stressed about the presentation. Sheâd do her math in study hall tomorrow. She lay back on her bed and stared at the ceiling.
And to make it even more awkward? Even though she edited as many out as she could, a full two-thirds of the pictures in her slide show featured Nick. And Cassidy would be sitting right in front of her, probably snickering her head off, gloating about going out with Nick and thinking how Lame Lindsay thought they were still friends. Things really couldnât get much worse.
Except that they could.
That night she tossed and turned a lot, fretting about her presentation, about Nick, about anything and everything, the way you only do in the middle of the night. At last, toward morning, she managed to doze off. When her alarm went off, she was tired but somehow she also felt a new resolve.
She was not going to worry about what peoplethought. She would give her presentation, and everyone could just deal with it.
It was true, wasnât it, that she and Nick had grown up together? That they had been best friends for nearly thirteen years? She had thirteen yearsâ worth of pictures to prove it. And she wasnât going to deny her past. Sure, heâd changed. He was different. But that was now. This was then. What heâd become didnât change who he had once been.
She chose her outfit carefully. She didnât want to look too dressed up, or like sheâd fussed too much. It was too warm for her favorite red sweater, and anyway, sheâd worn that apple picking. She finally decided on her second-favorite top, a blouse that buttoned up the front and was gathered in a little at the waist, and her second-favorite pair of pants, her raspberry-colored corduroys. She put on some strawberry lip gloss and gathered her hair in a ponytail, then looked in the mirror. It was fine. She looked okay. She was not glamorous like Cassidy, and never would be, but she looked like herself: a sort-of pretty, smart, fringe-popular girl.
At school, she got to homeroom early, but stood outside the door, gathering her courage. This would be nobig deal. She wished she didnât get so nervous speaking in front of a group, but she would handle it just fine.
Cassidy appeared and shimmied sideways past her to get into the room. âHi, Lindsay,â she said. âYouâre presenting today, right?â
âYep.â
âI think itâs so cool that you didnât get all dressed up and whatever! Iâm totally stressing about what to wear for my presentation, but itâs neat that you donât care!â said Cassidy in a sweet voice, and then she disappeared into the classroom.
Before she could react to that, Lindsayâs phone vibrated in her pocket. She looked around quickly. Who would be texting her now? She could get in trouble if she got caught using her phone, but this had to be important. She pulled it half out of her pocket and peeked at the screen.
It was from Rosie. Lindsay slipped out her phone and looked at it, hidden behind her note cards.
OMG Linz I am SO SORRY!!!
Lindsay gulped, then quickly texted back.
For what???!!
There followed a long pause. The first bell rang. That meant she had only three minutes or so before the second bell rang. She didnât know what Mr. Bates would do if she was tardy on the day she was supposed to present! At last her phone vibrated again and then once more as Rosie replied to her in a series of texts, one after the other.
I mentioned something to Ava at soccer practice yesterday that you and Nick had hung out and had an apple orchard date last weekend. I guess Ava told Bella, and Bella told EVERYONE because this morning Jenn texted me and said everyone is talking about it.
Before Lindsay could text a reply, another message came through.
And Jenn heard that some kids are saying that you have been telling everyone that you and Nick are going out now. They heard you ask him out in the hallway!!
What????!!!!
Sorry,
And to make it even more awkward? Even though she edited as many out as she could, a full two-thirds of the pictures in her slide show featured Nick. And Cassidy would be sitting right in front of her, probably snickering her head off, gloating about going out with Nick and thinking how Lame Lindsay thought they were still friends. Things really couldnât get much worse.
Except that they could.
That night she tossed and turned a lot, fretting about her presentation, about Nick, about anything and everything, the way you only do in the middle of the night. At last, toward morning, she managed to doze off. When her alarm went off, she was tired but somehow she also felt a new resolve.
She was not going to worry about what peoplethought. She would give her presentation, and everyone could just deal with it.
It was true, wasnât it, that she and Nick had grown up together? That they had been best friends for nearly thirteen years? She had thirteen yearsâ worth of pictures to prove it. And she wasnât going to deny her past. Sure, heâd changed. He was different. But that was now. This was then. What heâd become didnât change who he had once been.
She chose her outfit carefully. She didnât want to look too dressed up, or like sheâd fussed too much. It was too warm for her favorite red sweater, and anyway, sheâd worn that apple picking. She finally decided on her second-favorite top, a blouse that buttoned up the front and was gathered in a little at the waist, and her second-favorite pair of pants, her raspberry-colored corduroys. She put on some strawberry lip gloss and gathered her hair in a ponytail, then looked in the mirror. It was fine. She looked okay. She was not glamorous like Cassidy, and never would be, but she looked like herself: a sort-of pretty, smart, fringe-popular girl.
At school, she got to homeroom early, but stood outside the door, gathering her courage. This would be nobig deal. She wished she didnât get so nervous speaking in front of a group, but she would handle it just fine.
Cassidy appeared and shimmied sideways past her to get into the room. âHi, Lindsay,â she said. âYouâre presenting today, right?â
âYep.â
âI think itâs so cool that you didnât get all dressed up and whatever! Iâm totally stressing about what to wear for my presentation, but itâs neat that you donât care!â said Cassidy in a sweet voice, and then she disappeared into the classroom.
Before she could react to that, Lindsayâs phone vibrated in her pocket. She looked around quickly. Who would be texting her now? She could get in trouble if she got caught using her phone, but this had to be important. She pulled it half out of her pocket and peeked at the screen.
It was from Rosie. Lindsay slipped out her phone and looked at it, hidden behind her note cards.
OMG Linz I am SO SORRY!!!
Lindsay gulped, then quickly texted back.
For what???!!
There followed a long pause. The first bell rang. That meant she had only three minutes or so before the second bell rang. She didnât know what Mr. Bates would do if she was tardy on the day she was supposed to present! At last her phone vibrated again and then once more as Rosie replied to her in a series of texts, one after the other.
I mentioned something to Ava at soccer practice yesterday that you and Nick had hung out and had an apple orchard date last weekend. I guess Ava told Bella, and Bella told EVERYONE because this morning Jenn texted me and said everyone is talking about it.
Before Lindsay could text a reply, another message came through.
And Jenn heard that some kids are saying that you have been telling everyone that you and Nick are going out now. They heard you ask him out in the hallway!!
What????!!!!
Sorry,
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