kiss with your eyes open." I shrugged and straightened my shirt. "We're going to be late." He leaned back in his seat and took a few deep breaths, then asked, "Are you sure you're okay?" "Yeah. Just tired." While he gathered up his backpack and coat, I reached into my sweater pocket and closed my fingers around the ring. My heart pounded. "You coming?" Ethan asked from where he stood outside the car. "I really don't feel so good," I said, suddenly afraid to move. If Cameron Quick was alive, what else was out there that I didn't know about? "Maybe you should take me home." "I hope you're not s/c/csick, since you just transferred about a billion germs into my mouth." Cootie girl, came a voice in my head, the kind of voice I hardly ever heard anymore. You and your gross germy self... you're lucky anyone wants to kiss you at all. "No, not like that. Just. I don't know. Not good." "You'll feel better in a couple hours, I bet," he said. "Anyway, we have a test in physiology, remember?" "I know." We heard the first bell ring. I got out of the car and hoisted my backpack onto my shoulder. "You're probably right. I'll probably feel better soon." I was a zombie all morning. When anyone asked what was wrong, I used the "I'm tired" excuse and changed the subject. I watched the door of every classroom waiting for Cameron to walk through. At lunch, I sat where i could see both cafeteria entrances, while Steph and Katy and Gil and Freshman Dave and Ethan all talked about the play. Freshman Dave asked Steph if she was going to try out for the lead. "There are two leads," Katy said. "Both for girls. That's the beauty of it." She turned to me. "What about you, J.V.? There are some small parts, you know." "She's stage manager," Ethan said through a mouthful of cafeteria spaghetti. "She doesn't like to be onstage." Steph watched me from across the table. "Since 'she' is sitting right here, maybe 'she' could speak for herself. Just an idea." Steph was not one to put up with anything and kept the boys in line. I chewed my dry sandwich, wishing for a nice big chocolate shake to wash it down. Ethan's thigh nudged mine. I guessed I was supposed to say something. "Oh. No, it's okay. He's right. I don't want a part," I said. "Stage manager is fine. It's great." Steph rolled her eyes. "I'm so convinced." They might have said more after that, I don't know, because right then I noticed Ethan's car keys in the unzipped outside pocket of his backpack. He was talking to Gil and Katy, the three of them reliving something funny that had happened during the junior year play. When he jumped up from the table to act out part of the story, I slid my hand into his backpack, pulled out the keys, and hid them in my lap before he turned back around. Stealing was easy. I'd had lots of practice as Jennifer Harris, who needed a steady supply of snacks to get through the day. Sometimes that meant taking from stores, other kids, even Mrs. Jameson's desk drawer once when she let me stay after school to help organize the reading corner. This time it was all for a higher purpose, not just to stuff my face.