One Hundred Candles [2] by Mara Purnhagen Page B

embrace—but I was. The kiss seemed to end before I fully registered what was happening, but Harris kept his arms around me in a way that announced to the rest of our classmates that we were together. The fireworks exploding on TV were nothing compared to what was igniting inside of me.
    I checked the clock on my nightstand. It was just after noon. “Avery’s going to be here soon,” I informed Noah.
    “Mom’s still sleeping in. Shane didn’t bring her home until almost three this morning. I was about to call the cops. And she didn’t even tell me where they were all night, except to say that they went to some great party.”
    I heard the doorbell ring downstairs. “Do you really want the details?”
    “Why? Do you know something?”
    “I know that Shane is happy and your mom is happy and you should try to be a little happy for them.”
    Noah groaned. “You sound like her.”
    “Great women think alike. I have to go. Avery’s here.”
    “See you at school tomorrow.”
    A moment later, Avery waltzed into my room. “Okay, I have three possibilities,” she announced, pushing the heap of wrinkled clothes off my bed and onto the floor. “You mind?” She knew I didn’t. Avery laid out the three tops she had brought with her, each a different shade of dark blue.
    With school starting the next day, Avery had volunteered to come over and help me pick out clothes that wouldn’t draw too much attention to my sling. I stood still while she held each of the blouses against my skin.
    “Too light,” she declared, tossing a crinkly peasant blouse to the side.
    “This is why I need you,” I said. “That was my first choice.”
    Avery appraised the pile on my bed. “We want something like you wore last night, but more casual. The darker, the better, I think.” The corner of her mouth curled into a smile. “Although I have to say, Harris definitely wasn’t paying attention to your cast last night.”
    “It’s not a cast, it’s a sling. And I think he felt sorry for me.”
    “So that was a pity kiss he gave you at midnight?”
    I immediately looked down, embarrassed. I had no idea that Avery had witnessed the kiss. It had been so public, though. Everyone must have seen it.
    “So?”
    I looked up. “So what?”
    “Was that a friendly peck or something more?”
    “It was, you know, the whole midnight-on-New-Year’s tradition.”
    Avery smiled knowingly. “Right. Tradition. Tell me this. Do you like him?”
    I hesitated. I did like Harris, but I didn’t know him at all. I liked that he was taller than me and had a great smile. I liked that he was nice and athletic and had a sense of humor. He seemed great—on paper. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that he had chosen me, and, since I barely knew him, I couldn’t figure out what it was that he liked about me. I was slightly suspicious. Was he genuinely interested in me or was he attracted more to his idea of me, whatever that was? More than once, someone had pretended to like me when in reality, all they wanted was a chance to be on TV for a couple seconds. When I expressed this to Avery, she frowned.
    “Any chance you’re over-thinking this?” she asked. “I mean, I’ve known Harris since kindergarten. He’s a nice guy who wants to get to know you better. That’s all.”
    Hearing her say that helped me relax. “You’re probably right.”
    “Of course I’m right. He’s one of the most—” She was startled quiet by the slamming of the front door downstairs. We both turned to look at my open door as heavy footsteps pounded up the stairs. Before they could reach the hallway, though, we heard my dad’s voice.
    “Fine! Avoid the question like you always do!”
    The footsteps stopped as my mom turned around and went back downstairs. “I am not avoiding anything except yet another screaming match! If you calm down, maybe we can discuss this.”
    My parents were standing at the bottom of the stairs, completely oblivious to the fact that I was home