kidding.” Gregory’s voice sounded strained when he asked, “Why? Do you know?”
“Uh, well, I don’t know.” Kylie seemed a bit taken aback. Apparently she’d heard the edge in his voice, too. “I mean, I definitely wouldn’t go out with some of them. But you never know why Amanda does anything, really. Maybe she thinks she’s better than them or something.” I could almost imagine Kylie as she shrugged her shoulders.
“When did they ask her? Recently?”
“No, not that recently. I mean, honestly I think she’s scared off all the guys around here. They know she’ll just tell them no.”
“Oh.”
There was nothing significant in his answer, but I’ve never known such relief as when, in the next breath, I heard Kylie exclaim, “Well, let’s go show everyone what we’ve found. I bet the Franklin brothers are gonna want to know where these trees are. By September, the pine nuts will be ripe.”
“Cool.”
I waited until I thought the coast was clear before I stepped out of my hiding spot. I spun around at the accusing voice behind me.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Six: Caught!
Lilly was less than two feet from me. “Why didn’t you tell me it was you?”
I stared at her, speechless.
“Why didn’t you say you were the girl who broke Gregory’s heart?”
Say something. “I–I couldn’t.” I blinked and then looked away from her scornful glare. “How did you know?”
“Like it was hard to put the pieces together, especially after the way he watches you and then with what Kylie just said,” Lilly retorted. Then she asked hesitantly, “You still love him, don’t you?”
My head whipped around to meet her eyes, before I lowered mine and mumbled, “I, uh . . . yes, I do. But please don’t say anything.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it. Talk about awkward.” Her attempt at a joke brought my gaze to hers again. “Besides, by the looks of things it’s not likely you two will ever be together again.”
On the way back to the picnic table I must’ve tripped on a dead branch or something, because I had fallen down before I knew what had happened.
“Amanda, are you all right?”
The look of concern on Lilly’s face made me giggle, even though I was touched that she cared.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I think.”
With her help, I was able to stand up and brush off most of the stubborn grime. I’d forgotten how sticky the clay soil was. I had a slight yellowish terracotta film over most of my jeans and a good part of my light blue T-shirt when we arrived back at the Land Rover. To make matters worse, I’d wrenched my ankle a bit when I fell. It didn’t sting or swell or anything, but it was a little sore. I tried not to limp as I approached the group.
Madison was the first one to notice my appearance. “Amanda, what happened? Are you okay?”
I laughed along with everybody when the rest of the group turned to see me and couldn’t contain their amusement. I’m so glad there’s not a mirror. I would hate to see what I really look like.
Ethan grinned mischievously when he pointed to the left side of my face and asked, “Didn’t get enough to eat, Amanda? You had to try out some dirt too?”
Everyone burst into laughter again.
I wiped some dust off my cheek. “I’m awfully thirsty from tasting all that dirt. Has anyone seen my water bottle?”
“Here, Amanda, you can use mine.” Kylie chucked her unopened bottle right at me. I wasn’t expecting that, and the bottle would have hit me had Gregory’s arm not flown in front of my face at the last second and caught it.
“Here.” His voice above my head sent a shiver down my spine.
“Thanks.” I half smiled and blinked at his shirt before glancing down at my dirty clothes.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“Yeah.” I tried again to look up at him, but it was impossible.
“Did you get hurt when you fell?”
“Hurt?” I was surprised he cared. My eyes finally found his, and my heart began to flutter uncontrollably.
He
“Uh, well, I don’t know.” Kylie seemed a bit taken aback. Apparently she’d heard the edge in his voice, too. “I mean, I definitely wouldn’t go out with some of them. But you never know why Amanda does anything, really. Maybe she thinks she’s better than them or something.” I could almost imagine Kylie as she shrugged her shoulders.
“When did they ask her? Recently?”
“No, not that recently. I mean, honestly I think she’s scared off all the guys around here. They know she’ll just tell them no.”
“Oh.”
There was nothing significant in his answer, but I’ve never known such relief as when, in the next breath, I heard Kylie exclaim, “Well, let’s go show everyone what we’ve found. I bet the Franklin brothers are gonna want to know where these trees are. By September, the pine nuts will be ripe.”
“Cool.”
I waited until I thought the coast was clear before I stepped out of my hiding spot. I spun around at the accusing voice behind me.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Six: Caught!
Lilly was less than two feet from me. “Why didn’t you tell me it was you?”
I stared at her, speechless.
“Why didn’t you say you were the girl who broke Gregory’s heart?”
Say something. “I–I couldn’t.” I blinked and then looked away from her scornful glare. “How did you know?”
“Like it was hard to put the pieces together, especially after the way he watches you and then with what Kylie just said,” Lilly retorted. Then she asked hesitantly, “You still love him, don’t you?”
My head whipped around to meet her eyes, before I lowered mine and mumbled, “I, uh . . . yes, I do. But please don’t say anything.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it. Talk about awkward.” Her attempt at a joke brought my gaze to hers again. “Besides, by the looks of things it’s not likely you two will ever be together again.”
On the way back to the picnic table I must’ve tripped on a dead branch or something, because I had fallen down before I knew what had happened.
“Amanda, are you all right?”
The look of concern on Lilly’s face made me giggle, even though I was touched that she cared.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I think.”
With her help, I was able to stand up and brush off most of the stubborn grime. I’d forgotten how sticky the clay soil was. I had a slight yellowish terracotta film over most of my jeans and a good part of my light blue T-shirt when we arrived back at the Land Rover. To make matters worse, I’d wrenched my ankle a bit when I fell. It didn’t sting or swell or anything, but it was a little sore. I tried not to limp as I approached the group.
Madison was the first one to notice my appearance. “Amanda, what happened? Are you okay?”
I laughed along with everybody when the rest of the group turned to see me and couldn’t contain their amusement. I’m so glad there’s not a mirror. I would hate to see what I really look like.
Ethan grinned mischievously when he pointed to the left side of my face and asked, “Didn’t get enough to eat, Amanda? You had to try out some dirt too?”
Everyone burst into laughter again.
I wiped some dust off my cheek. “I’m awfully thirsty from tasting all that dirt. Has anyone seen my water bottle?”
“Here, Amanda, you can use mine.” Kylie chucked her unopened bottle right at me. I wasn’t expecting that, and the bottle would have hit me had Gregory’s arm not flown in front of my face at the last second and caught it.
“Here.” His voice above my head sent a shiver down my spine.
“Thanks.” I half smiled and blinked at his shirt before glancing down at my dirty clothes.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“Yeah.” I tried again to look up at him, but it was impossible.
“Did you get hurt when you fell?”
“Hurt?” I was surprised he cared. My eyes finally found his, and my heart began to flutter uncontrollably.
He
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