thought it had other positive qualities that I had failed to notice this morning as I put it on.
Once I was sure I was adjusted where nothing that shouldn't be showing was showing, I answered back.
"Not that I'm not just bursting with pride that you approve of my wardrobe, Keller, but I assure you I wasn't thinking about you when I picked out my clothes."
"That's probably true, sweetness. I know you like to think about me most when you're taking your clothes off, not putting them on."
I strangled on the sip of tea I was in the middle of swallowing. The glint in his eyes could only be described as wicked, but I refused to rise to his bait. I took another sip from my drink to keep myself from coughing all over everyone and to give me time to compose myself. If I just ate my lunch and ignored him, maybe I could pretend he wasn't there. That was my weak plan anyway.
Feeling better, I was about to take a bite of my usual chocolate chip cookie when a voice whispered near my ear, "Let me offer my own guess. You were thinking about me this morning when you picked out that skirt, weren't you?"
Keller made a noise that sounded something like a snort, but my attention wasn't on him any longer.
Granger's sudden appearance shouldn't have caught me off guard. After all, we'd been sitting at the same table for a couple of weeks now, but his nearness always had a strange effect on me. After seeing how girls reacted when he smiled or talked to them, I knew I wasn't the only one who wasn't immune to his easy charm and manners.
I couldn't help but compare Granger and Keller. Both turned heads, but with Granger I never had the all-consuming wish that he would disappear. In fact, I was starting to wish I could be around him twenty-four seven. It was the exact opposite of how I felt when Keller was around. With Keller I couldn't think of enough ways that would suit me for his entire being to simply go away.
Each day at lunch he continued to find ways to annoy me. Only yesterday, after he'd made one of his caustic remarks and called me some stupid endearment, I'd launched into day dreaming about ways I could get rid of him. I had a fantasy about a tornado carrying Keller off like in the Wizard of Oz , or there was the one where I imagined he was abducted by aliens who left the rest of us behind on Earth. But my favorite was when I pretended he was thrown into in-school-suspension for being so unbelievably obnoxious. And then the powers that be forgot he was there. He simply stayed in detention. Forever.
I sighed. A girl could always dream.
At least I could be thankful that so far I had managed to avoid seeing Keller while he was working at Fairvue, even if I couldn't avoid him at school.
Unfortunately, in some ways that hadn't worked out totally in my favor because I still had to hear about Keller from my Gran. She adored him, and he was obviously at the farm at some point even though I was missing his presence there. I knew this because every evening it seemed like Gran would comment on something wonderful Keller had done for her or Mr. Mac. But luck had to be on my side at least a little bit since so far all I'd had to do was hear about him rather than see him.
If only luck could get me some time alone with Granger. That was definitely something I wanted to find.
Other than my first day at school when he'd walked me to English class, it seemed like we were always surrounded by other people. The day after my first meeting with Granger we'd left the lunchroom to head to class, and I thought I was going to have time with only him again. Keller and Faith had followed us, though, heading straight to the same part of the building where we were going. At first I was confused because I knew I hadn't heard Mrs. Holmes call their names on our roll, but it didn't take me long to figure out they both had language the same period we did but in the room next to our class.
Then Mrs. Holmes, who'd seemed so nice and relaxed the first day I was
Once I was sure I was adjusted where nothing that shouldn't be showing was showing, I answered back.
"Not that I'm not just bursting with pride that you approve of my wardrobe, Keller, but I assure you I wasn't thinking about you when I picked out my clothes."
"That's probably true, sweetness. I know you like to think about me most when you're taking your clothes off, not putting them on."
I strangled on the sip of tea I was in the middle of swallowing. The glint in his eyes could only be described as wicked, but I refused to rise to his bait. I took another sip from my drink to keep myself from coughing all over everyone and to give me time to compose myself. If I just ate my lunch and ignored him, maybe I could pretend he wasn't there. That was my weak plan anyway.
Feeling better, I was about to take a bite of my usual chocolate chip cookie when a voice whispered near my ear, "Let me offer my own guess. You were thinking about me this morning when you picked out that skirt, weren't you?"
Keller made a noise that sounded something like a snort, but my attention wasn't on him any longer.
Granger's sudden appearance shouldn't have caught me off guard. After all, we'd been sitting at the same table for a couple of weeks now, but his nearness always had a strange effect on me. After seeing how girls reacted when he smiled or talked to them, I knew I wasn't the only one who wasn't immune to his easy charm and manners.
I couldn't help but compare Granger and Keller. Both turned heads, but with Granger I never had the all-consuming wish that he would disappear. In fact, I was starting to wish I could be around him twenty-four seven. It was the exact opposite of how I felt when Keller was around. With Keller I couldn't think of enough ways that would suit me for his entire being to simply go away.
Each day at lunch he continued to find ways to annoy me. Only yesterday, after he'd made one of his caustic remarks and called me some stupid endearment, I'd launched into day dreaming about ways I could get rid of him. I had a fantasy about a tornado carrying Keller off like in the Wizard of Oz , or there was the one where I imagined he was abducted by aliens who left the rest of us behind on Earth. But my favorite was when I pretended he was thrown into in-school-suspension for being so unbelievably obnoxious. And then the powers that be forgot he was there. He simply stayed in detention. Forever.
I sighed. A girl could always dream.
At least I could be thankful that so far I had managed to avoid seeing Keller while he was working at Fairvue, even if I couldn't avoid him at school.
Unfortunately, in some ways that hadn't worked out totally in my favor because I still had to hear about Keller from my Gran. She adored him, and he was obviously at the farm at some point even though I was missing his presence there. I knew this because every evening it seemed like Gran would comment on something wonderful Keller had done for her or Mr. Mac. But luck had to be on my side at least a little bit since so far all I'd had to do was hear about him rather than see him.
If only luck could get me some time alone with Granger. That was definitely something I wanted to find.
Other than my first day at school when he'd walked me to English class, it seemed like we were always surrounded by other people. The day after my first meeting with Granger we'd left the lunchroom to head to class, and I thought I was going to have time with only him again. Keller and Faith had followed us, though, heading straight to the same part of the building where we were going. At first I was confused because I knew I hadn't heard Mrs. Holmes call their names on our roll, but it didn't take me long to figure out they both had language the same period we did but in the room next to our class.
Then Mrs. Holmes, who'd seemed so nice and relaxed the first day I was
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