Here by Denise Grover Swank Page A

my response will make me look like an idiot. “Um… I’m studying this weekend.” Gaining some confidence, I lift my chin and grin. “I’ve got a lot of trigonometry to make up.”
    “
I was thinking, maybe…” He lifts a hand to the steering wheel then takes a deep breath as he stares into my eyes. “I thought maybe I could come over and help you.”
    His topaz eyes hold mine. My peripheral vision fades away and it’s as though I’m at the bottom of a well. The only thing I can see is his face.
    Surely, he didn’t just ask to come over to my house.
    He misinterprets my hesitation. “Or… we could meet at the library if you’d rather do that.”
    The thought of explaining his presence to my parents is a hurdle I don’t feel like vaulting. “I’ll be at the library tomorrow afternoon. It would be great if you showed up …that is, if I need help.” Could I look like a bigger fool? “But if something else comes up and you can’t make it you don’t have to worry…”
    A smile lights up his face and I’m melting. I bask in the warmth until it occurs to me that I’m sitting outside my house in Evan’s car. Anna will be home soon and find me here. I open the door, the cold air whistling through the crack.
    “
I’ll see you tomorrow.” His voice is soft.
    Smiling, I climb out of the car and stand in the yard, watching him drive away. My heart feels lighter for the first time in months.

Chapter Six

    In spite of last night’s questionable results, I sit with my family at dinner. We eat pizza while everyone discusses their plans. Mom and Dad are going to see a movie with friends even though they are barely speaking to each other, my father answering Mom’s questions with grunts. Anna has been invited to a sleepover. As usual, I’m doing nothing.
    Mom makes a stab at conversation again, but our responses are stilted. Dad refuses to look at me and Anna watches as though my head will spin at any second.
    As soon as we finish, they disappear, leaving me alone. My room suddenly feels suffocating, so I flop on the sofa in the living room and spend the next hour flipping through channels.
    The phone rings and I jump. A cordless unit lays on the table next to me and I consider letting the answering machine get it until the name on caller ID pops up.
    Evan .
    Before I can chicken out, or even think of what to say, my thumb pushes the talk button. “Hello.”
    After a half second of silence, he says, “Julia?”
    “
Yeah.”
    “
This is Evan.”
    A crowd cheers in the background. “Where are you?”
    “
The football game.”
    I can’t imagine why he’d be calling me, let alone from the game. “So you really aren’t playing?”
    “
No.”
    My curiosity is piqued, but I stop myself from asking why not. “What’s up?”
    “
I thought I’d call and see if you were having any problems with your trig homework.”
    I laugh. “Do you get to count this in your community service hours?”
    “
Nah, this is a freebie.”
    The crowd breaks into even louder cheering. “What’s going on there?”
    “
I think we just got a touchdown.”
    “
You think? Aren’t you supposed to know?”
    “
I suppose, but something more interesting caught my attention.”
    My cheeks flush making me thankful no one’s around to see.
    “
So, do you need any help?”
    “
Actually, no. I’m not doing homework. I’m trying to find something to watch on TV.”
    “
Ah, a procrastinator, huh?” He laughs. “Maybe next week you should come to the game.”
    I hold my breath then release it. He didn’t ask me to go with him, just suggested I go. “Yeah, I’m not really a football kind of girl.”
    “
No? What kind of girl are you then?”
    That’s a good question. Even though I feel myself becoming more normal, I don’t think I’ll ever be the person I was before. “Not a football game-goer.”
    “
Okay, what else?”
    “
Don’t you have a game to watch?”
    “
Not until you tell me two more things. What’s the