An Unstill Life by Kate Larkindale Page A

toward her chest. The words were barely audible when she gave him the digits.
    “Thanks.” Sam punched the numbers into his cell. “You rock, you know?” He winked and ran off, jamming the phone into the back pocket of his jeans as he went.
    “God, I’m such an idiot.” Mel shook her head. I glanced at her, seeing the dejected curve of her spine and the tightness of her mouth.
    “C’mon,” I murmured. “Let’s go home, huh?”
    She sighed, still gazing after him. Sunlight flashed off his golden hair. “Yeah. Okay.”
    With great reluctance, Mel managed to haul herself up and away from the gym. She seemed heavier all of a sudden, tired and slow. Her footsteps were dull and leaden as we plodded down the concrete path.
    “Hey, Mel! Wait up.” A voice behind us called, and Mel whirled around.
    “Yes?”
    I turned too, just in time to see Eddie Fletcher skid to a stop on the path. “So… Uh… Jeremy Fraser’s having a party Saturday night. Maybe you might want to come? Like, with me?” He flushed and looked down at the ground.
    I thought Mel might explode. Disappointment vibrated from her, but she tried to hide it. “Saturday? Um… Maybe…” She glanced behind us, at the place we’d last seen Sam, but he was gone. She shook her head as she turned back to face Eddie. “Yeah. Okay. I’ll come.”
    “Cool.” Eddie smiled, showing even, white teeth no longer crisscrossed with braces. His eyes moved in my direction. “You can come, too, if you want. There’s gonna be a bunch of us.”
    “That’s okay,” I said. “I think I have something I need to do on Saturday.” I forced myself to smile back. There was nothing I had to do that night except sit alone in a house so empty it echoed silence. But a pity invite wasn’t much better.
    “Oh, you should totally come!” Mel turned to me, eyes glowing as if coals burned in them. “It’ll be so much fun. I’ll come and stay the night at your place afterward. Come on, Livvie. What do you have to do on Saturday?”
    “Well, you know… With Jules…” Good one, Livvie. Using your sick sister as an excuse? What next? Dragging out a dead grandmother? I shook my head. I knew what it would be like and didn’t feel like spending yet another night watching other people have a good time.
    “She’ll come.” Mel reached out and rested a hand on Eddie’s forearm. I fixed my eyes on it and shivered despite the warm sun on my back. Her hand looked right there, like it belonged.
    “Awesome.” Eddie said. “I’ll see you guys at school tomorrow. I gotta get home.”
    “See ya.” I didn’t even look at him.
    Mel cocked her head to one side and watched him walk away, then yelled after him, “Hey! Can you give us a ride home?”
    He stopped. “Where do you live?”
    “Not far.” Mel ran to catch up with him, dragging me behind her. “I’m pretty sure we’ve missed the late bus.”
    I pulled my phone out and checked the time: five thirty-seven. She was right. The late bus left at five thirty. If Eddie didn’t want to give us a ride, we had a long walk ahead of us. No way was I going to call Mom to come pick us up. And Mel’s mother worked nights.
    Eddie grinned. “I guess so. Can’t really abandon you in your hour of need, right?”
    “We appreciate it, right, Livvie?” Mel smiled too broadly, and I could see the lingering hurt and disappointment underneath.
    “Yeah. Thanks,” I mumbled.
    Mel grabbed my arm, and we ran to join Eddie. We were so close together, our skin touching, yet I felt like my friend was on a different continent.

Chapter Seven
    “G uess what?” Mel bowled up behind Hannah and me, startling us so much I dropped the books I had in my arms.
    “What?” Hannah asked as I scrambled to rescue the books kids were already starting to skate on.
    “Did Livvie tell you?” Excitement brightened Mel’s words so they glowed like hot embers. Her cheeks blazed the same red.
    “Tell me what?” Hannah elbowed a girl whose foot was