inviting you!" She hung up the phone before either boy could say more.
"What did Max want?" asked Andrea, applying a coat of quick dryer.
"He wanted to show how clever he is," said Jill. "He said he was a fire inspector. But the awful part is--for a minute I believed him!"
"What a dweeb," said Andrea.
"Maybe," said Jill. "But it could have been real. Now, are we going to stop this stupid fire game--or not?"
Andrea sighed. "Oh, all right. I guess it wouldn't hurt to cool things awhile--especially now that the police are looking into arson."
"Thank heaven!" said Diane, smiling broadly. "Thanks, both of you." She quickly hugged each of her friends in turn. "This is the best thing for all of us. You'll see!"
She picked up her pink overnight bag and disappeared into the bathroom.
Andrea shook her head. "I guess I didn't realize before how strongly Diane felt about fire."
"I didn't either," said Jill.
"In fact," said Andrea, "it's hard to believe she and Gabe are such good friends."
"Why do you say that?"
"They're just two completely different people," said Andrea. "The fire thing is only part of it. Diane's shy, Gabe's outgoing--he's really much more your type--or mine."
It's now or never, Jill thought. "I've been meaning to talk to you about Gabe," she said. "I'm . . . going out with him tomorrow night."
"Really?" said Andrea. She didn't seem at all upset. "Well, that's very interesting, because he's spending next Thursday afternoon and evening with me to work on the music for my floor routine."
"Well, that's great," said Jill.
"Except," Andrea added, "I'm planning to work on a lot more than my routine." She looked Jill in the eye, then flashed her a mischievous smile. "Have a good time tomorrow night, Jill. Just keep in mind that I'm not backing off. As they used to say in the movies, may the best man--or woman--win."
The moon was just past full, and all around it a million stars were shining. A soft breeze floated the scent of spring flowers, and Jill thought it was the most romantic evening she had ever spent in her life.
Across from her, sitting on a picnic table, Gabe was softly strumming his guitar, his eyes closed as he sang a slow, sad song. With the moonlight shining on his face, he looked very handsome, Jill thought. There wasn't a trace of the wild Gabe, just the sensitive one.
When he picked her up, she wondered how he would behave around her parents. But he had been, as her mother would put it, a perfect gentleman. He had even held the car door open for her, which was strange and sweet at the same time.
What a perfect evening, she thought. The movie had been great, but even better had been Gabe's idea of going to the park so that he could play music just for her. I'll never forget this evening, she thought.
Gabe finished the song, then set the guitar down.
"That was great," said Jill. "Did you write it?"
"I'm still working on it," said Gabe with a smile. "You like it?"
"It's better than most of the stuff they play on the radio," she said.
Gabe crossed to the bench where she was sitting and sat beside her. "I've had a nice time tonight," he said.
"Me too," she said.
"Hanging out with the other kids is fun," he went on, "but I've been wanting to get to know you alone."
Jill couldn't think of what to say. She felt the same way, but somehow it didn't seem right to say so. Very casually, Gabe took her hand.
"So, what is the real Jill Franks like?" he asked, only half-teasing.
"I think," she said, "that I'm just the way I seem to be."
He was silent a moment. "I think that's true. A lot of people wear masks, or put on an act, but you seem to be just you."
"What about you?" Jill said. "Do you have a mask?"
Again Gabe fell silent. "What do you think?" he said at last.
"I'm not sure," said Jill. "But you seem so different now than when we're hanging out with the others."
"Yeah?" he asked. "Which me do you like better?"
"Both of them," said Jill. "I like the way you always want to do something
"What did Max want?" asked Andrea, applying a coat of quick dryer.
"He wanted to show how clever he is," said Jill. "He said he was a fire inspector. But the awful part is--for a minute I believed him!"
"What a dweeb," said Andrea.
"Maybe," said Jill. "But it could have been real. Now, are we going to stop this stupid fire game--or not?"
Andrea sighed. "Oh, all right. I guess it wouldn't hurt to cool things awhile--especially now that the police are looking into arson."
"Thank heaven!" said Diane, smiling broadly. "Thanks, both of you." She quickly hugged each of her friends in turn. "This is the best thing for all of us. You'll see!"
She picked up her pink overnight bag and disappeared into the bathroom.
Andrea shook her head. "I guess I didn't realize before how strongly Diane felt about fire."
"I didn't either," said Jill.
"In fact," said Andrea, "it's hard to believe she and Gabe are such good friends."
"Why do you say that?"
"They're just two completely different people," said Andrea. "The fire thing is only part of it. Diane's shy, Gabe's outgoing--he's really much more your type--or mine."
It's now or never, Jill thought. "I've been meaning to talk to you about Gabe," she said. "I'm . . . going out with him tomorrow night."
"Really?" said Andrea. She didn't seem at all upset. "Well, that's very interesting, because he's spending next Thursday afternoon and evening with me to work on the music for my floor routine."
"Well, that's great," said Jill.
"Except," Andrea added, "I'm planning to work on a lot more than my routine." She looked Jill in the eye, then flashed her a mischievous smile. "Have a good time tomorrow night, Jill. Just keep in mind that I'm not backing off. As they used to say in the movies, may the best man--or woman--win."
The moon was just past full, and all around it a million stars were shining. A soft breeze floated the scent of spring flowers, and Jill thought it was the most romantic evening she had ever spent in her life.
Across from her, sitting on a picnic table, Gabe was softly strumming his guitar, his eyes closed as he sang a slow, sad song. With the moonlight shining on his face, he looked very handsome, Jill thought. There wasn't a trace of the wild Gabe, just the sensitive one.
When he picked her up, she wondered how he would behave around her parents. But he had been, as her mother would put it, a perfect gentleman. He had even held the car door open for her, which was strange and sweet at the same time.
What a perfect evening, she thought. The movie had been great, but even better had been Gabe's idea of going to the park so that he could play music just for her. I'll never forget this evening, she thought.
Gabe finished the song, then set the guitar down.
"That was great," said Jill. "Did you write it?"
"I'm still working on it," said Gabe with a smile. "You like it?"
"It's better than most of the stuff they play on the radio," she said.
Gabe crossed to the bench where she was sitting and sat beside her. "I've had a nice time tonight," he said.
"Me too," she said.
"Hanging out with the other kids is fun," he went on, "but I've been wanting to get to know you alone."
Jill couldn't think of what to say. She felt the same way, but somehow it didn't seem right to say so. Very casually, Gabe took her hand.
"So, what is the real Jill Franks like?" he asked, only half-teasing.
"I think," she said, "that I'm just the way I seem to be."
He was silent a moment. "I think that's true. A lot of people wear masks, or put on an act, but you seem to be just you."
"What about you?" Jill said. "Do you have a mask?"
Again Gabe fell silent. "What do you think?" he said at last.
"I'm not sure," said Jill. "But you seem so different now than when we're hanging out with the others."
"Yeah?" he asked. "Which me do you like better?"
"Both of them," said Jill. "I like the way you always want to do something
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