nose. “Well, sometimes. Tonight they were screaming. I mean screaming ! Then Mom takes it out on me, like it’s my fault she and Dad can’t stand each other. She yells at me about how insensitive I am to have her take me and pick me up, and don’t I ever think about her and her needs. I mean, doesn’t she mean to say all of that to him? It’s not my fault. Plus, I’d drive myself in a second if they hadn’t grounded me. I don’t want her to chauffeur me around. Tomorrow they’ll both just act all nicey-nicey to each other, but no one will apologize to me.” She shrugs, but I see her eyes are wet. “It’s so juvenileand . . . unfair.”
“I’m sorry.” I hug her. “You know you can always spend the night at my house to get away.”
“Thanks. I might need to tonight. We might also need a cab. It looks like Mom forgot us or is just teaching me a lesson.”
The other kids tumble into the back of a silver minivan, leaving us alone in the parking lot.
“Okay,” I gush, “on a completely separate note, Noah is so amazingly sweet. It feels so natural to have him next to me and whispering to me. I never really liked boys before . . . not like this, anyway.”
“Yeah, we’re all a little weirded out, Linds. You haven’t dumped him because of the way he ties his shoes or because he has a strange middle name or anything .” Emma places her palm on my forehead. “You feeling okay?”
I feel anxious and dizzy as I think of Noah’s soft mouth brushing my ear.
“There must be something really wrong with me.” I laugh.
Bzzzzz.
My pocket quivers.
I flip open my phone. It’s from Noah.
CY
CANT W
I type back.
__________________________
1. Fireplace analogies were inspired by Pastor Jim Zippay’s sermon on Intimacy, June 2007.
CHAPTER EIGHT
A nd kick, kick, kick, kick, fan kick, fan kick, jump together, slap, slap, turn, and roll my head. Now, arm up, lock onto Julia’s shoulder, snap my head right, and march, march, march, march. The synthesizers in the song scream. The music is the living pulse of the gym, and the dance team is the blood flowing through its veins. And stag leap, swivel, swivel, up, and touch the ground, hold it, and exhale. Next group does the same while I actually snatch a breath of air. And, one, two, pop up, and pose.
“Better, ladies. Fours, you’re a half beat behind the threes on that last sequence. Catch up. Follow Melissa’s lead on the fans.” Todd, our dance coach, paces back and forth in front of us.
I’m hoping he talks a little longer so I can breathe like a normal person again. My heart races so fast, it feels like it will beat right out of my chest and slide across the floor like a hockey puck. I glance at the clock. Time to go. Two hours of practice and my muscles feel like pudding. I’m starving, and I have a heap of homework tonight.
“Once more. Make it count.” Todd turns to the CD player, gives us a millisecond to get in position, and punches the Play button.
I reach inside myself to find the energy to perform the whole routine again. The music lifts me and snaps my limbs from onepose to the next. My smile is genuine. The notes fill me and move me. Adrenaline pushes my body around the gym floor until the last note resonates in the air.
I collapse onto the floor along with half the dance team.
“That’s it!” Todd shouts. “See you tomorrow. Nice practice, girls.”
Melissa reaches out her hand and pulls me to standing.
“I don’t know if I can walk to the back of the gym,” she pants. Sweat drips down her freckles.
I wipe the smoldering droplets on my own face before they sting my eyes. “I know I can’t. That’s why I’m going to let you carry me.”
She rolls her eyes. We attack our water bottles and take our time stretching in the back of the gym. “Sooo, Emma said you and Noah were cozy at youth group?”
“Yeah.” I nod, blushing. “It was . . . wow, completely uncomfortable.”
“How do you mean?” Melissa
“I’m sorry.” I hug her. “You know you can always spend the night at my house to get away.”
“Thanks. I might need to tonight. We might also need a cab. It looks like Mom forgot us or is just teaching me a lesson.”
The other kids tumble into the back of a silver minivan, leaving us alone in the parking lot.
“Okay,” I gush, “on a completely separate note, Noah is so amazingly sweet. It feels so natural to have him next to me and whispering to me. I never really liked boys before . . . not like this, anyway.”
“Yeah, we’re all a little weirded out, Linds. You haven’t dumped him because of the way he ties his shoes or because he has a strange middle name or anything .” Emma places her palm on my forehead. “You feeling okay?”
I feel anxious and dizzy as I think of Noah’s soft mouth brushing my ear.
“There must be something really wrong with me.” I laugh.
Bzzzzz.
My pocket quivers.
I flip open my phone. It’s from Noah.
CY
CANT W
I type back.
__________________________
1. Fireplace analogies were inspired by Pastor Jim Zippay’s sermon on Intimacy, June 2007.
CHAPTER EIGHT
A nd kick, kick, kick, kick, fan kick, fan kick, jump together, slap, slap, turn, and roll my head. Now, arm up, lock onto Julia’s shoulder, snap my head right, and march, march, march, march. The synthesizers in the song scream. The music is the living pulse of the gym, and the dance team is the blood flowing through its veins. And stag leap, swivel, swivel, up, and touch the ground, hold it, and exhale. Next group does the same while I actually snatch a breath of air. And, one, two, pop up, and pose.
“Better, ladies. Fours, you’re a half beat behind the threes on that last sequence. Catch up. Follow Melissa’s lead on the fans.” Todd, our dance coach, paces back and forth in front of us.
I’m hoping he talks a little longer so I can breathe like a normal person again. My heart races so fast, it feels like it will beat right out of my chest and slide across the floor like a hockey puck. I glance at the clock. Time to go. Two hours of practice and my muscles feel like pudding. I’m starving, and I have a heap of homework tonight.
“Once more. Make it count.” Todd turns to the CD player, gives us a millisecond to get in position, and punches the Play button.
I reach inside myself to find the energy to perform the whole routine again. The music lifts me and snaps my limbs from onepose to the next. My smile is genuine. The notes fill me and move me. Adrenaline pushes my body around the gym floor until the last note resonates in the air.
I collapse onto the floor along with half the dance team.
“That’s it!” Todd shouts. “See you tomorrow. Nice practice, girls.”
Melissa reaches out her hand and pulls me to standing.
“I don’t know if I can walk to the back of the gym,” she pants. Sweat drips down her freckles.
I wipe the smoldering droplets on my own face before they sting my eyes. “I know I can’t. That’s why I’m going to let you carry me.”
She rolls her eyes. We attack our water bottles and take our time stretching in the back of the gym. “Sooo, Emma said you and Noah were cozy at youth group?”
“Yeah.” I nod, blushing. “It was . . . wow, completely uncomfortable.”
“How do you mean?” Melissa
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